"Oh, I see." Gewen smirked. "I am excited! I have defeated many monsters back home in Asguay. Now, I am looking for new challenges."

The girls all let out oohs and ahhs when they heard him. 

They were so impressed!

Shadowend was a small, sleepy town. There was not much going on there normally. So, seeing a man of Gewen's caliber really made the town seem lively and interesting. Not only he was beautiful, but he was also wealthy, judging from his appearance and the servants he brought with him to the tavern.

And did he say he had defeated many monsters back home? Whoaa... he looked so perfect!

The girls were impressed to see such a beautiful man was so tough and manly. 

Gewen saw their adoration and he could only laugh internally. One or two of those women looked quite beautiful, the rest were just okay.

Well, maybe.. after the job was done, he could take the two most beautiful ones to bed. They would be happy. He could see from the way they looked at him. He could recognize that hunger in their eyes.

It was the same everywhere. They were hungry for his touch and attention.

Well.. he shouldn't think about sex and having fun, though. For now, he had to focus. He didn't want to risk Ellena's heart, of course.

What more, he didn't want that lousy wizard to make a name for himself during this mission while Gewen was swayed by beautiful women.

Yessir! Gewen would focus.

"Do you know what kind of monsters are there?" He decided to probe the mayor's daughter so he could get better information.

If Killian really came to the mayor after he came down from Thessalis Morelli's home five years ago, he might tell the mayor what kind of monsters he encountered in the haunted forest.

He touched the girl's cheeks and smiled like an angel. The girl's heart skipped a beat and she was almost out of breath because of his sweet treatment.

Gewen knew the power of his charms on women and he took advantage of that to the fullest. So, he spoke with his masculine voice and asked the girl for her name. "What is your name, beautiful? I don't believe we have had a proper introduction."

The girl struggled to voice her reply. She was too enamored by those dreamy eyes before her and Gewen's beautiful elf-like appearance.

Meanwhile, the other girls rolled their eyes. One girl even replied on her behalf.

"She is Alma," she said in an annoyed expression.

"Ah.. such a beautiful name," said Gewen with a smile. He turned to the girl who spoke just now and touched her arm. "And you? What's your name, sweetheart?"

Now, it was the girl's turn to lose her voice. She just rolled her eyes at Alma and mocked her for being dumbfounded by Gewen's simple question of asking her name.

However, when it was her turn, she finally realized that she was no better than Alma.

She, too, lost her voice. And worse....

Suddenly, everything went dark.

"Oh my god!" The other girls hurriedly caught her before she passed out and hit the hard floor. They placed her on a couch with difficulty and grumbled among themselves.

The tavern owner just chuckled when he saw the scene.

Gosh.. if only they could have this guy visit this tavern every day, surely all the girls in town would flock here and, in the end, it would also make the men come to drink and see the girls.

He wondered how long would Gewen stay in Shadowend. If Gewen was willing to extend his stay.. the tavern owner would offer the man free drinks for as long as he wanted.

Heck, he would even throw in some of his girls too. For free.

Ah, but Gewen didn't look like someone who needed free drinks.. or free girls, for that matter.

The owner wondered what he could possibly offer to Gewen to extend his stay. Ahhh... why did the man have to have everything?

If he was good-looking but poor, the tavern owner could offer him money. Yet, he looked like he came from a wealthy family. Didn't someone say he was a nobleman from Asguay?

Gewen shook his head when he saw the fainted girl. He shrugged and then continued his question to Alma. "So, Alma darling. Did the man tell your father anything about the monsters in the haunted forest?"

Finally, Alma was moved from her daze. She nodded sheepishly. Ahh.. when the man called her name, it sounded so sweet in her ears.

"H-he did..." she licked her lips nervously. "He said there was one hydra in the middle of the forest. He nearly died when he was fighting with it."

"Hydra! My goodness!" Gewen was shocked to hear that. He didn't expect a witch like Thessalis Morelli would have a hydra protecting her home. She must be quite powerful. "Has the monster ever attacked anyone from the villages around it?"

Alma shook her head. "We never bother it and never went into the forest, so we are safe. It only attacks people who dare to enter the haunted forest."

"How big is the hydra?" Gewen asked again. He was excited to find out about this creature. He got second-hand information from someone who actually had entered the forest and came out alive.

He didn't think Bruinen would get a lot of useful links from the market. Ha. Gewen licked his lips in satisfaction. It would be nice to have a wizard as a servant for ten days.

He couldn't wait!

"I-I'm not sure of how big..."

"Okay, so there is a hydra in the forest. Anything else?"

"Oh, he mentioned some blood-red eagles," Alma continued. "They are huge eagles and fly over the forest and the cliff. Their colors are red, like blood. That's where they got their name. They will attack anyone trying to climb up."

"Anything else?" Gewen asked Alma.

The girl furrowed her brows, trying to remember something, but then she shook her head. "I don't remember if there is more."

"So.. just one hydra and several birds," Gewen muttered to himself.

Alma and the other girls' mouth were agape when they heard the man mutter to himself casually.

JUST one hydra and several birds?

JUST ONE HYDRA AND SEVERAL BIRDS, he said?

Wasn't he scared of those monsters?

Their admiration for Gewen now had multiplied. He was so cool and manly! Despite his beautiful appearance, he was so imposing and brave!

"Hmm..." Gewen nodded. He thought about Alma's words and assessed their manpower.

Gewen believed Mars could kill the hydra, and Gewen himself could handle the eagles. The rest would be handled by their men. Elmer could save Ellena's heart and later deal with Thessalis Morelli.

This sounded good.

Gewen rubbed his chin. "By the way, I heard from the innkeeper that someone lives there, on the top of the cliff. Isn't it surrounded by the haunted forest?"

Gewen was wondering why Ellena said the townspeople didn't know Mrs. Morelli was a witch.

Thessalis Morelli lived in a mansion surrounded by a haunted forest that was home to several monsters. Wasn't it suspicious that a woman could live there for decades and the monsters didn't seem to bother her?

Or, were these townspeople just stupid and couldn't see the obvious?

The girl nodded. "That's true."

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