Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The station ahead.

Danya wrapped the trains wheels with vines.

Squeeeak!

The train came to a stop with a tremendous noise.

We did it. We made it.

It descended down the slope of a mountain ridge as smoothly as if it had never derailed, all thanks to Ians efforts mostly, but still, it felt good.

Nyaaa.

A sigh, trying to hide the sense of accomplishment, burst out from Ian. Nevertheless, he felt good.

Had anyone already heard the news?

The platform below became bustling with staff rushing out. Ian and Schwab, who exchanged a few words, went down.

It was probably okay for Danya.

Rather than that, he wanted to enjoy this feeling right now.

The rough wind brushing against them as they descended the endless slope, the clamor of trying to maneuver the train at every curve, and even amidst the hardship, Ians face turning charred with sootall of it made him chuckle.

It was tough, but it was so much fun.

It was the first time it had been this enjoyable since he had entered Lichten Academy alone.

If I had given up on the path of a mage just before meeting Ian, I wouldnt have had this experience.

Danya gave up trying to suppress the upward curl of her lips.

Then she sat down beside Ian, smiling broadly.

Are you tired, Ian?

A little.

Hehe.

Swish, swish.

Danya wiggled her legs in the air a few times before speaking up.

Im having so much fun.

Is that so? Thats good.

Danya turned her head to look closely at Ians face.

Ians face was usually expressionless.

It only had confident eyes and somewhat tired features, always advancing without hesitation.

And it was still the same now.

His eyes filled with confidence remained, but the dark circles under his eyes had deepened a bit.

Apart from that, his cheeks were tinged with soot.

Danya wanted to say this.

Im lucky to have you as a comrade.

But.

Her lips didnt part to say it, staying shut like budding flowers.

It was too embarrassing. Even if she didnt know about other things, expressing good feelings honestly was difficult. It was even more so in front of Ian.

Instead, Danya cupped her hands.

Give me some soil here.

?

Ian, who had a puzzled expression, handed her the soil without saying much.

The moist texture of the soil. Danya closed her eyes.

If its hard to say with words with magic.

Since that was also why she chose the path of a mage in the first place, she recalled the emotions she wanted to express.

The cool and cold wind felt while descending the mountainside on the train.

Passionate spells cast to maintain the track somehow and the pleasant feeling of momentum.

Beautiful scenery with snowflakes all around.

Wishing for even a little healing for the tired you.

To capture those emotions, the mana of the grass full of vitality was moved.

A sapling sprouted from the soil.

It grew into a stem, then a flower bud.

And it bloomed brightly.

A much bigger incident was about to happen, but the novice in front of him had prevented it.

Moreover, if he was a student at the Lichten Academy, there was a high chance he was a member of a well-off family.

He knew well that swift and sincere compensation was the most effective way to prevent a major incident from occurring.

Gatewin handed a box to Ian.

Whats this?

These are high-grade mana potions from the Alchemist Workshop. Its compensation for the magical power you and your companions used.

There were four transparent bottles filled with blue liquid.

As Ian examined one, Gatewin continued.

We will also provide separate compensation for any mental damage you may have suffered We guarantee compensation equivalent to ten times the ticket price for this journey. We will make arrangements for further discussions at any branch of the Northern Mountain Range Train Operation Association.

Yes. Please do so.

Also, weve prepared a special high-speed train to your destination. Please trust and use it. Itll arrive in about 10 minutes.

Yes.

Then.

Gatewin had a mountain of tasks to deal with.

With a bow of his head, Gatewin left.

Meanwhile

Schwab approached Ian, who was curiously looking at the mana potions.

Student Ian. No, its better to call you Ian-nim now. You have such remarkable abilities that it would be too much to call you a mere student.

Just call me whatever youre comfortable with.

Haha! Well then, Student Ian. As I said on the train, Ians feats wont be published as news just yet. Well release an article emphasizing the dangers of Mana Stones first.

Thank you.

Is there a reason why you want to hide your feats?

Originally, the train incident should have resulted in a crash, which would have become a major issue on the continent. Ian himself wouldnt expect any good outcome if he were to intervene. Therefore, its better if the future doesnt change.

Of course, he couldnt just tell all this to Schwab.

So, instead

Wouldnt it be better to focus on one issue at a time?

Schwabs eyes widened as he listened to Ians words.

Ohh. You know how to handle public opinion. Alright, Ill put in a good word then. Hahaha!

It was his misconception, but well, it didnt seem harmful.

At the Pierce Duchy.

Luxurious carriages began to arrive one by one.

Nobles, dressed for the occasion, descended from the carriages, warmly welcomed by the familys butlers.

Meanwhile, in the study of Lord Richard Pierce.

A servant was reporting to him.

It seems we failed. That child was on board, so we didnt proceed with the second plan.

The child hasnt died, has he?

No, they survived on the train. But they had to feign unconsciousness to avoid suspicion, so theyre unaware of the process.

As expected, the insight was wrong. That childs life is more important now. Chaos can occur at any time.

Then I suppose well just have to take him out of social gatherings to

Slither.

A brief rustle near the door caught their attention simultaneously.

Their eyes turned towards it.

None of them missed the fleeting sight of long, blue hair passing by.

It seems Sharon eavesdropped. Should we take care of it?

Its fine. That child is already broken.

Didnt she recently start practicing the sword again? She seemed to regain her senses after that.

At the servants remark, Lord Pierce chuckled softly.

She tried to end her life without even understanding the situation.

I see.

Im just waiting for her blood to mature like her mothers.

Lord Pierces blue eyes gleamed with greed.