Chapter 38

EP.38 On the Train - 3

As he gathered the remaining poison bombs, Leo shook off his dirty hands.

[Is it all over now?]

<No. The engine room is still left.>

There were probably one or two people in the engine room.

Their abilities were not much different from the remnants they had just dealt with, but the problem was the engine room itself.

[Well, if we blow up the engine room, that would be the end of it.]

<It gets more complicated if we consider taking the engineer hostage.>

[So you're going to join up with Aria?]

Leo shook his head.

If he joined up with Aria, the group in the engine room might notice, and having more people could actually be a disadvantage.

[Then what?]

<We need to move quickly.>

Leo took a few steps back and then started running towards the car where the engine room was.

<It's a surprise attack.>

There was no need to overthink it.

For the surprise attack, Leo rushed forward and shattered the door.

“Gah!!”

The surprise attack was effective, as one of the remaining black mages guarding the door was knocked out by the impact.

[Isn't this a frontal assault?]

<It's the same thing.>

Both were sudden attacks, so the context was the same.

“You...! What are you...?!!”

Without answering, Leo immediately threw a punch at another remnant. The attack, wrapped in aura, was impossible to dodge or block.

“Gah!!”

With two of them subdued, Leo quickly ran to where the engineer was. If the engineer were harmed, everyone on the train could be massacred.

“Are you okay?”

“...Yes... Thanks to you.”

Fortunately, the engineer seemed to be mentally intact. Being mentally sound, he was able to keep the train running smoothly even in this situation.

“What do we do now...?”

“Is there anything nearby to tie them up with? It's better to secure them even though they're unconscious.”

Looking at the two fallen junior black mages, Leo said. But something was a bit odd.

Given their level so far, there didn't seem to be a leader among them.

‘I thought the leader would be in the engine room...’

At that moment, the engineer opened a drawer in the engine room and said,

“Oh, if you mean that, it's right here.”

Looking in that direction, a cloud of poison smoke rose. A more concentrated poison than the earlier bombs, the fog hit Leo directly.

“...You... couldn't have...”

“I'm disappointed. You should have checked the engineer more carefully.”

The engineer turned his face back to its original form and smiled. He was the mastermind behind this terror, so he must have been pleased with the death of the meddler.

“Alright, I admit. I didn't expect that.”

But Leo didn't die.

In acknowledgment, Leo punched the black mage who was the engineer, crushing him.

“Gah...?!”

Feeling his suddenly broken nose, he looked at the unharmed Leo in confusion.

Leo had a gas mask on his face. It wasn't one of theirs; it was too crudely made for that.

[Did you use a black stone as a gas mask?]

<It was urgent. It's really useful.>

Praising the multi-purpose rock, Leo clenched his fist.

“Do you think you can last long with that toy?! The next spell is...!”

“Then I'll end it before that.”

[Blizzard]

The magic circle was already forming in his clenched fist. A cold blizzard created a thin layer of ice in the engine room, lowering the temperature.

“That 1st Circle spell can't even freeze my fingers!!”

Confidently, he released more poison gas.

“...Huh?”

Contrary to his confidence, the poison gas all fell weakly to the ground. Not only the newly released poison cloud but also the existing poison in the air sank and clung to the floor.

“What...?! Why...?!”

“Cold air is heavier and sinks. And since this poison is also in liquid particles, it becomes ineffective when frozen.”

Even without being a reincarnated person, with common sense and observation, this method could be figured out.

“Then with a fire spell...!”

“Would you like that?”

The advancing fist completely silenced his babbling mouth.

As a bonus, his cheekbone and skull were slightly crushed, but that was none of Leo's concern.

“It's over. Now I just need to call Miss Aria.”

Ariasfil wasn't too much of a concern.

Unless there was a 5th Circle mage, it was impossible to bring Aria down in such a place, and if there were, Leo would have noticed first.

[But, Leonardo.]

<Yes? What is it?>

The sage looked at the engine room with a slightly puzzled tone.

[But can you drive a train?]

<...What?>

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Leo's face fell.

[In the end, there's no one to drive the train. Who will drive it?]

Even if the black mages had secretly infiltrated, the criminal was the one driving this train.

“...Oh...”

[Hey... You don't...]

Through his life as a mercenary and his previous life as a warrior, Leonardo had accumulated not only combat skills but also various experiences.

His ability to quickly master the sage's harsh magic training was partly due to these experiences.

“...I think I can. Probably.”

But driving a train was not a common opportunity in either his past or present life.

Moreover, while he knew how to ride a horse, he had neither the time nor the reason to learn how to drive a train.

[There's no way you can!! It's no different from riding a carriage without a driver!]

“It's fine as long as it stays on the tracks. As long as there's nothing wrong with the tracks, it's fine.”

As long as he didn't overspeed and derail, the train would reach its destination safely.

[Hey... Just a moment...!]

The sage looked outside through the wall of the locomotive.

[Shit!! Stop it quickly!!]

<Why?!>

[A tree has fallen on the tracks!!]

<Shit!!>

Leo rushed towards the brake. Even as a beginner, he knew how to use the brake.

[It's too late!! We're going to hit it!!]

“AAAAAAAAA!! Noooooo!!!”

Leo didn't grab the brake. A sudden stop would only tip the train over.

All he could do was scream.

“Leonardo!?”

Aria, who had rushed in, ran to Leo, who was screaming in the engine room.

“Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!”

“...T...That... the tracks...”

Something was strange. Given the train's speed, they should have already hit the tree.

Yet the train continued to move smoothly.

“...Miss, could you please check outside the window?”

“Huh? Outside the window?”

Ariasfil looked out the window at his request.

“...Why? There's nothing there?”

“The tracks too?”

“Huh? Yeah. We haven't even reached the station yet?”

Leo's gaze naturally turned to the old lady who looked like a loach.

[Big... AAAAAAA~ Noooooo~]

Leo resolved, or rather, swore to research a way to get rid of the evil spirit deceiving that personality when he got to the magic tower.

***

Fortunately, except for the embarrassment, the story had a good ending.

Afterwards, railway guards and magic knights arrived to stop the train, release the passengers from the black magic, and arrest the black mages.

The only thing embarrassing was the scream.

“Thank you very much. Without the two of you, a major disaster could have happened.”

The head of the professional security team and the representative of the magic knights bowed to Leo and Aria in gratitude.

“What happened to the black mages?”

“Thanks to your non-lethal takedown, we might be able to uncover the background of this incident and the organization behind it.”

Normally, they would have had to resort to lethal tactics to prioritize passenger safety. But thanks to Leonardo's strategy, the situation was resolved without any deaths.

This was the best possible outcome for the knights and guards who still had to conduct investigations.

“But... May I ask one thing?”

Ariasfil, who had been silent, asked, perhaps feeling the tension in their conversation.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“Why did the black mages do this? I don't really understand...”

Given her lack of knowledge about the black magic system, it was hard for her to understand. It might even be unsettling to understand despite not knowing.

“There are several reasons, but the most likely is that they needed sacrifices for black magic.”

“...Black magic...”

Although called magic, black magic is fundamentally different from regular magic, both ethically and academically.

“Unlike regular magic, which relies on knowledge, black magic focuses on mana and emotions to develop techniques. To put it simply...”

“Magic is mathematical, but black magic is literary. This is a positive way of expressing it, of course.”

While magic involves detailed calculations and outputs, black magic relies more on interpretation than calculation.

There are other differences, but this distinction is the most crucial for explaining this situation.

“The problem is that emotions are hard to generate solely from oneself, making black magic less efficient than regular magic.”

Thus, black magic sought alternatives. And this despicable act was one of those methods.

“By massacring a large number of people on the train, they can obtain high-quality emotions like life force, hatred, anger, and despair. The bodies can also be sold as byproducts later.”

The rest is simple. They process the evil into mana, create mana, or make a contract with a demon again.

It's a common vicious cycle.

“Using good emotions...”

“Small anger lasts longer than great happiness. This irrationality maximizes the abstract elements and power of black magic.”

That's why black mages are condemned and stoned. They don't care what sacrifices or evil acts are needed for their power.

“...You seem to know quite a bit. It's knowledge that's hard to come by at your age...”

Although a bit uncomfortable, Leo answered calmly.

“Learning magic inevitably exposes you to rumors.”

“...I see. It's unfortunate.”

Saying this, he slightly covered his eyes with his hat. For a mage, it's not pleasant for a child to hear such rumors.

“Now that the arrests are complete and the explanation is done, you're free to go. I apologize for taking up so much of your time.”

“Thank you.”

Leo bowed and left the station with Ariasfil. He was relieved that the commotion caused by the investigation and arrests was over.

“But how do we get to the magic tower?”

“There are many ways, but since the timing is awkward, let's find a place to rest first.”

It was lunchtime during a holiday, so the area around the magic tower would be bustling. They also needed a place to rest after the commotion.

“Why don't you follow me?”

At that moment, a man walked up to Ariasfil's group.

With handsome blond hair, fresh green eyes, and dressed in a high-quality hat and suit, he gave a pleasant aesthetic impression.

“...Who are you?”

Leo asked the man with a slightly wary look.

“I apologize for the late introduction.”

The man politely removed his hat and introduced himself with a greeting. His dignified demeanor exuded grace.

“My name is Geoffrey Pednian. I'm a 4th Circle mage from the Blue Tower, and I'm here to guide Leonardo.”

“I see.”

Geoffrey's gaze then turned to Ariasfil.

“Hello there, little lady. I've heard a lot about you from Lios.”

As he said this, he gently took Aria's hand to kiss it.

“Ah, I'm sorry.”

Leo gently pulled Aria's hand away, naturally rejecting his attempt.

“There was a large bug on the road. I didn't want your shoes to get dirty.”

Geoffrey looked at Leo with half-closed eyes and a raised lip. In contrast, Leo's expression was slightly stiff.

“It's fine. Shall we go?”

“I'm sorry, but that might be difficult. We've been through a lot, so we need to rest a bit before we go.”

“Oh, if that's the case, I can...”

“That's fine. I want to visit the place Lios recommended on my own.”

Saying this, Leo walked down the alley with Aria's hand in his. His unusual behavior left Aria puzzled.

‘...Why is Leo acting like this?’

Usually, Leonardo was more polite than any noble's child unless provoked.

This man wasn't rude and was even there to help them.

The only thing she could guess was...

“...Leonardo.”

“Yes? Is there something you want to say?”

“Do you not like that man touching me?”

Thinking about it, Leo's reaction came just as Geoffrey was about to kiss her hand.

That meant,

“Yes, I understand it might be a difficult request, but I don't think it's a good idea to be with that man.”

Leo's words confirmed her suspicion.

This was definitely...!

‘He's jealous...!! Of another man!!’

She had once read about this in a book recommended by Lios. Men who have a woman in mind find it unpleasant when other men touch her.

“...Hehe...”

She couldn't help but laugh. She never thought the always mature Leonardo had such a cute side.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, yeah! I understand!!”

“I appreciate your understanding.”

Leo quickly looked back and walked out of the alley.

[You're a man after all. You even get jealous.]

<That guy is a black mage.>

[...What?]

<Exactly, later. In a few years, he'll perform a ritual to become a black mage. That's when I'll kill him.>

The sage had once lamented the decline of the magic tower's discipline.

Leonardo didn't deny it, and the reason was simple.

<The magic tower is full of promising black mages. One of the reasons I'm here is to eliminate them.>

Having seen and dealt with these evils one by one, Leo was the one to do it.

[...Damn... But how do you catch him? He's not a black mage yet.]

<By the crimes he's committing now.>

Leo frowned and gave an unpleasant example.

<In his case, it would be pimping and selling exam answers through sexual favors.>

[...Shit, you did well this time.]

The sage and Leo rarely agreed, but this was one of those times.

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