Ch.160Chapter 160: Homecoming (3)

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After hurriedly disembarking from the carriage and gathering our luggage, we rushed to the train station.

The four of us managed to board the transcontinental train heading to Ranos territory via the Solarium Institute right on time.

Reporters with predatory intensity blocked our path in front of the station, desperate to extract even a single line of news from us.

However, when my sister threatened them, demanding they state their names and newspaper affiliations if they had the guts to violate imperial law—which prohibits interviewing Cradle students outside designated areas of the Institute or Cradle—all the reporters tucked their tails between their legs and retreated.

“It’s fine! There are still two people who haven’t arrived yet. We can sweet-talk them into giving us a story!”

I could hear such murmurs among the disappointed reporters as they walked away.

Despite the fact that the heir to Kessler, known as the Guardian of the North, and the eldest legitimate son of Augustine, which produces the Empire’s finest magical engineers, were hardly easy targets…

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at their optimistic outlook, as if they’d already won.

If they truly wanted to know how this year’s Subjugation Festival proceeded, they should have stationed themselves at Night Haven with the resolve of war correspondents to write their articles.

Besides, while interviewing current Cradle students was prohibited, there was no law against journalists staying at Night Haven to interview other fortress personnel.

It was disappointing to see them lacking the determination, just waiting with their mouths open for food to fall in.

Is it reasonable to expect to work comfortably and earn money easily?

Compared to the heroes who burn their youth at Night Haven protecting the Empire’s peace, these journalists had a long way to go.

That was my regretful thought as we smoothly passed through the path my sister had cleared for us.

Although I was disappointed that I didn’t get to look around this city of eternal winter—befitting its reputation as the last major city built at the northernmost edge of the Empire’s jurisdiction—because we were busy navigating through the reporters.

But that disappointment would soon be offset by the train journey we were about to enjoy.

Unlike the desolate scenery reflected in the carriage windows earlier, the natural environment visible along the transcontinental route would offer far more sights to see than what we’d observed while traveling by carriage.

Wouldn’t that make up for the disappointment?

With that thought, I placed my modest luggage in the baggage compartment and headed toward our cabin.

There was no need to search for specific seat numbers in a particular cabin.

We had contracted an entire cabin for our use, so we only needed to know the correct cabin number.

Yesterday, as soon as she heard the news, my sister made plans to return home and spent her own money to reserve the transcontinental train, booking an entire cabin.

Since it would be a long journey—taking anywhere from three to four days if the weather was good, or up to a week to be safe—she insisted that it was only natural to spend that time in the most comfortable and best seats possible. Her generosity in purchasing an entire cabin was truly admirable.

What’s even more impressive is that this was just pocket change to her, considering the income she earned from handling family affairs as the acting head of the family and her salary as the vice-commander of the Imperial Knights.

“Karl, hurry up! The train’s about to depart.”

As I entered the cabin lost in thought, I saw Shizu gesturing toward me, waiting.

Not just her gesture, but her bright expression brimming with joy showed that she was delighted to be spending this time with me—a vacation of sorts for us Cradle students after the conclusion of the major event that was the Subjugation Festival.

Well, I’m making it sound one-sided by describing only her happiness.

I’m equally happy to be able to spend time with her.

With each step I took toward Shizu, her expression bloomed into a radiant smile.

And though I maintained a composed expression while looking at that smile, my heart was beating pleasantly, too.

Anyway, as I moved to sit beside Shizu…

“Train travel… it’s going to be fun.”

Shizu, full of excitement, couldn’t hide her joy as she looked around the interior of the train and out the window before departure.

I figured it would be difficult to have a proper conversation with her right now, so I decided to spend the time before departure carefully observing my surroundings.

As soon as I sat down, the first thing that caught my eye across from me was…

Whoosh-!!

The sound of my sister’s hand cutting through the air—impressive every time I witnessed it—

Thwack-!!

Transformed into a dull sound as it struck Excel’s crown.

“Gukek!!”

A strange, indescribable sound escaped Excel’s mouth as he was struck by my sister’s hand chop.

“I can’t let my guard down.”

My sister’s voice, as she stared at Excel while dusting off her hands, seemed angry at first glance.

But the emotion in her eyes as she looked at him was too complex to simply call anger.

Her slightly upturned eyes, and the way her lips were pressed into a firm line…

It was more like she was slightly miffed rather than angry.

Moreover…

“Hmph!”

With that snort and crossed arms, “miffed” seemed like the right description.

By the way, what did Excel do to my sister this time to earn such an iron-fisted sanction?

[He was pretending to be asleep while trying to sneak up and hug your sister from behind.]

‘I see… When did you wake up?’

[As soon as I entered this unidentified hunk of metal.]

‘You slept well, then.’

Thanks to Fafnir, who had observed the situation before me, I quickly understood what had happened.

[Leaving that land full of magical contamination has given me new energy. In any case, it feels good to be alive.]

Fafnir, who spoke to me today, sounded completely recovered from the fatigue he had shown before falling asleep yesterday.

Which means…

[I’m looking forward to tonight’s training session.]

As Fafnir’s voice echoing in my head suggested, I would have to make sure not to miss training with him tonight, no matter what.

The image of Fafnir pushing me relentlessly, with tirelessness that words could hardly describe, rose in my mind.

“Haah…”

I let out an audible sigh.

“…Karl?”

This caused Shizu, who had been happily observing the train’s interior, to stop what she was doing and look at me with concern.

…How loudly did I sigh to make Shizu make such an expression?

With all kinds of regret flooding my mind and a sudden realization…

“The seats are so comfortable that I’m worried I might fall asleep instead of enjoying the scenery outside. That’s why I sighed without realizing it.”

I made an excuse to Shizu with whatever came to mind.

As I had felt earlier in the carriage, I didn’t need to be reminded that I had no talent for lying or making excuses—it was a terribly unconvincing phrase.

But after hearing my excuse that hardly qualified as one, Shizu’s expression showed signs of contemplation.

Did my poor excuse make her even more worried?

As my heart was about to grow heavy with the thought that I had needlessly worried her…

“In that case…”

Shizu, still with a contemplative expression, struggled to begin her sentence, then…

“If Karl falls asleep, I’ll… I’ll offer my lap as a pillow, so don’t worry.”

With a voice full of determination, she raised her right hand and lightly patted her thigh.

…Huh?

Did I mishear something?

It would look undignified to dig in my ears, so I rubbed my eyes instead, trying to correct what I might have misperceived.

But even after rubbing my eyes and looking again, Shizu was still there with a slightly flushed expression, continuing to pat her thigh.

I was at a loss for words at this sight that transcended immediate comprehension.

[What are you doing? When your fiancée offers her lap while you sleep, you should be bowing deeply in gratitude, not standing there dumbfounded.]

Thanks to Fafnir’s voice echoing in my head with a snicker, I quickly regained my senses.

“…Um, thank you.”

Only then could I express my gratitude to Shizu, who had made the big decision to lend me her lap out of concern.

Shizu’s hand, which had been lightly patting her thigh, stopped all movement as soon as she heard my expression of gratitude.

“…”

Her face, now silent, was clearly marked with a redness that anyone could see.

“Hm… that’s nice.”

My sister’s voice, similar to what I had heard in the carriage, came from across from me.

“Sister, if you’re sleepy, feel free to use my lap anytime, so don’t wor— Ah, why are you—kkheuuk!”

Excel, who was teasing my sister with a repertoire similar to what he had used in the carriage, was once again struck on the crown by my sister’s hand chop.

Even though there was still time before the transcontinental train’s departure, memories with the people around me were already piling up one by one.

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As we sat facing each other and enjoyed our time together…

-Greetings to all of you who have become the first passengers on this route starting from the northern end. I am Steiner, the conductor.

Through the speaker installed in the cabin, we heard the announcement from the train’s highest authority, the conductor.

Though I called it an announcement, it contained nothing particularly special—just ordinary information.

Starting with the notification of the train’s departure time, it briefly introduced the stations where the train would stop along the route, and estimated arrival times at each—mostly information that passengers on this train would already know, just being emphasized once more.

When I turned my gaze from our chatting group to the clock hanging on the cabin wall, I saw that it was almost noon.

Since the train’s departure time was noon, in just a few seconds, this massive train made primarily of special alloy steel would take its first step, beginning with the circulation of its power source, the magic furnace.

With about 30 seconds remaining, the sight of passengers rushing frantically onto the platform and leaping onto the train disappeared.

It was a visual signal that everyone who needed to board the train had already done so.

With about 20 seconds remaining…

“This will be a more comfortable journey than when we went to the Cradle recently.”

My sister’s voice, gentle rather than the firm and stern tone heard in official settings, reached my ears.

Perhaps even she was relaxing her tension on the way home after submitting a long vacation request.

And with about 10 seconds remaining…

The hydraulically operated entrance connecting the platform and the train closed with its distinctive operational sound reaching my ears.

It was a movement befitting the policy of the Imperial Central Railway Council, which allows no delays except those caused by weather anomalies.

Now, even if someone came flying, they couldn’t enter the train and would have to hang onto the top or back of the train to travel. The thought made me smile bitterly, and just as that bitter smile was about to appear…

Screeeech-!!

As the special alloy steel wheels that drove the massive train scraped against the rails, creating a metallic sound that pierced my ears…

“It’s moving…”

Just as Shizu said in a low voice, the transcontinental train took its magnificent first step.

It was a metallic sound announcing our farewell to the North where we had spent most of the end of the year.

And simultaneously, if I counted the life before my regression, it was also the sound announcing the first step of my journey home after more than a decade.