The number of passengers in the carriage corridor had already fallen by more than half since the train was at the station.
Lanchi and Talia carried their suitcases through the passageway, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridor.
"Sir, miss, please show your tickets and identification."
A young uniformed attendant stood ahead of them, politely blocking Lanchi and Talia's path.
Although the war was now proceeding orderly toward peace talks, both the Empire and the outside world were about to enter a period of upheaval, whether short or long. It was also the period when disorder was most likely to occur, so identity checks for long-distance travel had recently become extremely strict.
"Here."
Lanchi reached into the pocket of his gray coat and took out his and Talia's tickets. Then he turned around, took the identification from Talia's hand, and passed everything over with a warm smile.
"..."
The attendant's gaze lingered on Lanchi's face for an extra second, as if admiring the handsome and dignified nobleman.
But that brief second displeased the gray-haired woman behind the black-haired young man. Her sharp golden eyes made the attendant instinctively look away at once.
She cautiously accepted the tickets and identification, careful not to touch Lanchi's hand, and thoroughly checked them with the device in her hand.
That gray-haired woman was terrifying. She wouldn't even let anyone look at a handsome man for an extra second.
Before she could think about it any further, the attendant's eyes widened in surprise.
"Professor Landry... Washington?"
The attendant softly read out the name.
In Bulida, the capital, a few days ago, this professor's name had not appeared in official announcements and had mostly circulated among the public.
Even without the upheaval caused by the battle between Hycintos and Emperor Loren, Landry Washington was already a