The darkly clothed adolescent sat carefree in the newly-purchased jGuardian base.

His emerald-green eyes remained focused on the familiar personality that was Bonifacius.

“So yeah, that’s how I got here – I’ve been wandering around this place ever since!” he explained before taking a sip of the freshly prepared cup of tea that was set before him.

“I see! How has thy time here affected thee?” asked Bonifacius, not allowing his cheerful demeanour to fade for even a second.

His past student smirked, placing the porcelain cup down to the table.

“Well, I can’t say I got used to things just yet-…” he began, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“But I appreciate the fresh start!” he smiled.

Aside from Bonifacius and Zachary, John and Bromy were also in the room, both enjoying their tea in awkward silence.

“He seems a bit weird…” John thought, eyeing the stranger every chance he got.

The mention of Bonifacius’ past life, not to mention the appearance of his real-life student was more than enough to interest John.

Bromy on the other hand, he was not interested in anything the man had to say, if not for Bonifacius’ demands, he would have made his way to the basement and avoided the brat altogether.

“I’ve even gone on a handful of quests with some other people!” he explained much to Bonifacius’ delight.

“Tis great to hear!”

“No wonder it was only a handful…” Bromy muttered to himself, earning a scolding look from Bonifacius.

“Come now, Bromy! There is no need for such an attitude!”

“Bromy?” Zachary cocked his head curiously, he tried to remember who it was he associated the name with.

“Thou may not remember, Bromy worked as a nurse within the school for a short time!” Bonifacius explained.

Zachary’s face lit up in an instant.

“That’s right! The nurse!” he exclaimed, switching his gaze from Bonifacius to Bromy.

Alex, Revenberry and the Thief carried a massive couch through the living room, making no attempt at conversation.

For some reason, the trio decided to take the role of interior-designers upon themselves.

Foxly, ♛ and a small army of geese walked around the town with fliers, advertising the newly-written player-handbook.

Unsurprisingly, the strategy of disguising the cluster of geese as a little marching band worked well.

JohnWillStab leaned back on his couch.

“Why do we need a couch in the garden?” he wondered, tracing the interior-design team’s footsteps.

Zachary laughed.

“Also, for your information, my group broke up because of some misunderstanding, you know how guild-politics can be!” he replied with shrug.

Hearing more footsteps, John noticed the trio carrying their fridge out of the kitchen and upstairs, much to his confusion.

“I… don’t think they’re qualified for this…”

Bromy nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure the group fell apart on their own…” he replied with a look of suspicion potent enough to carry across his doubt.

Zachary folded his arms.

“Look, I know you might have some… unsavoury memories of me – but I’m just asking for a new start!”

He gestured to his hair, eyes and body.

“I’m literally a new me!”

Bromy let out a defeated groan as the pressure placed upon the druid by Bonifacius finally manifested as apathy.

John then saw Jordan’s brother being carried along with his couch, out of the basement where they dumped him and into the garden.

“HEY!”

John heard the desperate cries of a man from their garden, moments later, Alex, Revenberry and the Thief appeared, carrying a hog-tied Malagmus into the basement.

They returned moments later, empty-handed.

Zachary looked down to his wrist revealing a hand-drawn watch.

“Oh, man! Look at the time! I need to get going!” he exclaimed, in a hurry, the man got off the couch and rushed towards the door.

“I’ll drop by tomorrow!” he exclaimed, waving a hand at Bonifacius in specific.

“Until tomorrow, then!” Bonifacius waved the human a goodbye.

As soon as the stranger was gone, Bromy relaxed, slumping back on the couch.

“I can’t believe that little shit got isekaid too…” he hissed.

“Bromy!” Bonifacius exclaimed, dawning an expression of disgust.

JohnWillStab breathed a sigh.

“Alright, can you guys explain what’s up with that guy!?” he demanded.

Bromy folded his hands behind his head.

“I’d be happy to!” he said bitterly.

“He was some sort of psychopath for as long as I knew him.” He explained.

Bromy recalled the dozens of kids he had patched up, each complaining about Zachary.

Bromy put on a mocking smile.

“I mean, I understand getting into a fight or two as a kid, but our friend Zachary never got his hands dirty himself.” He continued.

Bonifacius immediately jumped to his student’s defence.

“There was never any proof for what thou are saying!”

“Surely thou heard that Zachary was the target of mockery from the others from a young age!”

“Sure, psychopaths often struggle to fit in at first,” he replied.

Bromy once again turned to face JohnWillStab.

“But eventually, the school finally put two and two together and much to their surprise, the result was four, they expelled the brat.”

He turned his apathetic gaze to Bonifacius.

“And he left in protest.”

“Well, it only took one kid jumping off the roof to their deaths for the others to crack down on the culprit!” he explained.

“Of course, there was no evidence, a disturbing lack of evidence…”

Bromy’s smile grew even wider.

“Though it’s not even the first time…”

“Tis enough!”

Bonifacius finally reached his limit.

It was the first time JohnWillStab or any L.F.T.O member except for Pedecree and Bromy saw Bonifacius truly angry.

In an instant, his temper returned.

“I apologise…” he said, audibly disappointed with his outburst.

“It’s cool…” John replied awkwardly.

Bromy stood up, not willing to buy into such a cheap redemption arc.

He began making his way towards his basement, stepping over the tied-up Malagmus.

“I say we kill him before he becomes some sort of villain…”

With only the two left in the living room, JohnWillStab and Bonifacius drank their tea in relative silence.

“So… you were a teacher?” John began.

Bonifacius nodded, his conflicted expression was quickly swept away and replaced with a peaceful one.

“Indeed! Tis how I met Bromy!” he explained.

“Huh, so Bromy’s a doctor and an ex-nurse… You’re an ex-teacher…”

John scratched his chin.

“I wonder what the others were…” he wondered.

“I was rich...” Alex explained from behind John, causing him to practically jump off his chair.

“AH!” he cried.

Bonifacius laughed.

“That seems like less of an occupation and more of a financial status!”

Alex shrugged.

Revenberry scratched her head.

“I worked part-time in a café; I was studying history in college though!”

Bonifacius lifted both eyebrows, impressed by her chosen field of study.

“Impressive!”

Revenberry’s expression deflated to a half-smile almost immediately after hearing Bonifacius’ complement.

“Not exactly… History’s interesting and all, but I’m pretty terrible with dates…” she explained.

Alex shrugged.

“I mean, as long as you know the general time something took place you should be fine!” he explained, as if to console Revenberry about a future she has long since lost the ability to pursue.

“No, I mean… I’m really bad with dates…” she explained.

Intrigued by her statement, JohnWillStab asked a question, nay – posed a challenge.

“When did world-war-two happen?” he asked.

Her face remained still as she desperately tried to recall a single digit from the date.

“…”

“…”

“Two-…”

Alex shook his head.

“Nine-…”

Alex nodded.

“Ninety…”

She looked down to her feet in contemplation.

“Ninety… two?” she guessed.

Everyone shook their heads unanimously.

Revenberry breathed a sigh before giving an understanding nod.

“I was a bit off…”

“MMPMHHH!”

A gagged Malagmus began to crawl his way out of the basement and into the garden.

“HEY! GET BACK TO THE BASEMENT!” Revenberry commanded, pointing at the speeding man.

“NGHH!”