37
Chapter 37
'As expected, the Empire really is the Empire.'
Seeing the scene unfold before my eyes, I couldn't help but think that.
Lately, it felt like they were being underestimated after taking hits from Black Fang. But they were definitely not an organization to be trifled with.
The Mana Train boarding station.
An uneasy atmosphere hung in the air.
The reason was quite simple.
It was a checkpoint, what else could it be?
'They're seriously thorough to the point of being vicious.'
An organization like Black Fang wouldn't use a Mana Train when visiting the Black Market.
Because it would leave a record of entry and exit.
A secret organization wouldn't act so carelessly.
So naturally, I thought this side would actually be off their radar.
It seemed the Empire didn't want to let even the slightest possibility slip by.
'This is troublesome.......'
I couldn't help but think that.
Those paranoid bastards were blindly poking around at everything, and by sheer coincidence, they hit the jackpot.
I did think that maybe I shouldn't have taken the train in this situation.
'Not taking it would be even more suspicious, so there's no choice.'
The Mana Train's boarding records.
There would definitely be a record of Ms. Rubia and me coming here.
But not taking the train only when returning?
That's practically singing "please suspect me."
Of course, at first they might just dismiss it as casualties. Seeing that we didn't take the return train, they might think we died in the Black Market.
But there's no way a Noble like Ms. Rubia wouldn't attract attention.
Naturally, the fact that she's alive would be revealed eventually.
Then Ms. Rubia would suddenly be suspected of being Black Fang.
So the decision to take the train was definitely the right one.
We were just unlucky.
But.......
'Well, I expected this to some extent.'
That's only natural.
It's not like I'm an idiot. I wouldn't have impersonated Black Fang without any countermeasures in place.
Of course, I had made plans for exactly this kind of situation.
I quickly scanned my surroundings, assessing the situation.
"M-My child is injured!"
"I'm sorry, but you cannot leave until the inspection is over."
Right on cue, the sound of an argument reached my ears.
It was a dispute between Noble parents whose child was injured during the attack and a man who appeared to be the station manager.
It seemed they needed to catch a train to the Temple quickly before her condition worsened.
A smile naturally formed on my lips.
Whether the heavens were helping me or not, the perfect incident had occurred at the perfect time.
I swiftly stepped between the two arguing parties.
"Excuse me... I'm very sorry, but how long will this inspection take?"
I asked as politely and respectfully as I could.
The man replied with a typical answer in a consistently stiff tone.
A textbook response to cover his own hide.
He said he didn't know when it would be over, and that we couldn't leave this place for any reason until the procedure was finished.
Typical bureaucratic nonsense about rules being rules.
"I'm really sorry, but... our younger sister is very sick as well."
I said that and pointed at Ciel.
I didn't even need to tell Ciel to act.
Well, she was actually sick.
Her habit of not showing her pain was troublesome at times like this.
I thought she was fine because she looked so nonchalant, but it turned out she had been pushing herself.
I was genuinely startled when she suddenly collapsed while we were walking.
Furthermore, perhaps because she had exerted herself more than at the Mining Site last time, her condition was worse than before.
'Well, fortunately, I equipped her with three decent stamina-supporting Artifacts. As long as she gets some rest, she'll be fine.'
Judging purely by Ciel's outward appearance, anyone would think she was half-dead.
"The answer is still no. Regulations are regulations."
The stubborn response came back once again.
This guy was seriously relentless. At this point, most people would have just let it go.
Did he really not feel an ounce of sympathy looking at her?
But... that didn't really matter to me.
"Are you doing this inspection because you're worried Black Fang might be hiding among us?"
I asked again.
The mother next to me must have felt a sudden sense of solidarity, as she yelled that it was completely absurd.
She fumed, asking if a Terrorist would just casually ride a train, and if they were trying to kill her child over such nonsense.
While I didn't step up like that lady, there were plenty of others in similar situations.
Besides, they were all Nobles who cared first and foremost about their own survival.
Public sentiment turned foul in an instant.
The murmuring around the station grew louder. The atmosphere was steadily growing more tense.
It felt like even the slightest push would be enough to spark a full-blown riot.
I knew instinctively.
This was the perfect moment to speak up.
"If we stay here any longer, my sister is really going to die....... Would you let us through if I swear a Mana Oath?"
The man who appeared to be the manager faltered at my words. It was an understandable reaction.
After all, a Mana Oath wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Every living being possessed at least a trace of Mana, making it an essential element for survival.
It was no exaggeration to say that breaking it would result in instant death.
It was, quite literally, a life-or-death oath.
By invoking it, my words naturally carried a heavy weight.
"I'm not Black Fang. I swear on my Mana that I'm telling the truth......."
I pleaded with a tearful voice.
Taking a Mana Oath was a bit daunting, but it didn't really matter.
Because I wasn't actually lying.
Me, a member of Black Fang?
There was nothing more absurd in this world.
What kind of connection could a guy like me have with an organization filled with monsters?
"Our group has absolutely nothing to do with that organization. So please... just let us through."
Anyone could see the desperate expression of someone fearing for their sister's life, backed by the weight of a Mana Oath.
I knew instinctively.
The mood had shifted entirely in my favor.
Tears welling up in my eyes, I looked up at the man in the uniform.
He finally let out a deep sigh and ordered his men to let us through.
Well, it was the obvious choice.
There was no inspection more foolproof than a Mana Oath, and refusing it would send the public's anger over the edge.
Besides, it wasn't a bad call on his part either.
Forcing a Mana Oath on someone was generally frowned upon, but there was no better method of verification.
My bringing it up first gave him the perfect excuse to demand it from everyone else.
Sure enough, the moment our group passed the checkpoint, the staff could be heard instructing the rest of the line to take the Mana Oath one by one.
He was probably rejoicing on the inside.
I had essentially handed him an easy way out of detaining dozens of people and taking the blame for it.
Even if most people found taking a Mana Oath to be a bitter pill to swallow.
The herd mentality is a surprisingly powerful thing.
It feels awkward to be the only one holding back when everyone else is complying. Refusing would just make you look like the culprit.
Everyone would probably end up taking the Mana Oath before long.
It was a happy ending for everyone—the passengers, the staff, and me.
A smile naturally formed on my lips.
The plan had been executed flawlessly, just as I had pictured it.
My luck had really been skyrocketing lately.
Everything I did seemed to turn into a success.
Not only did I score dozens of incredible opportunities at the Black Market on a whim...
But I even managed to get my hands on a Holy Sword.
It truly felt like the entire world was on my side.
'Since things are going so well, maybe I should try pushing my luck a bit more.'
That thought crossed my mind naturally.
If anything, this inspection had only made me dislike the Empire even more.
If I hadn't come up with a plan this time around, it would have been a massive disaster.
I already disliked their actions in my past life, but this time they had almost directly caused me harm.
For that insolence alone, I figured it wouldn't hurt to step up my support for Black Fang.
Let's take the instigation to a national level.
Instead of just stopping at this one incident, I could use the footage to subtly mold public opinion.
'The real Leader of Black Fang should be bowing down to me right now.'
Even if I was the one who started impersonating them for my own gain, after doing all this, the least they could do is thank me.
Where else in the world would you find such an incredible sponsorship?
'At this point, I'm practically an honorary Black Fang member.'
While walking toward the train having such silly thoughts, I noticed Rubia's bizarre reaction.
"Y-You.... H-How...."
She stuttered as if she were a broken machine.
Her mouth was hanging wide open, her face a picture of sheer shock.
Her reaction was certainly lively.
It felt like watching a foreigner react to spicy fire noodles for the first time.
'I just did a little acting. Is it really something to be that amazed by?'
I mean, it was a pretty decent bit of method acting.
But even so, that reaction felt a bit over the top.
The more I saw of her, the more I realized she had some seriously eccentric tendencies.
Honestly, I would never understand what was going on in Rubia's head.