At the entrance to Backlund Steam Train Station, Lawrence emerged from the station with the crowd, carrying a suitcase.
Cough, cough~
He drew a breath, then coughed uncomfortably.
Having just returned from Constant City in Midseashire, he was still somewhat unaccustomed to Backlund's terrible air quality.
"Backlund's efforts to control air pollution are nowhere near as effective as the newspapers claim."
"Places like Midseashire are better suited to an old man like me..."
With a sigh, he tugged at his heavy wool coat and followed the crowd toward the public carriages.
After finding a seat in the carriage, he turned to look out the window. Even in the cold winter, Backlund's streets remained bustling.
As he surveyed his surroundings, a deeply familiar figure suddenly entered his sight.
It was a man with slightly curly brown hair and pale blue, profound eyes. He wore a long black tailcoat, a half-top black hat, and held a cane, looking like a gentleman taking a stroll along the street.
Lawrence's gaze sharpened. His half-clenched right hand suddenly tightened, but he calmly shifted his eyes away and looked toward a bakery behind the gentleman.
After the carriage and the gentleman passed one another and slowly moved apart, he caught sight, from the corner of his eye, of a pitch-black shadow beneath the gentleman's feet that was thicker than an ordinary person's.
Lawrence withdrew his gaze from the window and lowered his head. Emotions clearly churned in his azure eyes.
"Botis...
"Perhaps he isn't alone. My Astrologer's spiritual intuition tells me that the shadow that flashed through the corner of my eye wasn't normal."
As the carriage slowly approached the end of the street, Botis, dressed as a gentleman, suddenly stopped. He turned around, planted his cane on the ground, and leaned forward slightly.
Beneath his