The lessons aboard the train were only an improvised introduction, after all, and a deeper understanding of much of this knowledge required special conditions. The man named Owen could only offer a basic overview. More systematic instruction awaited Mulan once they reached the Royal Capital.
Of course, beyond gaining a preliminary grasp of the basics, Mulan had also learned something of the current state of the mysterious world-or at least its current state as Owen described it.
All kinds of mysterious phenomena were on the rise throughout the world, while the influence of the Otherworld had grown considerably stronger. Wars and other outbreaks of intense negativity on a massive scale had an especially profound effect. During the last war, the main battlefield spanning the northern and southern continents between the Dilga Empire and the Bassman United Kingdom had even produced some terrifying, deeply ominous consequences, becoming one of the direct factors that brought the war to an end.
This growth had not happened overnight, however. For a considerable stretch of time, those who wielded mysterious powers had remained an extremely small minority. Even an important city like Valentine had yet to establish a dedicated agency, and that included the Holy Temple.
About three hours after the train departed, Owen rose and left. He had his own compartment. Yes, this compartment was only for Mulan, Dolly, and the others; Owen had a single room to himself. The reason was simple: his presence would make everyone nervous, and this compartment only had four beds.
After answering some of Mulan's questions and explaining that he could not go into the remaining matters in depth, Owen went to his own compartment, which was apparently some distance from theirs.
Traveling by train was nothing new to Mulan, but a journey lasting a full day and night was rather long. Watching the scenery along the way, he soon grew sleepy. He glanced at Dolly and the two youngsters opposite him, who were still gazing eagerly out the window, then let them know he was going to sleep, took off his coat, and lay down.
By the time Mulan woke, it had long since grown dark. The compartment lights were on, but they were not harsh. He squinted around and saw the boy and girl lying together on the upper bunk opposite him, perhaps because one of them had been afraid to climb up on his side. Dolly was still watching the view outside with keen interest.
"Dolly, is it really that interesting out there?"
Dolly glanced back at Mulan, then turned to the window again without a word. She had done the same thing earlier when he had tried to chat with her.
Just as Mulan was beginning to feel foolish, Dolly spoke.
"Trains really are amazing. They can run so fast for so long without ever getting tired. You only have to sit inside and look out the window to see so much of the landscape. I never used to think I could see anything so far away."
"Sounds like you don't take trains very often."
Mulan sat up, stretched his arms, and began rummaging through the suitcase by his feet.
"This is my first time on a train. I always used to live close to the sea. At most, I traveled by boat."
Mulan had already lifted his head, taking a parcel wrapped in waxed paper from his suitcase. He opened it, releasing a faint, buttery aroma.
"Have some. My family made these. I've been to a banquet at the count's house, but even the cookies they served couldn't compare."
As he spoke, Mulan picked up a cookie and bit into it with a crunch. Dolly watched him eat several in succession, then hesitated before reaching for one herself.
Crunch.
The little cookie was crisp, fragrant, and sweet, without sticking to her teeth.
"It's delicious."
"Help yourself. Have some more. There's enough here to make a meal for all four of us."
Dolly did indeed help herself, eating several in a row. She kept looking out the window as she chewed, but suddenly asked another question.
"I know about the incident at the Count's Estate. It was truly dangerous, and I'm sure you knew that too. Why did you go so far? Even if people like them died, others of the same sort would soon take their places."
The cookie stopped beside Mulan's mouth.
"I can't really explain it either. Maybe my upbringing taught me not to stand by and do nothing. Maybe I judged that the situation hadn't become hopelessly out of control. Or maybe I just wanted to prove myself? Who knows? If I had to choose again, I might just run."
Mulan put the cookie into his mouth, only to notice that Dolly was staring at him.
"Perhaps you'd make the same choice again. Owen said you were a truly courageous man. The fact that you're still sitting here, perfectly normal, is proof."
"Hm?"
Mulan frowned. Dolly seemed to be implying something.
"That good friend of yours, the cleric, isn't doing as well as you are. In fact, when the higher-ups at the Holy Temple sent people over, they immediately placed him under protection. Facing something like an Ancient Fiend at almost point-blank range in the Otherworld puts tremendous strain on the mind and even the body unless you have an exceptionally strong will. Madness, even mutation..."
"Then is Evan all right?"
"He does have holy power, after all, and the Holy Temple will do everything it can to treat him. He shouldn't have any major problems. But you really are completely fine."
Mulan ate his cookie without speaking. He was not thinking about how strong his will was, but whether this had something to do with his unusual origins.
"Just as Owen said, incursions by mysterious forces are growing worse. Ultimately, it's all because of greed. A new vortex appeared on the battlefield along the border between Dierjia and Bassman. Though its scale is nowhere near comparable, its nature is the same as the one at sea. Both countries seem to have used holy relics in the war. The souls of hundreds of thousands of soldiers... and this disaster was the result."
Mulan was shocked. Owen had only said that something terrible had happened; he had never imagined that a new vortex had formed. Once it sank in, his shock turned to anger, and his hand clenched into a fist.
As a veteran, Mulan had served on the equally brutal Western Front, yet he was no less outraged by this. He was not worried that Dolly might be lying to him. There was no reason for her to do so, and this truth should not be difficult for him to uncover in the future.
Unfortunately, all he could do was rage helplessly.
"Could the Great Vortex at sea have been caused by a similar accidental sacrifice?"
Mulan asked the question quietly. There was no doubt that the new vortex had formed because something akin to a sacrifice had happened by accident. After all, Owen had said that sacrifice was the most common method those cultists and evildoers used when exploiting holy relics.
"Who knows? That Great Vortex has existed for a very, very long time... You've seen sirens, haven't you?"
"I've heard sirens singing, but as for seeing one, I don't know whether what I shot back then counted as a siren."
Dolly smiled and swallowed the cookie she had been chewing.
"That didn't count yet. Sirens have beautiful voices and extraordinary beauty, but they're vicious creatures. They cause shipwrecks and occasionally come ashore to feed. Yet even such terrifying beings have human worshippers, people who are even willing to offer sacrifices to increase the rate at which sirens are born..."
"And many more people perform similar sacrifices for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, even without something like a holy relic, they can still have an effect."
Mulan naturally thought of the murderer who had clearly been operating without any proper training.
"Even with the Holy Temple keeping them in check, there's still no sign of this growing danger slowing down. Hopefully, the great powers really have come to their senses after this."
"Humans really are complicated. Some are beyond saving, while others are innocent and kind. And they've managed to create such a rich, brilliant civilization."
As she spoke, Dolly took another cookie and popped it into her mouth, then noticed Mulan staring straight at her.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Dolly, how old are you? Why do you sound like an old woman who's seen through everything in the world?"
Dolly immediately covered her mouth and glanced down at the cookies. Then, suddenly flustered and angry, she snapped.
"It's Dol-ly. Please remember that, Mr. Jonester!"
"All right, Dolly. I'll try."
The sound of stifled laughter came from the upper bunk. Mulan smiled and called to them.
"Come have some. You haven't eaten anything since getting on the train, have you? These cookies are really good."
This time, the two youngsters did not hesitate. Both climbed down from the bunk, picked up cookies, and began eating. Once they started, they could not stop.
Mulan, however, ate no more. He leaned against the wall beside his bunk and watched the night scenery outside the train window. Unlike the twentieth century, there were not brightly lit places everywhere, but distant villages or towns were still easy to spot in the darkness.
The subject was rather heavy, but if the sky fell, there were taller people to hold it up.