Odys saw fireballs falling from the sky like meteors, hurtling toward his private train.
He figured the enemy was testing him, so he made no move to stop them.
While the fireballs were still some distance away, their trajectories were "distorted." They crashed into the fields on either side and exploded violently.
Bang, bang, bang!
After a frantic knock, the door to Odys's compartment slid open. The official Beyonders from Loen and Lenburg rushed in to protect the president.
Cattleya, the commander of Lenburg's official Beyonders, was in no such hurry. She knew perfectly well
that the president was the one person on this train who needed the least protection.
After clashing head-on with members of the Moses Ascetic Order during Odys's advancement, Cattleya had been forced to leave the organization.
That choice had turned out well. Not long after leaving, she advanced to Sequence 3 Clairvoyant. She was now one of the three highest-ranking officers among Lenburg's official Beyonders.
Cattleya had been put in charge of the president's safety for this visit.
She knew he did not need protecting. Her real task was to deal with targets on his behalf when it was inconvenient for him to act.
Odys raised a hand and told the official Beyonders of both countries, "Leave two people here. The rest of you, return to your posts."
Cattleya, dressed in a Lenburg-style formal suit, kept one official Beyonder from Loen and one from Lenburg in the compartment. She sent everyone else out.
Before receiving this assignment, Cattleya had favored dresses with an air of mystery. Such attire was clearly unsuitable for a diplomatic occasion.
She had tried on a military uniform before departure, but found it too restrictive. Instead, she wore a suit and pinned up her hair, looking capable and even somewhat heroic.