In the open space of the backyard garden, there was a large round table set up, surrounded by nine chairs arranged around it.

On the table, there were only a few simple and refined snacks.

The vampire maids around the table were also standing quietly, serving without giving the impression of a grand feast.

Shirley was sitting in one of the chairs, savoring a sip of tea while waiting for the other guests to arrive.

In contrast, Karina was much more relaxed.

She wagged her tail and lay on the table, bored, poking at her teacup.

Earlier, the two had discussed the action plan, including choosing the challenges, and came to a consensus that anything beneficial for Shirley would be acceptable to them.

However, even with Karina's support, Shirley could not underestimate the challenge this time.

After all, among the guests, including themselves, there were a total of nine people, and who knew what kind of challenges the other seven might choose.

Although a bit anxious, Shirley did not have to wait long.

Soon, the first guest arrived.

There was a young girl embedded in the green trunk of a tree.

Tiny sprouts were growing from her emerald-green body.

Her eyes were empty, looking at Shirley and the others with an expressionless gaze.

"Hel... lo."

She said, dragging out each syllable.

Fortunately, her voice was pleasant, so instead of sounding uncomfortable, it seemed a bit cute.

"Hello, please sit here."

As the host, Shirley offered an elegant smile and invited the guest to sit in the chair next to her.

Although she still looked elegant and calm on the surface, there was a hint of doubt in her heart...

After hearing what Shirley said, the emerald-green girl twisted forward with her roots.

Contrary to how she spoke, her movement was not slow.

When she arrived at Shirley's side, she stared at the empty seats, but did not sit down for a long time.

Yes, Shirley was wondering about that.

The other party was embedded in the trunk of the tree.

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There was absolutely no way to bend the trunk, and as long as she did not detach from it, she definitely wouldn’t be able to sit.

However, no matter how she looked, it did not seem like she could be separated from the tree trunk.

She lifted her head and looked at Shirley.

"I..."

She seemed to want to say something but stopped after the first sound.

It was unclear whether she had finished speaking or was trying to organize her words.

Shirley waited a moment and, in the silent and awkward atmosphere, tried to say, "If standing is acceptable too, there is no need to force yourself to sit."

After that, there was another brief silence.

The young girl nodded and used one of her roots to move the chair back, standing in front of the table.

The first guest is a stranger...

Shirley sighed silently.

Despite the young girl’s cold expression, she seemed to have good character, as she had not shown anything unpleasant so far.

A small and lovely tree princess—that was Shirley’s assessment.

"Glub, glub..."

At that moment, a rhythmic bubbling sound emerged.

A blue water sphere, large enough for a person, was pushed in by the vampire maids.

The surface of the sphere rippled like real water, but the floor around it showed no signs of moisture.

Inside the sphere was a lovely mermaid with blue hair and matching light-colored eyes.

Since she was still young, her chubby face seemed particularly cute, making people want to pinch her.

She swam cheerfully inside the sphere and waved to Shirley and the others, constantly blowing bubbles from her mouth.

Based on the rhythm of the bubbles, Shirley guessed that the mermaid was trying to say something.

Of course, speaking underwater naturally results in bubbles.

Additionally, the mermaid’s lip movements were very small, and even her teeth were not visible, making it impossible for Shirley to read her lips.

"Well... please rest here for a while."

Since she did not understand what was being said, Shirley extended an invitation according to her own pace.

However, there was no need for a chair.

She did not think the mermaid, as a sea creature, would leave the water sphere to sit in the chair.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The mermaid continued to swim in her sphere without showing any signs of wanting to leave.

When she saw Karina’s large furry tail, she pressed her face against the sphere, as if trying to leave it, but the sphere, like glass, kept her inside, and despite the bubbles, no one could understand what she wanted to say.

An overly energetic mermaid princess—this was Shirley’s assessment.

Ignoring the mermaid’s movements, they continued to wait for the next guest.

"Hello!"

This time, a heroic girl’s voice appeared.

Her high-pitched and penetrating tone was a relief to Shirley.

——Finally, someone who can speak normally.

Shirley looked toward the entrance of the garden but saw no one.

"It seems I arrived quite early..."

The voice came again, and the young girl appeared without warning in one of the chairs.

A harpy.

Shirley immediately recognized the racial characteristic and identified her.

The feathers of the other party, which changed gradually from bright red to blue, looked very attractive.

Thin and sharp claws grew at the first joint of her wings.

Similarly, the lower part of her body also appeared to be half bird, half human.

She gripped the chair’s armrests with her claws, with no intention of sitting.

It seemed that the chair had lost its usefulness again.

The harpy observed each person present with her sharp, purple eyes.

When her gaze focused on Shirley, the piercing presence seemed to cut through her skin.

Shirley was not irritated, and the others present did not show any discontent either.

Since everyone was from different species, they were very sensitive to the perception of good and evil.

The harpy’s blade-like eyes were merely her racial traits, and she showed no malice.

After looking around, she turned her gaze away and began to arrange her bright feathers and pale hair.

The heroic harpy princess—based on the behavior and temperament of the other party, Shirley made this assessment.

Then they waited for the next guest, hoping that the chair would be useful this time.

She silently prayed in her heart, but when the next guest appeared, Shirley knew that the chair again seemed a bit unnecessary...