...Hey! I'm not tired tonight! I'm feeling quite refreshed, actually. It's been awhile since I've felt this good. Looking around, i still have yet to put my new Silver Coins into the chest. If I'm going to put the new Silver Coins into the chest, I might as well just bite the bullet and count them. I could also bare to empty as many jars as I can to fill my buckets with Candy. Treasure Room spring cleaning?! I think it's autumn, but whatever… Let's get dressed!

Super swoll knitted purple fleece armband? Check. Yellow swim trunks? Check. Grey short sleeved tee shirt? Check. Black stockings? Got em~ White long sleeved collar shirt, buttoning it up! Ridiculously large black and white striped clown pants? Rolling up the ankles and slapping on the allegedly nylon waistband. Black vest? Thrown on! Black leather boots riddled with Gold Coins inside? All mine! Gold hoop bracelet? I love this thing… Emerald Gold necklace? Yes, please! Orange sash belt? It doesn't really do much, but it's there. Orange long scarf? Wrapped around my neck... Last but certainly not least, the finishing touches. My black pilot cap, and my purple aviators! I'm ready to go~

First thing's first. Let's handle this Candy. Candy comes first. Always. Don't talk to me if you're not obsessed with Candy. We won't get along. I've got all the right kinds. My favorites. I actually stopped purchasing Candy cane due to the price, though… So I removed that from my list after the first purchase. That left me with Sorghum drops, maple drops, cinnamon covered almonds, candied rose petals, candied violet petals, pecan praline, dragee almonds, sugared ginger, glace orange peels, and maple fancies. Originally, I found that sorghum drops or violet petals were my favorites… But lately, I've been leaning towards pecan praline. They melt in your mouth, and it's honestly quite desirable. Ten out of ten, would not go without. The maple fancies are pretty good too, but I'm just not that into maple. I could probably take it or leave it, but I'm glad that they're on my list. I believe that I'll need all the flavors that I can get if I'm to never get sick of Candy. Then again, I've been pretty fine with living solely off of Fish. I think it's because I'm a Cat, but the same thing can be said for Candy. I'm a Halloween Cat. Maybe they'll never get old~

I was thinking such things as I filled the empty buckets with the Candy in the jars. It took me around twenty freaking minutes. By the time that I was through, I had attained an additional 30 buckets filled, with another one bucket a little bit over half full. I had 33 empty buckets, so I'm kind of near my maximum. I meow have 46 full buckets, with an additional one just a little over half full. I only have 2 empty buckets left… But all of my jars are finally empty. I can finally begin returning them to the Candy Man, if he wants them. I'll definitely do it tomorrow morning. His shop is never open during the night, so it's really my only option. I'll make sure to purchase more Candy while I'm there. It's good to have a backup supply. I've grown kind of accustomed to it.

I suppose that I can't go ahead with returning all of the jars. I'm using one of them for holding my apple seeds. I was using a few of them during the festival, too. I don't know where they went off to, but I have 33 of the 42 jars ready to be returned. I hope that the Candy Man is reasonable. He never directly told me to return the jars either way, so maybe it's fine? Let's start counting Coins~ Starting with Gold Coins, I began to empty my boots and my collared shirt pocket. As it turns out, I have 32 Gold Coins. Not too shabby, it can definitely serve my needs… But I can't help but feel a little pessimistic due to Roy. That man is earning way too much for me to feel wealthy any longer. I decided to put them into one of my empty Candy buckets. I hid it underneath my bed. Emptying the treasure chest into the bag already filled with Silver Coins, I began to put them all back into the treasure chest. One by one, as I counted them out. The entire ordeal took me around 10 minutes, on account of needing to recount them twice... But I'm done. I have 985 Silver Coins. I'm dangerously close to being able to make another Gold Coin out of them. Yay~

Now, absolutely starving at this point… I'm going for food. The nightly meet and feast. This just might be my favorite pass time, these nights. Mary makes the best Fish. No one can surpass Mary, let me tell ya. The way that she roasts them, the way that she packs them with juicy goodness… The way that she chops them into perfectly cut slabs… The way that she seasons them with alleged pepper… One simply can't compare to Mary. Mary is the Chef of all Chefs in this Cat Crew! And so, I'm meow excitedly making my way into the Dining Hall. On arrival… There's no food. Everyone is glaring at me anxiously. Oh, jeez… I forgot to procure the Fish from Halloween last night? It's a late dinner? I'm sorry, okay?! I've had a lot on my mind lately! Leading isn't easy, okay?! It takes a toll!

Well, I'm now heading to the waterfall. If I'm to open a Hallowed Gate, it might as well be one that will continue with getting new Fish even while we wait for the meal to be served. We're way too dangerously low on Fish. Reaching the waterfall took me around a minute, but I'm here now. After casting the Hallowed Gate, I called upon Cosmo and Wanda to watch it for me. I believe in them. Tier 1 or not, Cosmo and Wanda are quite reliable Scarecrows. Thanking them, I received a very rare response. It was literally just them telling me that it's not a big deal. Even so, that's one heck of a response to get from Scarecrows. They normally don't seem to care that much... About anything, really.

Moving along, I made my way through the gate. Looking around, there's a whole lot of Fish that I could have been eating right about meow. Let's get started! Dirty Fish is still Fish, it just needs the Wailing Keep Sama's good old, magical water! Woot~ Picking up all of this Fish is kind of a massive pain, so I decided to call on the others for help. Mr Scarecrow, Mrs Scarecrow, the eternally weeping Wendel, Conrad, Fred, and Daphne. They'll get it sorted out. I left the Bats, Crows, and the Betty out of it, because quite frankly… I don't think that they'll be of much use for this task. Each of them would have been stuck with carrying one or maybe two Fish at a time. Betty? I don't even think that Betty can carry Fish at all. It seems to me as though she's barely even physically present. She's like a constant gust of wind. Throw a Fish on her, and it might just explode.

Theoretically, I think that I might be able to use Betty as a Berserker or something. She doesn't have any abilities to help her offensively in that way, but she's exceptionally well versed against physical damage. As long as her enemy isn't capable of magic abilities, then she might just be invulnerable enough to become an unstoppable force of destruction to any and all that cross her path. Literally. I just need to help her Evolve a few more times, and that immense physical defense will skyrocket… Maybe, she'll even unlock a few abilities related to such a strategy. There's something that's been bugging me, though. Mr Scarecrow. He's the root of it all. He unlocked the [Prairie Horror] title from slaying massive amounts of prairie Slimes. Even so, Mrs Scarecrow is another matter. Mrs Scarecrow was never a Prairie Horror, until having become one of my Clansmen. There's one more catch. My Tier 1 and 2 Scarecrows both lack the Prairie Horror title. I don't understand. Is there some kind of rule, that if my Clansmen are of the same Tier and type… Then they all gain access to the same abilities? It's my only feasible theory… But if it's true, then I could theoretically give way to an entire race holding the same abilities after I perish. Think about it. If I capture Bats, for example… From all over the world... Let's say that those Bats all lived in peculiar circumstances, and gained different titles from their own upbringing… Then, if I were to merge all of the Bats down into one Tier… They would all share the same abilities? They would be a super race of Bats! Practically unstoppable! Maybe THIS is my purpose as a Holiday Clan Leader!

Each monster seems to be limited based on their race, their class, their Elements, and their magical Proficiencies or Affinities. Most people just call them Affinities, but I think that there's a difference. There must be a reason why Rosina only mentioned my capabilities for Space and Time Magic. Not my Creation Magic. I was thinking such things as I watched my Clansmen carry the Fish into the Kitchen. By the time that they had finished, Mary had already began to wash off the Fish and prepare them for the meal. I may or may not have taken a raw common Fish after she rinsed it off. Mary's wearing an actual Chef costume. She must have gotten it from the pile before the festival. Now that I think about it, I saw many different costumes during the festival, and last night as well. I should go around and see what everyone's wearing, really take note of it; you know?

Entering the Dining Hall and taking my seat, I made an announcement. We're skipping the weekly Safari Card Game Tournament. Everyone is displeased, but I have adequate reasoning. There are too many of us to continue holding it without first attaining more Cards. I'll get more soon, so we'll host it next week. I ignored their resentment, so that I could begin to focus on everyone's outfits. Wendel's performing, and is wearing a black funeral costume. Veil and all. I never really thought too much of it, but I guess that it really suits her. Cetilla's still wearing her red pirate costume. Jon is also still wearing his pirate costume, but that's genuinely just what we found him in. He's a true pirate, okay? Frank, the Frogman is wearing a cave man costume. It honestly doesn't look very impressive, but I guess that's part of dressing as a cave man? Dressing in tatters? Lisa, the Minotaur is wearing a seductive nurse outfit. Cindy's still wearing a mini Chef costume. Too cute. Rita's just wearing a black tee shirt with a skull on it. Goblin Funk is still Goblin Funk. Long live the seventies. Rustle just has a black top hat on, with an orange ribbon tied to the top. Fancy. Lora has orange shutter shades, and orange knitted fleece armbands to match. Fleece armband gang! Boris is wearing a bad cop blazer, and has black sunglasses.

White Beef Lady is still White Beef Lady. Vana's wearing a one piece violet dress, with no shoulders and an exposed back. She's gotten herself some silver hoop bracelets as well. Hugo on the other hand, is just wearing a red hippie bandana and black aviators. Simple, yet elegant. Steve is wearing a freaking golden turka, Andy has a whole damn banana suit on, and Mick is wearing a scientist costume. Viva la lab coat! Luna has a bumble bee dress, it's horizontally striped yellow and black. Rather than having legs, it hosts yellow frills. It also has fake wings. Cloaked Monk is surprisingly awake. He's still wearing a pastor outfit, but Grenda has the nun outfit to match. It's a shame, really. They aren't innocent. I know this, okay? I've gotten my fair peek at the green… I know what goes on in the basement! I guess that I'm still here for the couple's costume, though~ Goddin Village Neith Sama isn't ready to let go of being a pharoah just yet, either. Perhaps everyone wearing an older costume decided to skip out this time on account of their older costumes being better in terms of stats? It's possible. Actually, now that I think about it… I have 5 Clansmen currently wearing clothes. I should check on their statuses.

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Weeping Angel (Halloween)

Class: Siren

Tier: 6

MP: 704/704

P. DEF: 215(+145)

M. DEF: 330(+180)

STR: 32

INT: 320

DEX: 16

LUK: 48

AGI: 16

Titles:

[Stone Man+1], [Siren's Call], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Stone Smash+1], [Pebble Storm], [Weeping Scream], [Return to Halloween]

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Vampire (Human) (Halloween)

Class: Unholy Knight

Tier: 4(x2)

MP: 160/160, 160/160

P. DEF: 124(+68), 108(+52)

M. DEF: 119(+87), 105(+73)

STR: 240

INT: 32

DEX: 16

LUK: 8

AGI: 80

Titles:

[Knight of Faith], [Undead], [Immortal], [Vampirism], [Fallen from Grace], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Unholy Charge], [Piercing Spear], [Immortality], [Piercing Fangs], [Decay by Sun], [Enhanced Senses], [Bloodlust], [Recovery by Blood], [Enhanced Blood Circulation by Sleep], [Curse (Vampirism)], [Return to Halloween]

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Vampire (Human) (Halloween)

Class: Unholy Knight

Tier: 5

MP: 320/320

P. DEF: 196(+84)

M. DEF: 190(+126)

STR: 480

INT: 64

DEX: 32

LUK: 16

AGI: 160

Titles:

[Knight of Faith+1], [Undead], [Immortal], [Vampirism], [Fallen from Grace], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Unholy Charge+1], [Piercing Spear], [Defense Break], [Immortality], [Piercing Fangs], [Decay by Sun], [Enhanced Senses], [Bloodlust], [Recovery by Blood], [Enhanced Blood Circulation by Sleep], [Curse (Vampirism)], [Return to Halloween]

Name: Luna Pratz

Race: Vampire (Human) (Halloween)

Class: Unholy Priestess

Tier: 6

MP: 512/512

P. DEF: 212(+148)

M. DEF: 206(+78)

STR: 32

INT: 288

DEX: 64

LUK: 16

AGI: 96

Titles:

[Priestess of Faith+1], [Devoted Healer+1], [Undead], [Immortal], [Vampirism], [Fallen from Grace], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Unholy Blessing+2], [Aura of Malice+1], [Unholy Healing+1], [Shadow Blast], [Immortality], [Piercing Fangs], [Decay by Sun], [Enhanced Senses], [Bloodlust], [Recovery by Blood], [Enhanced Blood Circulation by Sleep], [Curse (Vampirism)], [Return to Halloween]

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Werewolf (Halloween)

Class: Brawler

Tier: 4

MP: 42/180

P. DEF: 173(+148)

M. DEF: 194(+164)

STR: 40

INT: 20

DEX: 4

LUK: 4

AGI: 50

Titles:

[White Wolf], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Wolf Claw], [Pouncing Kick], [Flame Paws], [Transformation], [Return to Halloween]

Honestly? Impressive. Conrad is going to have a very hard time keeping up with them if it's like this. All of them, except for Steve and Andy are more sturdy than Conrad at this point. Granted, none of them have enough MP to make proper use of their stats. They need to Evolve. Sadly, none of them will be likely to Evolve any time soon. For that to happen, we would literally need to lead a massacre the Church of Lilica. I doubt that we'll find Human Holy Knights or Human Priestesses anywhere else. That's right. We can theoretically curse Humans with Vampirism to force Evolutions onto Mick, Steve, Andy, and Luna. Granted, Mick and Steve would end up merging… And they would probably end up merging with Andy as well. Why does being a Halloween Cat need to be so depressing?!

Why do I need to feel compelled to brutally assault my follower's souls if I hope to help them grow more powerful?! There needs to be another way! It's absolutely ridiculous! Better clothing can go a long way, but that seems to be the only way that I can help them without actually hurting them. It's not enough to just give them better clothing and pray that they'll thrive after I perish. I need to do more. Maybe I should start helping to train my Clansmen? Give them advice on how to use their abilities and innate talents? Oversee them practice dueling? It might be my best course of action. If I can feel ensured that they all understand how to fight properly to the best of their abilities, they'll have that much more of a chance at thriving without me. Alright! It's settled. I'll teach my Clansmen how to make the most of their talents! While I'm at it, I might as well do the same for the other Wailing Keep residents. Actually, I could probably settle for just ensuring that they're gaining experience from fighting. I can try to send them off to slay prairie Slimes every now and again, but I don't want to maim the Rifa race's prime source of experience either. I'll need more enemies if I hope to have the Monster Knights fight often.

The Orc Mountains could be a great hunting ground, but the monsters there are kind of intense. Oh! I know! When we find the Forsaken Isles, we can just annihilate the Potamin Crab race! They're doomed either way, but I'll make sure to save a couple of them to ensure a future for their race. I'll have THEM fight the Slimes instead! In the meantime, I definitely think that Grenda should be fighting Slimes. She needs to become a Tier 3 Goblina, at the very least. She's technically a Monster Knight meow, so she needs to catch up with the others. She's our weakest link. I'll let Goblin Funk and Cloaked Monk handle defending her as she trains. We can even have Goddin Village Neith Sama around in the odd event that one of them perishes.

I was thinking such things until the food was served. Stacked on a silver platter, carried by an angel… That Fish was SERVED. Steamy, alluring, sweet and crispy Fish… This is paradise~ I'll just get up and grab myself a serving~ No! I'm taking two servings. Two common Fish, please! Taking my seat once more, a certain Sorceress commenced with the fan hack… A particular Weeping Angel began to sing a song that I had never taught her… It was 'L*ve Song for a Vampire'. As I gazed at my meal, these two women helped me to truly enjoy it. Breathing in… You do too much to me, common Fish~ Around a minute passed, before I opened up my mouth. The first bite, it crumbled after just one flick of my tongue. I want you~ Second bite, fell apart in my mouth and filled it with the tastes of the sea. I'll go mad without you! Third bite? Blew apart the berry and flooded the remainder of my meal with its gooey goodness. Don't stop! Fourth bite? I almost fainted, it was that good. I could never live without you! I can't help but feel as though my meal might be glistening. Truly, a wonder to behold. I probably spent around 45 minutes eating my two Fish, and by the time that I finished; there were very few individuals left in the room. Not everyone can appreciate such a fine feast. The other Catkin all stayed, and seemed to be having similar moments themselves. Although Cetilla had to stop with the fan hack, Wendel kept singing the same song. The entire way through. She must understand. She simply must understand how much I enjoy this Fish. There's no other explanation. They must be capable of reading my thoughts. Honestly? I don't even care anymore. If reading my thoughts is what led you to increasing the enjoyment of my meal, then I'm totally fine with that. I can live with this.

Once the Catkin had all finished, we worked together to bring the dishes to the sink in the Kitchen. Mary thanked me for helping, but I thanked her for cooking. We're even. Seriously. No one serves a better Fish than you, Mary. Oh! Of course, you're also the reason why the Fish is so good; Cindy~ I'm not getting soft or anything, but I must admit. It's kind of nice having Cindy around. She's a breath of fresh air around here. I ended up pulling Jon aside. We need to talk. I took him to the Throne Room, and Cetilla ended up tagging along. Taking my seat, I noticed Cetilla start standing beside me, leaning against the Throne with one arm. I'll ignore her. I began to question him.

"So, Jon." [Nero] said flatly as he glared at the Swashbuckler.

"...Yes?" [Ron] asked in confusion.

"I need to know. Just where have you explored in your time as a pirate?" [Nero] explained his reasoning bluntly.

"Oh! Well, I've traveled all over the place~" [Jon] remarked as if proud of himself as he puffed his chest out.

"Great, but have you come across the Forsaken Isles?" [Nero] restated the question as he removed his aviators and tucked them into his collared shirt pocket.

"The Forsaken Isles? I've never heard of such a place…" [Jon] answered dejectedly as he lowered his head.

"A shame." [Cetilla] sighed.

"I know, right? Betty has been utterly failing at finding them." [Nero] sighed before elaborating to her on the progress.

"Why don't we just go and find them ourselves?" [Cetilla] asked with a grin.

"It sounds like a hassle, but I've been beginning to think that it might be the best method as well. It could be that the Forsaken Isles are simply too far for my flying Clansmen to reach them in one night." [Nero] replied while looking up to the the Sorceress.

"Even for Conrad? He's pretty fast…" [Cetilla] asked before stating as she began to twirl her hair and gaze off into the distance.

"Excuse me~ But what are the Forsaken Isles?" [Jon] chimed in while seeming somewhat irritated.

"According to the one person that we've met with experience related to them? They're a dreadful place. Forsaken, and in utter need of our assistance." [Nero] replied callously.

"Oh. Well, when we were sailing to these lands; we were coming from the east of it. I can tell you that much." [Jon] explained his own past.

"We?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head.

"Well, yeah. I was in a crew, but I don't know what happened to them all. I was the only one captured by those wretched Lizards." [Jon] replied in an angered tone of voice, as if remembering it all play out.

"I'm sorry to hear that you were separated from your people." [Nero] exclaimed with a pained expression.

"I'll find them thanks to you, so it's fine." [Jon] replied with a smile and a thumb held high.

"Eh?" [Cetilla] let out.

"Well, Nero likes to adventure too; right? The way I see it, if we go on enough adventures then we're sure to run into some of my friends." [Jon] explained his train of thought with a look of determination.

"Right. We'd better go off on more adventures, then~" [Nero] declared with a smile.

"Damn straight!" [Cetilla] proclaimed with vigor as she pumped her fist, happy to finally have more comrades willing to entice me towards adventuring.

And so, we're now off to the fireplace. We're going to join the others, and have a good time. I want to spend time with the residents tonight. I really miss spending time with them. Exiting the Wailing Keep took us several minutes, as I was going at Jon's speed. Cetilla was riding on my Broom. As we traveled, Jon mentioned the corpses off to the side of the room; and we needed to explain the incident with the Elves as well as the incidents for Rei and Milton. Cetilla had a hard time talking about it, so I led the conversation. Her voice was cracking as she tried, so I put my hand over her mouth as I took over. I think she appreciated my help, but she'd never admit it. She's not that kind of girl~

On arrival, we were met with quite the group. It seems as though over half of us are crowded around this fireplace. Rustle, Rita, and Cindy are all playing in the distance around the Wailing Keep. Mary is keeping an eye on them from afar, while having some sort of conversation with Goddin Village Neith Sama, Vana, and Hugo. Many of my Clansmen seem to be practicing one of their original songs. Some of the Goblin Villagers have even come to listen to them. Goblin Funk, Budget Dragon, Wilson, Mick, Steve, and Robert seem to be having their own conversation. Christina, Penny, Luna, Cyclozard, and Andy are also having their own conversation. I guess that I now need to choose. Team guy, team girl, or Team Goddin. I'll choose Goddin Village Neith Sama. He's a good guy. He's my first friend, he deserves some attention every now and again. Cetilla chose team girl, and Jon chose team guy.

"Ahh~ Nero, come to spend some time with us?" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] sighed before asking, as he continued to look off to the children playing.

"I thought it might be nice to relax a little~ The children seem to be enjoying themselves." [Nero] replied as he joined in on watching the children run along.

"Yeah, it's nice to watch them like this." [Vana] chimed in with a smile.

"Ever since leaving Reygid, little Cindy is all that I have left. Thank you for taking us in and ensuring that we're kept safe. I don't know what I would do without her." [Mary] proclaimed as she thanked Goddin and the Cat.

"It's really no problem. Having more Catkin around here is a dream come true." [Nero] replied with a smile as he continued to gaze on to the little ones.

"They're cute to watch, but I worry for them when troubling times come." [Hugo] interjected, sobering the others.

"We'll need to come up with a plan." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] replied.

"Rita is fast. She should be able to make sure Cindy gets into the Wailing Keep in time if we inform her to be wary of unknown haki." [Nero] added while adjusting his aviators.

"Well, if Rita can keep a level head; it shouldn't be a problem…" [Vana] exclaimed. To which, everyone sighed.

"Rustle would be better suited for the task." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] proclaimed. To which, everyone nodded in agreement.

"He plays with them, but he's genuinely more mature in every meaning; isn't he?" [Mary] asked.

"Indeed. Rustle is just hyper and small in size, so he plays as well to keep them busy." [Hugo] exclaimed.

"Then it's settled. Rustle is to be a bodyguard to Cindy in times of danger." [Nero] proclaimed while throwing a fist down to meet his other hand held open.

"I'll have a talk with him." [Goddin Village Neith Sama] declared as he began to watch the children once more.

"I would appreciate it. I try to keep an eye on her, but she runs off from time to time." [Mary] thanked the Goblin Shaman sincerely before sighing.

And so, we continued off to talk about a plethora of things. Vana and Hugo told tales of their Colony, Goddin Village Neith Sama told tales of the past Monster Knights, Mary told tales of her time working as a Chef in Reygid for a prestigious family of Turtlekin, and I told tales of my intentions for the Beastkin Kingdom. Yeah. I told them about my intent to start a war. Everyone seemed surprised at first, but after learning my reasoning; they let sleeping dogs lie. They get it. I'm just not the type to let that kind of thing go unchecked indefinitely. If I were, Cindy and Mary simply would not be here right now. The same goes for the Scarecrows, Crows, and a decent portion of the other inhabitants here. It can't be helped. You can't really get upset with me for having a conscience when that very conscience is the reason as to why we're doing so well. By the time that our conversations finished, the children had all went to sleep and dawn had arrived. Bidding the others farewell, I went off to the Treasure Room. After casting [Daily Candy], I called on Connor and asked him to wake me after around 6 hours. I then got undressed, and began to fall asleep in my wondrous bed.

**************

"CAWWWW! CAWWWW! CAWWWWWWWW~" [Connor] squawked, waking the sleeping me.

Nyah! I'm freaking exhausted. I'd better get dressed. Doing so took me far longer than usual, but I'm finished. Grabbing my bag, and my bucket of Gold Coins… I began to move all of the 33 empty jars into the Throne Room. I ended up putting the bag and bucket down on the Throne. It was painstaking, because I could only carry two jars at a time. When I did so, I realized that I had left the Hallowed Gate open all night. The Clansmen are probably fuming. Oops! On arrival into Halloween while carrying two jars, my suspicions were correct. A vast majority of my Clansmen are protecting the gate. There's even a Meglacommon. I don't know whether to be sorry, or happy. I like Meglacommon, okay?! After placing all of the jars into Halloween while ignoring my Clansmen's reactions, I closed the gate. They only lost half of a day to protect the gate, so it's fine… Right?!

Grabbing the bag once more, I began to fly out of the Wailing Keep. Before I did so, I made sure to grab myself one raw common Fish. You can't buy Candy on an empty stomach. It will ruin you. Trust me, I'm the Candy Mongerer. I know these things. As I ate my Fish, I exited the Wailing Keep to find the day crew. Lillian, Kendra, Cloaked Monk, Grenda, and surprisingly… Lisa, Rita, and Frank were all present. Strange. I feel like they were all awake last night. Actually, most of them were only awake for the nightly meet and feast. I didn't notice them at the fireplace, so perhaps they went to sleep after the meal? Not even a proper sleeping schedule can stand in one's way of dining on Mary's meals? They might have also just been awake in order to participate in the weekly Safari Card Tournament. Rita just seems to be awake almost constantly. I very rarely don't see her. It's strange, because the Rifas from the Squirrbit Hollow all slept during the day. Rita doesn't have a proper sleeping schedule. She probably only gets in a few hours every day. It's an absolute wonder how she has so much energy, even with no sleep.

"Nero! It's good to see you~" [Lillian] called out while waving an arm to greet the Halloween Cat.

"I was beginning to think that you were avoiding us." [Kendra] coughed before mumbling rather quickly.

"I would never! I'm just a busy Cat, is all~" [Nero] shot back with a smile. To which, the Kitsune groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"Nero, will you come play with me?" [Rita] asked while tilting her head to the side.

"...Sadly, no. I have important business to take care of right meow." [Nero] slowly replied with eyes wide, surprised that the Rifaleesi would have him join in her games if given the chance. To which, the Rifaleesi began to pout before she leapt into a nearby Rabbit hole.

"Important business? Would you like any help?" [Frank the Frogman] begged the question while seeming quite interested.

"Uhm… I appreciate the offer, but I believe that I should be fine on my own for this one." [Nero] turned down the offer with a smile as he continued to eat his Fish.

"Aww~ I just want to get away for a little, you know?" [Frank] dejectedly tried to explain his reasoning.

"Well if that's the case, I suppose that you can tag along… But I'm not going to be gone for very long. It's just a quick trip." [Nero] gave in with a sigh, before explaining.

"Okay~ What are we doing?" [Frank] happily agreed before begging the question.

"We're off to see a Candy Man in Reygid. I need to set up an order for a large settlement of Candy." [Nero] replied with a smile.

"...That's it?" [Frank] asked after a moment of silence.

"...That's it." [Nero] replied bluntly. To which, the Frogman only groaned.

"...So… Yes, or no?" [Nero] asked while confused.

"No. I'll stay." [Frank] sighed.

"Okay~ I'll see you all later!" [Nero] answered with a smile before calling out to the others as he got on his Broom once more and began to fly away.

They waved at me. Maybe I'm actually pretty well liked around here, but the others just know that I'm always off doing tedious things to keep this ship of ours floating? Better to let me be and reap the benefits of my hard work? That's probably it. Arriving to Reygid, I quickly made my way to the Candy Shop. It's north of Vigi's Forge, and directly west of Rudou's Trading Company. I'm starting to get the hang of Reygid. I know where things are meow. After descending, I opened the doors to my favorite Candy Shop.

"Oho~ Welcome back! It's been awhile…" [Koalakin Candy Man] straightened up his shoulders as he greeted the Catkin before remarking.

"Yes, it took me quite some time to polish off all of the Candy filling the jars. By the way, I brought them with me. Well, 33 of them… If you want them. I must apologize, but I'm still using one of them, and I misplaced the others… I'll probably be able to find them if I search for them, though." [Nero] explained his circumstances while removing his pilot cap.

"...You brought them with you?" [Koalakin] asked while tilting his head to the side.

"...Kind of. I can procure them after a few short minutes." [Nero] exclaimed after a short moment of silence.

"Well, if you're offering… I'd be more than happy to take them back. Thank you." [Koalakin] sighed before thanking the Catkin with a smile.

"Alright~ So, I'm prepared to spend 15 Gold Coins on Candy. On account of the order being so large, I'll take as much as you can at the very moment. I would like the remainder to be sent to Clive's Clothing Store in increments. As quickly as you can, honestly. I would like Sorghum drops, pecale praline, maple drops, candied rose petals, cinnamon covered almonds, candied violet petals, sugared ginger, dragee almonds, glace orange peels, and maple fancies." [Nero] declared while puffing out his chest. To which, the Koalakin's jaw dropped.

"You never cease to amaze. I can't help but wonder just what it is you need all of this Candy for, but I can't complain~" [Koalakin] sighed with a smile before adding on with a laugh.

"I'll go and fetch your jars right now. Please fill this bag with as much of my favorite Candies as you can while I do so." [Nero] exclaimed with a smile as he handed the familiar green cloth sac to the Koalakin before taking his leave through the door.

And so, [Hallowed Gate]! Moments later, that magnificent gate appeared from the depths of my stunning purple Lantern. Stepping through it, I began to carry the jars. Two by two, back into the Candy Shop. I left my bucket of Gold Coins near the fountain. By the time that I had finished, a massive crowd had gathered. You know what?! I can bring together an enormous amount of people with very little to no effort. I could probably even hold festivals in Reygid, if I truly felt the inclination. Branch out the Bandsmen's fanbase? It's an option. I want to see that King of theirs step down or change his ways before I do anything that might bring enjoyment to his people, though. I don't like him. He's raining on my parade with his decisions to slay, capture, and enslave my companions. Not only my companions, but his own people. The citizens hanging out in the actual city of Reygid are quite irrelevant. Most of them are paid, albeit poorly… Or they're business owners. Very few slaves can be found walking these streets, as they're normally chained. The people that gaze at my gate are potentially not the kind of people that I actually want to spread enjoyment to. Until his Kingdom abolishes slavery, I just can't go about giving them preferential treatment. It's as simple as that.

I was mulling over such thoughts as I continued to unload the jars, until I was on the very last jar. The thirty third jar. I'm also carrying the bucket of Coins. As I was about to step through the gate back into Reygid, a small… Young, Hawkman with blue feathers and brown eyes appeared before me. He's almost as tall as me, but not quite there yet. He looks exceptionally timid, as though he's trying to say something… But he can't find the right words. I think I know where this is going. He wants to leave behind this treacherous Kingdom, and is seeking refuge from the one seemingly powerful individual that makes frequent appearances within it… Always showing off a quick and easy method to escape. I was a fool to believe that no one would ever try such a stunt, what with me garnering so much attention by conjuring Hallowed Gates in Reygid as often as I do. Patting his shoulder as we locked eyes, I gestured for him to keep on his way through Halloween with a smile before I continued on my way through the gate once more. Clansmen, do not harm any who enter through these gates unless they harm you. Please, treat them kindly.

Returning to Reygid, it would appear that others have begun to question the integrity of my gate as well. They're probably concerned for the now missing child, considering that I returned without him. It can't be helped. Letting out a sigh, I made an announcement.

"If you seek refuge or safe passage away from your tyrannical King or those cruel Business(wo)men, step through the gate and find your sanctuary within! I promise you my protection! Be warned that there are numerous monsters within the depths of my gate! If you do not have the courage to treat them with respect, you will be slaughtered!" [Nero] proclaimed loudly to the crowd, before he returned back inside of the Candy Shop.

Setting the jar down on the counter, I noticed that the Koalakin was still counting out his Candy. Looking through the bucket, I began to stack the 15 Gold Coins onto his counter. He's good for it. I highly doubt that he would turn around and steeze me out of my purchase. He'll go to the ends of this continent if it means that he'll be capable of supplying me with my Candy. If the King makes a move against me, I might just need to provide safe haven for the Candy Man as well. I'm more than willing. Having a proficient Candy Man with ample connections among my ranks might prove immensely helpful. It would honestly be more of a blessing than anything else. By the time that he had finished, my green cloth sac was nearly full… But he managed to fit all of the Candy that he had on paw. The ones that were on my list, anyways.

Exiting the Candy Shop, I took another few steps into the Hallowed Gate. Looking around, there are 8 individuals that seem to have chosen to come along with me. I suppose it takes considerable bravery to settle with my warning and deem it a necessary risk. These are probably just the most desperate of all those within the crowd. There's the Hawkman boy, a Turtlekin woman, a middle aged Foxman, an infant Foxwoman, an elderly Tigerkin man, a Raccoonkin girl, a Komoto Dragonkin woman, and a Goatman. It's hard to tell his age, but he's definitely a Goat. Huh. Thankfully, they're already all dressed in clothing from Clive's Establishment. They're probably low grade, but I don't need to dress them~ Not now, anyways.

"I would like to welcome you all to my Halloween Town! My name is Nero, the one True Halloween Cat. Please, right this way." [Nero] welcomed the stowaways before introducing himself and gesturing for them to follow him as he made his way through the combo gate.

A few minutes later, they all arrived. Some took more time than others, but they're here. There's no turning back meow~ You've already come this far! Closing the gate, I placed the large green cloth sac down near the Throne and put the bucket on top of it. Let's show them around!

"This is my home, the Wailing Keep. You're currently within my Throne Room. You will be staying here until you decide where it is that you want to go, or you may stay here permanently. We have a Kitchen, a Dining Hall, and a basement filled with rooms that you may sleep in. I'll have one of the other residents show you around to your own rooms, there are some currently awake outside of the Wailing Keep near our fireplace. I'll take you to them now. If you're ever hungry, you are more than welcome to prepare yourself a meal from the Kitchen; or you can wait for Mary who prepares feasts every night. I'll make sure to ask a resident to teach you how to make do with the Kitchen. We only eat Fish, but it's good Fish. Mary is highly trained at her craft, and I believe you'll find her cooking to be more than sufficient. We have no places to bathe as of yet, but there's a Delhn Lake to the east of the Wailing Keep. If you head east and follow the River downstream, you will find it with ease. If you're a fire type, you will not enjoy bathing in the Lake; might I add. On the southeast side of the Wailing Keep, there's a Goblin Village. They're friendly, I assure you. I must ask that you treat any you meet within or nearby the walls of this Keep with respect. Believe it or not, you will not find a single individual within this Keep that can not properly communicate or think for themselves. They all have feelings, the same as you. Ahh~ Lillian! Please show these new residents around the Wailing Keep and to their own rooms. Also, please teach them how to use the Kitchen and see to it that they're well fed." [Nero] explained to the new residents as he walked them through the Throne Room and out to the fireplace before calling on Lillian for assistance.

"It would be my pleasure. It's nice to meet you all, I'm a Leshi. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." [Lillian] happily accepted the task before introducing herself.

And so, I ditched them. I'm exhausted, and I'm going to sleep. You can't stop me, random new Wailing Keep residents! I'll never step foot down those stairs again! Returning to the Throne, I grabbed my bag and bucket before returning to my Treasure Room. I ended up carefully placing the bag next to a wall in the corner of the room, so that it wouldn't fall over and spill all of my precious Candy. Getting undressed, I placed the bucket under my bed once more before I hopped back into the blankets and began to nod off.