The next day, Angel packed her luggage and boarded the steam train on time, carrying a ticket she had bought under a false name. It would cross the border from Essen, a frontier town in Masik, and take her to Backlund, the capital of the Loen Kingdom.
Since the journey would take a day and a half, she had splurged on a first-class ticket. It gave her a private compartment and washroom, meals in a dedicated dining car, and even room service.
"Apart from the bumps, it's almost like being aboard a luxury liner..."
Angel sat in her cushioned chair, feeling a little wistful.
If you were willing to pay, you could enjoy an exceptional journey even in this era. Compared with being surrounded by noise in a second-class carriage and waiting in a cramped seat for the brief chance to stretch your legs at each station, a ticket that cost three times as much was worth it.
Of course, maintaining her new identity meant Angel had to pay the extra fare. If anyone questioned who she was, a second-class ticket for a long journey would be the most conspicuous inconsistency.
While she traveled to Backlund, the passenger ship carrying "Angelica Zaki" was making a brief stop at Midway Island before following the safe route charted by Emperor Roselle to Berens Harbor in West Bayam, on the Southern Continent. It would reach the end of its voyage at almost the same time as Angel.
Soon, the Church of Storms would learn that the Red Haired Woman had been repaired at Damir Harbor. After a brief interrogation, the Mandated Punishers would learn Angelica and Gehrman's whereabouts from the sailors, only to come up empty-handed at Berens Harbor. Everything would become a mystery again.
"As long as I spread a few false