The man being defeated, his body shredded by the shards of his own armor, the group moves on…
Gregory, along the way, had shared the knowledge he obtained from the poor soul of the mercenary. First, they now knew the name of the person who employed him - Saara. The mercenary was also blackmailed into accepting the offer - he had to accept if he wanted his loved one to remain unscathed. On top of that, the condition of his employment is that he was to be implanted with the shadowdust-coated gem for reasons he did not know - but he couldn't trust Saara due to two reasons: she had a strange glimmer to her eyes, and she might not have been working alone.
That's, of course, along with the knowledge of a few traps on the way - which taught the group about watching their steps,
which should help them evade better should they need to fight again.
They reach the Royal Village just as the sun hits it's peak in the sky - and it looked glorious, with well-maintained polished copper tile rooftops, shining and gleaming with the pride of a nation which felt unstoppable, and the buildings stood in a style that screamed with the comfort of safety. Directly in front of the gates, there was a beautifully decorated courtyard which held, today, a
bazaar. Past that, the main road stretched on, paved with a beautiful stone mosaic and bordered with bushes, towards
the castle. Of course, that's just ahead of them - there more likely was more stores and things to find and see
by exploring the town...
The teacher, who had been silent and shocked ever since they left the College, finally spoke up. "So... today was eventful. Normally I would have suggested to head straight for the castle, but I'm tired myself - so I suggest we all meet up at the gates of the castle at dusk. This is also a chance to spend that little gift you all had. I have a few things to do here as well... Gregory, mind coming with me? I won't force you, but I would appreciate your help."