To summarize the current situation in one line.
– The train heading to Esdinas Academy was attacked by the Flat group.
Correction.
It was attacked by the ‘Vinyudan’ group.
‘I wonder if it would be better to just call them the Vinyudan outright, but since the leader’s name is Vinyu…’
To be precise, it is a different name.
However, the leader named the organization ‘Vinyudan’ after himself.
Among players, they are known by various names such as ‘Cliff Gang’, ‘Plain Field Gang’, ‘Pavement Block Gang’, ‘Gum Stain Gang’, ‘Autobahn Gang’, ‘Vinyu group’, ‘Battery Gang’, or ‘A3 Gang’.
They are villains who cause various incidents and accidents both inside and outside Esdinas Academy.
They commit acts of terror on trains and, without hesitation, pull the trigger of their magic rifles against those resisting their attack.
“They are villains, Lady Yunia.”
I whispered quietly so only Yunia could hear.
“If you intend to do something, please consider the consequences.”
I was warning Yunia.
She surely understood the meaning of my words.
‘Do not act recklessly.’
Even if we need to reach our destination today, we shouldn’t recklessly rush forward just because we were attacked by train hijackers.
‘There’s not just a few of them.’
There are two Vinyudan members in our car, No. 4.
They are wearing coats with a design that somewhat resembles military uniforms, over their winter uniforms from the Academy, with white bandages made into chest armor.
In terms of approximate combat power—
‘They seem to be at least C-rank.’
They are stronger than expected. Their combat power is about that of a third-year student from the Academy.
‘Well, the sky was burning blue, and they took advantage of the confusion to hijack the train.’
An unusual phenomenon occurred where blue flames suddenly blazed in the sky.
For them, it was a bizarre occurrence where the well-running Magic Train suddenly stopped, but for the Vinyudan leader who planned the hijacking, it must have been a perfect opportunity.
A coincidence.
The day I fell was precisely the day Yunia was taking the Magic Train to Esdinas Academy.
And the exact time I fell was the time the Vinyudan decided to hijack the train.
In other words.
The train hijacking was an inevitable event. It is not just a game event that occurs if certain conditions are met; it is part of the annual incidents and accidents caused by the Vinyudan.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
“Gyaaaaak!”
“Quiet, quiet!”
The Vinyudan attacker fires the magic rifle at the ceiling.
Yunia narrows her eyes and glares at the attacker.
‘She’s trying to read the reaction of the magic power.’
Basically, in this world, everyone draws mana from their Mana Core located in their heart.
The size of that core indicates the maximum amount of mana a person can possess.
Yunia is carefully observing whether the attacker is drawing mana from his own chest or using the mana stored in the magic rifle’s magazine.
“If we take the magic rifle away…”
The attackers are definitely physically capable individuals.
However, their combat power, especially ‘mana’, comes from external factors.
The magazine of the magic rifles.
There is almost no mana in the bodies of the Vinyudan members.
Just like whatever is hidden under their bandages.
“They will be neutralized, but it seems it’s about time to get quiet.”
I warned Yunia and pointed to the back.
Whizz.
The door at the back opens.
Yunia’s gaze turns to the back, and her expression soon stiffens.
“What is it?”
A somewhat familiar voice.
A rough and harsh voice I often heard in-game.
Thud, thud.
The sound of military boots intentionally making noise as they walk.
“Hey, what are you looking at?”
The woman who came next to me looked at Yunia, who had made eye contact.
“Ah.”
Before looking at her, she made eye contact with me.
Black hair, red eyes.
She had her long, straight hair down to her waist, held in place by a combat cap that officers might wear.
“…”
For a moment, when she met my gaze, she seemed slightly startled.
“Who are you? Why are you glaring at me like that?”
She refocused on Yunia and snapped at her.
“You look just like an Academy student. What’s the rush? Afraid you’ll miss your entrance exams if the train doesn’t arrive on time?”
Yunia, trying to stay calm and unflustered, managed not to show her nervousness.
“Answer me, you worthless big-mana b*tch!”
The woman yelled harshly, causing Yunia to nod obediently.
“That’s a bit too harsh, don’t you think?”
I stood up.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“I don’t intend to resolve this through conversation, but please refrain from using such harsh language. Lady.”
“L-Lady…?”
The woman looked taken aback and stepped back.
Another Vinyudan attacker aimed a magic rifle at me, but I raised my hands and stepped out into the corridor.
“I don’t intend to resist. However, please don’t treat us too harshly. Neither I nor this girl, nor anyone else here has caused you any harm, right?”
“S-Shut up!”
The officer shouted at me.
“You’re all going to Esdinas anyway! If we can’t go, neither can you!”
It was a flimsy excuse.
Despite revealing their true intentions in their frustration, it didn’t change the situation.
“Yes. Being detained like this means that my enrollment this year is off the table.”
“Enrollment…?”
“I’m also a new student.”
“…”
The leader scrutinized me from head to toe.
“…Not a new graduate student?”
“What a harsh thing to say.”
I almost let a curse slip.
‘This is even more unnerving than when I sparred with Changyeom.’
Although I haven’t been to graduate school, the moment I was called to the professor’s lab during my university days while deeply engrossed in this game comes to mind, making it even more chilling.
“I am a new student. Seventeen years old.”
“…”
“Right, Yunia?”
I turned my gaze to Yunia.
“…Oh, yes.”
Yunia awkwardly nodded, and I winked at her, taking off my sunglasses.
“Wh-what are you guys?”
“She’s a friend.”
“…So, are you saying you feel bad because your friend is being called a b*tch?”
The officer’s expression twisted.
“Anyway, it’s always those men with big mana pools…!”
At the same time, a subtle hostility towards me began to emerge.
“I don’t particularly care about the size of one’s mana pool.”
“What?”
The hostility immediately diminished at my words.
“Wh-what does that mean…!”
“Don’t be swayed, Slendia-nim!”
One of the attackers shouted towards the officer, ‘Slendia.’
“Slendia-nim, he is trying to charm his way to the Academy with that big-mana friend of his!!”
“Ugh, uhm…!”
“And aiming to stay as a couple for three years and get married right after graduation, just like all the other men!!”
There was some frustration mixed in the attacker’s cry.
“Maybe the guy she liked betrayed her like that—”
Bang!
“…Be cautious.”
A few strands of hair were blown away by the bullet and scattered downward.
Among the Vinyudan, there are actually victims of BSS or NTR.
“Liftie!”
“Slendia-nim! There’s no need to listen to the words of such a shameless person any longer! Just… just…!”
“Hmm.”
It was getting to be about time.
“Vinyudan members? I have one question I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“While it’s fine that you hijacked the train, isn’t this becoming a yearly event?”
Though this question is based on game settings, thankfully, there is no response suggesting it’s irrelevant.
“I understand that you’re trying to interfere with those going to the Esdinas Academy entrance exams every year. Whether it’s me, Yunia, or other prospective new students who might be in different cars, you’re trying to prevent us from getting to the Academy.”
“Won’t there be some movement from Esdinas Academy soon? It’s about time.”
“Hah!”
Slendia, the officer of the Vinyudan, scoffed.
“Unfortunately, we’re too preoccupied with other things to be worried about that.”
“Other things…?”
“That’s none of your business!”
It doesn’t need to be their concern. I already know.
“Very well. Then, may ‘we’ get off?”
“…What?”
Slendia tilted her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“What did you just say…?”
“May we leave?”
“…What are you thinking?”
“Well, do you really need to know?”
“This brat…”
Slendia, irritated by my sarcasm, grabbed me by the collar.
“Can’t believe you’re pushing your luck just because you’re younger!”
Younger.
The Vinyudan are basically those who failed to get into Esdinas Academy and missed even the last train.
“I could kill you right here!”
“If you did, a continent-wide manhunt would be issued for you. For murder.”
“Hah…!”
“Why do you think Esdinas Academy allows these ridiculous attacks every year?”
“That’s nonsense…!”
“This crisis is precisely why they want you to navigate through it and make your way to the heart of the continent.”
In other words.
“The entrance exams have already begun. You’re not officially contracted with Esdinas Academy; you’re merely being used.”
The Academy’s harsh test is to trap those who fail to enter Esdinas Academy by making them miss the entrance exams.
“Isn’t it laughable that you’re hijacking the train and detaining people without knowing this?”
“You little…!”
“Now that you’ve hijacked the train, the responsibility for it falls to the Vinyudan, correct?”
I pointed outside.
“What are you going to do about that?”
“…”
“It seems the situation is getting worse than expected.”
“Wh-what is that…?”
Slendia looked alarmed.
Those who had been looking out the window began to gulp as they saw a cloud of dust rising on the horizon.
“Wait, is that…?”
“Hey!! Go to the engine room and report! Just keep moving forward, no matter what!!”
As Slendia shouted at her subordinates, one of the attackers who had aimed the rifle at me hurried toward the front of the train.
“Ahh!!”
Some passengers screamed as they realized the nature of the dust cloud.
“Monsters!!”
Beasts.
Commonly referred to as ‘monsters’.
“This is why I wanted to leave.”
I turned to Yunia.
“Here’s a piece of trivia that might come up in the entrance exams. The Magic Train…”
“It runs on magic stones as fuel, making it vulnerable to attacks by monsters targeting the fuel compartments.”
Yunia answered promptly.
“…Especially in such wastelands.”
“Ugh! What happened to the mana jamming?! Why isn’t it working?!”
Slendia shouted in frustration.
“Why are those monsters sniffing out the mana from the Magic Train!!”
If you ask why they can smell it.
Firstly, the train had stopped for some reason.
Secondly, maintenance was delayed due to the Vinyudan and Slendia’s attack.
And thirdly.
“Well, perhaps there’s some delicious prey on the train?”
From the perspective of the monsters, the smell of a nearly non-existent SS-rank ‘boss’ might make their mouths water.
“Even if the Vinyudan hadn’t attacked, the monsters might have raided the train anyway. Haha.”
“This…! Why is the train still not moving!!”
“Slendia-nim!!”
A Vinyudan member who had rushed to the front of the train and then returned pointed with a pale face.
“Trollya…!”
“Trollya? What about him?”
“He tried to open the engine room door and ended up killing the engineer and the assistant engineer…!”
“…”
3.
“Then.”
2.
“Looks like the train.”
1.
“Has stopped?”
“AAAAAH!!”
“Run away!!”
The passengers scrambled to their feet.
“Damn it…! Fall back for now!!”
“But if we do that, the people…!”
“Those monsters are targeting the train, not the people! Retreat!!”
The Vinyudan, true to their villainous nature, seemed indifferent to the chaos they had caused and attempted to flee.
‘Typical of the Vinyudan.’
Their lack of compassion was evident. They seemed to prioritize their own escape over the safety of others.
Are the monsters only targeting the train?
What about all the monsters?
What if there are people who couldn’t evacuate inside the train?
“Yunia.”
I turned to Yunia.
If she were an unrelated bystander or an ordinary person, I might have suggested, “Let’s escape as well.”
– Remember, Phoenix.
But with Yunia, it’s different.
– Seduce all the angel candidates, so that the Goddess’s power can be diverted to us instead…
I need to charm her. In other words, I need to build a rapport.
“The entrance exam might be delayed a bit. We might even arrive tomorrow.”
I grabbed the wooden staff that the old man had dropped on the floor.
“Still, will you help me?”
“That’s…”
Yunia slowly got to her feet.
“I have something to say.”
Yunia was already brimming with determination to fight.
“Even if I can’t make it to the entrance exam…”
“I won’t let people be killed by monsters right in front of us.”
Yunia’s eyes widened in surprise at my words, but I smiled and extended my hand to her.
“Let’s go, Lady. To save the people.”
“…Yes!”
Yunia grabbed the hand I held out and got up.
Yunia.
The main heroine and title heroine.
As long as the protagonist doesn’t directly cause harm, she is generally inclined to cooperate and develop a favorable relationship with the protagonist.
‘Indeed, maternal instincts and character are proportional.’
Yunia’s maternal instincts are, well, level 100.
…
Correction.
‘Right now it’s 100, but it could be increased further.’
Depending on my actions, it’s possible to elevate it beyond 100.
‘Maternal instincts, levels, and mana capacity are all proportional.’
(TLN: Maternal Instincts = Chest)
