LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 96 - Watch carefully from now on, and report properly.
Chapter 96 – Watch carefully from now on, and report properly.
The Imperial Palace.
“Yawn…”
A woman lay on a couch, resting her chin on her hand and yawning.
It was an improper posture for a lady of etiquette, but it was also a powerful and seductive pose.
The second princess, Aurora.
She was currently bored out of her mind. Her whole body was soaked in languor, and only her golden eyes shone brightly.
She had woken up at dawn to not miss the Hunting Competition, but the broadcast still showed no sign of starting.
She finally asked the attendant next to her.
“Hey, when is it going to start?”
“…There are still about three hours left, Your Highness.”
The attendant bowed his head politely and answered.
Aurora sighed deeply and clicked her tongue.
“How dare they make the princess wait, the Black Demon Emperor is not that great after all. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes. I agree, Your Highness.”
“You should also react more diversely. It’s not fun. It’s not.”
“I apologize. It’s because I lack talent, Your Highness.”
The attendant calmly dealt with the second princess’s words.
He was used to this kind of conversation by now.
“But, it’s strange. Didn’t the train heading to Verkel already depart with the representatives?”
“Yes. It did, Your Highness.”
The second princess picked up a bundle of papers.
Although it was only recorded in print, the attendant had neatly summarized the situation of the Hunting Competition without any errors.
“They all seem to have taken the same train as if they had made a promise… It’s like they’re going on a picnic.”
Aurora’s eyes moved left and right rapidly. And at some point, they stopped.
“…”
The second princess was silent for a long time, and the attendant cautiously lifted his head and looked at her.
“Hey, don’t you think something is weird?”
“…!”
The attendant shuddered.
At Aurora’s question, he immediately lowered his head.
“Was there a broken part or a typo? I’ll fix it right away…”
“No. That’s not it.”
Aurora flipped the paper to the opposite direction.
She made sure that the print was visible to the attendant.
“Do you see it?”
“Yes.”
“The route of the magic department is completely different.”
The attendant carefully examined the print one by one.
It didn’t take long to confirm that there was nothing wrong.
“Yes. It seems that only the representatives of the magic department chose a different route, Your Highness.”
Aurora looked at the attendant.
“What do you think of this?”
“…”
“They chose the most dangerous routes, for some reason.”
Four consecutive transfers, all of them risky routes.
It was an element that could not be considered a coincidence.
The attendant cautiously opened his mouth.
“I felt confidence, Your Highness.”
“Hmm. Confidence.”
Aurora nodded her head. Her mood seemed to improve somehow.
She twisted her lips and said.
“Good. You felt the same as me.”
The second princess now focused on the list. Her golden eyes were fixed on ‘Flan’.
“I want to see this guy. Right now.”
“The broadcast will start right after the representatives arrive at Verkel, Your Highness.”
The attendant explained the reason step by step.
“The reporters also used a relatively safe route to go to Verkel, and currently there are no reporters near the magic department representatives, so…”
Aurora stared at the attendant for a long time.
“I just said, I want to see him.”
Her eyes were like pure gold.
The only thing the attendant could do in front of them was, of course, one thing.
◈
The train journey continued peacefully for a while.
Becky and the other two representatives chatted with each other, and I looked out the window and immersed myself in my thoughts.
After another hour passed, we finally arrived at Zerun Station.
“Oh…?”
Becky exclaimed. I understood her feelings to some extent.
Restaurants and shops, as well as various amenities.
It was just a station, but it had a well-equipped structure that made the word ‘just’ meaningless.
Becky looked around like a child.
“There are a lot more people than I thought…? Is it because the station is pretty? Or is Zerun a famous place that I didn’t know about?”
“It’s probably because this is the last stop. Not many people want to go to Verkel, after all.”
“Ah~”
Becky nodded at Louis’s words.
Both Becky’s remark that there were many people and Louis’s remark that few people wanted to go to Verkel were not wrong.
I told them.
“Have your meal now if you need to. We won’t have much time later.”
“Then I’ll go and buy some food!”
Becky raised her hand eagerly.
“We’re riding in the VIP section, so we can eat inside the train, right?”
“That’s up to you.”
I handed her a gold coin.
Becky looked touched and left her seat.
After 20 minutes, the train showed its head from the end of the rail.
At the same time, the staff shouted loudly.
“This is the number 4 train to Verkel! Please don’t make any mistakes! Number 4! Number 4!”
“Follow me.”
I walked ahead to the VIP-only passage, and the representatives followed me.
A staff member came over and checked our tickets.
“Uh… Uh?”
The staff member’s eyes moved from the tickets to me.
After a moment, he tilted his head.
“…Flan? The Flan from the magic department?”
I nodded silently. Louis laughed.
“Wow, Flan is a celebrity now.”
“Really. Even here, he recognizes you…”
Becky also looked at me with shining eyes. I just nodded my head.
The staff member opened his mouth again.
“Wow, you look much better in person. You can sit anywhere in the VIP section, but…”
He lowered his voice. With a more cautious tone, he continued, only for me to hear.
“The number 4 train to Verkel is very dangerous. Mercenaries only use it occasionally when they have a request. You must not have known since you’re a freshman, do you want me to change your reservation?”
“I have to take the number 4.”
“…I see. I’m rooting for you.”
I cut off the conversation and got on the train.
The inside was so shabby that it didn’t match the name ‘VIP-only’.
There were only basic seats.
I understood.
It would be a waste to put anything on this train that had a high risk of being destroyed.
“Huh? Are you the representatives from the magic department?”
As soon as we sat down, some unknown people pretended to know us.
They were all wearing robes.
“Ah~ It’s not anything, we’re also magicians. We’re glad to meet the representatives from the magic department. This is a lucky coincidence…”
A mixture of truth and lies.
They were not lying about being magicians, but we definitely did not meet by chance.
I examined them closely.
All three of them had teleportation stones, and they were holding some kind of crystal ball in their arms.
‘It projects the surrounding objects and sends them…’
Chiiik─
The train made a loud noise and announced its departure.
“Wait a minute!”
Becky barely made it on time, clutching a bunch of food in her arms.
She deliberately sat next to me.
The appetizing smell and the rose scent mixed and tickled my nose.
“Phew… I almost missed the train!”
“What a pity. It was a chance to leave you behind.”
Trixie said, looking out the window.
Becky asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
“Trixie, why do you seem to hate me…?”
“Yes.”
“…Why.”
“Figure it out yourself.”
Creak- creak-
The train started to head towards its destination.
“Wow…”
As soon as we left the station, Becky’s mouth opened wide.
I was also momentarily captivated by the scenery outside the window.
It was a sight worthy of being called a masterpiece.
“I’ve heard of this. This is the mist waterfall…”
Within arm’s reach, there were endless cliffs that looked like they were cut with a razor.
The mist flowed down like a waterfall due to the unusual air currents.
“Surely, the train won’t fall down there, right?”
“That would be fun in its own way. It wouldn’t be a waste of the ticket price.”
“Flan, please don’t say that seriously. I’m afraid of heights, you know.”
Becky shook her head.
I pointed to the food with my chin.
Snacks, sandwiches… She bought a lot of different kinds.
“Eat well.”
As expected, the situation would get busy soon. There would be no time to eat then.
“Yeah, I have to eat… Yawn…”
Suddenly, Becky yawned.
“Did you run around the restaurant too fast… The room is warm too… I’m sleepy. Kids, just eat this all.”
“Thanks, Becky. We’ll eat well.” “You eat too much. That’s why you gain weight.”
Louis smiled and took a hot dog, and
Trixie took out a lunch box with vegetables and nibbled on it.
Leaving behind the noise that started to feel like everyday life, I looked out the window and sank into my thoughts.
There were seven people in the VIP seat.
Four magic department representatives, including me, and three magicians whose identities were unknown.
‘There were no other guests when we booked.’
I quietly put my hand on the window frame. I slowly coated the entire train car with Hera’s magic so that no one could notice.
I could feel a sinister aura nearby. Judging by the fact that Maiev marked this as the safest section, it was likely to be the most dangerous.
‘…It’s a hassle to train disciples.’
But it had to be done.
I would have chosen a comfortable route if it were up to me, but making ‘the magic department’s victory’ instead of an individual’s victory was also an important task.
It was obviously important to raise the overall average of the magicians, and I would make these three stones the cornerstones.
But then.
“…?”
Something fell on my shoulder.
It was Becky. She had dropped her hat on the floor and buried her face in my shoulder.
“Becky.”
I pushed her away with a tap on her forehead.
But the situation worsened, and Becky’s fallen head landed on my thigh.
“…”
I felt a complex emotion for a moment, but I decided to allow this much rest considering what would happen soon.
So I gave her my thigh and took out the data.
[ Status of Ancient Rune Research ]
Maiev was really diligent in organizing this one thing.
The data in the form of a map that he had outlined with the few ancient runes he had collected over the years.
Coincidentally, this map also pointed to Verkel.
I was going to look at this for a few minutes of peace.
◈
Clank- clank-
The train kept going.
The reporter in a reversed robe, Arine, wore a necklace-shaped crystal.
Fortunately, she was still capturing the situation without any problems.
Clank- clank-
And another 20 minutes.
Arine kept capturing the VIP car.
According to the urgent order from the royal palace, her current mission was to relay the appearance of the magic department representatives as much as possible.
Flan was looking at a paper that she didn’t know what it was.
A girl was sleeping on his thigh with a pillow.
‘…That’s why it’s a scandal.’
Thinking that, Arine opened any book she could find.
Clank- Clank-
Flan was still motionless.
The bracelet that reacted to the demonic energy started to glow faintly, and the reporters took a deep breath and calmed their nerves.
There was no need to worry too much.
They could just continue the broadcast as much as possible and then return with the teleportation stone if things got worse.
There was no reason to feel guilty.
They were just doing their job, and they didn’t cause any harm to the representatives, and failing to save them in an emergency was inevitable.
Flan became more focused as time passed.
Now he hung eight sheets of paper in the air and looked at them all at once, and his posture was quite elegant.
If someone saw this through the crystal ball,
That someone would surely admire his perfection.
Clank-
Clank-
But at some point, Arine’s bracelet started to vibrate ominously.
The demonic energy detected was far beyond their expectations.
“…”
The reporters exchanged glances.
At this level, it was right to return immediately.
It was too risky to broadcast someone else’s appearance when they couldn’t even guarantee their own lives.
“We have no choice. Let’s go back.”
They quietly moved to the corner.
They broke the teleportation stone with their nails.
No, they tried to break it, but the stone avoided it.
“…?”
They were puzzled by the unexpected situation.
Their nails kept hitting the air, and the stone flew around like a fly, dodging the reporters’ hands.
“What, what’s going on? This is urgent!”
They turned on the fire in their eyes and started to look for the cause, and they soon found out.
It was telekinesis.
Flan was manipulating the stone with telekinesis, and he was deliberately preventing their return.
“Excuse me, what are you doing?”
“I won’t allow you to return.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
“It’s because I already know that you are reporters.”
“…”
Arine’s eyebrows twitched for a moment. She tried to act as calmly as possible.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… Just give it back. It’s mine in the first place.”
“You don’t know, huh? Then how do you explain the crystal ball around your neck?”
It was a disaster.
Flan had already figured out about the crystal ball.
Arine swallowed her dry saliva.
“You don’t know anything. This is just a necklace.”
“You’re still the ones who don’t know anything.”
The vibration from the bracelet was still growing in real time.
The expressions of the reporters, including Arine, were very urgent.
I didn’t want to face the demons.
I wanted to return.
“…Anyway, that’s not the important thing. You took someone else’s belongings without permission. Can you please return them first?”
“As I mentioned before, I won’t allow you to go back.”
“If you’re going to be like that, then we have something to say too─”
But then.
Screeeech─!
The train started to brake abruptly.
The vibration of the bracelet became so strong that my hand was shaking, and Arine lost her sanity around then.
“Give it back, give it back! If you want to die, just die alone! What are you trying to do, dragging us all down with you─!”
And at that moment.
Boom─!
A large explosion signaled the start.
It was from the front of the train.
Next.
─!
The VIP car soared into the air.
It happened in an instant.
“Ahh!”
Arine screamed.
Whooosh─!
The wind rushed past.
The VIP car that had risen high would soon fall and become weightless, and everyone would flail around miserably before crashing into the ground and dying.
If they fell off a cliff, there would be no one to retrieve their bodies afterwards.
But.
The wind was the only thing that remained.
The scenery outside the window stopped at some point.
“Ugh!”
Arine hit her head on the ceiling and then bumped her nose on the floor of the car.
It was a shock that made her mind go blank.
“Ow… My nose, my nose…”
The reporters who got up while holding their sore spots squinted and looked around.
Soon their eyes widened, and they all panicked.
The VIP car was still intact.
But they had clearly heard the explosion with their own ears.
It couldn’t have been an illusion.
Arine immediately stuck to the window and looked outside.
And she froze.
“…?”
They were still in the air.
The train that had its head on the ground was pointing vertically towards the sky.
Except for the front car that was surrounded by the flickering demons, all of them.
As if someone had pulled their tail from the sky, they stood still without shaking.
The world became silent as if the concept of ‘sound’ had disappeared.
Magic blended into the scenery naturally, as if they were admiring a giant artwork using the train.
“What is this…”
Arine instinctively lifted the necklace-shaped crystal.
Fortunately, it was only cracked, so it was enough to transmit this scene.
The demons that surrounded the front car, and the train top that stood tall in the middle of them…
While capturing their images.
“The view is not bad, I suppose.”
Flan.
His calm voice struck the reporters’ ears.
Flan sorted out the documents without a single wrinkle and got up from his seat.
The representatives were also safely asleep thanks to his psychokinesis.
“…!”
Come to think of it, everything in this car was unaffected by gravity.
Even though the train was standing vertically, their bodies didn’t lean down.
She felt dizzy.
Arine couldn’t understand the situation well, even though she was a mage herself.
…It was an explosion that could have killed them.
Flan tapped the wall of the car with his toe. Then, with a thud, it was torn off whole.
What was he trying to do?
As Arine thought that, Flan opened his mouth as if he had read her mind.
“You don’t need to try to understand.”
Flan lifted the three representatives with his psychokinesis.
They finally woke up from their sleep and blinked their eyes.
“You just need to do your job as reporters.”
At the same time, Flan threw the three representatives outside.
“─!”
The representatives fell to the ground without knowing why.
Before the stunned reporters could ask anything.
“Watch carefully from now on, and report it properly.”
With those words, Flan also jumped out.