The class were returning to the elementals' compound with Spoony as their escort. They noticed as they were going through the gates that the guards all showed considerable respect towards Spoony. The kind of respect that they had only seen guards give people of their parents' station.

“Spoony, are you a noble?” Tasha asked.

“No, I’m what's called a cheeky chap,” Spoony replied as they made their way in front of the Tower of Pride, heading towards the eastern gate to the trade district.

“Cheeky chap?”

“Yes, someone who dey don dare mess with. I suppose dats a bit like a noble.”

“I’ve got a question, if I may spoony,” Daisy began before trailing off.

“Oh, sure thing, little missy.”

“Is there a way we could tell if we are meeting a Baffle Perceptous?” Spoony slowed his pace and considered the question momentarily before shaking his head.

“You’d ‘av to be awfully powerful to pick up on something like dat.”

“Like manasight?”

“Hah nah, manasight can’t see through dis,” Spoony replied, gesturing to himself. “It would highlight an aura dough… Like you wouldn’t see my true form, but you’d see a little haze, and if you know what dat is, you could recognise my race.”

Daisy felt a wave of determination rise within. Ever since she had seen manasight, thanks to Alex, she had decided that would be her ultimate goal. To see that wondrous world just beyond perception. The small experience had been addictive already.

“I’m wondering how strong a fighter you are, Spoony?” Maxwell asked.

“I dunno never been measured. But typically, even a weak one of us is a captain. We got physical strength out the hoo-hah, but strength don’t mean anything without technique.”

“Well you say that,” Tasha replied, thinking about Elissa, who could just power through any scenario with sheer overwhelming strength.

As the class reached the eastern gate for the central plaza, everyone froze. Not just the class, but the guards, the merchants, and the performers. Every conceivable being froze as an aura spread over them.

There wasn’t a single being who didn’t instinctively recognise this was Crozonia’s aura. It was not dense as it had been spread over such a large area. But the fact she could reach Port Staine from Hades Seat was enough to cause a cold sweat to form on many people's brows. As quick as it had appeared, the aura vanished.

“What in the gods' name was that about?!” a merchant cried out, his hands trembling.

“THAT WAS FUCKING TERRIFYING!!” A guard cried as he hugged his shoulders.

The class themselves couldn’t help but agree with the sentiments being voiced by various people around them. They had felt an intense aura when they had been graced with a short meeting with Crozonia. An aura they had felt was all too weak for one of her station.

Even though Alex had assured them she was only toying with them, they couldn’t help but have a tiny seed of doubt. That little ember wondered if she was a big fake. But now that little ember was snuffed out. They knew intimately Crozonia was not a force any mortal could face.

“It almost felt like she was reaching out to someone,” Spoony observed as the guards waved them through the gate into the trade district.

“Reaching out?” Gunter parroted.

“Yeah, dah lady can do that den there must be someone she wanted to give a little rap on the head,” little did Spoony realise he had hit the nail on the head. Passing between the workshops, the class with Spoony in tow arrived at the Elementals compound alongside the wall to the nobles' district.

“You didn’t say you were staying with dah Elementals?”

“Well, you didn’t ask,” Kline replied with a smug grin.

“You sure you want to come inside to claim your reward?” Maxwell asked, noticing Spoony’s hesitation. Audibly gulping, Spoony firmed up his stance and proceeded through the gate into the square.

“Oh, kids, you’re home; we were wondering…” Rosy said as she stepped out of a side building, freezing when she spotted Spoony.

“Spoony…” she said through gritted teeth.

“One moment, children,” Rosy stepped right around them, up to Spoony and delivered a punch to his stomach.

Having already learnt that he was virtually immune to attacks, the class looked on, expecting him to shrug it off as easily as he had shrugged off a knife to the chest. Only he didn’t. He slumped over and began groaning as he wheezed.

“How much did he con out of you?” Rosy asked as she rushed back to the class and began examining them. Holding each by the cheeks to examine them from every angle.

The class were momentarily stunned, seeing Spoony was actually hurt by Rosy’s punch. Also, by her sudden motherly behaviour toward each of them. They knew she had basically adopted Alex and Mimi when they were young, but only now did they see she was one of those people that was a natural-born parent.

“No, he didn’t con us… well, he did, but we willing bet and lost,” Bea explained.

“So, how much do you owe him?” Rosy pressed as she went over to Spoony and kicked him. The kick flipped him onto his back, where he was visibly pained.

“Well, we don’t owe him anything for the game… Mrs Rosy, can you please stop hitting him,” Daisy pleaded, uncomfortable seeing Spoony in so much pain.

“Very well, why is he with you then, Daisy Dear.”

“He rescued us. We were attacked by assailants, and he stepped in and helped us.”

“Assailants?!!!” Rosy began to radiate a menacing aura that was very reminiscent of their teacher whenever he learnt of them being hurt or threatened. The class couldn’t help but see this must’ve been where he got this behaviour from.

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“I doubt it was for free… how much do you want, Spoony?” Spoony, however, was still unable to respond as he continued to groan on the floor. After a solid couple minutes of wheezing and groaning, Spoony rolled over onto his hands and knees before slowly rising to his feet.

“Some booze and food will do… the kids seem interesting enough for the rest of the payment.”

“That all?” Rosy asked, raising a doubtful eyebrow.

“That’s all… anti-humanists are trouble for everyone. I was more dan ‘appy to let them get a beat down.”

“Anti-humanists?” Kline repeated.

“A nasty group of people. They want nothing more than for all humans on the dark continent to be expelled. They have no scruples with the methods to do this. My guess is they saw a group of noble kids and saw an easy payday for their organisation.

“Wait… that performer…” Daisy said, realising the performer they had met in front of the tower of pride had spouted a lot of anti-human rhetoric.

“I even done ‘eard dey sell kids tah slavers after getting the ransoms,” Spoony added, finally recovering.

“So we were almost taken by a group that might’ve sold us to slavers?” Kline asked as he began to shake like a leaf.

“Well, we met a performer in front of the Tower of Pride,” Daisy began before Rosy stopped her.

“We can get that all sorted a bit later. You lot look a little shaken and could do with a moment to calm down.”

“Thank the gods spoony protected you all.”

“Well, actually dey fought off dah boss,” Spoony replied.

“They did? Gods dammit, Ali, why are you making children weapons.”

“To be fair, ma’am, we volunteered to be taught by sir,” Bea replied.

“It is a good thing you lot are well adjusted. Getting Ali and Mimi tempered just right took a lot of work.”

“They are tempered?” Maxwell repeated incredulously.

“They were very… let's say troubled when we met them. We gave them lots of love and care. Can you imagine how dangerous they would’ve been had we not gotten at least some morals in them?”

The class involuntarily shuddered at the thought of their teacher and his sister having little to no restraints. They were already wildly powerful and slightly off-kilter as is. But to be completely free of fetters would be a nightmare.

As if on cue, the man who was the subject of discussion walked through the gates. The class were about to tell him what had happened, only to freeze. His face radiated that he was in no mood to communicate. They had only seen this face when he remembered his past. Alex walked past them and into the dorm building, completely blanking the class.

“I’m going to go check on him,” Rosy said as she hastened off after him.

“Yo, young ones!!!” Big Boris boomed from behind them. Turning to the titan, they could see him and Little Boris had returned and were carrying a duck bill the size of a tower shield.

“Damn, quest was hell,” Little Boris groaned.

“The duck the size of a dragon?”

“It wasn’t a dragon-sized duck… it was a honkdra!! Damn guild misidentified it,” Big Boris explained.

“A honkdra?” Maxwell repeated the unfamiliar term. Part of his training with Sithy had included monster manuals. But he had never encountered such a creature in all the books he had read.

“You know geese?” Little Boris asked to which the class nodded, knowing the foul-tempered fowl well.

“Now imagine one with nine heads. Now make it the size of a dragon. That is a honkdra,” Big Boris explained, which caused the class to go pale. The very thought was terrifying. Today seemed to have been a long stream of experiencing terrifying things.

“WOOOOOO!!!!!!” A cheery voice went as she sailed over the compound's fence and elegantly glided to a stop in front of the class. Still, in her flamboyant pink feathered clothing, Gentleman Jack had returned with a bunch of small dragons tied up and slung over her shoulder.

“I said, wait for me!” Haddy shouted as a distant deep rumbling roar echoed out around the small training square. Looking up, they could see Haddy descend slowly, with flames shooting out of his feet.

“Yo boss, how’d the quest go?” Little Boris asked.

“Oh, that… we failed,” Jack casually replied.

“Jack, we’ve been through this.”

“Sorry… Ahem… We met with unforeseen circumstances that forced us to reassess our continued participation in the contract,” Jack corrected, looking to Haddy, who gave a big thumbs up.

“How did you fail… you got dragons all over you?”

“But they are so cute!!!” Haddy and Jack chorused together as a small swarm of tiny dragons scrambled from under their cloaks and all over them.

“I’ll tell the boss lady you adopted more monsters,” Big Boris warned.

“Boris…. You guys know love shouldn’t ever be contained.”

“Maxim ninety-one,” Little Boris replied with a nod.

“These little guys have so much love to give,” Haddy explained as he squeezed one confused-looking duck-sized dragon against his cheek that proceeded to puff a little blue flame in frustration.

“Oh, Spoony?” Haddy said as he had just noticed the man standing there as he walked up and punched him in the stomach. Like with Rosy, he crumpled over and began wheezing again.

“Why do you, guys, keep hitting Spoony?”

“Yes, Spoony… why do we keep hitting you?” Haddy asked in a bemused tone.

“I conned the Elementals…” Spoony explained between pained wheezes.

“More importantly, how are they hurting you?” Tasha asked, finally voicing the question.

“I can answer that… we hit him with the expectation our attack won’t hurt him. He reverses its perceived effect, and boom, it hurts him. Gotta keep it random, though, as he might not reverse it.”

“I’m even more confused now,” Tasha muttered.

“Random magic stuff,” Maxwell explained.

“Oh, mystery magic stuff… It makes so much sense glad I’m a genius!!!” Tasha said as she held her hands to her hips and chuckled in triumph.

“Ok, kids go to your room; me and Jack have planned a stellar party for you lot,” Haddy explained as the rest of the elementals present went into the dorm building.

The class left with little else to do; they settled into their rooms to rest and relax as before dressing up in their finest party clothing. Being nobles, their party clothing consisted of tuxedos and nice dresses. They realised their mistake only when they came down to the dining area. All the present elementals were dressed in weird sets of clothing. The two standing out the most were Haddy and Jack.

Jack was wearing a bright electric pink suit with a headdress made of deer antlers that made her look like the most flamboyant deer ever. While hanging from her back were a large pair of feathered wings. That the class would later learn were harvested from the honkdra.

Haddy, though was in a class all of his own. He was wearing a dress made entirely of dragon horns that had been roughly painted in pastel colours. While floating just above his head was a floating bit of gold ribbon in the shape of a halo. The class had seen some attention grabbing clothes, but Haddy’s clothing could steal the attention of even the blind.

“Let’s get this party started… HERE’S TO OUR LATEST GUESTS; MAY THEY WARM OUR HEARTH AND BE WITHIN OUR HEARTS!!” Haddy declared as he raised what the class now recognised as a small keg. Looking at the other participants, they could see not a single person present had anything smaller than that. Big Boris was even drinking directly from a barrel with a handle attached to the side.

“Remember the Elementals tradition!” Haddy shouted as he held the keg up high.

“What is the Elementals' tradition?” Daisy asked with her own large mug of booze held aloft.

“Finish the first toast in one go,” Kline explained as Daisy now could see everyone had begun necking their first drink. Rushing to catch up, the class started drinking.