He looked frustrated for a moment after closing the firebox. Every instinct told him to simply walk aware from this situation that was quickly going downhill. No, that was not the action of a lion and not the action of a knight. Indrau took a couple of steps and took Beatrices hand in both of his own. He bent uncomfortably at the knee to put his face level with hers, not letting the pain register on his face.

"You're doing a fine job. Knights should live to help people and that is what I do. Like you do. I can't fight as well as I used to so please let a crippled old knight help out in any way he can."

The knight straightened up again, looking around and becoming aware of the new group of bystanders. This time he was lost for words.

"Hello...you okay there sir and ma'ams? Seems quite...clustered here so I'll move out if you guys want me to."

Pholus started moving away and watches as the others kept on talking. The three other knights who seemed to be interested in the kitchen intrigued him. There was the mature one seeming to try and control the situation. The other new-looking one who was just watching for now. And then the female quiet and silent looking one who was also quite small. This place does have a lot of variety, Pholus thinks for a moment as he tries to recall everyone's faces and hopefully remember them this time. His memory of others was always kinda off since he prefers remembering how to fix and craft up all sorts of tricks instead.

"I'll go...keep watch in the main hall. Rather not spoil you lot's fun."

@chukklehed

Jarde had just arrived and it appeared things were getting bad. He could spot one maid crying while another one was ready to lay the smackdown on the culprit. Perhaps this was not the best place to get started, he thought.

But just when he began his slip away from trouble, Jarde met a woman of fair skin, black hair and eyes that were red in color.

"Is this a vad time to fix myself a snack?"

"A bad time to drop in for introductions too, it seems." Jarde said to woman. "I'm Jarde by the way..." He reached out a hand for her to shake. "I uhh, just got here. And I'm kinda lost. And kinda not sure if I'm actually accepted into the order."

"And uhh, nice accent."

There was really no need to make the situation worse than it is so Pholus quickly hurries off to the front of the building and decides to keep watch. By keeping watch, he really just wanted to work on his strangely yellow tipped "Rapier" and another weird blade that seemed to be a mix between a machete and a longsword...though almost as wide as a greatsword. Using his gloves to pry open the two blades, he made sure the gasses, poisons, and other contraptions inside were in optimum condition.

Don't cause trouble...then again, trouble tends to find me.

He continues his "watch or guard duty" of the outside front of the building...but also curious as to where everyone is and keeping an eye out for any other Knights.

Marianne Delacroix

Breathing a sigh of relief, Marianne was glad to have the demonic armor remove itself from her. Taking a moment to herself, Marianne dropped back to sit on her rear and catch her breath. As it was, it wasn't the most brilliant idea of hers to yet again expend unnecessary amounts of mana needlessly. She truly needed more training in that aspect. Getting to her feet and dusting herself off, she sighed. But, looked up at the wrong time to see Nero grab her beloved Captain's face and push her so rudely back, basically assaulting her in Marianne's eyes. The hostile action was enough to immediately cause her rage to flare once again but when it dawned on her that Nero was practically in her birthday suit, Marianne's face reddened from the mixture of both anger and frustration. Flustered and taken off guard from the sight, Marianne turned her eyes away as she contained herself.

It was for the best, after all. Captain Fanily appeared to take no offense and presumably wanted nothing more to come of it. However, Marianne made a mental note to be sure to witness the twin sisters' duel. Possibly, even challenge Nero herself when the opportunity presented itself. Gathering stray pieces of equipment here and there that belonged to her, Marianne took her spot next to the Captain. Though, it was clear she was more than displeased with the situation, a glare in her eyes and a scowl on her face. She held her tongue and stayed quiet. At this point, all she wanted more was a bath and to curl up in bed after removing her gear. The evening had drained her enough to where she was near her patience's end.

Meanwhile, at Candeln...

They couldn't believe their eyes.

Huddled around the senior maid as she held a parchment scroll in her trembling hands, Marianne's seven maids were uncharacteristically quiet. Eyes wide as looks of utter horror blanched and drained the color from their faces, they stood stock still as if they were frozen statues near the main entrance. Moments before, a messenger had called for Lady Marianne, to which in her absence her maids answered. It was missive direct from the Delacroix Duchy themselves. Signed and sealed in the all-too-familiar and distinct styling of the Delacroix family. The first to snap back to reality, the senior maid looked up towards the main entrance and blinked.

"He's coming."
She said cryptically.
Her eyes searched the ground for answers as the gears and cogs of her mind resumed their normal working rhythm.
With a sudden crumpling of the scroll, she looked towards her fellow maids.
The other six having jumped, startled by the unexpected action.
"We have to be ready."
The senior maid said.
One of the other maids posed a question.
"What of Lady Marianne?"
Another demanded immediate action.
"We have to inform Lady Marianne as soon as possible!"
Yet another spoke up, though she left her sentence incomplete. Unfinished.
"Yes, especially if...if he..."
The senior maid shook her head.
"No. There is no time. We must prepare for his arrival first and foremost. Lady Marianne will find out when she returns from her mission."
With a loud clapping of her hands, she drove the other maids to make haste.
"We must prepare! Let's go girls!"
And with that, they all began to excitedly and loudly chatter.
"We need to go to the kitchen! Surely he'll be famished after traveling all this way!"
They each speaking in a tone tinged with some odd swirl of fear and trepidation.
"Will they have enough?"
One of the maids asked, more intimidated by their unannounced and unexpected guest-to-be.
"Someone needs to schedule a time for him at the bathhouse as well! It has to be clear of all other patrons!"
"Do we have space in the stock room for his belongings!?"
"You fool, we must rearrange and organize Lady Marianne's room!"
"Of course, of course!"
"Do we have a herald available for his arrival?"
"How much time do we have?"
"Not much, he is known to appear shortly after the post has been sent!"
"Oh, dear...Oh, dear...!"
Aggravated by their tendency to run their mouths first before actually getting any work done, the Senior Maid raised her voice and clapped again. Louder this time.
"Work first! Talk second, girls! C'est l'heure! Allons-y!"
Smacking a few of the slower ones on the bottom, the seven maids then scattered and ran every which way to accomplish their self-assigned tasks. Pairs of them heading to near every area of Candeln. In the chaos and flurry, the senior maid had accidentally dropped the crumpled parchment sent and addressed to Lady Marianne. To any curious and wandering eye inquisitive enough to see what was written on it, they would only find a massive paw print of some beast taking up its entirety. What it meant, only the seven maids knew.

And Lady Marianne.

Pholus takes a peek inside the building once more since he heard noises inside.
How...did people get pass me? Oh well better say hi.
After a long look, he notices a parchment in the main room. Taking one quick look around wondering where in the bloody hell did the noise come from? There seemed to be nothing but an empty main hall in Pholus's eyes. Rubbing his eyes quickly, he still only sees the one parchment on the ground. He curiously goes over to it, setting aside his tools in his bag and equipping his usual gear. There seemed to be no one in the large room but a paw print on the paper. He keeps looking at it, trying to analyze the paper carefully.

"Hello? Um...someone dropped this?"

He starts calling out randomly, trying to find the owner of the paper. However, he keeps a wary eye on the door since he did somewhat commit himself to guarding it. His hand resting on his "Rapier" as he watched the main hall carefully for anyone to arrive and claim it...or at least hear his voice and check on the paper. @harinezumikouken

The senior maid had not gotten far, being the last to depart from the group and by her lonesome. When a young man's voice reached her ears, she stopped in her stride and frantically searched herself. It wasn't there. She didn't have it in her possession.

"Zut alors!"
She thought to herself.

Whirling on the spot, her eyes laid on a handsome young man and saw that he had picked up the missive she had dropped. Narrowing her eyes at him, she stalked over to him. Gaze sharp and her worn heels clacking rapidly against the ground as she quickly closed the distance, she snatched the parchment from him and clutched it tighter this time in her white-gloved hands. For a moment, she glared at the young man.

"How rude."
She thought, realizing that he had been eying the message's content.
Though, her own actions could be considered the same.

Whether it was this realization or another reason, the senior maid's expression softened ever so slightly as she smoothed out the parchment to then fold it neatly and slipped it into her outfit for safe keeping. The paper crinkling quietly as she did so. Folding her hands in front of her, she softly sighed and bowed her head slightly to the young man. It would be just her luck if the man was an Iron Rose Knight after that somewhat disrespectful and rash action. If he said anything unfavorable about her and word reached Lady Marianne's ears, she would never hear the end of it.

"Thank you, kind sir. Merci beaucoup. The message was mine and I had mistakenly misplaced it. Please, excuse me. Excusez-moi. Have a good day, sir."
With a polite curtsy, the Senior Maid then turned and walked away. She had no time to waste on some stranger.

Pholus...immediately felt bad but also a bit suspicious of the maid since he kinda...well never saw her here since he's been here. And his memory wasn't all that too bad.

"...good thing she doesn't know I have a brain."

He chuckles a bit at his joke as he immediately looks into his bag to grab a small sketchpad and try to forge the message he saw on the letter. The giant paw of the beast was replicated and he just stared at it curiously. The image wasn't one he was exactly familiar with...nor did his professor's teachings really give much. Pholus was definitely not a magic-user so couldn't really prescribe what was wrong here. He watches the maid go off and walks after her curiously.

"Ma'am, do you need any help though? I can help make things...well craft a few inventions here or there. I'll help out if needed..."

Pholus's side job was to see if he can get any information about what this maid knows. He had a suspicion that she was related to the message in an important way but wasn't so reluctant to share the information. Wether be good or bad, Pholus's bad curiosity really made him want to know what was on it or the meaning really.
@harinezumikouken

The senior maid sighed very faintly, it appeared she had acquired a little puppy. Annoyingly following after her, though she had far more important matters to tend to directly related to the message they had received. But, with the aide of her mask, she was able to maintain a stoic expression. Having kept her head and eyes forward as she moved to her destination, she hadn't taken notice of the young man's forgery of their message as well.

"I thank you for your offer, kind sir. However, I will not require any assistance from you. While your offer is graciously appreciated, I must not be distracted. Gadgets and trinkets will not help us whatsoever." The senior maid said, casting a disdainful gaze at the young man. Her gait increased in its speed as she attempted to very discreetly 'escape' from the young man, heels clicking at a bit faster tempo. Her self-appointed task being securing a herald to announce their guest's arrival.

She only hoped nothing would happen in the streets before he came, though. Nearly every time he arrived some sort of trouble always arose. The last time he arrived suddenly, well...There was many a formal apology from both the Delacroix and the offending side. "Cleanup" always lasted days. The senior maid shuddered imperceptibly, recalling the memories...

The air in the kitchen suddenly crackled with a faint electricity, as if suddenly beset by an unseen force. It started slow at first, a faint white mist of loose flour wafting upwards by an intrusive air current. Warm swirling air began to concentrate at the center of the room, where a small work table sat, picking up momentum as the pace quickened. A faint hum began eminating from the small windstorms center and soon small blue sparks bounced from the disturbance, only to sputter out a few inches away.

Sparks soon became more frequent, and the wind picked up further, loose flour from all ages past now clouding in air in a frenzy. The world table now obfuscated by the growing typhoon that had taken control of the kitchen. And then, as the windstorm reached the peak of its violence, a final brilliant spark burst through the flour fog followed by a deafening crack of thunder that rang throughout Candaeln like the scream of a war god. As the final echos of the crack rang in the ears of those unfortunate enough to have been close, the wind died as quickly as it was born. And there, on the world table, a small figure sat. They dressed in an alien fashion, baggy simple robes loosely hanging from their figure instead of the tailored form hugging fashions of Thaln and its neighbors. An odd weapon, almost saber like, sat in its sheath next to her. A glimmering green stone tightly clung to her neck, hidding an angry scare which had only just began to fade with age. “Good evening” the figure says to the three maids it just disturbed, a raspy whisper like voice coming from the ornament. “This is the place known as Candaeln correct?” they asked, a pair of silver floppy rabbit like ears suddenly lifting themselves to an alert position, twitching slightly.

Due to not being the best stealth person, nor did he think of making any gadgets to help him hide better, Pholus heads back to the main hall once more. He was too focused on this message that was supposedly sent, trying to study it with a better look. Using whatever clues he found or heard, he starts trying to make random conclusions through his muttering:

"Gadgets and tricks won't help? They always help...even at balls and fancy parties. Maids are known to be busy and steadfast to do their jobs such as that...maybe the mark is representing a party is about to come out? Then again, why such a big monstrous marking? She was quite quick to leave me for being annoying...though parties aren't really things to be rushed in preparation. Plus, last second too? She can't be distracted...yet when parties are being set up, the hosts are always distracted in the preparation stages..."

The only conclusion he can come up with is parties yet it just...felt off. A marking for a symbol to party where no tricks can be performed and no additional aid is needed? His gut feeling was seriously off for this...but whatever the case may be, he was glad he has most of his equipment with him. His plan now was to wait in the main hall patiently for another significant figure to show up and bother...and hope this plan will work.

Freaking the heck out when the sudden crash came in, he rolls away and draws his "Rapier" as thunder sounds crackle throughout the house. He looks and listens carefully...as he yells:

"Hello!? Is everything alright over there?"

@harinezumikouken @ghastlyInc

The howling wind was followed by a much more subdued and brief thrumming, along with an ominous build-up that could only be associated with powerful magic. The result was nowhere near as alarming as the rabbit's appearance--it was easy to miss the change on first glance. Kneeling off to one side, yet distinctly above the ground itself, was a small figure in foreign clothing, apparently cataloguing every minor error with the previous teleportation.

The clothes, though resembling Nori's, appeared far more expensive: when it caught the light, white rabbit-like shapes could be seen in the fine blue silk, and no practical clothing would ever have such long sleeves or as elaborate a belt. The person wearing it was distinctly familiar, since her face was on one of Candaeln's many portraits.

Merilia, former Knight-Witch of the Iron Roses, had returned. Only, it obviously wasn't in body: the descending flour fell straight through her and she cast no shadow. It seemed that Akitsushima was too much to her tastes for the archmage to leave for good.

Pholus hears the next sound of explosion...and already has an idea on where it's coming from. However, he was extremely curious on who was coming due to the message and wanted to remain at his position at the front of the building. Quickly taking out a few pieces of string and scrap metals out of his backpack, he fastens a sort of alarm over the door in case someone came in unannounced. Afterwards, Pholus heads over to the main place he suspects where all the noise was coming from...the kitchen. He heads inside to find...two more people than from before. He sees the three familiar faces: the small female knight, the older knight helping the maids, and the younger knight of the older guy. However, besides the maids and his fellow knights, there were now another lady and a bunny..person? He has heard of various races before but this was a first of actually meeting someone from another species. Pholus heads over...and asks everyone there in general:

"Hey...um, just to be frank, I don't know any of you guys...but can we introduce ourselves and figure out what the hell is going on? I heard two explosion-like noises, a fiasco in the kitchen, and a creepy letter of some guests coming here soon...and I'd rather get sort of organized with everyone before anything crazy happens. The name is Pholus...the fantastic...just a nickname my professor made for me since I enjoy crafting well..anything. Who are you people please?"

Viora was rather surprised by the knight's words, as was Alaree. Beatrice, however, was at a loss for words, her teary eyes shining as she stared back at the knight. It wasn't because she had failed? It was because he simply felt it to be his duty to help? After a few wavering moments of silence, she looked down at her lap in muted embarrassment.

"... I-I'm sorry," she mumbled to herself, blushing, "It... I... I-I made a f-fool of myself, didn't I..."

As her fellow maids approached to help her to her feet, quite a few different things seemed to happen all at once. The more mundane among them was the exits and entrances of a few knights. The more stunning was a rabbit-eared... individual appearing spontaneously in the middle of the room, followed by a very short girl the maids were sure they had seen in a painting before.

All three were stunned into silence. For a few moments at least.

"... Aaaah, all these people getting in the way, my arms are getting tired!" whined Alaree. In fairness, the steaks were rather enormous, but it was still rather inappropriate. Viora, accordingly, whacked her on the back of the head.

"I apologize." The rabbit eared person rasped, standing up slowly. She adjusts her choker for a moment before hopping down, ears flopping forcefully down into their face for a moment as they land. They bow to the gathered group in a formal, but unfamiliar, fashion. If they were taught courtly manners, it certainly wasn't of the local variety. "I am the vassal of the witch-knight Merlilia, who currently resides as an emissary of the order in Akitsushima." They say as they right themselves.
"Please forgive the noise and mess. An unfortunate side effect of teleportation magic. To be brief, my master has become concerned with matters of your lands and sent me to recon the area and provide aid if necessary." The rabbit turns to Beatrice regarding her for a moment, before bowing again. "She sends her apologizes for not attending to this matter herself. She is currently dealing with domestic issues." They rasp, not wanting to clarify on exactly what that entailed. "I look forward to working with you Captain Fanlily"

Pholus nods his head and looks at her very carefully. He waves a dismissive hand and laughs a bit as he takes out the letter that he forged earlier. Hoping that they knew the meaning behind it, he shows it to her and whoever else was interested.

"Well nice to meet you Mrs. Vassal but do you have any idea what this monster print looks like? Supposedly due to this symbol there seem to be some people coming...but seems rather suspicious in my eyes. I'm planning to stay at the front entrance to stand guard but I really could use some help...my fighting style is kinda, reliant, on others."

He keeps showing it to them as he keeps a careful ear out for the alarm bells he made earlier for the front entrance, wanting to get back as soon as possible. His constant glances at the exit kept signifying that visibly to the others.

Vari looked around, not exactly prepared for any of what was going on. She did, however, recognize one of the newcomers, and from the stories she had read she knew that there was little danger, and that she wanted not to be in this room right now. Turning to the ghostly visitor, she bowed deeply.

"It is a pleasure to make your aquaintence Knight Merilia; I am Vari, currently a knight of the Iron Roses. Vy your leave, however, I velieve it would be prudent for this room to be less crowded. I vid you all a good night."

With that, she turned around and faded into the background, disappearing as she left the kitchen behind.

Though lacking the padded footsteps of a burglar and the tender touch of a lockpick, Gütta fancied himself nonetheless as rather a discreet man, urging his body and mind into the inviting embrace of that warm friend, laziness, with the graceful finesse of a dancer. Every morning began, when he could help it, with a large beer by the bedside, clean and bitter, flowing from the pot's belly to his; and with the chamberpot thence filled, the bright teeth (straight and strong like merlons) thence polished, the weathered modesty thence clothed, he moved toward the mess hall. He had mastered the art of his gait. Should he stoop too low, dragging his heels along the coarse stones as if touched by malaise, he would elicit pity from other knights; too tall, too straight of spine, too proud of bosom, and he would swim in their haughty contempt. Nay, he had totally seized his anonymity, strolling through the halls and seeming to the negligent eye as mundane as can be. Ergo no men put themselves forward as obstacles in his quest for meat and gravy, and other hearty stuffs to sit like lead in his gut and appease the throbbing heat in his skull. If I put so much effort into actually working, thought he, I would own this damned place!

Alas, like any fine liquor, too much laziness churns up into the stomach a true sickness, seeming to seep ere long even into man's very soul. After he broke his fast, having received no orders from his lieutenants, nor any urgent business around the bailey, Gütta set himself on the course of any bored soldier: he went out into the cloister, and he trained. Any who frequented this place knew his routine, if but in passing; a rope tied around the torso of a tree, looped around a high branch, and then weighted down at the end with a round wooden bull's-eye, served as his personal orc, troll, or brigand, its shape shifting to match his daily whimsy. Already sporting the scars of knife and arrowhead, this lump of lumber thus was his victim when flesh, blood and bone were not available. As for standing targets, the scapegoats for his axe and his sword were simpler still: plain wooden stakes dressed in rags, plugged up with straw, and to stop their viscera from spilling out preemptively, cinched tight at the hems.

Like hunting dogs locked up in their cages, bladders bursting but fangs much too dry, for hours the mercenary gnawed restlessly at his figurative bone, resting frequently to curse the sun and turn his face from it, for his face seared at his nerves with the residues of too much tipple. Where the boisterous stone pillars and walls would bite at his sword, denting and nicking and rolling the fickle steel, rather the ash and elm and cedar accepted from Gütta their wounds and scars. Thus was his average day spent, when he was not to march a road and dig a latrine (the two true duties of war): stabbing with the awlpike, hooking with the axe and beak, rushing in with the shimmering naked sword, against foes of wood and straw. Inert as they were, nevertheless they oiled his wits and honed his talents.

And indeed, this was a day like any other. When the explosion reverberated through the stones of the keep, and whistled sharply through the air, he had propped his back against a buttress as to rest, and let the sweat dry from his brow. The mercenary turned toward the noise only by instinct, his heart startled into a quicker tempo. When he saw that no shrapnel soared toward him, and that no smoke shuffled listlessly heavenward, he realized the mishap, one of countless, surely was innocuous, and no reason whatever for further alarm. Those children sure like to show off, he pondered, his irritation tickling at his brain like a delicate morning mist.

He wondered when supper would be ready, and when the heavens' mercy would strip the ache from his eyeballs.

Seeing how he has been ignored, Jarde just smiled through it. "Aaaall right then."

In a span of a few moments, multiple knights entered the kitchen. The most notable was the spontaneous appearance of a woman sporting the ears of rabbit. Much was going on for Jarde to follow but they seem to busy talking to each other and so, he elected to not interrupt them.

He did spot a maid looking like she had trouble holding up some very large steaks. "Hey there miss." He quickly approached the maid. "Those are some heavy stuff you have there. Mind if I help?"

This...was not helping much in his opinion. All the people kept bowing to the captain and sure he should really introduce himself to his captain too. However, his curiosity for solving this potential problem was taking all attention and focus. Considering the fact that no one took the note to heart, he predicts that there was no additional information from this. He starts to head back to the main hall, and waves at the others.

"Guess I'm the only one interested in this note...you guys have fun cooking your meal. If anything happens, just give a shout outside or if any explosions happen, check outside please."

After disarming the makeshift wind chimes from the door, he waits outside at the entrance. Pholus keeps going over the ideas in his head on what the monster symbol could mean. This guest is going to be fun...I hope. Quickly checking his gauntlets if they were put on right, he checks a widget that was sprung loose a bit and kept trying to smack it back in for now.