Chapter 37: Above the Guy Who Runs, There’s the Guy Who Flies (4)
‘Indeed, this is what the Empire is all about.’
The sight before me naturally led to such thoughts.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit underestimated by the Black Fangs, but they’re definitely not a group to be taken lightly.
The atmosphere at the mana train station was tense.
The reason? Incredibly simple.
It was a checkpoint, of course.
‘They really are thoroughly vicious.’
A group like the Black Fangs wouldn’t normally use a mana train when visiting the black market.
Because that would leave entry records!
A secret organization wouldn’t act so carelessly.
So naturally, I thought we should be off the suspect list.
But it seemed the Empire didn’t want to overlook even the slightest possibility.
‘This is troublesome….’
That thought was all but inevitable.
Those paranoid fools were blindly jabbing around, and, coincidentally, they hit the jackpot.
In moments like this, I thought I shouldn’t have taken the train.
‘But not taking it would look even more suspicious!’
The boarding records of the mana train.
There, no doubt, would be records showing Miss Rubia and us arriving here.
But to not take the train back?
That practically shouts, “Please investigate me!”
Of course, at first glance, one might think it was just a casual thing. Seeing as we didn’t take the train back, it’d be easy to assume we met our demise at the black market.
But there was no way someone of Miss Rubia’s noble status wouldn’t attract attention.
Eventually, the fact that we survived would come to light.
That would lead to Miss Rubia being mistakenly identified as a member of the Black Fangs.
So, the decision to take the train was definitely the right one.
It was just unfortunate luck.
However…
‘Well, I somewhat expected this.’
It was to be expected.
I’m no fool. I wouldn’t impersonate the Black Fangs without having some form of backup plan.
Of course, I had prepared a plan for just this scenario.
I quickly surveyed my surroundings and assessed the situation.
“My child has been hurt!”
“You cannot leave until the inspection is complete.”
Just then, the sound of an argument reached my ears. A noble couple with a child injured during a terror incident was clashing with a man who seemed to be in charge of the station.
It was urgent that they board the train quickly and get to the temple before the child’s wounds worsened.
A smile naturally crept onto my lips.
Was it divine intervention or just freakish luck that such a situation arose?
I swiftly stepped between the arguing pair.
“Excuse me… how long will the inspection take?”
I asked as politely and respectfully as possible.
The man responded in his typical grunt, giving a remarkably bureaucratic reply.
A response designed to dodge responsibility.
Something like, “I don’t know when it’ll end,” or “No one can leave for any reason until the procedure is completed.”
Statements about sticking to principles, y’know?
“I’m truly sorry, but… my younger sibling is also very ill.”
I said, pointing to Siel.
There was no need to instruct Siel to act.
After all, she really was sick.
Her keeping a stoic face at these moments was a real pickle.
She looked fine, so I thought everything was okay, but it turns out she’d been overexerting herself.
When she suddenly collapsed while walking, it scared the daylights out of me!
Especially since she seemed to have exerted more energy than last time at the mines, leaving her in worse shape.
‘Well, thankfully, I’ve got three great stamina-boosting artifacts equipped on her. As long as she rests, she should be alright!’
To anyone looking, Siel seemed no different from a walking corpse.
“But still, we have to follow the rules.”
The stubborn response came back.
These folks were tough cookies. By now, you’d think they might let it slide.
Don’t they feel any sympathy seeing her in such plight?
But… it didn’t really matter.
“You’re conducting this inspection because you think the Black Fangs might be sneaking in, right?”
I asked again.
A lady nearby, suddenly feeling a sense of solidarity, erupted.
“Does that even make sense? As if terrorists would calmly board trains! Are you trying to get our child killed because of this?”
While I didn’t step forward like that lady, there were many others in similar situations.
And with all the self-preserving nobles around, public sentiment quickly turned hostile.
Murmurs grew louder everywhere, the atmosphere becoming increasingly serious.
It felt like just a bit more provocation might spark a riot.
I instinctively knew this was the optimal moment to speak up.
“If things continue this way, my sibling might actually die… Would it be possible to let us go if I make a mana oath?”
My words made the man who seemed to be in charge fumble slightly. A natural reaction.
A mana oath isn’t something to be taken lightly.
Every living being has a hint of mana in them, a vital element for life.
To break such an oath would be like playing tag with death.
It was practically a life-threatening promise.
Having mentioned such a thing, my statement indeed carried serious weight.
“I’m not from the Black Fangs. I swear on mana, this is no lie…”
I said this with a quivering voice.
Mentioning a mana oath felt a bit daunting, but it probably didn’t matter much.
Because this isn’t a fib.
Me, a member of the Black Fangs?
There’s nothing absurd enough to top that in this world!
What on earth could someone like me possibly have to do with such a monstrous group?
“Our group has nothing to do with such an organization. So please… just let us go.”
Anyone could see I was practically on the edge, desperate for my sibling’s life. Adding a mana oath to that plea intensified it.
I instinctively knew.
I had completely controlled the atmosphere.
Tears welling in my eyes, I looked at the uniformed officer in charge.
The man eventually sighed deeply and ordered that our group be released.
In a way, that was expected.
There’s no check more definitive than a mana oath, and if he hadn’t accepted it, public opinion would have turned against him.
Not to mention, it wasn’t a bad call on his part.
It’s generally avoided to force a mana oath on someone, but it’s one of the most solid methods of verification.
Once I put the idea out there, he could easily propose mana oaths to others as well.
Sure enough, as soon as our group cleared, I heard the staff instructing everyone in line to make their mana oaths in turn.
They probably wore secret smiles of relief.
In a situation where they could have been vilified for detaining dozens of furious individuals, I had offered a quick fix.
Many hesitate at making a mana oath.
But you know how crowd psychology is; it’s a powerful thing.
It feels awkward to be the odd one out when everyone else complies. Not doing it might lead to being suspected of wrongdoing.
I suspect everyone will end up making a mana oath before long anyhow.
A happy ending for the passengers, the staff, and me!
A smile spread across my face.
The plan had worked flawlessly, as if taken straight from a storybook.
Has my luck really changed for the better lately?
It seems like everything I do is turning out great!
Picking up dozens of fortuitous encounters during a casual stroll through the black market.
Even snagging a holy sword!
It honestly felt like the world was on my side.
‘Maybe I should attempt a few more wild ideas now that I’ve hit a stride.’
That thought popped into my head naturally.
Especially since this inspection was casting the Empire in an even more unflattering light.
If I hadn’t come up with a plan this time, it could’ve blown up into a huge disaster!
I’ve been disgusted by their antics since the last incidents. This time, they almost directly snared me in their mess!
Because of their despicable actions, I’m thinking of ramping up my support for the Black Fangs.
Let’s agitate on a bigger scale.
Not just stopping at this incident but using the footage to subtly twist public opinion.
‘At this rate, the true leader of the Black Fangs ought to kneel to me in gratitude.’
Initially, I was the one impersonating and using them. But by now, they at least owe me thanks.
Where else in the world would you find such generous support?
‘At this point, I’m practically an honorary member of the Black Fangs.’
While indulging in such ridiculous thoughts, I walked toward the train. That’s when I noticed Miss Rubia’s bizarre reaction.
“You, you… how… how could you…”
Her speech was stammering as if her circuits had malfunctioned!
Her mouth was agape with sheer astonishment.
What an expressive reaction!
It’s like she’s witnessing a foreigner’s reaction to spicy chicken stir-fried noodles for the first time.
‘Was it really that big of an acting job? Do I deserve such awe?’
Sure, it was a decent attempt at method acting.
But really, doesn’t that reaction feel a bit over the top?
The more I see her, the more I realize she has this quirky vibe.
Honestly, Miss Rubia’s thoughts are truly perplexing sometimes.
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