@PaulHaynek@Rezod92@Stern Algorithm@13org@ShwiggityShwah

Yang Bethlehem

She kept a safe distance from the knight, not really joining the conversation. Her eyebrows did rose when she heard about him coming from a region that clashed with the Order, alongside him meeting the undead horde and leading it away.

That didn't sound like what those Varjo knights would do. Though then again, he could easily lie about it. She kept that thought to herself and only nodded politely at that.

Hearing her comment about her did make her twitch in annoyance and stung her slightly. She supposed the past few week events had left her wary of knights and such.

"Hmm." Yang kept an impassive face nonetheless, embarrassing at it is, she rather be looked upon as rude rather than letting anything untoward happen.

It took awhile but when Guildmaster Bart arrived, Yang noted that Neil was also with him.

Small steps. Yang quickly greeted Bart in respect with a hand over fist and head bowed to him.

Hearing the decision of both Bart and Neil, Yang relaxed slightly. If he was willing to at least accept, then perhaps this sir Reed wasn't so bad?

"If Guildmaster Bart and sir Neil has no issue, then I too have not." Yang said before turning to Reed, and bowed her head down to him. "I apologize for my demeanor, Sir Reed. Certain events has left me...wary of knights."

"I judge you too hastily and was rude in my conduct. Hence, allow me to reintroduce myself and start over, Sir Reed." Yang lifted her head and in a much softer tone, spoke to him with a hand over her chest. "I'm Yang Bethlehem, a disciple of White Tiger temple and a member of The Guild."

"Welcome to the Guild." Yang grinned with a warm smile and pointed a thumb back to the guild as she discarded the formal stance and poise she had.

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

Ditzy followed the knight and looked at the knight, it seemed like the latter didn't even notice or register him.

Then again, from his perspective, he looks like a taller goblin instead of a hobgoblin. The only telltale sign he was a hobgoblin was the mismatched and bigger than usual horns on the top of his head.

Sticking to the back of Freyr, he saw the nice lady seemed a little cold to the new friend.

Ditzy smelled him, wondering if he was off.

When Sir Reed asked of him on Yang being this cold, Ditzy smiled in turn and answered him.

"Nope! She smiles a lot!" Ditzy pushed his lips upwards to resemble a smile, much to Yang chagrin.

When Bart and Neil came out, discussing that he should involve others in deciding others join.

Ditzy gave a deep and studious glance to Sir Reed, a moment passed before Ditzy smiled.

"Ok!" Ditzy gave his thoughts on Reed joining the guild, he didn't seem like a bad person. Waving his hand to him as he probably can get another new playmate. "He can play with us!"

Speaking of Bart though, is he up yet? There's a knight outside wanting to join, says he seeks 'enlightenment'. If you ask me, I don't buy it. Of all the places you could go to find that sort of thing, he thinks coming here would help find what he's looking for? But hey, who am I to judge?"

"Oh I don't know. Ever since I started training with Sensei Yang, I've been feeling pretty zen." He said while making a little prayer sign with his hands. "Besides, I've never ran into a group so welcoming. It's gotta count for something." He moved past her as he made his way outside towards the others. "Hey if you're not busy, I'd like to use today to get properly acquainted." There was a point made, members come and go, and he didn't want to waste a single moment with a new potential friend if he could.

@PaulHaynek@Stern Algorithm@13org@Restalaan

Before he could reach the door, most of the guild had barged in, a new comer in tow. "Boy I thought I got up early..." He shrugged. "Morning everyone! I got coffee ready!" He announced cheerfully.

The discussion seemed to shift as Ozzy went back to the kitchen, getting the pot and cups ready. There was apparently some discussion to invite the knight into the guild. Ozzy made his opinion known by offering a cup to Sir Reed first. "I was welcomed no questions asked so I say we could do the same. Welcome! My name is Ozmodius Skyway. Scholar and Socialogist. Let me know if you need a question answered or, ya know- " He unfurled his wings. "A bird's eye view on anything."

^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@Stern Algorithm@Rezod92}

Ada kept looking at the metal man from a safe distance, merely watching him talk with the other members. Judging by his voice and how the other members were interacting with him, he did seem to be a nice person, which made her less wary and approached him a bit more to inspect him. Looking at him from a bit closer didn't help her to figure out why he had all that metal on him. Was he made of metal or there was a reason for that? As he got closer, she tried to sniff the air around him and touched his metal armor, curiously. She was surprised to see that it was solid, making a sound when she touched it with the tip of her finger. It's surface was cold too, it didn't feel like it was alive too. Nonetheless, the guild master and the members did agree to let him join, so apparently they had a new member.

Walking a bit closer to him, Ada offered him a smile as a greeting to the new arrival on the guild before she dashed back inside to eat something. She was starting to feel the smell of food being made and Ozzy was already there, although when Ada had arrived, he had just entered the kitchen again. When Ozzy returned, he would find Ada sitting in the table, looking at him as she tilted her head, almost asking where her food was as he came carrying some strange, strong smelling, black and hot liquid.

---

Freyr

Before he knew, most of the guild was already outside to check on the mysterious stranger. The Altissima sisters were quick to invite him to enjoy breakfast inside the guild after the introductions were made. According to what Sir Reed said, Ortus was very far away, indicating that he had to cross many borders to reach even small villages. Despite that, Freyr was surprised when he heard Sir Reed saying that they were at war with The Order and the friendly approach he, and apparently his kingdom too by extension, had regarding monsters.

"A Viera. And a male, yes." Freyr said, correcting Sir Reed when he asked if he was a wererabbit.

When Sir Reed asked if Yang was always like that, due to her cold greeting, Freyr gave a discreet chuckle before replying.

"Some of us are a bit more wary of strangers than others. She will get better once you know her, don't worry." Freyr replied. Fortunately, just after he did that, Yang apologized herself, explaining why she acted like that.

After a few moments, Bart finally arrived. Going right to the point, he asked Sir Reed if he would like to join the guild, not before asking the other members though. Their replies were mostly positive, although the reason for Bart to be making that vote was a bit strange, just like Haley mentioned.

"Anyone who wants to help is welcome, at least in my opinion." Freyr replied, agreeing with letting him join the guild.

@PaulHaynek

Quickly getting dressed in her signature attire, Kira reunited with her fellow guildmates in welcoming the new knightly recruit. Upon hearing Freyr, Yang, Ditzy and Ozzy give their opinion, the flygirl reaffirmed her initial judgement.

"As I've said, he seems good in my book. Besides, I'm sure he's not gonna cause anymore trouble than the Guild is already potentially facing."

~@Restalaan (YNG & DIT), @13org (ADA & FYR), @ShwiggityShwah, @Rezod92, @Stern Algorithm~

"Oh? What might you be? Never seen or heard your like before." Sir Reed remarked when Ada inspected him. He showed no resistance and allowed the Hushabye to tap and touch his armor. "It's pretty good armor, ain't it? Not anything to write home about, but it has saved my life a couple of times."

"You wanna come and play with us?"

"I was welcomed no questions asked so I say we could do the same. Welcome! My name is Ozmodius Skyway. Scholar and Socialogist. Let me know if you need a question answered or, ya know- " He unfurled his wings. A bird's eye view on anything."

"More male monsters... How is this possible? What is this place?" Sir Reed marveled at Ditzy and Ozzy. "I should really bring this back to Ortus. Let everyone know." He muttered to himself before addressing the two male monsters. "O-Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you two as well!"

Once he was accepted into the Guild, Sir Reed made a sharp bow to everyone. "My gratitude. I promise, I shan't be a disappointment much less a burden to the Guild."

"I apologize for my demeanor, Sir Reed. Certain events has left me...wary of knights. I judge you too hastily and was rude in my conduct. Hence, allow me to reintroduce myself and start over, Sir Reed. I'm Yang Bethlehem, a disciple of White Tiger temple and a member of The Guild."

Sir Reed laughed. "Not a problem, Madam Bethlehem. And truly, a smile and a warm face suits you more."

---

The guild reached Boreal Port by midday. They could already hear the cheers festivities as they were entering and upon their arrival, they saw the crude yet charming decorations for the festival. Buntings, strings with colored flags, hung overhead which made the small port vibrant just for this day. A few balloons were tied to some posts while garlands of pretty flowers were placed in the doors of some buildings, usually an establishment rather than a home.

Monsters and humans, young and old, filled the streets with laughter. Some waved at the guild, welcoming them to Boreal Port. For one day, this small

"Ah, it's the guild!" A Dark Priest, familiar to some of the guild members, came to greet the new arrivals. She had a happy smile on her face but she also appeared quite winded with sweat visible on her forehead. "I'm very glad that you managed to came. I know that some of you already know me but as a quick introduction, I am Riñas Chavez. A Dark Priest presiding a church here in Boreal Port. I am also one of the organizers of the festival so I am quite busy right now. But please, enjoy yourselves here."

"Ah, I know! There are several contests you can partake in. Here, let me show you them real quick."









"Now then, I must get back to my duties. I hope you have a good time here."

Just when Riñas was about to leave, Neil quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. The sudden move caught everyone's attention, looking on as to what Neil wanted with the Dark Priest. "L-Listen..." Neil stuttered out the words, feeling all eyes on him. "W-Why don't I help you out? I-- Because I need to ask something of you."

Confusion was the next order of business but Riñas accepted Neil's strange offer. "V-Very well, come with me then."

Neil nodded to the rest of the guild before joining the Dark Priest. It was clear he was pursuing something. The silence that followed Neil's departure was broken by Haley. "So, where's everyone off to? I'm not sure where to head first so I think I'll be joining someone to wherever they go."

"Speaking of undead, were you the ones that abandoned that horde of Zombies near Pravar?" The Ortusian knight asked. "They could've been slaughtered had the Order spotted them. I had to lead them to the safety of the mountains, delaying my arrival here."

"We hadn't thought of that," Sylvia said somewhat apologetically, "We were somewhat in danger ourselves. But it's good to know that you're someone who is capable at handling a horde of zombies. This was essentially the sisters' approval of Reed joining the guild, since it didn't seem that anyone else had any objections.

---

The trek to Boreal Port would have been too much for the sisters to travel to normally, but fortunately they had their wheeled cart, and plenty of gracious friends willing to help push them along. The sisters were pleased to make the acquaintance of the Dark Priest, but Vivian perked up at the mention of a cooking competition. But when Neil grabbed Riñas' hand, Sylvia stifled a gasp, and when he offered to help the Dark Priest, Sylvia blurted out, "We can help too!"

"Sylvia! But the cooking contest!" Vivian whined.

"I-I mean, as new members of the Guild, we have yet to prove our usefulness. Rather than be selfish and have fun, we should help out as much as we can," Sylvia said, trying to cover her actual reason.

"We all came to have fun, Sylvia! If Neil wants to work, that's on him."

"Wh-what if I want to work?"

"COOKING! CONTEST!" Vivian demanded. Vines on the respective sides of their pot raised up menacingly as the sisters squared off.

"FINE!" The sisters raised their fists, "ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"


"DAMMIT!" Vivian yelled, curling and uncurling her fists in rage and defeat.

"YES!" Sylvia pumped her arm in victory, then cleared her throat to try to regain some composure. "Ahem, Sister Chavez? WE would also like to help out with the festival logistics."

@ShwiggityShwah@Stern Algorithm@PaulHaynek@Rezod92@13org

Yang Bethlehem

"Aren't you quite the flatterer?" She chuckled as she placed her hands at the sides of her hips and puffed her chest outwards.

---

As they progressed to the port, Yang smiled at the air of festivity. It felt familiar to her as both human and monster girls intermingle with one another, no discourse or tension, simply here to enjoy themselves.

When a familiar voice called out to them, Yang turned and greeted Rinas with a bow. Though it seemed the dark priest is having a tough time even as a smile graced her face.

A quick breakdown of the events, Yang pondered on which event to take part. It doesn't seem like there was a martial arts competition and the strength competition simply doesn't appeal to her.

Then, Neil did something daring as he wanted to assist Rinas and in a forward manner of request too! That boy grew up so quick, she smiled at that.

Seeing how the Altissima sister followed up by one of her other halves made it even funnier as she giggled at that. A mischievous moment occurred as she was tempted to join in but Neil probably has his hands full in that.

"Hmm, cooking competition huh?" Yang looked at that as it tickles her interest. She wasn't exactly a gourmet chef but she wasn't a novice either. After all, she had taken turns to cook for the hundreds of pupils for the temple.

@PaulHaynek

Well, even if I'm terrible, I can't be that bad right?

"Alright, I'll take up the cooking challenge. You kids have some fun, alright?" Yang eagerly said and pat the head of Ozzy, Haley, Ada.

Heading for the area, Yang cracked her fingers and neck. It was time to show the world White Tiger vegetarian meal!

Once she was there, Yang spotted some of the competition, one seemed dressed impeccably and had an aura of grace. The other took her aback when she recognized it.

"An Ushi-Oni?!" Her mouth open and pulled herself back involuntarily to a low fighting stance when she laid eyes on her.

They're supposedly very aggressive and primal, the few encounters she had was often them pursuing her master relentlessly. Seeing one here so far from home, and in a cooking competition of all things jolted her fighting instinct despite the cheery environment they're in.

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

After getting the new person into the guild, Ditzy and the rest trekked towards the port. Ditzy often darting in head and stumbling a few times, even falling flat but continued on unheedingly.

Once there, Ditzy took the sights and sound. There were so many things happening at once that he took a while to process everything. When the dark priest came to explain what activity was happening, Ditzy took an interest in the strength competition.

"Ditzy's strong! Ditzy gonna go and beat lever up so hard that bell and tower breaks!" Ditzy smiled eagerly and ran off to where it was situated, eager to beat Lever down to the ground.

Arriving at the area, he looked back and forth as he saw a knight, a minotaur, a cat lady, and a lady in a maid outfit. Though the plumes on her hands and tail reminded ditzy of a bird.

Grinning and approaching the contestants, looking like a tall goblin with his getup for others that saw him. He briefly looked at the Jinko as her presence reminded him of that Yang.

"Hello! I'm Ditzy." He waved at all of them. "So who's Lever? Ditzy heard you need to beat Lever up to show they're the strongest."

^{@Restalaan@ShwiggityShwah@Stern Algorithm@Rezod92}

When the Ada and the others finally arrived at Boreal Port, Ada was already curious due to all the noises and cheers coming from the distance but the second she arrived the place where the festivities were happening, she was instantly amazed, looking everywhere with an extremely curious expression. There were so many strange sounds, scents and so many colors and things she had never seen before she she was having a hard time choosing what she wanted to see first. She was getting ready to start running around, amazed by all the new things but luckily for the rest of the guild, a strange woman appeared, drawing her attention for enough time for someone to realize her posture, which was a clear indication that she was about to start 'running' instead of just walking.

Ada watched curiously as the woman, called Riñas talked to the group, showing some of the contests that were going on in the distance. While Ada didn't care much about the archery contest or the quiz, she was very interested in the cooking and strength one, particularly on the interesting and tasty smells coming from the cooking contest and the shining golden thing reflecting the sunlight right at the top of the strange tower on the strength contest. When the explanation was over and she was about to go, Neil said that he wanted to help her, followed by the Altissima sisters, which seemed to disagree about going or not. In order to solve said disagreement, they started playing a strange game, where they waved their closed hands before either lowering them closed, with their hands open or only with their two fingers up in a 'V' shape. Finding that rather strange but interesting, Ada went closer and started to mimic the hand signs they were making, with a puzzled expression.

When the Riñas was finally over and was already going away with Neil and the Altissima sisters, Ada got ready again, too amazed by all the strange things around her. Her first target were the round colored things that were tied to some of the tall things that were on the sides of the street. Dashing towards one of the posts and climbing it without any difficulty, Ada began looking at one of the balloons and sniffing it before trying to grab it. The moment she did, the sound of her fingers rubbing on the surface of the balloon made a strange sound, making Ada flinch, surprised before trying to touch it again but slower this time. This time though, the balloon popped in her hands, making her flinch surprised. Getting down from the post, she grabbed one of the pieces of rubber that fell from the balloon, taking it to where the rest of the guild was, showing it to them with a puzzled expression almost as if asking what had happened to the round, soft thing.

---

Freyr

The trek to Boreal Port did take a while, with the group arriving there only around midday. Despite that, the sound of the festivities and the decorations sure gave the place a different feel. There were many possible activities for them to make, including many interesting contests going on. A few moments after they arrived, a Dark Priest came to greet them, Riñas Chavez, how she introduced herself, seemed to be a familiar face for some of the guild members, with her having already requested their help a few other times. Despite her obviously being very busy, she still found time to greet the group and show them some of the contests that were currently happening before returning to her duties.

Before Riñas could go away though, Neil stopped her with a rather strange request. For some reason, he wanted to go together with her as he had something to ask to her. Despite all the stares, Riñas simply accepted his strange request. Immediately after that, one of the Altissima sisters, more specifically Sylvia, said that they could also help her, much to Vivian's dismay. Vivian's protests, leading to a small game of rock, paper and scissors to decide if they were going to the cooking contest or helping Riñas did make Freyr smile a bit, as she watched the sisters, amused until the winner was declared, again, much to Vivian's dismay.

After Riñas was gone with Neil and the sisters, Freyr saw with the corner of his eyes Ada getting in a low posture, ready to run somewhere. Letting out an amused smirk, Freyr simply leaned towards Ozzy, Haley and others who usually were together with Ada.

"I think she saw something interesting..." he whispered, not wanting to stop Ada, curious about what she was about to do.

The moment she climbed the post to touch the balloons, Freyr couldn't help but watch, amused as she touched the balloon, flinching due to the noise it made. When it popped on her hands, making her react with a surprised expression before going down and bringing a piece of the blown up balloon to them, he went towards Ada, patting her head with a smile without saying a word.

"I am rather interested in the archery contest, although I might go to the cooking contest after I'm finished to see if I can taste some of Yang's dishes." Freyr said with a chuckle as he looked to the group.

@PaulHaynek

"Nice of you to join us, Reed. Now that that's settled, we goin' to this festival or what?", Kira stated, eagerly wanting to get to where the fun is.

---

Upon arriving at Boreal Port and having a quick giggle over Vivian and Sylvia's argument, Kira already decided where she was gonna spend her time.

I might not be that much of a cook, but if those organizers are in need of a taste judge, I'll gladly fill in., she thought to herself, licking her lips as her mind was already filling to the brim with images of all the free meals she planned on consuming. That is, until she heard a loud pop.

@13org (ADA)

Her delicious thoughts interrupted, Kira turned to see Ada holding what appears to be the remains of a balloon with a confused look of her face. The young Beelzebub chuckled with a good-natured smile, understanding what the mysterious monstergirl was asking.

"What you just popped was a balloon. It's a rubbery object you blow air into. People usually use these for decorations for events like this festival. Other times, people give these to little kids as a nice little gift. If you blow too much air into it or use a sharp object to poke it, it'll pop like just now.", Kira explained. Hmmm...say, why not come with me to the cooking contest? There will be tons of food to try and I bet they could use a judge or two."

"SQAWWWRK!"

Ozzy had just been getting more and more excited as they walked closer and closer to Boreal, keeping the trip there quite noisy as he ran off a bunch of random facts about Boreal which led to snippets about other far away lands, the subaquatic kingdoms and general shipping in general. One could swear he was just starting to float by how much he was talking, seemingly circling the group as his excitement and the sea currents uplifted him. Standing in the middle of the street with his friends, Ozzy blurted out, his bird like voice uttering out. He swore sometimes he sound like a parrot rather then the noble owl but who cared about that!?

"Oh my gods! This is amazing! I swear this is better than Gladchester! And they had floats everywhere! Ahh! I can't wait!"

@13org Ada

He made sure to get Ada's attention, he was late for breakfast for her and apologized for it with the hustle and bustle of the morning but this time grabbed her hands and with a huge twinkle in his eyes announced. "I'm going to get you so much funnel cake!"

@PaulHaynek Rinas

Just then an elf approached, no wait, he recognized the iconography and attire. A priestess of the Demon King. Not surprising, they were near the Demon King's kingdom. She greeted them, and he greeted her back. "Thank you so much, it's nice to meet you Riñas Chavez. Everything looks great!" He didn't recognize her, but the others seemed to.

Rinas suggested the list of events. His jaw went slack. Quiz Bee.

A competition of intellect. Of monsterkind. Of useless trivia. While others were out studying the blade, life, or eachother, Ozzy was studying the written word. The world of books, and seeing cultures with his own eyes as he flew across the land. It was fate... it was destiny. He put his hands together, taking a deep breath, missing the whole Neil Rinas event. "My entire life has prepared me for this..." He put a finger to the sky. "I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!" He declared, his wings unfurling. "As gods are my witness! I, Ozmodius Skyway will win the Quiz Bee!"

@Restalaan Yang and Ditzy

Yang kind of broke him out of his little self aggrandizing monologue. Her usual big sis ruffling of his head. He chuckled and stomped back, his hands balled into fists. "You bet we will Sensei! Go kick some butt!" He didn't know she could cook? But at this point she's so amazing, he wouldn't be surprised.

When Ditzy declared his intent, Ozzy was with his new friend, giving the air a couple of fake punches. "You got this! Win another gold for the Guild!"

@Stern Algorithm Silvia and Vivian

Ozzy waited on baited breath at the serious duel being conducted between the two sisters. Honestly, it was a shoe in to have them attend the cooking show but volunteering to help was such a noble effort Ozzy could hardly fault it. Turns out, karma won and the two would help up. Ozzy tried to offer Vivian some cheering up. "Atleast you're doing something nice." he did whisper with a grin "You would have won." stating it that she didn't need to compete, mostly because she was too good a cook to lose. Or he hoped it would sound that way.

@Rezod92 Kira

Kira seemed to be on it, already showing Ada what she had managed to destroy and inviting her to what she'd probably get the most fun out of. The efforts earned Ozzy a big grin. "Great observation. She'd probably have more fun trying out the eats too. Careful though, this is her first time in a city so sorry if you have to keep an eye on her." He warned just in case.

He looked to Ada again with over flowing enthusiasm. "You're going to love the city Ada! And everyone's going to love you!" No more traps in the woods, she was another monster girl, with hopes and dreams like everyone else. He hoped she would be okay.

@13org Freyr

"Hey! That's a great idea! If we're all going to split up, lets meet at the cooking competition! It should take the longest and that way we can spend the rest of the festival together!" Ozzy gave Freyr a big thumbs up. "Bring home a gold Freyr!"

@PaulHaynek Haley

And with everyone choosing their challenges, that left Haley to decide. "I don't know how exciting it would be, but if you want to see me win or fail horribly, you're welcome Haley." He gave her a grin. If she came with- great they'd go together. If she didn't, he would fly to his victory.

----------------------

He didnt know, had no idea.

He had approached the stage after signing up to see three other females there. Ozzy was just there in a loose sky blue button up and red shorts, his satchel slung over his shoulder, and the moment he saw them, he felt his chest lurch a bit.

A Lich, complete with her grimoire. She seemed to draw in the light, which was amazing in such a bright sunlit day. Powerful magics. A lich? No freaking way! Despite her appearance, she was probably way way older then he was, and probably had tons more experience.

The Owl Mage, she.... was... BEAUTIFUL... It wasn't the famed 'evil eye' that made his face hot and his legs weaked knee'd, Ozzy was an owl harpy... and Owl Mage's were rather understandably, directly related. The only difference being that magic came much easier to Owl Mages due to their plumage gathering mana. Still, the owl part of himself couldn't deny the curves, the feather design. He hardly ever gets to see owl harpies this far west so she came as quite a sight. A moment of fluster later he shoke it off, game face! He knew that they were as scholarly and intelligent as his kind were. Shoot, he was going against natural talent and experience!

The last girl, the Kikimora hardly seemed to be a threat at first appearance compared to the other two. A beastman who normally act as maid and servants... thats the stereotype anyway. Ozzy wasn't going to underestimate her. That cute maid girl facade in her beachy best might be intentional.

He immediately felt his blood race. This was going to be a challenge. Better size up the competition.

He grinned and approached a hand raised with his wing, his owl feet under his shorts and his talons hooking into his sandals. "Hello! How's the festival going for you guys?" A greeted. Endear yourself to the enemy, then when their defenses are down, WHAM! You can achieve victory!

Master Chef
~@Restalaan (YNG)~

The cooking contest was located in an empty corner of the port, now refurbished to accommodate the competition. For the audience, there were rows of simple wood chairs but they were not all occupied. For the contestants, there were four tables lined in a single row filled with culinary materials from pans to spatulas and various ingredients including vegetables, a few kinds of meat and all sorts of condiments like salt and spices.

You take your place in one of the tables. An apron was provided for you to wear and after putting it on, a familiar face greets you. "Hey, blondie." Nero got into another table and put on his contest apron. "Betcha didn't expect me here, did you? I thought I should put my cooking skills to the test. Although, considering that you and the spider beside me are the competition, I doubt I'll be tested that hard."

The table beside Nero's was occupied by the Ushi-Oni. She was the typical individual of her species, she was large and ferocious-looking. Her lower, spider-half was covered in thick black hair with each leg ending in a sharp claw. Her upper, human-half had dark green skin tattooed with markings. A pair of horns was on her head, its base covered by black, unkempt hair. Her only piece of clothing was the free apron of the contest but you assume she had fur or hairs covering her modesty.

She lazily stared at Nero and he was too busy preparing to notice. Perhaps he might be in trouble later?

At the farthest table from you was the Kikimora contestant. She was an ordinary-looking Kikimora with her maid outfit and tufts of brown feathers coming out of her sleeves. Behind her was her long, fluffy feathered tail and her scaled feet were barely visible under her long dress. Fair-skinned, she wore a disarming smile on her face as she patiently waited for the contest to begin.

"Got anything to say before I blow you out of here, blondie?"

---

A Test Of Strength
~@Restalaan (DIT)~

"Step right up! Step right up!" The knight said to the crowd gathered around the high striker. "Think you're tough? Then step right up and test your strength against Ian North's Test Your Miiiiight!"

All this was happening in a small plaza in the middle of Boreal Port. The onlookers were both men and monster, drawn to the attraction to see who was strong enough to ring the bell and because the knight called Ian North was yelling really loudly. You push your way past the crowd to participate in the contest.

When you made your way to the fore, the other contestants were already waiting. There was the Minotaur you saw earlier, a bull monster whose strength was the stuff of stories. There was also the Jinko, a tiger-like monster from the east and also said to be mighty. Then there's the Kikimora who... aren't really known for their raw brawn. "We already have ourselves three contestants! Three warriors of incredible powerrrrrr! Who else wants to join?"

Spotting you, Ian quickly pointed a finger. "You there, little boy! You look like you can knock a few heads. You wanna try your strength in this here game?"

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

The competition was located just outside of Boreal Port, in a clear grassy field. In a way, this reminded you of a previous quest where you had to retrieve an arrow for the client.

A small audience was present but there were only a few chairs, leading to some simply sitting on the grass and lots of complaining. A tap on the shoulder gets your attention and once you turn around, it was none other than Sir Reed. "Hail, Viera. I, too, would like to test my skills with the bow. As a knight, it would be beneficial for me to learn all sorts of weapons."

A familiar figure hopped out from behind Sir Reed. "Heya, Freyr! Don't mind me, I'm just here to watch." Haley glanced at the contest, particularly the other contestants. "Whew! You've got a fight ahead of you two. Those two could shoot arrows at things they can't even see." You do not know if she was exaggerating but if she was not, that would truly make the competition fierce.

The Elf contestant was a gorgeous woman wearing a green ornate dress styled like the leaves of a verdant forest. With hair of green and fair skin, she peacefully sat on the grass polishing her bow to perfection. You could tell that her bow was a personal one. From a distance though, it appeared a simple white bow but it was more than that. It was crafted well and had intricate markings that made it hers.

The Cupid one was a typical of their race. Save for her brown skin, everything else about her was pink. Pink hair, pink hat, pinkish white gloves and knee-high boots, pink wings and pink clothes. Clothes that covered so little, she might as well be wearing only her underwear were it not for the belts and accessories she also wore. Her bow, too, was pink and decorated with hearts, the symbol of her patron goddess.

There was also that Kikimora. An ordinary, fair-skinned Kikimora with her maid outfit and tufts of brown feathers coming out of her sleeves. Behind her was her long, fluffy feathered tail and her scaled feet were barely visible under her long dress. She wore a disarming smile on her face as she patiently waited for the contest to begin, holding her bow and doing nothing else.

"Sir Freyr, what do you think the chances are of that Cupid shooting either of us instead of the target?" Sir Reed asked of you as he inspected his bow. You doubt the question is serious. But could it?

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

The trivia contest took place indoors inside an empty, unused hall within the port repurposed for the competition. It was not spacious but it had enough room to host the event.

Four podiums for the contestants were arranged in a line at the other side of the hall with rows and rows of chairs for the audience in front of them. The chairs were almost completely empty which was disappointing but perhaps the crowd just haven't arrived yet?

The other contestants were already present. The Owl Mage and the Lich were in a conversation. The Owl Mage looked like any other of her kind, thick plumages of brown to light brown feathers covered her body yet she still wore clothes underneath. You were unsure where the feathers began and where they ended. Meanwhile, the deathly-skinned Lich wore a long hooded cloak that covered her entire body save for her face and her arms that clutched a grimoire.

The Kikimora, however, appeared ordinary with her maid outfit and tufts of brown feathers coming out of her sleeves. Behind her was her long, fluffy feathered tail and her scaled feet were barely visible under her long dress. She wore a disarming smile on her face as she stood behind her podium and waited patiently for the contest to begin.

"Hello! How's the festival going for you guys?"

Your greeting was immediately noticed and the Owl Mage responded in kind. "It has went well so far. Although, we have been waiting here for--" She stopped as she and the Lich stared at you for a few uncomfortable moments. They probably realized you were no ordinary monster.

They then approached, no, lunged at you. They immediately stuck their faces very close to yours as they tried to discern the anomaly that stood before them. "How is this possible? You are a Harpy yet..." The Owl Mage trailed off and continued to stare hard at you.

"Is this some sort of trick? Are you using some sort of illusion magic?" The Lich questioned you. "I do not detect any cast spells on you, though. Is this part of the contest? Are we to try to decipher what you are? If so, then this truly is a test of my intellect."

"Tell us, little Harpy. Who are you?"

---

~@13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

"None of the contests really interest me." Bart sighed. "I think I'll just advertise our Guild to all the people here. Try to attract clients and attention. You guys are free to join me if you'd like." With that, Bart left the group.

The others have left as well earlier, leaving only Ada, Kira and Talia. "Mmm, I have no interest in any of the contests either and I don't... wanna hang around Bart right now. You two are going to the cooking contest, right?" She said to Kira and Ada. "Maybe I'll just come with you two."

"Maybe we can get another balloon on the way." Talia said, patting Ada on the head. "Say, Kira. Have you any idea what species of monster she is?"

---

~@Stern Algorithm~

Neil and the Altissima sisters worked hard, fetching messages and materials to and fro. All to keep the festival going smoothly. Neil mostly just carried and pushed the Liliraune all over while the latter were the ones holding the stuff. It was all exhausting and fortunately, the trio were given a break for several minutes.

Plopping down on a bench in a plaza, Neil made a long sigh to catch his breath. "Damn, that was harder than I thought." He remarked. "Had I known that I had to do this much running, I would've joined Ozzy in his exercises with Yang." Wiping some sweat off his brow, Neil continued. "But you know what they say, the things that are worth having don't come easy."

After several moments of panting, Neil glanced over to Vivian. "Hey uhh, I know that you wanted to come to join the cooking contest so uhh, I'll try to make it up to you, alright? Ehehe, sorry." Despite the words, Neil did not seem to know exactly how to do that. But that was a matter for later, Neil then looked at Sylvia.

"So why did you really want to come with me?" Neil asked the question of questions. "I doubt you have any questions for Riñas. Err, do you?"

@PaulHaynek

Yang Bethlehem

A quick word brought her attention away from the Ushi-Oni and onto sir Nero, which had her quickly move up as she waved towards him.

"Oh, sir Nero?! Fancy seeing you here." She smiled and bowed to him, his later comment of not seeing them as threats set a little tic on her eyebrow.

Grinning, she tilted her neck at that. "That's quite the claim, sir Nero."

Looking at Ushi-Oni, she was unusually calm. That alone unnerved her to a degree but seeing a quick glance from the Ushi-Oni to Nero, had her smile a bit.

"Your neighbor likes you." Yang quietly said to him as she took her place, inspecting and checking what ingredients available to her.

Hmm, for such a day, noodles would be good. Yang set out for preparing the needed amount and what kind of good noodles she can make.

Seeing the other contestant, aside from Nero and the Ushi-Oni, the other one that seemed to be a bird monster girl. The choice of clothes piques her interest, she had only seen that with some noble servants but never up close before.

Yang waved at her briefly with a smile, she seems nice.

"Hah, bring it, old man!" Yang wagged two of her fingers towards Nero, her competitive streak within stoked.

Alright, let's do this! She quickly slapped both hands together and settled on her menu.

Ramen!

---

@PaulHaynek

Ditzy Stoneclub

Making his way, he looked back and forth, slowly pushing his way towards the crowd. Once forward of the crowd, he saw a knight encouraging and gesturing with his hands to everyone.

Seeing a Minotaur, Ditzy was reminded of Magnus. Though she wasn't as big as he was. She looked strong enough to play with him and that brought a smile to him.

The next one looks like a cat monster girl, though her claws were much longer alongside with stripes. Somehow, she reminded him of that Yang. The way they stand, feel and smell similar. Lastly, was a Kee-Kee-morah? He hadn't known them for being strong.

Ah well.

when the knight spotted him, he was quick to turn his attention to him and asked if he's willing to try his strength.

"Okay!" Ditzy said excitedly and stepped forward into view, unbeknownst to him, he was now the center of attention as people saw Ditzy. His disposition of looking like a tall goblin if not for the mismatched horns that are characteristic of a Hobgoblin.

Some of the more observant people will note that despite the female goblin clothes he wore, he was undoubtedly a male monster.

Ditzy didn't care as he quickly joined the ranks of the other monster girl, greeting them enthusiastically despite them being his competitors.

"Hello, I'm Ditzy! Let's have lots of fun!" He offered a hand for them to shake, excited to make new friends that he can play with.

^{@PaulHaynek@Rezod92}

Ada tilted her head, confused as Kira explained what had happened to her. Apparently, what she had just popped was a 'balloon'. Inside of it was filled with air, what explained why it popped when Ada touched it without being careful. When Kira mentioned a sharp object, Ada looked at her claws, a small indication that she did understand what she meant by that. If Ada wanted to hold a balloon, she had to be careful and definitely not poke it with her claws.

The moment she realized, after she finished hearing Kira's explanation, most people had already went to one of the contests, leaving only her, Bart, Kira and Talia. When Bart said about staying around doing basically nothing, Ada couldn't help but to look at him with an expression of someone who clearly didn't want to stay in the same spot doing nothing. Thankfully, Kira had a better idea on her mind, as she invited both Ada and Talia to go to the cooking contest, which made Ada immediately look at them, sticking her tongue out of her mouth and licking her lips, a clear indication that she liked the idea of going to where the food was. While Ada had no idea of what a 'judge' was, she was expecting to be able to taste some of the food made on the contest. When Talia mentioned getting another balloon, Ada looked at the piece of red rubber on her hand, looking at Talia soon after and showing it to her, with her eyes almost shining of excitement.

---

Freyr

Arriving at the archery competition, located just outside Boreal Port in a big grassy field that was similar to the one he was in the mission he had to retrieve an arrow, Freyr was surprised to see the diversity of monster girls present, each one wielding their own bows, made to their preferences. Among the competitors, much to Freyr's surprise, Sir Reed was also present. The knight greeted Freyr politely. His goal was to test his own skills with the bow as he stated himself.

"I can say I'm here for the same reason." he replied to Sir Reed.

"Good luck in the contest, may the better marksman win." Freyr said with an amicable smile, extending his hand to him.

Other than him, another familiar voice hopped from behind Sir Reed. The feathered figure was quickly identified as Haley, who had come to watch the contest. Just as she had said, the competition indeed would be fierce. Among the competitors other than Freyr and Sir Reed, there was an Elf wearing a beautiful green dress, a cupid and a Kikimora. Freyr knew about the elves, it was one of the few races that the Viera had a good relationship with. Just like the Viera, they were famed by their prowess with the bow, hunting and being protectors of the nature. Judging by the bow that specific Elf had in her hands, she was an accomplished archer.

Regarding the other competitors, Freyr didn't knew much about Kikimoras and he had only heard rumors about the cupids. That said, he wasn't the type of person who underestimated his opponents and as such, Freyr would give his all to win that competition.

"Haley, surprised to see you here. I thought that you would be more interested in the other contests. Archery isn't exactly that exciting to watch." Freyr said with a chuckle as Haley greeted him.

"Hm... I don't know much about the others but one of the only races the Viera have a good relationship, their skills with bows are well known even for the Viera." Freyr replied to Haley.

"That said, the Viera are also very well known for their skills as hunters and archers. Personally, I am confident in both my bow and my skills." Freyr continued with a smile as he looked at Haley, grabbing his bow and checking it as he got ready to the contest.


"Oh, don't worry, Sir Reed. With my luck regarding love, as long as you're nearby me, you can be certain that the cupids will avoid even looking at you." Freyr replied with a laugh as he heard Sir Reed mentioning about the chances of the cupid hitting them instead of the target.

@PaulHaynek

He was getting a response from the Owl Mage. Great! Challenge aside, he'd like to get to know her better. An intellectual and a beauty. It was only natural. Maybe he could finally convince those at the Guild that he wasn't such a kid. That quickly changed when the lich gave him a rather suspicious look, and to call it piercing didn't do it justice.

The sudden distance they crossed made a gulp catch in his throat. His face immediately flushed at the sudden violation to his personal space by two pairs of intense eyes. He even needed to take a step back, but refusing to back down, though he did raise his hands in a defensive reaction. The Owl mage continued to speak, but those 'Evil Eyes' really did seem to reach into his soul... and make his heart thump.

Then the lich responded... It felt accusatory at first but then she kind of made it the challenge, and then about herself. As she trailed off, Ozzy kind of did the same, his fingers and feathers going to his chin. "You know, that isn't exactly a bad quiz question." How often would you come across a male monster, and trying to figure it out by question alone sounded oddly fun.

The comment 'little' conked him out of it. He was taller then the Lich, but slightly shorter then the Owl Mage, still he was eighteen years old dangit! He smiled back, using his hands to emphasize. "Nope. No magic." He felt oddly special and needing to show off just a bit. It was basically a quirk of birth but a little flair couldn't hurt. His posture seemed composed as he explained. "My name is Ozmodius Skyway, but you can call me Ozzy, if you like. And you are looking at, a one in a genetic million, a male monster. A male Owl Harpy to be specific. Traveling Sociologist and Member of the Guild." He smiled proudly, though his cheeks still showed a hint of rose, he tried to smile through the nervousness.

He gave them a moment to let that bombshell sink in, but he intended to follow up with praising them. A lich and an owl mage. He had never met either representative. And both of them seemed to eager to learn. Maybe he found some kindred spirits. "And how lucky I am to meet an Owl Mage and a Lich. I never had the pleasure. Could I ask the same?" he offered a hand to them in greeting. Intellectual to intellectual.

@PaulHaynek

"None of the contests really interest me." Bart sighed. "I think I'll just advertise our Guild to all the people here. Try to attract clients and attention. You guys are free to join me if you'd like."

"Wait, you're gonna work too? Don't you think that defeats the purpose of coming...", By the time Kira turned to face the guildmaster, the man had already wandered off into the crowd. "...here."

A festival to indulge themselves, yet some of her guild mates would rather work than play. Wasn't coming here suppose to take their mind off of guild business?

@13org (ADA)

"Mmm, I have no interest in any of the contests either and I don't... wanna hang around Bart right now. You two are going to the cooking contest, right?" She said to Kira and Ada. "Maybe I'll just come with you two."

"Maybe we can get another balloon on the way." Talia said, patting Ada on the head. "Say, Kira. Have you any idea what species of monster she is?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Talia. I've never seen a mamono like Ada before. And I would know: my mom's an Echidna and I'm related to various types.", replied Kira before taking of Ada's actions and giggling. The unknown monstergirl's mannerisms reminded the Beelzebub of her younger siblings. "Yes, Ada. We grab another balloon along the way. Oh, it looks like the contest is about to start. Come on, this way!"

Taking Ada by the hand, Kira lead her two companions over to the cooking contest.

While the sisters helped Riñas and Neil, they barely spoke to each other, though every time Riñas and Neil were together Sylvia would pay them extra attention, and Vivian would roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Hey uhh, I know that you wanted to come to join the cooking contest so uhh, I'll try to make it up to you, alright? Ehehe, sorry."

"So why did you really want to come with me? I doubt you have any questions for Riñas. Err, do you?"

Though Vivian looked pissed, it wasn't Neil she was angry at, and his offer helped to quell some of her rage. Softening, she said, "I really appreciate the gesture, but you're not the one who should be apologizing."

Sylvia shot her sister an unfriendly glance, before replying to Neil's question, "Oh, umm, I just figured that the responsible thing to do was to help, since Sister Riñas seemed so understaffed. If anything, I was more curious what your question was."

"Really, Sylvia?" Vivian asked sarcastically.

"Wh-what?" Sylvia rubbed the back of her neck, trying to play innocent.

Vivian let out a noisy exhale, "Fine! Let's be nosy and find out what Neil wants to ask!"

Master Chef
~@Restalaan (YNG)~

"Your neighbor likes you."

"Really? Well, monsters like everyone. It's the reason they haven't taken over the world yet." Nero replied. Your warning appeared to have missed him entirely. Or perhaps he thought having an Ushi-Oni after him was no big deal.

The competition began in no time. You and the other contestants all started at the same time. At least, technically. You started cooking and preparing at a steady pace. While you were waiting for some ingredients to boil, you spared a look at the other competitors.

Nero has not even started yet. It seemed he was still deciding what to cook. The Ushi-Oni was doing great though. Despite her species being known for being blunt and unrefined, she was cooking delicious-looking steamed rice mixed with minced vegetables and meat. Its brown texture was probably from some sauce. Meanwhile, the Kikimora was still preparing her ingredients. She was cooking at her own pace which was not fast at all.

Soon your ramen was ready. Cooked just the way you liked it. It did not seem like it but the small competition kitchen provided all you need to make your ramen exactly as you wanted it. Looking to the others, they were all still cooking.

Nero has already prepared his main course: a plate of well-done steak with an appealing and savory appearance. Beside the steak was a small salad of various fruits and vegetables. However, he was cooking another meal. Some scrambled egg seasoned with greens. Presumably, that was the appetizer or the side dish. The ohers were doing the same. The Ushi-Oni was making a bunch of sushi and the Kikimora was adding a side of mashed potato to her cooked vegetables.

You look at your meal which was the ramen. There was still time left, you could cook something more like the others or you could enhance your ramen some more.

------

~@13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

On the way to the cooking contest, Ada was gotten a new balloon. Three, in fact, when the vendor with the weird skull mask kindly added two more to the order for free. One yellow, one pink and one light blue.

It was not long when the three monsters reached the competition. There were four contestants, guild member Yang being one of them. The other contestants were a man with blonde hair, a spider monster known as an Ushi-Oni and a bird maid monster known as a Kikimora.

Despite the difference of races, their meals were all equally appetizing. Yang had prepared a bowl of noodles known as ramen to those aware of the eastern dish. The man made a slab of well-done steak with a side of salad. They saw that he was still making more food, some scrambled egg. The Ushi-Oni had steamed rice mixed with vegetables and meat and was in the middle of making sushi. Lastly, the Kikimora cooked some vegetables with some mashed potatoes coming up.

"All their dishes look amazing, and delicious!" Talia's single eye sparkled at the food being prepared. "I hope they would let everyone have a taste. Which would you try first, you two?" She asked Ada and Kira.

---

A Test Of Strength
~@Restalaan (DIT)~

"Hello, I'm Ditzy! Let's have lots of fun!"

"Hooh? Some Goblin thinks she's stronger than me? Hah! I like your audacity, little runt, but I'm afraid you're way over your head in this." The Minotaur proudly boasted without shaking your hand.

Instead, it was the Jinko who shook it. "Your courage is admirable, little one. May you also find joy in this competition." The tiger monster was more humble than the Minotaur but you could feel her immense strength in her grip.

The contest soon began and the Minotaur went first. She raised the hammer high up over her head and summoned all the strength she could muster. With a loud yell, she slammed down the mallet upon the lever. It was a miracle that it did not break. Yet, the puck did not rise all that much. In fact, it did not even reach the halfway point of the tower.

A collective, disappointed 'Oooh' was made by the crowd. "What the hell?! No way! You've gotta be kidding!" The Minotaur was flabbergasted at her apparent lack of strength. "Gods damn it!" She hurled the hammer to the ground in anger only for it to bounce back and hit her in the face. "Argh! Stupid hammer." She then disappeared into the crowd.

Now it was the Jinko's turn. She picked up the hammer and did the same as the Minotaur, raising it above her head and collected strength. But unlike the previous contestant, she uttered no sound. Her fury was tranquil yet powerful. She hit the lever with the same strength as the Minotaur's, perhaps even more. Yet, the puck only made it slightly higher than the Minotaur's and nowhere near the bell.

"Impossible..." The Jinko was not as loud as the Minotaur but even she was astonished at her apparent lack of strength. "Perhaps I am not as mighty as I believed. Have I shirked from my training that much? But I have..." The depressed tiger monster shambled back to the crowd with the hammer slipping from her paw hand.

It was your turn now. Perhaps the failures of the other two monsters had shaken your resolve, or perhaps your confidence was enhanced. Regardless, you did your best to hit the lever with the hammer. Unfortunately, your strength failed much like the others. The puck only reaching somewhere between the Minotaur's and the Jinko's.

"Oooh! Not a pretty sight for our contestants!" The knight host remarked at the rather poor results from you and the other monsters. "Now then, if anyone else wants to go then--"

"Stop right there, criminal scum!" A voice came from the crowd. The onlookers parted to make way for the accuser. He was a knight like the host. In fact, he looked exactly like the host. Down to the last piece of armor "Impostor! How dare you trick these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... trickery?!" The crowd as well as the Minotaur and Jinko were now confused by this ordeal.

"Impostor? Me? How dare you!" The host retorted. "Aren't you the impostor? Walking right up here dressed like me and tricking these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... with... trickery!"

"Hold on a second! If there's impostor business to be had, we'd have to know who you two claim to be first. So then, who are you?" The Minotaur stepped up to challenge the knights' claims.

"I'm Ian North. The--"

"Hold on, I'M Ian North!"

"Screw off, I'm the real Ian North."

The two knights continued accusing each other and the crowd could only watch the two go at it back and forth. Suddenly, you were approached by the Jinko. "Excuse me. I know I'm going by my instincts here but do happen to know 'Ian North'. If so, can you tell them apart?"

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

"Good luck in the contest, may the better marksman win."

Sir Reed took your hand and shook it with no reply but a nod.

"Haley, surprised to see you here. I thought that you would be more interested in the other contests. Archery isn't exactly that exciting to watch."

"No, it isn't. You, on the other hand, are pretty exciting to watch." Haley smiled a cheeky grin at you, a blush on her face. The teasing remark was noticed by Sir Reed and the other contestants.

And then Sir Reed laughed. "You say you are unlucky in love yet a fair maiden awaits to gaze upon your grace and your skill." His remark elicited giggles from the crowd and from the Elf and Cupid. The Kikimora smiled even harder at that.

"H-Hey, come on guys. It was just a light tease. All monsters do it. Right?" Haley was getting embarrassed, not expecting this amount of attention. "I mean, sure Freyr's real easy on the eyes but-- Uh, that wasn't what I meant! I just..."

But Haley's words only served to make Sir Reed and the others to laugh even more. The embarrassed Haley was infuriated and fuming."Oooh! Freyr, can you win this thing so we can rub your victory all over these idiots?"

"Hahaha! Indeed, save your damsel from the predicament she found herself in, Sir Freyr!" Sir Reed was the last to speak before the competition began.

All four of you were hitting the targets well enough. The first one were close and got farther and farther. You and the other monsters were doing well but Sir Reed was beginning to struggle. He was taking more time placing his shots. Indeed, once the targets were far enough, Reed finally missed. His arrow missing the center of the target.

With a sigh, he walked off his position and towards you. "I should've known than to try and compete against monsters like you all."

"Ha! Serves you right for making fun of us!" Haley popped in. "Alright, Freyr. Just beat these three and we're all done. Shouldn't be hard for someone like you."

But despite the Siren's words, the contest went on for quite a while with none of you missing your shots. Even when the distance was great, your arrows were still finding the targets' centers. Soon, it became apparent that this was going nowhere. A break was called to give the contestants some respite while how to break the stalemate was discussed.

"Should've seen this coming. When monsters are good at a thing, they're REALLY good at that thing. You should see a Minotaur and an Ogre go at it. Forests were leveled, I jest you not." Sir Reed approached you. "So Sir Freyr, you wanna grab a drink while they sort this out or do you want me to call Haley? Haha! Or perhaps you got an idea on how this competition could run?"

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"Nope. No magic. My name is Ozmodius Skyway, but you can call me Ozzy, if you like. And you are looking at, a one in a genetic million, a male monster. A male Owl Harpy to be specific. Traveling Sociologist and Member of the Guild. And how lucky I am to meet an Owl Mage and a Lich. I never had the pleasure. Could I ask the same?"

"It is not one in a genetic million. More like one in never." The Owl Mage replied. "You must understand that male monsters cannot be born under the current physical laws of this world. What you are is either a special exception to the law, or the law has been changed. Either way, you are an incredible point of interest for all of monsterkind."

"Indeed. I do not think you grasp the magnitude of your existence. If you let me take a look at you real quick, who knows what metaphysical knowledge we can discover through you. Perhaps even insight into the inner workings of reality." The Lich was cut off when the doors to the hall was suddenly opened and inside came Riñas the Dark Priest.

"Hey now, you cannot talk to him like that." The Owl Mage interjected. "Look, Mister Harpy. I think it might be better if you just come with me. I shall not run dreadful experiments on you like Miss Undead over here. We will only talk and--"

"Hello! Hi! I'm REALLY sorry I'm late!" Riñas burst through the hall's entrance doors and hurried over to the podiums. "As you know, I'm also one of the organizers of this festival so I'm really busy. Please understand my tardiness~!"

"You! Dark Priest!" The Lich called out, surprising Riñas. "I demand we change our prize to this male monster right here!" She demanded. "Not for anything bad. Just some time with him.

"Umm, I don't think that would be fair to Mister Harpy. Nor do I think he'll like that." Riñas replied. "What would happen if he would win?"

"He can have all the money we have." The Lich answered. "And we won't bother him for the immediate future."

Riñas looked to you. "Well? What do you say about that, Mister Harpy?"

---

~@Stern Algorithm~

"Oh, umm, I just figured that the responsible thing to do was to help, since Sister Riñas seemed so understaffed. If anything, I was more curious what your question was."

"Fine! Let's be nosy and find out what Neil wants to ask!"

"It's fine, Vivian. It's fine." Neil began. "...Well, as you guys know I don't come from this world. I'm looking for a way home."

"I've heard that Dark Priests are servants of the Fallen God. Now I don't care much about who the Fallen God is and what she wants do, only that she's someone who is in another dimension. Pandemonium, I believe." He leaned closer to the sisters. "Maybe she or her followers know something about other dimensions. Other worlds. Maybe ways to cross them. That would definitely get me home."

He then leaned back and looked up. "But it's a longshot, I admit. Could be a dead end." Neil then looked back to the Liliraune. "Do you think... do you think it's possible? Do you think I could actually... go home?" He looked at the Altissima sisters with hopeful but unsure eyes.

Riñas looked to you. "Well? What do you say about that, Mister Harpy?"

Ozzy's first thought. A name would be nice.

But then the two of them began to kind of, put him on a pedestal. It was strangely flattering. He knew he was special, but not unique... well maybe the only male owl harpy, but he knew two other male monsters first hand. He raved about the possibilities of such things during his first few days at the Guild. However, the way two women that obviously had some stakes and understanding in the metaphyiscal side of things kind of filled his head with the possibilities. Raising an hand and a wing to his chin he kind of had to look away, his own thoughts grasping the importance. "I... have not considered that." To be honest, the idea had some kind of self aggrandizing appeal.

Their increasing pushiness at the scope and escalation of this discovery was familiar. He could almost see the passion in their eyes. The passion for SCIENCE! He quickly warmed to the idea. Besides it would give an opportunity to spend time with that cute Mage. No offense to 'Miss Undead'. He was sure she was nice and well intentioned, but he couldn't say no to those wings.

He was about respond when a familiar face showed up, the Priestess Rinas. He could understand all the hard work she was going through. "Oh not at all Miss R-"

Then things took a rather surprising turn as a shouting match erupted. To make him the prize. "Sqawk?" he chirped, completely taken aback. He tried to get a word in, if atleast in order for them to actually say his name right, but his mild protests would be drowned out. He considered the turn of events, feeling a slight glint of selfish pride that he was the center of attention as the oddity, something he had done to others on multiple occasions. It was nice to be on the receiving end. The whole gamble, getting a bit of extra coin for the guild seemed beneficial, and he figured he was going to meet up with the Owl Mage afterwards to discuss 'physical laws' and impossibilities. He felt this was honestly a win win.

"I think it's a great idea! Definitely makes things a bit more interesting then just a little prize money." Now he'd be answering questions for his life. What a thrill! "So long that we all agree. If anyone else wins, I'll spend the festival with them. Should be fun." He did recall that there was one person that didn't speak up on the matter. His eyes having to glance at the quiet member. "How about you Miss Kikimora?" offering her a friendly smile through the small crowd of competitive scholars. He couldn't help himself, he hated to leave people out of a group, call him a social butterfly.

^{@PaulHaynek@Rezod92}

Ada was just ecstatic when she received not one but three balloons from the masked vendor. Carrying them around in her hand, she was almost hopping around while holding Kira's hand and watching how the balloons floated in the air. Not only their vibrant colors were really pretty but when she rubbed her finger on them, they made a funny sound! That said, after what happened with the other balloon though, Ada was being very careful when touching the balloons in order to not pop them again.

The moment they arrived on the place where the cooking competition was going on though, Ada almost immediately got distracted by the smell of food. Still being careful to not let her balloons go, Ada gave a step forward while sniffing the air. All the dishes that were being made had strange but definitely enticing smells. The first one that called her attention was obviously the big slab of meat that the blonde man prepared. Even though Ada knew meat very well, she had never eaten one prepared like that. It smelled a bit different from normal meat too, almost as if he had added something to the meat. As she looked at the other dishes though, Ada's curiosity grew. Yang made a strange dish with lots of stringy things floating in a soup that had a really good smell, despite the strange appearance for Ada. The spider lady was making a strange dish with fish. Even though Ada had eaten fish before, the dish the spider lady was doing was different, as she was wrapping the fish with a thin, black thing together with some small white grains. Lastly, the bird maid was making a dish with some roots and greens.

Ada was distracted with all the smells but when Talia mentioned tasting them, Ada looked at both her and Kira with an excited expression, almost if asking if she really would be able to taste them. Regarding which one she would like to try first though, Ada simply couldn't decide. Meat was always good but she had never seen the weird strings that Yang was preparing or eaten fish like how the spider lady was doing it. Truth be told, Ada loved food and things she didn't know. When putting both of them together, of course her curiosity wouldn't let her ignore the chance to taste something new.

Much to Talia and Kira's surprise though, Ada looked at them while pointing towards Yang and the spider lady's dishes while she opened her mouth. Even though she hesitated a bit in the beginning, it was almost as if she was trying to say something.

"F-Foo?" Ada asked with a surprisingly clear and melodic voice, which was rather unexpected seeing how she didn't seem to speak that much.

"Foo!" she said again, gently pulling Kira's arm towards the food as she looked at it excitedly.

---

Freyr

Freyr held Sir Reed's hand in a firm handshake before he returned to preparing himself for the competition. What he wasn't expecting though was to hear Haley's saying that watching him was more exciting than the competition. Surprised by that comment, Freyr looked at Haley for a brief moment before averting his gaze, blushing and embarrassed, not knowing how to react to those words.

"I-I... Well... It's not like..." he tried to say, hesitating as he looked away while unsuccessfully trying to hide his embarrassment.

To make things even more embarrassing for him, the moment Haley said that, the crowd that had gathered for the competition let out surprised giggles and smiles at both Freyr and Haley's reactions, making them laugh even more when Haley protested and seeing how the normally composed Freyr reacted to that.

"... Thank you, Haley." Freyr said after a moment, looking to her with a kind, although still a bit blushed and embarrassed, smile.

While it did take Freyr a few minutes to calm himself down and regain his composure, especially now that he was really conscious of Haley's presence there, when he finally did so, the competition was about to start.

At the beginning, all the competitors seemed to be evenly matched, with everyone hitting their shots right at the center of the target. It did take a while but Sir Reed was the first one to miss his shot. Haley seemed to be rather happy to be able to get back at Sir Reed for making fun of her earlier though, which made Freyr laugh a bit.

"It was a good match." Freyr said, complimenting Sir Reed as he walked towards him.

Surprisingly though, after that, the remaining competitors weren't missing a single arrow and seemed to be equally matched, which made the competition last longer than what Haley and Freyr had expected. After a few more shots, it became quite obvious that the competition would never end at that pace, due to the skill of the competitors and a break was proposed to discuss how to break the stalemate.

Sir Reed soon came to talk to Freyr when the break started, mentioning how monsters usually excelled at the field they specialized themselves in. Truth be told, Freyr himself didn't expect to find other people as good with a bow as he was.

"I wasn't expecting such a fierce competition as well. That said, it is quite interesting nonetheless. A good challenge, that is." Freyr replied to Sir Reed with an amicable expression.

When Sir Reed mentioning calling Haley though, Freyr's face almost immediately went red. She did came there to watch him but should he really call her?

"Well, I mean... I think I'm going to save my appetite for when we're finished here. I'm sure that Yang will let us taste a bit of her food. Regarding the competition... I have no idea. It is the first time I'm meeting other people who are as good with a bow as I am. I am pleasantly surprised too. By the looks of it though, it doesn't seem we will be able to break the stalemate only by continuing the competition. Maybe we should try increasing the difficulty a little?" Freyr said, clearing his throat as he tried to regain his composure.

"And regarding Haley... Well... She did came here to watch me and I don't think she was expecting the archery competition to take this long so she might be a bit bored... If you could call her for me, I would be grateful. Tell her that she doesn't need to stay here if she doesn't want to..." Freyr said. The way how he was over explaining his reasons was a clear indication of how embarrassed he was though.

@PaulHaynek @13org (ADA) @Restalaan (YANG)

"Phew, made it just in time!", exclaimed Kira as the trio arrived at the cooking contest going in full swing. She could her guildmate Yang competing, going up against a blonde haired man, a Kikimora and....wait, is that Ushi-Oni!? However, she couldn't contemplate on the paradox of seeing a literal rape train cooking as a much more important matter made itself known through her nose. Mainly...

The food....Oh my Demon Lord, this food smells AMAZING!, the flygirl thought to herself, licking her lips furiously as she gazed at the buffet of meals the contestants had already produced.

"F-Foo?" Ada asked with a surprisingly clear and melodic voice, which was rather unexpected seeing how she didn't seem to speak that much.

"Foo!" she said again, gently pulling Kira's arm towards the food as she looked at it excitedly.

"I know, right Ada!? Look at all this food! Talia, I don't even know where to start! Should I try the steak first? Or perhaps the fish? Balanced dish, maybe? Or....wait, what even is that!?" Kira announced, eyeing the soup bowl full of noodles in brown broth, mixed in with veggies and meats. She looked toward Yang, who was still in the midst of cooking. "Yang! Is this your dish!? It is, isn't it!? Please let me try it! I've never seen food like this before!"