NYUUUGGhhh… Lianix won't leave me alone… I have regrets. Cursed Brooms, regardless of immense power… They also come with immense emotions. She's unreasonable, and relentless. Not particularly ideal if we're being honest… But it's too late. I messed up. I blame that old hag, Gretel. She wasn't clear enough when trying to push her doom flag onto me. Honesty. Honesty is what we need more of around here. Yesh… Perhaps, I should kidnap the Lemmispire Prince and have him be my Secretary? He can totally unveil all of the hidden truths around here, and perhaps even accompany me whenever I deal with foreign Kingdoms. It's a plan. Quest gained! Capture and enslave the Elven Prince in an attempt to avoid further treachery!
"Master! Please allow me to be of assistance with the capture of Prince Lemmispire Vanheim!" [Conrad] begged after appearing through a spark of flames.
"...Eh? Aren't you busy with the festival's preparations?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.
"I am pleased to announce that the preparations were completed this morning." [Conrad] confessed as his wings suddenly began stretching outward.
"Alright, you can come along with me to see the Prince~" [Nero] sighed before grabbing his Broom.
"...Can I come as well?" [Robert] timidly asked after appearing through Nero's Lantern.
"...Yes." [Nero] shot back before adjusting his aviators and taking a moment to check up on the two wounded Snow Elves.
The Elves seem fine, but they're still asleep. Robert's excited. Apparently, he and Lemmispire have become quite close. It all started that one time when I asked him to rescue the Prince from the tallest cap of the giant Golden Mushroom. Ever since, Robert's been in close contact with our favorite Elven Prince. On every sixth night, Robert's spent his time confessing his troubles over tea in Vanheim. They're thick as thieves meow, and Lemmispire had even began teaching Robert how to dance so that he might better perform during the festivals. It's a whole thing, and it baffles me. The Tier 1 Bat can dance. He usually does it mid-flight, but it's pretty snazzy. He can also tap dance on ground, but that's another story... Not as snazzy, no offense; Robert. You still need some more practice for the tap dance~
Conrad mostly just wanted to come along out of curiosity. He spends a lot of his time exploring the continent, but he never gets a good view of Vanheim on account of the excessively tall trees. Choosing to accompany us in our travel ensures a greater knowledge of one of the more mysterious Kingdoms, so it's like that. Conrad's just a curious Crow. As we awaited my morning meal in the Dining Hall, I decided to question Conrad's growing knowledge regarding the Forest of the Fae. According to him, it's also not easy to get a good glance at their domain on account of the Thorn Barrier and Sunflowers… But he's been able to figure out that there's quite a fair bit of water in the Forest, and that the soil is far greater than that of Reygid. Also, sometimes… Rain flies into the sky. Yeah. It's weird. Apparently, sometimes… Just rarely, water slowly begins to fall from the ground; upwards. It's a phenomena native to the Forest of Fae, considering that it doesn't happen ANYWHERE else on the continent. Conrad's taken a liking to watching it happen. Something about how it makes the wind currents feel when flying. He's even gone so far as to try and witness where the water was leading to, but wound up needing to make a tactical retreat. It's dangerous.
By the time that I had finished my meal, I needed a moment to process all of this newfound information. Water… Flying… Bats… Dancing… Fish… Already gone… It's just a whole lot to process, okay?! I mindlessly devoured my entire meal, so I didn't even get to enjoy it. I believe that it was Salmonetti soaked in mystery berry, but I can't even remember… Deciding that no good would come of me being sober as I continued to prod Conrad for information, I chose to procure a new barrel of cheap booze~
So… Candy Land isn't that big of a deal. Yeah. Conrad took it upon himself to try and gauge the difficulty of each Dungeon on this continent, by taking notes of the haki produced by each. It's no simple task, scouting around 30 Dungeons and attempting to place a number on each of them… But he's done it. All of the Dungeons outside of the Fae Forest, Conrad has located and noted. It's brilliant work. According to him, the three weakest Dungeons are the Sandy Cavern, Pyramid of Pleasure, and the Snow Slime Lake. They're all generally around the same in terms of haki, so he has deemed them all to be equally weak. So, they will forevermore be dubbed as 1 Star Dungeons. Moving up, we have the Spider's Tunnel, Serpent's Trenches, Snow Sylph's Hill, and none other than Candy Land… Our 2 Star Dungeons. 3 Star Dungeons are where things get interesting. We have a LOT of Dungeons on this continent that appear to be generally the same strength. 3 Stars. The Lochness Lake, Termite's Tree, Helium Heights, Tree of Dreams, Golem's Grotto, Cobra Caves, Maiden's Meadow, Rabbit's Hole, and our very own… The Mummy Mansion. It's sickening… To think, that the Mummy Mansion which very well might have been the end of us…. Has been dubbed no higher than 3 Stars. I could cry.
Also, the Tides of Tragedy has been dubbed a 7 Star Dungeon. It's more than twice as powerful as the Mummy Mansion… And it's underwater. We're screwed. We'll never beat the Tides of Tragedy BEFORE the Mummy Mansion! Even if it weren't underwater, we'd probably all die. Actually, the fact that it's underwater might be only saving grace. It's too far away for it to be at our throats just yet, but when it finally comes… It's going to come hard. It will be the end of us, no questions asked.
Taking a few more swigs of my barrel… I decided that it was time. The time for me to see Halloween, and take note of our inventory. On arrival, I learned that Lanterns being strung up on ribbons were not our only decoration. We also possess some pretty cool ladders. Yeah. We've officially got ladders to help individuals climb up to the rooftops of each house. Nothing too snazzy, I think they were chosen on account of functionality. Just some… Simple, wooden ladders. In addition to the ladders, our southwest end of Town seems to have been improved. Where we usually sell our food and booze, we meow have a few tables and barrels. According to Conrad, each barrel is either filled with alcohol or punch.
The northeast corner of Town has been commandeered by Grollicus, a Pixie, and a few Skeletons. Grollicus has balloons attached to strings that are tied to his branches. The Pixie has a mug filled with Throwing Darts. We're holding carnival games meow. The prize? One Fish Stick for every Balloon popped. You get a dart for 100 Silver Coins… And Mary has endorsed this, so it's definitely none of my business; according to a rather smug looking Pixie. The Arcade is packed, as per usual. No news there, moving along!~ The southwest corner of Town, where we normally give clothing away to the less fortunate… Has meow become a prop-up sale for Bath Towels with a 'buy one, get one half price' business model. Somehow, Clive endorsed this. He must have. I'll be very upset if I learn that my Clans(wo)men robbed my oldest business partner… But what I'll be most upset about, is that we paid a phenomenal fee for signage that I'm not even particularly happy about. My devoted followers deemed it necessary to have a solid Siberite Tourmaline sign, with the words engraved AND tinted in Citrine… The sign simply says 'Cat's Costumery Clothing Sale! Buy one, get one half off!', but it also has a doodle depicting a Cat's face on the right, and another doodle depicting a piece of candy off to the left. All of which, tinted in Citrine. Total cost for the sign? 45 Gold Coins. It would have been 50, had Vigi not cut us a little slack thanks to me having been the reason why he possessed Siberite Tourmaline in the first place.
Oh? We also have smaller signs posted all over Town. They're shaped like giant arrows. They direct visitors to each of our four attractions. The words on these signs are also tinted in Citrine. Each sign cost an additional 15 Gold Coins, and there are apparently just 4 of them. So… All in all, we've spent 105 Gold Coins on signage. Well… We'll never be rid of them, I can say that much… They're luxurious, and personalized enough that we'll never be able to part with them. Bravo.
Moving along, I decided to continue in my quest for capturing the Elven Prince. Even if he chooses to be difficult and refuses to be enslaved... He should still spend the night here so that he can enjoy the festival with us tomorrow~ Yesh… I have pure intentions, I swear. If I convince myself that I'm of good heart, even the Prince of Truth shall be tricked. I'm pure. I'm a Saint. It's a wonder how I haven't already been blessed by the Gods. My one goal is to save Melchiodore and provide a safe place for all to live their lives. To do so, I simply require complete and total honesty. I require an Elven Prince. Come to me, Lemmispire! Be my Elven lie detector!~ Unveil all of the hidden deceit in my life, and liberate my people of their sins!
That ought to do it~ MwhahahahahaHAAH!~ Hoisting myself atop the Cursed Broom, I began to vacate Halloween and head straight to Vanheim. Joined by Conrad and Robert, I found myself encountering more wild Mandrill before reaching the fields of overgrown Mushroom homes. This time, I found a rather large pack of them. They were hanging out in the trees, eating fruit or making love. A simple life. When they noticed me, they began banging their chests with their fists as they roared for a split moment… Right before they all ran away, splitting up into every direction possible. It was beautiful, for a moment. Now, it's just depressing. That's something I'm looking forward to. After I've prestiged, most monsters will probably stop inherently fearing me. Maybe, I'll be able to watch the wild monsters more. Then again, I'll still be stuck with Lianix. I very well may never experience another peaceful moment in the wild. UGHHHhhh…
Okay… Following the stream, we eventually located Vanheim. A lot of the Mushrooms glow at night. It's pretty. Also, the Elven guards decided to stop us near the edge of the City. They're standing there, blocking our path… But also, visibly shaking. Is it… Too much for me to fly over them? They do understand that all three of us are flying, right? They're not actually stopping us from doing anything by standing there like that… After around 5 awkward minutes of nothing being said, their numbers began to swell. Just a measly 10 minutes was enough time for a fleet of roughly 50 Elves to assemble at the edge of Vanheim. I guess… There won't be a better opportunity for me to speak than meow.
[A/N: THIS NOVEL IS OFFICIALLY 100% FREE TO READ ON BOTH WEBNOVEL AND ROYALROAD! IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON ANY OTHER PLATFORM, BE AWARE THAT YOU ARE NOT READING THE OFFICIAL WORK!]
"I'm Nero, the One True Allwe Halloween Cat." [Nero] introduced himself with eyes wide.
"We know who you are." [Elven Guard #1] shot back instantly.
"...Then are you aware that I hold no quarrel with Vanheim?" [Nero] begged the question while raising an eyebrow.
"Please await a representative of the Council before entering Vanheim..." [Elven Guard #1] shot back with a cold expression as he planted the dull side of his Spear down into the ground.
...I'm confused... A little. I'm a little confused. Was it not the Elven Council that demanded I make an appearance in Vanheim? Like… At least three times? Every time I met with one of their envoys, the conversation always began with them asking me to come and see Vanheim. Literally every single time. Now that I'm here, I warrant an armada of Elves to bare witness; AND one of the highest standing officials in the Forest. Is it because I'm stronger meow, is it because my relations with Nidallia have been terrible, or is it because I totally already kidnapped the Prince once already? This could be leading in a whole lot of directions… I'm not sure that I can look forward to any of them though.
This is… This is bad, right? I'm not just excessively paranoid, this is genuinely a worrisome situation. This anxiety… It's going to be the end of me. This Council(wo)man needs to hurry up. We're already sitting at around a hundred Guards and counting. My heart can't take much more of this. We're literally about to throw my own farewell party tomorrow, in which I will say farewell to the vast majority of society for the foreseeable future. A war sparking up with the Elves is definitely NOT on the agenda. If I get thrown into the predicament of needing to massacre a hundred Elves tonight, we're through. All of our funds have been thrown into making this party a highly profitable event. I can't. I literally can't afford to go to war right now. We've got Candy, but we don't have time. I'm aging at an incredibly rapid rate, and every second counts. Every moment that I still have left to live before I Prestige is power. Time is power. We're on a doom flag continent, and I'm the only Holiday Clan Leader.
I swear to Janus… If this Council picks a fight with me right now… Bro. Even the Witches are playing nice right now... READ THE ROOM, ELVES! God damn it… Here he comes. Surrounded by an orderly unit of 8 Elven Guards, a red cloaked man with some seriously nice boots is approaching. Those boots… They're fancy. Definitely consisting of varying monster hides, his Boots look like something ripped straight out of a video game. There might be some Dragon Scales in there, or some other kind of cold-blooded land monster… But there's also grey fur strapped around the shaft. His heels are some form of metal, which seems strange when attached to the scaly instep. The laces are black. The outer soles are red, but a brighter shade than the scales. The scales being red are what lead me to think about Dragons... But thinking about it, I suppose a red Crocodile is possible. His boots are so heavily customized… I'm starting to believe they're actually his weapons.
"Greetings, I am Terrance Olligar. On behalf of the Elven Council, I am to escort you during your stay in Vanheim." [Terrance Olligar] introduced himself with an innocent smile.
...Seriously? All that… For THIS?
"What's with the Boots?" [Nero] shot back while squinting.
"Oh, do you like them? I was afraid they might be too flashy…" [Terrance Olligar] muttered while seeming somewhat embarrassed.
"Definitely too flashy." [Nero] shot back instantly.
"Haaahhhh~ Well, I was kidding either way. These are how I fight." [Terrance Olligar] shot back with a wry smile as he began to show off his Boots.
"...So you kick a lot?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"I'm a Runner. I run a lot." [Terrance Olligar] corrected the Halloween Cat with a smug expression.
...A Runner? What kind of Class is specialized in simply… Running? Oh! Never mind, we already have Flyers. It only makes sense~
"So… What's the point in having an escort that's only good for being fast?" [Nero] begged the question with a wry smile.
"If you do anything questionable, I'll be able to escape you and inform the rest of the Council posthaste." [Terrance Olligar] confessed while seeming completely at peace with his incapability to handle the situation.
"...Huh." [Nero] muttered with eyes wide.
"...Yep. So, what brings you?" [Terrance Olligar] asked with a smile.
"...I'm here to take the Prince." [Nero] confessed with a smile.
"...Ah. Right this way~" [Terrance Olligar] shot back as he began to gesture for the Halloween Cat to follow him, seeming completely unfazed.
...This guy has problems. Either he absolutely hates the Prince, doesn't give a single fuck about his job, or is actually rather dense. Nothing about our conversation leads me to believe that he's braindead…
"If you don't mind me asking, what are your personal thoughts on the Crown Prince?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.
"Lemmispire Vanheim… Without a shred of doubt, he's quite young; and has had his fair share of hardship in trying to prove himself to the people. To be frank, I find myself feeling sorry for him. He's expected to be the greatest King this nation has ever known, but since he still hasn't surpassed his father; he garners little respect. It must be terrible to be under such a large spotlight." [Terrance Olligar] confessed as he continued to lead Nero down the road.
...So he doesn't hate the Prince, and he's not stupid… Does he truly just not care about his responsibility?
"So… Why are you so willing to help me take him?" [Nero] asked as he began to slow to a stop.
"...Why, you ask...? To tell you the truth… Well, I suppose that I don't really understand it myself. I woke up, sensed your presence; immediately was summoned to an emergency Council meeting… And ignored it, instead choosing to declare myself as your escort. I just… I have this strange desire to help you, is all. The Prince always spoke highly of you, so seeing that all you desire is to be reunited with him… It seems that I woke with the right intentions." [Terrance Olligar] explained while seeming somewhat dazed.
...What?! His entire story, from start to end… Is just insane! I'm walking through the City without proper clearance right now?! Are you kidding?! All based on some mysterious desire to help the most notorious Cat on the continent?! The dude's been brainwashed or something! I had no part in this! This isn't on me! There's NO WAY that I'm about to go down for this! NO!
"...You need to go faster. Right now, you need to take me to the damned Prince and never speak about this ever again." [Nero] beckoned as the flames in his eyes began to burn brighter.
"Right this way!~" [Terrance Olligar] hysterically sang as he continued to walk down the road.
...Taking one look at Conrad, it would appear that he understands. He's meow carrying both Robert and the charmed Elf through the streets toward to the one and only, triple capped Golden Mushroom house. The game is ON! Flying as fast as we could, we managed to locate the house within a matter of minutes. It was pretty hard to miss once you got close enough, but there are over a thousand Mushroom houses, okay?! It's not easy to find JUST one! Who the hell charmed an Elven Councilman anyway?! On MY behalf?! Excuse me?! I don't have any followers who can manipulate MINDS to this extent!
"Halt! Oh… Terrance Olligar? What are you doing here…?" [Elven Guard #1] asked while seeming uncertain of how to react.
"Greetings~ On behalf of the Elven Council, I have come as an escort for the One True Allwe Halloween Cat; Nero. We're here to speak with the Prince for a few short moments." [Terrance Olligar] explained while regaining his composure as he got off of Conrad's back.
"Uh-h… Right, shall we join you?" [Elven Guard #1] asked with a nervous expression.
"That won't be necessary. Please remain at your posts and protect his grace." [Terrance Olligar] instructed before casually walking straight into the Mushroom.
"Sir!" [Elven Guards] shouted in unison, before stiffening up.
...Right. Okay~ Terrance has significant pull around here. The Mushroom's decorated rather lavishly. There are bookshelves, and all the books look ancient. The paintings are quite realistic, depicting environments from all over the continent. The Dragon Mountains painting is incredible. It captures the misty vapor of the harsh environment perfectly. Those geysers are absolutely JUST like the real thing! After arriving to Lemmispire's room, we knocked on the door. Disturbingly, it opened the very moment that my hand touched the door. It was unlocked, and the candles… They're still smoking, yet have been blown out. Wait… So, the person who charmed Terrance wasn't even trying to help me? I guess… Makes sense. Yep. Okay~ I've been set up. Someone else took the Prince, and it looks as though I'm the one who did it. Simply phenomenal.
Grabbing hold of Terrance's cloak, I decided to keep the charmed Elf. If I can't have a Prince, the least I can get is a charmed Elven Councilman. Yep… It's time to switch gears, and high tail it straight back home. I'll never convince the Elves of my innocence, so I might as well take a hostage. Vacating the Mushroom, I immediately turned to the half dozen Elves guarding it, and decided to inform them that they had all failed.
"Your Prince was captured before we could arrive. It's in your best interest to inform the Crown that a coup has been staged. I wouldn't trust the Council with this knowledge. Good luck." [Nero] beckoned before getting onto his Broom and immediately flying away with Terrance in tow.
"So, where are we going?" [Terrance Olligar] begged the question while still remaining unfazed by the situation.
"The Crown Prince has been captured, and you're currently being detained by me for my own protection because it's probably going to be blamed on me." [Nero] explained with a tired expression.
"Oh, okay~" [Terrance Olligar] sighed.
"...Do you EVER lose your cool?!" [Nero] hysterically shot back.
"Listen, when you've been in power as long as I have… You start to pick up on a few things. Take it from me, this is going to work itself out in no time~" [Terrance Olligar] nonchalantly remarked.
"Your prized piece of advice is to simply… Wait, and do nothing?" [Nero] asked as one of his eyes began to twitch.
"Sounds good to me~" [Terrance Olligar] sighed.
"Easy for you to say, your name's not on the line..." [Nero] grumbled.
"I've got a good feeling about this. Trust me." [Terrance Olligar] reassured the Halloween Cat with a confident voice.
...I want to drop this guy in that massive hole deep in the Dragon Mountains. I'm close. I'm very close to dropping him in the hole.
"It's going to work out." [Terrance Olligar] exclaimed with a stupid smile on his face.
"Conrad?" [Nero] beckoned.
"Shall I see to his demise?" [Conrad] asked with a terrifying look in his eyes as he suddenly swooped ahead of the pack and began to show his massive wings off.
"Woah! That sounds rash, wouldn't you say?" [Terrance Olligar] let out before begging the question with a wry smile.
...His life's on the line, and he still can't get serious.
"I'd reckon that the Cyworctus has been getting rather famish lately." [Nero] remarked with a grin.
"Oh, yes… Mary's had us starving it for weeks…" [Conrad] muttered.
"...Cyworctus?" [Terrance Olligar] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"It's probably been around longer than any of us… It's a breathtaking beast, one of a kind. I doubt that you'd find another anywhere on this continent. Of all our precious Monster Knights, we've only found one race capable of putting up a decent fight against it. I dare say, that beast could slay me in mere minutes… I wonder how long you'll last~" [Nero] explained with a sadistic smile.
"My, my… How threatening…" [Terrance Olligar] shuddered while clearly enjoying the discussion.
"...You don't think I can do it? You seriously think that I can't take on one measly Elven Councilman?" [Nero] begged the question with a wry smile as flames began to burn from his claws.
"Nero… You're forgetting something. I'm the fastest Councilman. I'm on your Broom now, but what happens when we get closer to the ground?" [Terrance Olligar] asked while withholding a laugh.
"...Who said that there needed to BE a ground?" [Nero] shot back before beginning to fly at rapid speeds toward the edge of the continent.
...Why is he laughing? He's still laughing. We're flying as fast as I can, and we're heading directly for the ocean. Can he swim away from the obnoxious sea monsters of the Tides? I'd like to see. After reaching the Beach of Reygid, we continued out until Conrad located the epicenter of the Dungeon. On all accounts, it just seemed like we were flying in the middle of the Ocean, but I took his word for it. After dropping the hysterically laughing Elf into the jaws of the Shark, I witnessed something akin to a miracle… Or a tragedy.
A massive creature very similar to a Shark tried to devour him before he even reached the water… But right as the beast slammed it's mouth shut, I saw it. The Elf sliced the mouth of the Shark apart from the inside, presumably with a kick. Blood was gushing everywhere, so I honestly missed a whole lot of the aftermath. It was fast. It was disturbingly fast. Penny?! PENNY! Please get out here and sing me a song of time slow! Okay... Let's try this again~
The fallen massive Shark's body can float. The Elf can stand atop of the body. He's found a means of producing land for himself. Now, all he needs is a paddle. Brilliant. More and more Sharks keep appearing to challenge him, and one by one… He kicks them to minced meat. It's incredibly appetizing. Snide attitude aside, we should hire this man. He's cost me my relations with Vanheim, but he might be capable of capturing us some rather rare Fish. I've never witnessed these Sharks before. I'm thinking that they only appear when you get closer to the Dungeon. They're not exactly… Land Sharks. They're confined to the water, and hence; we normally don't encounter them. Yep. Glad we've figured that out~
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Moving along, I don't think that Terrance is going to die. He's going to make his way back to the shore, one bus truck Shark at a time. Conrad, please gather all of the corpses after he's finished. Gluttatosk would probably be in favor of lending a fin, so you can ask him for help if you'd like. Sorry, Robert… It doesn't appear that we'll be encountering your friend any time soon. Poor guy… He seems disappointed. I'd better tell Gayle about what happened. I need to get my story straight, and since Gayle has basically been living with us… She'll be able to decipher whether it's fact or not. Whether I've genuinely kidnapped the Elven Prince, she'll be able to decide. At her disposal, she has access to the Forsaken Isles, Wailing Keep, Halloween, Reygid, the Lost Kingdom, and potentially even the Chasms if she's intent on searching that far. I mean… Ask anyone here. You probably wouldn't find me elsewhere, and it's not exactly like I can't be trusted.
There are literally 95 different creatures that can hear my thoughts... All the time. I have 95 witnesses to my innocence. There shouldn't be any question about it, I can't go around having ludicrous schemes because I'm instantly accountable. Granted, my Clans(wo)men aren't the hardest to please… They more or less don't seem to care about anything I do, but I'd like to think that they'd step up and tell me if I were overstepping any boundaries. I mean, when exactly would it be acceptable to mind control a foreign high ranking individual in an attempt at kidnapping their one and only Heir to the throne? To be fair, I was going there with the exact intention of kidnapping their one and only Heir to the throne, but I was also going to ask nicely… And it wasn't like, a permanent issue; or one that I would even go so far as to try and conceal. I was going to be INCREDIBLY straight forward and blunt about the ordeal, okay?! This isn't my style!
Agh… It's just so unfair. I wanted to personally invite him to the festival, and potentially garner a little bit of royal profit from Vanheim while I played a tipsy detective slash luxurious hotel tour guide… But meow, I'm being pinned for taking him when I didn't even get to have him. It's terrible. All I want to do is drink my sorrows away… Oh? Why don't I invite Miu? She came that one time, and I think she might have also came a different time… But I'm reckless and forgetful by nature, so nyah. I could also invite Gretel and Rosina, that'd be nice. Okay… So, we're off to see the Witches.
It feels strange not having the gang around, but they're probably practicing for the festival. It's cool. I'd rather be lonely for a night than have a sloppy festival~ Wendel, if you would… I'd still like to enjoy some music, and we all know that you've had enough practice~
"You're incorrigible..." [Wendel] grumbled after appearing behind Nero on his Broom.
"You're an angel~" [Nero] sighed.
"No, I'm a WEEPING Angel." [Wendel] ruthlessly corrected the Halloween Cat before taking a deep breath, and commencing with her song.
She chose to perform 'Sick L*ke Me'. A solid choice. Unexpecting, given that she's lacking instrumentals by all accounts… But she sang it differently than as per usual. She's singing it slower, and more innocently. Ditching the heavy metal feel, she's going straight to a sad song. A lovely performance, as always~
On entry into the Forest of Witches, rather than encountering any of my favorite Witches… I was met with those two snobby girls with such low luck stats that they wound up in a vomit splash zone last night. They're mad at me for not owning up to my mistakes, but like… I'm not even the one who puked; okay? Jeez… Also, why are these two just casually flying out here in the cold ALL night anyway?!
"I'm not buying into your act of innocence. You two are posted up out here all night, every night; aren't you?" [Nero] shot back while pointing a finger at the two.
"UGH! Just WHAT are you insinuating?!' [Blonde Witch] barked with a look of disgust.
"WHAT are you doing out here all the time?!" [Nero] spat back with eyes wide.
"Well, not that it's any of your business; but lately…" [Brunette Witch] began to explain before being brutally interrupted.
"Lan, you don't need to explain to this douche. He'll be gone with the wind again in no time… Let's just go." [Blonde Witch] remarked with a snide expression.
"It's fine, really… I don't mind explaining myself." [Lan] exclaimed with a nervous smile.
"Well, if you're sure… But you really shouldn't have to." [Blonde Witch] grumbled while seeming heavily annoyed as she refused to make eye contact with a particular Halloween Cat.
"...Lately, I've been having strange dreams at night. They're incredibly vivid… I can never seem to forget them. Not even a little. The Professors think that it's just because I'm so far away from home, that I'm missing my parents… But I don't know…" [Lan] confessed while seeming somewhat frightened.
"These dreams… Are they scary?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"...Sometimes." [Lan] muttered under her breath while looking down.
"...Sometimes? Every one that you've explained to me was absolutely terrifying…" [Blonde Witch] chimed in while rolling her eyes.
"Well, the areas that the dreams take place in are always unsettling… But the contents of the dream aren't. Sometimes, I'm just talking with strange people… And others, I'm struggling to survive." [Lan] explained before shuddering.
"...Survive?" [Nero] let out while tilting his head to the side. To which, Lan nodded.
"It's like… I'm being chased by something. Something scary… And I'm not alone, either. Other people are also stuck in the same place as me, being chased around as well… I've never died while being chased, but… I can't say the same for all of the other people… I've held conversations with them. They always seem just as afraid as I am… It's too real… Do you think, that if I die in my dreams… Will I die in real life, too?" [Lan] asked as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"So, you're out here with her so that she won't need to go to sleep?" [Nero] begged the question after turning to face the Blonde.
"...Well, yeah… Lan's my friend. If she's too afraid to sleep, I don't mind staying up every once in awhile~" [Blonde Witch] laughed.
...Lan's story reminds me of the Arcade. That twisted game I played… Her dream depicts what it would be like to experience it from the victim's perspective. It's insane… Is that game actually messing with someone's sleep? Sort of like… How Lianix invades my dreams? Wait, she said that it's only scary sometimes… So, she also has dreams that don't involve being chased to death? Also… That question about whether she'd really die… I don't know. The Allwessistant Dott might.
"You mentioned how it was only scary some of the time… Does that mean some nights, you aren't being chased at all? What happens on those nights?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"...They're different all the time. If I don't find myself in danger, then I find myself running into a relatively friendly creature… The creatures are never the same. I've never witnessed anything like them, and something tells me that I'd never want to in real life… But that beast you flew with yesterday… It seemed like a creature that I might encounter in my dreams. It was certainly scary enough…" [Lan] explained while seeming to have begun to regain her composure.
...Well, that checks out. It's definitely something related to Halloween, but I don't fully understand it. If that Arcade game was just some sick way for Halloween Clansmen to spend time creating nightmares for Humans… Then why would it choose to repeatedly target the same individuals? Does it… Keep targeting you UNTIL you die in the dream? At which point, you just… What? Forget about the whole thing and move on? You'd think that this whole phenomena would be more widespread and acknowledged if it's something that's happening all the time… I mean, my Clans(wo)men seem to really favor that game. Every time that I'm in the Arcade, at least SOMEONE is playing it. You'd think that I'd have encountered more than one individual with this problem, but then again… Most people probably wouldn't go around sharing the fact that they're cursed with nightmares. Honestly… I think that going through what Lan's going through right meow, could very well cause someone to go mad; and I speak from experience. I too, have my sleep brutally tormented on a nightly basis.
Last night, Lianix decided to attempt at seducing me… But the entire ordeal was just plain old creepy. Her body is… Unique. She's got all the right parts, but also… All the parts that scream for you to 'run'. She's got a 'damn, I'd hit that; but I'd probably die five minutes after' vibe. A deadly flower. The message of her entire seduction act was that she also didn't want to sleep with me; but because we still hadn't found her a Legendary Lantern husband… She didn't have much of a choice. I need a second Cursed Legendary Weapon or I'll need to bang my Broom for an eternity… Yeah. So, with that in mind… It's only right for me to do my best to free Lan from her night terrors. One way or another, we'll put an end to her torment. Worst case scenario? We slap a Vampirism bandage on her and call it a night. Nyah~
"I'll help you. In exchange, I need you to find Miu from the Academy… As well as Gretel and Rosina who work in the Hag's Hollow. Tell all three of them that Nero's holding a Festival in Reygid tomorrow night, and that they're welcome to attend. You're also welcome to attend, and stay the night there. I'll probably help you the morning after." [Nero] explained with a smile before immediately flying away from the Forest of Witches.
Whew~ That was close… Had I stayed any longer, I might have given away the fact that I'm probably at least somewhat at fault for a vast majority of her worst nightmares. Indirectly at fault, probably. Then again, I'm not the only Halloween Cat. The other one probably has an Arcade, too.
"Nero… Midnight is approaching." [Molag Dregora] announced after appearing for a split moment.
...Huh. OH! Yeah. I need to go and see which parties leave the Mummy Mansion. I'd almost forgotten~ Thank you, Molag! Flying to the Mummy Mansion was simple~ I'm getting better with Reygid. I've been here awhile meow. The weather's certainly getting colder… I think… Is that snow? It's very light, but it's definitely happening. What a shame… Winter is finally coming. I can't wait to hide in the warmer Forsaken Isles. My tropical retreat~
The Mummy Mansion's pretty crowded. Seems like a lot of people want to get a glimpse of the returning Adventurers. I'm currently floating above it at a respectable distance, because I enjoy having the best seats. Wendel's singing 'F*nhouse', making this somewhat of an actual event.
After around halfway through her song, one minute to midnight… The doors opened. First to exit was none other than the Lunar Llamas. All five of them escaped, but two of them were wounded. One of them totally lost an arm, while the other was petrified. The Slimes are dangerous~ As soon as they got out, they were being marauded with business offers and it really didn't seem like anyone cared about the wounded. I think I'll pass and wait for them to recover before trying to push anything on them~
The second party to come out of the Mansion was a little bit harder for me to immediately decipher, but with the help of all the pedestrians' murmurs… I learned that Never Rest had returned. One of the big two. Also, one of the two who are less likely to partake in my festivities. What shocked me, and most of the civilians below the most… Was that Never Rest didn't just send one or two members out. They're all here. Even Lex Jeruke, the Tier 17 Martial Artist Jester. His appearance is quite frankly… Unheard of, or so I keep hearing. I'm not sure whether I should be worried or not. Roy didn't think Never Rest would stand in my way, but he also didn't think that we'd be seeing them. Other parties are following behind him, but I don't know of them. I'd best introduce myself. One doesn't get a second chance for a first impression. Clansmen~ Make a show of it!
Moments later, Scarecrows appeared through the fire and flames… Kneeling at both of my sides, forming a path for them to approach me down the street. Wraiths appeared from beneath the roads, ascending to form a large circle around me; albeit slightly beneath me. Skeletons and Vampires appeared on the rooftops surrounding the Mansion. Conrad split his soul into 99 Crowliphistae, and had them surround the Mansion in the skies. Wolrietta, Wilson, Christina, and the Arachnae could be seen slowly walking down the streets toward us from every direction. Penny appeared and slowed time as they all appeared, ensuring that every single person here had the chance to witness our arrival. Moments later, the Hallowed Howl was heard for the very first time… In as long as I can remember. The crowds went silent, so I guess it worked.
"Greetings… I am Nero Miki, the One True Allwe Halloween Cat. I represent a remnant of the Halloween Clan. I've rallied a portion of the Lost Kingdom, rebuilt the order of the Monster Knights, annexed the Forsaken Isles as well as Reygid… I have liberated the people here from slavery, taxes, and have also made it my problem to see to the Tides of Tragedy." [Nero] explained the situation with a smile as he slowly began to descend toward the two parties.
"...Where's the King?" [Lex Jeruke] asked with a look of disgust.
"Dead by my claws." [Nero] confessed with eyes wide.
"...The Queen?" [Lex Jeruke] asked once more while furrowing his eyebrows.
"If you're referring to his lover, she's dead. Their son fought for their lives, and was also slain. Their daughter remains with us, having informally renounced her throne for the time being; she is treated well and will continue to be." [Nero] confessed before adjusting his aviators.
"I see… Walk with me, will you?" [Lex Jeruke] asked with a troubled expression.
"It would be my honor. Before we part ways with the rest of your party, I'd like to offer an invitation to all of you. The Lunar Llamas are also welcome to join us, as are the rest of Reygid. Tomorrow night, at my wondrous Wailing Keep… We will be holding another festival for the people. Food, drinks, Bath Towels, music, and gambling will all be present in the festivities… So come in high spirits, because all are welcome." [Nero] announced with a wry smile as he waved to the crowd.
Moments later, cheers erupted throughout the streets and Wendel broke out into song as she nonchalantly get off my Broom… Along with a LOT of other Clans(wo)men. They're performing 'This Is Wh*t Rock N Roll Looks Like'.
"Quite the ensemble you bring along… Numbers aren't everything, you know…" [Lex Jeruke] remarked with a smug expression.
"Don't worry, I've got better cards up my sleeves." [Nero] shot back while side-eyeing the Martial Artist Jester.
"Well, I'd guess so… Killing the King would've been impossible if you didn't have something else. How did you do it?" [Lex Jeruke] begged the question with a serious look in his eyes.
"...Eh? I killed the King by my own claws… Frankly, he didn't fight back. I think losing his son caused him to give in." [Nero] remarked with a troubled expression.
"...Tell me. What are you to do when the Tides come?" [Lex Jeruke] asked with a solemn expression.
"...What can be done? We'll fight them, the same as we do every other night." [Nero] replied with eyes wide.
"...And when the Mansion comes?" [Lex Jeruke] asked once more, with a solemn expression.
"They're coming?" [Nero] shot back while furrowing his eyebrows.
"I asked you about the King because the Mansion's not going very well. Since the King is dead, you've left me with no other choice. You're coming with me to the Adventurer's Guild. We need to figure out a plan of defense." [Lex Jeruke] replied as he continued to hastily walk down the road.
"You seem pretty confident that they're coming… Any reasoning behind that?" [Nero] begged the question.
"Hmph… Why else do you think we'd be here? This is the new front." [Lex Jeruke] grumbled.
"Y-You're kidding." [Nero] muttered.
"The Dawn Raiders have been annihilated. What you saw come through that door is all that's left." [Lex Jeruke] explained with a quiet voice.
"...All twenty of them?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.
"Not a single survivor… Last we heard of them, they were trying to hold the Dining Room long enough for the other parties to escape the upstairs. Only one person ever made it to the Foyer from the Dining Room. Her tales told of mass petrification, and a nightmare unlike any other. By the time she escaped the Dining Room, there were only a handful still capable of moving. They don't stand a chance at making it another week on their own." [Lex Jeruke] explained before slamming the doors of the Adventurer's Guild open.
...Yikes. It's coming. It's finally coming. That highly anticipated undoing of all our hard work? The downfall of this continent? Yeah. That. With no one in the Mansion defending the final minute, we've got exactly one week before this place goes up in flames. On entry into the Guild, murmurs were aplenty. Everyone knows what his return means… There's really no hiding this. We're fucked. We've been granted an immediate meeting with the Guild Master. After being led up the stairs, it seems he's already been filled in on the matter. His gaze is incredibly cold.
"Well… We all knew it would happen some day… I just never thought it would come to this now, of all times…" [Trilby Rona, Boarkin Head of Adventurer's Guild] grumbled.
"It's most unfortunate… Thankfully, we have Nero's followers to rely upon in these most dire circumstances." [Miller Jolfstadt, Moosekin Adventurer's Guild Manager] remarked with a hint of optimism.
"Indeed… They've already survived a week in the Mummy Mansion during the moment of legend… Perhaps they can solve this issue for us as well." [Trilby Rona] muttered under his breath.
"Even more exploits to hear of?" [Lex Jeruke] remarked while raising an eyebrow.
"I heard that he invaded the Pyramid of Pleasure, and Nidallia's Castle; rescuing droves of captives both times." [Miller Jolfstadt] remarked with a wry smile.
...Are they mocking me? Why am I the only one taking this seriously all of a sudden?!
"The Dawn Raiders have perished. There's no one left in the Mansion, so we have 7 nights to prepare for an unwinnable war." [Nero] chimed in before lowering his aviators. To which, Karen the Pigkin dropped a platter of filled glasses.
"T-The Dawn Raiders are DEAD?!" [Karen] screamed in terror.
...I forgot how loud she was. She's always WAY over the top, why is she even allowed to be in such serious meetings?! Wendel… Where's my barrel?
"No one drank from it." [Wendel] declared while puffing out her chest as she suddenly appeared from the Lantern with a barrel in tow.
...Great. Now, the Stone Woman enjoys booze~
"Thanks." [Nero] shot back with a tired expression before taking a massive swig from his barrel.
"...You don't want a glass?" [Miller Jolfstadt] begged the question with a baffled expression.
"Oh, so that Karen can go ahead and break it for me? Hard pass." [Nero] grumbled in between swigs.
"W-We have more glasses…" [Miller Jolfstadt] muttered with a nervous expression.
"I've literally watched Wendel shatter dozens of glasses at once by hitting a single high note... I won't be fooled by the promise of luxury. I'll be stuck in the mud for the rest of my life... Which is meow estimated to be roughly one week." [Nero] declared with a solemn expression before taking a final swig of his barrel.
"O-Oh… Okay. Moving along, how do you believe it best we handle such a precarious situation? Anyone have any ideas?" [Miller Jolfstadt] begged the question while glancing around the room. To which, everyone present simply sighed.
"T-T-There must be something we can do… Right?!" [Karen] asked with a frantic look in her eyes.
"Well… We'd better move this meeting to the Wailing Keep, and call in some allies; because from where I'm sitting… We're finished." [Nero] sighed. To which, Trilby Rona simply nodded.
"Very well. Let's carry on to your home. Is there anything that we can do with helping to summon the individuals necessary?" [Miller Jolfstadt] asked with eyes wide.
"Actually, yeah. Call for Roy and Veronica Vellisroi. Have them summon the heads of every Vassal family in Reygid, as well as the nobility of the head houses. Everyone in Never Rest should be present, as should the Lunar Llamas. If it's to my understanding, they are the only two parties to fully escape from the Mummy Mansion? We'll need to inform the Elves, Witches, and Orcs for the event that we should fall. Thankfully, I have at least one connection within each of their regions." [Nero] beckoned before getting up from his seat, and turning to leave.
"...Yes. No other parties escaped, but there were a few stragglers from Braveheart, the Darkhorse Liaison, and the Praying Mantis." [Lex Jeruke] explained with a somber expression.
"I'll see to it that Roy's called for." [Trilby Rona] declared.
"I'll handle finding all of the Lunar Llamas if you can handle Never Rest?" [Miller Jolfstadt] offered while gesturing toward Lex. To which, Lex nodded.
"Great, then it's settled. I'll see you all soon." [Nero] said while waving to the group as he left the room.
...Right. We're fucked. Why can't Melchiodore just be… Easy? Like, give me a few more months; and we'd probably be fine… But nah~ Hard mode! All the time. Ugh… Conrad, call for an assembly. Every single Monster Knight should know what's going on. Including Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon, and Grenda. Get Clive, Vigi, and Rudou too. Just incase… We'll need everyone to be reeled in. Bring your spare Crowliphistae to the Beach, begin our back-up measures. No matter what happens, not a single beast of those Tides is to wash up onto our shores. Not a living one, anyways. Also, no matter what happens… Terrance Olligar will remain in those waters, kicking his way to godhood. I won't have him in my Court. Not right now. Also, please ask Mary to fix up a feast. I'll be waiting in the Dining Hall while Wendel dazzles me with a performance of 'D*va Dance'. Thank you.
Ahhh… What a perfect song for such a situation as this~ As my comrades gather and take their seats, Wendel's voice soothes our souls… Preparing us for the war that's to come. It's do or die time, meow~ Show me the strength you've been gaining at that Beach, Jon. Is it just me, or did Gillie Evolve into a different species? She's not the same Tier 4 Golden Retrieverkin we all knew and loved… She's changed. I'm almost certain that her eyes weren't green like that before… She's giving me some sort of 'power overwhelming' vibe… Echo's also different. She's got a horn on her freaking forehead meow. She's a Frogicornkin, or a Bulltoadkin. Lora… LORA TOTALLY GOT THE SNAKE HAIR! She's such a badass…
Looking around… It seems that a lot of us are stronger now. It's just Halloween that's been left behind… According to Roah, the lowest Tier Monster Knight from the War of the Wailing Keep is meow 5… But that doesn't include Mary or the children, because she doesn't fight; and they haven't really started their training yet. I never wanted to raise an army of children… But the fact at hand is that this world is falling apart. Thanks to these Dungeons, their lives have been endangered since they were born. Their predecessors are failing in their quests to keep these Dungeons away from them... One day, the monsters twisted by these Dungeons WILL come for these children. They need to be prepared. They need the stats required to run, at the very least. As things are, they're sitting ducks… Anxiously fearing the moment that their lake is invaded by rich, old men making sport over their corpses. The children will be trained. If not to fight for their people, then to fight for their lives.
"Nero… What's going on?" [Renjuoko] muttered while wiping the sleep away from his eyes.
"...The end is drawing near. Tonight, we're going to plan a means of survival." [Nero] confessed with a weak smile.
"...The end?" [Renjuoko] mumbled with an innocent expression. To which, Cindy approached with eyes wide.
"...Yep. I know that you're surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and that what we're going to speak of may give you more fear than hope… But this is something that you'll need to know about when you return to your homeland. They'll need to know what's happened here later." [Nero] explained before rustling the Snow Elf's hair. To which, he was given a hug.
"Don't die..." [Renjuoko] whispered as he held onto the Halloween Cat.
"I'll try~" [Nero] sighed as he pat the Snow Elf's back.
"Nero… I don't like what I've been hearing from Penny." [Cetilla] whispered while side-eyeing the loose-lipped Pixie.
"The Dawn Raiders were massacred. Never Rest is back, in their entirety. The Lunar Llamas is the only other party to escape fully intact with no casualties. We've got one week to muster the strength required to withhold both Dungeons from the Beach, and the streets of Reygid itself." [Nero] whispered while side-eyeing the Dutchess of Doom.
"That can't be…" [Cetilla] muttered with eyes wide.
"...But it is. The last known sighting of the Dawn Raiders claimed that only a handful of them remained, and they're to be holding out a full week on their own." [Nero] sighed.
"Well, what are we doing about it?" [Roah] begged the question with a grin.
"I've called for the heads of every noble household within Reygid, so that we can potentially muster enough firepower to stage two fronts. We'll relay our findings to the Elves, Witches, and Orcs. They'll be the ones first affected if we fail, so it only makes sense that they know what's happening. Any suggestions?" [Nero] explained before shrugging his shoulders.
"Failure means an evacuation to the Forsaken Isles. No matter what happens, we can't allow this to be the end of us." [Cetilla] shot back as her hair suddenly fell flat.
"...Agreed. Anything else to add?" [Nero] asked with a weak smile.
"We can't sustain life on the Forsaken Isles. We're heavily reliant on the Fish from the Forest of Fae, and the Harpies of the Chasms won't be able to follow us to the Isles without abandoning the other races." [Roah] chimed in with a dejected expression.
"...Which they won't do." [Nero] grumbled while rolling his eyes.
"I don't mean to butt in here… But I don't know how I'd feel about being a Monster Knight if we abandoned the One Eyed Lizards..." [Cycleo] remarked as a tear fell from his eye.
"We aren't leaving anyone behind." [Nero] replied with a weak smile.
"Alright, look… The Lost Kingdom numbers around 5000 creatures, and that's being generous… But Reygid is well over four times that size. Realistically speaking… We can't save everyone if things go up in flames here. The soil's too good to pass up on, we'll all die of hunger within a week if we go anywhere else." [Cetilla] explained with a serious expression.
"Wait… If hunger's the only issue, then why don't you all just join Halloween?" [Rei] suggested while tilting her head to the side.
...And so, the room erupt into a rather lively discussion. I see quite a few unfamiliar faces among us. It must be the nobles… There are still people slowly streaming in through the doors, so not everyone's here yet… But it would appear that they've been given at least a little bit of a heads up on the situation. Having 25000 creatures suddenly become my Clans(wo)men… It's definitely an idea. A good idea? Maybe. For the time being, sure… But in the long haul? Probably not. Don't get me wrong. I love Halloween just as much as the next Cat, but I'd feel compelled to have them all become Vampires. Vampires don't lose out on very much of their stats, and don't technically need to kill anyone in order to survive; so they'd be the most logical solution for an unwinnable War in a desolate land without ample food… But at the same time… If I were to suddenly die, and leave all of those Vampires behind… Yikes. They'd need several nations to donate Blood regularly, or they'd become something akin to a travelling Dungeon.
For this to work… We'd need to find someone capable of dispelling Luna's Curse when the timing's right. Supposedly, high ranking officials of Churches should do the trick; but both of the ones on this continent that I know of have utterly failed. The one that Luna told me about said the Curse was too strong, but that he'd normally have been able to dispel Vampirism. Does that mean that if it's one of Luna's descendants casting the Curse, it might not be as strong? Can we widdle the Curse down to a weaker potency by having her fledglings do the work?
"It's worth a shot~" [Luna] replied with a nonchalant expression.
"What is?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a frustrated expression.
"We might be able to weaken Luna's Curse and allow those afflicted to be cured if we have one of the other Vampires Curse someone, before having that other person Curse the next." [Nero] explained while shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, I'd never allow myself to be Cursed without promise of being curable…" [Unknown Bearkin #1] grumbled.
"Yeah… It's not exactly an optimal solution, but the way I see it… Forcing Halloween onto everyone was never going to work in the first place. It's a last resort plan, if all else fails and we've been doomed from the start… It's the only way that WE can save those who survived the first wave." [Nero] replied with a dejected expression before continuing…
"That's just it, though. We might fail at fully protecting Reygid. If that happens, the Beastkin will be faced with a few options. They can run for their lives, seeking refuge in a nearby Kingdom… Hell, they can even try to fly away to a different continent altogether… Or they can abandon their age, their hunger, their mortality, and perhaps even their sanity… In an attempt to fight for those that they've lost. Stay here, lay down your lives and wealth to help us turn this Kingdom into a Fortress stronger than any Dungeon this City has ever faced… Build an Empire amid the constant battle that we are about the wage, or abandon your people and choose to fight another day. Just know, that if you flee; you'll only have yourself to blame should these Dungeons make their way to you yet again." [Nero] remarked after taking a stand and silencing the tables.
"...Turn this Kingdom into a Fortress?" [Grollicus] asked with a confused expression.
"Tomorrow night, we will be holding the largest festival that we've ever had. It will generate enough of a profit for us to get this operation underway… But when thinking about the severity of this issue, we'll likely need to hold more than one. I'm no fool… I may be a capable businessman, but I'm by no means capable of producing as much of a revenue as all of you. I can't do this alone. I'll handle supplying armor to the armies. Clive will jack up his prices for civilians, which will allow me to pay for more Candy, so that we can conjure better armor. Rudou will handle procuring any necessary goods from overseas to support the war effort. Candy related goods included. He can speak with the Koalakin Candy Man and Edith about necessary materials. Vigi will get in contact with all of the other Forges and Lumbermills in Reygid, but we've also got our prized Mousekin Artisan over here to help with any Wood related quarrels. The Harpies of the Chasms will help Vigi gather rare minerals, which they will later use to build strong walls and barricades to fortify both the Beach, and the Mummy Mansion. I can handle paying for all of the clothing, but I can't also handle paying for all the Wood that we'll need to procure overseas. I'd like to think that the Blacksmiths will offer reduced costs for their labor in exchange for continued to protection against these growing threats, but we can't abandon our laws against slavery... Not even under these circumstances. This is why I'm calling on the nobility. If you can handle paying for the Wood to keep coming in, and for the Blacksmiths and Miners to keep working... This might actually work. Gayle Aldermune, I'll need you to relay what's happening to Vanheim. Echo, I'll need you to relay it to the Orcs. You're of the Frogs, so they'll take kindly to you. I'll speak with the Witches, as it so happens; I'll have a few Witches visiting us for the festival tomorrow either way." [Nero] explained his plan before taking his seat once more.
Alright… Their gears are turning. They're now discussing different measures that they can take to see these plans to fruition. As it turns out, no one wants to become a Vampire. When threatened with the shame of abandoning their titles or potentially even life-long Curses… It would seem that even the normally lazy Nobles can get a grip and begin taking responsibility around here. Jeez… These guys did absolutely nothing as their previous King was assassinated, and only really bothered to show up later on because imminent death was involved. Now that their Kingdom is on the brink of collapse, their land and their very mortality both being on the line… They're all in~