^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@AzureKnight}

With Ditzy having rescued the kidnapped man and tossing him to Nagare's back, the group was ready to go. Before the other monster girls could even do anything, Sir Reed, Ditzy and even Ada had already hopped on Nagare's back. In the blink of an eye, Nagare was already airborne, leaving the monster girls unable to do anything but to watch.

While the trip back to the guild was quite short, thanks to Nagare, Ada was still a bit distressed from being so high up in the air, firmly grasping Nagare's back, afraid she would fall. While she did use her claws to get a better footing on the few times where Nagare had to make a turn or something, Ada quickly realized that even though Nagare was transformed, it was still her body and she could get hurt and feel pain, as it became evident by the scratches that were left on Nagare's back thanks to Ada's claws.

When the group finally arrived on the guild, Sir Reed was quick to tell them he would handle the person they rescued, who was still tied and with a bag on his head. Before she followed the rest inside the guild, Ada curiously approached the person they rescued, sniffing him a few times as Sir Reed untied him, before going inside the guild.

---

Freyr

Freyr did think it was a bit strange how he heard the sound of armored boots, but not only Bartholomew was completely alone, but his boots were made of leather too, still, he didn't think much of that and instead simply nodded towards Bartholomew, greeting him.

"Don't we have guests? I swear I heard the sound of armored boots..." Freyr said, with a rather confused expression, looking around before he raised his hand, offering the bag of money that Yang had given him to Bart.

"A report from the requese I took with Haley. Things didn't go... exactly as planned. The stranger that was wandering around showed itself to be insane and dangerous, carrying some kind of metallic, projectile weapon, a 'gun' as Haley called it." he explained.

"Between his mad ramblings, he mentioned his name was Samuel Cubbage. Unfortunately, he got swept by river when he entered it to wash himself. We tried to save him but we weren't able to. We don't know if he managed to survived the waterfall. We did get something for our troubles, but I wanted to ask you to see if you knew something about this 'Samuel Cubbage'..." Freyr finished, still finding a bit strange on how he thought he had heard the sound of armored boots as he looked around, thinking that he might have missed something that could explain what he heard.

@PaulHaynek@AzureKnight@13org

Ditzy Stoneclub

Finally getting the person over his shoulder, Ditzy quickly latched onto Nagare. The moment they took off, Ditzy felt every ounce of his strength fade away. Making him leaned over and face pressed flatly on top of Nagare scales. Feeling completely drained and burned out.

Still, the last scenery of seeing the sunset was beautiful at least as Ditzy slumbered for a while.

Then when they finally stop and land on the ground, that woke Ditzy up as he looked around briefly and stumbled from Nagare. Leading him fall upon his back with a painful thud.

"Ow." Ditzy said out of habit rather than actual pain, clearing the dirt out of his hair and looking absolutely wrecked. Since most of the fight he had was all ground fights.

"Okay. Come back for dinner." Ditzy lazily waved as he entered the house. His weapon was half-dragging behind him in tow.

@Rezod92@Stern Algorithm

Opening the door without ceremony, Ditzy was greeted by everyone standing around Bart. Shaking him up from his droopy eyelids.

For the others, they're greeted by Ditzy who's in an absolute mess. Dirt covered him completely, his pants was dirty and small holes can be seen from the seams. The usual energy that Ditzy had early in the morning was all gone as he couldn't even raised himself straight or even smile.

"Hey, caught man, lost against monster. Ditzy tired, Ditzy go sleep." He summarized it to Bart before heading to his room for a bath and sleep.

After that, Ditzy slumbered without a single disturbance. Being done for the day.

---

@PaulHaynek@Rezod92@13org@Stern Algorithm

Yang Bethlehem

Yang kept her breath slow, readied and schooled her face for her report...

Only to be met with no one but Guildmaster Bart, taking her by surprise completely as he was alone.

But that cannot be, she was sure that she heard armored boots. Her breathing picked up as she looked around.

"I just...heard more footsteps and thought there'll be more guests." She recovered quickly and bowed her head forward for Guildmaster Bart return. "But for our jobs, me and Kira finished ours without much fuss. Also we had some earlier guest of monster girls consistent of mices and insects. It seems they're freeloading from us."

Hopefully, that last part would distract him more even as Yang focused her ears and sense to find any presences aside from Bart.

Though a heavy thud from far had her body tense, it seems more new presence had arrived. Her hair stood at the back of her neck as she looked at the door, wondering just who was the new presence as the door slowly turned.

Only to reveal Ditzy, absolutely tired and dirty, dragging his feet the whole time as he barely acknowledged them and headed up to sleep.

"Don't skip dinner too often." She warned but Ditzy didn't listen and just headed upwards to his room.

@PaulHaynek @AzureKnight (NAG) @13org @Stern Algorithm @Restalaan

Standing by Yang's side, Kira's body became a loaded spring, ready to react at any sudden move from whoever came through the front door...

.....but it was all for naught.

"Wha-...Bart!?", Kira exclaimed, caught off guard by the guild master's return......and nothing else, apparently. A quick look to the monk confirmed that Yang was surprised as well. Along with her mamono senses, there was no way there wasn't anyone else out there a few seconds ago. Before she could contemplate any further, another person came through the door...

"Ditzy!? What the hell happened to you!? You look like shit!", the flygirl commented but promptly ignored by the clearly tired male hobgoblin. She couldn't blame him, being of the exact same mindset a couple of minutes earlier. Plus, given his appearance, that must mean some of the others had returned as well.

Still....somebody was here earlier, Kira was sure of it. Maybe if she went out and try to pick up a scent, just to be sure...

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

"Don't we have guests? I swear I heard the sound of armored boots..."

"I just...heard more footsteps and thought there'll be more guests."

"Wha-...Bart!?"

"W-What? There's no one else besides me." Bart declared. If he was lying, he was a pretty good one. He betrayed no signs of deception to the guild members. "You guys must be hearing things. 'Cause I was outside and I didn't hear anything. Again, I came alone." He reiterated. "Is that why you were all gathered here? Well, I commend the vigilance but please don't jump at shadows."

The ones looking around the area would find nothing. No trace of any metal boots save for the sound it made earlier. Were the guild members really just jumping at nothing? Or were there secrets darting around the Guild's eyes?

"Between his mad ramblings, he mentioned his name was Samuel Cubbage. Unfortunately, he got swept by river when he entered it to wash himself. We tried to save him but we weren't able to. We don't know if he managed to survived the waterfall. We did get something for our troubles, but I wanted to ask you to see if you knew something about this 'Samuel Cubbage'..."

"Oh dear. Well, I'm glad you two made it out of the quest safely." Bart offered sympathy before thinking about the name given. "Samuel Cubbage? Hmm... Nope, never heard of the guy. But if he was carrying a gun, then he's much richer than he looked and acted. Not even your regular noble can get their hands on one since they're mostly made in Ortus. And not many people go there, with the war going on and Ortusians being... weird people." Haley raised an eyebrow at the last comment.

"Anyway, I'm glad you weren't swept away with the guy or get shot by his gun. I heard they REALLY hurt."

"But for our jobs, me and Kira finished ours without much fuss. Also we had some earlier guest of monster girls consistent of mices and insects. It seems they're freeloading from us."

Bart's eyes narrowed, suspicious of Yang. "Without much fuss, huh?" But then he heard of the mice and insect monster girls freeloading and his attention fully turned to that. "Wait, what?! Freeloaders? Those monsters usually come in groups! Where are they?!" The guild master panicked. Lots of things ran in his mind as he comprehended the news laid out by the monk.

"Calm down, they're long gone." Haley waved him off. "Vivian and Sylvia did... something and they left without trouble."

"Oh." Bart indeed calmed down. "Well, all's well that ends well, right? Looks like some of us are tuckered out for the night, though." He watched Ditzy head inside, exhausted and covered in dirt. "Why don't we head inside and have dinner? Then we can call it a night."

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

"Yeah, we had a bit of a Giant Mouse and Devil Bug infestation, but we made them some food and expounded on the benefits of participating in civil society, instead of living like thieves," Sylvia explained, "Once they were certain that they couldn't make off with a man, I think they lost interest. Hopefully they don't come back."

At Bart's mention of dinner, Vivian slapped herself on the forehead, "Gods! Is it that late already!" Making lasagna for the vermin threw off Vivian's culinary timer. Realizing that everyone was returning sent her into a mild panic as the sisters made their way back into the kitchen. "Hey Yang, I hope you're not too tired. I might need your help to rustle up some grub quickly. I kind of spent most of my day cooking for our uninvited guests."

^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan@AzureKnight}

The first thing Ada saw when getting inside the guild was the commotion going on as most of the guild members stood near the entrance with strange expressions as they talked with each other something about Bart having brought someone to the guild. Just as Ada got closer to them though, she noticed that there were a bunch of strange scents around, which immediately made her stop and start sniffing the air with a serious expression. Being on the guild for a while now, she was fairly familiar with the scent of all the guild members, but the ones she was feeling was most defnitely not their scent. While it became clear after a bit that whoever was inside the guild had already left, their smell was still everywhere and the guild was still a huge mess.

Agitated, Ada immediately began searching around for more intruders, with her teeth and claws showing. Fortunately for the 'uninvited guests' that were on the guild a moment ago, they left before Ada could find them, leaving behind nothing but their scent and leftover food.

After making sure that the guild was safe, Ada's posture relaxed down a bit, even though having the scent of so many different creatures that weren't her friends on 'her home' made her really uncomfortable.

---

Freyr

Freyr paid attention as Bartholomew replied to his question. While unforuntately, he had no idea of who "Samuel Cubbage" was, he did say a few interesting things, including on how expensive the so called 'gun' was and how it was very likely that Samuel might be much more important than his actions or appearance showed.

"It is hard to believe that such a small weapon can be so powerful. These... 'Ortusians'... They aren't dangerous, are they?" Freyr asked, a bit worried as he gave a small bow, silently thanking Bart for his words and the sympathy he showed.

"If this Samuel Cubbage turned out to be one of their envoys... Things could get a bit complicated... The word "weird" did fit him awfully well, after all." Freyr said, reflecting about who the man could've been.

As the topic changed towards the now gone "freeloaders" though, Freyr couldn't help but to notice how distressed Ada was, sniffing around and with quite a hostile posture.

"I think they left in a good hour too... Our Ada doesn't seem to take too kindly to her 'home' being intruded like that." he said with a chuckle as he watched her.

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

Yang Bethlehem

"I second that motion." Yang relaxed, her shoulders dropping and feeling particularly proud of herself for distracting him with a completely different matter.

Admittedly, she also felt guilty but as it is, that's a problem for another day.

Hearing the Altissima sister asking for their help couldn't be better, she immediately followed their lead eagerly.

"Of course, let this humble one be of help to the two of you!" With that proclamation, smile and a skip in her steps, Yang will help in most of the physical tasks in cooking, aiding, and cutting ingredients. Shrinking a lot of the effort down for the sisters to make dinner for everyone in time.

Once that was done, Yang encouraged everyone to have their share of dinner. Helping out to serve the food as well and returning to her usual positive self. "Come! Eat up! Nothing beats a good meal after a day's work!"

Ditzy in the meantime, have taken a bath and went straight to sleep. Retiring for the night.

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan @13org @Stern Algorithm @AzureKnight

As everyone busied themselves and turned in for the night, Kira took this opportunity to walk outside and check for a scent, at least to confirm that she wasn't hearing things. On the way, she saw Reed and Nagare, appearing to be in a similar state of stress as Ditzy.

"Yikes, looks like you had it rough. Head on inside. The flower twins got dinner ready to serve.", commented the flygirl in passing as she strode out to the main road. Once there, she gave one good sniff...

......and her eyes narrowed.

Ever since Kira first arrived, she had acquired the scent of all of her guildmates, each one unique from the other. Freyr smelt of oak and fresh air, along with a healthy dose of Siren lover. Yang was of spring water and spice. The twins......well, that was obvious. Basically, she knows the scent of everyone in the guild. Hell, Ada might even know everyone by scent as well. However, the smell she was getting....

....was one she didn't recognize, meaning that someone was here.

Unfortunately, the scent was fading so rapidly and so faintly that Kira couldn't describe the smell, meaning if, by chance, they ever encountered their mystery visitor, she wouldn't be able to know them by smell.

And so, with a suspicious glare into the night, the Beelzebub silently turned and walked back into the Guild, where she would finally close the book on this drama of a day.

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

"It is hard to believe that such a small weapon can be so powerful. These... 'Ortusians'... They aren't dangerous, are they?"

"Of course not! I mean, look at Reed! He's from Ortus! Does he look dangerous?" Haley was the one who replied, pointing at the distant knight with a wing. Realizing that a warrior like Reed may not be the example, she cleared her throat. "Okay, maybe he does. But, but my point is: They're just human, like... every other human." She shrugged. "The only reason everyone sees them weird is 'cause the Order's at war with them. The only major human kingdom to be doing so."

"It's a bit more complicated than that..." Sir Reed had finished talking to the rescued captive who went on his merry way. "A long story short: Before the Great Change, Ortus was cut off from the rest of humanity for a long time before Ortus' founder, Argus of Candor, defeated the monster tribes and clans blocking contact between Ortus and the Order. By the time that happened though, our cultures were vastly different from each other which lead to tensions." Sir Reed finished. "The rest is history. After the Great Change, I guess the Order decided to deal with us Ortusians once and for all."

"Tsk, blasted Ortusian..." Bart turned around to head inside the guild with everyone else. But the remark earned a surprised look from Haley and a more... physical reaction from Reed.

A mailed hand on the shoulder stopped the guild master, courtesy of a ticked off Reed. "Have you a problem with Ortusians, guildmaster Bart?" He said, a tone of tranquil fury.

Bart shook off the hand and faced the Ortusian. "So what if I do? What're you gonna do? Hit me? In front of everyone?" The raised voices and commotion had probably attracted everyone else's attention. It appeared no one would be having dinner anytime soon.

Sir Reed glanced at everyone in the Guild present. "...Mayhaps I have chosen the wrong place and wrong company to find my enlightenment."

"Bart! What in the gods' name do you think you're doing?" Haley yelled in disbelief but could not stop the standoff.

_@PaulHaynek

Vară watched as an angry Neil confronted Ian about what exactly had been going on. Why did he request assistance, only to be revealed to be the City Hall thief in question? Too tired to understand any of it, she turned to Dhampir who was curious as to what had just unfolded.

“That madman over there was revealed to be the one who stole from the City Hall’s treasury, in addition to having nearly taken my life!” She said in a dreadful tone. She then turned to Ian and Neil, who were still arguing.

“Ian, if this was your idea of some sick, twisted joke, then you’re more depraved of a manic than I had thought! Why did you request aid to catch a robber, only for said robber to be yourself? Why did you try to kill me? Are you lunatic, or were you born with a defect?!” She exclaimed, still resting on the ground where she had been.

---

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

“Yes everyone, let’s go back home!” Nagare happily stated, she lowered her serpentine body to allow everyone to hop on board. As they began to ascend, she could hear the angry cries of the mamono band. They seemed to be quite furious that they had lost the upper hand, along with their quarry. Nagare ignored them though, it wasn’t as if they could chase regardless. While flying back, she noticed Ditzy lazily resting on one of her fins, barely able to keep himself awake. She thought it was cute and giggled a little; it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve good rest, they all did.

Nagare turned an eye to Sir Reed who got close to her ear. He began to apologize on behalf of the group, as instead of acquiescing her request to fight the bandits alone they made a surprise attack on them in unison. Sir Reed seemed to think that Nagare may hold some bit of resentment, but it was actually quite the contrary. It was a moment before she responded.

“Sir Reed, I could never be angry at any of you. I am eternally grateful for what you did, more than you could ever know. Honestly, I should be the one to apologize. My request was a selfish and irresponsible one, it was obvious that I couldn’t have won against them by myself. I intended to make myself into a martyr so that you all could walk free. But, I didn’t take any of your feelings into consideration, or how my decision would affect the Guild as a whole. If anything, you should be going to Master Bart and devising a suitable punishment for me once we get back.”

She turned her eye away, as if she no longer had the heart to look Reed in the eye. “Sir Reed, you’re the reason that everyone’s safe now. You’re the reason that we were able to make it home, and the reason that we claimed victory today. Me, I’m just a fool who doesn’t deserve your gratitude or charity…”

--

After making it back to the Guild, she lowered her body so that everyone could safely disembark. She then returned to her human form, exhausted from today’s quest. She was a bit wobbly while walking, but she was able to manage without much issue. She noticed that Yang and Kira had returned from their mission as well, not looking well for the wear. “Yang-san, Kira-chan, I'm glad to see that you’re back from your quest! Although, I hope everything went alright. You too don’t look so well, although I'm not one to talk, haha.”

She then noticed the Altissima sisters explained what happened during their time alone at the Guild hall. “Oh my, I wouldn’t have guessed a bunch of Dormice and Devil Bugs would’ve found their way into the hall and caused a ruckus. I’m just glad that you two weren’t hurt! My friends have been in enough today as is.”

“Freyr-san, Haley-san, I hope that you too are fine as well.” She noticed that Haley looked a bit winded from her travels. It seemed that today was quite the ordeal for everyone.

Much like Kira, however, she noticed an unfamiliar scent was approaching the guild. Still on edge from today’s events, she tensed up to be ready at a moment’s notice. Much to her surprise, Master Bart was the one who appeared from the entrance. “Oh Master Bart! Welcome back, I hope your business went well today!”

Before she could continue, she noticed Sir Reed was acting strangely, he then abruptly stepped away for a moment. She followed him outside, only to see him talking with the master.
She got most of his explanation about the history of Ortus. It appeared the Master has negative feelings toward the country, worse that a less civil confrontation was about to unfold between them.

Nagare promptly stepped between the two men, facing Bart with her arms stretched out. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but please stop this. Master Bart, if you’ve any doubt as to the integrity of Sir Reed, I’d be more than happy to vouch for him. It was thanks to his planning that our group returned home safely!” Nagare adopted an unexpected standoffish response toward the Guildmaster, hopefully the situation wouldn’t devolve into a less...savory one.

@PaulHaynek @AzureKnight (NAG) @Restalaan @13org @Stern Algorithm

And yet, the day STILL wasn't done with Kira.

As the flygirl walked through the entrance, she just caught the tail-end of Reed's explanation and just in time to see Bart's reaction.

"Tsk, blasted Ortusian..." Bart turned around to head inside the guild with everyone else. But the remark earned a surprised look from Haley and a more... physical reaction from Reed.

A mailed hand on the shoulder stopped the guild master, courtesy of a ticked off Reed. "Have you a problem with Ortusians, guildmaster Bart?" He said, a tone of tranquil fury.

Bart shook off the hand and faced the Ortusian. "So what if I do? What're you gonna do? Hit me? In front of everyone?" The raised voices and commotion had probably attracted everyone else's attention.

To say Kira was shocked would be an understatement. This was the second time Bart flew off the handle unprofessionally on a guild member, for such a dumb reason. First, it was Neil for his actions against Varjo. Now, it's Reed because of where he was originally from? Where was this even coming from?

Seeing her guild master's ungracious behavior, as well as already being tired and stressed from the raid, all culminated into a Beelzebub that was not only tired and stressed...

.....but now pissed off, as well.

Sir Reed glanced at everyone in the Guild present. "...Mayhaps I have chosen the wrong place and wrong company to find my enlightenment."

"Bart! What in the gods' name do you think you're doing?" Haley yelled in disbelief but could not stop the standoff.

"Reed, your ass is right where you need to be, regardless of what our moron of a leader says.", Kira said brazenly, standing by the Ortusian's side as she glared at Bart.

Nagare promptly stepped between the two men, facing Bart with her arms stretched out. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but please stop this. Master Bart, if you’ve any doubt as to the integrity of Sir Reed, I’d be more than happy to vouch for him. It was thanks to his planning that our group returned home safely!”

"Not to mention, wasn't it you that held a vote on whether or not Reed was let into the Guild? It was unanimous and we greeted him with open arms after that. So what happened between now and then that lead you to believing that letting him in was something you regret now? Seriously, what the hell is your problem!? First Neil, now Reed! Dude, this is getting fucking ridiculous!"

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

Yang Bethlehem

"I'll head out, you just keep them coming!" After cooking and assisting the sisters, Yang volunteered to serve the food despite her exhausted state.

Her feet shuffled in a practiced form of footwork, allowing her to nearly glide across the floor easily as she delivered the food to the table with much gusto.

"Alright! Foods here, eat up and stuff-Why the sudden seriousness?" Yang asked as she noted the sudden tense air between her guild master and sir Reed. Hearing on the tail end of the conversation.

But getting a short story of it, giving Yang a moment of introspection as she analyzed why before coming to a simple conclusion.

If Guild Master Bart didn't want conflict, as well as getting the Order's attention, housing an Ortusian would indeed send mixed signals. Then there's also the high possibility that Bart own experience was less than...pleasant if he was willing to confront and let it spill in front of Reed.

Looking at the whole situation and how it'll probably spiral, Yang can only sigh before coming to a choice.

"Guildmaster Bart, if Sir Reed is to part from us, at the very least, can you tell your reason of dismissal of Ortusian?" Yang inquired from Bart. More for the sake of the guild. She didn't take sides, knowing the last time she tried that, it didn't help.

If Bart didn't want or disliked Reed, then there's little she can do to dissuade him. Better to let both sides air their grievances and then part ways from there on.

Turning to Reed, she gave him a bow. "If you're to depart, then at least do so with a filled stomach. As payment for bringing and aiding our guild members back."

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

With the possible threat of intruders being gone, Ada finally relaxed. Going back to where the rest of the guild members were, Ada watched curiously as Sir Reed and the others talked with each other. Everything seemed to be going fine, despite the many complicated words Ada didn't understand but out of nowhere, Bart suddenly made a rather disgusted expression as he looked at Sir Reed. The words he said, along with his reaction were enough to cause an immediate response from the other members. From what she understood, Bart was mad at Sir Reed for some reason and the rest of the guild members was mad at Bart for what he said.

Ada had no idea of what an 'Ortusian' was or why Bart had such a reaction to that word, but she knew that Sir Reed was definitely a good person. Bart, while sometimes a bit hard to understand, didn't seem to be a bad person either, judging on how he seemed to be perfectly fine in letting her stay on the guild and eat. Trying to defuse the situation, Ada approached Sir Reed, standing on her tail as she smiled at him and gently patted his head, doing exactly the same to Bart.

---

Freyr

As Freyr listened to Haley's reply, he noticed that his question did sound a bit weird, almost as if he had some kind of prejudice or something.

"Oh no! I didn't mean like that. I trust Sir Reed. Even if he was from Varjo, he would be above any suspicion at this point. He is a part of the guild. Besides, if I did judge other people by where they came from instead by who they are, I wouldn't have left the Vieran Forests." Freyr said to Haley, trying to clear the misunderstanding.

"I just made this question due to the recent... political issues that we are dealing with, mainly with Varjo. Some of our actions might bring dangerous consequences not only to ourselves, but the entire guild. So in order to avoid that, it doesn't hurt to know which kingdoms we need to be careful with." he said, explaining himself.

While politics weren't exactly something Freyr was interested in, the story behind Ortus and the Order was still interesting, making him pay close attention as Sir Reed began talking about it. Surprisingly enough, Bart seemed to show quite a strange reaction after Sir Reed finished his explanation. His dislike towards Ortusians was clear in his tone of voice, even if the motives for such feelings weren't.

Seeing the situation quickly deterirate into a conflict, making even the innocent Ada, who probably didn't understand even half of what was being said act, Freyr gave a few steps forward after Nagare and Kira gave their replies.

"Please, let's calm down, everyone. We can all vouch for Sir Reed here. He spent enough time in the guild for us to know and trust him." Freyr started, moving so he was standing between Sir Reed and Bartholomew.

"I too, can't understand the reasons behind Bart's actions, but conflict is not the answer. We should all calm down, sit and talk before taking any action we might come to regret later." he finished as he tried to calm down not only Bartholomew, but the rest of the guild members as well.

@PaulHaynek @Rezod92 @Restalaan @13org @AzureKnight

As much as Vivian loved cooking, making two meals back to back was exhausting, so she appreciated Yang's help. The sister's also saw that Yang was tired, and quite possibly injured, and therefore didn't push too much kitchen work onto the tired monk. When they were finally done, Vivian followed Yang back to the dining hall, carrying the various dishes on her vines to lay on the table, only to notice that a tense situation had developed. being late to the argument, the sister's didn't know the full extent of what had been said and didn't want to butt in, but agreed with Yang's proposal that they at least eat first.

"Yes, I'm sure everyone's had a rough day. Let's settle down, have a meal, and discuss things in a civil manner," Vivian suggested.

Help, Wanted 2
~@AzureKnight (VRA)~

“Ian, if this was your idea of some sick, twisted joke, then you’re more depraved of a manic than I had thought! Why did you request aid to catch a robber, only for said robber to be yourself? Why did you try to kill me? Are you lunatic, or were you born with a defect?!”

Ian shrugged. "Mama always told me she dropped me all the time when I was a baby." He still concealed his reasons. "And come now, Vară. You're a monster, a Flame Demon! Did you really think that anything I did could hurt you? I mean, you got a mean halberd but no way could I hurt you with it! No matter how hard I thrusted or swung!"

"Are monsters... really that tough?" Neil allowed his curiosity.

"Pretty much." The Dhampir answered. "It takes a lot to hurt us monsters. And even more to actually threaten our lives." She then closed her eyes with her fingers on her chin, thinking hard about the situation. "Aha! I got it! Hahahaha! This Ian guy's super crazy!" She laughed at her realization.

"Hey, hey, why are you laughing? What's going on?" Neil demanded.

"No! Don't tell them or else they'll get in trouble!" Ian panicked, a first sight to behold. "I mean, I can handle that by myself but still!"

"Ian's right. If I told you two, you might get roped into it. Best if you just walk away with this victory." The Dhampir told Neil and Vară.

"And-and, if you go home right now, you'll get a big reward! Like, lots of gold that'll probably be important later!" Ian added, begging the Guild members to simply let the situation run its course.

---

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

“I’m not sure what’s going on here, but please stop this. Master Bart, if you’ve any doubt as to the integrity of Sir Reed, I’d be more than happy to vouch for him. It was thanks to his planning that our group returned home safely!”

"Not to mention, wasn't it you that held a vote on whether or not Reed was let into the Guild? It was unanimous and we greeted him with open arms after that. So what happened between now and then that lead you to believing that letting him in was something you regret now? Seriously, what the hell is your problem!? First Neil, now Reed! Dude, this is getting fucking ridiculous!"

"I too, can't understand the reasons behind Bart's actions, but conflict is not the answer. We should all calm down, sit and talk before taking any action we might come to regret later."

"Guildmaster Bart, if Sir Reed is to part from us, at the very least, can you tell your reason of dismissal of Ortusian?"

"Yes, I'm sure everyone's had a rough day. Let's settle down, have a meal, and discuss things in a civil manner,"

"...I see." Bart nodded, acknowledging that his view on the matter was soundly defeated rather unanimously. He made no attempt to answer any of the questions asked of him, swatting away Ada's hand, but simply turned to the knight Guild member with his arms stretched. "Well, Reed. Looks like you get to stay by popular vote. Lucky you, you have people on your back. Unlike me." Bart said no more as he walked back inside the Guild headquarters. Still, he left everyone's questions hanging.

Still, it was fortunate that the spat was resolved rather peacefully. Reed let out a long sigh and patted Ada on the shoulder before addressing the rest of the Guild. "Thanks everyone, for sticking for me." He expressed gratitude. "Except you, monk. You sounded ready to throw me out." Reed threw shade in Yang's direction but his tone was in jest.

"I don't know what came over him. Bart's not like this back then, at least I didn't think so." Haley aired her thoughts. "I think the stress' getting to him. Although, I have a feeling it's not just that."

"If the stress is truly wearing him down, perhaps we need to do something about it." Reed suggested. "Maybe someone should go talk to him. Someone he trusts, of course, but after this... tirade, I doubt he trusts any of us." He then let out another sigh. "Are the Liliraune sisters still cooking? I'm as hungry as a bear before winter."

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

Yang Bethlehem

Seeing how Guildmaster Bart acted, she only kept a low head and acknowledge his decision. "Good night and rest well."

Hearing Reed ribbing her gently on her comment, she only grin and cheekily replied. "Haha, a missed opportunity then. I was looking to defenestrate someone."

"I'll try to talk to Guildmaster Bart tomorrow," Yang said as she pats Haley shoulder with her hand to assure her. "For now, let him stew it out a bit."

"But yes! Come, sit and get ready to eat! All of you! The sisters are still cooking and I'll be glad to help!" Taking to the change of topic quickly when Reed asked for dinner, she ushered all of them into dining hall seats before going back into the kitchen to continue cooking and serving the food out.

Yang however did set aside a small portion of it enough for a single person, when the Altissima sister ask about it, Yang will reply. "That's for Guildmaster Bart, hopefully, he takes some of it."

Once done, Yang will serve the food to everyone. She herself was feeling a lot better as she had eaten just before the rest of the guild came back.

Then to finish it, she took Bart portion, went upstairs, headed towards his room and knocked gently.

"Guildmaster Bart, I have left some food outside your door." Yang said before placing it down. Whether he took it or not, Yang will leave it before heading back down to join everyone.

Sighing, Yang thought to herself that she's definitely not going to take on any more Varjo jobs if she can help it.