[ Visiting Gale wouldn't be so bad, actually, but Astarion would never admit as much. He hates that some arrogant, verbose, far too earnest wizard somehow tricked him into not just tolerating but actually liking him; when he'd thought Gale might really blow himself up for their sakes, he'd felt— sad. The knowledge that he might never again tune out one of Gale's lectures on the flora of the Underdark or supposed Githyanki customs had made him morose.

Of course, he verbalizes none of this. Instead: ]

The City of Splendors? It does sound like the place for me.

[ Grand, influential, cosmopolitan. Exactly the sort of place he belongs. And— ] Perhaps we might pay a visit to that [ he waves a hand ] wizarding academy Gale has gone on about. They could be helpful to us.

[ 'To me', he means, really. ]