DBCR 04

Chapter 04

I was a nurse.
Night shifts and emergency shifts were frequent. My working hours were always extended, so long ago that I forgot what my normal schedule even was.
And now, to think I can just play around in a place this nice—it feels amazing.
It’s like having a luxury resort all to myself.
For a while, I enjoyed this ghostly life. Ghosting suits me. It’s really fun.
Meanwhile, the scenery outside changed from day to night. I crossed plains, ran through green forests, crossed rivers, or ran along lakesides. Sometimes, I stopped in large cities.
I checked the station names against geography books. I realized the train was moving from west to east.
When I got bored of geography books, I read history books and magazines. Thanks to these, I gradually learned about this world.
This country is ruled by an emperor, whose authority is granted by the gods.
The emperor, along with his direct officials and the council led by the prime minister, governs the country.
The current head of the council is Duke Berkart, father of Airix. This Duke Berkart also rules the southwestern part of the empire. He invests in multiple companies, all of which lead the empire’s key industries. Airix is the heir of a family with immense wealth and power.
If I were in that position, I would just live comfortably and inherit my father’s wealth and status. So why would he want to do something as troublesome as destroy the world?
Since there’s no story told from Airix’s perspective, I have no idea. The author never explained it to me.
To think someone who lives so comfortably would need to be stopped from destroying the world—could that even work?
Even before he starts his world-destroying plans, he probably seems already corrupted.

While I enjoyed this resort train alone, Bami was always by my side. We quickly became close. Bami became my companion snake, and I became his human companion. Whenever we were bored, we played pranks on each other.
I lost track of time. Floating alone, my sense of time became hazy.
Just when I thought I might truly become a wandering ghost…
The “soon” that the mysterious being who pulled me in had mentioned suddenly arrived.
Even if he didn’t tell me, I could feel it.
The sounds became clearer and clearer. The smells and the feel of the skin changed. People began to appear faintly. I could hear their conversations.
It felt like waking from anesthesia.
Bami flapped his wings in excitement. His eyes widened, and he flicked his tongue rapidly.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
I could smell the grass and earth outside the train. The voices of the people became clearer. I could sense their presence.
And just like that, I became fully a person of this world.

So, what should I do now?
On the table lay the map I had seen when I first arrived here. Letters appeared clearly on the map:

“Go find Airix Berkart now.”

The next message appeared:

“Before he destroys this world.”

First, let’s go.
I don’t know exactly where he is, but he must be somewhere.
I stood up, opened the door, and went out.
I walked down the corridor dozens of times, crossed the connecting cars. Bami coiled around my neck.
By now, it felt familiar. The cool touch of his scales brushing against my skin was pleasant.
After passing several cars, I reached the dining car.
Until now, it had always been empty. Always deserted.
But now, someone was sitting there.
I immediately knew who he was.
Airix Berkart.
The future mastermind who will destroy this world, the boy whose fate I must change.

Airix Berkart.
The only legitimate child of Duke Berkart, imperial prime minister and one of the most powerful figures in the country, ruler of the empire’s southwest.
Born into a flamboyant and showy father’s household, Airix now rides the train to the capital.
In front of him sits a senior from his school. Probably one of those sent by his father. His father sends whoever he wishes, and this senior happened to appear first.

A few days ago:
During his vacation, Airix was staying at a lake canyon villa when his father visited.
He received that villa a few years ago as a birthday gift.
One day, well past his birthday, the Duke suddenly asked what he wanted as a gift.
The next birthday was coming soon, but Airix didn’t mind. That’s just how his father is.
Still, taking the opportunity, he requested the villa.
It had been bought and decorated by his grandfather, the previous Duke, who was not particularly traditional. Airix always liked the houses his grandfather created.
The Duke agreed, and his father’s aide, who usually only went to bookstores, had to go to the registry office instead.
Having acquired the villa he had long desired, Airix would go there whenever he had a vacation or holiday.
The Duke only came if he had business. If he had something to say, he sent his aide.
So, the arrival of Duke Berkart meant he had business.

“Take the central line departing from the western station at 7 a.m. the day after tomorrow.”

The Duke said this outright.

“Cancel your train tomorrow.”

His father’s expression was as usual.
Neither cold nor kind, neither dark nor bright.

“Some members of the corps will ride that train. Spend a few days with them.”

Known as the “Duke’s Corps,” the Duke takes in children in difficult circumstances from here and there and supports them.
The criteria for selection are unknown. Their talent, social status, race, and achievements vary widely.
But once he takes them in, he invests heavily and trains them to be useful. They also try to prove their abilities to him.
Airix didn’t like them much. They believed they were more recognized by the Duke than Airix himself. The Duke knew this illusion but fueled it, pouring oil on the fire. Competition, he said, is the source of progress.

“What exactly is happening on this central line train that I have to ride it?”
The Duke replied nonchalantly:
“Ah, it will be occupied.”

“…You want me to ride the train according to that occupation?”
“Yes.”

What the hell is this crazy father saying?

“Why?”
“There’s a plan.”
“Ah, I see.”

Yes, of course there’s a plan.
As always, a crazy plan.

“By the way.”
“Hmm?”
“Tell me who wants to do such troublesome things. I’m really curious.”
“The Cult.”

No surprise there.
As expected. This country has laws, but above them fly those who are outside them—the Cult.

“The Cult acquired a list of heretics planning a large gathering in the capital. Many heretics going to the capital are on that train. The Cult plans to stop the train and arrest them.”

“What kind of heretics?”
There are many types of heretics.
From petty ones performing minor curses for money to large cults controlling entire regions, their scale and venom vary.

“The Fazainen Cult.”
Large and dangerous. Some parts of the empire fall under their influence. Even some officials and nobles are part of it.

“The most active heretics lately. The ones the Cult should be most wary of.”
In Airix’s view, their actions are no different from the orthodox religion. They are indistinguishable, bickering over territory like organized crime.

“They plan to arrest quite a few this time. Even those who have annoyed them before will be taken along.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw the list.”

The Cult probably didn’t tell him. Someone must have slipped it to him. The Duke has spies in the Cult.

“Am I a target too?”
“Have you done anything?”
“Sometimes.”

The Duke laughed.
“You haven’t been caught yet. Don’t worry. You’re not on the list.”
“That’s a relief. So, can you tell me why I have to be there?”

Two days later, Airix boarded the central line train.
After spending some time in the special compartment, he went to the dining car.
It was the most luxurious dining car on the train, lavishly decorated, wasteful in ingredients and cooking, and absurdly priced.
It wasn’t dinner time, so he just ordered a coffee and opened the book he brought.
While reading, he felt someone’s gaze. Finally, was it the Duke’s corps coming? He thought, why did they come here instead of just coming to the compartment? and looked up.
In front of him was a face he had never seen.
A delicate-looking girl, as if drawn with a thin brush.
Her face was pale, like powdered pearls, and her hair mixed light lemon and pink. The only darker parts were her eyebrows. Her eyes, pale blue, framed by the dark lines, blended with her hair color…

She looked like cotton candy.