The sun was streaming through the opening of the stone house that Alice created using earth magic and she was sleeping peacefully with Sui sleeping next to her head with a blanket over them both and Fel was laying beside her futon. He had already woken up on the first rays of the morning sun rising from the treeline. Vulpix and Eevee slept soundly against his forearms as he awaited Alice's awakening.
He watched her stir before her eyes blinked sleepily before she sat up slowly without waking up Sui as she let out a yawn.
"Good morning..." Alice greeted Fel sleepily as she rubbed her eyes who huffed but nuzzled her head gently. She smiled before getting up as she walked out of the stone house, stretching her arms as Fel followed.
"Did you sleep comfortably?" Alice asked him warmly as she picked up a still sleepy Sui before gently putting him in her bag to let him sleep more. Eevee and Vulpix were wide awake but Eevee yawned widely and rubbed her eyes.
"I did and it was not bad at all, in fact." Fel said truthfully. That was honestly the best sleep he had, especially at how warm the stone house was.
"That's great." Alice smiled as she made the stone house disappear.
"What are your plans for today? Shall we hunt?" Fel suggested to her curiously once she was done.
"I've gotten my rank up. So we don't have to force ourselves to hunt, especially since we still have a lot of meat from the monsters you've hunted back then and still more back at the guild.." She explained as she came to him.
"I have no problem hunting every day." Fel told her. He honestly wanted to go and hunt and continue his courting for her heart and hunting is his way of courting.
"Well, I can't keep up with you but I won't stop you. Just don't overhunt." She told him as she picked up the bag and put it on before she had an idea.
"Oh, I know. Why don't we get that black serpent of yours butchered so we can finally deliver the skin to Lambert?" She suggested and his ears twitched.
"How boring." He said with a small sulk as she just smiled apologetically.
"And then, once we've gotten the rest of the meat back from the guild, I'll cook us something." She promised which was enough to make Fel smile, wagging his tail slightly. If she's being honest with herself, cooking for Fel, Sui, herself and her Pokémon is becoming more of a routine than a pact.
They made it back to town after one speedy ride on Fel, they went to the warehouse to check on Johan's progress.
"Hello there. Good morning." Alice greeted Johan who walked around the table where the rest of the meat was stacked.
"Oh, hey! It's all done." Johan told her and she could tell especially since Fel was staring at the pile of meat they're gonna collect.
"This here's your leftover Bloody Horn-Bull Meat. And this is for the parts and the sum for the sale." Johan explained before tossing four sacks of coins at her and she had to catch them, balancing the amount of sacks. It was a lot.
"Thanks to you, kid, our profits have gone up so high!" Johan laughed as she put the coins in her item box.
"The guildmaster also told us not to charge you for dismantling. So come anytime you like." He said as she smiled.
"That helps a lot." She said as she started to put the rest of the meat in her item box.
"Can I meet the guildmaster?" She asked as Johan came to her.
"I'm afraid not yet. The Mithril Lizard's gonna take a little longer. The guildmaster went to talk it over with the city lords, so things are on hold for now." Johan said as she hummed. She'll probably have to come back sometime later.
"It's okay. I'm in no hurry on that one." Alice reassured him before Johan noticed something. She's probably here for something.
"Anything else?" He asked her.
"Oh, uh, well..." She hesitated before pulling out the Black Serpent from her item box.
"You think you'd be able to take care of this for me?" Alice asked him sheepishly and Johan didn't know whether she was kidding or not but the life of a butcher is full of surprises and she has them.
"A black serpent? That's not the kind of thing most people would pull out so casually, you know. You're really messing with my head." Johan said jokingly as Alice laughed sheepishly.
"Yeah, sorry." She said as Vulpix and Eevee poked the black serpent as Fel waited outside for her and Sui slept in her bag still.
"I'll sell everything but the meat and the skin." Alice explained and Johan nodded and got to work.
"Understood. I'll get on it right away." He said as Alice helped him put the black serpent on the table.
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Alice smiled before Sui peeked his head out. Looks like he woke up.
"Mama, is it time to eat yet?" He asked her as she smiled softly.
"Just as soon as we get back to the inn, okay, Sui?" She reassured him. She better cook all of them something delicious today.
They reached the inn where Alice took out tools for her to use. A wooden ladle, metal bowls and trays of different sizes along with a large chunk of Bloody Horn-Bull meat.
"Alright, here we go." Alice smiled, determined as she rolled up her sleeves.
"My, you appear to be quite motivated." Fel noted though a bit playful.
"Thanks. But, today I'll be making something that my mother made and something I've never made before." She told him, taking that comment as a compliment. She is feeling motivated right now. She opened her item box before pulling something out.
"I'll be using this to do it." Alice said as she showed them a strange contraption and Eevee and Vulpix immediately knew what she was gonna make and they're both excited for it.
"I know. I'll be making that." She told them with a grin as Fel and Sui looked at her curiously.
"I found it in the online grocery." Alice explained as she set it on the table.
"And that is, what?" Fel asked as he sniffed it. What purpose does it have?
"It's called a meat grinder. The meat goes in at the top and the ground meat comes out at the holes at the nozzle." She explained to them.
She made sure to slice up the Bloody Horn-Bull meat into chunks and loaded the meat grinder with it as Sui watched curiously.
"Let's start with the Bloody Horn-Bull meat." She said before starting to turn the handle. Soon ground meat started to come out and Sui was delighted and in awe.
"Wowie!" Sui awed in delight as she smiled at him.
"Pretty cool, isn't it?" She said as she kept turning the handle before Sui bobbed excitedly. That looks so fun!
"Sui wants to try!" Sui said excitedly happily.
"Okay, but be careful not to hurt yourself, okay?" Alice said as Sui hopped to the handle while Alice stepped aside to give him room. Sui stretched his tentacle to the handle just like Alice did and started to turn it.
But with how he turned it was shocking and it made Alice laugh in disbelief with how fast he turned the handle, causing ground meat to come out quickly and they had grounded all the Bloody Horn-Bull meat completely.
"W-Wow." Was all Alice could say in disbelief but patted his head before opening her item box to grab another type of meat.
"Let's go ahead and move on to the Orc General meat next." She told them as she took it out. Sui ground up all the meat just like with the Bloody Horn-Bull and the bowls were filled to the brim with ground meat and the amount was insane. She can make a lot with these.
"All done!" Sui cheered, happy that he helped Mama cook once more.
"You did good, Sui. Good job." Alice said and made Sui giggle and soon Alice started up the process by cutting up the onions into small minced cubes.
But the smell of the onions irritated her nose and made her eyes water which caused her to wince and rub her eyes.
"Is mama hurt?" Sui asked in concern and worry.
"Your eyes are wet." Fel said, worried as well as he came to her.
"No, no, I'm okay. The onions are just making my nose irritated." She reassured them before she stir fried the minced onions into the pan and now the real fun begins.
"We're going to use six parts Bloody Horn-Bull to four parts Orc General." Alice said before she took out a larger and empty bowl and started to pour the bread crumbs into it.
'First, soak some panko breadcrumbs in milk.' She soon added the meat in the mixture followed by eggs and the onions.
'Add meat, eggs, sprinkle some sautéed onions, salt and pepper, then start kneading.' She made sure she had her hands covered in clean plastic gloves as she kneaded everything together like dough.
Sui joined to help speed up the process as Fel watched the process curiously from where he sat. Once the ingredients are mixed up, she scooped a handful of the mixed meat while making sure that Sui knows the amount to scoop up.
'After that, start shaping it into patties.' She and Sui moved in sync, tossing the patties against both of their hands and tentacles to make sure they're in shape before Alice had an idea and ordered some cheese from the online grocery and made sure the patties covered the ones with cheese completely as a special surprise.
'I'll add a little surprise since Eevee and Vulpix like it.' She smiled as she and Sui were done.
'Better wrap up the extras and store them in the item box.' She covered the extra ones with clear plastic sheets before putting them in her item box for later and faced the ones she's going to cook.
"All right, time to grill them." She smiled and Sui and Fel got excited. Time for cooking!
She put oil in the pan before setting the patties down carefully after she turned the stove on at the right heat. The pan was big enough for three patties so she put three while making sure they don't stick together as they start to sizzle. She kept an eye on it and made sure to flip them once they're okay.
'Once the patties are charred on both sides, you want to add water to steam them.' She poured the right amount of water before covering it so the steam from the water won't escape and help cook the patties.
She removed the cover and smiled before taking them out to put them on a plate.
'When they're cooked all the way through, it's time to plate them.' She put them in the plate before repeating the process until all five plates have the same amount before doing one last thing. The sauce.
'Finally combine ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in the pan you just used.' She made sure to combine both together and once it's ready, she grabbed a spoon and poured the sauce on the patties they're gonna eat.
'Pour that over the patties and...' Alice smiled and set the pan and spoon down.
"It's finished!" She smiled proudly and showed it to Fel, Sui, Vulpix and Eevee.
"I give you Bloody Horn-Bull and Orc General Hamburger Steak!" Alice said as she made sure to cook some side dish of fries out of potatoes.
{Bloody Horn-Bull and Orc General Hamburger Steak}
She turned as soon as she heard Fel's stomach growling and couldn't help but laugh as he was staring at the meal hungrily, his tail wagging in anticipation with Eevee and Vulpix wagging their tails excitedly and Sui jumping. All of them were hungry for their late breakfast.
They all soon took their first bite and it was amazing!
"This is outstanding! The grilled meat from your world is good but this Bloody Horn-Bull is something else!" Fel said in delight as he ate excitedly, using his claws to hold the plate so he could eat it, enjoying each bite.
"Mama, this one's different from the others! There's something gooey inside of it!" Sui said since he had noticed on the first bite which made Alice smile at him.
"Yeah, I added cheese to some of them as a surprise. How is it?" Alice explained and Fel ate the one with the cheese and it was delicious.
"It's really yummy!" Sui said happily as he resumed eating his share. They ate their late breakfast together which was perfect with the weather being bright and sunny.
Alice had taken her shirt off to wash them and Fel had to look away once more but it also gave him a small fast view of the mark on her shoulder and her physique. She must've been keeping herself in shape from the looks of it. Alice thankfully has an extra pair of clothes in her item box that came from her world as she tried to wash the clothes she had both with but they're not lathering properly.
"What's the deal here?" Alice asked in confusion as Vulpix and Eevee napped with Fel as Sui removed the stains from everything they used.
"This soap doesn't lather up at all." She said as she stared at the bland looking soap she had purchased here before she had an idea.
"Wait." She mentally slapped her forehead and sat on a crate and opened the online grocery and went to the soap page.
"Why didn't I think of this? This could be a great idea." She smiled as she started to pick which ones.
"Soap already exists in this world, so nobody should find this too suspicious." She said. She had noticed before that the online grocery seemed to have merged the items from her world and the other one day which made it easier for her to shop and purchase for items and ingredients she needed.
"Have you come up with an idea to create something new?" Fel asks as he lifts his head to see that she has the online grocery open but he noticed that she had tied her hair up after changing into a red shirt that looks strange that has a white silhouette of a feline with short arms and a long tail.
"Honestly, not at all yet, Fel. It's been a while since I've worked as a merchant, don't you think?" She said as she looked back at the online grocery.
"We already have business with Lambert, so this is perfect." Alice explained before she purchased the items. She opened the box and took out the products. Shampoo and conditioner with a rose scented bar of soap and moist repair tube. She soon started to put the contents in containers so they wouldn't be too suspicious.
"I'll repackage them in less conspicuous containers like I did with the salt and pepper." She muttered softly. She was done after a moment before Sui spoke up.
"Hey, Mama! The water feels super duper good!" Sui said happily, relaxing in the wooden tub of water as Alice turned to smile at him.
"Oh really?" She smiled at him before she tapped her chin and crossed her arms. She looked to Fel, Eevee and Vulpix. She doesn't want to say it but they probably needed some grooming, especially a bath for herself.
"Hearing that really puts me in the mood for a bath. The last one was months ago too. Now that I think about it, I haven't taken one in a long while..." Alice said sadly as she sighed, thinking back to the hotspring. How is she gonna stay clean now?
She reassured Fel that she would be back before the night set in but Vulpix came with her and she appreciated it. They were in Lambert's living room and Alice finally presented him the black serpent's skin she promised thanks to Fel.
"You brought one! A black serpent's skin!" He was in shock and delighted that he had to examine the condition of the skin.
"Well, I did promise you I would, didn't I? Plus I didn't do it alone." Alice explained as the maid served them tea which Alice was thankful for.
"It's exquisite, pristine, This kind of flawless leather and fully intact skins like this are hard to come by." Lambert explained.
"Would you sell it to me for 50 gold coins?" Lambert offered much to Alice's surpise.
"You mean you would pay that much for the Black Serpent's skin?" Alice asked in surprise as Vulpix nap beside her, tail swaying slowly. Lambert had the maid present her the payment which she put in the purse that he gave her.
"Thank you." Alice smiled before she put the purse away before she got into her own business.
"Also, now that the black serpent business is taken care of, I could use a little advice. And I wanted to consult you about something." Alice began as she took out her merchant's guild card and showed it to him nervously as he looked at her in surprise.
"To be honest, I may not have mentioned it, but I'm a member of the merchant's guild as well." She explained. Lambert stared at the card and knew it was authentic with the iron color.
"Oh? An adventurer who's also a merchant, that's rare. It's not often you run into someone who's registered with both guilds." Lambert said truthfully as she laughed sheepishly.
"I had my reasons." She said before she opened her bag and started to present him 'samples' for him to look at.
"I have some rare products I'd like to show you and I thought I'd ask you how to price and sell these. And here's what I'm wondering." Alice started as she set the pouch that held the soap in front of him along with the bottles for the hair, shampoo and conditioner.
"Would people be interested in buying items such as these, do you think?" She asked as Lambert eyed the items curiously before he set his teacup down. He was curious about what she had though.
"Let me take a look." He said before picking up the one with the pouch. He opened it and he looked at it curiously. Soap?
"Oh, this is... Wait, is this soap?" Lambert asked curiously. The soap he always gets is a normal greenish color but this one was white with some type of picture on it before something else caught his attention that the soap he purchased doesn't have and it was coming from the soap in his hand. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed it. It smells lovely and heavenly too!
"It has such a lovely fragrance too, like a blooming flower." He noted as Alice smiled. The soap she had purchased has a rose scent to it.
"Doesn't it? The smell is great and it leathers up really well too." Alice explained and Lambert became curious and delighted to try it. Alice then presented him with one of the bottles.
"And this one here is used to wash your hair with this concoction and it'll turn silky smooth." She offered before showing the other two bottles.
"And the effect is even greater if you use these as well to wash your hair. Using both will greatly improve your hair's health." Alice explained.
"Apply this medicinal cream on your hair for just a few minutes after washing to give your hair a lustrous shine." She then showed him one jar that had a white cream.
"And this is a hair mask. It will beautify any kind of hair. It's almost like magic too. Simply using it and then rinsing it out will turn anybody's hair beautiful." She said before pausing when she noticed the look on Lambert's face. Did she go too far?
"Miss Alice, to think someone like you would walk into my life and that I could become friends with you. I'm overcome with gratitude!" He said, nearly crying which surprised and concerned her. Lambert soon revealed the reason why he's close to tears and she understood.
"Your wedding anniversary?" Alice asked him gently as he nodded.
"My wedding anniversary is coming up in two weeks. I've given myself a slight stomach ulcer trying to choose a gift for my wife." Lambert explained and Alice couldn't help but sympathize for him. She had to help her father with the wedding anniversary he had forgotten and she saved his butt for helping.
"Sounds like a struggle." She said understandingly.
"She said she didn't want any more bags or accessories. That she had too many of those as it is, and to get her something else for a change." He lamented before turning hopeful.
"But with these! This stuff is perfect! She'll be thrilled! My wife really loves taking baths. Silent treatment averted." Lambert said, looking much more relieved and excited.
'Married life seems complicated. Though I wonder what I would get for a wedding anniversary gift if I ever meet the one.' Alice thought but the person that appeared in her mind was Fel and she flushed immediately and shook her head. Why was her mind on Fel and why did her heart leap at the thought of Fel giving her something simple or surprising? She then processed what Lambert said. His wife likes taking baths?
"You mean to tell me your house has a bath, then?" Alice asked him, looking hopeful as Vulpix woke up with a yawn.
"Oh, yes. My wife's heart was set on one." Lambert said, curious as to why she asked. But Alice was mostly excited on the inside.
'They do have baths here! I wonder what this world's tubs are like! Can I buy one too?' She thought excitedly. Purchasing a bathtub is on her list next!
"Um, at the risk of being forward and it might be rude of me, but may I see your bathtub?" Alice asked Lambert who just smiled.
"Why certainly!" Lambert set the soap down and led the way to the bathroom, Vulpix on Alice's shoulder. Lambert opened the door and Alice's eyes practically has stars in them.
"It's a real bathtub and the craftsmanship is so beautiful. This is so wonderful." She said in awe as she went to it, running her hands on the edge. Vulpix yipped, wagging her tail. Now she wants a bath.
"Thank you for your words. We're quite pleased with it. Special methods were used to infuse ceramic with magic stones so it keeps heat really well. Colorful and painted tubs are more expensive. Incorporating magical tools to purify the water and hiring earth magic users for its construction adds to the cost. Altogether you could end up spending a few hundred gold coins. For a merchant like myself, owning a bathtub is a sure sign that one has reached the height of success." Lambert explained completely as Alice was blown away by the information before looking at the tub. She wants one!
'I want one. I really, really want one. And thanks to Fel for helping me get a lot of money, I may actually be able to afford it.' Alice thought. She's more than grateful for Fel now. He provided monsters which were a great source of income for them. If they were in her world, she might actually buy one or three tubs!
"W-Where can I buy this?" She asked Lambert hopefully as Vulpix looked at the merchant as well.
"If you're interested, I can set you up with the right shop." Lambert said as she smiled.
"Yes, please do!" She said before it was time for her to leave but she left him the first products for free.
"In any case, for the time being, I'll leave you with one of each." Alice said, offering the small basket that held the products she showed him.
"You can try them out before giving them to your wife." She suggested as he accepted.
"I'll definitely try all of them out tonight." Lambert said as she chuckled.
"Yeah, since this is a present for your wife, I can see how you'd want to test out this stuff first." She said as Lambert grew more thankful for her help. She's a lifesaver.
"If I were to give her anything peculiar or weird things, I'd never hear the end of it." Lambert said shakily as Alice just smiled sheepishly.
"Righ. Well, anyway, I'll just stop back by tomorrow before I go to the guild." She said as Lambert nodded.
"I'll be waiting for you." He said as Alice soon left for the inn where she made everyone a quick dinner before going to sleep.
The next day, it was still early in the morning and Alice was cooking up breakfast for Fel, Sui and Dratini when the door of the inn opened and the innkeeper called out to her.
"Miss, there's a guest for you from Lambert's store." The innkeeper said and she looked over to the door to see that the innkeeper was with a little kid who came to her.
"U-Um, Mister Lambert asked me to invite you to the store immediately." The kid, a little boy probably 6 or 8, told her and she smiled warmly at him. This kid probably needs a big breakfast since he has a lot of growing up to do.
"Alright, can you wait a while until Fel, Sui and Dratini have finished eating?" She asked and the kid nodded, heading for a crate to sit down.
"Ah, okay." He said meekly as he sat on the crate but Alice heard his stomach growling with the smell of her cooking.
"Since I'm gonna cook some more, would you like to eat some?" Alice offered which surprised the kid.
"H-Huh? B-But-" The kid tried to protest but Alice's kind smile put him at ease.
"It's fine, don't worry. Let me cook you something tasty. Kids your age have a big appetite afterall." Alice said as she cooked him a healthy helping of Miso-Marinated Orc General Bowl. The sighed made the kid start drooling as Alice handed the bowl to him with the spoon ready.
The kid looked between the delicious food and Alice nervously but Alice just smiled encouragingly. That was all the kid needed to start eating. The food was very delicious and it made him tear up.
"S-So tasty..." The kid said through a mouthful of food.
'Having to work even at this age must be hard. Do your best, kid.' Alice thought as she made herself some breakfast as well. Soon she was done as the kid finished his last spoon of breakfast before it was time to head back to Lambert's shop.
"Alright, let's head off to Lambert's shop, kid." She said before turning to Fel while Sui and Dratini played.
"Stay here for now until it's time to head to the adventurer's guild." She told him.
"What?! You're heading off on your own again?" Fel questioned her as he stood up and went to her. Alice sighed and turned to face him until they're standing face to face.
"Fel, I told Lambert I'll be back today to check on things. I'll always come back." She told him reassuringly but his tail was still and his ears alerted, face tense.
"There's no need for you to go alone." He told her, huffing slightly.
"It's only business, fluffball." She tried to reassure him with a smile but Fel wasn't completely reassured.
"You say that as if things don't happen when I'm not watching." He admitted which made Alice pause as she noticed before her eyes softened.
"You're worried, aren't you?" She whispered softly which made him go stiff as he huffed once more and glanced away.
"I'm only being realistic." He told her but Alice just smiled and went to him and petted his face gently almost affectionately and he immediately leaned against her touch.
"I'll be fine. I'll always come back." She whispered softly as he slowly relaxed, letting out a small exhale.
"Then don't take too long." He whispered back as they pressed their foreheads together which was becoming more and more of a thing now before they pulled away and Alice followed the kid but she looked back and waved to Fel before she and the kid left. Fel watched her leave before laying down slightly.
"Is Uncle Fel worried for Mama?" Sui asked him worriedly as he and Dratini went to him.
"I-I do not worry about her. She can take care of herself, Sui." Fel said defensively but he didn't meet Sui's gaze as Dratini tilted her head at him before letting out a small cry as Sui turned to her curiously before translating to Fel.
"Dratini said that maybe you're worried about her because you love Mama." Sui pointed out innocently which made Fel flushed and go rigid. Shoot! Has Sui been noticing?! But he's still so young and Dratini seemed way too mature for her age!
"I-I do not-" Fel started to deny it but he stopped and realized something. He initially started to court Alice through hunts and yet when the thought of her being harmed, defenseless or in danger, it made a fire in him to burn so bright that every instinct told him to protect her. He thought of the times that he thought he'd almost lose her like the time with the goblins or the kobold king.
The thought of not being able to save her made his heart ache painfully before he looked to Sui and Dratini. They're right... He's fallen madly in love with Alice. At first it was for the food she cooks but now...
It has become more than the flavor. It's everything about her that matters now. He's in love with her and he doesn't regret a thing but the problem is... How is he gonna tell her?
Alice walked up to the doors of Lambert's shop after giving the kid something to share with his family and he was grateful for her help as she opened the doors to see Lambert inside with someone.
"Hello." Alice greeted them warmly as Lambert turned, looking worried, embarrassed yet relieved.
"Ah, Miss Alice! I'm so happy you have arrived!" Lambert said, nearly crying before a figure rushed to Alice and she had to lean back in surprise at seeing the woman.
The woman has long auburn brown hair tied with a half bun, with locks framing the right side of her face. She has blue eyes, fair skin, and wears lipstick. She wears a red dress with a white lace collar, short bishop sleeves, and accented with a ribbon on the back. She also wears a pearl necklace.
"So you're Alice!" The woman said happily as Alice just smiled and nodded nervously. She couldn't help but admit that the woman is pretty.
"We've been waiting for you!" She said excitedly before noticing the stunned and nervous look on her face.
"Oh, dear me." She said before clearing her throat as Lambert came to her side with a warm smile.
"A-Apologies, that was rude of us. May I introduce my most beloved wife?" Lambert said as the woman curtsied. So this was the wife that Lambert was talking about?
"It's a pleasure. My name's Marie." She introduced herself as Alice just smiled politely.
"I can't tell you how much your husband has helped me." Alice said before she gulped and leaned back when Marie got too close once more.
"So anyway, I've heard from my husband about all these items..." Marie said as she was holding the basket with the items she had given Lambert yesterday.
"Yesterday evening, my Lambert was unusually fragrant when he emerged from the bath. Furthermore, his hair was so shiny, silky and lustrous. This guy's never cared about his hair in his life! As a woman, the situation was too much to ignore!" She vented and Lambert covered his face, embarrassment and guilt written all over him as Marie gave her husband a pout.
"I wanted to keep it a secret until our anniversary but she found out..." Lambert said in embarrassment as Alice smiled apologetically at him.
'Oh boy...' She thought in worry.
"Of course I had to try them myself! And when I finally did..." Marie's expression turned very happy, relieved and content.
"The flower scented soap left my skin silky smooth. The liquid soap left my hair cleaner and more refreshed than before!" Marie explained as she picked up one of the products.
"This product is truly amazing. Magically makes any kind of hair beautiful in one treatment. And best of all, the dry, unfrazzled hair that's troubled me for years has been replaced by this!" Marie said, flipping her hair to the side to show the result and Alice smiled, seeing the shine and luster in her hair.
"Isn't it lovely?" She asked as Lambert was in agreement.
"I just couldn't believe my eyes. It really surprised me as well. Your merchandise allowed Marie's natural beauty to shine even brighter." Lambert said sweetly and Marie became flustered as she touched her husband's arm bashfully who chuckled affectionately.
"Honey, how embarrassing." Marie said bashfully but she and Lambert smiled sweetly at each other as Alice just smiled at them before Lambert turned to her.
"So here it is, Miss Alice. About these items..." Lambert said and Alice can immediately guess that he wants to buy a lot for his wife.
'I know, you want to buy a boatload of them for your wife.' Alice thought but she guessed wrong.
"I would like to ask you... Would you permit us to sell them for you in our store?" Lambert asked which took Alice by surprise.
"Eh?" Alice blinked in surprise.
"I know it's a strange request from a leather merchant. I was against the idea at first but... t's not like it can't be helped." Lambert said hesitantly.
"What are you saying?" Marie said as Alice and Lambert turned to her in surprise.
"There's no question that these things will sell. You'd be a sorry excuse for a merchant if you let them slip through your fingers to be sold elsewhere." She explained and she can already imagine how the women will be ecstatic to get their hands on the products.
"They'll be highly sought after, not only among noblewomen, but all my friends, and yes, even commoners. Once they've seen these gorgeous locks, there'll be no stopping them! There's no woman who wouldn't get excited!" Marie said enthusiastically and Alice can practically imagine the chaos once Marie shows off how her lustrous hair would cause.
'Sorry, Lambert.' Alice thought with a sheepish smile.
"T-To that extent?" Lambert asked his wife nervously who nodded before she got close to Alice once more.
"So, please, Miss Alice! You must let us sell your goods here!" Marie said before softening her tone when she saw the nervous look on the teen's face.
"Okay?" She said softly and Alice nodded. Marie is just as intense as her mother when she has something she wants or needs.
"Y-Yes, of course, I'd love to. As it happens, I have no store of my own, so this deal is perfet. I'm grateful you guys are willing to sell it for me." Alice said, showing her gratitude to them for letting them sell her first products which will surely be a big hit and Marie was delighted at her answer while Lambert was just relieved yet grateful.
"Thank you! I'm glad to hear that. Shall we go to the back and discuss the details?" Marie suggested before she started to giggle.
"Thank goodness, I'll get a share of profits and the product." She giggled as she led the way. Alice and Lambert looked at each other before they followed Marie to the back.
Before she knew it, the products were a big success and women were all flocking the shop, looking awestruck and amazed. Of course there's some friends of Marie who were aghast in amazement by the beauty of her hair now. She bid goodbye to Lambert and Marie before heading to the inn. She went to the stables where she spotted Fel using a bit of wind magic and letting Sui play with it by flapping his tentacle wings and Dratini trying to fly as well but couldn't.
"Hey, I'm back." She called as the trio looked up and Fel visibly relaxed upon seeing her return.
"Mama! Welcome home!" Sui greeted her happily as Fel stopped his wind magic to let Sui bounce off the ground.
"I take it you made your delivery?" Fel asked as he got up and went to her side. He noticed how the tension in her body relaxed visibly on his approach as she smiled tiredly.
"Yeah, I'll say." Alice said with a chuckle as she remembered the delighted expression on both Lambert's and Marie's expression after she showed them the crates full of the products that would go for a long while.
"I left them with quite a bit, so they should be fine for a while too." She explained before sighing as she rubbed her shoulders. It took her almost the whole morning.
"It wasn't easy spending almost a whole day filling up bottles, though." Alice said with a quiet sigh.
Fel watched her carefully and knew she was tired and in need of rest. The only time she get to relax fully was when she's either cooking their meals or that time with the water that smells disgusting yet it helped her relax. What did she call it again? A hot spring?
"What will you do now? We could seek out a dungeon." He suggested but Alice shook her head.
"No, absolutely not yet, Fel. The last experience was pretty scary and almost put all of us at risk if it weren't for Lucario in his Mega Form and Sui. But I did hear that the guildmaster has returned though." Alice said. She was stopped by one of the adventurers who Anna probably told to inform Alice that the guildmaster has returned.
"It might be a good idea to head on over." She said as Sui jumped into arms with Dratini getting on her shoulders.
"After that, we'll seek out a dungeon." He insisted as they headed for the guild.
"Maybe next time when the opportunity is right, Fel." Alice said with a chuckle. She's not rejecting the idea but it might be okay to check one out after.
Alice told Fel and Sui to wait for her outside the guild which Fel begrudgingly did so but he showed a bit of annoyance of waiting outside with Sui on his head. People stopped to look at him and he was resting his face on his forepaw. He wanted to join her but he had to stay put until then.
Alice entered the guild before she overheard two adventurers talking by the request board.
"Hey, uh, is anyone gonna take care of these stray Wyverns or what?" One adventurer asked his partner.
"Sightings of them have only been increasing. Can't they give us a break?" His partner said in dismay as Alice glanced to them. Stray wyverns?
'More boss-level monsters? After the kobold king, I don't think I can face those yet.' She climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door of the guildmaster's office.
"It's Alice." Alice called.
"Oh! Come on in!" Willem called from inside and Alice pushed the door open but once the door was closed, she let out a shout filled with disbelief and shock.
"We finally managed to settle things." Willem smirked at her reaction as Alice stared in shock and disbelief at the amount of sack bags full of gold coins as payment.
"W-What...?" Alice stared at him in shock. Just how much was that Mithril Lizard and the reward for the discovery of the new mithril mine?!
"5,800 gold coins. The city lord asked me to pass along his gratitude. You did find him a mithril mine, after all." Willem said as he chuckled as Alice stared at the money pile. That means she has over 8,025 gold coins or 803,793,000 Pokedollars in total.
'This is insane!' Alice thought in shock before she looked at the gold coins. But...maybe...
'But with this much, I can definitely, no, be able to afford it. I can finally be able to buy a bathtub!' She thought in anticipation before a commotion broke out downstairs and Alice sensed something was wrong and she used aura sense and auras in various stages of injuries and poison was downstairs and she immediately let out Gardevoir and Altaria who Willem stared in surprise before Anna burst open the door, panic and worried.
"Awful news!" She exclaimed they looked at her.
"A Wyvern swarm!" Anna said and Willem became alarmed.
"What'd you say?!" Willem asked in shock but they followed her out the door immediately before Alice remembered that two adventurers earlier were talking about wyverns.
'Those adventurers were just talking about wyverns a minute ago! Does that mean people got hurt?!' She thought in worry.
"Tell me what you know!" Willem asked Anna urgently.
"Apparently a low-ranking party was set upon by a swarm of wyverns while hunting in the Western Plains!" Anna explained and Willem's expression turned grim as they hurried.
"All those stray wyverns that have been spotted in the area must have been scouting the Bloody Horn-Bulls." Willem said which caused a cold feeling to wash over Alice. The same Bloody Horn-Bulls she, Fel, Sui and Vulpix accepted as a second request?
'Is he talking about the same Bloody Horn-Bulls we hunted? We... We should have left some and none of this would have happened. Now people are hurt!' Alice thought in shame and guilt.
"What's the damage?" Willem asked Anna.
"Everyone managed to escape, but many of them were poisoned. And badly injured as well." Anna explained to Willem.
"At least they're still alive." He said and Alice looked to Altaria and Gardevior who nodded.
"Guildmaster Willem, let Gardevior and Altaria help. They might be able to slow down the poison." She told him as he turned to the creatures with her.
"Very well." He accepted as they climbed down the stairs and everything was chaos downstairs.
"Hurry!"
"Hand that over."
"Found it.
"You alright?"
Alice froze at the sight of the injured as Altaria and Gardevior immediately rushed to help the most criticals, using heal pulse to slow down the poison but it won't heal completely.
"We're already out of antidotes, and we may not have enough potions either." The one with the most critical one, Christy, said urgently as he gritted his teeth.
"Buy what you can from nearby shops. See if any of the adventurers will help!" Willem explained as Alice snapped out of it as she approached before she remembered as she hurriedly took out the bottles of Sui's high potions and some pecha berries. She hopes they can help.
"We need more potions! Please, whatever you can do!" Christy ordered before Alice approached.
"Excuse me!" She said as Willem turned to her.
"I have some high-quality potions and berries here! You need to get them to eat the berries to help." She told Willem as she handed him one of the bottles along with a pecha berry.
"Thanks. We owe you." Willem accepted them without hesitation as he had Christy help the injured adventurer eat the berry which helped stop the poison along with pouring the potion on the injury which practically healed the adventurer completely. With the combination of the pecha berry and the high-quality potion, it healed the adventurer along with removing the poison from his body.
This shocked everyone as they stared at the results. This potion is much more powerful than the normal ones they had used.
"What in the hell?!" Willem exclaimed in shock.
"It's healing and detoxifying?!" Christy was in shock too before everyone turned to Alice who gulped at the attention. They can't ask questions now, they have injured to care for.
"Okay, take them to the beds now." Willem ordered and everyone got to work immediately.
"Right!"
Alice distributed the potions along with pecha and oran berries to the staff, telling them that they need to consume the berries to help further.
"You'll be alright."
"Thank goodness."
"Over here."
Gardevoir and Altaria helped with heal pulse to help the injured regain strength to recover faster as Alice sighed, seeing how the injured were saved from life threatening injuries.
"Listen up, everyone!" The ones who weren't injured along with Alice turned to the front as Willem started to speak.
"We have to hunt these wyverns! This is an emergency quest from the guild! All adventurers ranked C and up are required to participate!" Willem ordered and Alice felt dread sinking in as she turned to the adventurers.
If all of them go there now...
'If all of us go there, many of them will be injured or... But they might have families that they might not be able to see again if the worst happens to any of them!' Alice thought in shock and worry.
"The thought of hunting wyverns probably makes you feel uneasy! And yet if we don't act, it's only a matter of time until they attack the city! Our duty couldn't be clearer! Let's put our pride as adventurers on the line and save the day!" Willem spoke and despite the looming danger, everyone agreed as they let out battle cries.
"We head out at once!" Alice was frozen in shock. He can't be serious... The adventurers probably have families that they provide for!
They didn't hear the doors open until Fel's voice was heard, firm and clear.
"Hold on. Hear me, humans." Fel commanded and everyone quietened down as they moved aside to make a path for him as he approached Alice who turned to him. He was outside when the commotion happened when he sensed distress coming from Alice. He doesn't know why but he can't let anything slide if something causes her such distress.
"Fel?" Alice called him in confusion yet relief as she approached him with Dratini in her bag and Altaria and Gardevoir before Sui jumped to her and she caught him in her arms.
"The wyverns. Please leave them to me." He said as Alice approached him, dropping her voice into a whisper.
"Fel, what are you doing?" She whispered in shock and disbelief.
"Is there a problem? This will be good exercise." Fel whispered as well.
"I don't wanna rain in your parade but it might be a bad idea." Alice told him in a whisper before she stiffened when he lowered his head near her ear, his warm breath brushing against her ear which caused her to blush.
"And Wyvern meat is delicious." He whispered in her ear but the proximity made her flushed further as she pushed his face away but her heart was hammering against her chest as she tried to shake it off but the sensation stayed.
"T-That's completely beside the point." She whispered in a stutter, still blushing as Fel just smiled at her reassuringly before he addressed Willem.
"You, human. Tell me, do I understand correctly that any wyverns I hunt are mine to keep?" He asked Willem directly who approached as Alice and her Pokémon turned to him.
"Absolutely. We'll pay you as well." Willem confirmed and that was all Fel needed as he look to Alice.
"Let us depart immediately." He told her as she hesitated.
"H-Hang on." She said, sure she wants to leave now so they can take care of the wyverns, but she's not sure, especially given how many injured were present before they were healed.
"Mama, are you going to fight?" Sui asked her as she looked down at him.
"Then Sui will fight too!" He said which reassured her a bit. Okay, maybe a bit of fighting might help if it means keeping Karelina safe.
"And we'll join you." Willem said but Fel didn't let him when he had sensed how Alice's distress spiked when Willem suggested they'll join them.
"Do not. You would be in my way." He told him firmly as Willem was in disbelief before he noticed how Fel was positioned a bit closer to Alice as she was looking at each adventurer with a grim expression and he realized that Alice was worried for everyone's safety.
"Fel, that was a bit harsh." Alice told Fel but he just nudged her arm gently.
'(If they join us, there will be more casualties that you would like. I sensed that you became distressed when he suggested that he and these human adventurers join us but I will not allow it if it causes you this much distress.)' Fel told her telepathically as Alice looked at him in surprise.
'(You sensed that?)' She asked him telepathically and he gave a subtle nod which touched her before Willem bowed.
"Well then, Lord Fenrir. Please do everything you can to protect our city." Willem pleaded as Fel looked at Alice who nodded before he looked back to Willem.
"I understand." He said as the guildmaster lifted his head, looking at Alice, her Pokémon and Familiars.
"Take care of yourselves, all of you." He told them as Alice nodded, barely containing a smile when she felt Sui wiggling in her arms excitedly.
They had left the guild as soon as Alice recalled Gardevoir and Altaria before she got on Fel's back, Dratini on her shoulders as she held on while Fel took them to the western plains immediately. Fel's ears twitched and he glanced up, narrowing his eyes.
"There they are." Fel pointed and Alice looked up to see a swarm of wyverns were indeed by the western plains where they had hunted the Bloody Horn-Bulls.
"Those are wyverns? They look like a Skarmory and Aerodactyl." Alice said in surprise as Fel stopped at a safe distance to let her get off as they both watched the Wyvern swarm.
"They look pretty dangerous." She noted before using appraisal to see what they're dealing with.
[Wyvern] They flock together and are extremely violent. Their tails are dangerous and poisonous stingers.
"Flying around as if they own the sky." Fel said distastefully as he glared up at them as Sui came out of the bag and climbed onto Alice's other shoulder.
"Is that what we're fighting?" Sui asked Fel and Alice curiously as they turned to him and Fel had an idea. Maybe it was time for him to teach Sui and Dratini how to fight foes that are in the air.
"How opportune. I shall now teach Sui and Dratini how to hunt airborne prey." Fel told Alice who looked at him in surprise while Sui and Dratini cheered happily.
"Yay!" Sui cheered. Alice looked at Sui and Dratini before sighing.
"Just nothing weird, alright? And maybe this could be good practice for Dratini to try that ice beam I taught her." She said before the screeches of the wyverns were heard and they turned to see some were heading in their direction.
"Sui, Dratini, get on." Fel said and Sui and Dratini got on Fel with Sui on his head and Dratini beside Sui.
"Okay." Sui obliged.
Before Fel took them towards the charging wyverns, he turned to Alice who was looking at them worriedly. He had placed a barrier around her already but leaving her alone without someone else to protect her made something in him clench painfully.
"We'll be done soon. You wait and hide somewhere safe." He told her as Alice nodded.
'(I do not want harm to befall on you like before.)' Fel told her telepathically before taking off.
"Be careful, you guys! You three better not get hurt!" Alice called them before looking around. She's vulnerable in this open area before she had an idea.
Fel charged while making sure Sui and Dratini don't fall off. He dodged one Wyvern that flanked his right before jumping over one that tried to take him down from the right once more. He avoided the tail of another when it used it to hit the spot where the three of them were. Time for hunting lessons.
"Listen, Sui, Dratini. With flying prey, always aim for the head or the wings. Hitting the head usually kills them, though it is an easy target to miss. But if you aim for the wings, a successful hit will cause them to fall to the ground." Fel explained and Sui and Dratini understood as Sui made a tentacle, stiffening it like a gun and Dratini started to charge up an ice beam.
"Okay, got it." Sui said as both of them aimed for one wyvern.
"Headshot!" He launched an attack on the Wyvern just as Dratini fired an ice beam which coated Sui's attack in ice but both combined, hitting one wyvern directly on the wings.
"Sui and Dratini missed..." Sui pouted but Fel was rather proud. That was a perfect shot in his mind.
"I did warn you two that might happen, didn't I?" Fel said as they approached the downed wyvern who was screeching in pain.
"Still, all in all, well done." He said before using rending claws to remove the wyvern's head to finish it off. They still had work to do as more wyverns were getting ready to attack.
"We want to eat them, so try not to damage the body." Fel told them.
"Yeah, okay." Sui agreed as they both jumped off Fel when Dratini suddenly glowed and Sui, Fel even the wyverns paused. In Dratini's, the wyverns hurt a lot of people and she wanted to help and get up in the sky to help them.
She let out a cry as her body slowly grew, elongated, the fins on her head transformed into a pair of wings before the glow burst away and Dratini now Dragonair let out a battle cry and used dragon dance to get herself in the air using the wings on either side of her head to help her be airborne. Fel and Sui were shocked by the spectacle but mostly Fel. Was this an evolution that Alice had explained to him before? But he shook his head as he, Dragonair and Sui got ready and attacked the wyverns who made the first move.
Meanwhile, Alice was hiding at a safe spot that she made using earth magic but she had looked over to the battle to see what's going on. She had noticed a glow appearing and she realized that Dratini must've evolved somehow. She looked over, shielding her eyes from the dust that was kicked up by the battle. She noticed Sui, Fel and Dragonair fighting ferociously as she just laughed sheepishly at what she was seeing.
'Is Sui and Dragonair enjoying the battle as much as Fel?' Alice thought before she went back in the small dome that she had created.
'Ah, that's right. These are enemies that not even the adventurers at the guild could even with all of them together. If I try to join, there's a chance I might get hurt while Fel, Sui and Dragonair can handle it.' Alice thought before she heard the dome she had created started to crack before it exploded and a shadow loomed over her. She turned around, fear gripping her, her eyes widening as she saw that a Wyvern managed to sneak away from battle.
It let out a screech and struck her with its tail as she screamed and braced herself when Fel's barrier activated and it just made the attack bounce off but it also caused Alice to be sent flying. Alice bounced off the ground until she landed with a wince.
At the battlefield, Fel was removing the head of the last Wyvern when something caused him, Sui and Dragonair to become alarmed. Alice's scream. They immediately rushed to the scene just as Alice landed on the ground after rolling over and a Wyvern was coming to her. Fel and Sui became enraged as Dragonair charged towards the wyvern. Sui immediately used proliferate to make his body go big and towered over Alice, stopping the tail that might have harmed her further. Alice looked up shakily when the attack didn't hit her and tears formed in her eyes.
"Sui!" She shouted in worry.
"Doesn't hurt at all." Sui said as the Wyvern tried to use its tail again and again but Sui's body stayed firm.
"You tried to hurt mama." Sui said angrily to the wyvern and Alice never heard how mad Sui is and this was the first time. Dragonair used an ice beam on the tail which sliced it off and for the finishing blow, Fel was behind it, eyes burning with a murderous fire. This one dared to slip past them and harmed his mate?!
"You slipped past me, didn't you?" He growled and ended its life as its body hit the ground. Dragonair nudged Alice back on her feet who was shaky.
"Is mama okay?" Sui asked worriedly as he shrank, jumping into her arms as she held onto him. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she tried to keep her cries quiet and Sui and Dragonair tried to comfort her.
Fel approached as she looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes. The salty scent of her tears made his heart ache with both fear and worry as his ears lowered against his head. If they hadn't acted, she would have been very hurt and losing her scared him. He lowered his head and licked her tears away and she didn't stop him as she sniffed as she touched the fur on his neck. He nuzzled her gently, letting her calm down and feeling her fingers run through his fur.
"You're safe. You're alright." Fel whispered softly as she nodded shakily before calming though rather somewhat.
"You... You guys saved me..." Alice whispered as she looked at them all as he huffed but he smiled.
"Of course, we did. We won't allow anything to harm you." Fel told her as Sui bobbed in her arms.
"Sui will pew-pew the bad guys that tried to hurt mama!" Sui agreed with Dragonair nodding, nuzzling her trainer and Alice smiled, feeling calmer now.
A shadow flew over them and Fel instinctively moved closer to Alice who flinched when the shadow flew above them but when they look up, the fear and adrenaline of fight slowly dissipated as a large bird flew above them. It was a stunning golden-yellow bird with white accents, a significant color shift from its normal red/gold, making it look like pure gold or a fiery phoenix with a regal glow. It glance below to them and Alice recognized it immediately as it flew away, leaving a trail of rainbow behind it.
"What was that?" Fel asked in curiosity and awe.
"That was a shiny Ho-Oh." Alice whispered in awe.
"Ho-Oh?" Sui asked in confusion as Alice nodded.
"Ho-Oh is one of the legendary Pokémon back in my world. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised eternal happiness. Legends claim this Pokémon flies the world's skies continuously on its magnificent seven-colored wings." She explained as they watched Ho-Oh disappear into the horizon. What does it all mean? First Suicune and now Ho-Oh.
Alice's eyes widened as she remembered something Lambert said.
"We took great care with the buckle design and one of the materials was made from a strange iridescent feather too."
The feather... He must've seen Ho-Oh and found a rainbow wing! That would explain the shimmer on the belt buckle.
They went to the result of the battle and there were a lot of wyverns they'll have to store in her item box.
"I expected more from the swarm but there wasn't even enough for practicing." Fel said though he was attempting to change the subject and lighten up the atmosphere.
"You guys sure showed them." Alice chuckled slightly.
"Though, I have now worked up a hearty appetite." He said as Sui and Dragonair agreed.
"Sui too." Sui agreed as Alice sighed and let Sui jump out of her arms.
"Okay. It's on now." She said before opening her item box and took out the folding table and the patties that she and Sui made.
"Three kinds of ground meat. Bloody Horn-Bull, Orc General and Combo." Alice prepared as Fel, Sui and Dragonair waited.
"Good thing we made so much last time, Sui." She said as Sui bobbed happily while Fel looked curious.
"Hamburger steak again?" He asked her curiously. What is she planning?
"Nope, this time we're gonna add breading." She smiled at him as Fel tilted his head curiously. The fear was gone from the area and replaced by the normalcy of what can be felt as routine or homelife.
"There's a certain dish that I've always wanted to eat under the blue skies with my Pokémon." Alice explained and started the process. She cracked open some eggs before whisking them before pouring breadcrumbs on a tray and flour on another before taking a patty in one hand after cleaning her hands.
"We coat these in flour. Then egg. And finally, breadcrumbs. But make sure they're untoasted." She explained as she repeated the process to the patties she's gonna cook.
"That's how you get a restaurant-quality result." She said before moving to start frying them.
'Next, we fry them until they're crispy.' Alice thought as she put three patties at a time into the pot. It didn't take long for her to cook all of the patties as she fished one out with a pair of tongs.
"A slightly different preparation yields a whole new flavor." She said before serving them on plates that were covered in paper towels.
"Three types of ground meat cutlets."
{Three Types of Ground Meat Cutlets ~100% Bloody Horn-Bull and Orc General Combination of Both~}
The sight made Fel's tail wag as Sui was excited with Dragonair before they all took their first bite and it was the crunchiness that made everyone love it instantly.
"Crispy on the outside, yet juicy on the inside!" Alice exclaimed in delight after she had taken the first bite.
"When they're this fresh, you don't even need sauce. They all taste great, but the combination is my favorite." She noted in delight.
"I prefer Bloody Horn-Bull myself." Fel told her, showing her one of the cutlets before popping it in his mouth.
"It has the meatiest flavor." He explained through chewing which made Alice chuckle.
"Sui likes Orc best." Sui said happily as Dragonair ate all three on her plate, enjoying all three flavors.
"Looks like we all have our favorites." Alice smiled at them as she opened her can of juice as Fel nodded in agreement.
"When they're all so delicious, it's only natural." He said with Sui agreeing.
"Yeah, they're all yummy." Sui said happily.
"Oh, really? Well I'm glad to hear that you three like them." Alice smiled at them as they enjoyed their late lunch to their hearts content.
Meanwhile back at the guild, Willem and the adventurers along with some guards were waiting for news or Alice walking through the door with her Familiars and Pokémon but so far nothing has happened yet.
"Do you think Alice and her Familiars are alright?" Anna asked Willem worriedly who had his arms crossed but he was worried too.
"Against all those wyverns at once, even a Fenrir may struggle mightily. Still, all we can do is believe in them and wait." Willem said. Though they were unaware that the Wyvern situation was already taken care off fast and Fel, Sui, Dragonair and Alice were enjoying the afternoon with Alice leaning much closer to Fel than before as he napped in peace with the presence of his pack close and protected.