Night has fallen and Willem, the guards of Karelina and the adventurers were still waiting for the return of Alice and her group. It has been an entire day since they've seen Alice and her Familiars and they haven't returned. Did something bad happen?
"Uh, Guildmaster?" An adventurer named Luke called Willem, nervous.
"They've been gone for quite a while. Maybe even the Fenrir couldn't-" Luke started to say but Willem cut him off. He was worried of course especially given how young Alice is despite showing maturity for her age.
"You're saying stupid things. We're talking about the legendary Fenrir here." Willem said, despite being worried, he has full hope and trust that Alice and her Familiars will return safely.
"But it's been way too long since they departed." Luke said before the sound of the guild doors made everyone pause and they turned to the entrance and the familiar sight of Alice with Fel and with a sapphire colored dragon-like serpent appeared and everyone gasped in awe and disbelief. They're alive!
"Hey, sorry to keep you all waiting so long. But we're back." Alice smiled reassuringly which was a welcome sight.
"Alice!" Willem exclaimed in relief.
"And Lord Fenrir!" Luke was in disbelief yet relieved that they're back now as Alice entered with Fel and Dragonair.
"You've returned safely. Are you guys okay?" Willem asked them but mostly his eyes was scanning Alice. She was mostly okay but he spotted a bruise on her cheek.
"What happened to your face?" He asked her in shock and concern. Alice blinked and touched her left cheek before wincing. Huh, she didn't notice that.
"I-It's nothing, guildmaster. We're okay." Alice reassured him but she can feel Fel's eyes on her as he moved to the side to see the injury for himself as Dragonair lowered her head, nudging her hand in worry
'(Why didn't you tell me you were injured?)' He asked her telepathically, worried as he looked at her. Why didn't she tell him?
'(Because I didn't want you to worry, Fel. I've had bruises before and this is nothing compared to the ones I obtained when I was younger.)' Alice told him telepathically with a small pout.
'(Plus, I don't want to be treated as if I'm fragile.)' She added with a small sigh. Fel sighed before nudging her shoulder. He was just worried, especially because she almost got hurt earlier and he almost lost her. They turned to Willem.
"How was it?" Willem asked them.
"The wyverns aren't a treat anymore. We wiped out every one of them." Alice reassured him before turning to Fel and Dragonair.
"Go ahead, tell him." Alice encouraged them though Dragonair can't speak but she nodded.
"There are no wyverns remaining in the area. If there were, I would have sensed them." Fel told them, his words confirming the truth,
"There you have it. So you don't have to worry now." Alice said as everyone in the guild were in shock before they all burst into joyous and relieved cheers which made Alice sigh deeply.
"Is that a big deal?" She asked Willem who smiled in relief.
"Absolutely. Since it's a swarm of wyverns, even if all the adventurers and Karelina had joined forces to go after those wyverns, half of them would have lost their lives in the process." Willem explained which made Alice feel a twitch in her eyes. Okay, she's gonna give him a piece of her mind right now.
"I mean, no disrespect, Guildmaster Willem, and forgive me for what's gonna happen but... Half of them?!" Alice finally exploded which caught everyone off guard even Fel. Her shout woke Sui up in her bag as they stared at her in shock, surprise and disbelief. They haven't seen her this angry at anyone before and Fel was just glad he wasn't at the receiving end of it.
"These people probably have families waiting for them after a day's work! If it weren't for Fel stepping in earlier and us taking the emergency quest, those adventurers and guards of Kareline might not be able to see their loved ones again!" Alice exclaimed, practically scolding Willem who at least looked ashamed for what he almost did. She did have a point.
"F-Forgive me. But when you took so long to return, we all started to worry that maybe they were too much for a Fenrir to handle." Willem apologised before explaining as Alice took a deep breath before calming down.
'Yeah, right. I definitely can't tell them that the battle didn't take that long. If only he knew Fel, Sui and Dragonair took down the wyverns in no time flat, and then we spent the time eating lunch.' Alice thought before she had a feeling that Fel would tell everyone what took them so long to come back.
"Those wyverns caused us no trouble whatsoever." Fel said but he's not gonna say anything about how close Alice was to being killed earlier.
"The reason for our lateness is that we were enjoying a leisurely meal." He explained as Alice just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Great...
"A meal?" Willem asked in shock and disbelief as Alice just forced a smile.
"Listen, the thing is... Please don't look at me like that." She tried to explain but couldn't find the right words before Sui peek out of the bag.
"Sui thought the ground meat cutlets were super yummy." Sui said honestly though Willem can't hear what he said as Fel licked his chomps, thinking back to the lunch they had.
"Yes, it was truly an enjoyable meal. You should be proud." Fel said, feeling proud of Alice's cooking but he had said it so bluntly that Alice just covered her face with her hand but she couldn't hide a smile on her face.
'(Thanks a lot, fluffball.)' Alice thought as she shoved him lightly and playfully which made him chuckle.
They were soon approached by the leader of the knights, David, as he and Willem were with Alice, Fel and Sui after Alice recalled Dragonair into her Poke Ball.
"I feel that us city knights haven't been going too soft in our training. Many of us just froze in fear of the wyverns and sighed in relief when Lady Alice defeated them." David said before he grew determined. This experience left him inspired and motivated to train the knights more to become stronger.
"It's decided! I'll retrain everyone back from the basics! I'll turn them into fearless soldiers who can stand anything!" David said and Willem was on board with the idea.
"That's the spirit! And I will revise the guild point system! We certainly can't have adventurers who care about nothing but points!" Willem agrees as they grasp hands, chuckling darkly while Alice just stuck close to Fel but she looks at the knights and adventurers apologetically as they look like they wanna hide and dread the training.
'Wish you all the best, guys.' She thought before Willem motioned for her to follow him to the warehouse and she did with Fel.
Meanwhile, a knight was announcing to everyone that it was finally safe.
"The Wyvern threat is over! Fellow citizens, you may return to your homes. Us Knights will patrol to ensure your safety." The knight said and everyone was just relieved and started to head home while Alice was with Fel, Sui, Willem and Johan at the warehouse.
"Thirteen, you say? And you managed to bring back all of them?" Willem asked Alice.
"Yes, of course." Alice nodded as she opened her item box while Fel napped by her feet.
"What shape are they in?" Willem asked once more and Alice pulled one out that didn't have a head.
"They're all still pretty much intact. Other than their heads being chopped off, I mean." Alice said sheepishly as Willem and Johan finally got a good look at the wyvern minus the head. They seem pretty dangerous even from up close.
"You chopped off their heads." Willem said but Alice shook her head.
"O-Oh no. I couldn't possibly have that much force to remove the heads. Fel did that mostly." Alice said as Fel's ear twitched, opening an eye to watch her before going back to sleep while Willem and Johan looked at each other.
"Okay, I'm guessing you want us to butcher them for you?" Johan guessed as he picked one of his smaller knives to test out.
"Yes, please. The only thing I want to keep is the meat." She said as Willem hummed.
"Of course, we'd love to buy up all the parts you have to sell, but we don't have enough funds for 13 wyverns. We'll do the butchering for free but we can only afford to purchase half of the materials. Does that work for you?" Willem negotiated as Alice thought on it. She doesn't mind at all though. Purchasing half of the materials is okay for her.
"Yes. That'll be fine." She agreed as Johan started the process or tried to only to end up chipping his knife which he will have to resharpen.
"As I figured, a wyvern's neck is really tough. It's almost impossible to cut it without a mithril blade" He noted as he set the chipped knife down as Alice was taking out another wyvern when she heard that. Mithril blade?
"Ah, does that mean..." She wanted to ask but Johan and Willem nodded as the Guildmaster left before returning with a chest.
"It's time, then." Johan grinned as he opened the small chest and pulled out a knife but the blade had the same color as mithril.
"The adventurer guild's treasured mithril knife!" Johan smiled excitedly as he began the process which was much easier now with the mithril knife as Alice watched in wonder before she got to thinking.
'If I remember correctly, I do have some gold nuggets in my item box and mithril ore would make a good combination.' She thought as she sighed. She really wants to give Fel something as thanks for saving her and that he means something to her.
The processing didn't take long as they marveled at the skin from the wyverns which are very high quality.
"As expected from an S-rank monster, this leather's really thin, light and tough." Johan noted as Willem observed it.
"It's resistant to magic too. This will become a really amazing mantle." Willem said but Alice was more worried about how Lambert would react. The poor guy might get a heart attack.
'Lambert will surely faint if he sees this...' Alice thought worriedly before Fel woke up to the sound of footsteps approaching the warehouse. The doors burst open and Team Phoenix burst in with Lars in the lead.
"Guildmaster!" Lars called Willem as everyone was surprised to see them. They look a little breathless too as if they ran all the way here.
"Lars?!" Willem was surprised to see him.
"We heard about the attack and rushed here! How's the damage from the wyverns...?" Lars soon noticed they weren't alone as Alice smiled at them sheepishly while standing next to Fel who was eyeing them curiously but sat near Alice.
"Alice?! Lord Fenrir?!" The one with the goatie was the first to break the silence, surprised to see them.
"H-Hey." Alice just chuckled sheepishly as Lars just sighed in relief.
"We rushed back here in a daze. But too late, huh?" Lars said with a chuckle as Alice laughed softly.
Once everything was done with the processing, Alice finally went back to the inn with Fel who didn't mind sleeping in the stables once more though he was a little annoyed.
"I just want to be done with those wyverns already... I can't believe a week has already passed in a blink of an eye." Alice sighed as she sat down before freeing her hair from being tied up, sighing in relief at the feeling before she remembered which made her sigh. The weekly offerings, of course.
"Almost forgot. I need to send offerings." Alice muttered as she opened the online grocery page before she heard Agni's voice in her ear.
"Hey, Otherworlder! Hurry up and make with the offerings!"
"Hello to you too, Goddess Agni." Alice greeted with a small snort.
"Right. I was just getting ready to buy offerings for all of you, Goddess Agni." She told the fire goddess and she can sense the skepticism from her voice.
"Oh really? You didn't forget about it?"
"A lot of things happened especially with the Wyvern incident here." Alice reasoned with her and Agni accepted the excuse. Fair point.
"I presume you'll be wanting sweets as usual then?" She asked as she was already on the sweets page before Ninrir's voice came next.
"Ahem! It's Ninrir! This is a private message, so play it cool, okay? Now, listen closely. I hope you haven't forgotten who was the first to offer you a blessing before the others horned in. You do remember, don't you?"
"Well, yes. Of course, I do, Goddess Ninrir." Alice sighed, already knowing she wants more sweets which made her pinch the bridge of her nose.
'And the first goddess who doesn't know boundaries.' She thought secretly.
"Then see that you offer me more sweets than anyone else, especially when it comes to my portion of those dorayaki. And make sure this stays between us."
Alice soon heard Kishar's voice next and she has a feeling she wants something other than sweets,
"This is the Goddess of Earth, Kishar. You were selling some interesting items recently, weren't you?"
Items? Alice thought about what she meant before she remembered.
"Ah, you're talking about the ones I'm letting Lambert and Marie sell?" Alice guessed and Kishar seemed surprised.
"Oh, why yes. I believe you referred to them as soap and shampoo. The sweets are great. But the dryness of my hair has been bothering me lately. Could you possibly send me some of those items without letting the other goddesses find out? Oh, and that incident with the wyverns was simply dreadful. Agni and I were relieved when your Familiars, especially your Fenrir in shining armor, came to your rescue."
Alice flushed as she sensed the teasing tone coming from her tone before Rusalka's voice came as a whisper.
"Remember me, Rusalka? Your meals look delicious. I want you to send me some, please."
"You want meals now, Goddess Rusalka?" Alice asked her curiously.
"It's our little secret, okay?"
Alice just pursed her lips before she just smiled. Whether they send her private divine messages or not, they'll see the products she'll be sending anyway.
'I don't want them to be insulting but none of them are the least bit Goddess-like if they act like this.' Alice thought before she cleared her throat loudly, sensing that she got their attention.
"Excuse me. I'll just say this. I know each one of you has gotten in touch with me privately. But the jig's going to be up as soon as the offerings get there. Plus you're aware that I'm sending everything in one package, right? It'll get found out right away too." She told them confidently which shocked, embarrassed all four of them which made Alice feel a bit sorry yet mostly amused by the reaction.
In the divine realm, everyone was in disbelief at that before they realized that Alice got them there.
"Yeah, I didn't think of that." Ninrir grumbled in embarrassment.
"Hey." Agni's voice growled behind them and the trio turned around slowly nervously to see that Agni was looking down at them with a fiery aura around them. She accepted Alice's reasoning for almost forgetting but the fact that the others contacted her privately for their individual offerings was crossing the line.
"So tell me, were all three of you secretly telling her for extra offerings and sending him messages out of earshot?" She questioned them. She was feeling a bit protective over the Otherworlder and Kishar had to stop her from sending a punishment on the Wyvern that almost harmed her which would have been very bad.
"N-No way, Agni! This is just..." Ninrir tried to find an excuse with Kishar.
"Yeah, it's... a misunderstanding." Kishar said nervously.
"I will not be the only one left out, do you hear me?!" Agni shouted before she noticed how Alice flinched in the viewing pool before calming her voice down.
Back in the inn, Alice had sensed how Agni seemed to calm down a bit and spoke to her normally.
"Booze, Otherworlder. I want booze, you got that?"
"How unbecoming."
"Shut up! Booze is the godliest offering, Kishar!"
"Or meals."
"Dorayaki is clearly the best!"
They were debating now on what the best offerings are? They were acting like sisters, arguing which clothes or movie was the best.
Back in the divine realm, they were still debating when Alice's voice called to them.
"How about we do this fairly so everyone doesn't get left out? Send me your requests in order and I'll send them."
This shut them up and they got excited and told her their requests one after the other.
Back at the inn, Alice finally finished sending the offerings before laying down on the bed with a yawn.
'I wonder when I can go to the shop Lambert told me about...' Alice yawned once more before pulling the blanket over her and Sui as she petted his sleeping form before falling asleep, hoping Fel had a good night's sleep.
The very next day, Alice with Fel, Sui, Vulpix and Eevee are heading out as Sui peeked out of the bag curiously.
"Mama, where are we going?" Sui asked her curiously.
"We're going shopping today, Sui." Alice told them as Eevee and Vulpix walked beside them while whispers of awe and gratitude followed them.
"Oh, they're the ones who saved us from the wyverns."
"I heard that they defeated all 13 of them."
"Crazy."
Alice noticed the awe whispers and it made her think. They had been at Karelina longer and her rank is at C rank now. They eventually stopped in front of the shop that Lambert told them about as she breathed in awe. It was the Illario Company.
"Wow. This is the place? It's an even bigger storefront than I expected." Alice said in awe while Vulpix and Eevee jumped on her shoulders as they headed to the entrance to enter.
They were soon greeted by the shopkeeper.
"D-Dear guests!" The shopkeeper, Lumiere, greeted them politely as he came to them, greeting them politely
"What will you be looking for today?" He asked Alice as she smiled politely.
"We heard that you sell bathtubs." Alice said as Lumiere smiled warmly.
"Certainly! Please, come in." He led the way to where they kept the bathtubs and Alice smiled brightly in awe and delight but she didn't know which one to choose. They look so beautiful and well crafted!
"This is our collection." Lumiere said, delighted at how Alice smiled as she marvelled at each tub.
"Were you buying for the home?" He asked her as Fel rested on the chaise lounge with Eevee and Vulpix sitting down, finding it very comfortable to lay on, watching Alice's delight with a small smile.
"Huh? Uh, yeah. Pretty much." Alice nodded. Mostly a lie since she doesn't have a permanent home yet but she will probably purchase one.
"Let's look at the options, shall we?" Lumiere said as he led her to the tubs of different sizes.
"These are the three sizes that we carry." He explained as Alice analyzed each tub size curiously with sharp eyes.
"Lambert told me about the medium size." Alice said as she checked the medium one. It could probably fit 4 people or act as a pool.
"The medium size is recommended for household use. It's quite nice and spacious!" He explained to her as she nodded.
"It'll be just me using the bath, though..." She trailed off, looking to where Fel was who caught her stare. He didn't realize it but she was looking at the condition of his fur. Will this be his first time getting a bath?
"What? I'm not going into that." He told her as if reading her thoughts. No way is he going into the bath. His grooming is sufficient enough. Alice just shrugs before turning back to Lumiere who then showed her some of the bathtubs and color.
"We heartily recommend our natural-material bathtub, specifically the natural brown. It's our most reasonably priced option. The starting price is 300 gold coins." Lumiere said before showing her a deep green colored one.
"It's a little pricier, but this deep-green tub embedded with magic stones keeps the temperature more effectively." He explained as Alice came forward, looking at the two colored tubs. Which one should she choose?
Lumiere soon moved to one that was covered with a tarp.
"And over here, we have our newest product." He said, pulling it back and Alice just blinked at it curiously.
"Using special materials, we managed to create a whiter, cleaner-looking tub, see?" Lumiere explained excitedly but Alice just stared at the tub blankly as she heard Lumiere explain how it was made and what materials were made.
'White tubs like this one are more what I'm used to.' Alice thought neutrally before she glanced at the green one.
"This one was made with rare minerals that you can't find around here. The bright shine is its selling point. The white coat is applied like a painting and we add a decorative pattern at the bottom."
'Still, I don't especially care about the color or how luxurious it is.' She thought.
"This one has been popular among the nobles from the day it-" Lumiere continued to explain but Alice interrupted him, her mind made up on what she wants and needed.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I'll take the green one." Alice told him, pointing to the green tub as Lumiere looked at her in surprise.
"Eh?" Was all he could say as Alice nodded.
"Yeah."
"You what?" He asked her in shock. No one has ever made a decision so fast before. Seeing the confused look on Alice's face, he bowed.
"Yes, of course, certainly, miss. I-I didn't realize you had already made your decision." Lumiere said, tone apologetic as Alice just smiled kindly at him.
'They're all expensive, so he's probably not used to decisive buyers.' Alice thought.
"Now, have you given any thought to how you'd like to pay?" He said before taking out what looked like a payment plan for her to read over.
"We'll gladly set up a payment plan. You'll need a suitable reference, of course. I'm sure you understand." He suggested helpfully as Alice read over it.
'I suppose I look like a commoner and he's taking me for some average person who has to be careful with his coins. That's why he's offering me the payment plan.' She thought but he doesn't have to anyway.
"No worries. I'll pay up front. If that's okay with you." Alice reassured him and showed him a large amount of coins that she had in one sack bag as she handed it to him and he was shocked by the amount.
"I thank you, good miss. L-Let us confirm." Lumiere said before he had his helpers count how many coins there are while Alice petted Fel's head who leaned against her touch, ears twitching before they gave Lumiere the green light that the amount was perfect.
"W-We have confirmed the amount." Lumiere told her as she looked up since Eevee and Vulpix were playing by her feet.
"As for delivery-" He started to say but Alice cut him off with a reassuring smile.
"There's no need. You see, I happen to possess an item box." She said and with help from some careful handlers, Alice managed to put her newly bought tub in her item box before she, Fel, Sui and her Pokemon left the shop.
"Thank you so much for your business." Lumiere thanked her gratefully with his staff. They were really grateful for the amount she paid and that she was such a decisive buyer too.
'Finally, I have my own tub.' Alice thought in relief before she had an idea and looked to Fel.
"Hey, Fel, we should head out of town. Now that we're known for defeating the wyverns, I'm not as comfortable hanging around. The town's way too crowded now and you must feel constrained too. So let's shake things up. What do you say?" Alice said as she tug on his fur gently as he looked at her sudden request. He was suspicious of why she wanted to go out of town before sighing as he realized what she was planning.
"If we can exercise, fine, hop on." Fel agreed and she climbed onto his back with Eevee and Vulpix joining her before he took off and out of the forest.
"Are we getting into warm water again?" Sui asked Alice curiously as he peeked out of the bag and she smiled at him.
"Of course! It'll be really fun too!" Alice smiled brightly as Fel couldn't help but feel like he was tricked into joining as well which he was dreading. He just hopes Alice doesn't give him a bath.
They found a wide open space in the forest as Alice observed the surroundings. No one or buildings is around. A perfect place for relaxation and privacy as well.
"All right, this place is perfect." Alice smiled as she checked their surroundings once more.
"First we gotta prepare the surroundings. Now where should I set up camp?" Alice mumbled quietly as Fel looked to her before a scent from far away caught his attention as he sniffed the air before he look at her.
"It would appear your priority is bathing. Therefore, I shall go hunt." He told her as he started to move as she watched him curiously.
"Will you take too long?" Alice asked him curiously as Eevee and Vulpix ran around, playing happily.
"It shouldn't take long." He reassured her before placing a barrier around her. He gave her one last look before taking off as Alice watched him disappear into the trees.
'He's so fast...' She thought in awe before shaking her head and got to work. Sui jumped out of the bag with Eevee grabbing a stick and Alice accepted it from her and drew a large rectangle on the dirt for the frame.
"Okay, looks like the right size." Alice smiled as she dropped the stick and entered the rectangle she made before channeling her earth magic. She imagined an enclosed area. A bathhouse wall.
"And now for stone wall!" Alice lifted her arms and a tall wall enclosed her, Sui, Eevee and Vulpix. There was an opening at the top which would let the steam out.
"For the exit... I won't worry about that till I'm ready to leave after I finish." She said as Alice looked around.
"Closed in. Mama, there's no roof." Sui said in confusion, looking up at the opening in the sky.
"Oh, about that, Sui. I excluded the roof on purpose. I can enjoy gazing at the sky while letting the steam out." She explained as Alice opened her item box before setting up the tarp followed by her newly bought tub.
'Pretty sure this bathtub utilizes a special magical tool that produces hot water. Man, living in a fantasy world is awesome.' Alice thought. There was no plumbing which would be a problem but she has someone who can make clean water magic.
"Well, we don't have a magical item, though. So, Sui." Alice called him as he look up at her curiously.
"Can you do me a favor and fill this up with water, please?" Alice asked him and Sui hopped on the edge of the tub.
"You got it." He agreed before producing a water sphere which then started to gush into the tub which was filling up quickly.
"All right, that's just what we needed." Alice smiled as Sui filled the tub until Alice motioned for him to stop before she channelled her fire magic.
"Now to add a little heat, or should I say fireball. Adjust the size first..." She muttered, adjusting the size of the fireball and lowered it down into the water which soon started to boil.
"It's boiling! It's boiling!" Sui exclaimed excitedly.
"Seems we succeeded in boiling the water, no?" Alice asked Sui as Vulpix, Evee and Sui looked at it in awe.
'Let's see...' Alice dipped her arm in to test the temperature only to pull her arm out.
"Too hot!" She yelled, waving her hand around to cool it down which alarmed the trio before she ordered something from the online grocery.
"Can you add a bit more water, Sui?" Alice asked sheepishly and Sui obliged.
"Okay." He agreed before adding more water as Alice used a hot water stirrer she just purchased to mix both the hot and cold water into the right temperature before testing it out. It was perfect.
Alice removed her clothes, wrapping a towel around her body.
"Almost time, but there's one more thing to do before we soak in the tub, guys." She told them as Eevee and Vulpix have their own little towels, both excited to take a bath.
"One more thing?" Sui asked her curiously.
Alice soon started to scrub her body with the foaming body wash before following it with the shampoo and conditioner 2-in-1 hair wash. She scrubbed as if her life depended on it before scooping water from the tub of water and poured it over herself with a satisfied sigh.
"That hit the spot..." She said in delight and relief. She soon started to give Eevee and Vulpix a bath which they liked very much as Sui played with the bubbles before they all got in the tub and Alice sighed once more in relief. She had wrapped her wet hair on a towel first before she got in.
"The warm water feels so nice on Sui's body. It smells nice too." Sui noted as he floated around the water as Eevee and Vulpix relaxed in content beside Alice.
"I added yuzu bath salts. Yuzu is a fruit from the other world." Alice explained as the four of them relaxed, enjoying the hot water.
"Baths are pretty great, huh?" She said softly, closing her eyes.
"Yuppy!" Sui agreed with Eevee and Vulpix.
They took a long soak before getting out and Alice put her clothes back on and as a reward for their bath, Alice bought them flavored MooMoo milk drinks as an after bath treat. Alice sighed after drinking some of hers which was a mocha flavor.
"And of course, how could you ever leave out the post-bath MooMoo flavored drinks?" Alice said in content as Sui was drinking an oran flavored one while Vulpix and Eevee shared the pecha flavored one.
"It's so sweet and yummy!" Sui said in delight, drinking his down easily.
"Yeah, I figured you might prefer the oran flavored MooMoo milk instead." Alice said with a smile.
"Baths is Sui's new favorite!" Sui said as she just smiled at him before she made an exit for them to leave the bathhouse she had made as it was still daytime, close to the afternoon before she looked at the tub still filled with the water that was steaming.
"We took quite a long bath but the water still hasn't cooled off yet. Must be the power of those magic stones." Alice noted as she put her boots on along with her belt and dried her hair, tying it back into the low ponytail.
She made sure to groom Eevee and Vulpix were properly groomed and gave them little accessories like a neckerchief for Eevee and a bow for Vulpix.
"I only wish that Fel could share those feelings." She thought, though she was worried that he was taking too long than usual to return back. Might as well make something for later for all of them to eat.
"Now that we're all nice and refreshed, I should get to work on something to eat." Alice said as she took out the folding table out of her item box along with the first part of the Wyvern meat that was butchered last night along with the utensils and other ingredients.
"I'll use the Wyvern meat." She smiled as she prepared to cut it.
"Fel did say this stuff's delicious, so my hopes are high." Alice then thought back on how he whispered it by her ear which made her blushed once more and shook her head and got to cooking. She scanned the ingredients that were ready and knew that there was a certain comfort food she liked.
'I think I'll make a leveled-up version of the commoner's comfort food.' She thought as she took the kitchen knife to start cooking.
'To begin with, slice the onions.' Alice started with the onions before doing the same for the Wyvern meat.
'Then do the same to the Wyvern meat.' After slicing enough of the meat, she started to put everything together inside a pot.
'Combine water, soy sauce, sugar and sake.' She turned on the stove and waited for it to boil before adding something.
'Bring it to a boil, add a little ginger paste to the mix. After that, put the onions in.' Alice squeezed the ginger paste container so the right contents would be mixed into the pot before adding the onions before adding the meat.
'Then, once they've had a chance to heat up, do the same with the meat.' Alice stirred to make sure everything was in order as Sui, Vulpix and Eevee watched excitedly. Alice picked a metal ladle scoop and used it to remove the stuff that was forming.
'Clear out any residue that starts to form.' Alice made sure to separate the ones that were removed in a different container.
"If it's good meat, then you don't need to let it cook for very long." She commented with a smile. She scooped some rice that she had cooked into a bowl before pouring the dish over it.
'Pour a nice, saucy scoop over rice.' She smiled after she had scooped the right amount before adding the last touch.
"Add some pickled red ginger, and you've got a special wyvern gyudon!" Alice smiled as Sui jumped on the table to look at their meal.
{Special Wyvern Meat Gyudon}
Alice smiled at their meal before noticing something. Fel hasn't come back yet.
"Just how far did he go to do his hunting anyway?" Alice asked in confusion as she looked around, using her aura sense. Fel's aura and magic wasn't near them, meaning that he must be really far that not even her aura sense can reach that distance.
She sighed before looking at the dish. She made enough for all of them but they can't start eating without him. Might as well make another one.
"Alright then. While we wait on Fel, I'll make something a little more time-consuming." She said, opening the online grocery to purchase ingredients.
"Let's see now, I think I'll go with... something in the stew family." Alice muttered, adding new ingredients to the cart before purchasing them. When she opened the box, she had purchased wine, potatoes, carrots, meat sauce and tomato paste.
She covered the gyudon with the lid before getting to work on her second dish. It should be done by the time Fel comes back. She first sliced the carrots followed by the onions and the potatoes.
'Start off by chopping the veggies.' She then did the same to the meat into chunks.
'Dice the meat into relatively large chunks.' Alice made sure it was enough.
"Does that marbling put you in the mood to chow down or what?" Alice asked Sui, Eevee and Vulpix jokingly as Sui bobbed in amusement as Vulpix and Eevee yipped in agreement which made her chuckle.
'Season the meat with salt and pepper, then heat up the pot and melt some butter in it.' Alice sprinkled the right amount of salt and pepper before dropping a piece of butter in the second pot after turning on the heat, waiting for the butter to melt.
'Now it's time to cook the meat!' Alice grinned as she put the meat first into the pot before she stirred it.
"Saute it until it turns brown." She made sure that each meat had turned brown before moving to the next step.
"Add in the onions, potatoes and carrots in turn, and once they've cooked up a bit, then you want to add red wine, water and some consomme." Alice added the wine followed by the water that Sui handed to her and dropped the consomme that will give it more flavor.
'Let it simmer and keep watching for fat.' She opened the two cans of sauce that were the easy open ones before adding them to the stew.
'After giving it a bit of time to simmer, add the demi-glance sauce. Oh, and a little ketchup too.' Alice poured the contents before following it up with ketchup.
Sui was holding a plate over his head, helping her as she decided to taste test it first with a small saucer.
'Keep an eye on things by tasting occasionally.' Alice let the flavor settle in her mouth and nodded with a smile. It was perfect.
"And just like that, baby, you got a Wyvern stew going." Alice announced as they looked at it. The sun was setting and there was still no sign of Fel.
"I should let it keep simmering so the flavors can mash." She muttered before Sui looked up in front of them.
"Uncle Fel's back!" He said happily and she looked at him in surprise before looking to where Sui was looking. Eevee and Vulpix grew nervous and climbed onto her shoulders and she tensed when they heard footsteps along with the sound of something being dragged on the ground.
Just before she called for Fel, a large brown reptile head came out of the bushes which scared them as Sui jumped in her arms from fright. But they calmed immediately when it wasn't moving and Fel was holding part of it tightly in his jaws before letting go with a tired sigh.
"Damnit, Fel... You scared us..." Alice sighed shakily as she went to him while Eevee and Vulpix went to what he hunted, poking it and sniffing at the reptile curiously.
"My dear Fel, can you explain what you hunted and this giant reptile?" She asked him as she went around him, coming to a stop in front of him. His heart skipped when he heard her say 'My dear Fel' which made his tail wag as he licked his paws.
"Certainly." He said before he started to explain.
"As it turned out, the wyverns were not nearly enough of a challenge, so I broadened the perimeter of my search for a suitable foe. And fortunately, I encountered an Earth Dragon. Finally, a bit of exercise!" Fel explained proudly as Alice could understand that but...
"Did you get hurt?" She asked as she checked him for any injuries. There was none that she could see but he seemed a bit exhausted.
"No, I was not. I was careful not to come back injured." Fel reassured her as she stopped in front of him again.
"As I said, an Earth Dragon. Was that not obvious?" Fel repeated himself before looking at the large reptile he had hunted. This was the ultimate gift he had hunted just for her.
"Yes, it's obvious it's a dragon but this is the first time I'm seeing one but your safety is my concern. You could have gotten hurt hunting some this bigger than you." She told him, arms crossed before she sighed as she looked at it.
"What am I supposed to do with it?" Alice asked him but already knew the answer.
"A silly question. Earth Dragon meat is a true delicacy." Fel said, nudging her arm, hoping that she likes it.
"How good it tastes couldn't be farther from the issue, fluffball." She told him with a sigh.
"I've been loaded with more extremely rare monsters than I can handle as it is and that the chimera and orthros are too scary for even the merchants to buy, Fel. And now you want to throw a dragon of all things into the mix? That's going a bit overkill, don't you think?" Alice said as they both have a stare down while Sui, Eevee and Vulpix look back and forth between the two of them.
"I believe I can clarify. It really is incredibly delicious." Fel said before Alice just sighed and reached up to him and scratched him behind the ears gently.
"Again, not even close to the problem." She said quietly as he looked at her, his tail wagging slightly as she scratched at the spot that gave him a bit of trouble.
"I fail to understand your hysteria. Can we not simply deliver it to the butcher?" Fel suggested softly as she hummed. She doesn't know but maybe the next day.
"Well, they were able to take care of all those wyverns for us in the end, but it couldn't hurt to ask them about a dragon. I'll try to ask about it tomorrow." Alice finally agreed as Fel agreed before his nose caught something tantalizing.
"Something smells quite tantalizing." He noted and Alice smiled as she stopped scratching him behind the ears.
"Since you took too long to come back, I had a lot of time to work while you were gone. So I made two different dishes with the Wyvern meat." She explained Fel immediately got excited. She made dishes out of the Wyvern meat?!
"What was that?! Two Wyvern meat dishes?" He asked excitedly.
"I can't wait to eat it. Let us eat then!" Fel said before he stopped when Alice raised a hand as he noticed how she was looking at him.
"Hold it there, fluffball." Alice said as she gave him another onceover.
"Listen up, Fel. You're filthy." She said simply which caused a jolt of shock to go through him. He's what?! But he always tries to look his best for her!
"What did you just say?!" He asked, clearly offended, confused and shocked as she sighed.
"I'm not saying it as an insult. But if I had to guess, I'd say you got covered in dirt while you were fighting the earth dragon, right? It's because your wind magic tends to kick up a lot of dust." Alice told him as he looked away. So what if he got covered in dust, he can always groom himself back to perfection.
Alice came to him and ran her fingers through his fur but paused when her fingers caught knots and tangles which made him flinch a little.
"See how matted your fur is right here? Your fur is lumped up and I can tell you shed a lot too. Seriously, you're a complete mess right now." Alice told him as he watched her as gently as she could to remove the knots and tangles.
"A mess, am I?" He questioned her as he jumped back, lowering himself to the ground as she crossed her arms while she stared at him.
"R-Really, not that it's any business of yours, but I happen to groom myself on a regular basis." He said, trying to make excuses but she's not buying it.
"No, no, you're really filthy right now. Sui, Eevee, Vulpix and I are freshly bathed and I gave Eevee and Vulpix their much needed grooming, so we're ready to eat." Alice told him as she went to the table. Fel had indeed noticed that she was much cleaner and her scent was much sweeter than before though upon his return even Eevee and Vulpix were clean.
"But you got dirt all over you and if you stay dusty like that. So..." She said started to clean everything up.
"No choice but to save the food for later." Alice said, knowing that Fel couldn't handle not being able to eat her food and Fel looked desperate. Alice soon turned to him with a stern look.
"If we wanna eat dinner, then you're gonna have to take a bath first! That's how it is, got it? I don't want any arguing about grooming yourself after dinner. It's already decided. So we're giving you a bath." Alice said much to Fel's disbelief.
"But I am so hungry!" Fel lamented in despair though they were being playful but Alice was right. Fel really needs a bath.
Since the water from the tub still hasn't cooled down, they decided to use that as she made the stone bathhouse disappear before she opened the online grocery as she sat on the floor with Fel behind her to see what she's gonna get.
"The online grocery has it all. Would you look at this huge selection of pet and grooming supplies? There's even some for Pokémon too." Alice said as she chose the pet page which has everything they needed.
"It probably doesn't make any difference, but we'll get the stuff made for dogs." She said, purchasing the pet slicker brush, an absorbent pet towel and a 2-in-1 pet shampoo that she knows that won't be harmful for Fel.
"I am not so lowly a creature as a canine! I am a Fenrir." He said playfully which made her laugh a little.
"Yeah, I know." She giggled as she purchased the items before she got to work.
"Before we start washing you, we need to brush the knots out of your fur." Alice said as she started to use the slicker brush on his fur which surprisingly helped remove the old fur.
She was being very careful not to brush too hard and fast. Sui even decided to help as Vulpix and Eevee put the fur she had to get off the brush into a pile. Fel stayed still, waiting for her to finish. The sensation of something that was not her fingers was foreign but he stayed still, trusting her judgement.
"That way we start getting the dirt out. Not to mention some of the hair you've been shedding too." She told him as he listened to her.
"Or so I've heard from a Pokémon groomer." She said as he glanced to her.
"I am no dog. Now be more gentle back there, will you?" Fel said, ears twitching whenever Alice had to be firm slightly when the knots won't give way easily.
"Sorry, will do but it's not easy with the knots and tangles." Alice reassured him.
After a few moments, his fur was free of knots and tangles as she wiped her brow. He was very big so he had a lot of fur.
"Alright, I think that ought to be enough brushing." Alice said before she looked behind her and practically laughed when she noticed the pile of fur they had made. Fel was a bit embarrassed at seeing the amount of fur that came from him.
She then moved to the tub and used the small plastic tub that she used earlier so she could use the water from the tub as she rolled up her sleeves.
"Now for the shampoo." She said, scooping up some water before tossing it to Fel who had his back turned but when the water made contact, it made him shiver and flinch despite the water still being perfectly hot. He was not used to being wet and this was the first time.
Alice had noticed that and thought of how he avoided the hotsprings along with the lake, not touching the water as if it would burn him before she had a soft teasing smile.
"Are you scared of water by any chance?" She finally asked the question he had cut off when they first found the hot springs and Fel turned to her, embarrassed on his face but she saw it. He's scared of water.
"No!" He denied it. He didn't like how she easily saw through him but she smiled reassuringly.
"Okay, I won't pry." She said as she continued to splash water on Fel which was taking much longer than they both liked.
"Come, surely that is enough by now." He grumbled pleadingly as she wiped her brow, scooping more water once more.
"Not even close yet. You have a large body. It takes a lot of water to get you fully soaked." She said apologetically as she continued to splash water on him.
"In that case, can we not use Sui's water magic? I detest all these small splashes." Fel pleaded desperately. He wants this to be over now so he can eat.
"Sorry, Fel, but I don't think water magic is capable of producing hot water. Now, if you don't mind cold water, which I'm highly against since it gets a bit cold at night, I suppose we could... Huh?" Alice trailed off before she noticed Sui blowing bubbles with Eevee and Vulpix watching him. She soon had a brilliant idea and Sui can help!
"Sui, think you could do me a favor?" Alice asked him hopefully as he and her two Pokémon looked up to her curiously.
"Sure, Mama. What is it?" Sui agreed readily and Alice explained her plan, showing Sui what he needed to do and Sui did it. Fel glanced over to them, noticing that they were being a bit quiet.
"Let me introduce: Sui Shower!" Alice said in excitement. She had Sui make a shower head and hose which would help get all of Fel's body wet so they could start on the shampoo.
Alice had Fel lay down and he did so as Alice gave Sui the signal to start sucking up the water to rain over Fel.
"Is Sui amazing?" Sui asked Alice in delight.
"You bet you are. You're really helpful too." Alice smiled happily before she look to Fel who had his face covered with his paws and she smiled at him slightly.
"You're doing great, Fel." She said as he didn't uncover his face.
"Just tell me when it's over..." He whined, keeping his face covered.
The result was a wet and soaked Fel who was practically sulking at being soaked as Alice prepared the shampoo.
"Right, now we shampoo like crazy." Alice said with a smile. She soon started scrubbing Fel's body with the shampoo which immediately leathers up. Sui helped her as Eevee and Vulpix cheered them up and for Fel, well, he was enjoying so much as he let out a chuckle out of enjoyment. She was doing it just right and it made his body relax completely.
"You alright? Is that too rough?" Alice asked him, smiling as she saw how much he was enjoying it.
"No. In fact, feel free to use more force if you desire." Fel told her as she smiled.
"Okay, done." She scrubbed with a bit more force but careful not to hurt him as she scrubbed and covered his entire body with the shampoo especially his tail before she moved to one part of his body that needed cleaning, his face,
"I think it's about time to move on to your face if you're ready." She told him much to his shock and disbelief. What?!
"My... My face too?" He asked her hesitantly. He had nothing against her touching his face but she's gonna wash it. Alice gave him a teasing and playful grin.
"You don't want to mar your nice clean body with a dingy face, do you?" She asked him playfully. This was a little playful payback for splashing her, Eevee and Sui back at the hot springs back then and for hunting the earth dragon.
Fel wanted to say no but he had no choice.
"No! I am the legendary magical beast Fenri! But be quick about it!" He exclaimed but his face made Alice, Sui, Eevee and Vulpix laugh before she got to work on cleaning his face with so much care that he practically melted to her touch as she smiled.
With enough cleaning thanks to the shampoo, Alice had Sui do the Sui shower again to rinse Fel from the shampoo. They were almost done and Fel was laying down, completely soaked but he was just glad the ordeal was over.
"And with that, we're all finished." She said while rummaging through the box she had gotten when purchasing the pet products as he grumbled but he had a devious idea. If she had given him a bath and soaked him completely, he'd return the favor.
"Good. Took you long enough." He said as he stood up.
"Stand up and I'll dry you off with this towel." Alice told him as she took out the towel and turned to face him, only to see him standing over her with a playful grin.
"Eh?" Was all she could say before yelping when Fel shook the water off his body as Eevee and Vulpix who were nearby, let out surprised yelps as well. He chuckled at the results when he saw them soaked and wet as well while Eevee and Vulpix gave him unamused looks while Alice gave him a pointed look.
"Fel, seriously?" Alice said with a small grin.
"Oh, sorry." He chuckled playfully which made her laugh slightly while Eevee and Vulpix shook themselves dry as well.
"Aside from that, on the bright side, this saves me a step, so I'm gonna call it a win and that we're even." She said, using the towel to dry her face.
She then channelled her fire magic to create a fireball.
"Next, we'll combine my fire magic with your wind magic." Alice said as she signaled for Fel to make a breeze.
"Yes." He agreed and did so which resulted with a breeze that was gentle and strong enough to dry all four of them.
"And the result will be a warm breeze." Alice sighed as Sui held onto Fel, the warm breeze drying all of them up. The end result? Fel has never been so cleaned before and Alice ended up staring at him in awe when he struck a pose.
"Wow. Fel, you're even more handsome. Smooth and shiny too." Alice admitted before covering her mouth as she blushed heavily when she realized what she said. Did she call Fel handsome?!
"You look super cool, Uncle Fel!" Sui said in awe, Eevee and Vulpix agreed.
"Oh? You think I'm more handsome now?" Fel playfully teased Alice as he lowered his head to her level which caused her blush to intensify.
"I-uh..." Alice blushed even more and pushed his face away which caused him to chuckle.
"E-Every bit the legendary Fenrir!" Alice managed to say as she covered her face.
'What is wrong with me?! Did I just say that?! Am I possibly...' Alice thought as she was slowly realizing the feelings she had for Fel must be running deeper than what they initially started before shaking her head.
'D-Don't be ridiculous, Alice! H-He wouldn't want someone like me... would he?' She thought as her heart hammered against her chest. Fel decided to ease up on the teasing now.
"Well, that is what I am." Fel agreed. Now that bathing is out of the way, there's one thing he wants now. Food.
"There. I have been cleaned. Let's eat now." He said as she laughed slightly but agreed. It was time for dinner after all and it was a reward for them all especially for Fel letting himself be cleaned.
"Alright, I'll serve us something delicious. Trust me, this'll be worth the wait." Alice said, her initial panic was still there a moment earlier but she didn't let it stop her from serving everyone a dish.
She reheated the meal before pouring it over the cooked rice in a bowl as Fel grew a bit confused.
"Are you trying to trick me by hiding a large amount of rice underneath?" He asked her curiously.
"No, of course, I'm not, Fel. This is how gyudon is always served, okay?" She reassured him before setting down everyone's bowls so they could start eating.
"Just give it a try." Alice encouraged them as she served herself some.
Fel lowered his head, sniffing at it curiously. The aroma was tantalizing as Sui went to his bowl with Eevee and Vulpix going to theirs before they all started to eat it. The flavor was exquisite and it danced around the tongue.
"What is this? Tender meat soaked in a sweet salty sauce with white stuff?" Fel marveled in shock and delight as Alice giggled.
"Yeah, that's rice." Alice told him with a smile as Sui ate his happily with Vulpix and Eevee.
"I believe the rice is as delicious as the meat!" Fel said as everyone started to enjoy their dinner. Alice used chopsticks to try the meat and it was delicious.
'Yum! The meat is so tender! I never would have imagined wyverns tasted like this until now! What a high-class ingredient! This isn't that far off from wagyu beef!' Alice thought in delight as she started to eat happily.
"Hey, mama, this sour and salty stuff tastes really, really good after eating the meat." Sui said, holding a bit of the red ginger in his tentacle.
"Yeah, that's pickled red ginger, Sui." Alice nodded, glad that he's enjoying it even Fel tasted some of it and it was delicious. It compliments the gyudon.
"Oh, yes. This pickled red ginger, as you call it, refreshes the palate and accents the meal perfectly." He noted. This meal was so worth the bath he got.
"I could go on eating this forever." Fel added before they finished theirs and wanted more.
"More, please!" Fel and Sui both said with Eevee and Vulpix
"I'm on it." Alice smiled and served them a second serving before Fel addressed her.
"Ah yes, you mentioned a second dish, did you not?" He asked her curiously as she turned to him.
"We'll save that one for next time. It's gonna taste even better by then." Alice said as everyone resumed eating dinner before she addressed Fel. Now that he has his first experience of bath time, she needs to maintain the health of his fur and body.
"Fel, you'll get a bath once or twice a month from now on." She told him much to his shock and disbelief. This wasn't a one time thing?!
"I will? But I already had one!" He said in disbelief and surprise.
"You're finally clean now and we worked so hard to clean you up too. Now we have to maintain it." She told him as he looked at his fur. He did like how he looked compared to before but that's something he won't say out loud even if he wants to.
"You're not complaining about the end result, right?" She teased him lightly, knowing that he loved it. She then looked to Sui, Eevee and Vulpix, to see what he thinks.
"Sui, Eevee, Vulpix, tell me if you prefer this Uncle Fel or the old one. Okay? What do you think of Uncle Fel now?" Alice asked them, a grin on her face.
"Sui always loves Uncle Fel but the shiny, fluffy and handsome one is the best." Sui said honestly.
"Vee!"
"Vul!"
"But mama seems to love Uncle Fel and Uncle Fel does too, no matter what." Sui innocently added, causing Alice and Fel to jolt in surprise, with Alice blushing heavily once more and Fel flushing but his tail was wagging as he tried to stop it.
"S-Sui!" Alice yelped in disbelief and embarrassment.
"I-I see. Then there is nothing to be done about it." Fel finally agreed to the arrangement which would have made Alice smile if it weren't for the fact that she and Fel locked eyes and they looked away quickly, both blushing while Sui was confused why Mama and Uncle Fel were looking away but Eevee and Vulpix just smiled happily at the two.
They went back to the guild the next day to show Willem and Johan what Fel had hunted this time and let's just say, the guild's fund can't keep up with the monsters Alice brings.
"But that's impossible! I just can't do it!" Willem exclaimed, fists on the table after Alice showed them the earth dragon as Johan agreed.
"Mm-hmm, sure is." Johan nodded.
"I guess this is too much then?" Alice said sheepishly.
"Obviously! First a Mithril Lizard, then a Wyvern and on top of all that, an Earth Dragon?!" Willem exclaimed in disbelief as Alice and Fel looked at each other.
"I mean, just take a look at Johan." He pointed to Johan who seemed to be living the dream, examining the earth dragon.
"Am I dreaming right now? There's an earth dragon in front of me..." Johan said in delight as Alice laughed sheepishly.
"Well..." She said, looking to Fel.
"Dragon meat tastes amazing, better than Wyvern meat." Fel simply said, already imagining the meals Alice would make out of it.
"O-On that note, I was wondering if you could try and butcher it for me?" Alice asked hopefully but the look Willem and Johan gave the Fenrir and and the blonde was of pure disbelief and shock. Dragon meat tastes, what?
"Dragon meat...." Willem started.
"Tastes good...?" Johan finished.
"Well, isn't there a dragon steak?" Alice decided to ask but Willem shook his head.
"No way! That's just a fairy tale. First of all, the thing with dragons is even in the most recent subjugation records, it was a case more than 200 years ago." Willem explained as Alice imagined what a dragon steak of 200 years of age looks like and almost gagged.
"I've never heard of such a thing other than in books or stories. If it's a long-living being like an elf or dwarf, they might know what you're talking about." Willem said as Alice knew what this meant and much to Fel's disappointment.
"So butchering this is..." She said as Johan and Willem nodded.
"Impossible." They both said sternly as she sighed.
"Can't say I didn't see this one coming. Even if I told a certain someone yesterday this is a bit overkill on my part." She said, giving Fel a look who just grinned proudly. He hunted a dragon and is proud of it.
"Based on what I've heard, every part of a dragon is valuable. Claws. Ears. Tongue. Dragons are a very profitable business and they have no disposable parts. I can't be responsible for handling something so rare and precious. Without a doubt, its existence is very valuable. If this thing is actually a dragon, even a drop of blood can't go to waste." Johan explained further, giving Alice an apologetic smile.
"There's no way in hell I'm butchering that thing." He added as Alice just sighed.
"Yeah, I figured as much." She said softly while Willem got to thinking. Maybe...
'(Does that mean...)' Fel looked to Alice as he looked at the Earth Dragon he hunted yesterday.
'(They can't process it just like with the Orthros or Chimera until we find someone who can. You'll just have wait.)' Alice told him telepathically as he huffed while she patted his fur comfortingly.
"As long as I am able to eat the meat, the rest is no concern." Fel said as she looked at him.
"For the rest of us, it's not quite that simple." Alice disagreed as she put the earth dragon back into her item box before Willem's voice grabbed their attention.
"Actually..." He started as they both looked at him.
"Is there something wrong?" Alice asked Willem curiously who Johan seemed to understand what he's thinking.
"Butchering a dragon... You know, there's always the Guildmaster over there and I may know someone who does such a thing. It's quite possible that..." Willem said quietly as Alice felt a bit hopeful. Is there someone who can do it?
"Uh, what was that?" Alice asked him curiously as Johan and Willem looked at her and each other.
"Maybe if that person." Willem said and Johan knew who he meant.
"Oh, that person..." Johan agreed before the Guildmaster turned to Alice.
"But I believe I know somebody who might be able to help you out with that dragon." Willem said as Alice sighed in relief.
"That's great! Where do we go?" Alice asked Willem hopefully.
"It's called Dolan and it's a ways off from Karelina. The Guildmaster of the adventurer's guild there is pretty knowledgeable about dragons. Perhaps he can butcher it for you." He explained as she took out a more detailed map and pointed to where Dolan is located. Sui had come out of the bag, perched on Alice's shoulder.
"All right!" Alice smiled as Fel smiled excitedly as he turned to her.
"However, I'd like a discussion before you go." Willem interrupted their celebration as they turned to him.
"You guys, are you planning on staying in this city?" He asked them as Alice was confused.
"Uh, what do you mean?" She asked him as Fel moved closer to her as she petted his fur while holding Sui in one arm.
"Not much time has passed ever since you came here." Willem explained as he moved to sit down.
"You've slain the Bloody Horn-Bulls, Mithril Lizard and a pack of Wyverns. You even saved the city." He listed off her heroic achievements even if she doesn't acknowledge it like most adventurers do but she never does which makes her very unique.
"If you happen to stay here, I'd like you to join the adventurer's guild." He offered and Alice realized what he was saying. A permanent spot and a member of the adventurer's guild of Karelina?
"What do you think?" He looked at them as Alice hesitated. If she accepts, it would limit her plans of a traveling merchant to see the world but Karelina has become a second home base for her given on how many people she had befriended. Before she could answer, Fel put a paw on her shoulder as she looked up at him.
"I'd like to eat dragons, but do not forget, we must visit the sea too." Fel told them but mostly Alice who sighed but agreed with him.
"The sea?" Johan and Willem looked at them both in confusion as Alice smiled slightly.
"You heard him. Fel has a taste for ocean monsters." Alice clarified with Fel agreeing.
"Correct! I want to eat starting with Krakens and Sea Serpents as well. For in your capable hands, they shall be all the tastier." Fel said but the last part was more of a compliment which made Alice smile shyly, blushing at what Fel said.
"M-Maybe we can butcher this dragon on our way to the sea. That would be perfect." Alice said, blushing lightly.
"Man, he's bringing up such horrific names again." Willem said in disbelief while Alice just laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry, I tried to reason with him that we can't go there until I reached a higher rank." She said before moving to stand beside Fel.
"With that said, we're travelling out again and heading to the sea." Alice said with a determined grin as Willem stared at the trio with Johan before they both glanced at each other and burst out laughing. This group is nothing but a new ray of sunshine with a bit of chaos into them but the good kind.
"Well, lots of luck with that! Good to hear! An adventurer's gotta go on adventures!" Willem chuckled before Johan grinned at her.
"Adventurer, your next adventure awaits you." Johan said as Alice nodded.
"I can tell and I'm excited." Alice said as she looked to Fel who smiled at her.
"If you're aiming for the sea, look at this." Willem said as he pointed to the map once more.
"This is a map of the country. If you're going to the sea, you should use the route that goes by the three major cities." He explained before he pointed to each city on the map.
"You take off from here and arrive at the town of textiles: Claire. After that, the dungeon city: Dolan and lastly the town of pottery: Neihof. Your destination is the beach town of Berléand." Willem explained as Alice looked at it. The map was much more detailed than the one that she has.
"With this route, you can go to Dolan on the way. The streets are in good condition so it should be easy to pass by." He added before he grew serious.
"I have a proposal." He said seriously as Alice turned to him, What kind of proposal though she has a pretty good idea. Her license.
"When you're going through the cities, I'd like you to pick up requests at the adventurer's guilds there. We're still short on people and the high-rank mission requests are starting to pile up." He explained as Alice realized that this was a way to lighten the load of unclaimed high-ranking requests from the other guilds.
"With pleasure." Alice accepted wholeheartedly before she needed information on the cities she'll be visiting.
"Since we're on the topic, could you teach me about the other cities?" Alice asked as Fel decided to take a nap while he waited and Sui bounces around but stays near Fel.
"Sure." Willem agreed before explaining what each city is.
"First off, Claire. That town is famous for textiles. It's not as big as our city but the quality of string and cloth is extremely good." Willem explained and Alice knew that was their first stop. She wants to buy something especially for Fel.
Next was Dolan.
"Dungeon City of Dolan. As mentioned in the name, it was developed using dungeons. Within this country, it's a prominent metropolis. As long as there are dungeons, the city will flourish." He explained and Alice realized while glancing at Fel and Sui who heard the word dungeon that they'll be staying there to check out the dungeon.
"Neihof is the town of pottery. There are many pottery workshops. Many high-quality bathtubs are made there. And lastly, the fishing down of Berléand." Willem said as she looked to where the last stop will be which is of course by the sea.
"If you're going to eat fresh seafood, this town is your best bed. Usually, it's hard to go fishing because of the monsters. However, the fishermen there don't fear the monsters and go out to fish. The fishermen of Berléand have to be strong or else they can't work. According to popular stories." Willem explained before he turned a bit grim and sheepish.
"Well, even such brave fishermen fall to powerful sea creatures." He said which made Alice laugh awkwardly before Sui and Fel decided that they're going there.
"Dungeon!" Sui cheered excitedly.
"To think there's a dungeon in a human city, very interesting. I'm looking forward to the sea but dungeons sound fun as well." Fel said as Alice turned as he stood up, walking to them with Sui hopping beside him.
"No surprise that Lord Fenrir would be interested in dungeons." Willem snorted before he started to explain what the dungeon city is.
"The Dungeon city has a lot of travelers and merchandise so business flourishes there. There are lots of weapons and armor stores, even blacksmiths. They even sell rare items from the dungeons there." He explained as Alice nodded in understanding.
"If you have time, you should go spelunking in the dungeons, I'm sure you guys will find treasures." Willem encouraged them as Alice thought back on her last dungeon experience and one word to put it: Terrifying.
"My last dungeon experience was more or less terrifying." She said with a small laugh before Fel nabbed the back of her shirt as she yelped in surprise.
"What great things I've listened to. Hurry, let's go." Fel said impatiently.
"Sui wants to go to the dungeon too." Sui agreed with Fel, excited.
"We'll go there after visiting the town of Claire. Fel, put me down!" Alice said with a laugh while he chuckled but didn't put her down.
"Dungeons are fine, but don't forget to take the requests along the way." He told them as Alice kept telling Fel to put her down while her two Familiars chanted dungeon over and over, making Alice laugh and for Willem to watch in amusement.
"I'm already getting dungeon vibes." He said with a chuckle.
"I know already. Leave it to us. Such tasks will be completed in a flash." Fel said after setting Alice down on her feet as she shoved him playfully.
"Eat the dragon, raise our morale and then go to the dungeon." Fel said confidently as Willem laughed while Sui and Fel cheered excitedly for the dungeon.
"You sure go through a lot of trouble, huh?" Willem chuckled, rolling up the map as Alice look to Sui and Fel before her smile became warm, fond and soft.
"Yeah, I do and I wouldn't change a thing about it." She admitted softly.
Before they leave, they have to bid farewell to those that they have befriended an the first stop was Lambert and Marie. They have been like parents to her and they were very understanding once she explained.
"Ah, I see. You're heading off then." Lambert said as Alice set two crates filled with the products she's letting them sell that should be enough to last while she's gone.
"Uh-huh. Soon as I've said my goodbyes, we'll be heading out to the coast, to see the ocean." Alice said before she patted the crates.
"And here's today's delivery of beauty products." She told them as Marie and Lambert were touched.
"My goodness!" Marie said in delight.
"We're going to miss you here. You've been very helpful to us." Lambert said tearfully as he went to her and gave her a hug which she returned.
"Please take care of yourself out there." He told her as they pulled away as Marie patted her head.
"Yes, please do." She agreed as Alice smiled at them. In just a short amount of time, they became like parents to her.
She soon said her goodbyes to some folks who wished her luck and to be careful. Alice even said goodbye to some kids she, Fel, Sui and her Pokemon befriended with how friendly they are.
"Aw, you're leaving already?" A boy asked sadly.
"Will you be back?" A girl asked them hopefully, holding Sui's tentacle hand.
She then went to the pub where she had to bid her goodbyes to Team Phoenix who were gonna miss her.
"We wish you well."
"Take care."
She went back to the guild where Willem handed her a more detailed map along with a letter.
"Here's a reference letter for you to give the Guildmaster as well as a detailed map of the country. It should help you. Areas of note are clearly marked." Willem said as Alice accepted the items gratefully,
"I've talked to the guilds in every city. Make sure to touch base with them." He added as she nodded.
"Thank you so much." She said as they both walked out of the guild where Fel was waiting for as she jogged to him before she turned around to see that everyone had gathered to see them set off on their next journey.
"Well, thank you for all your help. Please keep me posted when you return." Willem told them.
She looked back and waved to them one last time with a bright smile before they soon left while everyone watched them leave with hopeful smiles that they'll return one day.
"You can come back anytime." Willem said with a nostalgic smile.
"Kid, your hunts always are a blast to work on. Don't be shy." Johan grinned.
They had made it pretty far as Alice took out the map to see where they'll be going.
"Okay, first order of business is to meet Dolan's Guildmaster." Alice told Fel before lowering the map.
"We need to find out if he can butcher the earth dragon and any other rare monsters we come across. Let's see, what else is there?" She said as Fel looked to her playfully.
"The sea serpents, of course!" He said playfully as Sui peeked out of the bag.
"Sui really wants to go pew-pew!" Sui said excitedly as Alice smiled at them all before facing forwards to their next destination
"Alright, let's go." She said as Fel decided to make this fun, crouching down slightly for her to get on his back which she did so instinctively before he took off with them on his back.
Alice looked at Sui who was sitting between her arms who chirped curiously yet excitedly as Fel glanced at her and she caught his eye as she grinned at him as they headed for the Town of Claire and unaware that something was in the sky, small and red flying after them.
At a forest, they stopped by for dinner to eat the other dish Alice had put away and they were enjoying it after she had heated up the beef stew.
{Wyvern Beef Stew}
"This is hot. You guys better be careful." Alice said. She had let out all of her Pokémon so they could eat as well since she wasn't able to let them all out a few times but since it was just them, it was safe for her to let them all out.
"The gyudon was delicious, but this hearty soup is uniquely satisfying!" Fel commented as he carefully ate his.
"The meat is so full of flavor! Sui loves it!" Sui said in delight. Alice smiled as she sat next to Fel who was delighted by the dish.
"This is the most tender meat I have consumed thus far." He said happily as Alice started to eat as well as he licked his chomps from the sauce.
"What shall we eat next, I wonder? I cannot wait!" He told her excitedly, sitting down and unknowingly curled his tail behind her.
"Sui can't wait either!" Sui said in agreement as her Pokémons were all in agreement as she laughed softly.
"Boy, oh boy. It's my fault. I've turned all of you into complete and total foodies." She said playfully.
"More, please!" Fel said with Lucario and Absol.
"Sui too!" Sui wanted seconds with everyone and she didn't hesitate to give them a second serving.
"All right." She chuckled as she served them the second serving.
"And don't forget the extra meat!" Fel said playfully.
"Hey, save some for me." Alice laughed.
A hearty dinner under the starfield sky by a campfire was a perfect way to end the night
It all started with an accidental summoning that had transformed into an adventure full of flavors, fun, chaos and discoveries. A perfect life which has become much more complete with a family that chooses you.