Chapter 10: Monster Subjugation (III).
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Town of Alamana: Porai's Inn
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They just arrived at the inn, Olivia and her butler Sebastian stepped down to tie the horses onto the stables settling them in.
The majestic military horse snuffs, she nuzzles slightly to her master's neck hoping to get praised for her performance this morning. "Gold Stripe, behave yourself alright? You've done well."
"Mrrph." The horse was happy, it started getting more affectionate but in the end it understood that her master had places to be.
"Good girl." She bids her steed goodbye as Sebastian pays the inn's stable a few silver coins as they go on their way inside.
...
"Hello, welcome to Porai's inn! How may I be in ser-" The innkeeper welcomes them, looking pleased that their new guest and customer was from- wait?! "H-Huh?"
Silver hair- a common trait of the Alarie family.
A woman approached with measured, confident strides, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword. Every movement radiated an effortless nobility, a grace sharpened by quiet authority. There was no mistaking it- this woman is an Alarie.
"M-Milady A-Alarie?" She keeps shaking as she welcomes the two who traveled quite a distance just to get into town. "H-How may I be in service?"
The inn's business had flourished ever since she began watching over the town- everyone knew that. Yet, no matter how familiar her presence had become, she was still a woman of noble blood... and standing before someone so breathtaking made her knees threaten to give way.
"We're here to take two rooms for business, two days should be enough." (Olivia) takes one gold coin and places them on the table. The innkeeper stares at the gold coin in a panic, they don't have change for this!
"I-I... um... this is... I don't-" The innkeeper couldn't finish her sentence.
In her mind, a battle of echoing voices clashed- one urging her to speak, the other stealing the words from her tongue.
Her breath caught, and she stammered, cheeks warming as she tried to force the rest out. 'W-Where can I get change?! O-Oh I should borrow some silver coins next door but... t-that won't be enough!'
It's been one minute but the woman in front of her still hasn't said anything.
Sebastian eyes the young lady and urges her to say something. "Cough."
Olivia tilts her head and looks back at the gold coin then at the face of the innkeeper, she makes an 'o' and finally understands why she hasn't moved an inch. "...you can keep the change, just make sure that you have our rooms ready by the afternoon."
"Y-Yes right away!" She runs up the stairs, she almost slips but Olivia manages to grab her by the arm just in time.
The innkeeper could smell her scent, a mix of mint and fresh herbs-
"Miss, wait." (Olivia) carefully adjusts their position and helps the innkeeper stand properly. The noblewoman sighs, being a lot taller she could see that the innkeeper's hair was unkempt and instinctively fixed it for the nervous girl. "Careful not to fall, you can prepare our rooms calmly, no need to rush. I would worry if you've gotten hurt."
"H-Ha...!" The innkeeper who has never thought of wanting to do it with women suddenly opened its doors to new possibilities. Her beautiful periwinkle eyes, and the way that this woman cared about her safety was enough to get her heart. "Y-Yes! I-I'll try not to fall!"
"Mm."
The villainess nods and urges Sebastian to go out, find the perfect place to eat and talk.
"Let's go to Koliö tavern, Sebastian. I'm hungry, I heard they have the best steak in town." She was hungry indeed, all that riding got her in a gloomy mood.
The butler blinks and just follows behind quietly, "Y-Yes, milady."
"Ugh..." (Sebastian) who has seen some few things didn't know how to process that, how come now that milady has changed- it was clear that even women were falling for her charms.
Homosexuality is such a taboo concept, but after being in the military you'd see that kind of thing is nothing to be worried about besides after serving the Alarie family for god who knows how long he knows that the lineage of these people are peculiar at most.
"The Alarie family is a bunch of weird people."
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Town of Alamana: Koliö Tavern
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After paying for the room, they headed to the nearest tavern to talk about a few strategies.
The tavern bustled with the easy chaos of a place long used to adventurers. Wooden beams stretched overhead, their dark grain polished by years of smoke and warmth. The scent of spiced stew and freshly baked bread mingled with the sharper tang of ale.
In the far corner, a group of armored travelers laughed loudly over a half-finished pitcher, while a bard's lute wove a jaunty tune through the air.
"Oi, oi, oi! Bring me a couple of beers, sweet cheeks!" At the next table, a sun-weathered adventurer leaned back in his chair and gave a sharp whistle.
"One moment please!" One of the serving girls turned, her practiced smile already in place, and swept over with a tray balanced effortlessly on one hand.
"A man like me needs to drink and eat! I say we toast to a good hunt today!" Mugs clinked, boots thudded against the floorboards, and conversations rose and fell in a constant rhythm. It was a place where gold bought drink, drink bought courage, and courage often bought trouble.
There were even a few people gambling, exchanging money and rare monster materials on the side, it was just your regular tavern.
"We're here, Sebastian."
"Yes, milady."
The moment that they got in, everyone minded their own business, still a few heads turned to look at the villainess' white hair and knew who it was. Olivia stepped in first, her white hair catching the lamplight like fresh snow under the sun. Sebastian followed a pace behind, his posture straight despite the long ride.
A few patrons glanced their way before hastily looking back at their mugs, though not quickly enough to hide the recognition in their eyes.
"Bloody hell," Someone muttered from a shadowed table near the wall. "It's an Alarie bastard."
"Oi," Hissed his companion, elbowing him sharply. "Best keep your mouth shut. You don't know who you're messing with. You're lucky she can't hear you from over here."
The first man grumbled into his drink. "I just can't stand those pricks."
Still, the rest of the room seemed to agree- whether they liked it or not, it was safer to mind their own business. Tankards were lifted, cards were shuffled, and the bard's tune carried on, but every so often, a pair of eyes flicked toward the white-haired woman in the doorway.
Olivia, who was in a good mood, didn't mind the sour faces that were looking at them in the tavern and focused on the task at hand. "I know we're close to home but in order to find the problem more efficiently and faster we'll stay in the town for a couple of days."
She had more important matters to deal with.
Sliding into a corner table with Sebastian, she set her gloves neatly beside her and leaned forward. "Let's get started on business, shall we?"
She takes the town map, including the dense forest with a few red x marked spots. "This was a map from the records of the past three weeks, they haven't found the goblin's nest and things are getting dangerous near the south. Three camps have been found... but not the goblin nest."
"I see... I've had experiences with killing them but in matters of tracking I'm afraid that my skills have been getting rusty."
Olivia's lips curved in a faint, confident smile. "Father has given me a few knights to work with, yes? Fear not- I already have a plan. For now, we'll scout a few areas and the main roads this afternoon."
Before Sebastian could reply, a shadow fell across the table.
"Hello there," came a cheerful voice. A woman in a clean but well-worn apron leaned in, balancing a tray under one arm. "Welcome to Koliö Tavern. Can I take your order here, sweetheart?"
"I'll take steak and fries," (Olivia) said, folding the map neatly to one side.
"I'll have the same as milady," (Sebastian) added without hesitation.
"Good choice." The server's lips curved into a smile- one that lingered on Olivia a moment longer than necessary. With a practiced turn, she headed back toward the counter, her hips swaying slightly, glancing over her shoulder as if to commit the white-haired noblewoman to memory.
"..." Sebastian's eyes followed her for a second before sliding back to Olivia. He gave her a subtle side-eye, his head shifting back and forth in disbelief, as though silently asking if he had really just witnessed that.
"Um..." The poor old man could only blink, his confusion deepening by the second.
Much to his relief, Olivia didn't seem to notice. She had already turned her attention back to the map, marking routes and circling key areas with precise strokes of her quill.
"What's the plan, milady?" he asked, leaning forward to study the parchment.
"Well..." Olivia's eyes traced the southern edge of the forest.
"A nest needs to have its fill. And food without a predator?" Her lips curved ever so slightly. "Is an easy steal."
Olivia tapped the map with the tip of her gloved finger. "If we follow the trail of missing livestock and intercepted caravans, we can narrow down the feeding range. Goblins are opportunistic- they'll strike near the roads first, then retreat deeper once people get cautious. We'll tighten the circle until they have nowhere left to run."
She unrolled a smaller scrap of parchment and began scribbling notes. "We'll also buy five pigs from the local market- have them butchered and prepared as bait. Each will be placed along the feeding range. The goblins will take the easiest catch back to their nest."
Her tone was calm, almost clinical. "We'll slit them at the neck so the blood leaves a trail... something even the dumbest of them can't help but follow. And we'll be right behind them."
Sebastian studied the markings in silence, his brows slowly lifting. For all his years of service, he hadn't expected her to think like a seasoned tactician.
"A clever strategy, milady," he said at last, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Not just force, but patience. Most would rush in and waste resources."
Olivia smirked faintly, rolling the map back up. "Patience wins wars, Sebastian. Now, let's see how well our goblins handle a little pressure. I want to be precise, there could be no mistakes. I'll tell you more right after our meal."
"Understood," (Sebastian) replied with a small nod.
He was so proud of the plan, he couldn't wait for tomorrow.
"Your order," The server announced as she returned, setting down two plates of steak and fries. This time, her apron sat slightly askew, and the top buttons of her blouse were undone- clearly no accident.
Her smile was warmer, lingering on Olivia just a little too long. "Careful it's hot."
"Thank you," (Olivia) said evenly, her gaze fixed on the food rather than the woman's attempt at seduction.
"Perhaps you could leave a tip for our service?" The server asked, leaning in just enough to make her meaning obvious.
Olivia's expression didn't so much as flicker. "...I'll think about it."
The female server blinked, her smile faltering for a brief moment before she stepped back with a polite nod. "Hope you say yes soon, sweetheart. It's not always that we see a beautiful woman on the block."
She moves into another table looking dejected.
Her other co-workers sigh seeing her total rejection muttering, "With a beautiful and loaded woman like that I can't blame a sister for trying."
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