Spent the Night with a Heroine...? (1)
The superhuman on a white horse had arrived. Esta, the instructor from the academy riding a unicorn.
Already renowned throughout the world as the White Sword Saint—
"Whoa!! The Maiden of Light!!"
"Virgin Sword Saint!!"
"The Eternally Pure Sword of Victory!!!"
…Ten years ago, she had been known by those names, but it seemed her titles had multiplied in the meantime. The people who had been fleeing toward her were cheering and welcoming her with shouts of joy.
She must have had a tough time while I was in the netherworld.
Her appearance hadn't changed, but the history she'd built over those ten years was undoubtedly far different from the original story. Because of my brief encounter with her, Regiph? If so, it was an honor. If not, that was fine too. It was infinitely better than raising a disciple only for them to die and earning the moniker of "Disciple Slayer."
Her emotions are showing so vividly. This version is much more appealing.
As proof, the woman over there—eternally virgin, correction, the one called the Virgin Sword Saint—possessed abilities markedly different from those I knew in the original story.
Riding a unicorn as her summon.
A summon. The so-called "mount" type of summon, a pet that a summoner could ride whenever needed.
Originally, Esta didn't ride summons. She probably hadn't felt the need to raise one and had instead poured the mana required to maintain it into strengthening her own body.
But now she was different. She must have felt the necessity for fast mobility that required riding a mount summon.
Did she learn it because of that incident ten years ago?
If she wanted to rush to dangerous places even faster at any moment, a horse-type summon would certainly provide tremendous mobility. Especially in situations like this—
Slash, slash!
—charging in faster than the fleeing bloodsucker bugs and swinging her sword.
What incredible skill.
She seemed even stronger than in the original. Her power to cleave bloodsucker bugs in one strike was the same whether in the original or now, but her speed and fluid movements even felt beautiful.
And her resolve to keep riding the unicorn is impressive too.
The original Esta had been slightly embarrassed about remaining a virgin at 27. For some, staying a virgin until 27 might be a "whoaaaa" kind of feat, but Esta was quite shy about it.
Yet here she was, proudly riding the unicorn. Even knowing that the moment she lost her virginity, she could no longer ride it, and everyone would find out Esta was no longer a virgin.
Slash.
The swordmaster on the white horse swung her blade, eliminating the last one. There were no more bloodsucker bugs attacking the train.
And also.
"Grr, the academy's guard dog!"
These villains with flat personalities, who snuck away slyly when others were in danger but reappeared the moment the bloodsuckers were gone to shout their lines.
"We'll get you next time!"
As Slendia and the Binyu Group members pressed the button on their rods, their bodies vanished with a "whoosh."
"Teleport...!"
Spatial transfer. Each Binyu Group member had a magic tool that allowed them to teleport to a set location with just a button press.
You might scoff lightly, thinking they're doing train terrorism with something like that? But if you thought deeper...
"Distributing teleport-capable magic tools to every single member..."
As Unia pointed out, the Binyu Group was definitely suspicious. The technology they supplied to each member was no ordinary feat.
"Just who..."
If Unia learned who was behind the Binyu Group, she'd be stunned, but I decided to play dumb.
Killing people was an individual's deviation. The whole Binyu Group isn't a band of murderers.
I knew some things about the Binyu Group, but...
Having awkwardly mid-tier villains like the Binyu Group makes it easier for me to build favor with the heroines.
Their existence helped my goals. This incident alone proved it. I'd met Unia, and...
"You two."
This time, because of the train attack.
"I saw it from afar. I salute your courage."
I'd reunited with Esta.
"Pleased to meet you. White Sword Saint Esta, fifth-year instructor at Esdinas Academy."
A first meeting, and one far earlier than in the original where she'd become an academy instructor.
"Would you two spare a moment to talk with me? It won't be anything bad."
"Huh? With us? You mean..."
Unia panicked at Esta's approach and subtly glanced at the crowd.
"Esta! Look over here!"
"Eternal virgin...! Ugh, as expected of the pure white sword saint...!"
"Why's that guy so close?"
Various murmurs flew about, and though Esta didn't look their way, she was clearly irritated.
"People who didn't step up during the crisis and just fled..."
You could call it unfair, but the ones Esta was sniping were the capable individuals hiding among the passengers. People with combat power who had simply run.
And not just them—Esta seemed to dislike contact with ordinary folk too. At the same time...
"When everyone else fled, you two stepped up bravely."
If there was one human type Esta favored...
"It was dangerous, but facing you directly, I think I get it. You believed you could handle the bloodsuckers yourselves, so you stepped in."
Put bluntly, they were nosy busybodies who knew their place. Put as nicely as possible...
"If there were more people in the world like you two, doing their utmost to help others..."
This world. It was one where almost no one stepped up like us.
[Near evening, outside the magic train stopped on the tracks.]
Situation resolved. The incident was over, but this train attack had caused all sorts of problems.
This was Phoenix's doing—not from my perspective, but summarized from Unia's viewpoint as the sudden victim.
One. A massive anomaly with the sky glowing blue.
Two. The Binyu Group's train attack and resulting deaths.
Three. Monster attacks targeting the magic train's mana stone fuel.
Four. Rescue by the White Sword Saint Esta.
And five. While everyone else fled, only one young man and woman fought the bloodsuckers to drive them off.
—...Heading to Esdinas for academy enrollment?
—Yes. Um...
—I'll check once if we can get the train moving somehow. Please wait a moment.
After a brief talk atop the train with Esta, who reported to the academy, she came to inform us first.
The result.
"Unfortunately for you two prospective students, the train won't move."
"Whaaat?!"
Unia yelped in shock at Esta's words.
"I can't give details, but... one moment."
Esta placed her hand on the magic tool on her wrist.
"......?"
Unia tilted her head, and I winked at her, tapping my ear to signal she should listen quietly.
"The halt of Magic Train KTS 088 is estimated to be due to an anomaly in the magic fuel, separate from the engineer's death."
Recording magic. Esta was reporting to someone.
Unia caught on and clamped her mouth shut; I held my breath too. Why? Because...
"All mana in the magic fuel depleted. Internal mana gone. If I had to describe it... like an empty tin can."
The train stopped because of me.
It's the effect of Chang Yeom.
The power moving the magic train was mana. Chang Yeom could burn mana too.
"Estimated cause: influence of the blue sky."
So, hadn't the other people on the train been affected? Esta's report had a flaw.
Someone had deliberately released mana with properties that erased all the mana in the magic train's fuel compartment. People could be replaced even if they died, but without refilled fuel, the train wouldn't move.
"Comparing to the 'color' from that time... hard to confirm. Sigh."
"?"
Esta showed a flicker of emotion, and Unia tilted her head slightly.
"Multiple prospective students for Esdinas Academy discovered. As an instructor, I can't assist, but 'two scholarship candidates' identities to be sent later. No anomalies. Report end."
Esta covered her wrist with her hand; the magic tool blinked and went dark.
"...As an instructor, I can't give you special treatment for the entrance exam."
"Ah, um, yes."
Unia knew that too. Several 17-year-olds were eyeing us suspiciously as we talked with Esta, an academy instructor, atop the train roof.
"But... don't give up until the end."
So Esta dropped a subtle hint.
"The academy's doors are always open. ...That's all."
Esta bowed apologetically to us.
"No, Instructor. Your 'support' like this is more than enough."
I deliberately emphasized "support" loudly for the others to hear.
"It's just an unavoidable accident. Yes. And there's next year too."
"......."
Esta glanced at me for a split second, as if wondering if I'd caught on.
"Miss Unia. I recall there's a station up ahead."
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"Instead of waiting for a new train or sleeping in the train until repairs tomorrow morning, how about staying there overnight and catching an early magic bus at dawn?"
"......."
Unia blinked at me, and Esta turned away, leaping off the roof.
"Then."
Neigh!
Esta rode off on her unicorn. Railway management agents and Silverstar Merchant Group hunters had already arrived near the magic train after Esta, securing the perimeter.
"Miss Unia. Your choice."
"...What will you do, Mr. Phoenix?"
"Walking would get me there before midnight?"
"......Fine."
Unia pointed below and extended her hand to me.
"Let's go. Right now."
In truth.
This was the choice Unia made in the original story.
—At that time, the engineer was killed. No one could move the train, and since it had to stop there all night...
Unia was a good person, but rather than sitting idly waiting for problems to resolve, she was the proactive type who stepped up to solve them.
The village we reached by following the tracks,
The village name already gave off a weird vibe, but at least it had an inn. Thank goodness.
"Only one room left."
"......."