Chapter 40

**Inside a certain Steamstrider**

Xain's fingers drummed nervously on the steamstrider's steering wheel as his eyes darted to every shadow on the road. His entire body was tense, ready for trouble. "It's too calm… something's bound to happen any minute now," he muttered to himself, scanning the horizon. As the road split ahead into a fork, Xain knew to take the left path—he'd memorized the map down to every detail. But his mind was racing, desperate to predict whatever chaos was coming. 

"Got it!" he said, a grin spreading across his face. "Bandits! They're going to ambush us right when we hit the turn. Or maybe… werewolves! Yeah, they'll come charging out from the woods, fangs bared, trying to rip us apart!" He wagged his finger in excitement. "Ku ku ku, but I'm ready this time. Nothing will catch me off guard today."

His whole body tensed as the steamstrider neared the fork, bracing for the inevitable clash. And yet… nothing. Xain glanced around, confusion plastered across his face as they passed through the fork without a single hitch.

"Eh? Was I wrong?" he said aloud, scratching his head as he looked back at the fork that was now behind them. He turned his attention back to the road, but the disappointment lingered. *Is it really going to be calm today?* he thought, shaking his head to clear it.

"No!" He clapped his hands together as if piecing together a brilliant plan. "Something's coming. It always does. Now, I just have to figure out what..." He rubbed his chin in thought before his eyes widened with another idea. "I got it! Amara! She figured out where we're heading and she's going to intercept us, throw a fireball right at us!" He grinned like he'd cracked some grand mystery.

Xain squinted at the horizon, almost daring the fireball to appear. "Any second now," he muttered under his breath. His eyes darted to every possible movement, knuckles white as he gripped the wheel tighter, waiting for the explosion of flames. "Any second…"

Five minutes passed.

"...Now?"

Still nothing.

*Is it seriously going to be a calm day!?* he screamed inwardly, his sanity teetering.

Finally, Ercale's voice boomed in his head, his frustration boiling over. *For the love of the fucking gods, ape! Shut the fuck up!* The Demon Lord's shout rang through Xain's skull, causing him to jump, nearly swerving the steamstrider in the process.

"Geez, alright! I'm just trying to stay prepared!" Xain muttered defensively, though he couldn't stop a sheepish grin from forming.

Ercale let out a long, exasperated sigh, *By the pits of Hell and the peaks of Heaven, you're driving me insane with all this constant worrying!* he snapped, his voice laced with irritation. Xain chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

*You're having a non-chaotic day for once, so just calm the hell down and stay quiet,* Ercale continued, the fatigue in his voice unmistakable.

*I'm trying,* Xain replied defensively. *But you know how things have been these past few days. Something always happens! We're constantly getting thrown into some sort of conflict. Sometimes it feels like we're living in an action-adventure book or novel...* His voice trailed off as he glanced to the side, staring at nothing.

Ercale's irritation flared again. *Why are you pausing? And where the hell are you looking? There's nothing there!*

Snapping out of his pointless reverie, Xain cleared his throat. *It's just… hard for me to relax, alright?*

*Nothing's going to happen,* Ercale retorted, trying to sound reassuring but mostly coming off as irritated. *Stop being so paranoid. And if you can't stop, at least keep it to yourself and quit yelling in your head. It's giving me a headache.*

Xain let out a long breath, his lips curling into a smile. *Oh, Erkie, always thinking about your own comfort, aren't you?* He teased with a smirk, feeling Ercale shrug inside his mind.

*I'm a Demon Lord, ape. Of course, I'm selfish,* Ercale shot back, his tone dry and matter-of-fact. Xain let out a slow exhale, his grin widening.

Xain exhaled, a light chuckle escaping his lips. *Sure, sure, Mr. Fight a vampire and free a city just to repay an apple,* he retorted with playful sarcasm. Ercale fell silent, his lack of response signaling the end of their conversation. 

"Heh, couldn't come up with a retort for that this time," Xain laughed to himself, feeling a rare sense of victory over the sharp-tongued Demon Lord. He reached into his thieves garb pocket (Grace had repaired his thieves garb before they were headed to the mansion) and pulled out his chronoscope, flipping it open. The worn gears within spun steadily as the hands neared 2:40 in the afternoon.

"Hmm, we should eat soon," he muttered, clicking the chronoscope shut and tucking it back into his pocket. His mind flickered to the map he had memorized.

"It should come up any second now..." Xain murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the road ahead. Sure enough, as expected, a building slowly came into view in the distance.