Before Linne could notice, I quickly left the cabin and immediately began to follow Felkor.
It wasn’t strange for him to be on the train.
With his grim face and massive build, even though he’s a member of the Dawn Society, thinking optimistically, he could very well be on a picnic.
If only the fourth prince weren’t on this train, it would have been enough! That’s what I would have thought.
It’s hard to accept.
But really, is this just a coincidence?
“I’m not that foolish, that’s why I’m following him.”
Sigh. Speaking to oneself politely.
Although I’ve gotten used to it, I still dislike it.
I continued to follow Felkor, but I saw nothing in his behavior that could be called peculiar, except for him stopping briefly and looking around.
‘What is he looking for?’
It wasn’t suspicious enough to ‘doubt,’ but with the underlying fact that he is a member of the Dawn Society, I had no choice but to watch every movement carefully.
‘Please, just say you’re here for a picnic. Don’t cause any trouble.’
Then, at the place where he stopped, I saw something familiar.
It was the location where the resonance stones, which are the power source of the train and stiffen the actions of demons, were installed.
After looking around once more, Felkor fiddled with the case of a resonance stone.
Before he could do anything,
Bang!
“Wha, whaaaat!”
I quickly approached Felkor and grabbed him by the nape of his neck, pushing him against the wall.
“Who… who are you!?”
“Be quiet.”
He struggled, but after I subdued him from behind and pressed down with strength, he couldn’t move at all.
Felkor was bigger, but I, Julian, was stronger.
“Julian…!?”
It seemed he recognized me quickly, as if he was used to this situation.
Fearing that he might say something severe, I first looked around.
Fortunately, it was the train’s connection section and not a cabin, so I didn’t feel any other presence.
“Monsignor Felkor, why are you here?”
My interrogative tone made Felkor tremble.
“Why should I tell you…”
“Speak quickly. The situation is very unpleasant, and my hands might move against my will.”
Squeezing a bit harder, Felkor’s complexion began to turn pale.
There was a difference not only in rank between a monsignor and a bishop but also a marked difference in strength, which had been made clear to him, and Felkor, very tense, hurriedly opened his mouth.
“I was ordered by Sir Aidan!”
“Aidan?”
“Yes! I was ordered to board this train and remove the resonance stones…”
The familiar name unexpectedly made me tighten my grip.
“Ugh! I’m telling you!”
He muttered briefly, but I ignored it.
This fellow was a priority, someday a target to be dealt with.
“Remove the resonance stones. Is there nothing else?”
“I can’t say any more…”
Creak!
As I pressed harder on his arm, a piteous cry from his bones echoed.
“That’s it! That’s all! Just to remove the resonance stones…”
In an attempt to prevent his arm from breaking, Felkor desperately continued speaking, but something seemed off.
“Do you know that the fourth prince of the empire is on board?”
Upon hearing my words, Felkor’s complexion grew even darker.
“The royal family, here?”
His expression and tone indicated complete ignorance.
If caught, he could be arrested for treason or regicide at any moment, given that his life could be on the line.
Moreover, given that Julian, the ‘Closed Eyes’ and the empire’s loyal dog, is also present, he was under the false impression that he was safe because I was from the Dawn Society.
“Aaaaah!”
Just then, a sharp scream echoed through the train.
It was so faint that one wouldn’t hear it unless paying close attention, but Julian’s ears made it possible.
And the ominous aura that followed was enough to stir my discomfort.
“…Magic?”
It felt like demonic magic inside the train.
***
Most safety regulations are written in blood.
No matter how much you shout to be careful, or distribute preventative methods, people won’t understand until it happens to them because it hasn’t happened yet.
This train traveling through the empire is the same.
After trial operations without any issues, it was put into service.
Surely the process focused only on external demons.
But, an unforeseen event—what if a demon appeared inside the train?
It would be a moving coffin.
Honestly, the ‘Resonance Train’ in the game wasn’t vulnerable to such risks until a certain ‘incident’ occurred.
After that ‘incident,’ the railway company ‘Tower of Magic’ running the Resonance Train took extraordinary measures such as increasing the number of resonance stones and deploying guards to prevent the recurrence of danger.
However, that ‘incident’ no longer exists in the current world setting.
‘The Black Knight defeating demons released on the train by Pintel.’
The absence of what should be there.
Due to this, consideration of the risks inside the train is just beginning.
“What’s going on…?”
Felkor, sensing something was off, looked perturbed.
It seems that his former position as a knight of the Azure Lion Knights and his current title as ‘monsignor’ are not for show, as he faintly sensed the demonic magic.
“A demon?”
“Yes. It appears that a demon has manifested inside the train, by ‘someone’s’ doing.”
“How could this be…?”
What are you asking me for?
I thought you did it, but it wasn’t you?
“This is dangerous. If a demon inside goes berserk and causes a derailment, it would be a disaster, especially since ‘royalty’ is aboard.”
Mumbling to myself about the danger of the situation, I turned my gaze back to Felkor.
“Was there any other order besides removing the resonance stones?”
“Really! I don’t know anything else! Damn it… If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have listened to Aidan…”
Ignoring Felkor’s grumbling, I used ‘Mana Detection’ to track the demonic magic when a familiar voice came from behind.
“What is happening here!?”
The owner of the sharp voice was Linne.
As a disciple of the Sword Saint, she would be sensitive to magic.
“Sir Julian, the atmosphere on the train is unusual… Who is that person?”
As she looked around, she saw me subduing Felkor, widened her eyes, and stared in our direction.
To anyone, it looked like I had caught the perpetrator.
“That, that woman… She’s the Sword Saint’s top disciple! Julian, let’s forget about the past and quickly Dawn… Gah!”
Crack!
This time, I exerted force on his neck rather than his arm.
Using such a method, he quickly lost consciousness, and the resistance from his body disappeared.
“You really startled me. What on earth was he trying to say?”
“What are you doing now? He’s passed out!”
“Don’t you feel the magic on the train as well, Miss Linne?”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
“He was acting suspiciously. That’s why I subdued him.”
I glanced at the man fallen on the floor and then gave a smile that implied, ‘It was the obvious thing to do.’ Although this softened Linne’s interrogating tone a bit, her narrowed eyes still showed she harbored doubts.
“Look at his face.”
I lifted Felkor’s face to make it easier for Linne to see.
If she doesn’t believe, I have to convince her.
As expected of someone nicknamed ‘Steel Arm’ and who has spent a long time honing his martial skills, he had quite a fearsome face.
“At a glance, doesn’t he look far from an ordinary person?”
“……That he does.”
“Surely, he must have belonged to some knightly order and was dishonorably discharged for a shameful reason, then got involved in all sorts of dirty business. He must be related to this incident.”
“You’re oddly specific.”
Well, it’s about the man lying right there.
“For now, we need to restrain this man and head to where the sound came from. It’s also near the cabin where His Highness Ulysses is staying.”
I changed the subject to divert attention, leaving Felkor where he was, and stood up.
“By any chance, is this incident on the train the work of the Dawn Society?”
It’s a question Linne would naturally ask, given she was also looking for the Dawn Society.
“It might be, or it might not be.”
I spoke vaguely to avoid raising suspicion.
And that’s also the truth.
It’s unclear whether this situation arose from Tenellon’s suspicions or if it was Aidan’s unilateral decision.
I hurriedly moved on.
It certainly isn’t targeting me.
Neither Tenellon nor Aidan would be foolish enough to think a mere demon could handle me.
So, the target must be…
‘Prince Ulysses the Fourth.’
I must stop it at all costs. Only then can I hide the fact that I am from the Dawn Society.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
As I moved, Linne quickly followed.
“Is the energy we’re feeling on the train from a demon?”
‘Someone doesn’t seem to like that I’m escorting the prince. They didn’t have to welcome us like this.’
Although the approximate truth came to mind, I couldn’t say it outright.
If it were the real ‘Julian,’ he wouldn’t explain everything.
Fortunately, Linne came up with a hypothesis that such an event could happen.
“Fake horns imitating those of a demon…”
Thinking of this, Linne nodded slightly.
“That could be possible. With them, even an ordinary person could be demonized. But it’s a pity. I was really curious about who it could be.”
Linne clicked her tongue at my smiling face.
Even in this situation, she’s more curious about who holds a grudge against her than the safety of the prince.
“If it’s fake horns, they could avoid detection through the resonance stones and board the train. Then the culprit must be among us.”
Grinning, I responded to Linne’s simple deduction.
“I guess I’ll have to show how sharp a hound’s teeth can be.”
With confidence in my voice, I thought to myself, “Damn. This is so annoying! Why are they making life so difficult for me?” I leaned against the door of the corridor and looked through the window into the interior of the train, vigilant for any potential dangers. Despite what I told Linne, my top priority at the moment was not the safety of the other passengers but that of Prince Ulysses. Why? Because if anything happens to the prince I’m guarding… it’s my ass on the line.
Flustered, I quickly opened the door to the standard-class cabin and moved to the next car.
“It’s the Closed Eyes.”
“It’s Sir Julian…”
The urgency in the crew’s movements and the anxiety visible in the eyes of passengers startled by the occasional jolts of the train suggested that they were somewhat aware of the anomaly happening on the train. However, as I passed by, their anxiety turned into a look of reverence.
“If he’s involved……it’ll be resolved.”
Such was their boundless trust. Despite his harsh personality, Julian’s proven skills brought a sense of relief, although it felt odd to see.
As I passed them and headed toward the VIP section where Ulysses was, someone suddenly stood up and approached me with a look of ‘question’ over his head.
“Sir Julian, surely you’re not here to help us…”
Swoosh!
I grabbed the man by the nape of his neck and threw him to the floor.
Thud.
With a dull sound, the man passed out without uttering a scream.
“What, what the hell!?” Linne exclaimed in surprise at my sudden action.
“This man is a member of the Dawn Society,” I responded still with a smile.
“Wow, that was surprising.” It was indeed obvious. The meticulous Aidan wouldn’t have sent just Felkor.
No matter how you look at it. What are you smiling about, you insane guy?
“Really?” Linne asked.
“Check his pocket. There should be an order badge.”
‘Monsignors’ and those of higher verification don’t carry an order badge, but lower-ranking members deployed on dangerous missions like this must always carry one, as they don’t know each other.
Linne rummaged through the man’s pocket and seemed to find something, lifting it up.
“There really is a snake-shaped order badge…”
Ignoring Linne’s murmur, I quickly moved on to the next car.
On my way to Ulysses’ cabin, who knows how many order members might be present. I had to pass quickly to avoid them recognizing each other.
“Sir Julian! Surely, you’re not here to help o…”
Swoosh thwack!
Damn!
How many did they send?
***
As Linne moved through the chaotic interior of the train toward the cabin where Ulysses was, she couldn’t help but click her tongue.
‘How does he figure it out?’
She herself was quite confident in her ability to uncover the Dawn Society. She had done extensive research and gained much experience working alongside the Sword Saint.
However, that’s only possible when a certain level of communication has been exchanged.
The posture towards hostile forces,
The pupils when the name ‘Dawn Society’ is mentioned,
The choice of words related to the imperial family or demons,
All of these require ‘communication’ for her to move from ‘certainty’ to ‘suspicion.’
‘No, isn’t this obvious?’
The underlying basis of an obvious thought.
However, Julian was recognizing and subduing those from the Dawn Society without any communication.
“This person also has it…”
As another order badge popped out from the pocket of the man who had collapsed, Linne stared blankly at Julian’s back as he moved forward without hesitation.
Just how many members of the Dawn Society has he faced?
How much hatred does he harbor to go to such lengths?
“There are so many vermin, I must quickly check on His Highness Ulysses’s wellbeing.”
He was now diligently on his mission, hardly recognizable as the same person who had previously seen Alphas at Bayer Academy and been blinded by vengeance—a knightly response.
“Yes.”
Linne answered briefly, hiding a budding sense of shame inside her.
Feeling somewhat diminished,
‘That back seems so reliable today…’
She shook her head to dispel the foolish thought and looked at Julian, who had stopped before the last compartment.
She could feel it without opening the door.
“Is there a demon in there…?”
With a loud noise,
Julian moved faster than her thoughts.
Whooooosh.
A sinister energy enveloped her.
“Ugh….”
The discomfort that pricked her skin.
There was no need to verify its identity.
Only a ‘demon’ could emit such an aura.
Cliche Novel 