My breath came out in heavy gulfs as I pumped my arms faster and faster, trying to outrun my fatigue and failing little by little. The misty dawn air stuck to my face and chest as I ran, condensing into tiny droplets that ran down my neck as the heavy moisture in the air lingered in my chest.

I turned the corner of Taela St, passing a slew of upper-scale merchant shops as the sun peeked over the tall buildings in front of me. I kept at it, even as my body started screaming in protest.

Just a little longer.

My hair fell in my face and ticked my eyebrows as I raced over the smooth cobblestone street before turning at the large gate that led to my home. My house was straight back, less than half a mile to go.

I put an extra burst of speed into my run just so I could make it home that much quicker, and by the time I reached my front steps, I was sucking down air, and my heart was hammering a thousand beats a minute in my chest. I doubled over with my hands on my knees as the fatigue rolled through me.

It took a few long moments before I could function again, and when I stood to wipe my brow, Caldwell had joined me on the front lawn.

“Here you go, sir,” he said, holding out both a towel and a large glass of water.

I accepted both gladly and drained the water before toweling off.

“Thank you, Caldwell.”

“Of course, sir.” He smiled at me and motioned to the door. “Breakfast is ready, sir, and I do believe that miss Rosewyn is up as well.”

I chuckled. “It’s just past dawn. If she’s awake, then hell must have frozen over.”

When I was no longer dripping, I went inside and, following Caldwell, entered the dining room.

It was a large, elegant room, holding only a small bar nestled against the pristine white wall and a single long banquet table that mostly ever served the servants and me. The table was set, and a veritable feast awaited me.

And true to his word, Charlie was sitting at the table, her inky purple hair in disarray and her nearly sheer negligee hung off her shoulder.

As I entered, she yawned and picked up a cup of coffee, taking a large gulp. “I don’t see how by the light of Teras, you get up this early on a daily basis.” She set her cup down and glanced over at me. “And you’re exercising? Who are you?”

I laughed and sat down next to her. “I have to keep in shape. It’s too easy for me to sit around the house all day when I’m not working, so I like to keep active…well, within reason.”

As I sat down, I snagged a fresh biscuit from the stack on the table and plopped it in my mouth, and chewing. I was never hungry right after a run, but I needed the energy.

“What time are we leaving?”

She shook her head. “In an hour or so. Train doesn’t leave for a while yet.” Charlie turned to me and sniffed. “Though I recommend a shower, you stink.”

“And you’re no springtime rose yourself.” I grinned. “Well, I’ll let you enjoy your breakfast in peace.”

“You’re not going to eat?” she asked.

I pointed at the half-eaten biscuit on my plate. “Just did. I’ll see you in a few.”

Hot water sounded appealing, so I headed up to my bathroom and went to take a bath. It was simple, unadorned, with a large stone basin sunk into the floor that was already filled with steaming water thanks to my ever-attentive maid staff.

The water worked out all the kinks in my body as I took my time. Though I had to admit that whatever Charlie had done the night before had eased a lot of my usual pains.

She’d said it was temporary, and while some of the pain had returned, I was still feeling better than I had in years.

And if I tell her, she’ll never let me hear the end of it. I grinned as I brushed my sopping hair back. But she’s good at what she does. Always has been.

It’d been too many years since we’d worked together, but it was only fitting that we were together on our very last quest together.

When I was done bathing, I dried off, and I dressed in a set of comfortable black underclothes. Caldwell had retrieved my mithril from where I’d hung it up last night and brought it to my room.

The simple vest, shirt, and pants laid across my bed, as light as a feather.

What to wear today?

It took me only a moment before I decided. I leaned over and brushed my hand across the fabric, spilling a small amount of mana through my fingers, and the style of my clothes changed in an instant.

My shirt was still white, but I’d changed the design a bit, while my vest was now a deep royal blue matching my dress pants.

It was the same color as the lapis lazuli scabbard for Silverblade. And it seemed a fitting outfit.

After I dressed, I combed my hair and beard, then, one last time, I donned Silverblade. Its weight settled on my hip, and I rested my hand on the pommel. I checked my pocket watch and sighed.

“Guess it’s time to go.”

Charlie met me at the bottom of the stairwell. She’d dressed too, and her hair was now silky smooth, tied back in a neat ponytail. Her outfit was similar to what she’d worn last night, but it was a little nicer. Her shirt was a deep maroon under her leather corset. It matched the belt around her waist that held Ashenwand and a few small vials of potions.

She beamed at me as I came down the stairs.

“At least you clean up nice,” she said and held out her hand. “Now, let’s go. I want to get some good seats on the train.”

I grumbled for a second before I begrudgingly took her hand, and she wound her arm around mine, sticking close to me.

“Don’t we just make the best pair? I look like your beloved daughter,” she said with a wide smile.

“More like my granddaughter.” I chuckled and turned to Caldwell, who waited by the banister. “We’re off. You’re in charge of the household until I return.”

He nodded. “We will all be waiting anxiously for that day. May Lafael guide your travels.”

“God bless,” I replied with a smirk that matched Caldwell’s.

It was a little game of ours.

With Charlie on my arm, the two of us left the mansion.

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The train station lay on the outskirts of Weswood, so we had a bit of a walk ahead of us. Though it was midmorning, and most of the shops and stalls on this side of town didn’t open until around ten or eleven.

“Huh, it’s quiet out. Is it usually like this?” Charlie asked.

I nodded. “It’s the closest this town has to a noble quarter. Most of the residents are very wealthy, so they tend to sleep in. And if your customers are sleeping in, might as well do the same.”

“How odd.”

“It took some time to get used to.” I shrugged as our footsteps echoed around the empty street around us. “If I need anything badly enough, I usually head to Lowtown. They usually get up at the crack of dawn.”

“Hmm.”

Charlie was quiet the rest of the way. As we reached the outer gate of Weswood, the guards glanced at our waists and quickly opened the gate to let us pass. I gave them a nod as we went through.

Once we were outside, it was a straight shot to the station. In fact, the train was already there, waiting for the passengers.

It was a simple passenger train with a slew of long cars behind the steam engine. The black paint was fresh, and the name of the train company was embossed in large golden letters along the side.

Whittaker Continental Railway.

So named after a long-dead hero from my world who’d been a train enthusiast and brought the design over when he was summoned.

It was a model train, and if the inside matched the outside, it would be a pleasant journey to the capital.

“Oh here,” Charlie suddenly said from beside me. “I almost forgot.”

She reached into her storage space, and as the swirling purple vortex faded, she pulled out two small slips of white paper.

“Your ticket. I took the liberty of already paying for them, so we don’t have to wait in line.”

Charlie handed me mine as we approached the Ticketmaster. He was a balding man, just a few years younger than I was, but he was impeccably dressed as he took tickets from the small line of people in front of him.

The two of us got in behind the others, and before long, it was our turn. He barely glanced at us as we handed him our tickets and boarded the train.

Whether thinking ahead or just by pure happenstance, Charlie had purchased our tickets for one of the luxury cars. It was the same size as the normal ones but only had four seats, where most had fifteen or more. The rest of the space was dominated by small beds and a private washroom.

It was all posh, and while not as extravagant as my mansion, it was nice enough that we would travel in luxury on our three-day trip to the capital.

That thought struck a chord in me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Charlie asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing, I was just thinking that this car would suffice for our trip, yet I can remember when we went everywhere on horseback and camped under the stars. I guess I’ve forgotten what that was like.”

“Well, living in the lap of luxury will do that to you, but it’s not like you haven’t earned your retirement. After everything we all went through, we all deserved some rest and relaxation.”

I snorted. “Damn straight. If defeating the demon lord and saving the world doesn’t earn you a vacation, then I’d have rioted.”

We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Charlie walked over to the bunk beds and flopped down on the mattress. She propped up on her hands and stuck her tongue out at me.

“I’ve missed this. Why haven’t we done this more often?” she asked.

I held a hand up and motioned to the wand at her waist. “Because of that. You’ve been too busy being a hero.” I shook my hand. “And saving lives is more important than spending time with a retired old fool like me.”

“Didn’t much look retired the other night when you whipped out Silverblade. You stood in that street resplendent in your armor like a fairytale knight. It was impressive.”

“Ugh.” I groaned at the thought.

I’d just been trying to put some fear into those punks. I didn’t know I had a damned audience when I did it.

“Why do you hate me?”

She slid me a sly grin as she rolled over on her stomach and kicked her legs in the air. “Because you make it so easy.” Charlie propped her hands under her chin. “What did you always use to call it when we started posturing? Chuuni─something?

“Ack.” I nearly choked, and then I groaned into my hands. “No, please don’t.”

“Chuunibyou. That’s it,” she said with a smirk.

“I so, so hate you.”

Charlie pouted before her grin turned ferocious. “What’s wrong, oh Silverblade Hero, Savior of Islavan? Vanquisher of the Dark Lord. Monster’s Bane. Master of Illusion.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up.”

She laughed loudly and thumped her feet on the bed before she popped up onto her knees and stuck her tongue out.

“See. Easy. C’mon Marcus, at least make it a challenge for me.”

“I’ll give you a challenge,” I grumbled under my breath.

Charlie just shook her head as her cheeks turned as crimson as her eyes, and she tried hard not to burst out laughing. “I’m flattered, but you’d probably break a hip in the attempt.”

I stopped when I caught her implication, and my face grew red. “So not what I meant.”

At that, Charlie couldn’t contain her laughter anymore and devolved into a fit of giggles as she rolled around on the bed.

While she behaved like a schoolgirl, I sat in one of the chairs and pulled out a book while I waited for the train to leave the station.

We left Weswood around half an hour later. And by that point, Charlie was fast asleep on the bottom bunk bed, which I didn’t mind, because it gave me a few short hours of respite from her antics and afforded me a small measure of peace and quiet.

Once the train began moving, I set my book aside for a few moments and glanced out the window as the scenery swept by. Lush green fields blooming with wildflowers and rolling hills surrounded the outskirts of Weswood in all directions.

It’d been a few years since I’d left the city, so I took in the beautiful sights while I could.

Later on, that day, when we’d been riding for a few hours, Charlie woke up and stretched while unleashing a massive yawn.

“How long was I asleep for?” she asked.

“Few hours, give or take.”

She nodded and came to rest on the side of the bed. She opened her mouth to speak when a loud rumbling came from her stomach.

“Hungry?” I asked with a laugh.

“Starved. You want some lunch?”

“I wouldn’t say no.”

“Excellent.” She beamed and rose off the bed. Charlie looked down at her disheveled appearance and frowned. She quickly swept her hands down her wrinkled clothes, trying to look presentable and failing. “Dammit, this is my favorite shirt too.

“Guess I have to change.”

I sighed and stood. “Come here.”

Charlie smirked and padded over to me. I willed some mana into my hands and brushed my hands over her shoulders and down her sides, careful of where I put my fingers. As I glided over the silky fabric, the lines and creases vanished instantly, and her clothes were perfect once more.

Not a strand out of place.

Charlie blushed slightly as my hands went to her hips, but she gave me a wide smile. “Thanks. I forgot how handy you were to have around.”

“Stay still. I’m not done yet.”

When her outfit was perfect, I moved my hands to her dark purple hair and ran my fingers through her scalp, turning her rat’s nest hair that was in chaos down her slim frame back to its straight perfection.

Charlie squirmed under my touch ever so slightly, and I fought to keep from grinning.

It serves you right for all your teasing.

In a few seconds, Charlie was just about perfect. She turned and walked into the small bathroom attached to our car and laughed in delight as she went to the mirror.

“I look damn good,” she said. “You’re a miracle worker, Marcus.”

“I know.” I smiled at her when she came back out. “But it won’t last long, an hour or so before my spell unravels.”

She nodded. “I remember. But I should be back well before then.”

Charlie blew me a kiss, laughed, and then rushed out of our room to go hunting for the dining car.

As soon as she left, I returned to my book and lost myself in the pages for another few minutes until Charlie came back with two plates piled high with a ton of food. She set them on the small table next to us and pointed at both plates, tapping her chin with her off-hand.

“Left one’s yours,” she said.

“The one with less food?”

She just grinned and picked up her plate. “Maybe. But there’s still plenty. And you should eat, especially after using magic.”

I held my hand up and waved her off. “Little spells like that don’t bother me anymore.” But it had been hours since I’d eaten, and my stomach was growling. “Guess I am a little peckish.”

“Well, dig in!”

The two of us ate out fill. Well, I ate my fill, and the Charlie devoured whatever I didn’t eat. Then we sat back and chatted for a while, catching up.

I didn’t have much to offer her since my life had turned into one long monotonous routine, but Charlie had a thousand new adventurers to tell me about since we’d seen each other last.

We talked into the early hours of the morning and then fell asleep when we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore.

Then next day on the train passed much as the first. We relaxed and chatted for a bit, stopping at Braer to pick up a few more passengers, and then it was nothing but wild flatlands for fifty miles until we reached civilization once more.

The day passed quickly and turned to midday quicker than expected with Charlie to keep me company. We’d fallen back into old habits, and it was like no time at all had passed between us.

We kept our conversations up until the rhythmic motion of the train changed. It was small but sudden enough that both Charlie and I noticed. We turned to one another, and she shrugged.

“We reach Haleia already?” She shook her head. “No way. Way too soon.”

I nodded.

We had at least another full day of riding before we reached our destination, and there were no more towns or stops in this direction until we reached the capital or one of the outlying towns right next door.

No. This far out, we shouldn’t be stopping.

The thought hit both of us simultaneously, and we turned to one another and spoke at the same time.

“Trouble.”

Charlie grinned at me. “Let’s go find out what’s up and see if two has-been heroes can lend a hand.”