Chapter 81 - Day 81 & Night 81

After finally making our way through yet another one of the Hallways, we opened the door to be met with the illustrious Dollhouse. It's… It's strange. It feels as though I'm literally in an excessively larger version to a toy house. The furniture doesn't appear to be real. It's made of plastic pieces… And the windows have no glass. I can stick my hands out~ Strange. The overall color palette to the Dollhouse is light pastels, with a whole lot of pink… And more Dolls. Thankfully, this time… Elly is not resisting us. The Dolls are letting us walk directly through, as they nonchalantly act as though they're busy. Some of them are bent up near the sink, presumably doing dishes… Some are at a table, playing Cards… Some are sitting on a couch, as they watch a television that is very clearly not real. There are 10 images for the television, and they seem to be attached to a dial of sorts, as they switch every five seconds. It's supposed to be a cooking show, but it's genuinely just a slideshow of some girl bent up over a cutting board while sitting in a pool. It's one of THOSE cooking shows. I may or may not have taken a seat to watch for a split moment. Salad, huh? I'm learning tonight~

"So how long are we going to watch this putrid fake?" [Cetilla Vellisroi] begged the question as she bent over the top of the plastic couch.

"Are you talking about the girl, or the fact that it's not a true show?" [Nero] asked with a look of skepticism.

"Both." [Cetilla] replied bluntly with a snide look on her face.

"Fine~" [Nero] groaned as he took a stand.

"Oh… This is my favorite one~ Why didn't you tell me it was on?!" [Elly] asked with a face filled of either excitement, or insanity.

"It's… What?" [Nero] asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"She's kidding." [Cetilla] declared with a sigh as she took the arm of the Halloween Cat, and began to drag him away.

"...But I wasn't?" [Elly] mumbled under her breath as she tilted her head to the side.

And so, I have abandoned the television… And we are meow facing the door leading to our next Hallway… Leading to the Theatre. It's our ticket into the basement. We're almost there. It's only a matter of time… I'm the Master of Time. I know these things. We'll meet that damned Sphinx far before our deadline~ Always seek a professional opinion, like my own when it comes to situations like these. I was thinking of such things, until Hobgoblin Samurai Punk begged the question with a look of uncertainty…

"Nero…?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] let out with a shaken voice, interrupting the Halloween Cat who was attempting to open the door.

"...Yes?" [Nero] replied with a look of surprise, stopping in his acts as he turned to face the Hobgoblin… One hand still on the plastic doorknob.

"Is your Wailing Keep still active?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] nervously asked with a weakened voice.

"...Yes?" [Nero] repeated the answer after taking a quick look at his status.

"...Keep an eye on it." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] declared while blankly gazing at the doorknob.

"What's happening?" [Cetilla Vellisroi] chimed in with a serious look on her face as her crimson hair suddenly stopped flowing.

"I… I… I've… I'm... " [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] stuttered for several moments without being able to finish his statement.

"What?" [Nero] asked with a flat look on his face.

"T-T-The G-Goblin King!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] stammered out hysterically.

"...What?" [Nero] repeated the question with a look of confusion… Only to have the Hobgoblin curl into a ball on the floor as he began to uncontrollable hyperventilate.

"...Goddin Village Neith Sama has perished." [Cetilla Vellisroi] cleared the air with a look of surprise after several moments.

It was a warm night… I had just awoke, and peered out the doorway to a rather basic hut…

"...What?" [Nero] repeated the question as a tear began to fall from his eyes.

"It wasn't supposed to happen…" [Cetilla] muttered under her breath with an irritated expression.

The sun was setting beautifully, and a certain Goblin Shaman could be seen starting up a fire as he chewed on some stray prairie grass.

"...But it did?" [Nero] asked with a blank look on his face.

"There's no other way for Hobgoblin Samurai Punk to ascend to the state of Goblin King under these circumstances." [Cetilla] explained with a tired look on her face.

As he started the fire, one of his retainers was probably bickering to me about some smelly lab-coat…

"What do you mean?!" [Nero] stammered on as he finally began to sob.

"Hobgoblin Samurai Punk was deemed the third in line for the Goblin Throne. If he was automatically bestowed the title, then both Cloaked Monk and Goddin Village Neith Sama have fallen." [Cetilla Vellisroi, Dutchess of Doom] explained with a calculated expression.

As the other stood idly by, silently smirking along to every ridiculous topic that was brought up…

"They're both dead?!" [Nero] shot back with a hysterical expression as tears continued to fall from his cheeks.

And we sat there, by our fire… Eating freshly, albeit poorly roasted Fish of varying kinds.

"...Unfortunately." [Cetilla] sighed with a weak smile before she began to embrace the destroyed Witch of War.

It was simple, and most nights; we probably spent them thinking about different ways to haggle a particular Goblin Hooch Distillery.

"...If those two died…" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] muttered under his breath.

And I… I loved every moment of it...

"It's not safe for any of the others." [Molag Dregora] chimed in with a deep and monstrous voice.

I loved it so much, that I decided to take it upon myself… To help others to enjoy life in that damned Goblin Village, just as much as I did.

"What about Wilson?!" [White Beef Lady] snarled with a look of desperation.

I tried to help them find love...

"What about the children?!" [Wendel] begged the real question, as she finally stopped singing opera. To which, Nero lost himself even further.

I tried to help them find safety...

"Silence!" [Cetilla] shot back at the Clansmen as she continued to embrace the fallen Nero.

"...But Cetilla… Rei and Milton are there as well…" [Penny] let out with a sincere expression.

I tried to help them live alongside each-other… Forever.

"...We've all got someone who we care for there… What's important now, is what we do with the information that we've gained." [Dutchess of Doom] declared with a solemn, yet determined expression.

I… I care for them all.

"...What can we do?" [Nero] begged the question after taking a long breath and finally regaining his composure.

"We have three choices." [Cetilla] replied as she took a stand, helping the Halloween Cat to his feet.

"This ought to be good..." [Christina] declared with a twisted expression.

"I love it when she takes control like this." [Conrad] agreed while acting as though he were whispering to the Corocdae… But he was far too outspoken to have hidden his reaction from anyone present.

"We can continue on our way, and attempt at facing the Sphinx… To save all of the Halloween Clansmen of this Mansion… Or as many as we can. If we slay the Sphinx early, we can even go and check up on the Wailing Keep early." [Cetilla] began to explain with a grin before being brutally interrupted.

We'll probably die.

"Sounds like a good time." [Conrad] chimed in.

"We can also choose to return to the Foyer, and wait it out for our chance at escape. This is the safest route, but it doesn't help us as much should we actually get out of here." [Cetilla] continued to explain with a sigh, before being interrupted yet again.

They'll probably die.

"What's the third option?" [Nero] asked with a restless expression.

"We can stay. In here, we're completely safe from outside forces… All we need to worry about is the Dungeon itself, which we are doing completely fine with already. We can use this time, to increase our strength for when we actually do choose to reveal ourselves. We don't know what's waiting for us outside. No one expects us to survive this encounter. No one will be waiting at the Mansion exits if we wait even just one extra week." [Cetilla Vellisroi] finally finished with her explanation, to which… A particular Beartru began to groan once more.

They'll definitely die.

"...How long have we even been in here?" [Nero] asked with a blank expression.

"Don't pay attention to the bells?" [Cetilla] asked with a smirk before continuing…

"This is our third day in the Mummy Mansion. It's not yet midnight, so we haven't actually even been here for three whole nights." [Cetilla] explained with a serious expression.

...Three nights? It feels as though this adventure will never end… We need to wait more than twice as long as we've been here, before we can even leave. I've been here far too long… We don't have time for this, at all. No… WE have time. The Lost Kingdom does not. Well… If Goddin has perished, then the residents are probably fleeing from the Wailing Keep… Or currently still holding their final stand. It's going to be up to the Tier 11 Cheetahkin Martial Artist, and the Tier 9 Goatman Shieldbreaker. No one else there is even above a Tier 7… Except for Rita. She's a Tier 8 Rifaleesi. Her prime objective will be to save the children alongside Rustle and Mary. I can't expect that she would fail, given her strength, I wholeheartedly believe that Rustle and Mary's combined intelligence can ensure that they survive… But it does not change the fact, that a vast majority of the Monster Knights will likely perish. Should I… Just… Have faith? Blind faith? It's never been my strong-suit, but considering that there's absolutely nothing I can currently do… I might as well try?

"...Cetilla?" [Nero] muttered with a weak voice…

"Make a decision?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a look of surprise.

"...I think so." [Nero] declared as he nodded.

"Should I ask the Clansmen?" [Cetilla] asked with a slight smirk as she raised an eyebrow.

"...What if we tried to learn?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"...Learn what?" [Cetilla] replied with a genuine look of confusion.

"...Everything?" [Nero] replied with a tilted head.

"I think I like where this is going…" [Leoric Eldinheim] chimed in with a smile.

"Everything?" [Cetilla] asked with a visibly piqued interest.

"Everything..." [Nero] sighed.

"We're… Going to see Melissa?" [Cetilla] groaned.

"We're going to see Melissa." [Nero] declared.

"I've literally been here this entire time!" [Melissa Paislie, La Ciguapa Professor] exclaimed with an exasperated look on her face. To which, shining red light emit from her mouth… Tracing along through the sky, until it met the Halloween Cat and Sorceress… Moments later, light bulbs above their heads exploded.

"Don't intrude on our moment." [Cetilla] shot back with a playful look in her eyes. To which, La Ciguapa only sighed.

"So, let's return to the Library." [Nero] beckoned after removing his aviators.

"What about the Sphinx?!" [Melissa Paislie] retorted with a look of surprise in her eyes.

"What Sphinx?" [Betty] shot back with a shrug.

"I certainly have no idea what she was talking about~ We probably need more knowledge to fully comprehend the situation." [Luna Pratz] exclaimed with a nonchalant attitude.

"So you've forsaken us?" [Mike] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.

"After slaying a vast majority of our friends?" [Ike] chimed in while furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's not my problem if you decide to order your friends to their deaths by unleashing them upon us." [Nero] shot back while raising both of his eyebrows.

"But I helped you get this far, risking my life…" [Melissa Paislie] exclaimed with an irritated expression.

"Then leave this place with us." [Nero] slammed back, equally angered.

"I can't… I can't leave with the Clock's Curse." [Melissa] confessed with a dejected expression.

"Then help us even further." [Cetilla] replied with a casual expression.

"...How?!" [Melissa] retorted.

"Find the others. Every single creature of Halloween stricken by the Clock's Curse. Gather them. Gather their followers. Bring them together, and lead them to the Furnace Room. We'll wait for you there, until the next night at midnight. If you fail to reach us by midnight, we will turn back in attempts at retreat." [Nero] beckoned.

"...Every single creature?!" [Elly] asked with eyes wide.

"If you can convince everyone to fight alongside us in the battle against the Sphinx, then we will face the Sphinx. If not, we are leaving." [Nero] declared with a look of certainty.

"You're supposed to protect us!" [Melissa] slammed back hysterically. To which, shining red light emit from her mouth… Tracing along through the sky, until it met the Halloween Cat… Moments later, a light bulb above his head exploded.

"And I will… But I will not do it without your help. I can't save someone too afraid to fight." [Nero, the True Allwe Halloween Cat] exclaimed.

"The Poacher would immediately learn of our plot if everyone suddenly disappeared from their wings…" [Melissa] muttered with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Then face him if you must." [Cetilla] shot back mercilessly.

"We would die!" [Melissa] retorted frantically. To which, shining red light emit from her mouth… Tracing along through the sky, until it met the Halloween Cat and Sorceress once more... Moments later, a light bulb above each of their heads exploded.

"Then die a noble death." [Cetilla Vellisroi, the Dutchess of Doom] declared solemnly, still ignoring the damage inflicted by the Story Teller.

"If you succeed in convincing enough of the others to join your cause before you encounter the Poacher, your chances of survival will increase." [Leoric Eldinheim] exclaimed with a compassionate expression as he pat the back of La Ciguapa.

"You can use the Poacher's Key to catch up to us quickly, or you can use the Engineer's… But you're probably going to face the Poacher either way." [Nero] explained with a look of indifference as he ate a few pieces of Candy.

"We're going to face the Poacher?" [Ike] asked with a fearful expression.

"He's what nightmares are made of…" [Mike] muttered.

"You'll be fine. Probably." [Wendel] declared as she pat Mike's head.

"What if we encounter the Poacher before we even find a single other individual?!" [Melissa] begged the question hysterically.

"Bring the Dolls?" [Cetilla] sighed.

"And then, as the Dolls buy you time… Run." [Nero] explained with a smile.

"Even though you promise us your help… You still seem to be forsaking us." [Melissa] groaned as she finally came to terms with the idea.

"Our Master is increasingly busy." [Benji] exclaimed with a proud look in his eyes.

"He's stuck in a Mansion which he does not even own." [Elly] shot back with a tired look in her eyes.

"And he's recently been informed that he is desperately needed elsewhere." [White Beef Lady] sighed.

"He's desperately needed here." [Melissa Paislie] slammed back.

"How so? You have all been being slowly attacked by this Clock for decades… Without even raising a finger to stop it. You'll survive another week or two, at least. Our friends outside of this place, are not the same. They are dying this very moment… Desperately fighting in attempts at saving each-other, knowing full well that we are out of their reach. How can you possibly have the gull to beg of us to help you, if you won't even help yourselves?!" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question as he finally took a stand and regained his composure. To which, utter silence engulfed the room for several moments before La Ciguapa finally responded...

"...I apologize. It seems that I have forgotten my place." [Melissa Paislie] said with a dejected expression.

"Will you stand, then?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"...I will." [Melissa] declared with a solemn expression.

"Good choice." [Cetilla] replied with a smile.

"So, Elly… We're going to need your Key." [Nero] exclaimed with a smile.

"But then how will we go and find the others?" [Mike] begged the question.

"Cetilla… Take it away." [Nero] beckoned as he pointed to the windows lacking glass. To which, the Sorceress began to laugh before she explained...

"So… You will all enter the Eastern Courtyard, and will continue on to relentlessly knock on both the Grandmother and the Chef's windows. If the Grandmother answers first, you will get a chance to try and convince both her and the Mother… If the Chef answers first, you will get a chance to try and convince him, before you venture upstairs to visit the Mother and Grandmother. Either way, the Mother and Grandmother will be some of your first encounters. You can hopefully use them to command the Banshees, but more importantly; the Ballroom… Granting you access to the Marionettes, and a clear view at the western wing of the Mansion. The next step, should probably be the Father, Butler, and Jackal Scarecrows. If you get to the Butler, you can use his room to go downstairs, leading you to the Grandfather, and the Slimes. You can even use the Hallway connecting the Slime Pool to go and command all of your Books before rallying the Arachnae of the Western Courtyard. Take that route, enter through the Pharoahdin's Quarters… Leading you back to the Pharoahdin's Hall… Bestowing you with a route into the Basement. Continue on through the Mummy Halls toward the Mummy Quarters… If you desire, you can try your luck with the Cerberus… Or you can continue on to try convincing the Great Grandfather… The Janitor, and finally… The Engineer. You'll miss out on the Scientist, Maids, or the Lifeguard… So it won't be possible to have every single individual help… But it's still quite a fair number of Clansmen." [Cetilla] explained with a calculating expression as she recalled all of her previous encounters with this Mansion.

"...Actually, if we follow your path… We might be able to get the Maids and Lifeguard as well. The Father has a not-so secret passageway leading to the Maid's Quarters." [Melissa Paislie] declared while visibly thinking.

"We, and the inhabitants of this Mansion are counting on you." [Nero] exclaimed with a serious expression as he handed the Pharoahdin's Key to the Professor.

"You'd better be there if we succeed..." [Elly] shot back while handing her own Key to the Halloween Cat.

"Be on time, and you have nothing to fear in regards to our presence." [Nero] retorted with a grin.

"We'll certainly be there~" [Cetilla] chimed in with a smile.

"Very well. Come, children… There's no time to waste." [Melissa Paislie] declared as she began to lead the Triplets through the open windows of the Dollhouse. To which, all of the Dolls present began to follow Elly… One by one, leaping through the window rather dramatically.

"You ready?" [Nero] turned to face the Cat Crew after watching the ensemble of Dolls vacate the premises.

"If we save them… Will they help us save our friends?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question with a look of uncertainty.

"We can only hope..." [Nero] sighed as he placed the aviators back on his face.

"I'm optimistic." [Dutchess of Doom] exclaimed while twirling a strand of her hair.

"If only we could rely on Budget Shark's wisdom in these troubling times~" [Molag Dregora] groaned.

"Definitely." [Nero] replied as he finally opened the door, to reveal yet another painfully long Hallway filled with Mummies.

To which, a particular (Hob)Goblin King bravely stepped forth madly swinging his Hallowed Hammer… Mercilessly massacring dozens of Mummies before us. He's probably working through some things… I feel him. Without that overly dramatic Goblin King of ours… The Lost Kingdom will never be the same. I can only imagine the added pain, when his closest of all friends… And Master, who he was sworn to protect… Both perished without him being there to help them. He wanted to become the next Goblin King, deep down… Regardless of whether or not he was against the idea after seeing Goddin's reaction to his Evolution… I mean, even I wanted him to be the next Goblin King. How could he possibly just give up on his goals simply because of one or two conversations?! I can't believe it. He definitely still wanted to be the Goblin King... But this was most certainly not the way that he hoped to take his Master's place.

I can't help but feel at fault for this situation. I convinced Samurai Punk to gain power elsewhere… So that he could protect his home. I've failed. We spent too much time gaining power elsewhere to keep our family safe. Am I destined to make poor decisions? First Milton, then Rei… Now, Mobbin Village Keef Sama… And Twisted Jester. All dead. Who knows?! They could ALL have died… What if we leave here, and we never encounter a single individual who had once roamed my Keep? Ever... It's a sobering thought. I've royally messed up, this time. I don't know if I can live with myself if the children perish. Above all else, I feel that if the children died… From this scenario... That's it. I'd be done. Nothing could possibly solve that… It would break me. Absolutely, broken. I love Goddin, but if the children died… No. I can't deal with that. I can't. I can't take care of children. I have a horrible track record. If they survive, I think I may very well need to find them a different place to live. I can't be held accountable for all these people. I can only take care of Halloween. These other races should probably just steer clear of me. I'm not the Hero, I'm the fuck up. The Lionkin King said it, and it's true. I'm a failure. I'm not the Hero that this continent needs. I should never have taken this deal, regardless of the prize attached. Greed doesn't suit me... It ruins me.

I… I need to close ranks. I can't go around recklessly inviting individuals to join me in my crusade any longer. If I can't genuinely promise that I will be there, every single time that things get rough… I can't be leading them. I'm not the one. Even if I were there… Would we have survived? Would the result have even changed? I don't know… Was it Reygid who did this? Was it Vanheim? The Lizardmen? I have too many enemies to even know… It could have even just been Orpia, coming around to sweep up the Lost Kingdom once more. Or perhaps, it was Lily; coming back to mess with me… And enraged due to my constant absence? I'll be several days late to arrive, there's no telling if I'll ever even learn of who attacked the Wailing Keep… The Goblin King died awhile ago, and my gates were up… So hopefully, the others escaped through them…? Or perhaps, the enemies arrived through them… Which would mean that Orpia could very well be the cause. Oh my… Did my attempts at feeding the Residents end up being their downfall? Oh god... Regaining my composure… We've been slowly traveling through this Hallway for quite awhile. Cetilla's been handling each door, while Samurai Punk handles the Mummies. My Clansmen seem to be carrying Budget Shark, my Candy, and Ivand… While they perform some overly sad songs. It's one of those days, I guess.

Due to my gates having potentially been their downfall, I decided to close the one leading to Orpia. After doing so, I was able to confirm… That I can't conjure them within the Mummy Mansion. I was able to cancel it… But conjuring is another story. I can't decide whether or not to cancel the one leading to the Waterfall… I can't help but shudder just by thinking about it. What if I cancel it, only to lock the residents inside of the Keep?! Checking my status… The Wailing Keep still stands… No one has ventured into my Treasure Room, and taken it upon themselves to destroy the Hallowed Orb replica… Otherwise known, as the Wailing Keep's heart. Wait a second! Is the Wailing Keep defending itself?! Finally?! Checking over my status… It's true. My MP… It's at eighty percent. I need to eat Candy, to give the Wailing Keep more power. I can still help… Thinking such things, I ravenously began to devour my Candy, bestowing all hope into the Wailing Keep Sama.

"...Nero?" [Cetilla] begged the question with eyes wide after realizing the Candy Mongerer hard at work, regardless of his Clansmen not doing a single thing to help the battle.

"He's eating." [Betty] explained bluntly.

"I can see that?!" [Cetilla] shot back exasperatedly.

"The Wailing Keep still stands..." [Molag Dregora] declared with a monstrous voice.

"...Oh?" [Cetilla] let out, with a surprised expression filled with hope as she finally understood what was happening.

Watching my status as I continued to hysterically empty bucket after bucket… I watched as the Wailing Keep continued to summon more and more Clansmen in attempts at protecting itself. It's working… I'm gaining levels, and the Wailing Keep is ruthlessly consuming more MP. Hopefully, this will help earn the residents more time. I can't see the genuine roster of the Clansmen that the Wailing Keep manifests… But I know that it's working. That's all that matters. I don't care if this doesn't actually save the Wailing Keep, it just needs to be enough to buy more time. That's all I need. Please… Don't fail me, Wailing Keep Sama. I believe in you. It's all on you… I continued on to devour Candy, as Cetilla and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk bravely faced their own battle for at least an hour or two before we finally reached the end of the Hallway. The Wailing Keep has not stopped in its thirst for Candy. I can't even eat fast enough, to deal with its reckless use of MP. I can't help but wonder how many Clansmen it has even conjured… Or the types, for that matter. I can only imagine~

A flock of Crows, roaming the skies surrounding the Wailing Keep... As the Pumpkins which originally adorned its walls roam the fields, bombarding any enemies they encounter… Numerous Haunted pieces of Furniture hectically wage war in the Foyer, and hundreds of Haunted Armor Knights guard the Throne Room. It's probably something like that, if you ask me~ While I continued to devour Candy, we entered the Theatre. It's old fashioned, with probably somewhere around 50 to 100 seats lined in rows leading to the stage covered with a red curtain. If I look up, there's a Balcony… But it lacks seats. It's essentially just a Hallway. There should be a staircase leading to the basement from this room… But it's probably behind the stage. Nyah~

As we walked down the aisle separating the seats… We found that this area seemed empty. No monsters around~ That was, until the curtains were pulled before us to reveal five Mimes. They didn't say a word, obviously… But they were performing. They were genuinely putting on a show for us… I was continuing to consume Candy as we took a seat and watched. It was probably a strange image… To see the Bandsmen, and the Cat Crew sitting in a dusty old Theatre… Watching a silent show… But it happened. The Mimes all had white long sleeved shirts, and black overalls. They had black berets, white makeup to cover their faces… And black makeup to cover their eyes and mouth. Let's not forget, that each of them held a different colored handkerchief hanging out of their back left pocket. It was the most unique thing about them. Otherwise, without that one flare… Each of these Mimes would probably look the exact same. It's like that. Cetilla and Hobgoblin Samurai both tried to convince me towards sharing my Candy… But they clearly do not know me very well. At all. I'm the Candy Mongerer, guys. I don't just SHARE my Candy. No! Not meow, not nyever!

We probably watched their performance for far too long, but we had time to spare. We totally gave Melissa and the Triplets what we here in the industry like to call… An impossible task… While also giving ourselves something far more simple. We had the Hallway to deal with, and then we had the Theatre, Mime's Circus, another Hallway… And finally, the Furnace Room. We literally just need to go through two Hallways, and we've already covered one of them. We have more than 24 hours to deal with this situation… Meanwhile, we literally beckoned of the others to venture through a vast majority of the entire Mansion. Given, they don't need to deal with monsters in the Hallways… But I still find our task to be easier. It couldn't be helped. It's more difficult for us to traverse this Mansion. If we tried to join them… Then the plan would have suddenly required several nights. The goal is to get the hell out of this Mansion as soon as possible. Preferably, before the seven nights are even over. The only way to do so, is to slay the Sphinx and destroy the Clock's alleged heart. High level artifacts of Halloween like Wailing Keeps, they come with hearts. I'm willing to bet that not only the Mansion itself… But the Clock also has a heart. The Hallowed Gates also have a heart, of sorts. It's me. I'm the heart. Even if the Clock does not have a genuine heart… I bet that slaying the Sphinx will still count. Nyahaha~

I was thinking such things, until the bells rang. It's midnight. The Wailing Keep is still going… But it's time to go, everyone~ Thank you… This has been a specTACULAR performance… But we must be going~ Oh? They… They aren't just Mimes? They seemed excessively overprotective when dealing with their stage. We aren't allowed to go beyond the curtains, but you see… That just won't fly. We NEED to get down those stairs. There's no point actually talking to them, because I already know that they won't respond. Playing things their way, I decided to try and take up mimery myself. Yep~ I'm trying to convey the fact that I'm cold… As if I need to visit the Furnace Room, to heat up. Cetilla seems to have caught on to my act, and has began to act as though she's desperately thirsty for some Punch from the Great Grandfather's domain… It's honestly quite convincing. Her Wind magic instantly made her lips begin to crack… But genuinely… We're not really miming. We're acting. Cetilla's basically just posing to look as though she's a damsel in distress… And I'm simply shaking a whole lot. Turning to see Hobgoblin Samurai Punk… He's simply sitting by and watching as he eats some of my Candy… Oi! How are you just going to wait until I'm away to begin eating my Candy?!

After around fifteen minutes of trying to mime or way through… We were fed up and decided to slaughter the Mimes. No offense, Mimes… You're in our way. It's that simple. If this were the interstate, we'd be a large toe truck… While these Mimes are mere Squirrels unlucky enough to have relied on their horrible depth perception. We tried to do things peacefully, but it did not work. They're stubborn. We weren't good enough as Mimes to convince them, and Cetilla did not appreciate the need to have dried lips for such a long period of time. She was groaning something about taking lip damage before she mercilessly began conjuring a Tornado in the midst of the stage. It was intense, not to mention unexpected... But I wound up being capable of leaping away from the stage in the brink of time. Right before things turned ugly~

I say that… But the Mimes were surprisingly capable of escaping her wrath as well. They began to silently leap around the room… They're pretty fast, but it's strange. They're always jumping… Leaping around, but it's almost as if they're flying… Where one might expect them to land, they do not. I don't really understand their goal… So I decided to allow Conrad and Leoric a chance with them. Conrad seemed like a smart choice for the task, especially when it became obvious that he was capable of catching up to them. While they were off having their air battle, the other Clansmen and myself were busy carrying Candy, a particular statue, and a masked Beartru. Cetilla ceased to cast her tornado… And we're on the same page. While Conrad and Leoric keep the Mimes occupied, we'll slip by and get into the Basement. Reaching the backstage, we were met with a lot of props… And stage equipment. Toward the far end of the backstage, was a large steel door painted black. Beautiful. Trying to push it open, I found that the door was locked… Seriously? Really?! We NEED to slay the Mimes?! I wonder which one has the Key…

There are yellow, red, orange, purple, and grey handkerchiefs adorning the back pockets to each of the Mimes. One of these guys has the Key. Thinking back to the performance… The red and grey Mimes seemed to be the stars of the show. They had all of the best gag lines, so let's go with that? Leoric… Conrad… Focus your efforts on those two. Peeking out through the curtains alongside Cetilla, Hobgoblin Samurai Punk, Penny, and Robert… We began to watch as the battle played out. I say that… But eventually, Christina took it upon herself to rip the curtains wide open in some mad attempt at gaining a vantage point… Revealing us all in precarious positions. I was laying on the ground to get the lower view, Cetilla was on all fours atop of my back, and Hobgoblin Samurai Punk was standing with his legs spread on each side of my waist. Penny was on one of my shoulders, while Robert was on the other. It's like that. We look ridiculous, and it's ALL thanks to Christina's impatience. I blame her.

Before we had a chance to get ourselves into more natural positions, the other Mimes noticed us invading their stage, and quickly descended ahead of us… Wonderful. All three of them raised one leg in tandem… Directly up to their own heads… Which sent three Wind attacks to brutally cut into our unprepared selves. Robert? Instantaneously dead. Penny? Flew away masterfully. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk? Raised a Hallowed Hammer to block one of the Wind attacks… Cetilla? Sat there on my back while looking pretty and smelling tasty as her hair continued to spontaneously flow all over the place, carried by her illustrious Pumpkin Spice Wind. Me? I sprang to my feet like a champion, utterly whipping Cetilla across the room and sending her into a wall… I also happened to slam my head into the (Hob)Goblin King's family jewels… The result? One particularly pained Hobgoblin, still standing rigid and tall… Still holding his Hallowed Hammer… Also, one particularly pained Halloween Cat rubbing the top of his head… While actually still on all fours due to the impact.

"...Samurai Punk?" [Nero] groaned while trying to get back up to his feet much slower the second time around.

"...Yeah?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] let out, as if extremely winded.

"I could swear that I felt metal when I hit my head…" [Nero] nervously declared while slowly raising his head to meet the Hobgoblin's face from beneath him.

"...It's an ability called [Body Hardening]" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] groaned while blushing as he glanced down at the Halloween Cat all of way too close to his crotch.

"...[Body Hardening]?" [Nero] echoed the Hobgoblin's statement with an exasperated groan.

"[Body Hardening]..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] clarified while still visibly pained.

"...Are you okay?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"It dealt 1320 damage… And I'm about to fall over." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] confessed with an embarrassed look on his face.

"...I feel you." [Nero] sighed as he finally finished getting to his feet.

"...Excuse me?!" [Cetilla] screamed frantically to grab the attention of the two Cat Crewmen… To show that she and many Clansmen had taken it upon herself to continue the fight after having been slammed into a wall herself.

"...Are you okay?" [Nero] asked with eyes wide.

"Thanks..." [Cetilla] replied with a flat look on her face before leaping forth to a nearby Mime and slamming it down with a [Wind Punch].

"Sorry~" [Nero] sighed with an embarrassed look on his face before calling out…

"[War Meow]!~" [Nero] screamed with a monstrously loud voice.

And so, the battle continued. While Samurai Punk and I were having our moment, it would appear that one of the Mimes perished. It was the yellow handkerchief Mime. Checking my status… The Wailing Keep could probably use more MP. I'll start healing myself immediately. Taking a seat near the Candy, I turned around to watch the battle as I continued in my quest for defending the Wailing Keep from afar. It took a few moments before I was able to recoup the expenses from the [War Meow] and the Hobgoblin's [Hardened Body]... But I managed. The battle with the Mimes seemed intense. They just keep kicking all over the place, and many of their kicks unleash slices of Wind… Which is actually a ranged attack, albeit is much more powerful at a closer range. If they aren't kicking… They're leaping. There is no in-between. Their method of combat is simple, but effective. Thankfully, we have Cetilla. She's a Wind junky, okay?! Try and out-Wind the damned Dutchess of Doom. Just try... I dare you, Mimes! Oh~ Benji totally just latched on to one of the Mimes. It was the orange handkerchief Mime.

The Mimes are too quick for the Scarecrows to land any attacks. White Beef Lady and Christina are having the same issue. Actually... I think everyone is having this issue, except Conrad and Leoric… Who have meow masterfully eliminated the red and grey handkerchief Mimes… To reveal that the one holding the grey handkerchief was the Keyholder. Wonderful. Scarecrows~ Procure my belongings. It is time to try our stealth escape once more. To the basement! I was thinking such things as I continued to devour Candy from one of my sacs. We're beginning to run low. No, we're beyond that point meow… It appears that we only have around a quarter of our original Candy supply. Not good. At this point, we desperately need the Candy Man's Bakery. If we don't get to it… We might not ever escape this place, let alone slay the damned Sphinx. After opening the door… We were met with a rather grungy staircase leading down. Slamming the door behind us, we were able to ditch the two surviving Mimes. It's strange, but the ones who lived both had the orange and purple handkerchiefs. It was meant to be, or something. Turning to face the stairwell once more… It genuinely DOES feel like I'm in the backstage of a Theatre… Or… Maybe a Nightclub? It's more similar to the Nightclub aesthetic, if you ask me. I feel like Theatres are more well kept than this. There are huge areas where the paint on the walls are chipping, and the light in the stairway keeps flickering. Not to mention, it's tinted green. Due to the lighting, I'm not entirely sure what the natural colors are for this room. The flooring isn't creaking, unlike the vast majority of this Mansion… It's not made of wood, but it's still seriously dilapidated. I love this Mansion. Real stand up place to spend my time. The reception is amazing, the space is fantastic, and it's leagues ahead of the Wailing Keep Sama in terms of providing adequate entertainment for its inhabitants.

The stairwell… For absolutely no clear reason at all… It was long. It was TOO long. We probably spent hours going down it, and I was both baffled as well as irritated by the time that we had reached the basement. The most painful part about it, is that the Wailing Keep Sama continued to request more Candy the entire time… And I bit my tongue several times while trying to devour Candy as we went down the stairs. I'm not using my Broom these nights, as I have no real way of regenerating my MP within this locale. It's problematic, to say the least. My tongue is bleeding, and each bite actually set me back around 10 more pieces of Candy… Some of which stung my wounded tongue. Not fun. Also… My own Blood does not seem to support me. I don't gain MP. It's just… Blood. As we were approaching the end, we began to hear circus music. It sounded like a Piano… Bagpipe… Xylophone… And Tambourine. Yep. My final vote has been cast. Slamming open the door, bright lights of varying colors blinded our line of sight… It took a moment for my eyes to adjust.

Taking my first steps in, this place seems lively. It's a somewhat large room… Probably the same size as the Theatre. There's a large circular stage in the middle of it, and there are numerous performers of varying kinds on it. There's also a small location for a Band, and it seems that I was correct. Although, there is also a Microphone stand… And a Drumset, though they just aren't in use at the moment. There are numerous lights on the ceiling, raining down varying colors all over the place. Some of them follow performers, while others seem to dance around with no particular aim. It's beautiful. There's a popcorn machine, a soda machine, a dude serving sausages on buns… There's also a guy serving frozen slushies... Oh my… There's Cotton Candy~ I'm… In love~ There are numerous creatures seeming to be enjoying the show… Zombies, Dolls, Jack in the Boxes, Mummies, Mummydogs, Arachnae, Banshees… You name it, if it's a monster commonly seen within this Mansion… It's here, enjoying the show… Or performing for it. It seems that the more talented of individuals residing in the Mansion enjoy showing off at the Circus. I can't help but wonder if they ever also perform near the Great Grandfather? They might go there if it were a different time of night? Oh well~ It doesn't appear as though any of the monsters here will actually try and stop us. They're all just… Enjoying themselves. This is refreshing.

And so, we all joined in on the party as we relished in the delights of all the wondrous aspects that are… This particular Circus. I was devouring Cotton Candy, which actually did manage to recover some MP… Although, it seemed to be helping at a very slow rate. Regular Candy probably works better, but beggars shan't be choosers. It's like that. Wailing Keep Sama certainly does not seem to desire letting up any time soon, so perhaps… There's hope that many of the Monster Knights are still alive and well? I should inform the others of my theories, while we meet up near a picnic table to dine. Cetilla chose a frozen slushy paired with popcorn. Hobgoblin Samurai Punk chose a soda paired with sausages and Cotton Candy. I decided to get a soda, and obviously… More Cotton Candy. Many of my Clansmen also chose to partake in the event, trying various items… The Scarecrows, Conrad, White Beef Lady, the Crows, Leoric Eldinheim, and Penny all seemed to prefer Cotton Candy with soda. The others all went with frozen slushies, and sausages or popcorn. We're all spread out across several picnic tables in a relatively close area. It's somewhat away from the performance, because the other better tables were all full.

"So, the time we're supposed to meet up with the others in the Furnace Room is going to be tomorrow at midnight… Cotton Candy seems to be working wonders for me, which is helpful… Considering that the war at the Wailing Keep is still being waged. I believe we should stay here as long as possible before going to meet with the others." [Nero] announced to the motley of creatures.

"...It's still going?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] begged the question with eyes wide.

"Indeed~" [Cetilla] replied with a grin.

"Tonight… A particular Wailing Keep Wonder was likely revealed to several of the residents inhabiting it. I don't know how many residents needed to die, before it happened… Or if any survived whatsoever… But I have hope." [Nero] declared with a solemn expression.

"...Wonder?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked with a look of uncertainty.

"If the Wailing Keep is under attack… It has the ability to defend itself." [Nero] replied bluntly with a smile.

"Without you?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked while furrowing his eyebrows… To which, Cetilla was ravenously eating popcorn with a captivated expression.

"Without me. You may be unaware… But constantly, the Wailing Keep has been locking away a portion of my MP… For as long as it has been within the Lost Kingdom. If the Keep deems that it is under attack, it conjure its own Halloween Clansmen using that portion of my MP. If I continuously devour Candy, as I have been doing… It continues to conjure more and more Halloween Clansmen to protect itself." [Nero] explained with a grin before beginning to eat his Cotton Candy once more.

"But… I didn't hear about this happening when the Orcs invaded?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked while still seeming skeptical.

"...I believe that the effect only takes place should someone try to attack the outside of it… Or should someone try to enter it with the intent to destroy it. I'm not entirely certain about the ability myself, as I have never witnessed it with my own eyes… So yeah, I don't know how many of the residents needed to perish before the Wailing Keep deemed that it was threatened." [Nero] replied with a casual tone of indifference before continuing to devour his Cotton Candy yet again.

"The Wailing Keep is your ability… But it has a mind of its own?" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] asked while one of his eyes twitched.

"He believes so~" [Betty] chimed in after floating through the bottom of the table.

"None of his abilities are natural…" [Cetilla] sighed as she continued to devour popcorn.

"I suppose you're right~" [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] agreed with a smile and a look of relief before continuing...

"Nero wanted to tell you… He believes that Goddin Village Neith Sama and Cloaked Monk's deaths may have been a warning and that you should think about it deeply… Their deaths, were the only potential way to inform us of an incoming war…" [Betty] exclaimed with a serious expression while her head was still sticking out of the middle of the table, facing the new (Hob)Goblin King.

"...They may have chosen an early death, as a means of giving us a warning. The vast majority of the other residents may very well be safe behind the army of Clansmen being conjured by the Wailing Keep." [Cetilla] muttered with eyes wide.

"...Would he really do it? Would he sacrifice himself in attempts at saving the Monster Knights?" [Betty] asked with a tired expression before floating away to rejoin the other Clansmen without having awaited an answer.

"...I think so..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] replied while still glaring where the Banshee had once been before he began to mourn once more… Bursting into tears and letting his head fall into his arms.

"It would be a noble sacrifice…" [Cetilla] said with look of sorrow.

"The thing is… If you did not tell me of Goddin's death… I never would have been watching my status as much as I am right now... I wouldn't have known to be supporting the Wailing Keep in its battle... That's the only reason why I believe it may be this way... It's hilariously optimistic... I might be ridiculously far from the truth, but it's something that I want to pray for. I closed the Hallowed Gate leading into Orpia, so the only one remaining is that of the Delhn Lake waterfall. I'm hoping that the residents were able to escape through it… And potentially toward the Chasms..." [Nero] explained while still eating Cotton Candy, but also patting the Hobgoblin's back.

"...It's a long shot, but we have scouts now, during the day at the very least… It's not impossible that they didn't receive advanced warning of the incoming attack. If Nero were still there, we'd have scouts at night as well… But we might still have a few." [Cetilla] remarked while visibly thinking.

"I'll try to stay hopeful..." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] let out after slowly calming down.

"Hey… Why not try to take your mind off of things for a bit, and watch the show?" [Nero] offered while gesturing toward the Circus.

"...Okay." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] accepted the offer before taking a deep breath and wiping away his tears.

"I'll come~" [Cetilla] chimed in with a smile.

"Thanks." [Hobgoblin Samurai Punk] said before turning to join Cetilla in her quest to see everything this world has to offer.

Me? I'm just going to go and grab some more Cotton Candy, real quick. Clansmen~ Guard my belongings with your life. Paper Bag Beartru and Stoned Land Shark included. Don't forget the real Candy. That stuff matters. Seriously though… This battle at the Wailing Keep is probably absolute chaos. I can't even imagine how much MP I have fed to Wailing Keep Sama at this point. This is absolute insanity levels of Candy that we're talking about over here. This one battle… Has single-handed… Probably has been just about twice as demanding as our entire quest in the Mansion up to this point. This one battle at the Wailing Keep is turning out to be more expensive than any other battle that I have ever waged. Wild. It's either that the Wailing Keep is horribly inefficient, or the battle is absolute hell. I can't decide. I'm at a moral impasse. If the Wailing Keep continues to demand more MP of me… It means that there is still a threat. Correct? Wailing Keep Sama wouldn't just try and steeze me out… Claiming that the threat still exists even though he's already seen to every enemy's elimination… Right?! What's the deal here, Wailing Keep Sama?! This is why I absolutely hate having abilities that do not adequately explain themselves to me. They throw down a bunch of meaningless jargon, and claim that they've been explained… But really, these abilities are constantly hiding things from me. Most of them never want to show me any real, cold hard… Numbers, while others decide to have weird secrets like… For example… Secret Mirror passageways, or you know… Freaking Demon Paintings which try to convince innocent young women into selling their souls to Halloween. Just, you know… Aint no thang worth mentioning~

I was thinking such things as I returned to my favorite vendor. The Lady giving away Cotton Candy? Yeah, her. She's a Jackal Scarecrow. Jackal Scarecrow? Yeah. They're pretty cool looking. They're essentially just Scarecrows… BUT~ They have Jack-O-Lantern heads. It's fanciful stuff. She's wearing a long white dress, and a long white Chef's hat. I want her to follow me through to the end of existence, this Damsel. They've got her posted up here, making Cotton Candy for all of eternity… No breaks, just a whole lot of delicious Cotton Candy that I will guiltily continue enjoying until the end of my existence if given the chance. She's a Damsel, alright~ She's in a harsh world… All the big-shots of Halloween want to lock her away and keep her for themselves. I can't blame them. I feel the same way. News flash, young Lady… I'm probably the second biggest shot of Halloween in Melchiadore. I can show you things, you know~ Things that only… The Spookiest of creatures can show you… I can take you there. All the way, to Halloween~ I was playfully thinking such things as I watched her nervously spin what must have been my 12th requested cone of Cotton Candy. I don't just grab one each time I come up, you know… I grab a dozen or so, and clumsily juggle them along as I frantically attempt to ruin my own image. It's a thing. I go through this stuff like it's nothing, okay?! I'm the freaking Candy Mongerer! This is what I do, people! I'm not sorry.

Bringing along my latest haul of Cotton Candy… I made my way through to the picnic table once more before resuming in my feast. This time, I'm sitting with Wendel, Conrad, Leoric, Robert, White Beef Lady, and Molag Dregora. Penny, Christina, Luna, Steve, Andy, and Mick left to go and join Cetilla and Samurai Punk. The Scarecrows are all sitting together at two different tables, and it looks very cute. The Banshees and Phantasms are all floating above the Circus while watching the show together, alongside the Bats and Crows. It's nice to see everyone having a good time. I feel like I just walked into a band-club, though. The individuals at this table are all casually just practicing accapella versions to the songs that I've designated for them to learn. They're working together to do it, but they're genuinely missing some very important components. They need all of the Clansmen if they hope to perfect these difficult songs in accapella… But they're still doing pretty well. I'm liking it, it's good music to go along with my feast. They aren't doing it too loud, so that they aren't disrespectful to the other band which is actually performing… But some of the creatures nearby have began to spectate us. If you ask me, I think they're vibing. No offense to the Circus music that the other Band is playing… But it doesn't come close to what my Bandsmen are capable of. It's like that. I literally brought a talented Halloween Band along to me… To a Halloween Dungeon… And you want to know what I think? I think these are the actual monsters. The real ones. The residents of the Mansion, which are having their souls brutally assaulted by the Clock. These are the originals. The ones which are not named, and are not actually just roaming the halls as Mini Bosses.

The Triplets, their Father, Mother, Grandmother, and all of their staff live quite extravagant lives, having a ton of space for themselves… They do numerous things, but more or less… They all guard areas of the Dungeon. What about these people? They spend time partying, and it doesn't seem so bad… For most of them, I mean… The ones who spend time tending to the food are more or less eternally being enslaved… But is there anything else that these party-lovers do? Would it be rude of me to ask? It would certainly be twisted if I went to ask one of them a question, only to have them sporadically get defensive on me and realize that I don't belong here. Yikes… I think I may have just raised a flag? I'd probably do well not to delve too far into it, and just enjoy my time. They're feeding me MP, so how can I complain? Woah~ Leoric… You just hit a note that I never thought you would hit. I totally turned my head to react that. Impressive. Well played, Dark Elf. Well played… We need to teach you a song. I don't know which one yet, but I'll figure it out another time if we live to escape this place. Well, he gave a grin… I guess he's slightly happy. He didn't really want to become an official Halloween Clansmen at first… But at the very least, there are some perks. Honestly though… Leoric, I want you to know… That there's a low chance of me not retaliating against whoever had the audacity to attack my Keep while I wasn't there.

I don't care who it is. Blood will be spilled for Goddin Village Neith Sama, and Cloaked Monk. Whoever's foolish enough to actually enter my Keep and challenge it in that way… Is just the tip of the iceberg. I will work to find who ordered the attack, and I will then work to eradicate their lineage. Due to me not caring about who it is, and not being willing to bend on this fact… I will accept your dismissal as per our agreement should we escape this area. He only squinted his eyes at me for a split moment, before continuing in his performance. Huh… I guess he probably wants time to decide. Besides, if I perish while we're in here… He'll be dismissed regardless. Sure, he'd still need to figure out a way to escape this place… But he's one of my strongest Clansmen. He could probably figure it out if he chose to ditch a vast majority of the others. No offense to some of you, but you would never escape this hell without our bond. We're in a perilous situation. If I die, many of you will either be assaulted by the Clock… Or you will die… Or by some miracle, you'll be unaffected like Elly's Great Grandfather… And you will actually live to see another day in night in Melchiadore… But then you'll be in freaking Reygid… The place which avidly seeks to enslave Scarecrows and Golems, despises Crows, does not welcome creatures that appear more Monster than Human… But, at the very least… They meow have a Vampire King. Luna and the other Vampires might be able to seek solace by him, but realistically… He probably is not seeking the Vampire which Cursed him under my command.

It's a shame… I still have not encountered a genuine location for my Clansmen to flee for, should I perish. Hey… Wait a second~ What if we were to claim dominion over the Forsaken Isles? The Lost Kingdom sucks, lets be realistic. It's frequently bombarded by armies seeking to march into foreign Kingdoms… Or, allegedly… Trying to gain adequate reasoning to hire armies to procure rare materials from slain monsters which they needed to pass through in order to reach those foreign Kingdoms… In attempts to lessen their forces in a battle, so that when they returned with the materials… They don't need to pay as many of their Mercenaries. It's shameful. It's disgusting. I honestly think it's what they're normally doing, when they're not hitting the Wailing Keep. I don't understand what it is about a giant ominous Castle which screams 'Please army, attack me~ I carry all that you desire!'... But apparently, it happens. The Orcs totally came to us for no reason, even though they were probably aiming for Lizards in attempts at saving that freaking Witch Doctor. She's important. I can feel it. She's not your average Orc. Admittedly, I probably just think highly of her because she's a bombshell of a Halloween Clanswoman Candidate. She crosses off all the marks. She comes with bodyguards, she apparently knows a good bit about Curses, and she might even be strong~ I rarely get a chance to see my residents in battle… But I've been thinking that we should start doing training. If they survive, I want them to be stronger for the next time. We'll train in the Forsaken Isles, a place that I can actually keep safe. There's something that I want to test.

My buddy, the Wailing Keep Sama causing me all of this torment trying to feed him... This guy… He's attaining me experience points from afar… By conjuring his own monsters. What if… What if I purposely sent individuals to challenge him, but I didn't feed him that much? He would be forced to conjure just one wave of Clansmen… If those Clansmen died, would they reward the slayer with experience points? I need to know. They genuinely come from nowhere, I think. It's strange. If I can bestow my allies with a means to safely challenge a very weak Dungeon… Like my Wailing Keep, then they can become strong enough to protect themselves. I need them all to be stronger. Not just some of them. I need all of them. Every last survivor of the attack will be necessary. I don't intend to take on any new additions to our forces, aside from Halloween Clansmen. We're full until I feel as though we're in a good position. We need to get houses for the surviving Goblins, Monster Knights, and Harpies. I need to find homes for all of the races inhabiting the Lost Kingdom.

Goddin Village Neith Sama has passed. There are going to be some changes around here. Sorry, I'm stepping in and taking the role of ensuring this place thrives. At least, until I perish. By place, I mean those inhabiting it. The place itself can screw itself. The positioning is terrible. Smack dab in the middle of freaking 8 other Territories?! No! I'm done! The Forsaken Isles have 6 very small Islands, all relatively possible to traverse between with ease. Also, there are dilapidated houses on one of the Islands. The Goblins can live in those for meow. They're a sight better than the huts, but there are definitely less houses than there are huts. It's a shame. The Goblins may feel a little cramped, but we'll be working to build new houses as well, and it's not as though they can't just move the huts. It would likely be a pain, sure… But it's probably possible. I'll have five other Islands to fill, with the other inhabitants to the Lost Kingdom. We have Wolves, Snakes, Squirrbits, Bears, Slimes, Rabbits, Foxes, Butterflies, Caterpillars, and Deer… But we also have One Eyed Lizards, Spiders, Slugs, Drakes, Bats, and Golems in the Chasms… If we're convincing Harpies to move out here, we need to take the other creatures as well. Wolves and Snakes can live on one Island. Squirrbits and Butterflies can probably just live in trees. It doesn't matter. We can't control them. Slimes will need their own island. It will need to be the smallest one. Bears, Rabbits, Foxes, Rabbits, Deer, and Caterpillars will all need their own island. The largest island possible… Which leaves us with two Islands to figure out how to position the Chasm monsters. I honestly don't know how those creatures live… So I'll leave it as a decision for Chiffona-Cya-Macaroon to make.

Honestly… The Harpies don't absolutely need to come with us. They can if they want to, but they don't need to. I don't care, either way… But I do want to take the inhabitants on the surface of the Lost Kingdom with me… At the very least. I'll leave a [Hallowed Gate] where the Goblin Village originally was… I'll even leave one in the Chasms. We don't need to leave forever… But we need to leave for meow. It's too dangerous over there. I would just feel a whole lot better if we had a little water in between us and this locale while we slept. That is all. The Goblins can continue to use the Gates as a means of obtaining their berries. We can have Monster Knights guarding them constantly… It's easier to protect a single gate than it is to protect an entire Kingdom. I can probably fit the Kingdom into the Forsaken Isles. The Lost Kingdom moves to the Forsaken Isles. It makes sense. We're a perfect match for each-other. They're an empty plot of poor land with very little to farm, and we possess a terribly unlucky and also barely even helpful plot of land. We only need this place for the Chasm Mining Project, the Goblin Village's Berries, and the Fish from the waterfalls. I can have three Hallowed Gates meow. It sucks, because I wanted to Prestige… But like, isn't it too soon to Prestige? It just seems like such an utter waste… When I could be doing so much to help us… Oh well~ I'll need to do it eventually… I'll still keep at least one [Hallowed Gate] open leading to the Waterfall, though… I suppose I really can't afford to take the Chasms with me yet… But it's not as though they're the ones with the precarious location. They totally already did flee, after all.