Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Dautryche Railway’s Southern Express Train.

It was the line that ran from the kingdom’s capital, Romberton, to Dashfield, known as the second capital.

It didn’t bother with minor stations along the way, stopping only at major hubs like Ashville and Egarde, living up to its name with a genuinely fast schedule.

How long had it been since they boarded? As the scenery gradually darkened, Rose slid open the window.

The lukewarm summer air brushed her forehead. Loose strands of hair danced in the breeze, tickling her face, but she didn’t smile.

Time sped by, and even the long summer day began to sink into gloom, an endless vista of deepening shadow.

Was the darkening sky an omen? A promise that her own future would be just as black and impenetrable?

Faced with that grim forecast, Rose calmly leaned her head out the window.

The train’s black body surged forward without hesitation, and the coal smoke streaming from the front stack billowed back in endless waves.

Rose took a huge, defiant breath, gathering every bit of strength from her core, and screamed at the top of her lungs like a declaration of war.

“You tail-chomping snake-headed bastards can go to hell!”

Her voice rang out across the open fields.

She even made sure to stick her middle finger high into the air, flashing it at the wide, empty horizon with a satisfied smirk before turning back toward the plush compartment.

“You look quite refreshed.”

“Hrk—did you see that?”

James, now impeccably changed into his evening suit, was leaning lazily against the doorway.

“I saw it. Heard it. Felt it, even. I was thinking you might do well as an opera singer.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Expressing her anger in such a flamboyant way had actually helped a little—but realizing he’d witnessed every last vulgar gesture and expletive made Rose’s head spin with embarrassment.

If she cared about her dignity at all, she tried to ignore it. James didn’t look disappointed in the least; if anything, he seemed a little too entertained.

“So. You were so quiet, I thought you’d fallen asleep. But what’s all this?”

He gestured to the small letter table at the foot of the bed, which was buried under a chaotic pile of notebooks, pens, and books.

“Minimum self-defense. Call it contingency planning. Something like that.”

“Screaming and note-taking is your idea of a contingency plan…?”

James squinted at her, skeptical. Rose hurriedly flipped open the red leather notebook on top. The pages were covered in dense, geometric patterns and strange characters.

“These are extremely useful, complicated magical formulas I’ve compiled.”

“Magical formulas?”

James’s brief flicker of curiosity didn’t escape her. She lit up immediately.

“Yes! Magic formulas! If I carry this notebook around, we’re practically invincible! Look here—complex defensive wards, mana barriers, this first section is just protection-focused…”

James soon found himself trapped for ten long minutes as Rose Taylor—the world’s most passionate instructor—launched into an energetic lecture about formulas he couldn’t even begin to understand.

Just when she was about to start on circuits and mana batteries, he managed to interject quickly.

“I see. Not sure I grasp all that, but having pre-written spells sounds reassuring. Let’s… continue the rest after dinner, shall we?”

At the mere mention of dinner, Rose reflexively swallowed.

“Tonight’s main course is veal stew.”

Considering she’d spent the entire day holed up with her notes and only eaten a handful of roasted peanuts he’d bought for her, even the description made her stomach clench with hunger.

“Change into your evening dress and join me. I’ll wait.”

But before she could respond—

THUD!

The heavy train car rocked violently like a shack in the wind.

Her books and pens went skittering to the floor. Glass shattered, objects tumbled, and a chorus of frightened screams ripped through the air.

A screech of metal shrieked in her ears as the train’s speed plummeted. Steam burst from the pistons as they finally lurched to a halt.

“Rose, are you all right?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

She managed to brace herself against the wall to keep from falling, but judging by the chaotic noise outside, not every passenger had been so lucky.

“I suspect dinner may be postponed.”

The train had come to a silent stop in the middle of a dark field. The sounds of busy footfalls and angry shouting filled the air.

“What on earth is going on?”

James opened the compartment door and stopped a passing crew member.

“Ah! Mr. Dillon! A rockslide was spotted on the tracks ahead, so we had to make an emergency stop. No damage to the train itself, so please remain calm…”

Outside the window, lanterns bobbed as the crew scurried to inspect the tracks.

“A rockslide? This is flat countryside. What are you talking about?”

The scenery had been nothing but Ashville’s gentle plains for hours. Rose listened from behind him, equally puzzled.

Maybe the man just misspoke? But his follow-up killed that theory.

“I agree it’s strange to have a rockslide here, sir. But please, Mr. Dillon, for your safety, remain in your compartment.”

James had absolutely no intention of waiting quietly.

“I’m traveling as the Dautryche Company’s acting representative on this train. Sitting still would be negligence. Where’s the conductor?”

“J-just a moment! I’ll fetch him at once!”

The crew member scuttled off. Rose watched with amusement.

“Hmm. So you’re Mr. Dillon now?”

“Yes. Any problem with that?”

“No, no. I just thought you never reused aliases.”

“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t.”

“So… your first name this time is Jack?”

James turned away slightly, voice deliberately flat.

“That’s right. Jack Dillon. Your favorite.”

Was it her imagination, or did his ear look a little pink?

Your favorite.

Such ordinary words shouldn’t make her chest flutter like that.

Before she could overthink it, the crew member returned with the conductor, who wore a distinctly grave expression.

“I’ll have to see this for myself. Rose, wait in the compartment. I’ll be right back.”

“No. I’m coming too.”

Rose followed him out.

Led by the conductor, they moved forward through the train until they saw it.

An enormous boulder sat squarely on the tracks, blocking the locomotive’s path.

It had hit so hard that the ground beneath it was cracked and sunken.

“So that’s why they called it a rockslide.”

“Yes, Mr. Dillon. The car shook badly before stopping, probably from the impact of this falling.”

“That’s odd. There’s no elevation around here for anything to fall from.”

“I know. It’s baffling. Frankly, sir, it’s like magic…”

While James and the conductor coordinated the response, Rose tried to get closer for a better look.

“Careful, miss! Please stay back!”

Despite being a perfectly healthy adult, she was shooed away repeatedly and finally had to settle for pacing at a distance, frustrated.

“How long will it take to clear?”

“Including the time to get help from the next station… four or five hours at least. We’ll probably need explosives. It’s that big.”

“Explosives? That’s risky.”