MOOOOO MOOOO NGAAAAA

  Large bovines roamed the fields, their horns reag out towards the sky as they grazed on the ground. Their tails swu and right, nodding their heads and far and wide, their rge ears fpping from time to time.

  There were just bulls and cows, but sheeps, pigs, horses, chis, and many more. Some roamed about in their pens, whilst some stayed in their coops. There was a loud cacophony of he farm animals enjoying their lives as they usually do.

  "Ahh～. It's eating... So cute..." ［Yuna］

  And amongst the various sounds the animals made, there was a squeal which stood out the most from others. A silver-haired elf's eyes were sparkling brightly, watg the little mbs eat the sheafs of green grass she handed over to her.

  There weren't just one or two little mbs, but a handful of them, all crowding on the side of the fence where Yuna is. They were all chewing and grazing, happily enjoying the fresh and green grass Yuna provided for her.

  "Grow up, little mbs. Eat tasty grass so you'll be tasty too!" ［Yuna］

  "Hey... Don't say something so scary in su adorable manner." ［Grey］

  "Hm? I'm n though?" ［Yuna］

  "Just because you're right, doesn't mean you should say it. And these mbs aren't for eating, you know? They're for harvesting wool, see?" ［Grey］

  Said Grey, ending his statement as she poiowards one of the nearby stables where adult sheep are getting their wool sheared. There are no such things as electric razors in Merusia, so all they could do is manually use shears.

  Evehe quality of the wool doesn't lose out to that on the ones found oh. They were all smooth and fluffy, looking like clouds of white with small patches of brown from the dirt they were rolling around from. It was beautiful.

  Well, not that Grey is an expert in making wool anyway. Being a bcksmith, also known as craftsmen, Grey knows how to deal with wool aher, but he wouldn't sider himself an expert. Just a novice who knows his stuff.

  "Hmm... Where are the ones for eating then? I'll feed them tasty grass." ［Yuna］

  "Yuna, let's just give up ohought, shall we? We still have a lot of mutton in our person. We don't o terrorize the local mbs, you know?" ［Grey］

  "It's okay～! I'm just gonna pray they'll be tasty too." ［Yuna］

  "Alright. I'm gonna stop yht there." ［Grey］

  Yuna's eyes were bright and her smiles were as sweet as the tone of her voice, yet her words were the plete opposite, bringing terror to the little mbs if only they could uand words. It was too scary for such cute little creatures.

  Of course, Yuna knew full well what she was doing. She was deliberately doing so so that she could pi Grey and elicit some reas from him. It's totally nor revenge for makiurn bright red just a couple moments ago. Definitely not.

  Well, even if one says it's revenge... It was very mild ay to the point that one would never notice it unless one says it out in the open. Such futile and adorable attempts only served to make her look more adorable in Grey's eyes.

  "ht! Where are the chicks? I want to feed them too," ［Yuna］

  "They should be on the left... No, it seems like they've been moved." ［Grey］

  "That means we 't feed them anymore, huh... Are there any other animals we feed here? I'm sure there are more adorable little ones, right?" ［Yuna］

  "There's some puppies on the right. And... Looks like the farm owner is training them to herd the livestock... Some sheep, as it seems." ［Grey］

  "Oh! That's amazing! Let's watch them!" ［Yuna］

  Excited as be, Yuna grabbed Grey by the hands and dragged him towards the pens where the herding pups are in. There were over a dozen of them, all looking i and friendly as if they didn't know what they were doing.

  It has been a couple moments since Grey and Yuna took a couple pictures by the bridges, and now, they are t around the expansive farms located southwest from the city. Farms whiot only grow crops but raise livestock as well.

  Luckily enough, there aid tour avaible in the farms where they could watch the farmers do their work, learn, help out, watch the animals in their pens, ahem some grass, grains, and unselble crops.

  They've been able to experience such delights before, but it is only now that they have done so up close. The animals were very tame and well-mannered, one could easily fall with how adorable they are, their eyes i as be.

  "Waah～! They're trying so hard. How cute!" ［Yuna］

  Now, they are watg the little farm dogs try to herd for the first time, most of them not even knowing how to bark, just yelping adorably as they try to herd the sheep. They looked rather adorable than intimidating like adult farm dogs.

  "I wonder if our familiars could herd sheep too?" ［Yuna］

  "Aren't you too much, Yuna? Don't uimate them. Not just sheep, I'm sure they even herd A-rank ss and S-rank divis." ［Grey］

  "Ohh～! Should we test that out? Where we find such beasts, though?" ［Yuna］

  "Hmm... There should be a of wyverns down south, a couple thousand kilometers away... I doly know where, though." ［Grey］

  And one way or anrey and Yuna started talking about whether their familiars could also herd high-rankis as if they are some kind of livestock. Well, with how powerful they are, it might very as well be the case.

  Needless to say, the familiars who don't have a of or what the two are talking about were simply rexing ihe shadows. There was a dark and ominous premonition looming in their hearts, question marks flooding their minds by the sed.

  Eldest Sister, don't you feel something ominous? ［Aar］

  I'm not sure as well.,. I've never felt like this before... ［Sirius］

  Well, they were just intrusive thoughts filled with curiosity anyway, so Grey and Yuna really won't do something so reckless. They could only imagine in their heads what it would be like to create a ranch where A and S ras are raised.

  It was surely a crazy idea, but with Grey and Yuna being Grey and Yuna, there was no way it would be out of the picture. They might just do so out of pure curiosity and even cate dragons while they're at it. on sense was useless.

  Speaking of the familiars, things have been going well in Galderia as well, and there had been no phone calls for sudden emergencies. It seems like the strategy of having the familiars take turns was very effective, quests cleared oer another.

  "Right. Didn't Pro and Aar say they caught a B-ra during a quest? When should we go get it?" ［Yuna］

  "That's impossible. The Guildmaster already asked to buy the beast's materials a. They should be doh it by now." ［Grey］

  "Ehh... That's too bad... I wao have a taste too." ［Yuna］

  Of course, with Yuna around, the versation always ends up looping about food a alike. They could just teleport there with the use of gate, but dealing with the due process would be troublesome. It was better to just have some fun.

  Time passed by in a fsh and another set of bells rang out from the city. Grey and Yuna tio explore the farm and have some fun, buying some fresh produce while they're and also tasting some tasty baked sweet potatoes.

  With the sun sinking down the horizon, Grey and Yuna soon headed out of the farm and headed towards another one of the locations they couldn't miss. It was located a few kilometers from the farm, to the plete opposite side of the city.

  The two of them headed northeast, to where the two rivers meet and where a rge port was located, a couple restaurants and viewing decks by the tral banks of the two rivers, overseeing the verging spot which looked like a little ke.

  "Mama! Is there really a beast in the river?"

  "Grilled fish! Buttered lobsters! River Eel Soup! Buy your seafood here!"

  "Oh, Mister! Would you like to try some of our new products?"

  It was located outside the city, but it was busy as be, a rge influx of locals and tourists going around the viewing decks and watg the wonderful and marvelous sery py out before them, the sound of spshing waves eg all throughout.

  As one would expect, it was amongst one of the famous and more uourist destinations iy, rge numbers of tourists visiting the city for the sole purpose of visiting the pce. As for the reason why, it was very simple...

  SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH ROOOAAAARRRRRRR

  ... It was because in that very interse is where the familiar of the Lord has been dwelling for several decades already. It has bee its home, a shrine and even a handful of structures created for its fort.

  Such a pce was also the breeding grounds of some powerful beasts ranging from E-rank all the way to k, and even some lost B-ras from time to time. It was the Lord's familiar's home and also feeding ground.

  SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH GRRRRR

  The Lord's familiar was an A-ra called a "Tarlgan", a massive beast which resembled shelled plesirey often saw in fial works, its body reag over 30 meters ih with flippers lohan 10 meters each.

  It wasn't just big but powerful as well, equipped with fangs which easily tear through steel as if it was nothing, and also flippers which could cause waves with a single fp of it. There was also a shell on its back, able to withstand fierce attacks from oppos of a lower bat power than it.

  The Tarlgan wasn't a terribly powerful beast for its rank, but with its stats banced between offense, defense, and its specialty whilst diving uer. The beams of water it shoots and waves it causes are also devastating, it was a good familiar.

  "Ohh～! It's like the strange fish from before!" ［Yuna］

  "Strange fish... You meaerygia, right? Well, it does look simir." ［Grey］

  "That beast was also quite tasty when fried and grilled. I wonder if its meat would also taste simir. Aren't you curious as well, Grey?" ［Yuna］

  "Hey, don't think ill of other people's familiars. We'll get in trouble." ［Grey］

  All the food talk aside, the Tarlgan looked very dignified as it swam across the wide river, unbothered by the rushing currents and simply swimming about as if there was nothier to do, the people cheering as it passed by their sights.

  It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that everyone was fond of the familiar, some even some tribute to it in the form of the fishes and seafood they caught, it really looked like the guardiay of Arihal, even worshiped by some.

  Without aation, the Tarlgan moved towards the shore and looked at all the s for a short while, having a little sniff soon after. It then opes rge mouth and took a bite of the , enjoying it happily and elegantly.

  "Ohh! Lord Asfara is enjoying his meal! What delight!"

  "Oh my... He's even bigger when up close..."

  "Waah～! So cool～! Mama, I want to have a big pet too!"

  Everyone was astonished by the feeding of the Tarlgan, the people watg very closely as to not miss a beat. It was a breathtaking sight to see such high-rankis up close. Its radiant amber eyes were as beautiful as the sun.

  The familiar also noticed Grey and Yuna for a while, and as if it uood just how powerful the two were, it s head ever so slightly for a short while. However, it didn't do something so needless like panig which the two were thankful for.

  That familiar just aowledge us, didn't it? ［Yuna］

  Yeah. It seems like it knew we're strohan it, ［Grey］

  It was just a rough estimate, and the Tarlgan really doesn't kly just how powerful Grey and Yuna were, but its observations were more than enough to warrant some wariness. Wariness which soon disappeared as it tio eat.

  SPLASSHHHHHH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH

  With its meal now over, the familiar soon dove deep towards the river and sending a few waves crashing towards the riverside. It disappeared without a trace, the waters now still as be. But the crowd has yet to dissipate.

  The river surface was now calm as be, a rge shadow looming below. Such a shadow sooed away in the darkness of the depths, only the subtle sound of waves and the flowing breeze whispering tunes into everyone's ears.

  BOOM BOOM BOOM WHOOSH SPLASH

  But such peace didn't st too long, a number of booms eg all throughout the river and massive ns of water erupting from below in rapid succession, the once peaceful and sereers now tururbulent and dangerous.

  But despite how dangerous the se was, not one person of the crowd ran away in fear and simply watched with astonishment in their eyes. The most fearful rea was that of children embrag their parents from surprise and peeking meekly.

  Strangely enough, the orchestra of ripples and symphony of chaos seemed like a wonderful performance, everyone baring their eyes out and looking forward ever so excitedly towards the show the Tarlgan prepared for them.

  SPLASH SPLASH WHOOSSHHHHH

  Another series of spshes soon echoed and peace returo the pce. Suddenly, the water surface was ruptured, a massive figure sooing out of the water and flung towards the air, unched several dozeers high.

  It was a massive beast, measuring about 10 meters ih and equipped with a sharp and pointed snout. It was a k beast called a Vargdius, resembling a massive swordfish, one of the more powerful beasts in the river.

  "Watch out! Everybody steer clear!"

  And that very beast was now heading towards the viewing doot even a flickering fme in its eyes and its body streamlined with its own blood. The facilitators of the pce asked the crowd to steer clear and not move recklessly.

  Of course, the trajectory of the Vargdius was already calcuted, nding in one of the protruding parts of the viewing deck. It ot where there weren't any people standing, the Vargdius nding with a loud thud and rumble.

  "Ohh! It's a Vargdius! It seems like Lord Asfara is in a good mood!"

  "What luck! It's been a long time since I've seen one!"

  "My, mu, it's quite the rge one as well. This should fetch quite a hefty sum!"

  The people of the city were already used to such ses, and as it seems, the prey that the Tarlgan catches are given in exge for the s they gave him. It has already been going on for several decades, people lining up to see it.

  It wasn't just a show. The aquatic beasts given by the Tarlgan are also dismantled quickly. The materials are sold to the Guilds and panies, whilst the meat is to be sold to the crowd lining up at reasonable prices. Some cook them as well.

  Grey and Yuna already heard from the Alfrione Royal Family that there was such a show as an attra in Arihal, but it was a lot different than they imagined. It was surely a unique experience, and one people would look forward to.

  "Those who'll buy ralease line up on the left, otherwise, go to the right."

  "I'd like some grilled Vargdius, please."

  "Yes. Please wait a moment. Our cooks will be starting shortly."

  Soon enough, the Tarlgan soon resurfaced, an even bigger Vargdius held in its mouth. It moved towards the viewing deck, the prey's blood still trig down the river. The people soon moved away, watg him with anticipation.

  Uhe previous ohe Tarlgaly pced down the sed Vargdius in the viewing ded let the dismantlers ha. Its eyes soon moved in search of certain figures, only stopping the moment he spotted them.

  "It may not be much, but I hope you enjoy it." ［Asfara］

  Said the Tarlgan, soon bowing its head trey and Yuna. He now knows that the two of them bore no ill iions, but it was still polite enough to give them some show of good will to show its aowledgement.

  Thankfully, with hoeople there are in the crowd, it was hard to tell that the Targellion was talking to someone specific. People only assumed that the preys were a gesture of good luck, the Tarlgan feeling quite generous today.

  He sure is polite, isn't he... ［Grey］

  Fufufu! Isn't that great? We just got some free food! ［Yuna］

  I guess you're right. We should thank him some time, huh, ［Grey］

  The crowd was quickly filled with excitement with the Tarlgan's sudden generosity, everyone lining up the stalls to buy some and state some Vargdius meat. The tter soon disappeared into the river, vanishing without a trace.

  Lucky enough, it wasn't the first time the Tarlgan actually gave something for free to everyone, and it wouldn't be the st oher. It was a rare occurrence, but thanks to it, it didn't warrant any suspi frey and Yuna to be troubled with.

  "Grey, what are you doing? Hurry up! Let's go have some too! Lots of people are already lining up!" ［Yuna］

  "Hahaha. Someone sure is excited." ［Grey］

  "Of course! I've never had Vargdius meat before, but si's k, it should be delicious, right?! I'm looking forward to how it tastes!" ［Yuna］

  There was no time to waste. As soon as the Tarlga aed itself itom of the river, Grey and Yuna immediately lined up after the others and got themselves some fresh meat and some sample dishes as well.

  As per the Tarlgan's wish, the meat and samples were given for free and everyone was able to enjoy them, filling both their hearts and mouths with happiness. It was a great day, everyone smiling with happiness.

  After watg the Tarlgan's performand eating some tasty dishes, Grey and Yuna the around the city once more aertaihemselves with a variety of shows and attras, wasting their time away.

  "Ahh! So close! Why is my luck so bad today!" ［Yuna］

  "Hmm... Should I help youー" ［Grey］

  "No! I want to do this myself! Look, I'll really win this time!" ［Yuna］

  Grey and Yuna were especially fond of the games offered by the stall owners ireet side, giving them a variety of games which relies both on skill and luck, the two pig the tter, otherwise it would be too easy.

  The game was simple. It was just to draw from hundreds of papers a certain number, and if one doesn't pull a dud, they'll be able to rize, ranging from all sorts of simple snacks all the way to some valuable tris.

  "No! I got a dud again!" ［Yuna］

  Unfortunately for Yuna, her terrible luck has beeraying her since she started. She doesn't even want to win anymore, simply wanting to win to prove and redeem herself. There was a burning fme inside her heartー

  "Uuu... I give up...." ［Yuna］

  "There, there. You did good already." ［Grey］

  ... Or at least, there was. But after winning miserably a few more times, she quickly let go of her fixation and just gave up. Fame sed, she already did good enough, Grey patting her head to quickly cheer her up.

  Time passed just like that and soon, the color of the sky started to ge. From blue to amber to a deep red color, and finally, to bck. The whole sky was shrouded in darkness, only the moon and stars sparkling brightly from above.

  Oer ahe street nterns and house lights started lighting up as well, the city slowly illuminating like the sea of stars looming over them. The day was far from over, the city filled with life even when night ensued.

  "I heard you got some Vargdius meat! Let's have a feast tonight!"

  "Grizel's performaonight was great! It was outstanding!"

  "Oi, hurry up! Our shift is almost over!"

  The streets were filled with life and lights, the soldiers roaming about on their patrol, the merts still dealing with their goods, the workers heading back to their homes, and the street perfiving it their all to shine brighter thaars.

  It was a pletely different world to Oiros, everything shining bright even though night had fallen. There was only beauty to be seen, a tinge of chaos and chatter making the night even more fancy. It was a beautiful pce.

  "Fufufu! It's evey at night... How nice..." ［Yuna］

  "Not as pretty as my cute fiahough." ［Grey］

  "Mou... You're teasing me again..." ［Yuna］

  Grey and Yuna just got themselves the most beautiful spot iy, high up iop of the clock tower and overseeing the whole beauty of the pce, a sea of golden stars sparkling ever shtly from below.

  The winds were cold and the night was silent, yet their hearts couldn't be any warmer and louder, their hands holding one aight and their hearts beating as ohe young dy leaning her head on her beloved's shoulder, a sweet and geous smile blooming on her face.

  "Grey... I love you..." ［Yuna］

  "Yeah... I know.... I love you too, Yuna..." ［Grey］

  "Un..." ［Yuna］

  CHAPTER 407 END