Trevor didn’t have to drive a lot back on Earth. His home was a stone’s throw away from work, and anything he needed could be purchased there. A car was a luxury that he couldn’t afford and didn't need. While he had gotten his license, it wasn’t much more than the least important card in his wallet.

Steering a wracor-pulled carriage was nothing like driving, and he found himself enjoying it a lot more. Honestly, the animals did most of the work. They were well trained and stayed on their side of the road while doing their best to avoid any of the rare potholes. Despite that, he found that steering them with the reins was a lot more satisfying.

They stopped around noon to feed and water the wracors and eat a light meal before resuming. Adabelle had been curious and impressed by the upgrade to Trevor’s Power, and he immediately believed that Temporal Dimensional Storage had been the right choice for that reason alone.

Not wanting to give up the driver’s seat just yet, Trevor volunteered to keep going. Adabelle agreed, not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, and began reading a book she had brought with her while he fixated on his task. As he got into the zone, he achieved a state of hyperfocus and time blew past.

After what seemed like minutes later, she tapped him on the shoulder. Trevor was pulled from his own mind to see that the sky was already beginning to turn orange. “Oh, is it that time already?” he asked.

“You’ve been driving for hours,” Adabelle stated, leaning over the wagon’s wall to rest her elbow on the back of the driver’s seat. “Did you fall asleep or something?”

“No, I was aware. Just focused, I guess,” he said with an apologetic grin. “Sorry if you were trying to get my attention.”

“I’ve been pretty absorbed in my book, but I still expected you to tell me to switch when you got tired.”

Shifting on the wooden seat, he realized that he was feeling somewhat numb. “I didn’t even realize it until now. Sorry, lady.”

“What are you sorry about?” Adabelle laughed. “I don’t care much for driving, so if that’s what you want to do then be my guest. What I wanted to bring to your attention is that we’re almost there,” she said as she pointed forward.

Trevor looked ahead to see a small walled off area ahead. Squinting to get a better look, he saw that there was a sign that stated this was the Halffle Inn. “Something around these parts they need walls for?” he asked, looking around for any potential threats. The area was fairly heavily wooded, but nothing stood out.

“Used to, back when things weren’t nearly as safe,” Adabelle explained. “Now the gates are almost always open unless something like bandits happen.”

“Looks like the gate’s open, so I’m guessing the bandits aren’t a problem right now,” Trevor noted.

“Probably not, after Wayne and Rashie,” she said as she stood up, grabbing the side of the wagon for support. “Do you mind if I use you to steady myself?”

“Huh? No, go ahead.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Looking back, Trevor saw Adabelle grab her sword and walk back to the front of the wagon. She spun around and wrapped her tail around his arm before she attempted to attach the weapon's scabbard to her belt with both hands. The young man held firm as the wagon continued forward, and she was able to accomplish her task without falling down.

“It’s such a pain to keep on me on long trips, but I have an image to maintain,” Adabelle explained once she was sitting back down. “Future mayor of Tosa, noble adventurer, so on and so forth.”

“I’ll do my best not to embarrass you, Lady Adabelle,” Trevor said. “No promises, though.”

“You’ll do fine. It’s just the Halffle Inn, the real test will be the big city.”

“Am I going to get graded?”

“Would you be upset if I said yes?”

Trevor thought about this for a moment before shaking his head. “Nah. Just remember that, as my teacher, any failing grade I get is all on you.”

“Oh, is that how it is?” she laughed. “Then I guess tomorrow is going to be a long journey filled with etiquette lessons.”

“You know, that actually doesn’t sound half bad,” Trevor said. “Now how do I get these wracors into that gate shaped hole?”

Adabelle stepped over and sat with him in the driver’s seat. He shifted to make room before having to move over to the other side so that he wasn’t getting poked by her sword. She took the reins and gracefully glided the animals through the open gate. There had been plenty of room, and they stopped in front of the stables.

“Lady Adabelle,” greeted a young, slightly dirty halfling. He walked out of the stables and wiped the sweat from his short dark hair before gesturing towards the animals. “Can I take your wracors for ya?”

“Of course, Dill,” she replied as she stepped down from the wagon. Trevor immediately recognized her tone as the one she used when dealing with other members of Tosa as an official of the town. “We are traveling to Eskretet to attend the festival, and we will return either the next day or the day after. I trust you can care for these two for us?”

“Yes, Lady Adabelle,” Dill replied as he started taking care of the wracors.

Trevor walked around back and picked up his backpack, sliding it on, as well as hers. She hadn’t made a move to grab it, but nodded to him when he did before walking towards the largest building inside the walls.

In addition to the stables, there was also an empty building labeled “Farrier,” which Trevor wasn’t sure what it was for but there were a ton of horseshoes scattered about. The Halffle Inn, where they were heading now, was a long, two story building that was made from the same type of wood as the walls. He could hear people speaking loudly, as well as the sound of some stringed instrument playing.

As Dill worked with the wracors, Adabelle headed straight inside. Trevor was immediately greeted by the smell of fresh bread, cooked beef, mead, and the curious glances of the few patrons sitting around. He took a tentative step into the building.

It was warm with a fireplace roaring in the corner. The dining room was small, with only six or so tables. Half of them were occupied. Trevor saw the stairs leading upwards to where he assumed most of the rooms were. In the back was a short bar and a hallway leading to a kitchen and a few more doors.

A pair of white-scaled kobolds sat close to the fireplace, eating and drinking without so much as looking up at the new arrivals. There were a few humans sitting with an elf, and what looked like a family of halflings, all of whom did look to see who was coming in. The children of the latter got up and ran towards Adabelle.

“Lady Addy!” they screamed in unison before latching onto her legs.

The larger child was dressed in trousers and a tunic with hair similar to Dill’s, while the other was in a simple brown dress with long black hair. They couldn’t have been more than a foot and a half tall, and Trevor realized he hadn’t seen a halfling child before. A quick glance showed that their father and mother were grinning, and he assumed Adabelle came here often enough to be well known.

“Good evening, Rupert, Jewel,” Adabelle greeted in return, confirming his suspicions. She squatted down to give them hugs even as she looked back at Trevor. “In the front pouch of my pack, I have something for these two. Please get them for me.”

“Yes, Lady Adabelle,” Trevor replied stiffly, suddenly unsure how he should be addressing her in public.

He did as he was told and opened up the front pouch to reveal two long, craggy sticks of a hard blue substance that looked very similar to rock candy. Adabelle nodded and Trevor offered them to the children. They both let go of the woman to grab them before running off towards the back of the building.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“You’d best be putting those away for later, children,” their mother warned before she and the father stood up.

“It’s good to see you again, Lady Adabelle,” the man said as he bowed. “And with a new friend as well. I am Reed, and this is my wife, Beth. Those were our children, Rupert and Jewel, and I imagine you met our eldest, Dill, outside.”

“Trevor Anderson, sir,” the young man responded with a bow of his own. “And yes, we did.”

“A pleasure, sir,” Beth said, bowing as well.

“Good evening, Reed and Beth. We’ll be staying the night and leaving first thing in the morning,” Adabelle informed them.

“Heading for the festival, I suppose,” Reed stated. “Did you come from Tosa just today?”

“We did.”

“Let me get you some dinner, then, I’m sure you two are starving,” Beth said before heading to the kitchen without confirmation.

“Thank you, Beth,” Adabelle said.

The children rushed out of the back and returned to their table before they began eating their meals as fast as they could. Trevor saw that both Reed and Beth’s meals were only half eaten, and felt a twinge of guilt for interrupting their meal. He didn’t act on it, though, following Adabelle’s lead.

“Well, come on and join us,” Reed said as he gestured at them to sit at the table. Adabelle didn’t hesitate, and Trevor followed.

As soon as they sat down, their packs set under the table, two plates were placed in front of them. Beth seemed to appear out of thin air, startling Trevor before the smell of the food reached him. He looked down to see what looked like beef roast with red potatoes, carrots, and onions. Forks and knives were already on the plate, and the halfling woman place a hand on either of their elbows.

“The usual for you, I take it?” she asked Adabelle, who smiled and nodded. “And you, sir?”

“Oh, just Trevor is fine, Mrs. Beth,” he said on reflex. “But, just water for me.”

“Right away,” Beth said before returning to the back.

“Done!” Rupert exclaimed. He took his empty plate, jumped off of the chair that was too tall for him, and ran to the back.

“Not fair!” Jewel yelled. She still hadn’t finished. “I want to eat candy, too!”

“Once you’re done with dinner, Jewel,” Reed said, giving his daughter a fatherly smile.

“I do, too,” Trevor admitted with a conspiratorial whisper, sharing a look of solidarity with the small halfling girl.

Trevor shifted his gaze to his food as he began to eat. Flavor exploded in his mouth, and he let out an involuntary moan at the taste. Adabelle stifled a laugh, and he saw out of the corner of his eye that she had been watching him intensely. He hadn’t expected the food to be so good out in the middle of nowhere, but the more he ate the more he understood her fascination.

After watching his reaction, Adabelle began to eat as well. He had been around her enough to know her different faces, and he could tell that she was holding back her true feelings about the food as she continued to act in her official capacity. It only took a minute or so, but Beth returned with a tall glass of water and a wine glass filled with something red.

“This is absolutely divine,” Trevor told the halfling woman as she walked around to her spot at the table.

“Beth’s the best chef in Eskretet,” Reed said proudly.

“Oh, hush, you,” she replied, playfully striking him on the shoulder. “You’ve been saying that since you courted me, and it’s nothing but flattery.”

“Well, even if it’s not, then it has to be close,” Trevor said between bites.

“Not you, too!” Beth laughed.

“Trevor is a firm believer in the power of praise,” Adabelle stated before she drank from her glass.

“A good man, that’s what I say,” Reed said, raising his glass towards Trevor. “Any who praise Beth’s cooking gets a pass in my book.”

“A pass?” Trevor asked, though he raised his glass back.

“Yes. You’re an adventurer like Lady Adabelle, right?” Reed asked back. “There are some that are less than savory, but I can already tell you’re a good sort.”

“Oh no, sir. I’m just a courier.”

“My mistake, I thought I saw some of a tattoo peeking out of your sleeve there. I’m sorry for prying.”

Trevor shook his head. “No, I am Summoned, I’m just not an adventurer.”

“That’s rare these days,” Beth remarked. “So many are brought into this world, figure out that they can level up by doing a few quests, and they just try so hard.”

“It’s an intoxicating feeling,” Trevor admitted. “But, I don’t know. I’d rather not go out to fight things. I know it’s necessary to have adventurers, what with monsters existing, but there are plenty of other ways to help people.”

“You’ve got that right, sir,” Reed chuckled.

“Please, Mr. Reed, call me Trevor.”

“Done!” Jewel exclaimed just as her brother had before. She stood up on the chair, grabbed her plate, and carefully climbed down before running towards the back. “Thank you, Lady Addy!”

“You’re welcome, Jewel,” Adabelle said with a smile before looking at Reed and Beth. “You’ve raised your children well. Spoiling them is always a treat.”

“Thank you for your gift,” Beth said. “They always love it when you Tosa folk come out.”

“I’m just glad Rashie’s learned to take things easier,” Reed chuckled. When Trevor looked confused, he elaborated. “She would roughhouse with them a lot when she first arrived. Before she had a lot of level ups, so it wasn’t nearly as harmful, but she had to learn the hard way what her strength could do to ordinary people, let alone children.”

“That sounds like it was a terrible lesson,” Trevor stated, cringing.

“It was, but it’s all water under the bridge now,” he continued. “Never seen a Summoned bawl that hard before, thinking we were going to toss her out and never let her have Beth’s cooking again. She tried to give us every healing potion she owned, though it only took one to fix up Rupert’s arm.”

“Still amuses me to this day that my cooking was what worried her the most,” Beth said with a shake of her head.

“Rashie’s always been very food oriented,” Adabelle said apologetically. “She’s gotten a lot better, though it probably hasn’t been too long since you’ve seen her.”

“That girl dragged Wayne here every other day when out looking for those bandits,” Reed chuckled. “We had to order extra food knowing she was going to come back, but it’s always good to see them. Wayne also tinkered with our music box and managed to fix it up.”

Reed’s words made Trevor realize that he was hearing that soft, comforting music, but there was no one playing an instrument in sight. “Oh, man. The atmosphere is so nice I didn’t even realize there wasn’t a musician.”

“It’s a magical device in the basement,” Beth explained. “Wayne helped with that, too. He built tubes from the music box up to the floorboards that let the sound travel everywhere in the room.”

“We still have no idea how it works, but it does and Wayne’s been welcome ever since,” Reed continued. “Everyone is welcome, of course, but there are some things you’re just grateful for.”

“Speaking of being grateful,” Adabelle started as she pushed her empty plate away. “Thank you very much for the meal. I believe I’ll be retiring for the night. We’ve had a long day of traveling and an early start.”

Trevor looked down at the last piece of meat on his plate and quickly ate it before standing up and grabbing their packs. “Thank you very much,” he said. “How much do we owe you?”

“Lady Adabelle and her guests always eat free,” Reed claimed. “She has done a lot for us, after all.”

“So long as you’re sure,” Trevor said with a nod.

Standing up, Adabelle stifled a yawn before looking back down at Beth and Reed. “Are the usual rooms available?”

“Yes, Lady Adabelle,” Beth answered. “You and Trevor can take whichever ones you please.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a bow, which Trevor echoed. “Then we’ll see you in the morning.”

After saying their good nights, Trevor followed Adabelle up the stairs. “Usual rooms?” he asked.

“Reinforced, essentially,” she explained as she paused at the top of the stairs. “Because we can get so much tougher than the average person, a lot of inns and taverns have one or two rooms specifically for them to prevent things from getting broken. It happens a lot more with newer Summoned who have increased their Strength but haven’t learned to control it yet. It became a popular trend.”

“It sounds really handy,” Trevor stated. “Are there enough Summoned to warrant something like that?”

“There are,” she confirmed. “But only because they travel more often than normal people. Quests send them all over, after all.”

“I can see that.”

Tearing his eyes away from Adabelle, he saw that there were ten rooms up here. The first two closest to the stairs were labeled One and Two in gold lettering, while Three through Ten were farther away in silver. The woman moved to room One before turning around and holding her hand out.

“Um, yes?” Trevor asked.

“My pack?” she asked in return, arching an eyebrow.

“Oh, right. Yeah, that makes sense,” he said as he handed it to her.

“You can take room Two, and we’ll head out after breakfast.”

“Are you going to be okay in the morning?” Trevor asked nervously. “I mean, with the basically sleep walking and-“

“Don’t worry,” Adabelle interrupted, smiling. “But thank you for your concern. I have ways to wake myself up in the morning when I’m not home.”

“Okay, good. Then, I guess this is good night.”

“Good night, Trevor,” Adabelle said before opening the door, walking in, and closing it behind her.

“Good night, lady,” he said back before turning and entering his room.