Monarch of Solitude: Daily Quest System

In every empire, the easiest way to create a culture was through their parties. In Rino's opinion, that was the easiest way to determine how advanced the civilisation was. Depending on the empire, a party could be extremely complex and full of social tension or unbridled with laughter with no care about formalities.

As someone well-travelled in his prime, Rino saw many kinds of parties. The parties hosted by nobles and the royal family were his least favourite. He attended many magician tower functions, and it felt more like a family gathering than a party. The gathering of various scholars was always an interesting time, but Rino learned to tune out to their heated debates fuelled by alcohol over the years.

In comparison, the parties held by dwarves and other less 'dignified' races were more fun. It often involved good food, lots of laughing, dancing and sometimes crude activities. It wasn't uncommon to see someone hosting a party during a festival asking strangers to flirt or kiss as a spectacle. Initially, Rino was flustered by it. However, as he grew accustomed to the weirder cultures like burping loudly to compliment the chef, these things started to matter less to him.

Without a festival agenda, Rino wanted to see how the townsfolk would organise their very first event. He deliberately remained out of their reach and refused to give the party organisers his opinions. None of the Noir Province individuals wanted to teach Town Zera's new residents how to plan one.

Hence, the different races had to come together to discuss what they thought made a good party. Many great ideas were suggested, but they were forced to make less sophisticated and more practical decisions due to the tight deadline.

"Drows are the best at hunting," the troll representative said. "You hunt meat. We will roast with special tribal spice."

The genesis fairies offered to make the drinks, claiming that they knew just what kind of drink Rino loved and how everyone could get high from it. It wasn't alcohol, but it was better. Nobody argued with them, and the fairies quickly took it upon themselves to take care of the beverage menu, promising to surprise everyone with the choices.

"Every celebration must come with entertainment," Bink claimed. "The earth gnomes will take care of the entertainment. Behold the live demonstration for our newest inventions!"

With everyone creating jobs for themselves, Acht decided that the shadow spectres could not fall behind either. He quickly declared that the shadow spectres would prepare gifts to commemorate the first festival in Town Zera. Nobody knew what it was, but it was exciting to work together.

For hours, Rino worked in his study while his townsfolk prepared for the party. The newborn quails were quickly forgotten and finally given peace without so many pairs of eyes spying on them. Before his nap, Rino checked in on them to find five chicks huddled together between their parents. It was a lovely sight, and that gave Rino good dreams for the next eight hours.

Nostalgia hit Rino like a truck when he woke up. That last dream was so vivid, he completely forgot that he was no longer human. The conversation with his good dwarf friend reminded Rino of something he had forgotten ever since getting accustomed to this new world.

That was right. For the longest time, Rino had been too focused on getting the best result in the most efficient way that he neglected enjoying the journey to the top. He kept looking for the things he already knew from the previous world, that he stopped trying to learn more about the ways of this new world. Everything that he built was through the tutorial's guide or from his knowledge from his last life.

"Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers when you are in the garden."

Already, the face of his good dwarven friend was hazy in his memories. Rino could no longer remember many details in his previous life now that he tried to recall. Maybe it was for the better that he was starting to forget the things that tied him down, even if it meant that he could no longer use depression to regenerate his mana.

"My lord, they are waiting for you in the living cave."

Mutt's report snapped the lich from reminiscing, and he quickly teleported to the nearest location. He should create more teleportation pads in this mountainous area if he intended to use the resources.

The genesis fairies did a great job decorating the living cave. It was no longer the ravine that Rino knew. Instead, many plants were growing into the side of the ravine. The earth steps created using magic and vine handrails made the descent into the dimly lit caves easier. 

"My king, you are here at last!" Sheila beamed and offered to act as his escort. Everyone was already inside, and the party had just begun.

Many bats and vultures watched as Rino and Sheila climbed down the stairs. The lighting was done very nicely and had a magical touch with how the lights shimmered each time they changed hues. How did the fairies manage such a complex lighting cycle? Rino had a feeling they did not do this alone.

When he reached the deepest and widest cavern, Rino smelled all kinds of delicacies, different from what he had in Noir Province. There were no king toad leg stews to eye on. Instead, racks of meat slabs lay roasting on an open fire fuelled by coal, maintained by the gargoyles.

The scene before Rino was very lively despite the lack of alcohol as the earth gnomes demonstrated their newest gadgets on each other as a joke. None of those things was harmful, but it did sting a little. Even Sheila winced when Bink was on the receiving hand of an automated string-drawn slapper as part of the punishment for losing a quiz game.

"What colour is our monarch's underwear?"

The question made Rino freeze, and even Sheila stiffened, afraid for the master of ceremony tonight. While harmless, nobody knew if the monarch of solitude minded how people talked about his undergarments.

"Black! The monarch wears only black!" someone from the back shouted, and Rino recognised that troll.

"Too easy! Too easy! This is not a good question!" a drow at the front protested, much to Sheila's dismay. It was fine if the dumb trolls participated. Why did one of her clan members have to answer such a question?!

Instead of flying off the handle, Rino decided to embrace this new culture and participated.

"If you want to know the colour of my underwear, all you have to do is look through my hip bones. It's not a very difficult question. The harder question is to know if I wear socks. Does anyone want to guess?"

That prompt turned all heads, and those with eyes had to hold onto their eyeballs. Nobody expected the monarch to participate in such a crude discussion, but Rino seemed more amused than offended. If anything, he sat down on the ground with them and crossed his legs, looking like he belonged in their circle.

"So?" Rino grinned. "Do I wear socks under these pants and boots?"

The first to feel bold enough to break the ice was Deezer, and Sheila did not know if she should feel proud or annoyed that he answered in such a bold manner.

"Without!"

Rino chuckled. Deezer's answer sparked debates. Some claimed that a refined gentleman like Rino would never wear shoes without socks. However, a small group agreed with Deezer that there was no need to wear socks. The logical explanation was about how socks would reduce the shoes' grip on Rino's shinbone.

Sheila sat on the fence, declining to state her guess. She never knew that discussing someone's personal habits were considered acceptable during an event as such. Weren't they here to celebrate the birth of new chicks? How did it turn into a get to know your liege session?

It wasn't a bad feeling, but the drow leader thought it was slightly awkward to be doing such a thing. After all, in the drow clan, hierarchy must be adhered to strictly. For a king to sit on the same level as his subjects, was it really acceptable?

"What are you standing there for?" Rino beckoned at Sheila, who was still standing awkwardly at the side, watching them from a distance.

Sheila found herself sitting in the circle with a little hesitation as the trolls shuffled to make her a spot. After the group expanded by two, the master of ceremonies continued the game to start a betting pool about Rino's socks. The bets were work shifts, and Rino realised that this was the true culture of Town Zera. Unlike Noir Province's diligent attitude, Town Zera was full of mischief. Some people claimed that children took after their parents. He had no idea that adopted children would be affected, but Rino didn't mind.

For some reason, he felt right at home in this town, sitting on the ground with everyone and joining in with their shenanigans.