Reinfried appeared behind the imperials. He wore official armor decorated with crests and had an assertive look on his face. His arrival forced the imperials to lower their swords, albeit reluctantly. They exchanged a few words with him before they turned and walked away.

“Welcome back, Lance,” Reinfried smiled.

“It’s good to see you again.” I smiled back.

“You too. And who might this be?”

I introduced Rick and then suggested the three of us board the carriage.

“I’m afraid we can’t,” Reinfried said as the Imperial Guard eyed us from a distance. “Do you mind if we walk from here?”

Of course, his suggestion was our only option. We told the driver to return for us tomorrow and started to walk. We passed by small wooden fences and charred houses. Ash flew in the air with every gust, and soot was mixed with the mud on the ground. The Imperial Guard was omnipresent.

“It’s a mess, isn’t it?” Reinfried said.

“We did our best,” I said. “It’s all because of Faust.”

“I heard from Demetrius about the fight. You were a hero.”

“For once, I stole the show from him.”

A short pause followed before Reinfried said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

“What are you saying? You were injured and exhausted.”

“A hero during a crisis or a hero during peace—which do you think is more important?”

That’s a difficult question. I wrung my brain and tried to find the right answer. Before I could reply, however, Reinfried continued, “Many people will leave Ashenbrook after what happened.”

“I guess that’s normal,” I said. “And what will you do? Will you leave too?”

“No, I don’t think I can ever leave this cursed town,” Reinfried laughed. “Serena loved it, and my men sacrificed their lives to protect it. All my hopes and regrets are here in Ashenbrook.”

It seems Reinfried has made up his mind.

“You were the hero during the crisis, Lance,” he continued. “And, well, although it might seem childish, I want to be the hero during peace. Do you think I’m fit for the role?”

“There’s no better candidate.” I grinned. “Yeah, I can already see it.”

Reinfried laughed and said, “Next time you visit Ashenbrook, come challenge me to another duel. We haven’t broken the tie, remember?”

I laughed and said, “You won’t beat me, even if you use Channeling.”

“And I don’t know what in the world you two are talking about,” Rick suddenly interrupted. “Who’s this ‘Serena’? What duel? What Channeling?”

“It’s a long story, Rick. I’m too tired to explain,” I said teasingly.

Reinfried stopped and said, “We’ve arrived.”

There it was: Marie’s house, the inn. It had survived the destruction and stood amid blackened debris and trampled flowers. The fascia read, “The Bearded Fox,” and I stifled a laugh. Some things never change, no matter what happens.

“Marie’s been worried about you,” Reinfried said. “If it hadn’t been for the curfew enforced by the Imperial Guard, she would’ve left for Azuria.”

“Well, Marie worries too much.” I reached to open the inn’s door but then stopped halfway, noticing that Reinfried was walking away. “Where are you going?”

“The castle.” Giving me his back, he waved goodbye. “I can’t let the Imperial Guard manage the town alone.”

“Come on, you don’t have to go now. Stay for an hour or two.”

“A lot needs to be done to rebuild Ashenbrook. And I’m not that great with goodbyes.”

“I’ll come back for a second duel, Reinfried. You just wait for me!”

Waving his hand one last time, Reinfried disappeared around the street corner.

“There he goes,” Rick said.

After this abrupt farewell, I opened the inn’s door. It creaked and announced that there were visitors. As soon as Rick and I stepped inside, little girls leaped at us from all directions.

“Marie! We have visitors!” A ten-year-old grabbed my leg and wouldn’t let go. “You were in the dark place, right?”

“It’s Lance! It’s Lance!” Another girl pulled my shirt. “Dancey Lancey!”

“What’s this thing?” Another stole my badge and shook it violently.

“Rick, help!” I turned around, but he was in a worse situation. One of the girls had climbed up his back and sat on his shoulders. Another two were punching him in the stomach.

“Girls! What are you doing?” a voice said from another room.

“Marie’s here! Run!” the little ones shouted and scattered.

Marie walked in, but she didn’t chase after them.

“Lance!” With a cheerful smile on her face, she gave me a long hug. “I’m glad you’re safe. They said you weren’t waking up, and I couldn’t go to Azuria to see you.”

“I’m sorry, Marie.” I patted her head. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

As I said these words, I could feel an intense glare. Marie opened her eyes and found Rick staring at her. Her cheeks flushed red. She let go of me, took a step back, and looked away.

“I just got a bit worried! I mean, Lance isn’t really dependable!” She delivered the first punch, and Rick nodded. “He’s too rash!” She followed with a roundhouse, and Rick nodded again. “It’s impossible to trust him!” She finished with a quick hook, and I was knocked out. Rick announced her as the winner.

Gabriel and Thea, Marie’s parents, were next to walk into the crowded room. At first, they thought that the imperials were back for an inspection, but then they saw me and changed their scowls into radiant smiles.

“The town’s hero!” Gabriel gave me a pat on the back. “We’ve heard about what you did. You showed those cultists they can’t toy with people’s lives!”

“Sit down. I’ll get you something to drink,” Thea said.

Rick and I chose a small table.

“Who are all these girls?” I said.

“The poor angels. Faust had them locked up in the castle,” Gabriel said as he took a seat. “Few houses survived the destruction, and the inn’s rooms were vacant, so I decided to take them in for now.”

Now I remember where I’ve seen the little devils… Wait a minute! I jumped in my seat. “Is Erica here?”

“Erica?” Marie asked.

“The blond thief who took all my belongings!”

“You’re still blabbering about that?” Rick said, slightly angry.

“I wasn’t lying, Rick.”

“There was a girl called Erica,” Gabriel said. “You reminded me. Wait here.”

He left for the upper floor. I heard constant rattling with intermittent thumps. Then he came back holding several bags. It can’t be. I looked at them in disbelief. They were mud-stained and torn, but I recognized them with ease.

“Lance, these are yours, aren’t they?” Gabriel said. “Erica left them with me before she took off. She wanted me to tell you not to search for her.”

I took a look inside one of the bags and found my belongings intact.

“She sneaked past the Imperial Guard without breaking a sweat,” Gabriel continued. “I’ve never seen someone move like her.”

She returned all the things she stole from me. What kind of thief does that? I turned to Rick and shoved the bags into his arms. “Do you believe me now? It wasn’t a goblin or a mermaid; it was a blond thief!”

“Fine! Fine! I was wrong, Lance,” Rick said, putting the bags down. “But you can keep this. Demetrius already paid your debts.”

“What?”

“You completed the quest.”

“Oh, right… Wait, so I’m rich now?”

“No, just less poor,” Rick said, and everyone laughed.

We spent the rest of the day talking about many things. We first discussed what would happen to Ashenbrook. Then the conversation became more light-hearted as Rick and I retold our adventures in the labyrinths. The girls gathered around us in a circle and listened attentively, bouncing and hiding whenever Aberrations were mentioned. Before I realized it, the sun had already set, and Rick and I headed to our rooms.

I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.

I reflected on the joyful conversations that filled the day. Everyone had scars after the Ashenbrook crisis but was still able to smile. And the smiles were enough to give me hope that the future would be better. The orphaned girls had a difficult life ahead of them, but I knew that if they stuck together, they could overcome all the obstacles in their path.

Maybe some of them would become adventurers like me.

My thoughts kept me awake until midnight. That’s when I heard gentle knocks on my door. Someone was tapping the wood to check whether I was still awake. I wore my clothes, opened the door, and found Marie in front of me.

“Did I wake you up?” She looked away shyly.

“No, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Well, me too. The little girls had so much fun that they refused to go to bed, and when they finally did, the sleep was gone from my eyes. You’re leaving for Azuria tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah, the guild disbanded, and I have to start looking for jobs.”

“Does this mean I won’t see you again?” Marie looked at me with beautiful clear eyes.

“No, I’ll visit Ashenbrook every once in a while, and I’ll stay in touch.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yeah, and after the curfew is over, I’ll take you to see Azuria.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she smiled. Then, after a moment of silence, she added, “Um, I should probably let you sleep. I’m sorry for disturbing you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I said and felt for the doorknob.

Before I could close the door again, however, Marie called, “Lance.” When I looked up, her face was close to mine. I froze as she planted a soft kiss on my cheek. “This is for you to remember our promise.” She hurried off to her room with flushed cheeks.

I tried to close the door and return to bed, but my body didn’t respond. An hour I spent in total paralysis. Two more. Four more. The sun was out, and liveliness returned to the inn. “Where’s Lance? Is he still asleep?” Rick shouted. “The driver is waiting outside to walk us to the carriage.” He stamped across the landing, saw the open door, and found me standing like a statue. “I didn’t expect to find you awake.”

“Huh? Rick! What? Is it already morning?”

“Yes, sleepyhead, we’re going back to Azuria.”

The inn’s crowd waved us goodbye at the front door.

“Take care!” Marie called.

“You too!” I said.

Then she and I looked down.

“Lance, your face is red. Is it because of your new power?”

“Shut up, Rick.”

The carriage was waiting outside Ashenbrook. Rick and I hopped in, and the driver whipped the horses. The Imperial Guard watched us from a distance with disapproving eyes. But I didn’t pay them much attention. I could only think of what awaited me in Azuria.

“What’s your plan now, Lance?” Rick said as the carriage drove on.

“Plan? Have I ever needed plans in my life?”

“Good point. Let me rephrase: what will you do now?”

“I’ll look for clients. And if I’m lucky, they’ll send me to an uncharted area of the labyrinths.”

“Well, how about I come along?” Rick said.

“Why?”

“To curb your irresponsibility.”

“Come on, Rick! I’m the most responsible person you’ve met in your life.”

“Do you even believe what you’re saying?” Rick scoffed. “I’ll come along and make sure you do things the right way. No slacking! No random exploring! No blonds! No redheads!”

I opened the carriage’s door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Rick grabbed me before I jumped out.

“What do you think? I’m running away! If you want to supervise people so badly, go start your own guild! Not that I’ll join!”

“Suit yourself, Lance, but there’s this quest that I have.” Rick unrolled a half-drawn map. “It involves an unexplored northwestern cavern.”

“I’m in!” I sat back and closed the door. “Give me the details.”

“Well, they say that the passage had been blocked for years, but the mages broke through the thick ice a few days ago…”

As he explained the details, the carriage continued homeward.