During one's journey, it's not uncommon to pick up the odd traveling companion or two. And who could be better company for Elaina than her own teacher, the Stardust Witch, Fran? On this leg of her travels, Elaina encounters a commander and a record keeper living in a mysterious restaurant, two students on holiday who decide to put a historic spin on their vacation, a charcoal witch and her talented assistant, an oddly familiar tale of a girl covered in cinders and the prince she pines after, and finally, the friendship between a daughter of a distinguished mage family and a girl with no home of her own. How will these fresh encounters ultimately influence the course of Elaina's travels? Only time will tell...