We’d all agreed to meet at the tavern as our set-off point. Ara and I returned together, and as we rounded the corner to the door, an agitated Ravyn stormed past us. Her shoulder collided with mine, and she hissed a few choice words beneath her breath. She smelled of alcohol, and Ball was nowhere to be found. Without another word, she continued on as if she hadn’t seen me.

“Hey! Ravyn!” I called after her.

She spared me a single glance from the corner of her eye, her frown deepening, then continued on her way. I moved to follow her, but Ara caught my coat sleeve.

“Let her go,” she murmured.

Ceres was next out the door, sighing as she watched Ravyn march quickly from the inn. She folded her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I believe it is clear that Ravyn will not be accompanying us on this excursion.”

“Yeah, kinda figured,” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. “She say why?”

“She did not. However, I still believe it is in our best interest to take this time away,” Ceres said.

“Is the young master still inside?” Ara asked, changing the subject.

“Yes. Tristan, Keke, and I were awaiting your return.” Ceres relaxed and broke into a smile. She was still wearing her new Ni Island garb, and she toyed with the braid over her shoulder. “I am very excited to see more of this breathtaking island.”

“Me, too,” I admitted. “After you.” Gesturing inside the inn, I followed Ceres to where Keke and Tristan were sitting.

“Hey, Matt!” Tristan waved with a smile. “Ready to get on the road?”

“Whenever you guys are. I think some fresh air’ll do me good.” I stretched my arms over my head and waited for them to finish their drinks.

“Did Ravyn talk to you?” Keke asked me before downing the remainder of her tea.

“No. Cannoli wouldn’t either,” I sighed.

“Cannoli came out of her room?” Ceres asked, eyes wide. “I have called to her for days. Was she all right?”

That’s not an easy question to answer. I wasn’t sure how to respond. Cannoli was very clearly not in a great headspace, but she’d made a point to remind me of her desire to be alone. “She doesn’t want to come with us, either.”

“Cannoli will be okay,” Keke added quickly. “She just needs time. That’s all.”

Thanks, Keke.

“So it will just be us five, then?” Ara asked, meeting each of our stares.

“Looks like it.”

“Let’s get going, then!” Keke announced, tossing a few Bells onto the table to pay for their drinks.

Even though I was assured that the road to Abalone was safe, I still insisted we travel in our [Combat Mode]s, just in case anything decided to take its frustrations out on our group.

Can’t get much worse than Ravyn, though.

I was worried about her and Cannoli. Stuff I said and stuff I should have said assaulted me from every angle, and I found myself picking my own past sentences apart. Not like it would do any good, but the last thing I wanted was to lose either of them.

“Hey.” Keke touched my forearm, dragging me out of the quagmire of my thoughts. “They’ll be alright. Ravyn’s tough as nails. And, I know she doesn’t look it, but so is Cannoli.”

I nodded. “Just wish I knew what to say to fix this, you know?”

“I know. But sometimes, words aren’t enough. Enjoy the time away, and we’ll try again when we get back. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

The trail was well-loved, paved by thousands of footsteps of frequent travelers going back and forth. We passed a few other small groups on their way back from Abalone, offering a friendly greeting here and there. Ara’s icy stare kept the more boisterous ones at bay, daring them to try and get close to Tristan with her gaze. More of Ni Island’s dense forests flanked either side of the road, offering enough shade to keep us out of the heat and a perfect canopy when we paused for a break.

I gauged that we were just coming up on the second hour when the trees cleared, revealing thatched roofs on ivy-coated houses. Floral trellises framed decorative windows, and gardens in full bloom lined the walls of each modest house. Just from the edge of the town, Abalone reminded me of the miniature fairy villages my aunt would collect. Except this one was filled with catgirls.

As we looped our way around the road and closed in on the town square, I realized that Abalone was more crowded than I’d ever seen Junonia. Benches and outdoor tables were filled with catgirls sharing meals, drinks, or ice cream. The high giggles of kittens pierced the air as they chased one another through gardens and scampered up enormous trees.

“Wait. Kittens?” I asked aloud. “I thought I was the first guy here in a while?”

Keke nodded. “You are. Girls come from the other islands to visit Abalone. Look at their outfits.” She pointed to a set of twins braiding each other’s hair.

Sure enough, they wore elaborate brocade dresses with high collars and delicate hair ornaments. “Ah. San Island.”

“Goodness. I had forgotten how beautiful San Island clothing is,” Ceres murmured in wonderment. “It is so flattering!”

I chuckled. “Careful. You’ll have to start carrying a wardrobe with you.”

“I may need an upgrade to my [Cat Pack], yes,” Ceres hummed with thought. “And yet, I am so attached to Ni Island’s style. It will be difficult to change once again.”

“So, where do we start?” Tristan asked, adjusting the pack around his shoulder.

“This place is filled with inns and taverns. Just pick a direction,” Keke replied.

“What do you think, Ara?” Tristan turned to his maid in waiting. “Which way should we go?”

Ara blushed, and her ears flickered at hearing her name. She peered around and tapped her finger to her lips. “I-I would be content with wherever my young Master should choose—”

Tristan grinned. “I want you to choose.”

The red in her cheeks deepened, and her tail rocked quickly back and forth between her ankles. “Um, t-that one over there looks lovely.” Her voice ebbed with every word as she pointed to her right. She bowed her head and let her hair mask part of her face.

A small wooden sign with handpainted letters proclaimed the inn “The Gem of Abalone.” The narrow building stretched nearly three houses wide and two stories high. Vivid purple and blue flowers flourished in the gardens and spilled over clay vases situated on the balconies. Lazy tangles of steam danced high above the rooftop, suggesting the inn had its own hot spring for its guests.

“Oh, I agree! Let us seek rooms!” Ceres clapped her hands.

Keke looked at me with wide eyes, and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I’ve never been able to stay here before. It’s, well,” she tapped the toe of her shoe to the ground, “it’s expensive.”

I still had a decent amount of Bells left over from the quest and our adventures on the other island. And how the hell was I supposed to say no to that face? “Let me go ask.” I was six steps away when fast footsteps soon followed.

“I shall accompany you!” Ceres proclaimed, skipping to my side before I could say otherwise. She hooked her arm through mine with a grin, then froze and dropped her hand. “O-oh my goodness. I have forgotten my place, my Lord. Please, forgive my insolence.”

“Hey. We’re on vacation. You’re allowed to be excited.” I took her hand and squeezed it. “And you can still call me ‘Matt,’ you know.

Ceres flushed and looked at our entwined hands while she toyed with her braid, then nodded. “Right. Thank you, M-Matt,” she said, barely above a whisper.

My name on her lips made my heart skip. I swallowed the thoughts that followed and led her to the door of the inn.

Inside had polished wooden floors, and elaborate floral paintings hung on the walls. The front room was set up a lot like the hotels in my last life, with a long marble desk and two catgirls sitting behind it, each pouring through their own thick tome. Keys hung on a narrow panel behind them with room numbers carefully inscribed in black above each one. The whole place was spotless—like eat-off-the-floors clean.

The girls caught sight of us and immediately stood, bowing low. “Welcome to The Gem of Abalone!” they greeted warmly in unison.

“Thanks,” I said.

They exchanged surprised looks and a silent conversation between themselves before turning back to me. The one on the left lifted her quill and set its tip on a half-filled page. “How many nights will you be staying?”

“Three nights,” I said. We’d made a group decision during our walk for the length of our stay. Honestly, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Cannoli alone for any longer than that. “How much is it per night?”

“Twenty Bells,” the one on the right replied.

Oh, I was expecting worse. “Per room?”

“Per person,” they said in unison.

Shit. Twenty times five…times three…Three hundred Bells, and that’s not including food or otherwise.

“Please allow me to add that this fare includes a complimentary breakfast, unlimited use of our private hot spring, and access to our gaming room,” left girl added.

“Gaming room?” My first thought was a LAN cafe. Obviously, that was impossible, but I didn’t know what a ‘gaming room’ looked like in Nyarlea.

“Oh, yes! We offer only the highest quality card games, board games, and more. The tavern serves drinks there at all hours, so that you may play to your heart’s content,” right girl explained.

“M-my L—” Ceres started, then looked at our still-joined hands. “Matt, please allow me to pay for half of the total.”

“What? No way. I can get it,” I said, still trying to calculate just how much the rest of the trip was going to cost.

Ceres squeezed my hand and smiled. “I insist.”

I chewed the inside of my lip, watching her face while I deliberated. She really wanted to do this. And, I had to admit, it would help. If the food was just as expensive, I was going to be in trouble by day two. “Okay. But I’ll find a way to pay you back later.”

Her smile widened, and she nodded. “I am confident that you will think of something.”

Was that an insinuation, Ceres?

We paid for all five people, securing ourselves two large rooms—Keke, Ceres, and I would share one, while Tristan and Ara had another. Then we went outside to tell the others. Keke cheered and threw her arms around my neck when I handed her the key to our room.

Something told me that we all were about to get a lot more than we bargained for from Abalone.