Return to the Way Inn.

The two of you depart from Redbloom Academy at last. You walk through the maze of streets that snake throughout the massive city as you find your way back to the inn you stayed at when first arriving, and the place you all agreed to meet at when your missions were completed. It's nearing noon, so you're not certain if they'll still be here even if they did already return, but it's a place to start.

Last time you were here, you ran into the strange William Cresswell again. You're still not sure what to make of him, though you can't deny that he's been helpful. This time, however, he's nowhere to be seen, but you are greeted with quite a lot of noise.

Amara, Snow, Alice, Niki--all of them sit around a table in the corner of the room with plates of food and mugs of drinks, and you certainly notice. Niki is laughing boisterously, and while the other three are certainly some of the quieter girls you know, you hear them giggle and chat amongst each other. Though it hasn't been a long time since you've seen them, it does feel like it. You and Eva make your way over to their table, and one by one, they turn to greet your return with an excited smile.

"You've returned!" Niki exclaims. She throws her hand up into the air, causing the mug in her grip to spill over. "Did you guys have any luck at the library?"

"Please help yourself to some food," Snow says with a gesture to the tabletop.

"Don't mind if I do!" Eva hurries over and begins to snatch up various bits of food from among the plates.

You follow behind. "We did. The Acting Grand Master of the academy wants us to return tomorrow, and we should have a lot of helpful information then. What about you all?"

"While we weren't able to gather a lot of information from the people," Snow explains. "We did attract the attention of an individual that gave us a quest."

"A quest?" you ask.

"Or perhaps a deal. We're supposed to slay some creatures along the beach, and in return, they'll give us some information they assured we could use."

"Well that's not far. I wanted to rest, but--"

"We can do it today!" Niki shouts. "That's perfect. I've been itching to fight more than street thugs. Point me at a horrifying beast so I can finally unload. With this new equipment, and all of this training I've been getting, I feel like I could fight a dragon."

"I think I've had enough dragons for now," Eva mutters.

"What do you two think?" you ask while your gaze moves to Alice and Amara. "You've been quiet."

"I believe that if there are monsters on the beach, we should eliminate them either way," replies Amara. "That is dangerously close to the city walls, and the beach is a beautiful destination for relaxation."

Alice runs a hand through her hair and glances away. "I would not have called the beach relaxing... but I agree."

Suddenly, a small purple head pokes up from the top of Niki's backpack.

"Oh hey, Jelly," you say.

A smile forms on her face, and then she slides back down into the pack.

"You certainly had an adventure with Niki, didn't you?" Snow says. "Not only did you bring this slime girl back, but she told us the whole story about the Golden Sword and everything."

She probably didn't tell you everything.

"Her shield is certainly interesting," Amara says.

Snow's face start to turn pink. "You didn't have to try it on me," she mutters.

"What about you two?" Niki asks. "Any crazy adventures?"

Eva laughs nervously. "You could say that."

You sit down and begin to eat. In between bites, you tell them the story, though not every little detail. You tell them about your duel, the classes, and the arrogant Lady Malakae Vraelion. The story continues with the wild sprite, followed by your descent into the dream world. You decide not to get too detailed in how exactly Eva and Vraelion helped you all escape, though despite being vague, you're pretty sure they understand. Davella, Lady Sulta, Eva's new item, the book--you continue to explain everything you can.

Eva chimes in once in awhile. When the story skirts around the more embarrassing moments, you can tell she's getting flustered. You spare her by not mentioning the sexy school girl outfit. Although...

"Oh yeah. And the outfit," you say.

Eva's face starts turning red, and she looks to you in panic. She slam her palms down against the table and stares you dead in the eyes. "No!"

"You said you were getting something new made, right?" you ask.

After a moment, she starts to calm down. "Y-Yes. That's right. Now I can keep up with you, Niki. Your new armour is so shiny."

"Isn't it?" Niki laughs, and knocks her knuckles against her breastplate. "It isn't magical or anything, but I feel a little more successful now."

Snow leans back and pats her stomach. "I feel satisfied. Should we head out soon? It might take a few hours to get to our destination. It should be close to where we were... last time."

Niki stands. "I can't sit around anymore, so let's do it."

"So what exactly are we fighting?" you ask.

"We'll explain on the way!"