Clunk, clunk.
The noise from the train moving forward echoed around.
Unlike the highly developed trains of my modern world, this one shook violently, and the sound was loud enough to give me tinnitus.
“I really think trains are great.”
“…What are you talking about, White Mask…?”
“Master.”
“…Master.”
I replied casually, fearing the atmosphere would become icy if I didn’t.
I couldn’t quite understand why she was so obsessed with that title after all. Wasn’t she one of the people who loathed my criminal reputation the most?
Why was she suddenly getting all chummy now?
Ugh, my plan to take it easy and go to the blacksmith with Muyun was crumbling before my eyes, leaving me feeling unsettled.
“Isn’t it an amazing means of transportation? Unlike a horse that runs wild, it rewards you if you feed it fuel properly. And because it only moves on laid tracks, there are no variables. It’s truly an alluring invention!”
I felt like I might lose my mind during her overly enthusiastic lecture about trains.
The way she spoke, the excitement building in her voice—it screamed stereotypical train geek!
Once, I’d read that there were three major categories of nerds who were known for being the biggest nuisances, and I felt frustration rising.
And now, one of those people was right in front of me!
“Ah, yes.”
“Not much of a reaction, huh? Those who don’t appreciate the charm of railways are missing out on half of life.”
I couldn’t help but think, *Really???*
But why was Muyun so quiet…?
*”…How did it come to this, how did it come to this…”*
I could see her mumbling beside me with a dazed expression, looking more like a caricature than a person.
Every time she touched me, it seemed like I was turning to stone.
I really didn’t know what was going through her mind, but leaving her alone was probably better for her mental health.
“By the way…”
It’s said that if you don’t care, then care less, but still, I think we have the right to know our destination.
With that thought, I said in a slightly serious tone.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“I just told you, to Geumgu.”
“…Can you be a bit more specific?”
“Well, you’ll find out when we get there. Just wait a moment, we’ll arrive soon.”
Even with all this nonsense, it was clear that the train moved at a decent speed.
Maybe it felt faster since we had been walking for so long.
Well, I was pretty good at waiting.
“So, where was I? Right, this train…”
I wasn’t really comfortable listening to information I didn’t want to know.
What kind of jabber was this, you train geek?
Just as I thought my brain was going to burst from the almost brainwashing chatter, the train finally began to slow down, coming to a stop at a nicely decorated station.
“Tch, we’ve arrived. Let’s get off.”
Seeing White Mask looking like she had more to say made me decide to avoid train conversations at all costs.
I can tolerate many hobbies, but this was a hard pass.
“Master, I have a question.”
“Sure, we still have some time, so I guess a little Q&A wouldn’t hurt.”
White Mask stood up, then sat back down, facing me head-on.
Staring at her expressionless mask made it seem a bit more serious this time.
“I didn’t think you’d actually consider asking about railways…”
“Nope.”
“Tsk.”
I thought, *isn’t this a kind of psychopath behavior?*
I cleared my throat to regain some composure.
“This might be a sensitive question, but I’m curious why you suddenly decided to accept me as a disciple and subordinate.”
After all, she was one of those who had shown visible dislike for me back in the underground prison.
I felt too uneasy to skip over this question.
You never know, she might decide to bury me in the snow mountains just because I’ve grown slightly.
Without knowing her true strength, it could get dangerous if I underestimated her.
Realizing the atmosphere was turning a bit bleak, Muyun looked down, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Um, is that what you were curious about?”
White Mask hummed after listening to me.
I wondered how she should choose her words.
I silently awaited her reply as an awkward silence settled around us.
Fortunately, the tense moment didn’t last long, as White Mask finally lifted her head.
“Muyun went with you to defeat the gardener, right?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Then it’s fine to talk.”
White Mask spoke firmly.
“You can summon Outsiders, can’t you?”
The sudden, forceful interrogation made my jaw drop and my mind went blank.
…Huh?
How did she know that?
I had never mentioned it to anyone, right?
“You’re looking as if you’re about to ask how I knew. Don’t panic; I kept it to myself and didn’t tell anyone else.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being honest, but it certainly felt like she was trying to calm me down.
Still, it was hard not to panic at this revelation.
“…You can summon Outsiders, can’t you?”
“Back then, it wasn’t just about defeating the gardener, was it?”
At that, Muyun trembled as well.
Once again, my heart raced as if it would burst from such shocking revelations.
How did she know all of that…?
But she was speaking casually as if all of this meant very little to her.
“Oh, of course, if it were just the vice director who found out, you would have slipped under the radar. But I could tell. The gardener’s leaves are teal and not that faded color.”
White Mask seemed confident in what she said.
So that’s why she looked at me and the leaves back then?
She thought I had lied about taking down the gardener?
“The crucial point was the Hearth crack incident. Having fought Outsiders before, I knew one thing for sure. The Outsiders never charge at the Hearth without a purpose. Doing so would only waste their own energy. At least, from what I’ve gathered about Watcher behavior, that’s a less likely outcome.”
By now, White Mask was leaning in closer, staring into my face.
I couldn’t predict what expression was hidden behind that mask, and her gently breathing chill made it impossible for me to guess her emotions.
“So, what’s your answer?”
“…What kind of answer do you want?”
“Well, whatever answer you give won’t change my judgment. If you deny it, your guts and strength to face the Watcher alone qualify you to be my disciple. If you admit it, I can share more useful information with you.”
Is this a trap?
Or is she sincere?
Because my doubt about the Knights wasn’t gone, I had no idea how to answer.
Suddenly, White Mask pulled something out—a stick—and knocked twice on my pocket.
“Ouch!”
I flinched at the prick, and as a result, it dropped from my grasp.
A Party Horn—or, more accurately, a Horn Bugle.
Muyun widened her eyes when she saw what I dropped.
“Th-That’s a Horn Bugle…!”
“Hmm, I guess it came from the armory?”
With a cryptic smile, White Mask stated.
“It’s originally a weapon that bursts your head open when you blow it. I’m guessing you used it to summon Outsiders?”
“…!”
This whole atmosphere felt extremely serious, and my adrenaline skyrocketed, making my mind spin wildly.
What in the world does White Mask want from me?
Is she planning to execute me knowing all this, or is she trying to raise me for some reason?
Then White Mask placed a hand on my shoulder.
“This is a serious breach of military law, but after analyzing your actions so far, you don’t seem to be trying to destroy Rondan. So I reconsidered your accusations.”
“…?”
“You might know this from the Princess, but forming connections with Outsiders isn’t impossible. However, engaging in such acts with them isn’t exactly easy.”
She seemed to be wary about discussing anything related to the Princess, whispering in a voice low enough for Muyun to not hear.
“You, despite being physically weak, showed remarkable resistance to Outsiders, enough to wield a Horn Bugle, didn’t you?”
“…”
Seemingly taking my silence as affirmation, White Mask nodded.
“That suggests you might be putting yourself forward to face Outsiders, doesn’t it?”
…Wait, what?
I couldn’t follow the sudden sharp turn in the conversation and stared blankly as she smiled with delight.
“I briefly looked into your past. Most of the recent figures are managed by us.”
The past of Leydan Tanton?
Since all I knew were dreadful tales about this body’s original owner, my ears perked up.
“There was an exceptional instance of an Outsider descending upon the Hearth City you lived in, where strangely there were minimal casualty reports. Witnesses claimed you were at the center of it.”
Was that really true…?
“Unless you’re being attacked by a monstrous Outsider, no one would want to partake in such wild experiences willingly—so seeing you attempting to buy time suggests that the Knights might have exaggerated your accusations. It’s common for the Knights to handle situations this way.”
This was my first time hearing the backstory of “Leydan Tanton.”
What on earth did he get up to?
“But I recognized your commendable intentions. So I decided to nurture you.”
Muyun, having grasped some words and the context, raised her voice.
“…Wait, Tanton, is that true?”
Looking at her strangely excited expression and the knowing gaze of White Mask, I felt utterly flabbergasted.
The information I had wasn’t applicable, so I had no clue how to react…
Ugh.
Suddenly, a headache washed over me, making me clutch my head with one hand.
It felt like someone was squeezing my brain.
Why now?
Out of nowhere, an image began to surface.
It wasn’t fully formed, but I could somewhat grasp what it portrayed.
A woman with tears running down her cheeks.
I was looking at her, but wait, this wasn’t me.
This might be Leydan Tanton.
And then…
Suddenly, I felt someone gently tapping my shoulder.
Startled, I opened my eyes wide, only to find White Mask tilting her head at me through my narrowed vision.
“…You don’t look so well. Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine. Just a brief headache…”
“Oh dear.”
What was the nature of this memory?
It felt like it belonged to Leydan Tanton, but why was it flooding back all of a sudden?
For now, I should calm down.
I noticed Muyun and White Mask were watching me closely, clearly sensing something was amiss.
But considering that our conversation had turned rather advantageous for me, I felt it was okay to let the mood slip by.
“…I concede. How did you deduce that so carefully?”
Though White Mask still seemed confused, she looked at me as I mentioned a headache, leaving her speechless.
“After spending years in the Knights, you see all sorts of character types. There are definitely outliers among them. Naturally, your unique qualities made you easier to read.”
“…I was just there. I didn’t do anything special.”
By speaking humbly, I noticed White Mask nodded.
“A knight who possesses humility. It seems we picked a good one.”
For some reason, she seemed to be rating my performance even higher.
With that, she stood up and walked towards the open train door.
“I’ll help you train as much as I’m able. Especially since the Princess is counting on you as a prospect.”
“…Thank you.”
Somehow, I felt like I had transformed from a mere criminal to a dark hero working to save the world.
“…You’re buying time until you offer yourself to the Outsiders, all while keeping that fact under wraps, Tanton…”
I decided to ignore what Muyun mumbled.
Something about her eyes seemed to be getting redder by the moment.
#
We followed White Mask off the train, and naturally, the fuel-deprived train came to a stop as it ceased operation.
A personal train? How convenient!
For now, I decided to think about the sudden memories later.
I would delve deeper into the past of Leydan Tanton and figure out how those events unfolded.
If I could obtain that knowledge naturally, that would be the best scenario.
Either way, it was a matter of time.
“Arrived.”
White Mask announced as we halted, and we followed suit.
At the scene unfolding before our eyes, my mouth dropped open.
Figures were bustling about in an area where snowstorms assailed the sky, seemingly searching for something.
If something was flying in such a harsh place, then it must be Outsiders.
“What on earth is that?”
When Muyun asked in astonishment, White Mask let out a scoff.
“A Slayer Zone. And…”
From White Mask’s mouth came a story that chilled me.
“It’s where the culprit who made my face like this resides!”
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