Before the Express departed, Adam was quickly surrounded by the little badgers he had not seen all holiday. Everyone chattered at once, sharing their holiday experiences.
"Adam, why doesn't your restaurant have so many of the things we ate?"
This was probably the question Adam had been asked most often. All he could do was explain that those were signature dishes from his side, and tell them not to ask—just say whether they tasted good or not.
The little badgers who had already taken their families there: Emmm, they really had been delicious.
Adam had not opened shop, claiming that he could not use magic at home and had not prepared any stock. Once the Express set off, everyone went their separate ways, while Adam and his dormmates found a compartment to hold a little meeting.
"Brothers, I thought it over carefully after I got home. Last time, we definitely picked the wrong time."
Bernard lowered his voice.
"This time, we'll go at night. The five of us can carry lanterns and search for Crumple-Horned Snorkack tracks under the moonlight. It'll definitely have a great atmosphere!"
"Aren't you afraid we'll step into Acromantula territory again under the moonlight?"
Klon looked conflicted. He did not want to experience disturbing an Acromantula again.
"Didn't we already find out which direction the Acromantula nest was last time? We can just avoid it this time."
Bernard stroked his chin.
"Besides, we had no experience last time. I thought about it after getting home. When we didn't find any traces of magical creatures along the way, we should have realized there was something wrong with that direction."
That was true...
"And we didn't see a single unicorn, centaur, or Crumple-Horned Snorkack last time. Don't you think that's a shame?"
Bernard spread his arms toward either