Well… I'm awake. That was a surprisingly good sleep. Now, get off of me; you weirdos! Nyah! After shaking the others awake, it would appear that Cetilla has QUITE the bedhead. Must suck having long hair… Oh? She magically sorted it out in an instant… Lucky~ Budget Shark appears to have already woken. He's swimming with some Sea Snake of sorts. He made a friend? Whatever~ Let's get a move on! Cancelling the Bandit Camp Gate, I replaced it with a new one. Let's call it the Beach Gate. Yosh!
"Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, wait here. We need to see if you alone are capable of keeping the Tides of Tragedy at bay. Budget Shark, stay with him and if any evil monsters begin to appear; come find me." [Nero] beckoned after assuming his larger Human form.
"Okay~" [Budget Shark] happily accepted the task, while the (Hob)Goblin King gave a dejected expression.
And so, Cetilla and I are meow on our way back to the Forsaken Isles. On arrival into Halloween, it would appear that many of the Bandsmen are currently practicing their new songs. These guys… They must have been up all day doing this already, but they're still going! They're pretty dedicated… I'll give them that much. Wilson is also here, currently perched atop a roof with White Beef Lady; having some sort of sick love affair. Those two are definitely destined to be together... Forevers~ Moving along, we made our way through the other Gate and found ourselves in the midst of a Safari. There are monsters all over the place, shamelessly fighting as always. Hastily flying above the whole ordeal, I cancelled the Gate... I can see Rabbits surrounding a hole in the west… Foxes digging a burrow in the east… Bears digging a much larger burrow in the north… And Deer choosing to rest in the south. The middle is absolute mayhem, though. Flying south… It would appear that the Caterpillars have begun to make another complex Colony on their Island… The Potamin Crabs are kind of just hanging out on their Island… The Snakes chose to cluster around the western side of their Island, while the Wolves chose to rest on the eastern side. The Slimes are Slimes, and there's nothing we can do about it. They're just ravenously devouring grass. I wonder if it tastes any different from the previous grass~
The Goblins seem to be settling in just fine, as well. Everything is going according to plan! We might need to help the Snakes build their own underground Cave, though. They're like sitting Ducks as things currently stand. A very large cluster of intertwined Ducks, but Ducks nonetheless. Descending to the Goblin Village, I was met with Grenda. It would appear that she has taken charge of the Harbor Town. According to Grenda, moving all of the creatures to the Forsaken Isles was a success. I literally didn't need to do anything. Very well~ I decided to conjure the new Hallowed Gate near the southern side of the Island, and informed her that we would be holding a new meeting in the Wailing Keep immediately. She seemed surprised, but there have been developments. It's happening! Meow! When we arrived back at the Wailing Keep, we found that everyone else was in the Dining Hall, enjoying a splendid meal... It's Fish. We eat Fish. I definitely ended up enjoying two common Fish for myself before taking a stand to make my announcement~
"Greetings to everyone~ I'm happy to see that you have all succeeded in the task of relocating all the creatures of the Lost Kingdom's surface. While you were all doing that, I managed to execute the King and Queen of Reygid." [Nero] announced with a smile. To which, a round of applause erupted around the room. Some were surprised, some were a little bit frightened, but mostly… We're all happy. Nyah.
"I've decreed to the Beastkin Kingdom that slavery will cease to exist for their nation… Prejudice against monsters of less Humanly forms will also be fully welcomed within their Kingdom. I, with the help of our newly promoted (Hob)Goblin King, and all of you; will be ruling Reygid. If their Princess steps forth and bends the knee to my decree, then she will be permitted to survive and rule Reygid in our stead. The Wailing Keep will be relocated to Reygid for the sake of convenience. It will require a full day for me to achieve, so I apologize; but you will all need to wait in the Forsaken Isles, Reygid, or the Lost Kingdom while it happens. In the meantime, I would appreciate if some of you took the time to Fish for our next meal. I would also appreciate it if some of you took the time to help the Snakes dig a Cave for themselves to live in on the western side of their Island. I will be incapable of using the Hallowed Gates to their fullest potential while we wait. I will be keeping one of the Gates on the Forsaken Isles to allow Goblins entry into Halloween should they desire. I will keep the other Gate within Reygid. While we wait, I will attempt to be paid for our Quest in the Mummy Mansion. If successful, I will begin to make a few purchases to ensure that our Festival goes according to plan; as well as to help lessen the burden of me losing all of my power in the upcoming days." [Nero] explained with a smile before taking his seat.
"I'll finally get to go home?!" [Ivand Bernardi] frantically screamed with a smile on his quite bruised face.
"Yes~ Also, Rei; your mother wishes to see you." [Nero] replied with a thumb held high.
"Huh? Okay~" [Rei] exclaimed with a smile.
"I'll help the Snakes." [Rustle] declared with a surprisingly proud tone of voice. To which, Lora sighed as she shrugged.
"I'll be returning to Reygid in order to reclaim my place as the rightful Countess." [Rosa Firemane] declared with a determined expression.
"I would like to venture to Reygid as well." [Sealina] said with a smile.
"With Nero having succeeded in his Quest against my better judgement… I will return to Vanheim." [Leoric Eldinheim] declared with a stoic expression. To which, many gasped.
"I respect your wishes." [Nero] replied with a weak smile.
"I'll wait in the Chasms with the children." [Mantiskin Woman] exclaimed while puffing out her chest.
"As will I." [Mary] declared while glancing at her daughter who was pouting.
"I think that I'm going to spend some time practicing in Halloween." [Kendra] said while twisting a tail. To which, Cyclozard gave her a high five.
"I'll try to Fish in the Demon Kingdom." [Jon] declared with an uncertain expression.
"I'll help him Fish." [Geckokin Woman] sighed.
"Oh! I almost forgot~ Here, as requested…" [Nero] exclaimed with a smile as he handed the Silver Pistol to the Swashbuckler who was meow ecstatic.
"We'll help Fish in the Lost Kingdom." [Snow Leopardkin Twin Boy] exclaimed with a weak smile. To which, his brother nodded his head.
"I'm excited to return to Reygid, now that it's out of that damned King's grasp." [Turtlekin Woman] declared with a smile.
"Yes… I suppose I could give it another try… But if things go downhill, I wish to return to the eastern continent before I die of old age..." [Goatman] exclaimed while rubbing his goatee.
"I'm going to wait in the Chasms." [Foxman] exclaimed with a soft tone of voice while rocking his baby back and forth.
"I honestly don't know… I wanted to go to Lorimaki Island… But my husband has perished…" [Golden Retrieverkin Woman] said with a weak tone of voice, clearly on the verge of breaking into tears.
"Take all the time that you need." [Nero] replied sincerely.
"I'll come along to Reygid~" [Vana] declared with a smile.
"As will I." [Hugo] exclaimed while glancing at the Monarch Flutterfairy.
"I still wish to return to Monastazia…" [Mousekin Male] declared while lifting a paw to his chest.
"Obviously… I'm going to remain here." [Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon] declared with a nonchalant expression. To which, her daughters all nodded… Except for one.
"If I'm to lead our flock in the future, then I should probably get some experiences in the outside world… I'll venture to Reygid." [Chartreuse] declared with a brave expression after taking a stand. To which, her sisters and mother all seemed quite surprised.
"I'll join you, my love… Wherever the winds may carry us." [Prussian] exclaimed after taking a stand.
"I'll watch over the Goblins on the Forsaken Isles." [Grenda] declared while glaring at the Halloween Cat, as if to say that she deserved to be the Queen.
"Very well… It's settled, then~" [Nero] exclaimed happily, ruthlessly ignoring the Goblina.
"Not so fast… The Goblins will need a means to garner berries whilst we wait." [Grenda] shot back with an exasperated expression.
"Fine~ Conrad, Benji; lead the Crows and Bats back and forth between the Lost Kingdom and the Forsaken Isles while carrying berries. You may use some of my Buckets to help." [Nero] declared with a serious tone of voice as he held his Lantern high.
To which, the Crowli, Crows, and Bats all appeared from the orange flaming light gushing forth from his Lantern… Before swooping off down the Dining Hall, and out of sight.
"Happy?" [Nero] asked the Goblina with a sly grin.
"Bitter sweet." [Grenda] sighed while averting the Cat's gaze.
And so… We are meow all on our way. After exiting the Dining Hall, our group split up into two directions. Some left to return to the Chasms, some actually stayed in the Dining Hall, and some went with me; toward the Gates. It was almost… Dramatic, having us all slowly make our way through that obnoxiously long Throne Room. Wendel appeared out of nowhere, just to sing us off. It was a whole thing! She was performing a beautiful rendition to 'D*va Dance'. It's opera, and she's ALL about that life. I honestly think that opera might be her favorite genre. I'm glad that I assigned her that song~ I'm getting goosebumps, the closer that we come to the Gates. Wendel is THAT good. It was a masterful performance~
"Molag Dregora… Please fly Jon and the Turtlekin Woman to the waterfall in the Demon Kingdom. Stay with them there, until dawn approaches before you take them with you to return. Fetch some buckets to help with carrying the Fish back." [Nero] beckoned of the Lich after having returned to Halloween.
"Very well. I shall not fail you." [Molag Dregora] declared with a terrifying expression.
And so, I made my way to the Hallowed Orb on the northern edge of my Halloween Town… Placed a hand on it… And was met with the menu screen. Farewell, Leoric Eldinheim. It's been an honor to have you fight by our side. You will be missed, and are forevermore welcome to rejoin us under the banner of Allwe… [Release Clansmen]!
Moments later… Swirling orange light engulfed the pedestal of bones, and radiated forth to meet the Dark Elf. After a few seconds… It evaporated, leaving him be… And a notification appeared before me, stating 'Clansmen Released! Leoric Eldinheim (Dark Elf Shadowdancer) has been let go.'
Leoric held a strange expression… Almost as if he were happy, and sad at the same time. Patting his back, I led him and the others back to the Hallowed Gate as numerous Scarecrows knelt in a line around us… And we parted ways at the Beach. I was overjoyed to find that the (Hob)Goblin King was more than sufficient to keep the Tides of Tragedy at bay, but the loss of Leoric was definitely a sad moment for me. That Elven Councilman will certainly be missed. With the help of the rightful Dutchess, the next Harpy Queen, and the genuine Countess, there's absolutely no way that this can go wrong. We're a suitable replacement for that abominable King, alright~ Now… If only we could find that Princess, and with any luck; find ourselves convinced that she's actually a goodhearted individual. Now that I think about it… Vana is totally a Monarch Flutterfairy. She's basically been acting as Royalty ever since I had met her, as she was the last Flutterfairy to exist in the Lost Kingdom… Is it true? Is she actually producing her own Royal haki?
"Vana? Are you Nobility for Flutterfairies?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"You didn't know?" [Vana] asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"How could I have possibly known?" [Nero] asked with a dumbfounded expression.
"Hoh yeah~ Vana's as prestigious as they come. She's the genuine Queen." [Hugo] explained with a smug look on his face.
...Hugo is totally in a relationship with the Queen of his race. He's like… The unofficial King or something... A fill-in.
"So, the Monster Kingdom had numerous Kings and Queens but STILL failed against the Demon Kingdom?!" [Nero] shot back with an exasperated expression.
"Well… To put it bluntly, yeah." [Vana] groaned.
"How?!" [Nero] shot back with eyes wide.
"Many nations have numerous lines of Royalty, actually... But the Monster Kingdom's Royalty needed to band together in order to stand a chance against those surrounding us. Sometimes, we weren't as united as we could have been..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] explained with a dejected expression.
...So they had quarrels amidst themselves? They were caught off guard in the worst of times? You guys had one job… To stay united. Ugh~ This sucks!
"At the very least, we're together now." [Vana] declared with an inspiring tone of voice.
"Well… Yeah, but Lillian is gone. The Deer won't have anyone to reclaim their line of Royalty." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] sighed.
"Wait… So Kendra might become the Queen of the Foxes?!" [Nero] shot back with eyes wide.
"Indeed. Not only that, but Conrad may eventually become the King of Crows, Lora seems promising as well. Rita and Ben already are~" [Vana] explained with a calculating expression.
Woah… My own Clansmen… Ascending to Royalty~ Talk about a freaking intense realization! It's too bad that there are so few Crows on this continent left to rule, thanks to yours truly. I wonder if Mr and Mrs Scarecrow will eventually become some sort of Royalty… Benji's a strong candidate, but I'm guessing that there's going to be some kind of special Evolutionary path required. Also, Rita?! Rita?! Really?! I guess that the Rifaleesigal is an intense form, now that I think about it… Ben is totally expectable, though. Ben's always had that kind of vibe going… He's got a lot of attitude, definitely fit for Royalty~
This means… Oh my… Choosing to bolster just one individual of each race might have been the greatest decision that I've ever made. All of a sudden, the war potential that I already knew we had; seems quite more viable. That settles it! I won't stop until we have a line of Royalty for every damn race! I still find it strange how there are no Dungeons in the Lost Kingdom… But then again, maybe the Dungeon is hidden beneath the Cyworctus? Perhaps… Perhaps there's even one hidden in the Chasms somewhere?! This might be the reason why the Harpy Matriarch practically never budges… Does she even know?! It might just be some vague warning passed down through generations, in which she's lost the reasoning behind why the Harpy Matriarch can't leave the Chasms… But she knows that she's not supposed to? I've only ever witnessed her leave for very short periods of time. One of which, she was in Orpia teaching Prussian how to drink; but the other was when she came to our Festival. We might be lucky that nothing actually came of those occurrences, but I still find it strange that nothing happened… We're going to need to seriously explore the Chasms at some point. I can't go on not knowing what's happening. I need the WHOLE truth.
"Alright… I'm going to walk the twins down to the gates and ensure that they safely reach the Lost Kingdom. Sealina, feel free to explore Reygid at your own leisure; I recommend the Adventurer's Guild Tavern or the Casino if you're hoping to find a waitressing job immediately. Cetilla can show you around. We may have established our rule here, but things are still fresh; so everyone should be careful. If anyone asks, say that you're with the Monster Knights. [Wailing Keep]!" [Nero] instructed the surrounding individuals with a serious look on his face.
"I'll stay here with Hobgoblin Samurai Punk." [Turtlekin Woman] declared with a determined expression.
"We'll fly around for awhile and explore the City." [Chartreuse] exclaimed with a smile as she glanced over to Prussian.
"I'll watch over the Beartru~" [Goatman] laughed as he began to roughly pat Ivand's back, clearly hurting the poor fool.
"We'll keep Rosa safe." [Vana] exclaimed with a smile as she glanced at the young Tigerkin Countess.
"Wait a second… If Rosa is a Tigerkin Countess… How does that work? Shouldn't she be a Queen or something?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"Reygid has always operated differently than the Lost Kingdom. Royal bloodlines may choose to submit their fealty to other bloodlines, furthering the power of their superiors while admittedly lessening their own. By choosing to do so, my family lost the right to be a Royal bloodline and has become a Noble bloodline." [Rosa Firemane] sighed while shrugging her shoulders.
"Is there any way to reverse the change?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"Not unless the Monarchy of Reygid truly dies, no." [Rosa Firemane] replied while gritting her teeth.
"Huh… Anyways~ Let's go!" [Nero] let out as he adjusted his cap.
And so… I led the twins south along the farmlands, separating from the others. They had already lived in Reygid for most of their lives, so they knew where they were going… But I still wanted to make sure that they had no trouble at the gate. Once we had arrived, I was shocked to find that no Kingdom Knights remained. I suppose it makes sense… We DID just establish our dominion over these lands, so they're all out of a job. They're not pretentious enough to go against my ruling, it would appear. Bidding the twins farewell, I wished them luck in their catch. I totally also asked Mr and Mrs Scarecrow to watch over them, and ensure that they returned before dawn. Mr and Mrs Scarecrow let them sit on their shoulders, and it was honestly quite the cute little moment. I made sure to relish in it, watching as they disappeared into those familiar woods. Now that I think about it… The Ravenkin family is probably already at the waterfall. I suppose it will become quite the little gathering~
After returning to the Beach and meeting back up with the others… I began to lead Ivand, Rei, Milton, and the Goatman back to the Vellisroi Estate. It wasn't a very long journey; but the Goatman kept bugging Ivand about how foolish he was to challenge the Mummy Mansion alone in the first place… So I enjoyed it. I felt the same way, and if I weren't being paid a hilarious sum of Coins to protect him; I'd probably have been giving him a hard time as well. By the time that we had reached the needlessly large home which gave rise to the Dutchess of Doom, that simple-minded Beartru was at the point of complete regret; no doubt about it~ There's nothing like an old-timer profusely shooting down your lofty goals and aspirations when it comes to promoting self-doubt. I think he's learned his lesson~ He was practically in tears by the time that I was knocking on the door… Only to be met with that walking beefcake of a Dogkin. WOOF! His scent… I just want to rip his face clean off! Hold me back, Goatman! I can't take it any longer… Perhaps noticing my deranged attitude, that Dogkin ran like the wind… Escaping my grasp. I think Roy might have just lost a worker. Oops~ I'll just go ahead and let myself in…
Oh Janus… Believing that I could find my way through the Vellisroi Estate was a GRAVE mistake… I totally got us all lost. We're currently in the study, but I don't recall going up any stairs?! The heck?! We definitely ended up wasting the better part of an hour trying to find our way, and honestly… I think Roy might have cut back on his workforce since you know, that whole abolishment of slavery thing? I've only found two workers since entering, and after asking one of them for directions… I received a shrug. It was a Mousekin girl who apparently only wanders this labyrinth of a Mansion aimlessly, pretending to know where she is and what she's doing as she dusts off numerous pieces of furniture. Yikes... She must be new here, right? WRONG! She's been working here for five freaking years and STILL doesn't fully understand this house! She counts herself lucky if she finds the Kitchen by noon, and if she can't… She just leaps out of windows and re-enters through the front door. It's a whole thing!
And so, we shamelessly took her advice and leapt out the building to try again. This time, on entry… I ruthlessly screamed Celine's name at the top of my lungs before waiting. We waited for a whopping three minutes, and I'm flabbergasted. If they ever let Celine go, I think I might just need to hire her as a Navigator for precarious Dungeons. She'd be the one and only person who I actually pay. It's THAT bad. It really is. She masterfully led us down a confusing web of halls until we were met with Roy and Veronica, both casually sipping tea on a balcony. Celine is a godsend.
"Oh~ Nero… How delightful to see you~" [Veronica] sighed while waving a fan.
"Is that… Rei?!" [Roy] stammered with eyes wide.
"Hey everyone!~ I died, but thanks to Nero; I'm a Banshee now~" [Rei] nonchalantly introduced herself with a smile. To which, Veronica spat her scorching hot tea right out onto Roy's chest.
"Ugh!" [Roy] let out while desperately beginning to tear his top off to reveal all of too many muscles.
"Well… It certainly wasn't EXPECTED, but it's marvelous to see you!" [Veronica] flamboyantly exclaimed before reaching out to hug the Banshee… Only to find that she literally could not before embarrassingly taking her seat once more, and taking another sip of tea.
"And this, is Ivand Bernardi. Sadly, he succumbed to a curse of sorts in the Mummy Mansion; and has become a Beartru." [Nero] introduced the bruised Beartru… Causing Veronica to spit her tea a SECOND time, all over Roy's bare chest…
"Wha?! ENOUGH WITH THE TEA!" [Roy] screamed while wincing in pain before running off into the extremely confusing Mansion.
"Oh my… A Beartru… I can't say that I've ever heard of THAT one before~" [Veronica] flamboyantly exclaimed after taking a stand and slowly running her finger along the Beartru's chest in a hysterically seductive manner. To which, Ivand scoffed while clearly embarrassed.
"...It's nice to meet you…" [Ivand Bernardi] muttered with eyes wide
"Darling… I've known you since you were but a wee boy… But to see you all grown up like this... Why~ It's just the Cat's pajamas…" [Veronica] exclaimed flamboyantly while swirling a nail through her obviously spiked tea.
"Al-righty then~ Veronica, pleasure as always… Celine, please take us to see Roy." [Nero] beckoned of the allegedly Human Maid.
"I would be most pleased." [Celine] said with a wry smile as she side-eyed the highly problematic Dutchess who was meow scowling before beginning to guide us out.
"Going already? But you just got here... At the very least; leave Milton and Rei to tend to my whims~" [Veronica] sighed before whipping her hair back in a way that would most certainly lead one to believe that she were indeed Cetilla's mother.
[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]
"Fine~ Stay with her." [Nero] groaned as he waved the Catkin farewell and began to walk away.
"Oh, come on!" [Milton] screamed exasperatedly.
And so… Celine led us through what seemed like yet another maze, right on up to a room before kindly knocking.
"Nnnyes? Come in!" [Muffled Roy Voice] shouted from beyond the door. To which, Celine opened the door to reveal a half-nude Catkin Duke struggling to dress himself perhaps due to the overall fanciful clothing which he seems to frequent.
…Roy has absolutely NO shame! I hate him... Almost. He's alright, I guess.
"Allow me to help you." [Celine] kindly offered while approaching the Duke.
"Hmm? Oh, yes… Thank you, Celine… I don't know what I would do without you~" [Roy] sighed nonchalantly as the allegedly Human Maid began to help him solve the predicament better left known as the clothing that may have been too elegant for a particular Duke's capabilities.
"So… Ivand Bernardi?" [Nero] begged the question with a smile.
"Oh… Yes, he should be here shortly." [Roy] declared with an indifferent tone of voice.
"Very well." [Nero] sighed.
And so… We waited. We ended up having a few drinks with Veronica and Roy in the Dining Room downstairs… And spent several hours talking about the state of the Kingdom. It would appear that Roy and Veronica are more informed than they appear. For the most part, all of the Nobility is willing to bend the knee. There's just one issue. It's a lowly Baron who finds that the new rules will be too troublesome for him. He's an Armadillkin named Victor Lellion. Like Roy, he's a wealthy Farmer. His Ranch isn't nearly as large, but he grows more the difficult types of produce. The kind that generally takes longer to grant any yield, and requires more attention? Yeah. It's honestly a simple issue… Charge more for the damned fruit, bro! Seriously… If I need to replace a freaking Baron, I'll probably lose my mind. I have almost no idea as to who might be a better fit. Almost. Clive's a suitable replacement. He's under my thumb, he might not earn as much as the other Noble families… But I don't care. Honestly… It's a slot that needs to be filled. And so, Roy will be sending word to the Baron of my suggestion; and my threat. If he can't abide my the laws that every other business seems to be adjusting to… Then he's out. Nyah~ I've grown weary of these trivialities… It's not my fault that the King didn't make use of the two months I had given him. The Noble families must deal with the repercussions. Even if we need to replace that lineage in the Monarchy… We could quite simply just sell off their farming land to the highest bidders. Who knows? Maybe I'll even be able to turn a profit out of it.
When Ivand Bernardi's Father and Mother had arrived… They both seemed a little bit unenthused about his new form, but the Mother quickly realized that he was indeed; their son. It's probably a maternal instinct, or something. The Father was definitely trying to skimp out on his payment, but the Mother was seriously intelligent. She knew to fix her husband's attitude, perhaps on account of the killing intent in my eyes… Or perhaps on account of the numerous Clansmen who had promptly appeared to surround the couple... But I was paid posthaste. My Clansmen made sure to stick around until Luna had finished counting the Coins, and after I had been assured of the payment being absolutely fulfilled… The family disappeared from my view with their lives intact. We aren't fooling around. People gave their lives for these Coins. It wasn't until after they had left, that I had been informed by Veronica of a very useful bit of information. Apparently, I can convert these 5000 freaking Gold Coins into but 5 Diamond Coins. Wonderful, but 5000 divided by 3 will not work. Not entirely, anyway~ We'll end up with 1 Diamond Coin and 666 or 667 Gold Coins. I can't help but wonder why the Marquis didn't handle it beforehand, but I suppose there's something about carrying 5000 Gold Coins, rather than 5 Diamond Coins. It probably made him feel more wealthy~
I ended up giving Roy 2 Gold Coins in exchange for two Carriages to carry our newfound wealth. With this, we should be able to evenly divide the profits into 1 Diamond Coin and 666 Gold Coins for each Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, Cetilla, and myself. No offense to Budget Shark, but he wasn't very useful in the Mummy Mansion. He clocked out early, no pun intended~ Rei and Milton ended up staying behind, to wait for her Mother. The Bernardis left us with two bags to fill the Coins with. It's just the Goatman, Christina, Luna, Penny, and the Tier 5 Skeleton who meow accompany me. Christina and the Skeleton are pulling the carriages. Penny is floating next to Christina, talking to her as we travel. Luna and the Goatman are in the other carriage, keeping the Skeleton company. I'm simply flying above them both on my Broom~ Thank you, unnamed Skeleton and Christina for being so dedicated. It's appreciated. We're currently taking the carriages to go and see Clive. I'd prefer to have the Coins converted, thanks. I'm excited to hold a Diamond Coin. I had never even heard of one, but it's quickly become a goal of mine. To see just how many Diamond Coins I can put my paws on before finally bidding Melchiadore farewell.
While we travelled, we gained quite the fair bit of attention. I suppose this is what happens when the one overseeing to your nation galivants across town while accompanied by various spooky creatures, but I'm already accustomed to it. I'm a celebrity meow. By the time that we had arrived at Clive's, I quickly remembered that he needed more merchandise. Guard the carriages with your very lives, everyone. I'll be right back! So, I quickly flew back to the beach, greeted the others… And returned with a bag of Candy in tow. Nyooom!~ I'm back. Let's settle things! Hauling the three ginormous bags probably looked ridiculous, but I have muscles; bro! I'm stronk! The staff were overjoyed to see me, and honestly? Me too. These are good people. They sell all my things with vigor, and I owe a lot to their dedication. Making my way up the stairs, I slammed open his office door; and came face to face with the Cheetahkin. As always, he's filling out paperwork. No idea what he could possibly be working on right meow, but he's always busy. That's just how he is, I think. On further inspection… He's drawing. Wow. Okay… So Clive is an avid artist. His drawings are actually next level. Is that… Who is that?! It's a portrait of someone whom I don't believe to have ever been acquainted with.
"If it isn't our Ruler~ Shall I kneel?" [Clive] sighed with a smirk.
"What? No! I'm far more concerned about whom you're drawing~" [Nero] exclaimed with a look of surprise before sighing as he shook his head.
"Oh, this? It's just a sketch of one of my childhood friends, Illian." [Clive] replied as if it were nothing at all…
Bro… I'm serious, this drawing could probably be paid for. Don't just act like it's no big deal!
"Illian?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side. To which, the Cheetahkin sighed while lowering his head.
"Illian's gone missing, so I'm trying to prepare a wanted poster... But I just can't get it right~ I intend to post it in the Adventurer's Guild with a reward for having found him..." [Clive] said dejectedly while glancing at the page.
"Missing? Where was he last seen?" [Nero] asked while taking off his aviators.
"I haven't heard from him in weeks… I have no idea where he might have gone off to, but he was an Adventurer himself; so he's probably just off on some Quest." [Clive] sighed while shrugging his shoulders before continuing…
"Anyway, here to drop off a new shipment?" [Clive] asked with a weak smile.
"Hmmm… Yeah, but I'm going to need to use one of your rooms to prepare it first. Also, I would be thankful if you could convert some of these Gold Coins into Diamond Coins. I need three Diamond Coins, and the rest can remain as Gold." [Nero] explained with a conflicted look in his eyes.
"Diamond?! Well you've certainly been busy… I know for a fact that you never earned these from OUR business… Just what have you been up to anyway?" [Clive] exclaimed with eyes wide.
"I had to save Ivand Bernardi's son from the Mummy Mansion." [Nero] groaned.
"Oh… So that's why you were away then?" [Clive] asked while rubbing a finger along his chin.
"Nyah~" [Nero] sighed.
"Well, I'll make sure your Coins are in order. There's a room upstairs, first door on the right. It should be vacant enough to suit your needs." [Clive] explained with a smile.
"Thank you." [Nero] replied before turning to leave.
And so… I ended up in a storage room. It's pretty empty, as expected. It's clean, perhaps due to the staff having nothing to do… This place is spotless. Not a speck of dust to be found~ Impressive… Welp~ Let's get started! Christina, Skeleton~ You can return the carriages to the Vellisroi Estate before heading back to meet up with Hobgoblin Samurai Punk. I should be fine as is~ Now! Let's begin with clothing creation… I'll start with pieces while aiming for level 2. I need a lot of them, so that the Bathtowel Gacha Sale may resume. That whole sale was a cash cow for yours truly. We shan't miss out on it again~ [Disguise]! [Disguise]! [Disguise]! [Disguise]! Oooo! Bath Towel~
*********
Whew~ Making all of those pieces took AGES! I made 2000. I counted. I suppose that I'm out of the swing of things, as I forgot just how tedious this whole process was… I'm meow surrounded in clothing. By the way, killing those four tough individuals in the Castle totally caused me to Evolve. Twice. I'm actually a Tier 14 Halloween Cat meow. Pretty intense, honestly~ My maximum MP has raised to a whopping 439326. I've almost reached the half a million mark. Strangely, I didn't think to check until now. I suppose I was just too busy or something~
Name: Nero Miki
Race: Cat (Halloween)
Weapon: Lantern (Delhn Glass, Siberite Tourmaline Lantern)
Mount: Broom (Cerberus String Emberwood Broom)
Class: Allwe Halloween Cat (Sub Class: Witch/Tamer)
Level: 21874
HP: 109370/109370
MP: 422472/439326(+1846)
SP: 65/100
FP: 73/100
P. DEF: 820
M. DEF: 712
STR: 87496
INT: 219288(+548)
DEX: 65622
LUK: 21874
AGI: 131568(+324)
Titles:
[True Allwe Halloween Cat+8], [From Another World], [Fish Mongerer+3], [Master of Disguise+4], [Mana Guzzler+7], [Candy Mongerer+4], [Master of Time+2], [Witch of War+7]
Abilities Learned:
[Flying Broom+4], [Soul Merge], [Clansmen Capture+2], [Hallowed Gate+4], [This is Halloween+2], [Wailing Keep+5], [Language Comprehension+1], [Shapeshift+3], [Barrier+6], [Daily Candy+5], [Claw Fishing+4], [Disguise+5], [Recovery by Sleep+3], [Enhanced Meditating+4], [Swim+3], [10 Minute Makeover+2], [Pumpkin Bomb+6], [Bonus Mana+5], [Time Skip+1], [War Meow+3], [Mana Claws+1], [Flame Paws+1], [Enhanced Smell+1]
So… Of all my Titles, it would appear that four of them were enhanced. True Allwe Halloween Cat, Mana Guzzler, Witch of War, and Candy Mongerer have all increased by one. I really shouldn't Evolve twice in such a short period of time… It NEVER helps! [Bonus Mana] increased to apparently bestow me with an additional 200 MP. Fancy. [Pumpkin Bomb] Sama decided that the Pumpkimplosion Bombs, my dud ability… Would be a lot louder upon exploding. Well… No point in second guessing it… I'll just let off a few low level Pumpkin Bombs to test it out… [Pumpkin Bomb]! Oh? First try~ I'm lucky meow! Wait… Does this qualify as luck? It's my worst bomb type… Anyways~ It totally sounded like a high pitched scream. Almost as if the Pumpkin felt pain upon imploding. Spooky~ I probably shouldn't be dropping bombs in Clive's wooden establishment. Maybe it WAS luck that I got the dud bomb after all~
[Barrier] Sama took it upon himself to look a whole lot more cool in his first, third, and fourth forms. Welp~ [Barrier]! Okay… Okay… So, yeah… There are swirling orange lights floating around me. It's okay, I guess. It doesn't really help me, but it's fine. Aesthetics can be important, from time to time; I suppose. [Mana Claws] claims that he will be capable of stealing more MP for each swipe. No clue how much, but I apparently steal more Mana. Fun. I'm a thief meow~ [Flame Paws] requested to have brighter flames. I… I can't... How many abilities are going to be utterly useless?! Oh? [War Meow] hath surprised us all! He wanted to raise his productivity to a whopping 60% damage increase, rather than his original 50%. Not too shabby~ [Flying Broom] decided that we needed more visual effects. Oh Janus… Does it ever end?! Okay… So, it would appear that instead of just the regular orange trail of flames radiating behind me… There are meow also orange orbs which evaporate promptly. Okay~ [Enhanced Smell] claims that I have a finer nose for many things. Is this a joke?! Is my life a freaking joke?! I'm done… I think I'm going to have an aneurism... Unsurprisingly, I managed to obtain two new forms of Halloween Cat. 'Halloween Cat YXXL' and 'Halloween Cat YXXXL' have been acquired. Fun. I doubt that anything has actually changed, but I'm not about to utterly destroy Clive's establishment in attempts at finding out.
Okay! Back to business~ I think I'll continue making more level 2 pieces before aiming for level 20. There's no need to raise my original max. This week, I'm trying to overstock. I want to overstock so damn much, that Clive won't need clothing for several more weeks to come. A mega shipment. Serious damage to his storage space incoming~ [Disguise]! Oh… Wendel, please come and perform for me. It would be most appreciated. I need music while I fill this entire room. Thank you~ She's performing 'This Is Wh*t Rock N Roll Looks Like'. A real mood. Let's do this! [Disguise]! [Disguise]! [Disguise]!
*********
Oh my Janus… It's finally complete… I have a massive pile of Bath Towels in the hallway, and this entire room has been filled. Wendel ended up needing to move out into the hall awhile ago as well, and we've finally reached the point where I can no longer stand in the room. There's no point in even trying to count those… I don't even care. Sell them all as level 1 pieces, they're trash regardless. The Bath Towels are what really matter~ I meow have 372276 MP remaining. It's too much. I need a new room before I can even begin with level 20 pieces… The Wailing Keep is really helpful, now that I think about it. The sheer size of the Throne Room is often taken for granted… But then again, no it isn't. That Throne Room is freaking massive!~ Wailing Keep Sama NEVER lets me live down just how immense his interior is. He's a legend. A God among Gods. The REAL MVP! Groaning all my way into Clive's Office… I found that he was still fretting over the imperfections in his drawing, and I honestly think he might have been shocked to find that I was still here. Nyah… This isn't easy work, you know?! Magic takes time, bro! Perhaps sensing my weariness, he handed me my bags of Coins, but he doesn't understand. We're NOT FINISHED!
"I need a new room." [Nero] said flatly with an exhausted look on his face.
"...Wha?!" [Clive] gasped with eyes wide before getting up from his seat immediately, and rushing out of the room… Moments later…
"What the hell?!" [Muffled Clive Voice] screamed in exasperation from presumably up the stairs, first door on the right.
And so… I listened, and waited as his footsteps grew louder; until suddenly… He appeared before me with a wide grin… Well, it appears as though ONE of us is enjoying themselves.
"Nero… I saw the Bathtowel pile… Do you think you could double it?" [Clive] exclaimed with a smirk.
"Denied." [Nero] groaned. To which, the Cheetahkin began to frantically shake the shoulders of one particular Witch of War.
"Nero… You don't understand… We need the Towels!" [Clive] muttered hysterically before screaming…
"We NEED the Towels!" [Clive] let out with a crazed look on his face.
"Clive… I want to produce level 20 clothing as well… Let's just put this out there… All of those other pieces absolutely pouring out of the room… They're all worthless." [Nero] groaned while rolling his eyes. To which, the Cheetahkin only slightly shook his head, as if to say that he simply didn't care.
"Clive… I could fill at least 10 more rooms with worthless clothing, but wouldn't you prefer perhaps just two or three with genuinely meaningful inventory?! I won't be bringing another shipment for a very long time! This needs to last!" [Nero] screamed with a frantic look on his face.
"...Huh?" [Clive] let out while raising an eyebrow.
"It's dangerous knowledge... I really shouldn't be informing you." [Nero] sighed while raising his head to glare at the ceiling.
"Well, if you want to stock us for weeks… Don't you think that the Towels are the way to go?" [Clive] begged the question with a smirk.
"Point me to a room." [Nero] groaned, having given up.
"Upstairs, second door on the right. You know what? Just use the entire second floor." [Clive] exclaimed with a grin.
"Fine…" [Nero] groaned before taking his leave, dragging the two bags behind him.
And so… Wendel, hit it~ We've got more clothing to make. Cracking my knuckles… I began to steadily streamline more and more clothing; room after room. Absolute junk, if you ask me… I probably, no… I DEFINITELY spent several hours on that fine night producing an endless supply of trash. It was painful, for me. Wendel was having a fabulous time. She performed the entire Bandsmen tracklist by herself, several times over. She's relentless… But after a time, she needed to disappear… Leaving me in my misery. My greatest time of need, but alas… She could not entertain me forever~ It was terrible. I felt like a freaking factory line. The entire line. It was all me. An endless clothing factory… Producing the worst of all qualities, only. There were several rooms on the second floor. 8 of them, to be specific. I filled all 8. One of which ended up being absolutely dedicated to Towels. By the time that I had finished… I only had 148372 MP remaining. There's one problem, though. I wasn't able to produce any level 8 Towels, so we can only charge 1 Gold Coin for each. It would be incredibly tyrannical of us to charge two, knowing full well that there were no jackpot… But then again, no one is going to know; because there are so FREAKING MANY! It's not the worst thing I've ever done... Just add it to the list of my sins, I suppose… Talk about a rip off~
Entering Clive's room once again… I groaned at him before taking my leave. He'll figure it out. I'm DONE! No more! My remaining MP will go towards producing genuinely good clothing for myself, my Clansmen, and the Monster Knights. DONE! I've already weakened myself beyond believability at this point. I can't even imagine how much weaker my haki is… Well… 148 thousand MP is still nothing to scoff at, but I definitely would have appeared more terrifying last night. It's dangerous to go any further without the Wailing Keep, quite frankly~ He'll deal with what he has. 8 freaking rooms of clothing. Ridiculous! Taking a peek into my bags… Yosh~ 3 Diamond Coins! All accounted for~ I'll count the Gold Coins later, but I really have no reason not to trust Clive at this point. He's a good guy. Maybe I'll try to find his friend one of these nights, but honestly… I don't think I will. He doesn't even have a hint as to where Illian is, so it's basically a hopeless cause. Flying back to the Beach was pretty uneventful. I took my time, for no reason. I have MP to spare, but I just don't feel like it. It's nice to fly a slow speed every now and again~
By the time that I had arrived back at the Beach, the others had all gathered. The Ravenkin family, Snow Leopardkin Twins, Cetilla, the Turtlekin Woman, Vana, Hugo, Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, Rosa, Rei, Milton, the Goatman, Chartreuse, Prussian, Budget Shark, Jon, and the Geckokin Woman. Everyone is present and accounted for, safe and sound~ Except for Sealina… She probably found a job somewhere, and a place to stay. Good for her~ There are Fish in buckets, and everyone else seems to have fallen asleep. I suppose I'll join in on the snooze fest. I'm exhausted! Assuming my largest form… As far as I can tell, nothing appears to be different about me. I'm just… Really freaking big~ Big Cat! Laying down… Oh… I forgot to cast [Daily Candy]... I don't really want to now, it's already past dawn. Jeez… I suppose it will need to wait for tomorrow. I totally didn't even end up needing my Candy earlier, it's all still in the bag. Oh well~ Good morning!