Good evening~ I have a shipment with Clive tonight… But I haven't really prepared for it whatsoever. Well, I made 60 pieces of potentially up to level 20 clothing… I'll definitely need to invest more than just a little bit of my Candy to get this shipment prepared, but looking around… My Candy is a mess. Most of the buckets are emptied and lying around all over the place. It would appear that I need to rearrange them again. After I got dressed, I quickly realized just how baggy my clothing was before having attained this new form. Now, it's snug. Tight fighting. Edgy.
The vertical striped black and white knee high socks are meow shin high socks. I could probably handle my swim trunks, but they would leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and would likely be incredibly uncomfortable. They aren't worth the trouble. Not with these 5 freaking tails. They're only 40 M. Def.. The black leather boots are now not very large at all, they appear like regular black leather boots. The quite loose fitting black and white striped clown pants which are also vertically lined, now seem just slightly slack. My tails are all currently tucked within them… It's not very comfortable if I must say. The orange sash belt no longer seems slack at all. My grey, short sleeved tee shirt is excessively tight fitting… But I think I can handle it? I don't know, if it causes me too much trouble; I'll remove it promptly. The white, long sleeved collared shirt is surprisingly flexible. It's tight fitting, but it doesn't feel that way. Guys, I worked in retail… But I don't know what material could possibly stretch this way while still appearing as though it's cotton. It's wild.
My long, orange scarf now only wraps around my neck twice. Convenient. My gold hoop bracelet no longer dangles, and my fleece armband is now rather snug. The Emerald Gold Necklace doesn't care about my recent sporadic growth spurt, whatsoever. My black pilot cap seems to fit the same way, as do my aviators. It's going to be fine. I was able to pull my hair back behind my cap for now, but I need something more permanent for when I remove the hat. I can't afford to just go around while having my hair sporadically fall down every time that I'm being dramatic as I speak. I often take off my hat, we can't have this. I'm an important Cat.
It feels strange to all of a sudden be going back to only one layer of pants. I had been using those swim trunks as if they had been my underwear… For like, the longest time. Now, I just feel way too exposed; even though I'm not exposed in the slightest. It's too breezy, and my clown pants feel way too thin... When I'm flying my Broom, I don't like it. Not at all. It's almost as if I'm nude. The tail thing certainly doesn't help. This one needs new shorts, potentially even custom made shorts that were built to have a freaking hole in the back. I was pitying myself as I flew to the Kitchen before tossing my cap and gently placing my aviators on the counter. I'm meow hanging my head into the sink. It's my sink shower hack. Due to my longer hair, I'm finding it more enjoyable than last time… At least, I was… Until my hair got caught in Wailing Keep Sama's drains. I ended up spending around twenty minutes before I finally got it untangled, and felt absolutely defeated.
Finally escaping from the drain's wrath, I entered the Dining Hall to find that I had missed a considerable portion of the feast. There were only five Fish left on the platter, and they were all common… And barely even lukewarm. I ate two of them, but I wasn't feeling the excitement. Barely anyone was even in the room by the time I had arrived… It was just Cyclozard, Christina, and Penny. They were playing Safari Cards… Oh! I just remembered~ I totally forgot to distribute the new Safari Card decks and the dice. They're currently in my Treasure Room, in a corner. The decks thankfully all came with boxes, so I don't really need to worry about that. The boxes were made of wood, and all carried the same emblem on them. The emblem was a tree symbol, I believe. It was painted in green. It might just be the studio emblem for the artists that spend time painting the cards. Each of the cards come painted, but they're pretty simplistic designs. It's likely due to the need to produce the same decks on a massive scale. I can't help but wonder if I can pay more to obtain a more… Elegant deck of Safari Cards. One that might be suitable for a more sophisticated Cat, like myself. Or, you know... Have a normal deck of cards commissioned? Just a thought.
Leaving the three individuals, I made my way to the Treasure Room and began to put my remaining Candy into the buckets. I previously had 8 filled buckets, and one additional bucket slightly over half full. I also had 45 empty buckets. After a considerable amount of time, I was able to fill a whole 24 buckets… As well as almost fill the one bucket that was previously over half full. I meow have almost 33 full buckets of Candy, with 21 buckets still empty. Fun. I blew threw most of my Candy on war preparations. The Monster Knights needed some new clothing. I say that, but as far as I can tell… None of them fully changed their outfits. They just found new pieces to further complete or renovate their looks. I feel as though there are probably pieces that went unused, and ended up in one of the resident's closets… But it's fine. You lose if you think about it.
After bringing all of my Candy into the Throne Room, I made a rather reckless decision. I'm going to spend it all on product for the Cat's Costumery Clothing Brand. The way I see it, that Beastkin Kingdom is in a rather precarious situation. They've got a Vampire King to teach how NOT to devour his own subjects, before they can spend time trying to stop me. I'll likely see very little to no resistance, especially considering that I'm one of the few who's nearly guaranteed to be capable of taming that terrifying King. They need me now, more than ever. It's all my doing, so I'm feeling slightly pleased with myself. All of a sudden, a certain Crow appeared before me. It's Connor.
"Master! I have come to inform you that those imprisoned within the Dungeons beneath Reygid have been saved!" [Connor] squawked excitedly.
"...Eh?" [Nero] replied, dumbfounded.
"Due to night ending early, it ended up needing to be a two night task. They've just finished escaping the depths of the Dungeon, but we don't know where to take them now that they're on the surface. We're awaiting further instruction." [Connor] explained to the Cat.
Oh… I forgot about that. I totally asked my lesser Clansmen to go off and save whoever they could from those Dungeons… Okay… Uhm… Bring the freed prisoners from Reygid to the southern edge of the Beastkin Kingdom, near the gates. Slay any who try to get in your way. Molag Dregora, please see to it that the lesser Clansmen do not fail in freeing them. After taking them all to the gates near the southern edge of Reygid, offer them a choice. Offer them to come live within the Lost Kingdom under the True Allwe Halloween Cat's protection… Or to take their chances within Reygid once more. Also, if there's a Tigerkin girl… Ask her if she had an Earl for a grandfather. If so, inform her that she's to come with us to be with him again. Nyah. Sounds good. Oh~ Goddin Village Neith Sama has just arrived. I didn't notice him approaching us because I was looking at the Crow which perched on the side of my Throne.
"Greetings, Nero. It seems that you've grown considerably." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] waved to the Halloween Cat.
"Hey~" [Nero] replied with a smile.
"I've come to inform you that the lochness monster has now lost a quarter of its health." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] exclaimed with a smile.
"Woah… That thing's taking a long time." [Nero] groaned.
"Indeed… It will require take several nights to slay." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] agreed while stroking his beard.
"Do you have any suggestions?" [Nero] begged the question.
"No… The Phantasms and Banshees are truly quite optimal for the battle… But I would like to take the time to declare that I would prefer to opt out of the battle. I believe a different Goblin may prove more suitable for the benefits bestowed by taking part in the hunt." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] gave his opinion as he looked off into the distance.
"...Goblin Funk?" [Nero] slowly asked with eyes wide.
"One of my retainers, I'm sure. Goblin Funk is certainly dedicated to his oath to protect this Kingdom… But he hasn't stayed true to his duty to protect this Village. He's left us, to find strength elsewhere. Due to that…" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] explained while seeming dejected before being cut off by the Cat.
"...You want Cloaked Monk to be the next Goblin King." [Nero] finished the sentence for the Goblin Shaman.
"He has a maiden, and they're both working tirelessly to be strong enough to protect this place." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] replied calculatingly.
"...But Goblin Funk is also only away from here because I convinced him that he could gain immense power elsewhere. He may not have a maiden yet, but it's not as though he isn't desired." [Nero] shot back with an equally calculating tone.
"...You convinced him to go?" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] asked with eyes wide.
"Well, yeah… Look at me. Roughly a third of the times that I leave this place, I come back more powerful than before. I even told him once before that he wouldn't be able to protect this Village if he didn't gain immense power elsewhere. Obviously, when I offered the route to go and gain that power… He took it. He wants to be the next Goblin King, and becoming one of my Cat Crewman was his first step towards meeting that goal…" [Nero] explained with a smile.
"Well, if he becomes the strongest of Goblins, then I'll be able to look past his departure… But Cloaked Hunk seemed much more versatile against Liquor than Goblin Funk… And even if Goblin Funk is desired many, it's not as though he has the courage to take any of those individuals on…" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] exclaimed with a troubled expression.
"I honestly don't see what Liquor has to do with any of this, but did you seriously take Cloaked Monk to the Demon Kingdom as well?" [Nero] shot back flatly.
"A teacher must treat all students fairly." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] pompously declared while glaring off into the distance.
"Right… So, if Goblin Funk can secure a local Goblina… And surpass both Grenda and Cloaked Monk in power… You'll make him the next Goblin King on your deathbed?" [Nero] replied while tilting his head to the side.
"I would have very little reason not to." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] said as he nodded to Nero's simplification.
"Alright… I'll see what I can do about it." [Nero] sighed with a smile.
"Oho?" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] sneered with a grin.
"Don't look at me like that…" [Nero] shot back with a laugh before adding with a nonchalant tone...
"If Lilica was capable of helping others find love, then I can probably do it as well. I'm a True Holiday Clan Leader, after all."
"Ahh… The Witch of Wooing has descended!" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] shouted hysterically after dropping to his knees, while raising both arms and his head… Only to bring them down to the floor before raising them once more in repeated motions.
"If I murder anyone tonight, it's going to be you." [Nero] groaned before he began to create new pieces of clothing while aiming for level 20.
"I'll be near the fireplace~" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] shot back with a laugh as he began to leave the Throne Room.
Pfft… Probably~ I ended up spending about half an hour devouring Candy as I made the new pieces. I really did it. I ate it all. Every last piece. After doing so, I quickly remembered to go and make a new [Hallowed Gate] near the waterfall. It was uneventful, and only Robert came to watch over it. The other lesser Clansmen are probably all still occupied with their quest. I can't help but wonder how Molag Dregora is fairing with protecting all those weaker individuals. I'm sure he'll be fine. Returning to the Throne Room, I requested for Wendel to do her best at protecting my dignity. I ended up returning to my smaller form, because some of the pieces wouldn't fit. Testing the clothing is what ended up taking the most time. By far. I probably spent around three hours doing it, and it was boring. The entire time, I just did a whole lot of speculation about Halloween… But due to the Allwessistant not being present and accountable… I had no conclusions to come to. We simply need to speak again. Later.
By the time I had finished, I had a fairly large number of clothes. I think this shipment will be a success. It's all up to level 20 pieces, and I genuinely spent a whole lot of my profits on creating it. I have nothing. I'm free. Well, actually… I totally still have 13 Gold Coins, and almost another in Silver Coins. Due to my only having 13, I've been able to start hiding them in my collared shirt pocket again… But they're kind of tight fitting on account of my new size. I'll survive, but then again… I genuinely have no reason to be bringing my Gold Coins. Call me a simpleton if you must, but I prefer to have it on me, if at all possible. I don't know what it is about Gold Coins. They're just… Valuable to me. I would be extremely pained if I were to lose them.
They represent the time and effort that I have put into creating clothing. Granted, some of that effort was literally just skipped through by using Coins for Candy… But that's just business. The Candy Man totally goes to other Kingdoms to procure me my Candy. Obviously, I can eat the Candy Man's Candy if it means that I can supply Clive with his clothes. It's business. These Gold Coins, as well as any of the clothing that my Companions and I wear… Are the proof of my success.
I was thinking such things as I grabbed the bag that the Koalakin had previously given to me… And set out on my way to Reygid. I'm not taking any Silver with me. I have important things to deal with. Important things require big boy Coins. I need my Gold. If I'm to convince Roy towards lending me his carriages after I literally threatened his life… Without even bringing his daughter to spend time with him… Then I'll need Gold Coins. I don't have Cetilla, or any of the other regular and surviving Cat Crew(o)men with me tonight. They're literally all in the Orc Mountains… Rei and Milton don't really count. They'll always be Cat Crew(o)men, but they're currently undead and way more promiscuous than before. I mean, I kind of always make an appearance these nights… But bringing undead Wraiths of the Beastkin variety to greet the populace of Beastkin is probably a bit too much. They could go to visit Veronica and Roy, or Rei's mother... But that's just about it for them in Reygid as things currently stand.
I was mulling over such thoughts as I traveled to the Vellisroi Estate. On the way over, I caught a glance of my Clansmen. They're currently leading a rather large flock of prisoners over to the gates of the Kingdom. They probably saved around 40 individuals. Looking down, they don't have any Kingdom Knights standing guard at the current moment. How fortuitous, it would appear that I was correct. Those who were stationed here have been relocated in order to help with the whole crumbled Castle situation. It appears as though they will be fine. Molag Dregora seems comical to me right about meow, as he's terrifyingly guiding the hysterical prisoners to their safety. Some Kingdom Knights appeared to have been trying to stop them, but after seeing me flying in the distance… They fled. What? Excuse me? My haki should be excessively low right now…? Maybe… They fled because they were shocked to have not noticed me until having been so close? Is it because I'm older now? You think I might be my father or something? Probably, an older brother… At most. Whatever!
As I approached the Vellisroi Estate, I found that they too had lost their Kingdom Knights. Their numbers can't be doing too well. They honestly might find themselves overwhelmed by the King far sooner than I previously expected. Not even a single Kingdom Knight is stationed at the Vellisroi Estate, or the gates to the Kingdom. I can't be mad about it, but it's worrisome. My only hope is that no civilians get involved in the King's wrath… Or that the TempCat comes to his senses quickly and sets off to fetch me. I don't intend to set up an intelligence network in the Beastkin Kingdom. That's far too much effort for yours truly. I'm very limited on my work detail right meow. They're all busy in the Lost Kingdom, or in the Orc Mountains. I have absolutely no one to spare, even the Clansmen near the edge of the Kingdom could probably be put to better use scouting the Lost Kingdom.
Not to say that saving those prisoners wasn't important… It was, and I'm glad that they appear to be succeeding on that front… But if that mission weren't going on, they would definitely be scouting the Lost Kingdom or protecting the Wailing Keep. Those are the main tasks at hand right meow. Those, and guarding the Hallowed Gates. The Orc Mountain training party is only a side quest. It's going to be helpful in the future, but it's painful to have Conrad away for so long. I don't care about whether Leoric is off somewhere, but Conrad... I actually like Conrad. He's seriously useful because he can fly, and he's highly competent when he's not using that ridiculous [Flock Storm] ability. He's good at finding people... But he's just terrible with finding distant lands, apparently. Leoric is competent in battle, but he's got this weird complex about death. Some people are fine to kill, while others are an absolute no. I don't understand it... Even he seems to be at a loss in his logic lately.
After I descended to the entrance of the mansion and knocked on the door… I was greeted by an unfamiliar Butler. He's also chained. Ridiculous. He appears the same age as yours truly, but he's exceptionally well built… He has dark brown hair, dark brown skin, has black eyes, and… Dog ears. wOOF! He's sniffing me. I feel attacked. Excuse me, Roy… Who the hell do you think you are? Enslaving Dogs now?! Also, he's one hunk of a Dog! Why do I suddenly have the urge to devour this Dog? His muscles… I just… I want to sink my teeth into them or something. Maybe I just want to play with him? I'm confused. Suddenly needing protection, are we? Roy? From the mean, old... Halloween Cat? I was thinking about such things as I was led through the mansion… As it turned out, Roy was in his study alongside Veronica. On entry, he quickly ensured that the Dog would vacate the premises. It appears that even he has trouble dealing with the Dog. On second thought, it's Veronica. She assumed a very strange pose and bent her neck upon gaining a clear visual on the Dog. Her eyes seemed wide, and wild. She even licked her lips. I wonder if my eyes went like that? As it turns out, Celine is in the room… Which is probably why she didn't answer the door. Fun.
"Well… Is that… Nero? Is Cetilla not coming this time?" [Veronica] greeted the Cat with a smile before begging the question after regaining her senses.
"Yes, I am Nero. Cetilla has gone off on an adventure to the Orc Mountains. She should be returning in a few days." [Nero] replied with a groan.
"Oh, well that's just too bad… We'll get our chance to get to know each other better, though~" [Veronica] sighed before adding with a grin and a giggle.
"That sounds wonderful." [Nero] replied with a smile. To which, Roy cleared his throat.
"I seem to recall that tonight is your usual shipment night." [Roy] exclaimed bluntly.
"Indeed, it is... If you would be so kind, I would appreciate renting 5 of your esteemed carriages. I'm willing to dispose of a Gold Coin for the deal." [Nero] declared with a blank expression.
"Would you perhaps be hoping to rent creatures to pull them, as well?" [Roy] begged the question while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Not at all~ I was intending to pay more as a token of my goodwill... May you find the influence and power to be capable of adequately paying and treating your workers, like the most respectable of us businessmen." [Nero] replied with a smile.
"You seriously expect me to lend you my help while you leave my daughter to fend for herself in the damned Orc Mountains?!" [Roy] spat hysterically.
"Oh… Dear, Cetilla is strong. She'll be fine." [Veronica] groaned.
"She's not alone. Cetilla is accompanied by Goblin Funk who is to be the next Goblin King. She's with Budget Dragon, too. You know of both these individuals well… But they are also accompanied by a particular Bear, and a Rifaleesi. Hey, during the nights… I'm even sending my Crowli and my Dark Elf to support them. That Dark Elf is a member on the Elven Council. I sent them with adequate food to support their entire trip. If anything goes wrong, my Crowli or my Dark Elf can instantly return to me and inform me. I can go speeding along to the rescue in a moments notice. Veronica is correct. They aren't in danger." [Nero] explained the situation with a smile.
"...A Goblin King?" [Roy] asked with a disgusted face.
"I protect a whole lot of important individuals." [Nero] replied bluntly.
"Sending them off to fight together in perilous locations is what you'd consider protection?" [Roy] shot back ruthlessly.
"Me sending a party into the Orc Mountains is not a very common thing. All of those who went, aside from my Crowli and Dark Elf… They went there of their own free will. They chose to band together, to train themselves. They seek power. I may protect a whole lot of important individuals, but I'm not unstoppable. I can't go off to distant lands every single time. I'm too busy. At most, I can go and check up on them. I have no qualms with some of those who I'm protecting making the choice to step up and help me do so. They want power so that they can continue to protect the individuals that I protect after I perish." [Nero] replied nonchalantly with a grin.
"You expect her to continue on your foolish crusade even after you die?!" [Roy] erupted as he slammed his paws down onto the table and began to stand.
"Well, no… Cetilla's free to do whatever she desires… They all are. Many of them seek power to continue what I'm doing after I die, I think Cetilla just wants to keep up with me or something." [Nero] refuted the furious Catkin.
[A/N: This Novel is hosted 100% for free on both WebNovel and RoyalRoad. All of the Chapters are free, and will forever be made free. If you are not reading on either of the aforementioned platforms, then you are supporting a scraper that saw fit to steal free work. Please stop, and support the original author with your views and comments. Thank you for any support that you lend]
"Oooh~ Can we go and check up on Cetilla together after this whole argument ends?" [Veronica] chimed in with a smile.
"Surely~" [Nero] sang as he happily turned to face Veronica.
"...Fine. Take the five carriages, and return quickly to bring my wife to her daughter." [Roy] groaned, seeming utterly defeated.
"Very well~ Veronica, would you like to join me in my weekly affairs for this evening?" [Nero] answered with a smile before begging the question to Veronica as he placed a single Gold Coin down onto the table.
"I would absolutely love to!" [Veronica] exclaimed as she got up from her seat. To which, Roy only groaned.
And so, we're off. To Clive's! Veronica is dressed head to toe in the latest of the Cat's Costumery Clothing Brand, so I'm feeling confident about this week's shipment already. The nobles got the newest of duds! I was thinking such things as we went to go off and fetch the carriages. Veronica may have mocked me for pulling them myself, claiming something about capable followers… But it's really no big deal. I can do this in like 5 or 6 minutes. It's not the end of the world. I call on my Clansmen for more important matters, like filling the carriages. That's the real issue. I was explaining that to Veronica while I pulled all of the carriages into my second [Hallowed Gate]. We're meow in Halloween~ Because I also have a gate open at the waterfall, I can totally just close this one. Yosh! [Hallowed Gate]!
Moments later, something terribly awesome happened. The gates… It would appear that they're all on some massive turntable or something… The waterfall gate adjusted locations so that it would be facing the Wailing Keep gate… It was almost as if they were two hands on a clock… But one of them spontaneously turned in the wrong direction. As it happened, I could hear stone grinding. It was a loud noise, and I might have even felt a rumble. I could be hallucinating… But I think the ground rumbled a little bit. Veronica seemed appeased with my Magic. Yeah, it's pretty snazzy. Moving along~ We went to the Throne Room. I took a seat, and the Sorceress stood beside me.
"If you are not already busy… Scarecrows, Vampires, Skeletons, and Wendel! Please~ Come forth and help me carry all of these clothing into the five carriages within Halloween! For the first carriage, I desire those level 1 pieces to be placed within the front left… Those level 2 pieces to be placed within the front right… Those level 3 pieces to be placed within the back left, and those level 4 pieces to be placed within the back right. For the second carriage, please have those level 5 pieces be placed within the front left… Those level 6 pieces to be placed within the front right… The level 7 pieces over there to be placed within the back left, and the level 8 pieces beside them to be placed within the back right. For the third carriage, those level 9 pieces can be placed within the front left… Those level 10 pieces can be placed within the front right… Those level 11 pieces can be placed within the back left, and those level 12 pieces can be placed within the back right. For the fourth carriage, those level 13 pieces can be placed within the front left… Those level 14 pieces can be placed within the front right… Those level 15 pieces can be placed within the back left, and those level 16 pieces can be placed within the back right. Finally, for the fifth carriage… Let's have those level 17 pieces in the front left, the level 18 pieces beside those can be in the front right… The level 19 pieces are over there, and can be placed in the back left, while the level 20 pieces right here can be placed in the back right." [Nero] beckoned as he raised his Lantern and began to point to each of the piles while still doing so.
Moments later, they appeared. Just the more powerful of their ranks. Wendel seemed intensively depressed, though. Sorry, the lesser Clansmen have more important matters to deal with. They should be almost here, actually. We can expect them by the end of the night, that's for sure. Wendel ended up complaining to me about how Benji wasn't called on, but like… How much clothing do you really expect Benji to be capable of carrying? She's giving me an exasperated look. You know what, Wendel?! Fine! Benji can help, but I don't see how that's going to change anything regarding you… Benji will probably enjoy lending a wing. What about you, Wendel?! Now she's just complaining about how I didn't ask White Beef Lady. Wendel, you're impossible. White Beef Lady, Benji, you heard her… Come help the others with carrying the clothing.
And so, they appeared… Benji, as expected… Is taking the task with grace. White Beef Lady on the other hand, is ruthlessly assaulting Wendel for taking her time with Wilson away. I can't help but watch as the battle plays out. Veronica is all in, as well. On one side, we have the Tier 6 Weeping Angel… The Siren! On the other, we have the Tier 4 Werewolf… The Brawler! Who shall hail victorious?! A particular Pixie and Corocdae began to perform a duet in the distance. It was an original song. I don't think that the Pixie was casting any magic. To start the battle, White Beef Lady assumed her White Wolf form. She's using [Flame Paws] and [Pouncing Kick] in tandem to close the distance between her and Wendel. Wendel, on the other hand was simply waiting for the approach.
When the Werewolf finally got within a close distance, the Weeping Angel let out a [Weeping Scream]... Which made any attacks to the Werewolf cause increased bleeding. The Werewolf shirked slightly from the noise, before using [Wolf Claws] and [Flame Paws] in unison to slash at the Weeping Angel after one final leap. The attack didn't seem very effective… But I'll have you know, it dealt a whole 7 damage. Yeah… It was pretty weak. Wendel's retaliation was a [Stone Smash], which she used by slamming her entire body into the Werewolf. It inflicted a whopping 3 damage and caused the Werewolf to start bleeding. Jeez. This is going to take awhile... The Weeping Angel isn't suited to close combat, as she's a Siren. She can't use [Pebble Storm] because there are no pebbles, but she can still slightly make use of her [Weeping Scream]. If she weren't a Siren, she may have had more STR… And could then deal more damage with [Stone Smash], but she's really no longer suitable for that ability.
Due to how much resistance the two of them have with their outfits… It's ridiculous. This will take ages. We will literally be on our way to Clive's Clothing Store before this even begins to wrap up. The Werewolf has less MP than the Weeping Angel, and that fact alone may prove to be the Werewolf's downfall. Looking at the battle, White Beef Lady is getting a lot more hits landed on the Weeping Angel than she is taking… So she still has a chance. I guess it's a fair battle. It won't end any time soon, though. After around five minutes of watching the battle, my Clansmen finished their business. Looking at their statuses, Wendel was down to 300 MP… White Beef Lady still had 100 MP… Which is a huge difference, but one must remember that White Beef Lady came into this battle with 180 MP. Wendel came in with 704 MP. It's White Beef Lady's win. I'm almost certain.
I was coming to such a conclusion when I picked up my bag once more… Before I began to guide Veronica out of the Throne Room and onto my Broom. It's time to return to Reygid~ We encountered the others at the fireplace momentarily, and they all seemed surprised to see me looking this way. Yeah. I'm all grown up, meow. Cyclozard already knew as he noticed me earlier in the Dining Hall, so he's acting all pretentious and stuff. Regardless, we're off to Reygid! I bid them all farewell as we departed.
As we flew, I was watching around two or three dozen individuals being led through the Lost Kingdom… Toward the Wailing Keep. Molag Dregora was among them, alongside several of my Clansmen… So, they're getting dangerously close to the Wailing Keep meow. As I was watching them, Veronica was droning on and on about Cetilla. I wasn't really paying attention, but I believe that she wanted me to find someone for Cetilla to marry. The Rabbits seemed as energetic as usual… Oh~ There's a Bear… Coming up to do some beary sinful things, no doubt.
"...So, will you?... Will you?" [Veronica] repeated herself with a slightly irritated tone of voice.
"Yeah, I'll make sure that she's married." [Nero] casually replied while glaring at the Bear with a smile.
"I just KNEW that I could count on you~" [Veronica] happily thanked the Witch of War.
The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. Veronica enjoyed the view of Reygid's crumbling Castle from above. She's sadistic. When we finally descended to the Clothing Store, I called on my second [Hallowed Gate], as well as Mr and Mrs Scarecrow. I requested that they brought each of the carriages out in order. After the gate appeared, I slammed open the doors of the Clothing Store and called for the staff. As they joined me on the streets, I explained how the receiving of the night's shipment would be. The crowd got to see me take charge of the situation like that. I know... Leadership material~ In such trying times... Such a HERO~ Worthy of worship, that Allwe Halloween Cat, him! I was thinking such things as I puffed out my chest after finishing with the deliverance of my orders. I was making a pose. Looking around, there may or may not have been several Beastkin in the audience that swooned. I'm a legend, meow. The Witch of Night just got a whole lot hotter! Check out these almost perfectly chiseled abs that I clearly did not work for at all! They're practically bustling out of my shirt! Check out my five freaking tails, bro! Do you have five tails?! Someone signal the Cat god alert on aisle 7~ I might just hit Tier 10 one of these nights, ladies…
Oh, no… If I reach Tier 10 and then choose to restart… I'll lose my manhood status again! The worst part of it is, if I hope to regain my former abilities at a faster rate than before… I'll need to be doing a whole lot more… And I'll need to take my time with each Evolution. Last time, I sped through like three Evolutions without even gaining a single ability. We can't have that happening the second time around. I need to be perfect. I need to make the most of my chances, and try to increase my [Daily Candy] ability as soon as possible. It's a very consistent ability. Each increase genuinely seems to make it better… Not just for the ability, but for my Candy intake in general. I'm a freaking Candy Shredder. That is the Allway.
If I hope to keep my next life a whole lot longer, I'll need to stand up as much as possible. I'll also need to be using [Shapeshift] a more often. I'm thinking that if I constantly use my largest form, it might increase faster. I don't know, you guys... It's a troublesome ability… But I need it to be as high as possible. The [Master of Disguise] series will come pretty naturally, as I'll still need to supply shipments to Clive… But as I'll be trying to stand up a whole lot more, I'll probably be spending more Coins on each shipment. It's worth the cost. It's literally saving my life. I won't be able to wear clothing while in my Cat form until I get a form larger than my natural size… Thankfully, I still have clothing that can fit me in my smaller Human form. For a little while, my largest form will technically be my Human form… So that might even be fine. We'll see. I'll just make sure that I don't Evolve for a very long time, and try to make the decision to stand whenever awake.
The [Witch of War] series will likely come quite naturally as well, although I'm ashamed to admit it. If I can successfully reclaim all of my Clansmen, then even if I'm personally not all too involved in the battles that play out… I'll still be reaping the same amounts of experience points from the massacres… Which is probably all that matters. Granted, if I'm to Evolve slowly… I'll need to avoid that entire series at all costs. Halloween will be peaceful for a little while, and the Monster Knights will need to take over. Technically… I could also just not immediately reclaim my Clansmen, and try to feed them Candy instead… Let's try that. If Candy doesn't work on unofficial Clansmen, I'll just need to claim Luna. Luna can heal Halloween Clansmen if she has the right amount of Blood… Or in this case, Candy. Healing my Clansmen won't be as efficient, but it won't be impossible. My Clansmen will obviously once more be susceptible to death… But it may be a necessary price to pay; for some. I'll definitely need to claim all of the Banshees, Phantasms, Skeletons, and Vampires. Other than those creatures, the others should all be relatively fine.
I was thinking such things as I watched the shipment be moved. After the staff had finished, the Scarecrows pulled the carriages into Halloween; and I closed the gates. Before I did so, I made sure to offer any seeking safe haven a chance at entering the gates. There were only three takers this time around. It was a Mousekin guy with yellow eyes who appeared more Human than Mouse... A Pandakin girl with green eyes who appeared more Panda than Human… And a Cheetahkin woman with white eyes who appeared more Cheetah than Human. Her eyes… They were pitch white. Frightening. I made sure to ask Mr and Mrs Scarecrow to watch over the three new guests, and lead them to the Leshi who would find them a place to stay. I asked them to wake the Leshi, and to ensure that she also knew of the refugees that would be arriving shortly if not already. We'd better get on that.
Finalizing all of the details, I brought Veronica along with me into the Clothing Store. We were led up the stairs and into Clive's Office. He greeted my kindly, and was happy to see Veronica out and about in the Town once more. I guess that everyone knew of what the King was doing… And how difficult it might have been for a family of such prestige. When Clive spoke, I learned that Veronica was a Dutchess. Roy is a Duke. Interesting... Cetilla's not looking like too bad of a candidate for temporarily ruling Reygid. They're literally next in line. They're quite near the pinnacle of power. I can't help but also feel somewhat suspicious of Roy and Veronica meow. Did they even bother giving the King the proper message that I sent them, or did they spur this all on in an attempt to gain power? It's a frightening thought… Which would insinuate that I've been used.
Taking the Ledgers, it would appear that we've done it. Once more, we've broken through our limits… And achieved vast profits! We raked in a whole 68070 Silver Coins last week! I'm floored! Not only did we ascend beyond the 40000 mark, we almost hit 70000! Clive wasn't just happy to see Veronica, he was freaking ecstatic at our newfound success. The Castle crumbled, but our numbers just nearly doubled… So, that's cool. Of the 6 pieces of level 1 clothing in stock, we sold all 6 to make 180 Silver Coins. Of our 17 level 2 pieces, 13 sold to bring in 780 Silver Coins. We had 25 level 3 pieces, and 14 sold to earn 1260 Silver Coins. For the 29 level 4 pieces, 13 sold to bring in 1560 Silver Coins. There were 24 level 5 pieces, and 10 sold to earn 1500 Silver Coins. 29 level 6 pieces were in stock, and 15 sold… Making 2700 Silver Coins. We had 23 level 7 pieces, and 13 sold to earn 2730 Silver Coins. Between the 21 level 8 pieces, 9 sold to bring in 2160 Silver Coins. We supplied a whole 34 level 9 pieces, but only 16 sold; bringing in 4320 Silver Coins. We supplied 30 level 10 pieces… And 18 of them sold to bring in even more than the level 9 pieces. Level 10 pieces earned 5400 Silver Coins. Among the 15 level 11 pieces that we supplied, 6 sold to bring in 1980 Silver Coins. 16 level 12 pieces were in storage, and 12 sold to bestow us with a cool 4320 Silver Coins. There were also 16 level 13 pieces, but 14 of them sold to earn 5460 Silver Coins. It was weird to look at, but level 14 pieces earned 5460 Silver Coins as well… Looking at the details, there were 13 of them in supply… And they sold out. We had 18 level 15 pieces supplied, and 16 of them sold to earn an eye catching 7200 Silver Coins. It seems as though due to level 16 pieces now being confirmed to be selling at increased rates… Adventurers are stocking up on level 15 pieces. It's as though they were afraid to splurge on level 15 beforehand, because they were hoping to save for level 20 pieces… Only to be brutally shut down. It doesn't help that I only actually supplied 13 pieces between the range of level 16 to 20 last week. I promise, this week will be better! Still… The level 16 to 20 pieces earned us a killing. They sold out. There were 3 level 16 pieces, 2 level 17 pieces, 3 level 18 pieces, 2 level 19 pieces, and 3 level 20 pieces. Huh. Level 16 pieces earned 4320 Silver, level 17 pieces earned 3060 Silver, level 18 pieces earned 4860 Silver, level 19 pieces earned 3420 Silver, and level 20 pieces earned 5400 Silver. It seems as though we have settled on level 16 to 20 pieces costing three times the normal pricing… So, nyah. We're definitely going above the 500 payment bonus this week for each employee. Let's make it 1000. It's the least we can do. It will end up costing us 7000 Silver Coins to pay the staff, which is essentially just 10 percent of our earnings… And that will leave Clive and I both with roughly 30 Gold Coins. Looking to my side, it would appear as though Veronica is peeking at our numbers.
"This is a wonderful weekly report. I would like to double the wages to the staff for this week. 1 Gold Coin to each of them should suffice. I've ensured to bring new product of level 16 to 20 pieces this week, and there should be more than there was last time. I would like to continue with the increased pricing for those products." [Nero] proclaimed with a smile as he returned the ledgers to Clive, and placed his bag onto the table. To which, the Dutchess gasped.
"Very well, I'll begin with counting out the Silver. Here, are your Gold Coins." [Clive] replied with a smile before passing a small pouch of Gold Coins to Nero. To which, the Dutchess gasped a second time.
"Oh… Thank you! I'll return the pouch to you next week." [Nero] thanked the Cheetahkin. To which, the Dutchess gasped a third time.
"Ahh~ That won't be necessary. Regardless, there's some Candy awaiting you upstairs if you would like to pick it up any time soon." [Clive] replied with a laugh. To which, the Dutchess sighed in relief.
"I'll make sure to get it! I'll see you shortly~" [Nero] declared happily before bidding the Cheetah farewell.
"...Is it common practice for the wealthy to distribute such a high portion of their profits to those beneath them?" [Veronica] begged the question, after the two had left the Office.
"Well… The wealthy can't earn their profits without the help of those beneath them. In all honesty, I would be paying Clive's staff more if I weren't obligated to cut my portion in half with him. I don't really know what he's doing with his profits, and I don't know what his expenses are with handling things here. I just know my side of the deal, and that's enough for me. I'm probably spending around a third of my personal earnings on producing each shipment… Which is roughly 16 percent of the total weekly earnings. If I'm paying the workers roughly 10 percent of the weekly earnings, and also only taking the half of the remaining 90 percent… After taking my own costs of producing each shipment every week… Then I'm still earning around 29% of the total weekly earnings. If I went any lower on my own earnings, I simply would not be capable of protecting as many individuals as I feel the need to." [Nero] explained calculatingly as he led the Catkin down the stairs to the storefront. To which, she seemed to begin pondering to herself.
"Hello everyone~ I would like to congratulate you on a job well done! Last week, you earned almost double what you earned the week before… You earned the company 68070 Silver Coins! And so, we decided to double your pay compared to last week! That's right~ You'll all be earning 1000 Silver Coins each, or… Your very first Gold Coin if that's something that you'd like! You can talk to Clive about whether you choose Silver or Gold." [Nero] declared to the staff with a smile.
The workers were beyond overjoyed, they decided to go out and celebrate together after work. Fun. Some of the shoppers even seemed impressed, as they clapped for the workers after I made my speech. Veronica seemed speechless for some reason… But I'm going to check up on the mystery pile. She's following me, so I guess I'll need to painfully check the stats of each mystery piece without stripping down. I'll need to do more math! On arrival, I was absolutely stunned to find that not a single piece was added to the mystery pile. There's no pile. These workers. They're too good! I call Sorcery! I sense powerful Black Magic in the works here! Hoen must be afoot!
I was thinking such things as I returned alongside the confused Sorceress up the stairs to Clive's Office. She had no idea what was going on, and kept asking me strange questions. Stuff like, 'Why did we just walk into a storage room only to leave it?' or 'Why did you announce your weekly earnings and wages for the staff to the public like that?'... She even asked me why I had Candy being shipped here rather than the freaking Lost Kingdom. First off, I ignored the storage room question. I answered the second one, explaining the benefits of transparency and proper wage increases to accommodate that given transparency… Lastly, I needed to explain that people don't exactly ship directly to the Lost Kingdom. Sometimes, people travel their shipments around the Lost Kingdom… But it's very rare for them to travel directly into the middle of the Lost Kingdom. That's where the armies march, apparently. She seemed to believe that it would be possible, but I had to refute that possibility due to the fact at hand… My position within Reygid is questionable. I could see my business here absolutely ruined, and I probably wouldn't even bat an eyelash. I mean, I would do something about it… But having my Candy required to pass through the gates to the Lost Kingdom which are normally guarded, seems like asking for trouble of the King that already wanted me dead. I would prefer to hold off on him being aware of my need for Candy if at all possible, but he's destined to figure it out eventually… Given that I only conjure Hallowed Gates at a handful of locales within Reygid. Nyah. I genuinely needed to explain that much to her, because she's so freaking particular. By the time that I finished mansplaining the situation, we were already standing in front of Clive… Who appeared snide given that he was already aware of my need for Candy. He handed me the bag of Silver Coins and we continued on our merry way.
I really didn't want to inform Veronica about all that, considering how precarious my relationship with her Husband currently was… But I'm stuck with her at this point. Cetilla is my number one nominee for overseeing to Reygid as they recuperate from the loss of a Monarch. It's in Veronica's best interests to have Cetilla succeed, which essentially now means that she needs me to succeed in seeing to the loss of Reygid's Monarch. It's not as though she could just turn around, and help the King by feeding him knowledge… As the Vellisroi family stands to gain a whole lot out of this play. Due to that, I decided to inform her of my own intentions for Cetilla after the King's fall. She seemed absolutely shocked, probably because it nearly aligned with her own hopes. Nearly. She probably wanted her and Roy to take the Throne, but Cetilla's clearly still a pretty good candidate for her… Which I'd be willing to bet on, considering that she doesn't seem very disappointed. She kind of just shrugged it off as if it were no big deal. By the time that I finished explaining to her, we had found the correct storage room. The one holding my Candy~
The Koalakin came to impress. He delivered the Candy, all in one large bag. I couldn't be happier. I can easily take this all with me, here and meow! It's made of the same material as the one carrying my Silver Coins. It appears to be the same size, so perhaps they're from the same crafter? Oh well~ Picking up the bag, we continued on our way out of the Clothing Store. After leaving, we hopped on my trusted Broom and flew off. The crowd had already dispersed, so everything was easy~
Arriving at the Vellisroi Estate, I called on a new Hallowed Gate and stepped through. Placing my three bags down near the fountain, I began to pull the carriages out to the stable. Veronica stood by and watched me as I did so. She's honestly no help, whatsoever. I'm not mad, because it only took me a few minutes… But she could probably handle pulling an empty carriage or two. She's gone on adventures… She's bragged about them to me and everything! I know these things. Finished with the moving, I made sure to procure the small bag of Gold Coins. I want this little bad boy on me at all times. I placed it into my right boot. It's definitely not very comfortable… But I don't intend on getting into walking during this lifetime. I'll leave walking for my next life. Until Tier 10, I shall sit! Whenever I please!
I was thinking such things as I guided the Sorceress out of Halloween and back to the Vellisroi Estate before closing the gate. We're now setting off into the Orc Mountains. As we flew, Veronica couldn't contain her excitement to see Cetilla again. Honestly, I'm feeling pretty excited as well. I miss those three. I was kind of hoping to have an entirely new outfit by the time that I saw them again… But I guess a new form will just need to do. We ended up flying above the Orc Mountains for around twenty minutes while talking about what we'd say to them when we finally found them… Until we finally found them. They were camped out on top of a Mountain, toward the eastern side of the territory. There was a fire on the Mountain, so I felt somewhat silly for not having found it sooner.
After descending, we quickly learned that Leoric and Conrad were on the night watch. Everyone else was soundly asleep. There was a half eaten Meglacommon propped up by a few sticks… Goblin Funk seemed a whole lot more hunky, and was laying on his side next to the fire… Cetilla seemed to have rather rambunctious and unkempt hair as she drooled next to the fire… Budget Dragon was sleeping on his back with his giant legs in the air, parallel to his tiny arms. It was iconic, and he's starting to remind me more of a T-Rex than a Dragon. Ben was sleeping on his stomach, and he seemed drastically different from before. Gone are the days of being a simple, standing Bear. Rita was curled up in a little ball, but Rita was no longer a Rifaleesi. Lemmispire seemed to be a little bit of a mess, but he was there; laying down with his back against the fire. They're all getting stronger~
After taking one look at each other, it seemed as though Veronica and I both decided to leave them be. They can have their little adventure, we'll just wait until they're all done Evolving. They're safe, they're thriving, they're dirty, and they're tired. They certainly don't need us here right meow~ Leoric gave us a thumbs up as if to signify that he had it all under control, and Conrad waved to us as we departed. Thanks for looking after them, you guys~ We returned to the Vellisroi Estate while gossiping about what the heck a Rifaleesi even was to begin with. I'm standing with my Squirrel Rabbit theory, but Veronica seems to believe that it's more along the lines of a Squirrel Seal mix. I was confused about where the Seal came into the mix, but apparently… Seals are known to be well versed with Lightning Magic. Interesting, but I don't think that's it.
We also talked about how Lemmispire was there, and I made her promise to keep that a trade secret. One time Cat Crewoman knowledge, ONLY! I even went so far as to explain to her that if such knowledge got out… Cetilla could easily lose her life. Cetilla's technically with Lemmispire currently, and she's acting as the leader to that party. It's genuinely her responsibility to ensure that Lemmispire makes it out of there right meow, so if some random Elves or Beastkin tried to get in their way and take Lemmispire… She would probably feel obligated to fight for him. Veronica understood my reasoning, and definitely seemed serious about the promise she made to not tell anyone. By the time that we finished making such a promise, we were already floating above the Vellisroi Estate. Veronica invited me inside for a quick drink, and so I joined her.
We ended up staying awake until dawn, playing dice as we drank. She was beating me almost every single game, which I found incredibly unfair… But we weren't competing or anything, and it was more or less just something to do as we talked about irrelevant topics… Veronica admit admiration towards feeling competent enough to warrant such excessive expenses for a business, finally having saw it from my perspective. We were able to agree that choosing to limit yourself to such little actual benefit from your business, while using it all as a means to benefit others was actually a rather bold move. It's the power play of the century, folks. The Dutchess approved. Being able to secure a profit while limiting yourself to such intensive regimens… It's only the highest caliber that a business(wo)man can ever ascend to.
We also joked about how displeased Cetilla would likely find herself to have been entrusted a throne of her own. It's not said and done with yet, but if we succeed… She's genuinely the best option… Especially because she's been present for a great number of my feats against the current King, and her rightful place as the current Dutchess. Veronica and I can both agree on that, as well. We even talked about how the former Earl was at the fireplace in the Lost Kingdom. Veronica found it peculiar, but when she thought back to earlier in the evening… She realized that I had probably saved him, and so she didn't mention it at the time. According to her, the official reasoning that the King gave for stripping him of his ranks and then later executing almost his entire family… Was that the family had failed to send a representative to fight in the most recent war… Which was like 5 years ago… Yet the actual execution and rank stripping only actually happened a month ago. You want to know what I think? I think the King was feeling a little sour about the Monarch's coffers, so he cut off an entire noble family in attempts at one grand… Massive tax. Veronica agreed, but she even took it one step further. She thought that the King did it due to me taking the Scarecrows, as it was an effective hit to the Beastkin's war potential. They were able to lead an army of enslaved Scarecrows to battle if necessary, but without that… The King decided to take it upon himself to invest more in other methods of increasing war potential… And he needed the proper funds to do so.
Veronica told me about how she met Roy. Believe it or not, Veronica is the one of genuine lineage to the Vellisroi line. Roy was originally a Marquis' second born child from a foreign Kingdom. As Roy was the second born, he was destined to marry into a different family of noble birth. He came here to attend a ball hosted by the Monarchy, hoping to meet a suitor. He technically upgraded by becoming a Duke rather than a Marquis… But his original homeland was actually more prosperous than Reygid. Veronica's parents urged her towards wedding the other wealthy Tabby Catkin family's second born… Especially considering that he would already have likely become a Marquis even without her. She's meow grown to love Roy... But she can't help feeling as though he might have lived a better life if he wed a Marquess of his homeland rather than a Dutchess of Reygid… Which leads her to question whether wedding another noble was ever in her best interests at all… Or Roy's, for that matter.
I needed to go ahead and explain that Roy and herself were very similar in my eyes… Not just in appearances. I explained to her that she should go off and ask him about how happy he truly is to be around her… And that his answer would probably be all that she'd need to make her own decision about what might have been. I also made certain to add that not all second born nobles end up wedding into another family. I very clearly explained that many of those nobles fail, often turning to business or adventuring. She seemed somewhat shocked by that revelation, but she'll figure it out. It's dawn. I'm going home, so I bid her farewell until next time. She happily showed me the way to the door, and saw me out, thanking me for my advice.
I decided to take the Hallowed Gate home. After returning to Halloween, I grabbed my two bags and carried them with me back to the Treasure Room. Setting them down, I began to get undressed as I cast [Daily Candy]. Around halfway through getting undressed, I remembered to cancel the Hallowed Gates… To be brutally surprised by a certain Crow spontaneously appearing. It was Con. He literally just came to tell me that all of the Fish had been moved to the fridges, and that the refugees had all been informed on how to live within the Wailing Keep. It seems as though he waited until after I closed the Gates to give me a report… Which was strange, but nyah. I guess that I'm getting reports meow… Finishing with getting undressed after he disappeared into Halloween, I finally got into bed. Good morning...