A Three-Day, Two-Night Journey (Part 2)

The foundation he had mastered had long surpassed Magus's understanding of Magecraft, even reaching the level of divinity. Therefore, no matter how illogical things happened, she wouldn't be surprised. Not to mention that what Rovey was demonstrating was merely a revival of Alchemy Magecraft within the Golden System.

The Lehman Family patriarch wisely remained silent, but seeing the threat resolved, he breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze towards Rovey involuntarily held a mixture of respect and unfamiliarity. After all, the Gold Alchemy Rovey had just demonstrated was something even his father might not have been able to achieve while he was alive.

His daughter, Yvette L. Lehmann, standing beside him, was already captivated by Rovey's figure, and couldn't help but applaud him, her eyes filled with admiration and longing. Hansa, as if afraid the commotion wasn't big enough, even whistled, his frivolous demeanor making him look more like a street thug than a priest.

"... What an interesting man."

Lita narrowed her long, beautiful eyes slightly and looked at Rovey with a slight smile. She was clearly surprised by the methods Rovey had displayed.

Before this, she hadn't taken Rovey seriously at all, considering him just a brat Magus from the Crowley Family, and only Festival Rank himself, so she thought she could just play with him a little. But she didn't expect Rovey's illusion skills to be so superb. Not only did he break her charm spell cast with her Mystic Eyes, but his modern Western-style Magecraft was definitely no less than that of a Priest.

She was now removing Rovey from her preconceived notions of him as 'an ordinary Magus,' or 'a brat who isn't even a color master.'

Lehmann couldn't make heads or tails of that Hansa move, and Aozaki Touko couldn't figure it out either because she didn't understand the modern system, but she was very familiar with it because she had seen that era firsthand.

Compression, collapse, and silent chanting and evolution completed the act of constructing objects using that magic.

This process not only needs to be fast, but also extremely discreet.

When Rovey used the Gold Alchemy just now, it was as if there was some kind of special barrier around him, more like Magus in a workshop... But which Magus can bring his own workshop and use a barrier like this? She had never seen such a special situation before.

No wonder he can travel with Grand Magus; he's got some skills.

Lita gave Rovey a deep look, then smiled charmingly and replied softly, "Very well, consider it a gift. Crowley, we are both descendants of nobles, so for your sake, let's drop this matter for now."

"Ha, you slut, you think you can fight me because of him? You actually want to..."

Just as Aozaki Touko was about to retort, Rovey quickly covered her mouth.

"Ugh... uh..."

"Thank you so much."

Out of politeness, Rovey stopped the fight, still with a smile in his eyes.

If you want to fight or go to war, you can do it anytime, anywhere. But some things are better dealt with after the important business is done. Avoid conflict during this period.

If things go as they expect, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet this Miss Lita later, since her status is far more important than theirs.

Buzzing—!!!

Then, as their voices faded, the melodious whistle sounded again, and the train beneath their feet began to accelerate at a visible pace until it transformed into a jet-black dragon, breaking free of the tracks and plunging straight into the endless ocean, instantly leaving the ancient city behind.

As we left La Souva, the sliver of dawn that was about to appear kept disappearing outside the car window.

Because we were on an endless ocean, the scenery outside the car window seemed to be swallowed up by an abyss.

The rolling waves in my ears and the endless black clouds covering the sky brought a heavy sense of oppression. Visible blue lightning bolts crisscrossed among the clouds, accompanied by a deep and silent rumble of thunder, as if narrating a symphony of destruction.

Inside the carriage—

Thanks to Rovey's mediation, everyone has now calmed down and is just waiting for the flight attendants to pick them up on time according to the invitation.

Even so, aside from Hansa, who love watching the drama unfold, the two parties involved still didn't want to let it go so easily. If Rovey hadn't sat down between them and been drinking tea, they definitely would have started fighting today.

Surrounded by two women, Rovey glanced down at his pocket watch, and finally—

At four o'clock in the morning, the carriage doors finally opened again.

Then a tall, middle-aged man wearing a train hat and a black uniform walked in at the appointed time.

"Welcome, passengers. I am the train conductor for this journey."

The man spoke calmly with his head down, offering words of welcome, but his face lacked any genuine smile. It gave the impression that he was merely completing a task, delivering the same old opening lines. He had a distinctly manipulative, work-study vibe.

However, he continued to meticulously explain all the important information about the train journey to everyone in the carriage.

"This train will officially depart from Finland and embark on a three-day journey traversing land, sea, and mountainous terrains, ultimately circling the entire Northern Europe continent before returning to London. During this time, our train will hold an auction as scheduled, where passengers are free to purchase and bid. Similarly, after purchasing Mystic Eyes, our train can provide a corresponding transplantation service, performing a professional transplant immediately, and you can also keep it for yourself. In addition, if any passengers wish to sell their Mystic Eyes, they can come to the cabin at any time to find me, and I will arrange it for you as soon as possible."

"This concludes the important information and related matters regarding this train journey. We hope you all have a successful journey ahead."

"—In addition, if any passengers have any other needs, they can call the train crew at any time. Everyone, including myself, will do their best to meet all your needs."

That concludes the pre-auction advice.

Then, under the arrangement of this eccentric train conductor, everyone in the carriage was taken to their respective rooms to await the official start of this unique auction.

"Phew, the Rail Zeppelin is as troublesome as ever... At least I don't have to see that sly fox's stinky face anymore."

Arriving in the same guest room as Rovey, Aozaki Touko unabashedly pounced onto the soft, large bed, showing no restraint whatsoever. Even her coat, which she had taken off, was picked up and hung on the hanger by Rovey himself.

In stark contrast to the relaxed expression on Aozaki Touko's face, Rovey's expression was much more complex.

He sat steadily in his chair, closing his eyes to rest, while pondering what he should do next, and how to do it. He considered how to defend himself to maximize his advantage should the other party strike first...

"Hmm? What are you thinking about now?"

Aozaki Touko, who was lying on the bed, noticed Rovey's complicated expression and couldn't help but ask him a question out of curiosity.

She had initially thought that Rovey was simply annoyed by the trouble he and Lita had caused, but now it seemed that there were many things she didn't know about during their conversation...

If it's just that woman, there's no need to worry so much.

After all, no matter how skilled that vixen was, she couldn't possibly defeat him. Even if he wasn't Magus specializing in lethal Magecraft, he was still a genuine Grand Rank, not to mention she had just received a major upgrade in Fuyuki City. With the six Primordial Runes he currently possessed, he was more than capable of sweeping aside the vast majority of modern Magus.

So...

Did Rovey notice something again by making that expression?

Aozaki Touko was somewhat curious about this.

"Hmm... it's not entirely certain yet, but that's roughly the situation."

Rovey slightly opened his eyes, looked at Aoko who was sitting on the bed and suddenly leaned her face closer, then nodded and earnestly reminded her, "In any case, it's best to be careful. According to my deduction, it seems that the owner of this train does not intend to forgive you for what you have done."

"Huh? You mean the guy behind this train will settle scores with me later?"

Aozaki Touko was somewhat surprised by what Rovey said.

"More or less, but I don't have any evidence right now. Anyway, be careful. And don't underestimate that woman named Lita. Her identity might be more astonishing than you think."

"... Oh? You mean that vixen from earlier?"

Rovey's words also piqued Aozaki Touko's interest.

She had already realized that the other party was not simple, but even if she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out which family member dared to be so reckless as to provoke her to her face.

Moreover, she had to admit that the vixen was indeed quite capable; at least from the magical power she had just unleashed, it was clear that her level far surpassed that of an average Color-Rank Magus. So...

For a moment, Aozaki Touko became particularly curious about that guy's background. At least in the seemingly mysterious world, such a guy could never be so unknown.

Rovey didn't hide anything from him. He wasn't used to being a riddle teller. However, instead of saying it directly, he wrote a riddle in mid-air using runes that only Aozaki Touko could decipher, a guess that made her gape in surprise. Then the topic was dropped.

After all, this train is someone else's territory. The train itself is already surrounded by countless Magecraft rituals, making it almost like a mobile mini-world. He couldn't be sure what kind of methods the other party had set up here, so there were some things he couldn't say easily, lest he alert them.

Then, with both of them pretty much aware of the situation, Rovey glanced at the room and at Aozaki Touko, who was lying on the bed in her pajamas, her hair hanging down, completely oblivious to him, a woman of the opposite sex. He couldn't help but sigh and ask.

"Why am I sharing a room with you...?"

"Because I brought you here."

Aozaki Touko blinked and answered matter-of-factly.

"..."

Her answer left Rovey unsure how to respond.

However, Aoko was right. This time, the rooms weren't assigned based on the number of people, but rather one room per invitation. So, it was only natural that he would share a room with Aoko. When he learned of this arrangement, he specifically asked if he could have a new room added, but the train conductor refused.

Then, Ms. Lita invited Rovey to stay in her room so they could discuss more about magic, which led to Aozaki Touko calling her a sly fox. Rovey naturally sensed her ill intentions and refused, choosing to continue sharing a room with Aozaki Touko.

Fortunately, their rooms were quite luxurious.

If you separate the carriages, there are three independent areas: a toilet, a bathroom, and a room. And every piece of furniture is of the highest quality, all of which are exquisite pieces that are no less than those in Kenneth's house.

The bedroom features a mahogany desk exuding an antique charm. A lantern placed beside the desk replaces the modern table lamp, illuminating the entire desktop. Combined with the oil paintings on the wall and the quill pen on the desk, the atmosphere evokes a sense of stepping back into the Middle Ages.

Only...

There was only one bed, and it was a small single bed.

Although it's luxurious and can barely accommodate two people lying down, they would undoubtedly be very close together.

Looking at Aozaki Touko, who had already made room for him and was smiling, Rovey couldn't help but curse inwardly.

There's just too much useless furniture in this carriage. How come there's not even a decent sofa in sight?

"It's a wonderful experience to be in the same room as a woman like you..."

Rovey shook his head as he sat down at the mahogany desk, then picked up a quill pen and drew patterns on several specially made spell cards, preparing for the battles that might happen later.

These words made Aozaki Touko frown.

"Heh, is it a hardship for you to live in the same house as me? Do you want to sleep with that vixen instead?"

"If you're really not satisfied, you can go sleep in the hallway. Maybe that vixen will come out and raid you at night."

"... Then I'll stay in the same room as you."

Upon hearing Aozaki Touko's wickedly humorous answer, Rovey made his choice decisively.

After all, he didn't really dislike Aoko. After all, Aozaki Touko was a great beauty. At most, he just felt that sleeping like this was inconvenient and a bit awkward.

But if he were to sleep with Lita, it would be no different from putting a wolf and a sheep together. In that case, they might witness an earth-shattering battle tonight.

"Hmph, men..."

Aozaki Touko snorted coldly upon hearing this. Although Rovey had chosen her, for some reason, the way he chose her made her feel somewhat displeased. She then threw a cushion at Rovey's head, as if throwing a tantrum.

"Stop fooling around, Aoko."

Rovey sighed at her behavior, which was completely out of character.

Sometimes he couldn't quite figure out Aoko, after all, she was just too complicated.

Sometimes she's cold and composed, a true Magus, killing as easily as drinking water. Other times, she's like a spoiled little girl in front of him, always getting into trouble and giving Rovey a headache. But when they entrust their backs to each other, Aoko is always the one you can trust; she will never let her friend down.

It is precisely these diverse and extremely complex personalities that have come together to form the Aozaki Touko we know today.

"But what do you think of the other guys? They're not exactly ordinary characters either, are they?"

"Aozaki Touko asked quietly."

"Oh? What do you think? Why don't you tell us your opinion first, Senior Aoko?"

Rovey tossed the cushion, along with the question, back into Aoko's hands.

"Should I answer? Hmm... let me think about it for a moment."

Upon receiving the pillow that Rovey had thrown back, Aozaki Touko crossed her legs and hugged it to her chest. After thinking for a moment, she gave her answer.

"Aside from Lita, your uncle from the Lehman Family and his daughter are clearly just passing through. They're only here because of their partnership with the Rail Zeppelin. While he might buy Mystic Eyes he likes, he'll likely use them more as prototypes for making fakes. Their main purpose is probably to inflate the auction prices, but they'll return items once they exceed a certain threshold; they certainly won't intentionally drive up prices. As for that one-eyed priest..."

"He's quite interesting, but that eye patch is specially made, so I have no way of knowing whether his eyes underneath are Mystic Eyes or some kind of broken eyes."

"You're actually saying that it's impossible to determine whether he's a buyer or a seller, right?"

Rovey picked up where he left off.

"You're right, but rather than figuring out whether he's a buyer or a seller, I'm more interested in knowing his purpose for coming here. After all, it's rare to see Executor coming to this place."

Aozaki Touko also agreed with Rovey's point of view.

"Yeah... He said he was sent here because of a mission, but what kind of mission is it? You know, that guy's level is definitely not simple."

"What's there to be afraid of? This is the Rail Zeppelin. Even the Church shouldn't cause trouble here. Besides, we have no grudge against each other, and he seems to respect you quite a bit. Even if he does something reckless and harms the train, it has nothing to do with us. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't it?"

Aozaki Touko blinked, then calmly asked Rovey for confirmation.

She felt like she had grasped some key points.

However, Rovey simply shook his head slightly, then said in a deep voice:

"Senior Aoko, sometimes you shouldn't be too subjective in your opinions, and you shouldn't blindly trust your own judgment."

"What?"

Aozaki Touko was somewhat puzzled.

"The meaning is actually very simple: don't oversimplify things, and don't underestimate others. Sometimes things will develop far beyond your expectations. Although your logic is correct and logical, and it is indeed a very likely correct answer, it may not be the final answer. After all, there are more than just correct choices in this world."

Rovey spoke earnestly and in a deep voice, which surprised Aozaki Touko. After all, she had always treated Rovey as an equal and communicated with him in a friendly tone. This was the first time she had ever seen him lecturing her in such a superior manner.

Only...

She did think of something.