Chapter 463: A Sudden Opportunity

"Ohh～! Amazing～! Even the meat is still in top condition! Do you think we could have this for dinner, Grey? What do you think it'll taste like?" ［Yuna］

"Like chicken I guess?" ［Grey］

"Chicken? Why chicken?" ［Yuna］

"Because birds are closely related to reptiles? Well, on Earth, at least... I don't know... We haven't had Wyvern meat before so it's hard to tell." ［Grey］

A strange conversation, a number of figures dismantling massive beasts, limb after limb. Their dismantling knives ran through the tough hides of the Wyverns without much problems, peeling it smoothly as little bits of blood continued to trickle down.

It has been a few minutes since the spirits defeated the Wyverns, and after such an overwhelming battle, a lot of Wyvern carcass remainedー No, correction, a lot of dismembered and grotesque Wyvern carcass remained.

Their bodies were riddled with holes and wounds, barely looking salvageable. Some were even crushed flat by giant boulders. Thankfully, with the use of the all-powerful holy magic, a little bit of healing magic restored the bodies to their peak.

"We are really sorry, Master, Mistress..." ［Markab］

"Fufufu! It's fine～! It's fine～! Everything's resolved anyway. And isn't it normal to go overboard because of excitement from time to time?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah, and Yuna's done a lot worse, you know? There was one time she was so excited, she almost froze an entire forest." ［Grey］

"Hey! Do you really have to bring that up, Grey?! And it's not like you're any different! For the record, I took on recklessness from you!" ［Yuna］

"Hahaha. Well, I can't really deny that." ［Grey］

Well, even if their bodies were restored, the soul was a different matter. The Wyvern's bodies were completely healed and restored, but they were nothing but empty shells without any life. Still, it made harvesting their materials possible.

After all, Wyverns are still considered "Sovereign Beasts", ranking just below that of "Divine Beasts". Everything harvested from their bodies are materials to make at the very least High-Grade items, and Superior-Grade if done properly.

Of course, what Grey and Yuna are really after were the meat. They also wanted to get some materials from Alchemy and Smithing, but nothing comes close to their desire to eat some good meat. Just thinking about it was enough to make them drool.

"Oh! Right, everyone! Please leave one of the Wyvern's carcass intact. We'll need something to show Cedric and the Guuldmasters later." ［Grey］

"What about the others, Master?" ［Sirius］

"Please do as you wish. Just make sure to be careful." ［Grey］

"""Understood.""" """Okay～!""" """Yes!!"""

And now that Grey and Yuna know that the familiars can assume Salferine forms, they also have them help out in dismantling from time to time. Not only would it speed up the process, it would also give the familiars something else to do.

Speaking of which, while the familiars are in their Salferine forms, they have started their own hobbies and routines, doing all sorts of new things which they found quite fun and enjoyable, playing around in their spare time.

For example, the gentle Sirius would often read books in the library with Altair, the playful Vega would always go around town and explore, dragging Procyon, Capella, and Achernar with her, and Betelgeuse... Well... He just loves sleeping...

"Master, Mistress after this ordeal... Fuwaah～... Can I take a nap?" ［Betelgeuse］

"Un! Sure! Just make sure to nap in the proper places, okay?" ［Yuna］

"Sure... Uwaah～... Hank yuu..." ［Betelgeuse］

In fact, he loves sleeping so much, he would just fall asleep anywhere anytime, be it in the middle of the road, while flying in the sky, or even when they're in the forest during a quest. The only time he's not sleeping in when fighting or eating.

Well, other than that, there really is nothing to talk about besides the familiars are developing at their own pace. Not just them, the Spirits are also developing stronger personalities and individuality. It was as if they're seeing their children grow.

"Then, I'll leave all the dismantling to you." ［Grey］

"You can rest assured, Master." ［Sirius］

"Good.... Now then... What should we do with this..." ［Grey］

Enough about familiars. There's another problem that they have yet to solve, and that is... The cliff sides in front of them. It was riddled with craters, overgrown with earthen spikes and vines, and lots of massive cracks spreading on the ground.

Grey and Yuna had asked that the spirits not destroy the mountains, and though, technically, they only damaged it on a general scale, the whole terrain can only be described as ruined and tattered, to the point it is now unrecognizable.

It may be because the enemies are strong, or because they have been too used to fighting inside the Labyrinth of Thunder that they completely lost the sense of holding back. It looks like they need training of some sorts again.

"It's really ruined, isn't it... Cedric isn't gonna scold us, is he?" ［Yuna］

"No, I don't think so... Probably not... It's his request, after all," ［Grey］

"Really? Why do you sound so unsure right now?" ［Yuna］

"That's because I am... I don't think this mountain has any political or economical value to the territory, but I guess we should still fix it, huh..." ［Grey］

There was no use thinking too much about it. With the goal of restoration in mind, Grey then scoured through his memories before the cliffside was destroyed. He then shared the sight with Yuna with illusion magic, and they soon started working.

A little bit of earth magic, a bit of plant magic, and a touch of water magic to erode the earth. Grey and Yuna used multiple kinds of magic at once and remodeled the terrain to how it used to look, making sure it was as similar as it could be.

"Let's shave a little bit of this... And that, thenー Hm? This is...?" ［Yuna］

But just when they were doing their jobs and patching up the cliff side, Yuna suddenly found something familiar hidden underneath the piles of dirt, rocks, and rubble. She isn't too familiar with them, but she was sure she had seen them before.

"Grey, look here～! I think I found some ores here!" ［Yuna］

"Ores...? Is it iron? Copper? Copper? Bauxite? Silver?" ［Grey］

"I'm not sure, but I do know that it's pretty precious. Come take a look." ［Yuna］

Question marks filling his mind, Grey didn't waste any time and soon headed towards where Yuna was and looked at the ore she was holding in her hand. The moment he did, his eyes immediately widened in shock, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

The moment he realized what kind of ore was in Yuna's hands, Grey immediately stood up and scoured the whole place, finding several other ores in the area. And as if that wasn't enough, he waved his hand and casted magic soon after.

"G-Grey?! What are you doing?!" ［Yuna］

The patch of ground Yuna just patched up was suddenly raised towards the ground and a massive mass of soil, rocks, and gravel was lifted to the air. With a little bit more magic, Grey then crushed it to tens of thousands of pieces.

The very moment Grey crushed the Earthl what was revealed was something not really that amazing to their eyes... Well, to their eyes, that is. But to normal people, such a sight was nothing but a miracle. A grace from the heavens.

"There's so many... Did we just hit the jackpot...?" ［Yuna］

"Hahaha... I believe we just did... How absurd..." ［Grey］

From the incident to the Hunter Wolves, to the Wyverns, all the way to the uncovering of the ores... Grey couldn't tell whether they were lucky or unlucky. He even made sure to appraise the whole area, and sure enough, the results were incredible.

Grey knows one thing, and one thing for sure... With what they found in the mountain, Galderia would never be the same. Wry smiles bloomed on their faces, neither of the two unable to even let out a laugh. It seems like things will get troublesome again.

...

It was stiff, silent, and serious, the atmosphere looming over the room could only be described as such. Three gentlemen stood inside, discussing a couple of things and talking about the recent incident involving the territory.

Soon, good news came ringing inside the Lord's ears and he could finally heave a sigh of relief. It was as if all the burdens on his shoulder were lifted, his heart racing rapidly in relief as he took his seat and took a lengthy breath.

"So it seems like the victims are safe... And Grey and Yuna even healed them. Really, what reliable people they are." ［Cedric］

"The victims also brought carcasses of Hunter Wolves. It looks like Their Highnesses have healed them, so they are all top quality. The Merchant Guild is requesting if they could have some for themselves." ［Ragnar］

"Hmm... Marcel never really misses a beat, huh... Unfortunately, I don't have any rights to decide anything regarding that matter." ［Cedric］

"I see... Then, I guess we'll wait for Their Highnesses' response." ［Ragnar］

"That's correctー Oh, and make sure to accommodate the victims. If Grey and Yuna promised them something, make sure to fulfill it." ［Cedric］

"Understood, My Lord." ［Ragnar］

Before long, the knight finally took his leave, leaving the Lord behind and silence took over the room once again. It hasn't even been a decade since he became the Lord, and it feels like he's already getting old after all the troubles.

Just now, Cedric was searching through various documents regarding the various strange phenomena which occurred in the past. Yet despite all that, there has been no record of Hunter Wolves suddenly appearing in the plains.

"Hmm... How should I explain this to those two..." ［Cedric］

"Explain what, exactly?" ［Grey］

It hasn't even been a minute since the knight left the room and two other people suddenly made their entrance. It was Grey and Yuna, making such a casual entrance towards the Lord's office as if it was the most natural thing to do.

Along them was a small leather pouch, subtle clinks and clicks resounding from it. Cedric wanted to ask what was inside, but before that, there was something more pressing that he needed to address. He soon stood up from his seat and...

"I heard from Ragnar that you saved everyone in the Merchant Group. You even used precious potions to heal their wounds." ［Cedric］

"Fufufu! It's nothing much～! People's lives are more important, after all!" ［Yuna］

"Yeah, and it was also because the escort parties stood their ground so well. If anything, you should also thank them." ［Grey］

"Hahaha. As humble as ever, I see... Grey, Yuna, as the Lord of Adlridge and as a fellow person, I am eternally grateful that you saved my people. From the bottom of my heart, thank you... Truly, I couldn't be any more grateful..." ［Cedric］

... He bowed his head as he gave his gratitude to Grey and Yuna. He doesn't really have to, but seeing him thank them so sincerely made all the trouble more worth it. Well, it would have been better if he wasn't lowering his head so much.

Before long, Grey and Yuna finally accepted Cedric's gratitude and they had them raise his head. After all, they are still friends, so having him bow so sincerely was a little awkward. They would prefer to be served with snacks and refreshments instead.

"By the way, Cedric, about the wolves. Know anything about them yet?" ［Grey］

"About that, I've been searching through our past accounts, but there isn't any record related to something like that happening. I'm really sorry." ［Cedric］

"I see... Well, actually, we already know the reason why. We were just asking you to make sure if anything similar happened in the past." ［Grey］

"Oh? You do...?" ［Cedric］

"Yeah... Actually..." ［Grey］

From the events of saving the Merchant Group and Adventurers from the Hunter Wolves, to the disruption in the forest, all the way to exterminating a whole flock of Wyverns, Grey and Yuna told Cedric of everything they knew.

Listening attentively to Grey and Yuna's explanation, Cedric's expression changed several different times from relief, to worry, to shock, and anxiety. He had already prepared himself, but the reason is even more overwhelming.

"W-Wyverns?! There was a flock of Wyverns in the territory?!" ［Cedric］

"Fufufu! No need to worry though. We already exterminated all of them, so there's no need to worry. Everything should go back to normal in a few days." ［Yuna］

"I... I see... That's a relief then..." ［Cedric］

Cedric was surprised at first, but after remembering who Grey and Yuna were, he immediately calmed down. After all, it wasn't the first time they did something so absurd as fighting a whole flock of Wyverns.

As for the matters regarding the forest, though it may be a bit chaotic for now, with the Wyverns now out of the picture, things should slowly return to normal and the beast and animals should return to where they originally belonged.

Still, there was no harm being too careful. With the forest still in relative turmoil, as the Lord, Cedric had decided to ban quests to the forest for the time being and only lift the ban once everything has been confirmed to have returned to normal.

"Still... Wyverns, huh... Why so suddenly..." ［Cedric］

"Ah, about that, I think I have a rough idea. It is a rare sight, so I don't think many people know about it. But I think it's the Wyvern's Migration Season." ［Grey］

"Migration... You mean it's their breeding season?" ［Cedric］

"Well, yeah... I guess you could also put it that way." ［Grey］

It happens roughly every 20 years so not many people know about it. But during this long season, Wyverns all travel south to the uninhabited islands located south of the Kingdom of Graystone to find their lifelong mates and repopulate.

During this time, Wyverns who already have mates mate with one another, and the adolescents who are old enough are brought by their parents to find mates of their own and start their own flocks like they did.

It is a season where many Wyverns die from competition and many eggs are laid to continue their species, and along this long migration, some Wyvern flocks stop by other places in order to rest and feed on the beasts and animals living there.

This time, it seems that a certain flock of Wyverns had decided to pass along the Aldridge Territory, and happened to disrupt the ecosystem because of it. Had they not caused any problems, they would have still been alive. It was a pity, but it was a world of kill or be killed. They were just unfortunate.

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I did see several flocks of Wyverns migrating down south when I was a child... So this is what it was, huh..." ［Cedric］

"Well, it isn't often that they cause troubles, but when they do, subjugation quests are usually put up for them, so it's also called the 'Wyvern Hunting Season'." ［Grey］

"That makes sense, but I'm sure only High-Rankers or the Military can do that. I don't want any problems happening in the territory again." ［Cedric］

"We also wish that no more problems occur," ［Grey］

"It's troublesome, after all." ［Yuna］

Or so they say, but little did they know it will be a very busy time for them. After all, High-Rankers, though increasing in numbers in recent years, are still far and few in between, with only a little over a dozen in each country.

Even then, only A-rankers and above could handle the power of a True Wyvern, with B-rankers only able to combat the lesser ones. It is a time that all High-Rankers will be extremely busy, S-rankers even particularly so.

Well, Grey and Yuna still don't know that now, but soon enough, they will come to know the hardships, needing to exterminate a whole flock of Wyverns every week. But that's a story for another day.

"Oh, right... We also have a lot of Wyvern carcasses in store. Can you ask the Guilds if they're interested in buying some? We'll keep them ourselves if not." ［Grey］

"Is that even a question? I'm sure everyone will rush to get their hands on Wyvern materials. How many carcasses do you have anyway?" ［Cedric］

"We already dismantled most of them, but we have 33 Wyverns in total, 2 of which are True Wyverns." ［Grey］

"... 3... 33... Why am I not even surprised..." ［Cedric］

5 or 6, at most only a dozen. Cedric previously thought the number of Wyverns could be counted with his hands, but it seems like his estimate was completely wrong, and by a long shot, that is. He didn't even have the energy to be surprised.

There was no use thinking about it. With things the way they are, Cedric immediately pulled out some papers and immediately started processing the documents for the Wyverns to make it easier for Grey and Yuna.

While they were doing so, Grey then put the pouch he was holding onto on top of the table, making it make a short series of clacking sounds. Cedric didn't ask about it before, but now that everything's been resolved, he couldn't stop his curiosity,

"By the way... Grey, Yuna, what's inside the pouch you brought?" ［Cedric］

"Oh, right... I was planning to tell you this later, but I guess now's a good time... Why don't you take a look, Cedric?" ［Grey］

"Hm?" ［Cedric］

Tilting his head in curiosity, Cedric then opened the pouch and found a couple small ores inside. Some were shiny, some were brilliant, some were rough, and some were cloudy. There were all sorts of things which he found curious.

"Hmm... I'm not really an expert in ores, but I assume that since you're showing them to me, then they must be valuable, right?" ［Cedric］

"Yeah... Actually, the one you're holding right now is Mysteel." ［Grey］

"If it's Mysteel, then that's Superior-Grade material. Certainly, it would be valuable. Just this single ore may already cost tens of thousands," ［Cedric］

"Un! And we found that in the mountains! Quite a lot of them too!" ［Yuna］

It took quite a while to register, but as soon as it did, shock immediately filled Cedric's heart as his mouth opened in agape. He was so shocked by the sudden revelation that his whole body started to tremble and his palms started sweating.

Here in Merusia, ores generate differently compared to Earth. While there are still a lot made by volcanic activity and chemical reactions, most ores in Merusia are made when raw mana accumulates in the ground and fuse with the minerals there.

The higher the density of mana, the better the ores will be as evidenced by the ores found in dungeons and Labyrinths. The presence of Mysteel ore, a Superior-Grade material, only signifies that there should be several High and Mid Grade ores as well,

"Th... This... You don't mean..." ［Cedric］

"That's right. We can establish a new mine in the territory." ［Grey］

A mine... While there is already a mine in the territory, it is only for getting common minerals like copper and iron. The magnitude between that and the new veins found doesn't even compare with one another, the latter overwhelmingly generous.

The reason why no one discovered it now was not only because the place was filled with dangerous beasts, but also because the terrain is a little bit challenging and the ores were buried really deep. Had it not been for the fight, they would still be clueless.

It would take a lot of work, cost a lot of expenses, and might take a lot of time, but if they're successful with their operations, it would cause an economic boom throughout the territory. It was a chance to take a step into a more abundant future.

Of course, as the ones who discovered the mines, Grey and Yuna also have some rights for it, and also deserve some rewards. For that, they want a right to mine in even a small part of the future mines, and secure materials at cheaper prices.

Not only would doing so be able to provide jobs for those who don't have one, but will also be able to supply the shops in the mall and their soon-to-be-built smithing workshops with enough materials to continue day-to-day operations.

"I see... That does sound reasonable, but since it's a high-ranking mine, we may need approval from His Majesty." ［Cedric］

"Mmn... So there's still a lot of process involved..,. How bothersome..." ［Yuna］

"Well, that's just how things are. And don't worry, even if it puts me at a disadvantage, I'll make sure to do whatever I can to ensure your wish is fulfilled. I promise you that in my name as Count Aldridge." ［Cedric］

"... Then, that's more than enough for us." ［Grey］

"Un! We'll leave it all to you, Cedric." ［Yuna］

They always treat him so friendly and casually that Grey and Yuna often forgets that Cedric is a respectable lord of his own right. He may be younger than others but his abilities speak for himself, and so does the satisfaction of his subjects.

It may take a while, but Grey and Yuna are sure they can leave it all to Cedric. Well, even if they couldn't, they still have a couple of favors they have yet to ask the King. They won't be taking "No" for an answer, that's for sure.

"Well, it's evening already. Would you care joining us for dinner?" ［Cedric］

"Un! Sure! I'm sure it will be delicious!" ［Yuna］

"It would be a pleasure." ［Grey］

CHAPTER 463 END