"Oh, that's right. Mrs. Morelli lives in a mansion on the top of the cliff," said another woman, eager to give additional information to this handsome young master.

"So, the hearsay is true. Someone actually lives there??" Gewen pretended to be surprised. "How is that possible?"

"Well, she has lived there for decades already. They never bother her," said Alma. 

"Really? Don't the monsters attack her?" Gewen asked with great interest.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the girl suspiciously. "Or... maybe, there is no monster. She just spread the rumors so people wouldn't come to annoy her? Gah... then I came here for nothing. I only want to slay monsters."

Alma furrowed her brows when she heard his opinion. Then, she shook her head. "I don't think so. Our people were really missing when they entered the forest. They never returned. The man from five years ago also came back with some injuries. He said he was attacked by the monsters there."

"Do you know why the monsters don't attack the old woman then?" Gewen asked again. 

Alma looked around them as if to make sure that people wouldn't hear her when she whispered her response to Gewen. "I think she is actually a witch. She is not scared of those monsters and they cannot hurt her."

Gewen was impressed when he heard Alma's response. He looked at the girl with delight. So, apparently, there was a brain inside this beautiful head, he mused.

Maybe, Mrs. Morelli's status as a witch was actually an open secret that the townspeople knew but didn't talk about. Now, Gewen regretted looking down on them earlier, thinking the people in this town might be stupid.

Hm, okay. So, it looked like they knew more than they let on. Ah.. he was glad he came to this tavern and talk to the girls! He knew he would get valuable insights from them. Using his charm, he could practically get anyone to talk. Ha.

His mind was already busy thinking of whatever jobs he would assign to Bruinen while the wizard became his personal servants for ten days. It would be so much fun!

Still, Gewen pretended to be surprised to hear Alma calling Mrs. Morelli a witch. He pressed his lips and feigned a shocked expression.

"Really??? So, you have a witch in this town? Is she good? Or is she bad?"

"Well, she never harms us. So, we consider her good. As long as you don't bother her or trespass the forest, you will be okay," Alma explained.

"Does she interact with people here?"

"Well, a little bit. She traveled a lot. I think. We rarely see her in the past. Only now she started to spend more time in Shadowend."

"How do you know she traveled a lot?" Gewen was interested to know more. "You told me that she lives on the top of the cliff and nobody can go up there because of the monsters. So, how could you know that she was away?"

"Of course I know because she always came down to town every Saturday. It has been like that for three decades, according to what my parents told me. So, when she didn't come to town on Saturday, it can only mean that she was not home. It's not hard to guess it, silly," Alma chuckled.

Gewen pursed his lips. He didn't like Alma calling him silly. The way she talked just now, made Gewen feel like she thought he was stupid or something.

How would he know about Mrs. Morelli's schedule? He didn't live here and Ellena apparently forgot to mention this very important piece of information.

"So... is she home now, do you know?" Gewen asked Alma again. Their spy had given this information too, but they didn't know if Thessalis was home this week, or not.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I am just curious. She seems like a very interesting woman," Gewen replied.

Now, Alma looked upset because Gewen seemed more interested in another woman, an older one at that, than her. Her annoyance was very obvious. Luckily, Gewen could read women. So, he quickly buttered up the girl. 

"Why are you upset? You look so much more beautiful when you smile..." he touched the girl's chin gently and looked at her deep in her eyes. "Please don't be upset."

And just like that. The upset girl suddenly smiled broadly. She lowered her face sheepishly. 

"Ahh... don't mind me. I was just wondering why are you so interested in an old woman, while you have so many young and beautiful women here around you," she pretended to pout. "Are you not interested in us?"

Her words were seconded by most girls around Gewen. They, too, felt this handsome man cared more about an old woman than her. They dolled up for him, yet, all he talked about was that witch.

Gewen looked around him and gave them his sweetest smile. The man then rose from his seat and took out his sword. He looked extremely hot as he raised his sword and looked to the ceiling.

"I am here to slay monsters. If she keeps monsters in Shadowend, I want to know how I can get to them and kill them. It is my duty to protect the weak." His words echoed in the tavern and the women all swooned when they heard him.

"I asked you questions about her because I need the information to make a proper plan, how I can go find the monsters and kill them." He turned to them with his sweet smile.

Gewen added, "I am not interested in the old woman. I am only interested in finding out how I can protect pretty ladies like you lot from monsters and wicked witches."

"Ahh... you are so valiant!" one girl gushed.

"We feel safe with you around here..." another commented. 

Alma, however, furrowed her brows. "But... the monsters don't bother us. Why would you want to kill them?"

She admitted that hearing how this valiant young lord wanted to protect the pretty ladies made her swooned, but she didn't understand why he needed to do that.

They had got along just fine with Mrs. Morelli for decades and the monsters never bothered them or went to town and made chaos. If Gewen went to the haunted forest and invite trouble, wouldn't it be bad for Shadowend?

Contrary to Gewen's assumption. Alma was not dumb. She was enamored by this man's good looks, but her father was the mayor and he had taught her some things.

For example, in living together as a society you have to respect your neighbors.

Mrs. Morelli never disturbed them. So, why would Gewen come to her home and look for trouble?

Gewen finally realized that Alma was smarter than her friends. He was impressed. The man decided to keep his sword and poured more wine for himself.

"Honey, you haven't seen the world, so you are a bit naive," he said to the young woman. "Just because the monsters don't bother you here, it doesn't mean they are good. How do you think they can stay alive for decades? Hydra must eat humans once a month, and I am not sure what those eagles eat, but I don't think it's grass. So, I figured, they must have been fed humans or animals from another town."

The women gasped in unison when they heard him.

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