Feeling totally refreshed, I am now awake. It looks like it's around midnight. My friends are awake and around, so I can see them off nice and proper. Yosh! It seems that my Clansmen were keeping everyone company outside the hut. Fish are already being passed around, sweet deal! I'll just scoot right on in here, and-oh. I'm still in Cat form. My bad~ I'll just be one sec! Stepping back out of the hut a few minutes later, I grabbed some Fish and began to tell everyone of my intentions for the night.
"I'm going back on my journey tonight, after I've finished eating." [Nero] said bluntly.
"Hoh~ To where might the travelling Cat, Nero be going?" [Goblin Village Wheat Farmer Sama] asked while chewing on some Prairie grass.
"To a land in the not too distant west, there have been murmurs of enslaved Halloween Clansmen. I simply cannot simply sit idly by any longer! I must rescue my captive brethren and bring them to my cause by all means necessary!" [Nero] yelled chivalrously while stomping one leg atop a stump and raising his opposite hand dramatically through the air above his head.
"No! You can't possibly risk going on such a treacherous journey! There's so much more left to see, don't go throwing away such a valuable life to try and be the hero!" [Bloody Jester] pleaded with trembling shoulders, as if imagining the worst possible fate to come.
"He's right, you know. You should bring a trusty Goblin with you, like I~" [Goblin Viking] butted in, while puffing out his chest proudly.
"Nero, is it true?! Are you actually going to slay the fascists of the West?!" [Random Goblina #1] chided in while looking slightly promiscuous.
"Ouuuh! But Nero, it's far too risky!" [Random Goblina #2] added while fluttering a fan to cover her mouth.
"Silence! You fools, don't you see that he's doing this for our sake?! By challenging those evil beings, he's making a claim that the Lost Kingdom still stands! For us to have such a noble hero among us, to rescue less fortunate creatures on our behalf and bring them into our Village with open arms, he-" [Random Goblin #1]
"That's enough. I'm going. That's the end of the story, I'm going to save the enslaved Scarecrows and bring them back here. Farewell, great Goblin Village!" [Nero] called while securing an absurd amount of Candy and riding off on his Broom.
Jeez. That was too much. I said one role play line and then the entire Village just had to get all in on it! Who were those guys anyways?! Also, I can't even believe what that one male Goblin was starting to say. What my Clansmen decide to do after I die is entirely up to themselves. Who said anything about them being rescued on behalf of the Goblin Village? Excuse me? I'm not just one of Goblin Village Wheat Farmer Sama's lackeys, you know?! I'm a travelling Cat who happens to be friends with the Village Chief of a small Goblin Village. I also happen to be helping him manage the ecosystem around that small Goblin Village. It's convenient for me too though!
Soon, I'll finally be able to have a home of my own. That still doesn't change how convenient it is for me to have a close relationship with the Goblin Village Chief. Honestly speaking, I could probably befriend just about any of the Goblins in that Village and it would be equally as convenient for me... But I like the Goblin Chief. I also like his guards. They're good people. It's not like I'm purposely saying that the Lost Kingdom itself deserves to be recognized as its own Territory among the other 12 places that I know of near here. I honestly haven't witnessed most of the Territories first hand, so I don't know just how large they are. Nor do I actually know just how much war potential each of them have. In my opinion though, the Lost Kingdom's war potential is subpar at best. They can't afford to be going to war at all because they aren't unified... At all.
Hell, my war potential is probably multitudes better than any one area of the Lost Kingdom... Aside from maybe the Chasm or the Lake. I don't know what lurks beneath the Chasm, but the Lake is bad news. I also don't really know what lurks beneath most of the caves and dens scattered around the Lost Kingdom. I know that the Snake den has no boss monster aside from the slain Python. I know that the Wolf cave has no alpha aside from the captured Werewolf. I know that the Slime monsters refuse or continuously fail to Evolve and so they have no leader. The Squirrbits have a few Tier 3 monsters, and I'm hoping that they have nothing stronger than that. I don't think the Bears, Deer, or Foxes have anything above a Tier 3, but I can't be sure. Each of them have their own dwelling which could possibly be hiding leaders. I have a larger suspicion that there's some kind of a queen in charge of the Caterpillars and Butterflies. Bugs just give me that idea though.
As things stand, if there are leaders to those races; they don't move. They'd probably be staying still to emit haki like the Goblin Chief does. The thing that confuses me about it is that a lot of those races all probably live relatively close to each other. If they have leaders producing haki on purpose, why are they doing it so close to each other? No matter how I look at it, the southern side of the Lost Kingdom is substantially less populated than the northern side. Most of the races live somewhere up there. I don't understand why they all choose to live in a brutal frenzy-like state which never ends. Perhaps even as the self proclaimed guardian of the ecosystem, I still will never understand the true motives of some monster races. I am but a Cat, after all.
Anyways, now that I'm a considerable distance west of the Goblin Village... I can actually see some things that I barely ever fly near. There are clear dirt road paths leading directly through the Lost Kingdom connecting to the Beastkin Kingdom. I guess these are the trade routes which were blocked by bandits before. There are less trees in this area, and it seems more like flat grasslands. On the border of the Beastkin Kingdom, there's a large fort-like structure built into a stone wall guarding the entire border. I guess it's for paying a toll to enter the Kingdom. I actually neglected to carry my massive chest of Silver, so I only have an extra empty bucket of Candy which is carrying Silver and Gold coins to use.
Even with that bucket, I still don't feel comfortable conforming to the standards of this Kingdom and paying the toll. It might have something to do with the fact that I can easily fly over the fort, or it might have something to do with the fact that I'm displeased with some of the first knowledge that I hear about this place being that oftentimes, they enslave my Clansmen. I don't know, but I'm not paying their toll. Besides, I don't have identification. I'm sure it's going to be fine.
After passing over their fort high above the sky quite easily, I started to descend a little bit to get a better look at the overview. So far, I'm seeing a lot of flat grasslands the same as the ones which were near the border. It's probably rich soil for farming, which is why this Kingdom is known for its farms. That's all I know about this Kingdom aside from the fact that there are probably Cat Beastkin, Werewolves, Scarecrows, and Crows here. Now that I think about it, my information on this place is pretty objective based. It's all about the potential races which I might find here. You can't blame me, there's a lot of small talk going around but I have selective hearing due to my long inner tangents. I have a high INT stat. That's why. Duh.
Flying over a considerable number of farm ranches, I can see that a lot of people choose the farming occupation here. Most of the families don't have very large ranches, but I guess the soil is next level good even for a game-like world or something? I don't understand how their plots of land can amount for a living. The houses near the smaller farms don't look shabby either. They seem like they're built by carving out seriously overgrown mushrooms and have wood added to the interior to make it more structurally appealing. It's honestly a lot better than I can say for the Goblin Village living standards.
Looking at the comparison between the houses for the smaller farms and the houses for the larger farms though, it would seem that the more prominent farmers can afford to have actual houses made from scratch without relying on overgrown mushrooms. They're pretty big houses, made of wood and stone. I'd say these bigger houses trump most of the Demon Kingdom homes in Orpia. They don't trump the massive Temples, obviously due to size. But, they are probably more comfortable to live in than the Temples. That's due to the lack of windows, lighting, and easy to access exits within in the Temples.
And about the Farms... I do indeed see that most farms have an enslaved Scarecrow monster. Some of them instead use some sort of Golem monster. In total, I have already counted more than 20 Scarecrow monsters being enslaved at farms. It's a gut wrenching number that grows with every passing minute. I'll need to keep track of how many Scarecrow monsters have been captured here. That much, I'm sure of. I cant allow even a single one of them to stay here like this. I refuse to allow it. My entire class description basically forbids it, even without my opinion on the matter. Why can't you just pay the freaking Scarecrows?!
After thoroughly exploring and counting the Scarecrows that I encountered for about 3 hours, I finally reached a conclusion. There are 103 Scarecrows currently being enslaved in this Kingdom. I'm absolutely horrified. Beastkin are technically monsters, right? So, can someone tell me why is it that they are out here enslaving each other as if it's nobody's business? Am I technically enslaving monsters? No. I provide them with food, shelter, and I'm even in the works of attempting to find them a mate. You know what I also give them? Limited immortality. While I am alive, life for the Clansmen that I capture is paused.
They do not age while in my care. They receive 12 hours of freedom everyday, and sometimes I don't even call on them at all. If I am also trying to find them a mate while keeping them safe and giving them limited immortality, then I am giving them a payment that no one else can. That I know of, anyways. I am giving them a chance at finding a potential partner. I am also introducing them to new friends who happen to have something in common with them. They're all Halloween Clansmen of the same cult, and they're all someone who I am trying to find a partner for.
I feel that for a lot of monsters, it can be challenging to find a partner within your own lifetime. For some monsters, they might go their entire life without actually having met another monster of their kind. I can help solve that. That's what I can do which no one else can, that I know of! So, no. I don't think that my cult counts as an enslavement situation. Besides, most of the Clansmen that I find are quite literally starving. I'm helping them in plenty of ways.
Not that I don't want to begin trying to save the Scarecrows immediately, but I feel like doing so will ultimately shorten the amount of time that I can safely spend in this Kingdom. If I go off on a crusade to save the Scarecrows now, I'll probably be chased out of the Kingdom by some elite guards and then won't have a chance to make any Cat Beastkin friends. I have a dream. It's a dream of like minded Cats joining paws and exploring the vast world together. It can only be achieved by Cats, no Dogs allowed. Sorry.
Luckily, I saw a Castle City earlier. It seems that there is indeed a capital for this farming Kingdom. The Castle was made of stone, and had yellow flags adorning it. There are beautiful lush greeneries and flowers adorning not only the castle, but the surrounding areas. The thin pink rose vines adorning the castle rather invasively, and those vines continue to invasively adorn the city houses as well. The vines don't seem to have thorns, so it's simply a beautiful decoration. I wonder if it ever caused a door or window to be inoperable? Haaah~ The roofs of most the houses in the City are probably painted a similar yellow to the flags from before, and the city guards wear iron armor with yellow capes. The guards don't wear helmets, so it's easier to see what type of races each are. It's a genuine plethora of races, all over the place. There are plenty of Cats! Some of the Beastkin look more Beast than Human. I wonder if I can choose to change into a form similar to that? Probably. Would I want to? Maybe as a disguise. It's nice that there are so many monster races living happily around here, but why do the Scarecrows get forced into slavery?
Comparing the Beastkin civilians walking this city to my usual sight of the monsters roaming the Lost Kingdom is like comparing the original planet of the *pes to animal pl*net. It's surreal. Why are the monsters of the Lost Kingdom such savages?! I see a bank, I see a church, I see a monster slave market, I see an adventurers guild, I see a human slave market, I see numerous shops, I see a blacksmith, I see a jeweler, I see a school, for crying out loud! I'm so jealous! I'm out here being some animal rights activist who watches over the safari while these guys get to be school teachers living the easy life, teaching young kids to just go enslave Scarecrow monsters and Humans to handle their life for them!
That's it. I'm forming my Cat ensemble and then I'm done with this place. If I thought that there were going to be any worthwhile allies for the Lost Kingdom formerly known as the Monster Kingdom, I thought it would be the Beastkin Kingdom and the Forest of the Fae. The Forest of the Fae was supposedly originally an ally to the Monster Kingdom, and I figured the Beastkin Kingdom would be somewhat similar... But this is just too much. You guys don't seem to give any regard to the fact that you're also monsters. I don't know what I was expecting, I certainly was expecting a degree of civility like this... But I wasn't expecting to see not one, but two slave markets just hanging out in the middle of town. They aren't hidden at all, they don't even have roofs. The slaves are forced to brave the weather until they are sold. At which point, it's no telling if they're even given shelter. The Scarecrows certainly weren't.
I'm utterly disgusted. Once again, I must lower my evaluation of this continent. The Demon Kingdom was more discreet than this about their dark dealings. I'm heading straight to the adventurers guild to find some like minded, strong Cats. I say that, but I'm actually going to the bar in the adventurers guild to get hammered. There's a method to this drinking. I need to hear rumors. Preferably, the type of rumors which are spurred the moment that someone walks into a room. You know, the kind that someone says to their friend to tell them why it's such a big deal that 'so' and 'so' just entered the establishment? Those kinds of rumors. That's what this one is looking for tonight, my friends.
[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 scrapper 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]
Every time I get that strange feeling that it's just been another 'gasp, ____ has arrived!' moment, I'll peek at the entrance and scan for Cat people. If there's a Cat among them, then that Cat might be strong and suitable enough to help keep me safe while I sleep. Then, I can go introduce myself and see if they have a personality that I can see myself coming to enjoy having around. That is how I will headhunt for my Cat Crew! Yosh! Mission: Start!
Arriving in the bar of the Adventurer guild, I remember that I have bright glowing orange eyes; so I promptly adjust my sunglasses to ensure that no one can see them before I remove the hood to my raincoat. Teehee~ Yesh, I have Cat ears. I sensed a 'gasp' moment when I entered because of my strangely 21st century apparel... I guess. Stop! You're making me blush! I wasn't supposed to be the one to cause the moment!
Taking a seat by the bar, I made sure that I sat in a position where I could easily move my eyes to see the entryway. I'm all set now, so I asked the dark blue Birdman Bartender for a glass of the good stuff. Yeah, I got Coin~I gave one of my few Gold Coins while slightly lowering my glasses in a way only he could see to show that I wasn't playing around. While I did that, I slightly pointed to my ears and winked. I need the good gossip tonight, sir.
Seemingly understood, he pointed to three different tables and proceeded to give me the lowdown. Each of the tables he pointed to held a Cat Beastkin. He proceeded to tell me the feats and accomplishments of each of those 3 Cats. The first one he explained to me was about a brown furred Cat with green eyes. He looks more Human than Beast. The brown furred Cat is apparently a Templar class and is considered a hero among the Kingdom Knights. The second one he explained to me was about a grey furred Cat with yellow eyes. He looks more Beast than Human. The grey furred Cat is apparently a well known Merchant. The third one he explained to me was about an orange furred Cat with sapphire eyes. She looks more Human than Beast. The orange furred Cat is apparently a Sorceress class who is well known for being a fabled adventurer and master of magic.
With this information, it might be dangerous to approach the brown furred Cat who is considered a hero among the Knights of the Kingdom when considering the fact that I totally intend to stage some kind of revolt against such a Kingdom. Never confront someone if you know full well that you just might need to face them in the very near future. It might be lucrative to attempt to establish some kind of trade deal with the grey furred Merchant Cat, and I should try to figure out whether or not I think the orange furred Cat and I could actually be friends. If she's well known for being an adventurer and can use magic well, then she might just be pretty strong. A good friend to have, indeed. Especially taking into account how none of my Clansmen can currently use magic unless one counts [Flame Paws].
Stolen story; please report.
I didn't expect the Bartender to have that much relevant info for me, but that was pretty impressive. I might not even need to stay here that long now! Considering that I may wish to befriend the Sorceress, which would ultimately lead to her being involved with any potential future dealings with unrelated people; I'm going to talk with the Merchant first. If I can knock dealing with him out of the way before potentially befriending the Sorceress, then I don't need to get the Sorceress involved in unnecessary matters which simply don't involve her. She wouldn't enjoy feeling obligated to endure taking part in random business dealings when drunk, I don't think.
With that frame of mind, I ordered an extra drink and brought it to the Merchant before sitting down at his table. Around me, there's a Turtle man, a Fox lady, and a Cat Merchant. Time to meet the Halloween Cat! Just kidding, I'm posing as a simple travelling Cat for now.
"Hello there, I am called Nero. I am a Travelling Cat. It's a pleasure to meet you, how are you called and how do you do?" [Nero] asked while placing a drink in front of the Merchant while raising his other hand out.
"To what do I owe the pleasure? My name is Rudou. I'm having a wonderful evening, thank you." [Rudou] the Merchant said while shaking Nero's outstretched hand and taking the Drink with his other before raising it up.
"Well, to the joys of prosperity; of course!" [Nero] said in a sly tone while clinking glasses with the other nearby Beastkin.
"I must say, I've never seen you around these parts, and your clothes are so dazzling... Where are you travelling from? Oh, my name is Mira." [Mira] the Fox Lady said after sipping from her own glass.
"Oh me? Well I just came from the Forest of Witches, of course! Oh, but enough about me~ I want to hear all about what glorious merchandise this one might find sold within the Beastkin Kingdom! You see, I wish to spend my vast wealth on all sorts of fine things from around the world!" [Nero] said pompously while sprawling his fingers through the sky and looking up, as if gazing at immense wealth in the distance. As he did so, various Silver Coins rained from all around to which he only looked at the ground while raising his hand to hide his mouth before sitting back down as if nothing had happened.
"Well if rare things are what you seek, then rare things are what you'll meet~ Is what I always say, for in the City of Reygid, you can find just about anything you need!" [Rudou] the Merchant sang while seemingly picking up on the frivolous mood.
"I say, well would you know where one might procure… perhaps, Candy?" [Nero] asked while slightly tilting his head.
"GAKAKAKAKA!! Candy you say?! Candy is but a trivial matter for yours truly, I say... To make such a fuss over Candy. Haven't you heard?! There's a Candy Man on Una Street. Just down the way!" [Turtle Man] Laughed obnoxiously before continuing to exclaim.
"Oh, I see. How wondrous. Then, aside from that... How about more Scarecrow slaves than one might procure from the outdoor Slave Market? I was looking there this afternoon, but the supply was shockingly low~" [Nero] said in a light tone of voice, as if the question itself wasn't serious.
Crap. No one's answering. Everyone went silent. Rudou is staring at me, as if trying to see through my poker face. Not good! After about 25 seconds, he lifted his glass and drank while still staring directly at me. For some reason, I instinctively lifted my glass and drank while staring back at him. We both finished our glasses without shaking eye contact. It was kind of scary, but I'm alive. After finishing, we both wiped the froth from our mouths before he began to explain.
"The Scarecrows are captured in the Prairies of the Forest of Witches. Any of them which aren't, are born in captivity here. Every year, some apprentice Witches have some kind of test to see whether they can give life to regular old Scarecrows. If they succeed, the Scarecrows are then released into the wild. Some of them live on in the wild, while others are captured and sold off as slaves. For you to be coming from the Forest of Witches means that you should probably already know about this. You're also a Witch of sorts, but you're different. Are you sure that you come from the Forest of Witches?" [Rudou] said flatly in a deep voice while not breaking eye contact with Nero once.
Yikes. He has [Appraisal]. No doubt about it. He knows I'm a Witch, and that I'm not a normal Witch. He knows that I didn't come from the Forest of Witches too, because I didn't know the situation clearly. Double Yikes. I don't want to come clean. I also don't know what to say as an excuse. Here goes!
"Haaaah! You've caught me. I'm indeed, not from the Forest of Witches. With that being said, you've already given me all of the information which I had desired. So, shall I take my leave... Or would you like to do business?" [Nero] said cheekily.
"Heh... So I've played too much information in order to catch yours, have I?" [Rudou] said while visibly returning to a more calm mood.
"Yep~ So how about it? Are you truly a Merchant to your core?" [Nero] repeated the question while eating a piece of Candy for fun.
"You already have Candy? I guess I'll lose if I question it. You'll win no matter what I do at this point, now won't you? I'll do business with you, sure. What do you want?" [Rudou] asked.
"I want information. Get me information on all of the strongest Cat people in this Kingdom. I'd be willing to pay greatly for it." [Nero] said quite matter of factly.
"That's… a strange request. Just what do you intend to do with that information when you get it? How much coin are we talking here, anyways?" [Rudou] asked.
"I'm willing to pay 7 Gold coins if you can get me adequate information on the top 20 most prominent and powerful Cat people in this Kingdom. If you can get me information regarding other influential Cat people in different Kingdoms, I would also be in favor of that. The answer is honestly quite simple. I wish to start a Cat Crew. I want several other powerful Cat people to come join my party. Absolutely no Dogs allowed. I refuse to budge on that point." [Nero] explained.
"Ah-what? You-" [Rudou]
"Fuuuu" [Turtle Man]
"ahaHAHHAHAHA" [Mira]
"Ahem. Why?" [Rudou]
"Honestly, if you can't do the task... Then I'll just go ask another Merchant. I thought I could trust a Cat to do a Cat's job, but I guess you just aren't that influe-" [Nero] said while sighing.
"I'll do it. 7 Gold Coins, on completion; you will be handed a list of the top 20 most prominent and powerful Cat people in this Kingdom. If there are others out there from other Kingdoms, I will find them at a rate of 100 silver coins per additional find. How shall I arrange to find you when I have completed the list?" [Rudou] stated firmly and begged the question.
"Well then, it seems you do actually have the spirit of a Merchant. Very well, I accept the terms. I will return to this bar in 14 days at this time. I trust that shall be enough time to allow you to gain the proper details sorted and prepared?" [Nero] said while eating another piece of Candy.
"Yes. That should be plenty of time, I'll begin first thing in the morning." [Rudou]
"Well, then it's been a pleasure to meet you all. I must beg your pardon, but I have another individual whom I had hoped to intrude upon tonight; if you will-" [Nero] said while excusing himself kindly.
"Oh, yes of course; have a wonderful night!" [Rudou]
"It was fine meeting you~" [Mira]
"Ahh, yes; yes." [Turtle Man]
"You too!" [Nero] called while walking away and waving.
Okay. Now that I've secured a method of gaining information without actually needing to stay in this Kingdom, I am officially free to rescue the Scarecrows. First, I still need to meet with the Sorceress though. After saving the Scarecrows, I'll need to add the issue with the Forest of Witches to my list of things to do.
The Forest of Witches is producing Scarecrow monsters using MP at a fixed interval every single year. Most of those monsters are ending up enslaved in the neighboring Kingdom and that is not okay. They need to find another way to guard their crops. I need to inform the Forest of Witches about what is going on here, and I need to secure the right to capture those Scarecrows every year, before they are enslaved. I might actually need to come clean to the Forest of Witches about at least half of my true abilities as a way to convince them, but I'm hoping that I can use the fact that I'm also a Witch myself as an advantage to help me look more favorable among them.
I hope I don't get greeted as some 'filthy half-witch' or something. That would be a shocking blow to my plan. I would like to think that the Forest of Witches will end up being a more delightful experience than me feeling the need to begin a crusade like in the Beastkin Kingdom. I say crusade, but I'm really the only one doing all the heavy lifting in my plan. It's not some huge rebellion or something. I guess it can be counted as a rebellion if the people I save all join my cult, though.
If I become friends with the Sorceress, then she might join my crusade. Or, she might just try to stop me. It's really hard to say. Well, let's go meet her! Cat people! How will this one be? Walking up to her table, I notice that the other Cat. The brown furred Templar worshiped by the Kingdom Knights is flirting with my potential tabby Cat friend! The nerve of this guy! Swooping in with some heroic atmosphere, getting all chummy with that Scoreceress! Dangit! What am I gonna do if she joins the side of 'justice in slavery'? Is it destined to be a cult crusade after all?!
Led by one lone Cat, the Scarecrows lashed their stalks against their chains and broke free from the shackles which bindeth them only to join the Cat's cult! Dammit! I need to stop this nonsense at once! Making my way over to the Scoreceress and making a look at the Tempcat, I lowered my glasses so that only he could see before taking my seat and greeting my fair Cat lady. He definitely saw my glowing orange eyes. Yosh! Intimidation: Success! He twitched a little! I saw it!
"What a fine evening, my name is Nero; I couldn't help noticing such influential looking Cat folk around, so I decided to stop and introduce myself~" [Nero] said in his most gentlemanly voice.
"Well then, my name is Cetilla. It's nice to meet you." [Cetilla] greeted elegantly.
"Hmph. Yuhkdi is the name. I'm a Templar." [TempCat] greeted obnoxiously.
"It's nice to meet you too, Cetilla. A Templar, huh? Cool." [Nero] replied to Cetilla and the TempCat.
"How very kind of you, Nero. Yuhkdi, would you be so kind as to go fetch me a bottle? Get yourself one too, while you're at it." [Cetilla] Responded to Nero before shooing away TempCat.
"Okay~" [TempCat] replied happily.
"I adore your way of handling the TempCat. What do you currently think of this Kingdom?" [Nero] asked after the TempCat left while tilting his head to the side and giving a glance to the Bartender.
"Hahh~ So you caught that, huh? TempCat... such a nice name for a man like him. Hahahaha! This Kingdom is fine, but it's getting quite boring, wouldn't you agree?" [Cetilla] asked while giggling.
This woman. She's dangerous. I think she might be a little bit twisted, but she's supposedly strong. Would I be safe if I left the day shift to her? She seems intelligent enough, but is she trustworthy in the least? Doubtful. Would she oppose me? Also doubtful.
"Of course I did, most Cats have fine eyes, no? I disagree. I dont think this Kingdom is fine, and I'm probably going to change it very soon. Would you like to join me?" [Nero] asked with a cheerful tone, half giggling towards the end of his final sentence.
"Well, if believing the Kingdom isn't fine is what it takes to gain the resolve to change it, then I suppose that very same resolve will result in the Kingdom becoming more entertaining~ Very well! I'll join you! Shall we?" [Cetilla] replied excitedly.
Well, well, well, for what did she just fall? The hook, the line, and sinker. Comrade: Got! Yay! Now, I can go save the 103 enslaved Scarecrows without it being just a cult's revolt! We have our plus one unaffiliated person~ Lets go!
"Yes, lets." [Nero] said while taking the arm of Cetilla.
With that, we left the bar while TempCat was busy trying to gain the Bartender's attention. Thank you, Bartender. You fulfilled your role in ignoring him masterfully! Where were we headed, arms linked together? Why, to the Candy Store of course! The one on Una Street, down the way! I had Cetilla show me the way, and when we arrived; it was closed. It is in fact, the dead of night. Oops. Dangit! Next time, for sure!
After my drunk self realized that the Candy Store was closed, I decided to bust out my Broom, and had Cetilla ride behind me on it. She might be able to fly as a Sorceress, but I really don't know; so I'm being considerate. Flying into the sky, she seems somewhat surprised and dazzled by the view from above. Heh. Guess she can't fly. Well, it's fine. Looking at the Kingdom from above, all of the farms are on the southern side. It's probably better soil. This makes it easier for me. I can start from the southwest and work my way east as I save the Scarecrows. That way when I'm finished, I'll already be near the border leading towards the Lost Kingdom. Sweet!
First, I swooped down to the open aired monster slave market and called out my own Tier 4 Scarecrow to show the nearby lesser Scarecrows that I'm a friend. I had my own Tier 4 Scarecrow explain that we're here to save them, and that the Halloween Clan will welcome them and feed them. With that, I checked and lo-and-behold, [Clansmen Capture High Success Rate] popped up. Lifting my Lantern towards the Scarecrows, I cast [Clansmen Capture].
That familiar, orange glow seeped out from my Lantern and engulfed the surrounding Scarecrows. After the light returned to my Lantern, it would seem that the entire ordeal had surprised Cetilla greatly. There's no helping it. I'm not your everyday Tamer, after all. I managed to successfully capture 7 of the Scarecrows with that, not a single one chose to stay here. Getting back to my Broom and extending a hand to Cetilla, she joined me with eyes wide and we set off to continue our crusade of this rotten Kingdom. Obviously, I ignored the option to use [Soul Merge] for now.
Starting towards the southwestern side of the Beastkin Kingdom, I began eating Candy as we flew to heal the hunger of my new Clansmen. They weren't doing too well, but they were low Tier monsters so it's honestly not that expensive to fix them up. After arriving at the edge of the Kingdom, it's clear to see that this is the westernmost part of the continent. HRMMMMM-Okay. Continuing on~ I called Mr Scarecrow and his new pals, and currently have them running around breaking chains and gathering all of the nearby Scarecrows. I want to take it all down in one go. So, I'm slowly flying east as I watch the madness ensue from a pretty far distance above.
Farmers are losing their minds as their trusted slaves are set free. Some of the slaves are actually taking revenge right here and there, utterly trashing the homes of their previous masters before joining the herd. With each new chain broken, the revolt grows stronger and less houses seem to survive the passing of our herd. Yikes. This is getting pretty intense. Some of the Scarecrows went ahead and freed Golem Monsters, but the Golem Monsters don't actually seem to mind being chained up and are ignoring the ruckus. M? Guys. The Golems obviously don't mind, so just stop using Scarecrows?
Scarecrows are complex creatures, okay? They like to sing and be free! I say that, but I think Mr Scarecrow only has a voice due to [Prairie Horror]. Would this mean that Scarecrows normally yearn to sing, but they lack the innate ability to do so? In order to learn to sing, they actually need to be a savage of the Prairies first? This is too cruel. Why do they need to become literal nightmares in order to find happiness?!
After about a half an hour of watching the ensuing madness that I'd like to call a crusade but would probably be more suited to be called a disaster, it finally ended and we have reached the fort which I previously ignored paying a toll for. The Beastkin guarding it inside? Fled. Where? Somewhere in the Lost Kingdom. Why? I guess they felt cornered. I'm sorry then, who's fault was it? Mine?! They enslaved these poor creatures, not me! Now then, facing the horde of starving freed Scarecrows;
"Hello. I am called Nero. I am the one, True Halloween Cat. I have come here to free you on this fine night. I heard of your struggles from my dear Clansmen, one of your brethren who happened to escape and joined me after we had met. Fellow Scarecrows, I would like to inform you that you are all a member of one of the proud Halloween Races. Henceforth, you are all not only eligible, but welcome to join me as my Clansmen and represent the Halloween Clan until the day that I die. What do you say? Will you stand with me and fight for your freedom? Join me!" [Nero] beckoned the horde of Scarecrows while lifting his Lantern high. With Cetilla by his side, he cast [Clansmen Capture].
Moments later, a seemingly never ending orange glow larger than any that I had ever witnessed before expanded out from my Lantern and enveloped the entire horde of Scarecrows. It was absolutely mesmerizing. Cetilla gasped. I felt that. Me too, sis. Me too. This glow lasted a lot longer than the others did, probably because of how many Clansmen Candidates there are here. They all need to individually decide whether they join or not before the deal is done, after all. After about 30 seconds, the glow finally disappeared leaving just 4 Scarecrows remaining. I guess they want to go try their luck in the wild. I salute thee! No hard feelings, mates!
With that, including the 7 tier one Scarecrows which I captured prior; I successfully captured 92 tier one Scarecrows, 14 tier two Scarecrows, and 1 tier three Scarecrow. I actually got more than the previous count, nice. Getting in my Broom once more, I extend my hand to Cetilla before asking her a question.
"Now that I'm finished here, would you prefer to return to where I got you, or would you like to join me? I must warn you, there may not be proper plumbing~" [Nero] said cheekily.
"Hmph! I'm a Sorceress before a lady! This seems interesting, one True Halloween Cat. I'll join you for now~" [Cetilla] said mockingly as if amused and took the hand of Nero before getting back on the Broom.
"Then, let's set off!" [Nero] said extravagantly while speeding off into the sky towards the Goblin Village.
Cetilla talked to me about various reasons why she was getting bored of that Kingdom, and explained that she had been yearning for an adventure lately. I can drink to that, sister! I want to see the world too! Individually, most places don't seem that special to me. But thinking about all of the other places somewhat nearby it makes it all the more fun! The thing that irked me the most about the Beastkin Kingdom was that everything was so domesticated! There weren't any monsters in the wild at all, there was no ecosystem present. Just an economy. That's troubling. To think that there are areas on this continent without any wildlife in this day and age. Yikes.
Soon after she finished explaining her troubles, I explained that I spend most of my time recuperating between my journeys within a Goblin Village in the Lost Kingdom. When we arrived at the aforementioned Goblin Village, she was audibly shocked that I lived in such an environment. To be frank, I would be shocked at me living in such an environment as well. I still haven't been able to heal all of my Scarecrows even though I ate all of my Candy. I guess I'll just need to restore the rest by having me sleep and funnel my MP towards them as time goes on. It only works if my MP is at the maximum while I'm also technically supposed to be regenerating MP. After having Introduced Cetilla to the sleeping Bloody Jester, Goblin Viking, and Goblin Village Wheat Farmer Sama, I readily went to sleep after using [Daily Candy] without having explained to her that I literally sleep coddled into my own clothes. So~rry! Did I forget to mention that we also lack proper bedding? Yeah... Oops! Sweet dreams! Figure out a place to sleep in this modest village hut! You'll be fine.