From Now On, Watch Carefully and Convey It Properly.
From Now On, Watch Carefully and Convey It Properly.
The Imperial Palace.
"Haa-aahm...."
A woman lounged on a divan, chin propped in her hand, yawning openly. The posture flouted every rule of decorum, yet she carried it with an authority and allure that made the breach feel like a privilege.
Second Princess Aurora.
Ennui saturated her every languid limb. Only her golden eyes held any light.
She had risen before dawn to ensure she missed none of the Subjugation Festival, and yet the broadcast showed no sign of beginning. At last she addressed the eunuch beside her.
"You. When does it start?"
"...It appears roughly three hours remain, Your Highness."
The eunuch bowed his head with practiced decorum. Aurora exhaled a long breath and clicked her tongue.
"To dare keep a princess waiting—this Magic Sword Grand Festival is less impressive than its name. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed, Your Highness."
"Vary your responses a little. You bore me. Truly. Boredom."
"My apologies. I am not gifted with many talents."
The eunuch handled the Second Imperial Princess's remarks with a certain calm. By now, such exchanges had become routine for him.
"Strange, though. Has the train to Berkel not already departed with the delegates aboard?"
"It has, Your Highness."
The Second Imperial Princess picked up a sheaf of papers.
Merely typewritten records, but the eunuch had compiled every detail of the Subjugation Festival's logistics without a single loose thread.
"Every last one of them, switching to the same trains as if they'd made a pact.... It looks like they're off on a picnic."
Aurora's eyes darted left and right across the page. Then, abruptly, they stopped.
"...."
The silence stretched on long enough that the eunuch cautiously lifted his head to gauge her mood.
"Here. Does something not strike you as odd?"
"...!"
The eunuch's shoulders jolted. At a single question from Aurora, he immediately bent his neck low.
"Were there omissions or typographical errors? I shall correct them at once—"
"No. That's not it."
Aurora turned the paper around so the type faced him, bringing the text into his field of view.
"Do you see?"
"Yes."
"The Magic Department's route is entirely different."
The eunuch studied the printed characters one by one. It did not take him long to confirm that nothing was out of place.
"Yes. It appears the Magic Department delegates alone selected an entirely different route."
Aurora looked at him.
"What do you make of it?"
"...."
"They deliberately chose the most perilous routes available."
Four consecutive transfers, every one a route fraught with danger. No one could dismiss it as coincidence.
The eunuch chose his words with care.
"I sensed confidence, Your Highness."
"Mm. Confidence."
Aurora nodded, and her mood seemed to lift. The corner of her mouth twisted as she continued.
"Good. Then you felt the same thing I did."
The Second Imperial Princess now fixed her gaze on the roster. Her golden eyes locked exclusively onto one name: Plan.
"I want to see this one. Now."
"The broadcast commences once the delegates have arrived at Berkel."
The eunuch began to explain the reasons step by step.
"The journalists likewise departed for Berkel via comparatively safer routes, and there are currently no reporters accompanying the Magic Department delegates, so...."
Aurora regarded him with a long, steady look.
"I believe I just said I want to see him."
Golden eyes, lustrous as pure bullion.
Facing them, the eunuch had only one possible reply.
◈
The train journey proceeded peacefully for a while.
Becky and the other two delegates chatted among themselves while I gazed out the window, lost in thought.
Another hour slipped by. At last we pulled into Zerun Station.
"Oh...?"
Becky let out a breath of admiration. I understood the sentiment well enough.
Restaurants, shops, amenities of every kind. All of this in a single station—so well-appointed that calling it "a single station" felt almost dismissive.
Becky swiveled her head around like a child.
"Way more people than I expected...? Is it because the station's so pretty? Or is Zerun famous and I just didn't know?"
"It's because this is practically the last real stop. Nobody's eager to go all the way to Berkel, after all."
"Ohh~"
Becky nodded at Louis's explanation.
Neither Becky's observation about the crowd nor Louis's comment about the scarcity of Berkel-bound travelers was wrong.
I spoke to them.
"If you need a meal, eat now. We won't have much time later."
"Then I'll go buy us some food!"
Becky's hand shot up.
"We're riding in the first-class carriage, right? So eating on board should be fine anyway."
"That's up to you."
I handed her a single gold coin. For some reason she looked deeply moved as she hurried off.
Twenty minutes later, a train emerged at the far end of the tracks. At the same moment, a station hand raised his voice at full volume.
"Train 4, bound for Berkel! Please ensure no mistake! Train 4! Train 4!"
"Follow me."
I took the lead toward the first-class boarding passage, the delegates falling in behind. The attendant approached and checked our tickets.
"Uh... Huh?"
His gaze shifted from the ticket to me. A beat later, his head tilted sideways.
"...Plan? Plan from the Magic Department?"
I gave a wordless nod. Beside me, Louis burst out laughing.
"Whoa, Plan's a celebrity now."
"R-right. Recognized even out here...."
Becky, too, looked at me with freshly gleaming eyes. I merely nodded again.
The attendant spoke once more.
"Good heavens, you're far more impressive in person. As for seating, you may sit anywhere in the first-class carriage, but...."
He lowered his voice. A careful hush, pitched so that only I could hear.
"Train 4 to Berkel is exceptionally dangerous. Mercenaries use it only occasionally, when a job calls for it. Perhaps, being a first-year, you weren't aware—shall I change your reservation?"
"If it isn't Train 4, there's no point."
"...Is that so? I don't pretend to know why, but I'll be rooting for you."
I cut the conversation short and stepped aboard.
The interior was shabby enough to make the phrase "first-class" feel like a joke. Nothing but rows of basic seats.
It made sense. On a train with a high chance of being wrecked, any furnishings would be a waste of coin.
"Oh? The Magic Department delegates, aren't they!"
The moment we sat down, strangers hailed us as acquaintances. All of them wore robes.
"Ah—well, we're mages too, you see. It's an honor to meet the Magic Department delegates like this. Such a pleasant coincidence...."
Truth and falsehood artfully mingled. They were mages, that much wasn't a lie—but our meeting was anything but coincidental.
I studied them closely. All three carried Return Stones, and each cradled some kind of crystal orb against their chest.
'A transmission method that projects and relays nearby objects, then....'
SSSSSSHHH—
With a noisy rush of sound, the train signaled its departure.
"W-wait a second!"
Becky scrambled aboard at the last possible moment, arms overflowing with food.
She settled into the seat beside mine without asking. Savory aromas mingled with the scent of roses, tickling my nose.
"Hwaaah.... I almost missed the train!"
"Pity. That was our chance to leave you behind."
Trixie tossed the remark out while looking out the window. Becky broke into a faint sweat.
"Trixie, do you... hate me, maybe?"
"Yep."
"...Why."
"Think about it yourself."
HISS— HISS—
The train settled into its rhythm, heading in earnest for its destination.
"Whoa...."
The moment we cleared the station, Becky's mouth fell open. Even I found my gaze briefly stolen by the scenery beyond the glass.
It merited the word spectacular without exaggeration.
"I've heard about this. So this is the Mist Waterfall...."
Close enough to touch, sheer cliffs stretched endlessly, as if cleaved by a blade. Unsettling air currents sent mist cascading down like a waterfall.
"The train's not going to, uh, fall off there, right?"
"That would be entertaining in its own way. You'd get your ticket's worth."
"Plan, please don't say stuff like that with a straight face. I'm scared of heights, you know."
Becky shook her head vigorously.
I pointed with my chin at the food. Cookies, sandwiches.... She'd bought a little of everything.
"Eat a solid meal while you can."
If my predictions held, things would get hectic soon enough. There'd be no time to eat then, obviously.
"R-right. I should eat, but... hhaa-aahm...."
Abruptly, Becky yawned.
"Maybe I rushed around the food stalls too much.... The cabin's warm too.... Suddenly I'm so sleepy. You guys, just eat all of this yourselves."
"Thanks Becky. We will."
"Stuff yourself, then. That's why you put on weight."
Louis accepted the hot dog with a grin, while Trixie pulled out her vegetable-packed lunch and munched away.
With the commotion fading into background noise—something that had begun to feel almost routine—I turned to the window and sank into thought.
Seven total occupants in the VIP cabin.
Four Magic Department representatives, myself included, and three mages whose identities I couldn't place.
'At the time of booking, there were no other guests listed.'
I rested a hand on the window frame, silent, and slowly layered Hera's mana across the entire train car so no one would notice.
A sinister presence was already seeping in from somewhere nearby. And given that Maeve had marked this stretch as the safest segment, the odds were high it was actually the most dangerous.
'...Raising disciples really is a nuisance.'
But it had to be done.
Normally I'd have taken the easiest route, but winning as the Magic Department—not just as an individual—was just as critical. Elevating the overall standard of mages, that mattered. These three rough stones would serve as the foundation, and I would be the one to shape them.
Just then.
"...?"
A soft thump landed on my shoulder.
Becky. Her pointed hat had tumbled to the floor at some point, and her face was now buried against my shoulder.
"Becky."
I flicked her forehead and pushed her off.
That only made it worse. Her drooping head found a new resting spot on my thigh.
"...".
A tangle of emotions surged for a moment, but I decided to allow this much rest, considering what was about to unfold.
So I gave up my thigh and pulled out my materials.
[ Ancient Rune Research Status ]
Whatever else could be said, Maeve had been genuinely diligent in compiling this one document.
A map-shaped resource, its contours sketched from the scattered ancient rune characters collected so far. And as coincidence would have it, this map also pointed toward Berkel.
Only a few minutes of peace remained. I intended to study it.
◈
Clatter— clatter—
The train pushed onward.
Arine, a reporter draped in robes, fingered the crystal orb hanging from her neck. So far, the footage was coming through without issue.
Clatter— clatter—
Another twenty minutes passed.
Arine kept her focus trained on the VIP cabin.
Per an urgent directive from the Imperial Household, her current assignment was to capture as much footage of the Magic Department representatives as possible and relay it live.
Plan was examining some sort of document. A girl lay fast asleep, using his thigh as a pillow.
'...And this is how scandals start.'
Thinking that, Arine opened up a random book of her own.
Clatter— clatter—
Plan hadn't so much as twitched.
The bracelets that reacted to demonic beast energy were slowly beginning to glow. The reporters steadied their breathing, swallowing their nerves.
No real cause for alarm. Extend the broadcast as long as possible, and if the situation turned dire, they could simply break their Return Stones and go home.
There was no reason to feel guilty.
They were just doing their jobs. They had done no harm to the representatives, and if they couldn't save anyone in a worst-case scenario—well, some things were beyond their control.
Plan's concentration deepened with every passing minute.
He was now levitating eight sheets of paper in midair, scanning them all at once, and the sight was nothing short of elegant.
Whoever might be watching through a crystal orb right now
would surely find themselves marveling at that perfection.
Clatter—
Clatter—
Then, at some point, Arine's bracelet began to pulse ominously. The detected demonic beast energy had surged far beyond projections.
"...".
The reporters exchanged glances.
At readings like these, immediate return was the correct call. These were levels where they couldn't even guarantee their own survival, let alone keep broadcasting someone else.
"Nothing we can do. Let's go back."
They quietly moved into a corner.
Pressed a thumbnail into the Return Stone. Or tried to—the stone evaded them.
"...?"
The unexpected resistance threw them into confusion. Their nails kept striking empty air. The Return Stone dodged their fingers like a winged insect, flitting this way and that.
"Wh-what's wrong with this thing? We're in a hurry here!"
Frantic, they searched for the cause, and it didn't take long to find it.
Telekinesis.
Plan was handling the Return Stone with telekinesis, deliberately obstructing their escape.
"Excuse me, what exactly are you doing?"
"I won't permit your return."
"What are you suddenly talking about..."
"Because I already know you're reporters."
"...".
Arine's eyebrow twitched. She kept her voice as level as she could manage.
"I have no idea what you mean... Just give it back. It's mine in the first place."
"No idea? Then how do you explain the crystal orb hanging from your neck?"
A disaster.
He'd already seen through the orb as well. Arine swallowed dryly.
"You're mistaken. This is just a necklace."
"You're the ones who remain mistaken, as ever."
The vibration from the bracelets was swelling in real time. The faces of Arine and the other reporters grew visibly urgent.
They didn't want to face demonic beasts.
They wanted to go back.
"...Anyway, that's not the point. You took someone else's property without permission. I'd like it returned, for starters."
"As I already said, I will not permit your return."
"If that's how you're going to be, we have our own—"
That was when it happened.
Skreeeeech—!
The train let out a deafening scream and began braking hard.
The bracelet's vibration swelled until her whole hand shook. Arine lost her composure somewhere around that moment.
"Hand it over, hand it over! If you want to die, then die alone! Is this some kind of death pact—?!"
And in that instant.
KABOOM—!
A massive explosion signaled the beginning. It came from the front of the train.
Then.
—!
The VIP cabin rocketed skyward.
It happened in a blink.
"Aagh!"
Arine screamed.
Rrrrrumble—!
Her life flashed before her eyes.
The cabin, hurled high, would soon plummet into freefall. Everyone inside would flail and thrash and then slam into the ground, dead.
If they went over a cliff, no one would even retrieve the bodies.
But.
That flash of her life stayed just that.
The scenery beyond the window had frozen.
"Ugh!"
Arine hurtled upward, slammed her head into the ceiling, then crashed nose-first into the cabin floor. The impact blurred her consciousness into a haze.
"Nngh... my nose, my nose is..."
The reporters scrambled to their feet, clutching their injuries and squinting as they took in their surroundings.
Their eyes went wide. Every one of them froze in disbelief.
The VIP cabin was still intact.
Yet the explosion had unmistakably reached both their ears. There was no chance that had been an illusion.
Arine threw herself against the window and looked outside.
And went rigid.
"...?"
Empty sky.
The train stood vertical, its nose planted against the ground and its body thrust straight up toward the heavens.
Every car except the lead car, the source of the explosion.
It was as if someone had grabbed the train by the tail and pulled it upright. Not a tremor.
A hush fell over the whole area.
The magic blended so naturally into the landscape that it felt like admiring a colossal work of art, the train its medium.
"What in the... what is..."
Arine lost her words and fidgeted with the crystal orb necklace. An old habit.
"The view should be decent enough from here."
Plan.
His flat voice struck the reporters' ears like a physical blow.
Plan finished organizing his documents—not a single sheet out of place—and rose from his seat. The representatives, too, were still sleeping peacefully, thanks to his telekinesis.
"...!"
Now that she thought about it, everyone in this cabin was free from gravity's pull. Despite the train standing on end, no one was sliding downward.
She was dumbfounded. Arine was a mage herself, and still she couldn't wrap her mind around the situation.
...An explosion that could have killed them all without anyone blinking.
Plan kicked the cabin wall with the tip of his foot. A crunching sound followed, and the entire panel tore away.
What is he doing.
The moment Arine thought it, Plan spoke as if he'd read her mind.
"No need to struggle toward understanding."
With telekinesis, he lifted the representatives one by one. Only then did they stir awake, blinking.
"You simply need to do your jobs as journalists."
At the same moment, he hurled all three representatives out of the cabin.
"—!"
They plummeted toward the ground with no idea what was happening. The reporters stood there in a daze, questions dying on their lips.
"From now on, watch closely, and report it properly."
With those final words, Plan jumped out after them.