The station ahead.
Danya wrapped the train’s wheels with vines.
— Squeeeak!
The train came to a stop with a tremendous noise.
…We did it. We made it.
It descended down the slope of a mountain ridge as smoothly as if it had never derailed, all thanks to Ian’s efforts mostly, but still, it felt good.
“Nyaaa….”
A sigh, trying to hide the sense of accomplishment, burst out from Ian. Nevertheless, he felt good.
Had anyone already heard the news?
The platform below became bustling with staff rushing out. Ian and Schwab, who exchanged a few words, went down.
It was probably okay for Danya.
Rather than that, he wanted to enjoy this feeling right now.
The rough wind brushing against them as they descended the endless slope, the clamor of trying to maneuver the train at every curve, and even amidst the hardship, Ian’s face turning charred with soot—all of it made him chuckle.
It was tough, but it was so much fun.
It was the first time it had been this enjoyable since he had entered Lichten Academy alone.
‘…If I had given up on the path of a mage just before meeting Ian, I wouldn’t have had this experience.’
Danya gave up trying to suppress the upward curl of her lips.
Then she sat down beside Ian, smiling broadly.
“Are you tired, Ian?”
“A little.”
“Hehe.”
Swish, swish.
Danya wiggled her legs in the air a few times before speaking up.
“I’m having so much fun.”
“Is that so? That’s good.”
Danya turned her head to look closely at Ian’s face.
Ian’s face was usually expressionless.
It only had confident eyes and somewhat tired features, always advancing without hesitation.
And it was still the same now.
His eyes filled with confidence remained, but the dark circles under his eyes had deepened a bit.
Apart from that, his cheeks were tinged with soot.
Danya wanted to say this.
‘I’m lucky to have you as a comrade.’
…But.
Her lips didn’t part to say it, staying shut like budding flowers.
It was too embarrassing. Even if she didn’t know about other things, expressing good feelings honestly was difficult. It was even more so in front of Ian.
Instead, Danya cupped her hands.
“Give me some soil here.”
“…?”
Ian, who had a puzzled expression, handed her the soil without saying much.
The moist texture of the soil. Danya closed her eyes.
‘If it’s hard to say with words… with magic.’
Since that was also why she chose the path of a mage in the first place, she recalled the emotions she wanted to express.
The cool and cold wind felt while descending the mountainside on the train.
Passionate spells cast to maintain the track somehow and the pleasant feeling of momentum.
Beautiful scenery with snowflakes all around.
Wishing for even a little healing for the tired you.
To capture those emotions, the mana of the grass full of vitality was moved.
A sapling sprouted from the soil.
It grew into a stem, then a flower bud.
And it bloomed brightly.
“How is it?”
Extending that pure white flower to Ian, Danya smiled broadly.
◆
A 3-star mana recovery skill for grass-type mages.
「Snowflake Flower」
Considering the fact that it’s a 3-star skill, it’s definitely not low-grade, especially considering its mana recovery effect through summoned creatures.
Unlike typical mana recovery skills that ‘transfer’ the caster’s mana, this skill transfers mana through summoned objects, making it a true mana recovery skill.
Therefore, 「Snowflake Flower」 is known as the flower of the Grass-type support skill.
Ian opened his mouth, hiding his surprised emotions.
“…It’s beautiful.”
“Hehe.”
Watching her natural laughter, Ian thought to himself.
Indeed, Danya has talent.
It’s not just a matter of having talent. Danya possesses an overwhelmingly impressive talent, to the extent that she doesn’t pale in comparison to heroines.
Ian didn’t actively push her forward like a typical heroine. He simply provided small assistance — giving potions, refining grass elements by her side with her overwhelmingly responsive mana affinity compared to her skills.
With just a small spark, Danya’s talent began to blaze brightly.
In this moment, Ian could be certain.
Danya would undoubtedly be a significant asset as a mage in the unfolding scenarios ahead. She would grow into a mage capable of leaving her mark on the continent and in history.
However, he couldn’t be certain what would happen to her as she grew.
Ian had never seen her future.
In the “Fantasy X Academy” he played, Danya was just an extra who disappeared in an accident during early-stage practice sessions.
If that was her fate, there might be moments of imminent danger ahead.
Of course, Ian wouldn’t just let her quietly die.
If Danya survived through his reincarnation, taking responsibility for her future would be another task. No, it would be a reward to have gained a reliable companion.
‘…Tame.’
The interaction between humans and beastfolk was clearly defined as ‘taming’. Perhaps it didn’t just mean humans taming beastfolk. Maybe humans could also be tamed by.
Ian placed his hand on Danya’s head.
“…?”
Danya opened her eyes roundly, looking up at him.
As always, she didn’t recoil sharply.
She just blinked softly, her ears slightly red.
So, Ian gently stroked her head.
Danya also closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed the touch.
Her tail swayed pleasantly.
Thanks to 「Snowflake Flower」, the depleted mana and energy began to slowly replenish.
They enjoyed healing and relaxation for a while.
“Student Ian—!”
Schwab’s voice rang out.
He had come running upon hearing that something was wrong with the train and, seeing the short, subtly moving pictures offered by Schwab the journalist, he was astonished.
◆
Gatewin, the Vice Chairman of the Northern Mountain Range Train Operation Association, rushed out upon hearing that something was wrong with the train. He was astonished as he looked at the brief but subtly moving pictures presented by Schwab.
“…Oh. I wouldn’t have believed it if these pictures didn’t exist.”
Two or three mages had pulled the stalled train over the ridge.
Moreover, one mage had played the main role. A young man with black hair approached.
“Is that person…?”
“Yes.”
He immediately reached out his hand towards Ian.
“I’m Gatewin, Vice Chairman of the Northern Mountain Range Train Operation Association.”
“Northern… Ah, yes. I’m Ian Blackangers.”
To think that such a young mage had moved the stalled train here.
Moreover, there were no serious injuries among the passengers, even though there were some minor injuries.
“I sincerely apologize for the regrettable incident that occurred during our train operation.”
Gatewin bowed politely.
A much bigger incident was about to happen, but the novice in front of him had prevented it.
Moreover, if he was a student at the Lichten Academy, there was a high chance he was a member of a well-off family.
He knew well that swift and sincere compensation was the most effective way to prevent a major incident from occurring.
Gatewin handed a box to Ian.
“What’s this…?”
“These are high-grade mana potions from the Alchemist Workshop. It’s compensation for the magical power you and your companions used.”
There were four transparent bottles filled with blue liquid.
As Ian examined one, Gatewin continued.
“We will also provide separate compensation for any mental damage you may have suffered… We guarantee compensation equivalent to ten times the ticket price for this journey. We will make arrangements for further discussions at any branch of the Northern Mountain Range Train Operation Association.”
“Yes. Please do so.”
“Also, we’ve prepared a special high-speed train to your destination. Please trust and use it. It’ll arrive in about 10 minutes.”
“Yes.”
“Then.”
Gatewin had a mountain of tasks to deal with.
With a bow of his head, Gatewin left.
Meanwhile…
Schwab approached Ian, who was curiously looking at the mana potions.
“Student Ian. No, it’s better to call you Ian-nim now. You have such remarkable abilities that it would be too much to call you a mere student.”
“Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Haha! Well then, Student Ian. As I said on the train, Ian’s feats won’t be published as news just yet. We’ll release an article emphasizing the dangers of Mana Stones first.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there a reason why you want to hide your feats?”
Originally, the train incident should have resulted in a crash, which would have become a major issue on the continent. Ian himself wouldn’t expect any good outcome if he were to intervene. Therefore, it’s better if the future doesn’t change.
…Of course, he couldn’t just tell all this to Schwab.
So, instead…
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on one issue at a time?”
Schwab’s eyes widened as he listened to Ian’s words.
“Ohh. You know how to handle public opinion. Alright, I’ll put in a good word then. Hahaha!”
It was his misconception, but… well, it didn’t seem harmful.
◆
At the Pierce Duchy.
Luxurious carriages began to arrive one by one.
Nobles, dressed for the occasion, descended from the carriages, warmly welcomed by the family’s butlers.
Meanwhile, in the study of Lord Richard Pierce.
A servant was reporting to him.
“…It seems we failed. ‘That child’ was on board, so we didn’t proceed with the second plan.”
“The child hasn’t died, has he?”
“No, they survived on the train. But they had to feign unconsciousness to avoid suspicion, so they’re unaware of the process.”
“As expected, the insight was wrong. That child’s life is more important now. Chaos can occur at any time.”
“Then I suppose we’ll just have to take him out of social gatherings to…”
— Slither.
A brief rustle near the door caught their attention simultaneously.
Their eyes turned towards it.
None of them missed the fleeting sight of long, blue hair passing by.
“It seems Sharon eavesdropped. Should we take care of it…?”
“It’s fine. That child is already broken.”
“Didn’t she recently start practicing the sword again? She seemed to regain her senses after that.”
At the servant’s remark, Lord Pierce chuckled softly.
“She tried to end her life without even understanding the situation.”
“I see.”
“I’m just waiting for her blood to mature like her mother’s.”
Lord Pierce’s blue eyes gleamed with greed.
