Chapter 3

◈ Chapter 3: The Train Ambush Incident (1)

The smoky dust from the explosion settled.

“Ugh.”

Crack.

I, who had been crouching, shook off the debris covering my body and stood up.

Fortunately, I was not injured. The fragments did not pierce through the coat I was wearing.

‘Good thing I wore something sturdy just in case.’

The corridor and walls of the car, which had been intact just a moment ago, were completely gone.

The cold wind from the snowfield outside blew through the gaping hole, and the icy wind cut across my face like a knife.

“...I thought they were just ordinary robbers.”

To detonate a bomb strapped to their body while being subdued by an electric magic spell.

This is definitely not the behavior of a train robber.

It was so cruel, bordering on fanaticism.

A mindset of dying together, knowing they would die themselves.

‘Remnants of the royalist faction who fled from the Kingdom of Yuta? No. They are too busy hiding. These are different people.’

Feeling frustrated, I swept my hand across my face and sighed, feeling the loose skin.

No wonder the cold wind was hitting my face directly.

“What a waste.”

Squeak.

I took off the mask I was wearing on my face.

There was no need to keep it on, as it had been torn by the shock and fragments of the explosion.

The face of a middle-aged man with wrinkles and a beard could no longer serve its purpose, so I threw the mask outside the train.

I thought it would be a bit safer, but an unexpected incident occurred.

‘Where is that man, by the way?’

I couldn’t see the figure of Rudger, who was supposed to be taking up a teaching position at Seorun Academy.

Then I realized.

When the explosion happened, that man was caught up in it without being able to react.

The half-destroyed, desolate wall. No trace of Rudger.

When I slightly stuck my head out and looked down, I saw a steep cliff.

At the bottom of the cliff, a snowstorm was still raging, and the sky was filled with thick snow clouds.

‘...He must have died for sure.’

Anyone would be taken aback if a robber they thought was just a thief strapped with a bomb and detonated it.

If I had known in advance, I could have prepared with magic, but unexpected situations always happen.

What a poor soul.

To die on the day he was supposed to take up a teaching position at the famous Seorun Academy. I offered a brief prayer for Rudger’s soul.

‘I can’t afford to be complacent either.’

Knowing that they were not ordinary robbers, the level of danger had increased several notches.

If they all launched a suicide attack, even this sturdy magic train, protected by magic, might derail.

‘This kind of extreme action might be their real goal.’

I decided to escape.

I headed to the rear car.

Rattle.

At that moment, the door of Car 5 opened, and the conductor, with a tense face, appeared.

“Eh? Sir, are you okay? W, what’s going on...”

He looked slightly flustered as he saw me standing alone amidst the destroyed corridor and walls, and he stammered.

I calmly replied.

“Robbers attacked. They were armed with dangerous explosives. I almost got caught up in it.”

“T, that’s right.”

“Seems like they are mainly targeting Car 1. It would be better for us to retreat to the rear.”

“Ah. We were just in the process of evacuating the other passengers to the rear.”

“That’s good to hear.”

I approached the conductor with a relieved expression.

Just as I was about to reach a distance where I could grab him, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and slammed him to the ground.

Bang!

“Gah! Why, why are you doing this!”

“Did you think such a cheap act would work on me?”

“W, what?”

The conductor looked up at me with a bewildered expression.

If he were someone else, I might have believed his innocent look and dismissed my suspicions, but not me.

“Something felt off. A magic train, protected by a magic stone and sturdy defensive magic, shouldn’t be so easily breached. And to be attacked as if they were waiting for us while we were speeding through the rugged Aret Mountains.”

“W, what...”

“It’s practically impossible without someone inside the train tampering with the magic. Unless someone turned off the magic that should have been active.”

“...”

At that moment, the conductor’s face changed instantly.

He moved his hand to take something out, but I was already prepared.

I pressed a sharp knife under his chin.

“Stay still.”

“Grr.”

“You’re quick. You’re definitely not an ordinary robber. Speak. Where are you from?”

“...”

“Going to keep quiet, huh? Well, that’s fine too.”

I wasn’t particularly curious. I held the knife to his throat and lifted him up.

If my guess is correct, something might have happened in Car 5 where he fell.

“Move.”

I held the knife in my right hand to his throat and bent his arms behind his back with my left hand, then nudged his feet.

Grr.

He clenched his teeth and tried not to move, but when I twisted his bent arms a bit more, he started moving.

You should have done that earlier.

“How many of your comrades are beyond there?”

“...”

“Not going to talk, huh? Then I’ll make you talk.”

At that moment.

A sound came from Car 5 where the conductor had fallen.

It was a small sound that shouldn’t have been heard in Car 4, where the walls had been blown away and the cold wind was blowing.

But my heightened senses caught it.

Click.

It was a familiar sound, the sound of metal against metal.

...The sound of a gun being cocked.

Having identified it, I pushed the conductor forward and immediately flattened myself on the ground.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Immediately, a barrage of bullets whizzed past over my head, piercing through the door.

───!

The conductor I had pushed away fell, riddled with bullets, unable to escape in time.

The flying debris and dust. I covered my head with my hands and glared at the door.

The bullets showed no sign of stopping.

‘Machine pistols. They came well-prepared.’

In that case, I had to take action too.

Just as I was thinking that, they seemed to think they had done enough and stopped firing.

‘They shot without hesitation even though their comrade had fallen. And they didn’t even give him a chance to send a signal.’

That means the conductor had already told them.

If he didn’t send any signal for a while after falling, they should shoot without hesitation.

‘The suicide bombing and everything. They are definitely madmen.’

Why did this happen on the train I was on...

I sighed at my unfortunate life and stood up.

I shook off the dust and debris from my body and glared at the door.

Then the door was smashed, and three burly men rushed into the corridor.

“What? There’s still someone alive?”

“You didn’t die even after all that?”

“What are you talking about, killing and not killing?”

I spat out in an irritated voice as I watched them bicker.

They exchanged glances and then started approaching me with a menacing air.

The corridor was narrow, only wide enough for one person, so I would have to face them one by one if I engaged.

But they looked much bigger than me, built like tanks.

I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to waste my energy on unnecessary things.

‘They won’t accept a surrender now.’

From the way they were approaching, ready to kill, I knew that even if I tried to persuade them, it wouldn’t work.

They had no intention of letting me live.

“...I have one question.”

My blunt tone made the man frown, but there was nothing I could do about it. It’s just my nature.

“What? Are you going to beg for your life now?”

No way.

“Why did you attack this train? Don’t you value your lives? The rescue team will be here soon.”

“Ha! You thought you could scare us with that?”

The lead man sneered and drew a sword that matched his size.

I asked a serious question, but he didn’t think it was worth answering.

“I’ll cut you down in one stroke.”

The burly man slowly approached me, and I slowly backed away.

But the damaged train car had its limits, and my steps naturally came to a stop.

If I backed away any further, I would fall out of the broken train.

“Huh. You have nowhere to run.”

“Indeed.”

If I jumped out of the train now, I would be following in Rudger’s footsteps.

But with the burly man blocking the front, I had to break through to move forward.

“I’m busy, so I’ll end this quickly!”

Just as he said that and lunged at me.

I activated the magic I had prepared.

Bang!

With the sound of the air exploding, the man who was charging at me with his sword was thrown back like a cannonball.

Clang!

The other men, who were standing behind, were caught off guard and were also thrown back, rolling on the ground.

“Gah. W, what...”

“Sorcerer?!”

The magic I used was a bit strong, but they didn’t seem to be in great pain, being quite sturdy.

No, they must have been wearing something protective under their clothes, like armor.

In that case, I need to use more force.

I released the magic I had gathered and drew a spell formula. The three-dimensional shape drawn in the air soon turned into magic, and a large wind lifted the men who were getting up.

They must be confused. It would feel like an invisible giant hand was grabbing them.

“W, what?!”

“L, let me go! Put me down!”

“I’ll do as you wish.”

I used the wind to move them directly.

Out of the broken train.

“S, save me! Please!”

They pleaded desperately, but I didn’t show them any mercy. They attacked the train with the intention of killing everyone. Showing mercy would only invite a surprise attack.

I threw them out of the train, and their screams echoed and gradually faded away.

“Tsk.”

Having dealt with the attackers, I tidied up my slightly messy hair and took out a string from my pocket.

Not paying much attention to my appearance, my hair had grown quite long, and it would be quite troublesome if I didn’t keep it in check.

I tied my flowing hair into a ponytail at the nape of my neck.

“Now it’s better.”

Just as I was thinking about escaping, the door of Car 3 opened, and new attackers appeared.

One problem solved, another one appears.

It seems there’s no end to this.

That’s why I wanted to retreat quickly.

“What is this...”

The attackers from Car 3, seeing the half-destroyed interior of Car 4 and me standing alone, had their faces turn cold.

“Kill him!”

The leader, with veins popping out of his neck, gave the order.

At the same time, the men who were waiting aimed their rifles at me.

Seeing this, I desperately tried to suppress the urge to sigh.

Yes, what can I do? If I’ve come this far, I have to see it through to the end.

“Fire!”

The leader gave the order, and his subordinates pulled the triggers.

But no bullets came out.

Click! Click!

“W, what?!”

“What are you doing?!”

“The guns are jammed!”

“What?”

While they were all shouting, I prepared the next magic.

It’s easier for me to deal with them when they are gathered like this.

But there was one thing I had overlooked.

There was a sorcerer among them.

Whoosh!

The magic I cast was nullified in mid-air.

The sorcerer, pointing his staff at me, glared at me with a wary look.

“I didn’t expect a sorcerer to be among the train passengers.”

“...”

“No matter what, now that it’s come to this, you have to die with us.”

What do you mean ‘now that it’s come to this’? You’ve been trying to kill me from the start.

They seem to be terrorists. Whatever I say, it won’t make a difference.

I took out a pocket watch from my pocket and checked the time.

The attack had been going on for less than 10 minutes.

‘Time... is still a bit short.’

The scenery passing by outside was still cold and desolate.

It looked beautiful when seen through the window, but now it seemed frightening because one of the walls had disappeared.

There was still time before the train would leave the Aret Mountains.

It would be difficult for reinforcements to arrive immediately.

‘There’s no choice.’

Considering the location and the time that has passed, I have at least 5 minutes left.

‘I have to hold on and see it through.’