A Particularly Beautiful Day for the Tracks
In the past, the empire had been riddled with countless criminal organizations that were little more than tumors. The underworld of the empire had been locked in days of utter chaos that could easily be called its own Warring States period. That is, until exactly four years ago.
"...What did you just say?"
The power struggles that had continued unchecked for decades ended in an instant. A single seventeen-year-old boy had seized control of nearly every major criminal organization in the empire in just a few months.
With exceptional leadership, insight that could pass for foresight, and overwhelming martial prowess. Moreover, even after bringing all those organizations under his command, the only thing known about him was his tender age. People of the underworld referred to the hidden ruler of that world—who clearly existed yet kept everything concealed—like this.
"You know that if you utter that name freely in front of me, you won't leave here alive, don't you?"
The nonexistent one. Nihil.
And right now, that Nihil had been caught red-handed by me while trying to flip the train bound for Campbell Academy.
"Speak. Where did you come from? How did you learn my name?"
What Nihil held in his hand was unmistakably a firearm. He was pressing its muzzle against my head in a clearly threatening gesture. If he decided to pull the trigger here, a large hole would bloom in my skull. And this madman would gladly put a bullet through my head even after hearing where I came from.
"Aren't you curious about news of your wife? I came prepared because I know everything."
Therefore, there was only one way to drag him to the negotiation table right now: pretend I had found information about his wife, who had gone missing during the war between organizations.
"...Go on, speak. If you can't convince me, you die."
Nihil asked without lowering the gun barrel even slightly. His wife was one of the most important figures to him. That was why he was giving me this time instead of killing me on the spot.
So I had to make full use of the few minutes he had granted me with the smoothest tongue I could muster. Praying it would actually work.
"First, I came here as a traitor from Pandemonium."
I spoke and quietly closed my eyes, then opened them again. Those words had been a real gamble. I had half-expected him to get angry and shoot first. Fortunately, because it concerned his wife, he didn't act rashly.
"Continue... speak."
It couldn't be helped. The group that had caused his wife's disappearance—and the only organization Nihil had never been able to crush—was the demon-worshipping cult known as Pandemonium. Honestly, the two could be considered mortal enemies who could never share the same sky.
"To put it simply, Nihil, I found information about your wife in that place."
My role was to use the original story's information to accelerate the timing of the 'Pandemonium Subjugation' that Nihil would later launch to rescue his wife, and if possible, secure him as a reliable ally.
"...That would surely be classified even inside their ranks. How could you know it?"
Of course it was classified. He had obtained leverage that could threaten an underworld heavyweight. If it weren't classified, that would be the strange part.
What I needed to show him here was proof that I was at least somewhat trustworthy.
"According to Asmodeus, the entrance is located approximately fourteen kilometers southeast of the Imperial Medical Center. Feel free to verify it later."
The name of a top-tier executive that almost no one knew, along with the exact location. At this point, even if it didn't earn trust, it would at least spark interest. Besides, there was no need to explain every detail. Speaking only of what was necessary was Pandemonium's style.
Moreover, the mere fact that I knew about Nihil's existence and identity was enough to infer that I held a position within Pandemonium.
"You..."
"Those Pandemonium bastards."
When he looked half-convinced and tried to test me once more, I cut off his words with a single phrase. That place was a cult; its members were under a prohibition that prevented them from speaking about anything related to the group. Calling them Pandemonium earlier had already proven I wasn't affiliated, but this emphasized it again. On top of that, Nihil would know better than anyone that those arrogant fanatics would never stoop to degrading their own organization in a scheme.
"Wait... give me a moment to think."
I had shown everything I could. At this point, he would probably be tempted. Because his love for his wife was the one thing that was undeniably real. To the extent that the reason he became obsessed with Heidi was because she resembled his wife so closely.
In the original work, after seeing Heidi—who looked exactly like his wife—he abandoned the train terrorism and quietly followed behind her at the academy. All the while gathering information about his wife, until in the end he saw her corpse. Whether it was lingering attachment to his lost wife or something else, he developed a psychotic obsession with Heidi.
"For now, let's put the train terrorism on hold. I'm trying to make a fresh start at the academy. It wouldn't do for the train to flip before we even arrive, would it?"
He cherished his wife that much. Now that I knew even a fragment of that feeling, he wouldn't commit an act of terrorism where I was present. No matter how deeply he belonged to the underworld, he still possessed his own convictions and a minimum of conscience.
"...From the moment I heard talk of my wife, that plan was already on hold."
And, just as I expected, he gave the answer I had predicted. In the original novel's progression, the story began with the train being dramatically overturned right away. Simply preventing that was already a success; if Nihil ended up following me as well, that would be even better.
"Anyway, thank you. By the way, what is your name?"
I had prevented both the threat of terrorism and the possibility of Nihil becoming obsessed with Heidi. My work here was done. So I slowly rose from my seat, headed back to my own, and spoke to Nihil as I brushed past him.
"Jack Orlannte. Eldest grandson of the Orlannte viscount family."
That really scared the hell out of me…
Have you ever tried persuading someone with a gun pressed to your head? This was the first time in my life I had experienced it. I had run countless simulations in my mind, but when it actually happened, my head went completely blank. There were a few more logical arguments and pieces of evidence I could have used, but the sheer pressure made me fumble them.
"Did something happen in the bathroom…"
"Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?"
"..."
I was already feeling like death, so why was this Golden Sun trying to strike up a conversation? When I checked the clock, only about twenty minutes had passed. Looking back, the conversation itself hadn't been that long, yet it felt like I had just crawled out of an endless inferno. Even though the weather wasn't particularly hot, the sweat covering my body had soaked me through.
"Haa..."
I didn't think I could stand the heat without taking off the coat I was wearing immediately. Since I was heading to the academy in uniform, all I had left on top was a white shirt and tie. The moment I removed the coat my body felt more comfortable, but there was one burdensome gaze flying straight at me from the front.
"Why exactly are you staring at me?"
Our very own personification of dislike, Lucia Klein. Why couldn't she just sleep quietly like the other students? Why was she so intent on ogling someone else's body? It felt like being stripped naked and subjected to a strict inspection. The sensation was incredibly unpleasant.
"You seem to have sweated quite a bit. Want a handkerchief?"
She pulled a handkerchief from the inner pocket of her uniform… Wait, why was it in there?
"...Didn't I give you that handkerchief?"
"Yeah, you did. So?"
"Then why are you keeping it there?"
"Because it's a handkerchief?"
"..."
Fine. Technically it was a gift and it was a handkerchief, so if she answered like that I didn't have much room to argue… But didn't you get rejected by me? Why are you carrying it around in your uniform pocket like it's some precious treasure?
"So, aren't you going to wipe your sweat? Your face is drenched."
"I absolutely will not."
Am I insane? To use something that had already wiped her face?
"If you're worried because I used it, I washed it thoroughly, so you don't have to worry."
She unfolded the handkerchief fully to show me. It really was spotlessly clean, and it even carried a faint, pleasant lemon scent.
"I even sprayed it with the perfume I use. Do you like it?"
Ah, fuck. I suddenly wanted to punch the version of myself from five seconds ago who had thought the scent was nice. If you thought about it, wasn't that the same as thinking this Golden Sun's scent smelled good?
"Put that away right now. I don't need it."
"Uh… you don't like the perfume? Should I switch it to a peach scent…?"
"No, that's not what I—"
How was I supposed to explain this? That her scent was too good and I couldn't accept it? Wow, seriously. It sounded like a third-rate flirting line.
"Hmm, you must be in a bad mood… Then eat this for now."
"Urgh!!"
Suddenly Lucia shoved something into my mouth. That vicious woman—she was finally trying to poison me.
—Roll!
…Roll?
Along with a hard texture, I rolled the round object around with my tongue and a sour taste spread through my mouth. It was candy. The lemon-flavored one she had said she had plenty of earlier and offered me one of.
"I eat sweet things when I'm in a bad mood. Do you like it?"
I didn't know what she had put in it, so I should spit it out. I should spit it out. There was a high chance it contained laxatives, hallucinogens, or sleeping pills…
It's seriously so delicious…
Did I like lemons? When I threw the wrapper away later, I should check the manufacturer first.
Whatever. It's not like I'd die from eating one.
"Hehe, did your mood improve?"
At Lucia's words I snapped back to my senses and touched my face. It seemed I had been grinning like an idiot. Ah, how embarrassing.
"Haa..."
As I covered my face, which had turned bright red from shame, she chuckled and leaned her head toward me.
"U-ugh! What are you doing!"
She tilted her head as if wondering why I was so startled, then whispered as though sharing a secret.
"I have plenty of candy, so if you want more, just tell me, okay?"
For some reason, the words that rode the breeze into my ear felt like they would carry the sweet scent of lemon.
Ah, fuck.
At the same time, I seriously considered jumping off the train because I hated myself for having that thought.
…It was truly a beautiful day for the railroad tracks.