@AzureKnight @PaulHaynek

The sisters tried to keep their composure as Vară boasted about her flames. Alraune didn't take well to fire, but then again, they didn't take well to frost either. Still, they were sure that it was a good thing that these two, more magically oriented members returned to the guild.

"Well, my specialty is cookies, but I can make cakes, rolls, pies, pastas; savory, sweet, or spicy, you name it!" Vivian said with enthusiasm.

Sylvia added, "Vară is right, we use herbs to make medicine. Our specialty is actually a fusion of our two skills. Vivian makes a cookie that is infused with our...alraune nectar, but the herbs I include offset the...undesirable effects, while boosting the positive ones, to create a biscuit that is not only very tasty, but able to provide enormous amounts of stamina and a bit of healing. Not only can our guildmates take it along on journeys to cure their fatigue, it can simply be sold from the Guild as a source of revenue. We've sold it in the town where we came from, and it was extremely popular, so I'm sure we can make a killing here too."

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight}

Ada was still amazed, watching the fireworks in the sky and all the colors when Ditzy suddenly stood up and ran towards two strange woman that approached the group. Judging by how happy Ditzy was as he hugged the girl, whom he called 'Naga' and how most others seemed to know her, Ada finally became curious enough about the new arrivals to stop looking at the fireworks for a moment. Turning towards them with a curious expression, Ada slowly approaching them, sniffing the air around them as she did so. She was a bit wary at first, circling both of them from a safe distance, but seeing how everyone seemed to be relaxed and happy with their presence, she soon relaxed too, moving even closer to them, using her tail to put her on the same height as them as she sniffed them a bit more, feeling their scent.

Amused by Vara's grand introduction as she greeted Sir Reed, Ada gave a step back after finally investigating the two newcomers enough, giving her a cute smile before doing the same to Naga, whom introduced herself as Nagare soon after. Watching Vara and Nagare's conversation with the Altissima sisters curiously, Ada kept looking from the sisters to the newcomers, particularly amused by Vara's reaction when Sylvia and Vivian started talking about food, which made Ada look at them even more curiously with the tip of her tongue darting out of her mouth, licking her lips a few times. Even though she had just eaten, the way how they talked so enthusiastically about food made her a bit curious about those as well. Especially since she had never tasted all those strange dishes Vivian was talking about.

---

Freyr

Freyr couldn't help but to smile and snuggle up closer to Haley as she sat down near him as she giggled. He was truly fortunate for having met her. In silence, Freyr simply embraced her and gave her a delicate kiss in the forehead before continuing to watch the fireworks.

After a few minutes watching the fireworks though, Haley suddenly stood up, saying some very familiar names, one of old guild members they hadn't seen for quite a while.

"Vara and Nagare?" Freyr said, surprised as he stood up and looked to where Haley was looking.

Freyr smiled upon seeing that the two were indeed back. Ditzy, immediately upon seeing them ran towards Nagare, hugging her, which couldn't help but make Freyr laugh at the sight. Not only that but the exchange between Vara and Neil was also rather cute, who made Freyr laugh even more.

"Ditzy and Neil weren't the only ones. We all missed you." he said with an amicable smile as he waved towards both of them.

"I'm glad to see that you're back." he said, getting closer to them and greeting them with a respectful bow, both due to the fact that they were his old friends and because he didn't forget that Nagare helped him when he had to go back to the Vieran Woods.

~@13org (ADA & FYR), @Restalaan (DIT), @Stern Algorithm, @AzureKnight (VRA & NAG)~

"Indeed we are sir knight. Pay me my proper dues, for you stand in the presence of nobility! I am Vară Riemsianne, remember it for soon it shall be known far and wide!"

While Vară and Nagare coversed with the Altissima sisters, Sir Reed spoke to Haley. "Riemsianne, eh? Never heard of 'em. Know anything about them, Haley?"

"Nope. Although, she did say it shall be known far and wide so it's only fair that no one right now knows about them." The Siren shrugged. "I'll wish her luck on her endeavor, though."

The fireworks display soon ended with a magnificent encore, three large explosions lit the sky in a brilliant confluence of lights so bright that it illuminated all of Boreal Port for a few, fleeting moments. The onlooking crowd erupted into cheer and applause at the stupendous ending. That, too, soon ended with the audience trickling out of the docks and back to the festivities back in the town.

The Dark Priest Riñas approached the group for a short while and whispered something in Neil's ear before taking off, leaving as soon as she came. The young man's face lit up at the news and with a proud smile, he waited for the Altissima sisters to be available. Once the monster girls were done talking, Neil came forward and spoke to the Liliraune. "Hey, you two. The surprise's ready. We can head over there once you're ready."

Neil then turned to Vară and Nagare. "Welcome back, you two. So much has happened after you left. Like guild members leaving, but also new ones arriving. Like Ada and Sir Reed." He motioned to the aforementioned, with the knight waving back. "I-I'd love to catch up with you guys but I've got an arrangement with the Liliraune sisters. I'll leave you two to the rest of the guild, okay?"

"He's got a date with the sisters, that's what's up." Haley laughed before approaching Vară. "But he's right, though. A lot's happened after the two of you left. Why don't we start catching up, eh?"

"Uhh, just to get this outta the way, I am Sir Reed of Thrakan. I am from Ortus, more commonly known as the Moon Kingdom, and I am in the Guild in search of... enlightenment." The knight bowed at the returning members. "But enough about me, I can't believe the Guild had a Dragon in its ranks. What next? A god or goddess descending from the Heavenly Realm to join us?"

"Oh, by the way. If you're looking for Bart, he has already went back with Yang. And so have a couple of our members due to the... kidnapping incident." Talia piped in.

---

~@ShwiggityShwah, @Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG)~

The clopping of hooves soon resounded in the mostly empty and barely lit headquarters of the Guild. Kira and Ozzy would most definitely hear the arrival, the Guild's carriage was not at all masked as it came. However, this did not mean that their conversation had to end. But if their talk needed to stay private, they might need to notify the arriving members to leave them alone.

"It was a long day, Yang, but it isn't over." Bart yawned as he disembarked the carriage. "I'll go and prepare dinner for us and Kira and Ozzy as well as do some other stuff. Why don't you check up on them, Yang." He gave his order as he made for the Guild's double door entrance.

"Oh man, I should've bought food at the festival."

@PaulHaynek@13org@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight

Ditzy Stoneclub

Ditzy didn't listened to Nagare plead, too overcome by emotions as he kept a tight hug on her. Only broken when he was pushed away by her tail, though it felt more like a gentle push to Ditzy.

"It was fun, Ditzy showed he was the strongest!" He said as he recalled the test of strength, the other contestant was strong but it was Ditzy who had the most victory.

"Okay Neil, have fun!" Ditzy waved at Neil who opted to stay behind since he and the priest lady wanted to talk. Maybe they wanted to play more at night?

With nothing else remained, Ditzy feeling the slow draw of sleep. It's been awhile since he stayed up so late, a yawn followed as he stretched his arms upwards. "Ditzy tired, Ditzy wanna gonna go back to guild for sleep."

Eitherways, if the group decides to remain, Ditzy will follow them for a bit but at a sluggish pace.

---

Yang Bethlehem

"Understood." Yang nodded to her guild master words as she did a quick bow and gesture of respect.

It didn't take long, since even from the corner of her eyes, she spotted the two of them even in the dark. Still, she remained still and waited for Bart to enter first.

Deciding that it was best she didn't interrupt the two for now, since no doubt, Kira had her own burdens and if Ozzy was able to talk with her for this long, surely, she had this in control. If they needed anything, then she'll approach Kira tomorrow early morning. She'll no doubt need some space for herself.

So she quickly led the cart and horses back to the stables and doing other preparation for awhile. Leaving the two to talk.

However long it took however, Yang will announced loudly at the entrance of the guild without looking at their direction but still close enough for them to hear clearly.

@Rezod92@ShwiggityShwah

"Dinner will be ready soon, so come in and eat with us!" She hollered loudly before crossing her arms, bowing and then entering to help Guildmaster Bart in his preparations.

It took the guildmaster by surprise when she entered but she raised a thumb towards him. "I informed them of dinner, so it's best I help you prepare. After all, I did win the cooking contest."

With a grin, Yang would help out Bart in whatever ways that she can.

^{@Stern Algorithm @13org @Restalaan @PaulHaynek}

Vară’s mouth began to water, following suit with Ada as Vivian boasted about her culinary prowess. She didn’t pay much attention to the mention of pasta dishes, but all of the pastries mentioned nearly sent her into a state of euphoria. How she retained such a slender figure while eating so much sweets was anyone’s guess.

“Vară-chan, you really should consider eating more healthily, all that junk food can’t be good for you…” Stated Nagare. She turned to the sisters. “Though, I suppose it’s good that you can imbue your sweets with such nutritious properties! Please be sure to pack them into anything Vară eats. She’s...not the best at maintaining a proper diet.”

“Oh hush, ‘Mom’! I’ve eaten plenty of sweets up to this point, and it hasn’t affected my figure in the slightest!” Snapped the fire demon.

Nagare took notice of Ada circling around them, sniffing them as if gauging them. She didn’t take offense to it, in fact, she found the action to be cute and endearing. With a warm smile, Nagare bade a friendly wave to Ada. Vară also responded in kind, though a bit more off-put by the girl’s odd disposition.

Freyr approached them, bidding a greeting to them as well. While Vară didn’t interact with him that much, Nagare had already gone on a few mentions with him and Ditzy before leaving. “Freyr-san, I’m so happy to see you again! I hope your friend from the forest is doing fine as well! I pray that awful man who caused all that trouble hasn’t sprung his head again…but, it’s best not to dwell on such things. I’d love to catch up with you and Ditzy-kun!”

Vară noticed a dark priest woman appear and whispered something in Neil’s ear, he then turned to the liliraune sisters and stated that they needed to go somewhere. She watched them walk off with perplexed, disappointed eyes. Haley then popped up and laughed as she explained that they were going on a ‘date’ sorts. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but for some reason, hearing that made her uneasy, She wanted to talk with Neil more, but the mood deemed it would be best to leave them to their devices.

Though she tried to hide it, Nagare felt somewhat anxious around Sir Reed. Her first encounter with men in armor was...less than savory. However, she could sense that he was a good man. Though, she did also sense that there was something heavy weighing on his heart. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Reed-san. Though a dragon I may be, I’m not all that amazing I’m afraid! I hope that I don’t end up being too much of a burden on you.” She politely bowed to the knight.

“The kidnapping sounded like a serious problem, I’m glad to hear you resolve it in the end! We’d love to hear it, right Vară?” She placed her hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

“Huh? Oh. Oh, yeah sure.” She replied hesitantly.

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight}

After 'investigating' the new arrivals and giving them an amicable smile, Ada heard Neil saying her name as he introduced her and Sir Reed to both Vara and Nagare. Nodding towards them as Neil introduced her, she gave another smile before being distracted by the fireworks again. One large explosion, much bigger than the other ones Ada saw earlier immediately drew her attention, making her stop everything she was doing and look up. Thanks to that, Ada didn't lose the grand ending to the fireworks show. Amazed by the few last fireworks, she looked towards Ditzy, pointing up excitedly before she turned towards the fireworks again to watch them.

When the final fireworks ended, Ada couldn't help but think the sky was way more silent and less 'colorful' than it was a few moments ago. Still, it had to end sooner or later. Clapping together with the crowd as they cheered, she turned back to the other guild members. Watching Ditzy yawning she looked to the others, waiting for what would happen next.

---

Freyr

Freyr observed the exchange of words between Vara and Nagare, amused. It was clear that both of them were very close and one didn't need much to realize that the one who played the role of 'big sister' was Nagare, something which only became even more evident as Nagare scolded Vara for not eating enough healthy food. He couldn't help but to laugh as Nagare asked the Altissima sisters to make her sweets a bit more nutritious for Vara, worried about her diet the same way a mother would to it's child.

With that done though, Nagare approached, greeting Freyr while mentioning the last mission they went together in the Vieran Woods. Reminding Nera made Freyr a bit homesick, but he knew that things were better there, especially now that the village decided to break the traditions of old of isolating themselves that much and prepare for a possible war against Varjo.

"Nera is a tough one. Both physically and mentally. She always was. I'm sure she is completely recovered by now." he said with a smile and a slight bow, in silence appreciation for Nagare worrying about Nera.

"If it weren't for both of you back then, I don't know what would have happened. Controlling a frenzied Viera, even an exhausted one, is no easy feat." he said, looking to Ditzy and gently ruffling his hair.

"Regarding the kidnapping... It was quite a complex issue... I may not be the best to discuss these particular things but it had to do with unrequited love... From both parts, due to an Oath he took... As weird as it sounds." he said with a sigh as Nagare mentioned the kidnapping.

Just as he said that though, he overheard Haley saying that Neil had a date with the sisters after a dark priestess came and whispered something in his ear.

"Who would have thought, huh? Neil seems to be very... popular." he said, laughing and teasing Neil.

@13org @Restalaan @Stern Algorithm @AzureKnight

Neil came forward and spoke to the Liliraune. "Hey, you two. The surprise's ready. We can head over there once you're ready."

Neil then turned to Vară and Nagare. "Welcome back, you two. So much has happened after you left. Like guild members leaving, but also new ones arriving. Like Ada and Sir Reed." He motioned to the aforementioned, with the knight waving back. "I-I'd love to catch up with you guys but I've got an arrangement with the Liliraune sisters. I'll leave you two to the rest of the guild, okay?"

"He's got a date with the sisters, that's what's up." Haley laughed before approaching Vară. "But he's right, though. A lot's happened after the two of you left. Why don't we start catching up, eh?"

If a potted plant could jump, the sisters certainly would have. "How delightful, I've been waiting all afternoon for this!" Sylvia exclaimed, and followed Neil and Sister Riñas. As they left, the sister's heard Haley's comment, causing Sylvia to grab her face in embarrassment, hoping that the night was dark enough that Neil wouldn't notice her blushing. But something didn't sit quite right with Vivian, who spoke up and asked, "Vară and Nagare seem nice. Were they in the Guild long before they left? Were you close?" This question brought Sylvia out of her reverie, prompting her to look back at the group that they had just left, wondering if there was anything between Neil and the demoness.

~@Stern Algorithm~

"Vară and Nagare seem nice. Were they in the Guild long before they left? Were you close?"

Neil dutifully wheeled the Altissima sisters towards his surprise gift for them. "Hmm, I wouldn't say 'long' but they were with the Guild for several days before they had to leave for their personal matters." He answered immediately. "I... guess you could say we're close. Good friends and all." It seemed Neil decided not to reveal anything specific.

Soon, Riñas lead them into an empty space. The darkness of the night made it hard to see anything but with a snap of the Dark Priest's fingers and the place was lit up by several pyres. The area had two cooking stations, tables filled with kitchenware from pans to spatulas and various food ingredients from vegetables and herbs to condiments like salt and spices. The sight... looked very much like the cooking competition from earlier. Albeit smaller.

"You two, err... I guess Vivian, really wanted to join the cooking contest earlier but instead, you got stuck working with me." Neil said as he took his place on one of the cooking stations and putting on an apron. "So to show my gratitude, I asked Riñas to prepare another one of these. Thanks again, Sister Riñas."

"No problem, Neil. Sorry it's not as extravagant as the one from earlier but it was all last-minute, you know?" The Dark Priest replied. "You also mentioned that you wanted to ask me something regarding the Fallen God? Well, we can talk about later after you're done with this threesome. Farewell and have fun!" And with that, Riñas took off to handle the festival.

Neil sighed at the parting remarks. "Well then, you two. You may be professional chefs, but I'll have you know that I'm no slouch at this. En garde, Sylvia and Vivian!"

~@13org (ADA & FYR), @Restalaan (DIT), @AzureKnight (VRA & NAG)~

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Reed-san. Though a dragon I may be, I’m not all that amazing I’m afraid! I hope that I don’t end up being too much of a burden on you.”

Sir Reed chuckled. "Don't be so tense around me, Madam Nagare." It seemed he noticed the ice dragon's anxious feeling towards him. "I know I look like I'm ready to slay a dragon and save a princess but I guarantee you, I am not looking to spill any monster blood. Besides, who in their right mind would raise a blade against a beauty like you?"

Talia the Cyclops raised her single eyebrow. "Smitten with her, Sir Reed?"

"What? Can a man not compliment a lady without getting accused of courtship?" Reed retorted.

“The kidnapping sounded like a serious problem, I’m glad to hear you resolve it in the end! We’d love to hear it, right Vară?”

"Regarding the kidnapping... It was quite a complex issue... I may not be the best to discuss these particular things but it had to do with unrequited love... From both parts, due to an Oath he took... As weird as it sounds."

Haley shrugged. "Mmm, long story short: A dude here has a Kikimora pining for him. He kept turning her down until she chugged a Doppelganger potion so she have more bodies with which to kidnap him with. We put a stop to that but turns out, the dude is a former Order soldier with an oath that got betrayed by the Order itself. His feelings on that is driving him to want to die fighting against his betrayers."

"We talked some sense into him. Hopefully it sticks." Haley finished.

Noticing that Ditzy was tired, Talia felt the exhaustion of the day catch up to her. The excitement from seeing the fireworks had subsided and the Cyclops let out a little yawn. "Hey all, since the festival's mostly over, why don't we head on home? Me and Ditzy are worn out for the day."

"Yeah, I agree. We should probably say goodbye to the Dark Priest before we leave." Haley said. "Is everyone in agreement?"

---

~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG)~

After the talk with Ozzy, the Owl Harpy Margaret suddenly appeared and frantically looking for him. She explained that an arrangement she encountered was a great opportunity, both for her and the male Harpy Ozzy. She didn't go into specifics but it was something about meeting some high-rank monsters and this was a chance for them to witness the existence of male monsters.

The departure for the meeting was imminent and Ozzy accepted, saying farewell to Kira, Yang and Bart, lamenting he could not say goodbye to the others and leaving that to the Beelzebub and the monk. It was unknown when Ozzy would be back but for now and the immediate future, the Guild would be missing a member.

"I can't believe he left just like that." Bart said as he dined with the present guild members. "But it's like that, isn't it? I've heard from Neil that a lot of us just went up and left like that." Turning his gaze to Kira, he asked. "Say, you left for the Guild after the incident with the Kikimora, didn't you? Everything alright?"

@Stern Algorithm@PaulHaynek@13org@AzureKnight

Ditzy Stoneclub

Hearing the tale on the kidnapping being told, Ditzy added some of his thoughts on it. Though it was a much simplified version compared to the already shortened version of what others said.

"Feather lady was too timid to get knight guy into bed, and knight guy too stubborn." Ditzy shook both of his shoulders at that. It made no sense to Ditzy, things seem far too complicated compared to Goblins. "It was fun playing with her though!"

Hearing Haley suggestion that they should say goodbye to the dark priest first had Ditzy perked back up, it was the polite thing to do after all.

"Okay!" He raised a fist despite his lethargic state, turning to Ada as he gestured around to try to convey thanks. Though it ended up being a mumbo jumbo of actions. "Ada, we're gonna go thank the nice lady that hosted this event! Let's go!"

---

Yang Bethlehem

Sighing as Yang continued her work cooking and preparing dinner, her heart not into it despite her hands blurring at the kitchen.

Looks like I got a little too attached to my student. It was an odd feeling, she had always tutored others before.

Perhaps it's the personal connection, Yang idly thought.

Well, so long she keeps her training up then there's nothing she can't do. She beamed to herself, while basic, it was all that's needed. The Tengus were a good example of it after all, she had her fair shares of Tengu's that could fight and they focus both on their Shinzuuriki jutsu as well as physical training.

Besides, an owl doesn't peck, they crush their prey first. Yang placed the finishing touches on the meal before bringing it out alongside Guildmaster Bart before settling it down with Kira to dine.

"Come on, eat up, it'll do you good." She motioned her hands to Kira, hoping to cheer her up with some good. After all, if one has to be remorseful, it's also best accompanied with a full stomach at least.

Hearing Bart speaking on members leaving, it too weighed on Yang as she herself had seen plenty of members leaving already. Once she was the newest, now, she was one of the elder members here barring Freyr which was sobering when she stopped to think about it.

Still, Yang will observe Kira reaction first if she wished to tell her story to Bart and will leave the room for further privacy.

@Rezod92

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YNG)

"I can't believe he left just like that." Bart said as he dined with the present guild members. "But it's like that, isn't it? I've heard from Neil that a lot of us just went up and left like that." Turning his gaze to Kira, he asked. "Say, you left for the Guild after the incident with the Kikimora, didn't you? Everything alright?"

"It's.....Umm....", Kira mumbled, her food untouched as she sat completely off-kilter on how to proceed. She was in the midst of telling Ozzy a very personal secret when Yang and Bart arrived first. Then, from almost out of nowwhere, Margaret flew in and spouted on about meeting high-ranking mamono and revealing the significance of finding male monsters. Naturally, Ozzy accepted the offer and flew off with the Owl Mage, saying goodbye to his fellow guildmates. Now, Kira, still feeling open and vulnerable, felt a bit cornered. She turned her gaze to Bart. Would he care to listen? She doubted it. If his absence for most of this day was any indication, he was too busy to really sit down and actually hear any plights, so she won't bother him with her issues. Yang, though....

"Ozzy and I were just...talking. Calming me down, really. Nothing to worry about.", she replied to Bart, putting on a mask as she gave the guildmaster a reassuring smile. However, if Yang was keen and quick enough, the monk would see that Kira's eyes told a different story. Eyes of a person who needed someone to talk to. Badly.

~@Rezod92, @Restalaan (YNG)~

"Ozzy and I were just...talking. Calming me down, really. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh. Well, I hope it worked. I've heard that what happened at the port was pretty heavy, so I hope you're alright." Bart seemed to buy Kira's lie. "They had a fireworks display this night, you know? It's a shame that you missed it. Err, not like I could talk since me and Yang went home pretty early too. We caught some of the lights going off on the way. I bet it would've been prettier if we were actually there."

"Well, little we could do about it now. At least, the other members got to enjoy it." Nothing more but idle chat followed during the small dinner. It would take a while before the other Guild members came back but Bart retired early to sort out what he gathered during the festival, leaving Kira and Yang to do what they wished.

^{@PaulHaynek @13org @Stern Algorithm @Restalaan}

Nagare giggled in amusement at the knight defending his friendliness as a sign of good faith as opposed to flirtatious behavior.

Both of the girls listened intently as their fellow members explained that the kidnapping involved a knight whose vows were betrayed by the very people he served along with a Kikimora who wanted to stop him from dying an otherwise pointless death. Nagare thought the whole thing sounded terrible, but was relieved to hear that they were able to counsel the knight and make him see reason.

Hearing about unrequited love caused Vară’s chest to tighten, albeit very slightly. She wasn’t sure why, but hearing that the knight and the kikimora are now counseling each other did put a positive spin on things for her as well.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re all just as sharp as ever! As you should be, no guild that I’m a part of should ever accept failure as an option!” Vară exclaimed, trying to snap herself out of her stupor.

At Dtizy’s explanation of the situation, however, the two could only blushed with exasperated expressions.

“Um, Ditzy-kun, I don’t think grown-up talk like that should be uttered so casually....” Nagare said as she nervously scratched her cheek.

"Ugh, your tone-deaf comments are hardly appropriate, you know. Although I guess I shouldn’t be surprised…” Added Vară.

Seeing that most of the other guild members seemed to be worn out after today’s events, they turned to Haley as she suggested they bid the dark priest farewell and make their way back to the guild. Both girls nodded in agreement.

“It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve seen the old guild hall. I wonder how Master Bart and everyone else has been?” Nagare said cheerfully.

“Yeah, but I wonder if they ever got that huge hold in the wall fixed.” Vară said.

Neil dutifully wheeled the Altissima sisters towards his surprise gift for them. "Hmm, I wouldn't say 'long' but they were with the Guild for several days before they had to leave for their personal matters." He answered immediately. "I... guess you could say we're close. Good friends and all." It seemed Neil decided not to reveal anything specific.

Soon, Riñas lead them into an empty space. The darkness of the night made it hard to see anything but with a snap of the Dark Priest's fingers and the place was lit up by several pyres. The area had two cooking stations, tables filled with kitchenware from pans to spatulas and various food ingredients from vegetables and herbs to condiments like salt and spices. The sight... looked very much like the cooking competition from earlier. Albeit smaller.

"You two, err... I guess Vivian, really wanted to join the cooking contest earlier but instead, you got stuck working with me." Neil said as he took his place on one of the cooking stations and putting on an apron. "So to show my gratitude, I asked Riñas to prepare another one of these. Thanks again, Sister Riñas."

"No problem, Neil. Sorry it's not as extravagant as the one from earlier but it was all last-minute, you know?" The Dark Priest replied. "You also mentioned that you wanted to ask me something regarding the Fallen God? Well, we can talk about later after you're done with this threesome. Farewell and have fun!" And with that, Riñas took off to handle the festival.

Neil sighed at the parting remarks. "Well then, you two. You may be professional chefs, but I'll have you know that I'm no slouch at this. En garde, Sylvia and Vivian!"

Vivian's face lit up at seeing the cooking contest layout remade. "Thank you Neil! Thank you Sister Riñas!" Vivian exclaimed exuberantly. Even though cooking was more Vivian's thing, Sylvia also smiled at how happy her sister was.

"So, are we even?" Sylvia asked.

"Even? You bet!" Vivian replied as the sisters high-fived each other. "Alright Neil, prepare your taste buds!" Vivian challenged.

The sisters then fell into a hushed and hurried discussion; even though Vivian's strength lay in pastries, they still wanted to impress Neil, and came to the stereotype that, on the whole, boys preferred meat. They could make some sort of meat pie, but felt they had prepared something similar for previous guild dinners. Soon, they both nodded, having decided what they were going to make. They went around the kitchen, looking for flour, eggs, milk, butter, salt, pepper, mushrooms, thinly-sliced cured ham, olive oil, mustard, and a cylindrical beef fillet.

Vivian set to mixing the flour, salt, and slices of butter, adding the occasional cold water to keep the butter from melting completely, while Sylvia thinly diced the mushrooms and sautéed them dry with salt and pepper in a frying pan until it became an almost dry paste. After removing the mushrooms and putting them in a bowl to the side, Sylvia then added olive oil to the pan and seared the beef fillet on all sides, but didn't cook the beef completely. Vivian, meanwhile, had taken the flour out of the mixing bowl and began to laminate it; flattening it, folding it, and repeating this process several times. Sylvia then took one of her leaves and laid it out on the table, layering the cured ham slices on the leaf, and thinly slathering the sautéed mushroom paste over the ham. She then basted the beef fillet with mustard and placed it on the ham. Using the leaf, Sylvia tightly wrapped the fillet in the ham and mushroom. They both put their respective projects into a magical ice box for about twenty minutes. Vivian then cracked some eggs and isolated the yolk, creating an egg wash glaze. The sisters discussed a bit before deciding to add just a hint of their nectar, not strong enough to elicit an aphrodisiac response, but enough to get the blood circulating and adding a slight, fragrant sweetness. After taking out the ham and mushroom-wrapped beef and the puff pastry, they wrapped the meet in the puff pastry, glazing it with the nectar-infused egg wash to help the puff pastry stick. Then they palced the whole thing back into the ice box to firm up for a few minutes before taking it back out, glazing the top with more egg wash, scoring it for the added artisanal effect, and finishing it off with a light sprinkling of salt on top. Then they placed it in the oven until the pastry was golden brown and sizzling slightly from the butter. Taking it out, the sisters allowed it to cool, before cutting it into inch-thick slices. The beef was medium rare and juicy, but the layer of mushroom and ham prevented the juice from making the puff pastry soggy, leaving it crispy and flaky. Dividing the slices evenly, the sisters prepared two plates, one for Neil and one for Sister Riñas.

"Try to beat that, Neil!" Vivian challenged triumphantly.

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight}

Ada was listening with a curious expression as the others talked about the kidnapping that happened. She still didn't understand the reason why Nero and the maid lady couldn't be together if they liked each other but it seemed like there were other complex reasons behind what happened. Still, despite the confusion, the day was still really fun. Ada saw many thing she had never seen before, tasted some really, really good food in the competition and even played around a bit. It was a busy, but undoubtedly fun day. Due to that, when the group started discussing that it was time to go back to the guild, Ada was fine with their choice. Laying down on the sofa to sleep after such a busy day would be fine too.

That said, they still had one thing left to do. As the matter about going back to the guild came, Haley and a few others said that they should go say goodbye to the Dark Priest and thank her for the event. Ada did agree with that, after all, she did have a lot of fun today, in part, thanks to her.

When Ditzy called her, excitedly saying that they would go say thanks to the Dark Priest, Ada nodded with her head, smiling to Ditzy as she raised her hand in a fist, mimicking Ditzy's gesture.

---

Freyr

Freyr simply nodded as Haley began explaining in more details about what happened regarding the kidnapping. Being undoubtedly more suited to discuss these types of things, Freyr gladly left the explanation to her. Just like Haley said as she ended the explanation though, Freyr did hope that Nero would keep the words he heard from them in mind and think about them.

After Haley finished explaining though, Ditzy resumed her already resumed explanation. Not beating around the bush, Ditzy's explanation was accurate, despite a little bit 'indelicate'. Hearing Vară and Nagare chastising Ditzy for his words couldn't help but make Freyr chuckle.

With the festival already ending and most of the guild members tired due to the busy day, the group decided to start making their way back to the guild, after saying goodbye for the Dark Priest, Riñas.

"We should indeed thank her for the hospitality." Freyr said, nodding as he agreed with Haley.

"I hope the exhaustion will catch up with them once they arrive on the guild." he said to Haley with a chuckle as he watched both Ditzy and Ada excited with the idea of thanking Riñas for the event.

@PaulHaynek

Yang Bethlehem

Hmm. Yang eyes glanced over to Bart, missing the obvious cue from Kira.

Sighing inwardly, it seems like she'll have to be the one to handle this.

@Rezod92

"Kira, can you stay and help me wash the dishes? I've been cooking the whole day and I feel a little tired." Yang offered with a smile as they finished up dinner, giving her a chance to talk personally about her problems.

Clearing up the table and carrying the plates, she gestured with a tilt of her head for Kira to follow suit.

As the two washed the dishes, a quiet moment settled between them before Yang finally spoke out.

"So, how was the talk with Ozzy go?" She cleaned one of the plates before putting it aside. Giving out a start so that Kira can just talk about something or anything since she looks like she needed a chance without making it awkward.

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

@13org@AzureKnight

"But Ditzy is a grown up, that's how Ditzy leave village." Ditzy pointed out with a tilt of his head to the sides confusion and perplexed by this.

For goblin culture, Ditzy was indeed one of age. Many of his female goblins compatriots of his either traveled to other villages or towns as merchants, took up the duties of their parents at the village or those with wanderlust even banded together as traveling raiders. Ditzy being the few that wanted to travel to see the world by working outside of the village.

"Also, Barty gave Ditzy job too! So Ditzy here!" He waved his hands to the sides, smiling at that. Papa trusted Bart, so Ditzy also trust him.

"Let's go!" Ditzy didn't even seem fazed as he lead the way to go to the dark priestess, teasing Ada by running ahead slowly though his run was more like a speed-walking. Hoping to prompt Ada following Ditzy and racing with the mysterious beast.

~@Stern Algorithm~

"Try to beat that, Neil!"

While the Altissimas cooked their meal, it appeared Neil was busy doing the same. His pan crackled with oil and he could be seen grabbing eggs and condiments to add to his creation. When the Liliraune was done with their beef wellington, Neil was also finished with his dish: A very basic plate of three bacon strips and a couple of eggs conjoined with each other with a bit of seasoning on top.

"Okay, so I lied about being a great chef. Sue me, hahahaha!" Neil laughed at his obvious defeat. "I never intended to challenge you two, much less beat you. I just wanted you two to enjoy the festival." He explained. "...Aaand maybe to get a super delicious meal prepared exclusively for me. Hahaha!"

Whether or not the Altissima sisters did something about Neil's lighthearted deception, they would dine on the results of their little competition before heading back to the Guild with Neil once again being the pusher for the Liliraune's cart. Boreal Port still flared with celebration but the Guild would be done for tonight.

---

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

The Guild reunited in the dead of night back in their headquarters. Vară and Nagare would see the Guild's entrance repaired, although with a bit of difference. While the rest of the structure had the perfect architecture of Dwarven design, the entrance seemed to be a crude imitation of that design. Regardless, it was an entrance of double doors and the difference couldn't be seen from a distance anyway.

Yang and Kira greeted the other guild members but also broke the news that Ozzy had also left with Margaret, the Owl Harpy they were with during the incident back in Boreal Port. The news of having one less member was a bitter way to end the night of what was a day of celebration and relaxation.



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

The morning dawned and the Guild was back to work. Breakfast was served and most of the Guild had assembled in the main hall to pick out their quests for the day.

@PaulHaynek@13org@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight@Rezod92

Yang Bethlehem

---

(I'll put Yang on hold first for Kira back story)

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

With the night, wishing Rinas goodbye, and then later going back to the guild. All energy left him the moment he finished washing his face and went to bed immediately.

Then the new day arrived, breakfast served and quickly eating it, Ditzy moved over with a smile as he looked at the board.

Despite feeling down that Ozzy had suddenly left, Ditzy knows why and giggled at that. The other owl girl wanted to play with him, no doubt, the two will be having tons of fun!

Looking at the multiple jobs description, humming as he looked at them.

Barty said don't get involve with Order, so Ditzy won't go. Ditzy pushed that aside as he continued the list until one of them finally interested him.

"This one!"

KEEPING IT REAL 2

Ditzy hadn't even finished reading the last part as all he saw was some bad people that needed their butts kicked. This means they need someone strong, and Ditzy is the strongest!

Before someone had deigned to explain things or warned him, Ditzy was already moving outside of the guild house. Moving with a much faster gait than usual. His sandbag weapon slung around his shoulders with some supplies of food and water around his belt.

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@Stern Algorithm@AzureKnight@Rezod92}

It was already very late when the Ada and the rest of the group finally arrived on the guild after she went with Ditzy to say goodbye to the dark priestess. Arriving on the guild, they were greeted by Yang and Kira, who were waiting everyone on the guild's entrance. The day was indeed fun, despite being rather exhausting as it became evident by Ada's yawns as she greeted Yang and Kira. Unfortunately, both of them also had some sad news to give Ada and the others: Ozzy had left the guild together with Margaret after what happened in Boreal Port. While Ada was undeniably sad by the news, she did understand a bit why Ozzy would want to leave. He probably had his own plans and things to do. Just like Ada having left the forest and coming back to the guild with Ozzy and Haley. Still, she was a bit annoyed because he didn't stay to at least say goodbye to her though.

Entering the guild, Ada went straight towards her usual spot on the couch, Ada laying down, curling in a small ball with her tail around her and going to sleep without doing anything more. It was obvious she was a bit sad because Ozzy, the first person she had met on the forest had left.

Ada woke up on the next day feeling a bit better and definitely happier than she was on the last night. Standing on her tail and getting near the board, she began looking at the requests. While it was obvious by her confused expression and occasionally tilting her head that she didn't know how to read, she had caught a few words from being near Ozzy and the rest of the guild members. One of those was 'forest', the place she used to live before she came to the guild. With a small surprised blink as she read the word on one request, she realized that it was written in a few of the papers in the board. Pointing towards each one of them, Ada looked at the rest of the guild members that were there, pointing at the other requests again, clearly indicating that she was willing to go to any one of those that had the word 'forest' on them.

---

Freyr

After quite an... eventful day, Freyr returned to the Guild together with the rest of the members. They were greeted by Yang and Kira with some bittersweet news though, Ozzy had left the guild with Margaret. While it was always sad losing a member, Ozzy surely had good motives to left and if it was for the reason that Freyr thought it was, he could understand perfectly well why he did so.

Spending the rest of the night together with Haley, Freyr wake up on the next morning feeling refreshed and renewed.

"Good morning!" he said in a low and sweet tone as he woke up near Haley, kissing her forehead gently as he embraced her.

"I'll get down first and get us something to eat before choosing what we will do today." he said as he slowly got out of bed.

^{@PaulHaynek @Restalaan @13org @Stern Algorithm @Rezod92}

With the sun setting, the girls began to feel the fatigue from their trip back and followed suit with the other guild members. They bid farewell to the dark priest and made their way back to the guild hall. Upon returning, they immediately noticed that the hold Titanica made had finally been repaired. Two large double doors had been made to fill the gap, giving the building a more professional appearance. After a closer inspection, however, they noticed that the design doesn’t quite match the rest of the building. A rush job, perhaps? Ultimately, since it was negligible, the girls pay it no mind. On returning, they were greeting by the martial artist Yang and Kira, a Beelzebub. They stated that Ozzy had left with an Owl Harpy he met during the Boreal Port incident. While disappointed, they completely understood why he would choose to leave, having done so themselves. After eating dinner, the girls retired to their rooms for the night to rest for the next day...

---

Having awakened, Vară makes her way down to the first floor after freshening up, her eyes tearing up a bit upon yawning. After eating breakfast, she decides its time to check the board and pick a job to fulfill. A feeling of nostalgia began to fill in her, she missed gallivanting out into the frontier and expanding her horizon. At first, she stumbled every now and again as she was still getting used it. But now, it was something she looked forward to. After taking a few minutes to review the requests, she announced her decision.

HELP, WANTED 2

“I’ll be taking this one!” She exclaimed.

Vară signed the sheet of paper with a magic sigil that consisted of her family crest, further signifying her acceptance of the request. She thought about the main quest, but she felt that the Guild Master still wouldn’t be to keen on it and she didn’t feel like dealing with his drama again. That, and she remembered the words of her mother before she left home. That aside, she saw this as a good opportunity to prove herself by catching a dangerous criminal. She didn’t really know this Ian North person, but for some reason she got the impression that he was seemingly full of himself.

With that, she began making her way out of the Guild Hall and to Ambran.

---

Awakening a little after Vară, Nagare didn’t get a chance to catch her friend before she left. She bade good morning to everyone, and after freshening up and eating breakfast she looked at the quest board for the first time in a while. She noticed Vară’s sigil on one of the papers, silently wishing her luck on her endeavor. She notices that Ditzy had also made his choice of job undertaking, the request apparently involved a poet being kidnapped by a gang of mamono bandits and being held for ransom. While completely unkeen on human culture, Nagare wasn’t all too familiar with the culture of other monsters either. Apparently despite being a band of troublemakers, the monster band most of the time just gets written off by the other villagers as a minor irritation. She still thinks they shouldn’t be making nuisances of themselves, and decides to join Ditzy on his quest. Plus, she felt that it would be good to keep an eye on the happy-go-lucky hobgoblin.

She puts her signature on the Keeping it Real request sheet and begins making her way out of the Hall, quickly following behind Ditzy.

“Ditzy-kun, I know you’re strong, but perhaps we should excerise caution on this quest. After all, they’ll have us outnumbered!” She warned.

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YNG)

A bit after Bart had left and as she assisted the monk with the dishes, Yang asked finally asked the fateful question. Looking over her shoulder to see that they were the only ones present, Kira told her new confidant her story.

She told Yang about Videl. About Gruja. About the first encounter at the food market. About how Videl and Gruja became close to each other during the mercenary's stay. How, after many weeks, Videl finally gained the courage to stand before the man who captured her heart and confess her feelings for him....only to receive heartbreak when Gruja rejected her, saying how, even when he had the same feelings for her, he could not abandon his duty for the sake of love. How, after Gruja and his band left, Videl changed for the worse, becoming more withdrawn and depressed as the days went by, ever increasing the family's worries day by day.

Then....one day, a messenger came to their home bearing tragic news...

Varjan ambush. Many casualties.....Gruja among them.

Kira remembered exactly how her eldest sister reacted....or rather, how she didn't react. Unlike everyone else, who was either shocked or crying for Videl's sake, there wasn't even hint of emotion on her face.....except for the dead look in her eyes.

A day later, Videl went missing. With panic added to the mountain of worry that had culminated, Kira, her mother, her father and all of her siblings scoured their hometown and the surrounding forest to find her.

And that's how Kira, at the time just 10 years old, found her dearly beloved sister Videl, peacefully resting against a beautiful oak tree...with a bloody gash on her neck and bloodstained knife in her hands.

After that, Kira wasn't able to finish the story as she was to busy crying from the traumatic memory, Yang holding the flygirl in a comforting embrace as she emotionally fell apart. She had just barely managed to pull herself together before the other guild members returned, along with some new faces she hadn't seen before, though was far from the right mind to even greet them properly. After relaying the news of Ozzy's departure, Kira turned in for the night, oddly having the most restful sleep she has had in recent memory.

@Stern Algorithm @AzureKnight @13org (FYR & ADA) @Restalaan (YNG & DIT)

The next morning, Kira was awake and dressed, silently eating a biscuit as she looked at the list of quests on the bulletin board alongside her fellow guildmates. Upon seeing her options...

FOR THE CAUSE

"I'll take quest number 1.", Kira quietly stated, with an odd monotone and without much hesitation or thinking, not even waiting for input from the others as she finished her breakfast and walked out the door, ready to take on the day.....and Order, apparently.