The Academy Train is Guaranteed to Explode - 2
I never thought the train to the academy would actually explode. My ears were still ringing from the blast.
"You okay?"
Donnesia had the composed look of a heroine who'd been through hell and back. Iris, on the other hand...
"Iris, snap out of it! Look me in the eye!"
She was already deep in panic, head bowed and trembling. Haede gripped her shoulders tight, desperately trying to calm her down.
Iris was like a flower in a greenhouse, in a way. Having lived a sheltered life in some rural estate, she wasn't used to sudden crises like this. Just like in the game.
Haede was the same. She was putting on a brave face to soothe Iris, but I could see her shaking.
Crash—!
Kyahhh—!
Glass shattering and screams echoing from afar. The signal that the attack had begun.
"It's an assault."
"I heard it too."
"Are they targeting car 1, with all the nobles?"
Who knows. Surprisingly, even I didn't have the details. Because it was random.
The terrorists' motives changed every playthrough. Their reasons were all over the place.
Some did it because "all nobles must die, only commoners deserve to live."
Others because "kill the bourgeois scum and build our new world."
Some were just straight-up robbers.
And others wanted to assassinate foreign dignitaries to frame the empire.
The motives were just tacked-on excuses. They were really just clowns screaming, "I just wanna blow up this train!"
Bottom line: their only goal was to terrorize this train. Everything else was incidental. They existed solely for this one event.
Donnesia rested her chin on her hand, pondering, then spoke up.
"Staying cooped up in the cabin isn't safe."
"Agreed."
"Isn't this a magitech train? Protected by magic barriers—shouldn't we be safer inside?"
It looked like a regular steam locomotive, but it was a magitech construct—a magic tool packed with features. One of them was a magical barrier.
So Haede's judgment made sense. The problem? The barriers protected both inside and out.
"The outside has the same protection. But it got breached."
If the exterior fell, the interior wasn't safe either. And with terrorists popping up anywhere, the wider corridor was better for fighting than a cramped cabin.
I grabbed the sword my brother gave me from the luggage compartment and drew Carnwennan from my inventory, strapping both to my hips.
"Hoo... I'm okay. I can do this."
Iris had snapped out of her panic, taking deep breaths and nodding. Donnesia was channeling her spirit power, ready to summon at any moment.
With everyone prepped, I opened the door.
Slide. Room 404's door swung open. The corridor beyond looked pristine and empty. No passengers—probably figured the cabins were safer. Or fled to other cars.
"I'll send Rosinante to scout the other cars first."
She channeled her spirit power, and a horse appeared. Rosinante turned to wind and flew out the window.
"Whoa... So that's Rosinante."
Iris watched it go with sparkling eyes. Hard to believe she'd been panicking moments ago.
Not the time, so I let it slide.
Slide. The gangway door to car 3 opened. People poured out of the narrow passage.
Masks hid their faces. Their eyes were crazed, like they'd chugged a potion.
Not bandits. They would've hit car 1 for nobles and rich merchants, not car 4.
Resistance fighters? No.
Heinz
Shit, a cult.
Of course it's a cult. #DawnStarAcademia is an academy story before it's a romance fantasy. Naturally, there are villains clashing with the protagonists at the academy—and this cult was one of them.
Deep Abyss Mother God Cult. Worshippers of an evil god from the abyss, offering human sacrifices. Textbook cult.
The Holy Kingdom worshipped a supreme god but tolerated other faiths with unusual openness. Yet even they branded this group as heretics.
When human sacrifice was involved, you could bet on them. Textbook.
"Lucky us, running into academy cadets here."
Someone emerged from the crowd of followers. Black hood screaming "I'm the boss."
Von Granit
Yeah, he was the boss. Nearly double the grunts' levels, Danger Rank B.
Probably hijacking the train to kidnap sacrifices for their rituals. No need for a formal duel here.
These demon-worshipping scum were the aggressors. Unlike the goblins, where I invaded first. Here, they started with terrorism—worse than breaking and entering.
Self-defense. No need to humor the boss.
I took a deep breath.
"Consider it an honor—"
"I am Ian! Ian de Logres!"
I roared like a lion.
Iris blinked in surprise. Donnesia and Haede stared like I'd lost my mind.
Wouldn't a proper knight do this?
The cultist started to speak, but that wasn't my problem. They'd explain their "honor of becoming our god's sacrifice" crap anyway.
I could see it coming. Why listen?
Skip the dialogue. Knights don't chat with villains.
"You are in the presence of—"
"Knight of House Logres!"
"That body of yours—"
"Vile and wicked horde!"
"We—"
"I draw this blade to judge you myself!"
"Hey—"
"Come taste my steel!"
"Hey, you fucking bastard!"
Bit harsh with the language.
Furious at being monologue-blocked, the hooded boss pointed at me.
"Capture that one alive. Alive. No need to drag him to the Apostle—I'll tear him apart myself."
His voice dripped with killing intent.
"For the Mother—!!"
"MOTHER—!!!"
The fanatics charged, screaming for mommy.
I kicked the first mama's boy flying into the wall with a thud.
Grabbed him and hurled him at the next, toppling him.
Sudden level-up notice. Thought I was dead for a sec.
Tra
Not dead. Knocking them out counted as a takedown, apparently.
That explained why no level-up against the bandits—too little EXP, maybe. No gauge like in the game, so it was annoying.
"Donnesia, handle these two."
"Haa... Got it. No need for Sancho?"
"You'll manage."
Iris hadn't awakened her saintess powers yet. Haede could fight, but the train was too cramped.
In the game, they teamed up seamlessly. Here? Strangers. No expecting perfect coordination.
Guess I'd handle it solo...
⊳ Members: Ian, Donnesia, Iris, Haede
...Never mind. Party system activated. They'd share my enemy EXP now.
Could've dumped it all on Donnesia, but contributions affected shares. Better to rack up kills myself.
Cracked my knuckles and left Iris and Haede with her, charging out.
Rosinante was rampaging elsewhere, but Sancho guarded Donnesia. Grunts couldn't touch him— just keep the boss in check.
Wham! Mama's boys flying from my punches.
No need for brother's gift against level 18s. Daggers and such never touched me.
Overwhelming stat gap. They flew helpless, even if not dead.
Punch shockwaves rocked the train, sweeping fanatics away.
But
"As expected of an academy cadet?"
The hood smirked, still cocky.
Yeah. If it were this easy, I wouldn't dread cults.
He pulled a staff from his hood and slammed it down. Magic circle etched the floor around it. Followers' bodies began mutating.
"GRAAAAHHH—!!!!"
Bodies swelling, deforming. This was why I hated cults. Grunts had a freaking phase 2!
Heinz
Levels up, danger up. And those bodies? Bloated like movie monsters.
But that backfired.
"What...?"
Hood panicked. The mutants hesitated post-transformation.
Hostile entities' stats -10%
The ring from Saintess sis. Second effect: undead/demons weakened 10%.
These abominations counted as undead? My instincts recoiled too.
The fanatics finally learned restraint. Real-world application worked like this.
Stats still higher now, but level 18 or 24? Same to me. Hesitant foes were easier than berserkers.
"Urp!"
Vomit from behind—Iris or Haede? Too gruesome for country nobles.
They'd see worse; time to toughen up.
"Close your eyes."
Things were about to get messy. I drew brother's sword.
Chilling frost filled car 4. I took stance.
Logres Swordsmanship. Logres Quick Draw Style, unlocked after leveling from the 2nd prince duel.
Lightning-fast strikes slashed through followers. Target: the hood cowering behind.
Shlick, shlick, shlick.
Slicing sounds and level-up chimes. Followers scattered; I was at his nose in seconds.
He conjured flames on his staff and fired.
3-circle Fireball. Didn't matter why a priest used magic.
I raised Carnwennan and slashed down.
The fireball melted away on contact.
Hood gaped in horror.
"The magic didn't just get cut—it vanished...? Impossible... Why are you here?!"
Whatever. Orlando-Style Muscle Training infused mana into my leg. I roundhouse-kicked him.
"Guhk!"
He crumpled, out cold.
The remaining mutants froze.