Chapter 274: The Train That Won’t Stop
[ Gary Beaufort Achieves Peace ]
[ Royal Household Issues Unprecedented Statement of Praise ]
[ Prime Minister Stands Beside the King of Highland…… ]
Hundreds of letters of thanks poured into 7 Kingsway, the official residence of Highland’s Prime Minister, every single day. Countless bouquets arrived for Gary Beaufort.
Beaufort had no idea what to do with all the flowers, so he asked people to stop sending them through the morning papers, and there were simply too many letters for him to read them all.
“Prime Minister Beaufort!”
“Gary! Gary!”
Whenever he walked down the street, men and women, young and old alike, came up to thank him.
In the latest opinion polls, the ruling party recorded its highest approval rating since its founding. These days, Gary Beaufort ranked first when schoolchildren were asked whom they respected most.
“……Goodness. Business has been booming thanks to you, Prime Minister.”
Umbrellas were selling. The black umbrella Beaufort carried every day. Shops everywhere displayed them under the name 「Umbrella of Peace」, gentlemen carried them as fashion accessories, and even children went around imitating the Prime Minister.
Letters poured in recommending him as a candidate for the Continental Peace Prize.
Newspaper cartoons portrayed him as a heroic figure holding a dove, while in the 「Common Hall」, government and opposition spoke with one voice in praising his tireless journeys back and forth to the Empire.
There had never been a Prime Minister so beloved in Highland’s history…… at least, not until now.
“……”
Sitting at a table in the park he often visited, Gary Beaufort found himself lost in strange thoughts.
‘Don’t wave the paper around. The ink may come off.’
Maximilian’s voice, warning him that the ink might come off, lingered in his ears.
He had said it was a joke, but…… the Imperial Family and Maximilian.
Could the two truly coexist?
The Imperial Princess was beautiful, as befitted royalty. Her appearance, unmistakably Aran, seemed proof of her pure blood. Yet her words and actions fell infinitely short of that beauty.
She regarded others as inferior and was the sort of person who tried to settle everything through force.
Maximilian, on the other hand, respected people and knew how to conduct himself with dignity. Beautiful himself, he understood beauty better than anyone. His hobbies were gardening, painting, and patronizing the arts, all pursuits that made use of the aesthetic sense he had been born with.
Yet there were persistent reports that madness filled what lay beneath the surface. A man who harbored an extreme hatred for the Ezenheim and seemed consumed by some incomprehensible sense of mission. He openly advocated discrimination against them.
A peace agreed upon by two people whose true thoughts Beaufort could not see.
Beaufort found himself wavering several times a day, but he still believed that what he had done was the best choice available to him.
***
In a tavern tucked away in a back alley of the imperial capital, long after business had ended, someone sat alone.
Creeeeak─
The wooden door groaned open.
The person who entered was searched before quietly approaching ‘his’ table and taking a seat. No one exchanged greetings. No one called anyone by name.
Creeeeak─
The door opened five times in all, until every seat at the table was filled.
A man wrapped in a robe. An officer known within the Revolutionary forces as ‘Master’.
He spoke first.
“That makes six.”
The sixth man to sit down lowered the brim of his hat and answered in a low voice.
“……Why did you make us come in person? Georgen surveillance has gotten much tighter since what happened to Fritz. I had to shake two tails on my way here today.”
Fritz of Georgen. A loyal comrade of the Revolutionary forces. Unfortunately, he had been taken out.
“Shouldn’t we be holding meetings like this in Veil?”
This time, a woman spoke. From a seat by the window, she peered into the alley through a gap in the curtains.
Master looked around at them.
“This is something we have to handle in person. Veil isn’t safe either. What matters is the people.”
“…….”
The hands of the comrades reaching for their beer mugs stopped dead.
One. By. One.
“This mission is as follows.”
Master folded down the fingers of his outstretched hand one at a time.
“Delivery, smuggling, destruction, rescue.”
Then the final finger.
“Assassination.”
The air around the table froze. Someone who had been about to light a cigarette extinguished the match instead.
“First, we board the northern train.”
“……Just us again?”
Master looked at the man who had asked. It was the comrade with his hat pulled low.
“You’re always the one hiding inside Veil.”
“This time.”
From beneath the robe, Master gave a short reply.
“I’m coming too.”
“…….”
The man fell silent. Five pairs of eyes turned toward Master.
“I’m against it. It’s too dangerous. You alone are more important than all five of us put together.”
A woman had spoken. She continued.
“And suppose…… this information gets leaked?”
They looked at one another.
Any one of the six could be a spy. Every one of them knew that.
“Can we trust each other?”
At the woman’s question, Master fell silent for a moment before giving a faint smile.
“Even if we fail, we’ll still come away with one small gain.”
They would be able to find the ‘enemy’ who had betrayed their comrades.
…….
Chief Inspector Gewin of Georgen was following someone. His target was ‘Master’, believed to be the Revolutionary forces’ chief financial handler.
Even Gewin himself found the intelligence difficult to believe, but the orders had come from above, so for now he was acting on it despite his doubts.
“Whew…….”
Gewin sat in the driver’s seat of a parked car with a clear view of the train platform, chain-smoking.
Knock, knock—
Someone suddenly knocked on the window.
“……?”
He turned the handle and cranked the window down.
“Pleasure to meet you, Chief Inspector. I’m Sergeant Paul.”
Outside, some rookie introduced himself like that.
What the hell was this all of a sudden?
“……What the fuck are you-”
Gewin glared at him.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be civilians right now.”
“…….”
At that, the rookie quietly began backing away without a word.
“What the…… Hey! Get back here, you idiot.”
“Yes?”
“Get in!”
“Ah, yes.”
The rookie, Paul, climbed into the car.
“Thank you.”
Gewin felt a headache coming on.
The bastard had sat in the back seat instead of the passenger seat. He had even taken the seat of honor.
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For giving me a ride.”
“……Before I torch you.”
“Pardon?”
How the hell was someone this useless even here?
In any case, the North Express「Eisenhorn」would pass through the platform they were watching.
The train headed into the Empire’s northern region along a route that curved around one of its most treacherous mountain ranges, the ‘Herzen’.
They had been told that a man believed to be the Revolutionary forces’ chief…… or at least an officer, would board this train, though they still did not know whether the target was actually a man or a woman.
“Got any cigarettes?”
Gewin asked him.
“No. I have whiskey.”
It was a countersign check, since Gewin had never seen his face before, and unfortunately, the answer was correct. So this guy really was a new recruit. Georgen’s future looked bleak.
“Anything from the Knight Order? No word at all?”
Gewin had connections with Julian, but perhaps he had been busy lately, because Gewin had been unable to reach him.
Just in case, he had also put in a request for cooperation with the Sentinel Knight Order itself.
“No reply.”
“Ugh. Didn’t expect one anyway. Those knights really do have their noses in the air.”
“……For now. There should be plenty of our agents on board.”
“Of course there should. You think there’d only be a few?”
Gewin ground his cigarette out beneath the sole of his military boot.
“Hey. Have you thought about it? What do you think they’re trying to do in the north? Why do they want to go there?”
“I’m not sure. I honestly don’t know.”
Gewin gave Paul a sidelong glance.
“……You’re not some kind of mole, are you?”
“Come on. What are you talking about? I’m pure Aran.”
“Let’s see your Genealogy Certificate.”
“Here you are.”
A Genealogy Certificate. A certificate of pure Aran blood formatted like a little booklet. It even said he was from Empire Point.
“Empire Point?”
“Ah, yes. I was there for three years…… but it got too hard.”
“……Three years? Huh.”
Gewin checked it for signs of forgery or alteration, then handed it back, and Paul carefully tucked it away.
“But Chief Inspector, are you taking part in this operation too?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You’re fairly high-ranking, so I thought you’d be in command…….”
He had a point.
“What can I do? I still need to be in the field.”
‘Master’ was supposedly boarding this train. The information had come directly from the higher-ups.
That had to mean Georgen had a mole inside the Revolutionary forces as well.
But what if that mole was a double agent? Or even a triple agent?
No matter how hard he racked his brain, there was no answer, so he would just have to go and find out firsthand.
“The train’ll be here soon. Get out first.”
“Yes. When are you coming, Chief Inspector?”
“……I’ll follow when I’m ready, so just get out. Buy two tickets.”
“Yes!”
The hopeless rookie climbed out of the car and wandered off hesitantly. Even the way he went to buy tickets looked unreliable.
How the hell had a guy like that lasted three years at Empire Point?
Gewin gave a disbelieving chuckle.
***
……One day, while preparing for a short business trip.
A letter from Arthur Winston was delivered to my estate.
──[ To Sir Maximilian Ebenholtz ]──
Congratulations on acquiring Volska. To have stolen the land of an entire nation without firing a single shot is rare in history.
But do you truly believe what you did was right? Do you believe it was the right judgment, the right decision?
Our Prime Minister calls you a gentleman and believes you desire peace. I do not share that belief. You are a man who desires war. I thought the same when I met you before, and my opinion has not changed……
……There is only one reason I write this letter. There is something I wish to ask.
Why do you hate the Ezenheim so much?
Is being born as they are a sin?
I do not expect a reply. But someday, the day will come when you must answer this question before the entire continent. Our history will demand your answer.
[ Arthur Winston, Councilor of Highland ]
────────
I told a servant to have the letter framed and hung on the wall. As for a reply…… that would require some thought.
Afterward, I got into a car and headed for the agreed platform.
Nothing too elaborate for the disguise. Blond hair and black eyes. I darkened my skin a little and slowed my gait slightly. I deliberately put on a vacant expression.
I reached Platform 3 at the capital’s North Station and got out of the car in the parking lot.
“……Is that it?”
A blatantly suspicious-looking car was parked there. The face visible through the window was familiar.
Chief Inspector Gewin.
I stood beside the car and knocked on the window.
Knock, knock-
The window cranked down.
I spoke at once.
“Pleasure to meet you, Chief Inspector. I’m Sergeant Paul.”
“…….”
The expression on his face was a sight to behold. His eyes widened, his mouth fell open, and his nostrils flared in disbelief.
“……What the fuck are you-”
He hurriedly glanced around outside the car.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be civilians right now!”
“…….”
I quietly turned around and started backing away.
“What the…… Hey! Get back here, you idiot.”
“Yes?”
“Get in!”
“Ah, yes.”
As Paul, Georgen’s newest rookie, I climbed into the back seat.
“Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For giving me a ride.”
“……Before I torch you.”
“Pardon?”
Gewin let out a sigh, looking frustrated, and asked.
“Anything from the Knight Order?”
“No reply.”
“Ugh. Didn’t expect one anyway. Those knights really do have their noses in the air.”
“……”
That was awkward to hear, considering I was a knight myself.
Anyway, Gewin and I exchanged the countersign, and I showed him a Genealogy Certificate that supported my cover story about spending three years at Empire Point……
“The train’ll be here soon. Get out first.”
“Yes. When are you coming, Chief Inspector?”
“……I’ll follow when I’m ready, so just get out. Buy two tickets.”
“Yes!”
The operation began.
***
Gewin boarded the North Express「Eisenhorn」. For the time being, disguised as an ordinary civilian, he watched the scenery outside the window.
Clack— clack—
Meanwhile, the train raced north.
Clack— clack—
The scenery beyond the window looked hazy and distant. Summer had already come to an end, and leaves were falling one by one in the distance.
Clack— clack—
After watching for a long while, the horizon gradually turned pure white.
Clack— clack—
Northern snow.
Now that they were in the north, it was almost time to begin.
Clack— clack—
From here until the train finished crossing the mountain range, it would not stop. That alone meant there would be no escape.
“……This bastard sure sleeps well.”
Gewin looked at Paul in the seat beside him. He did not know how it had happened, but somehow this guy seemed to have been assigned as his partner.
With his arms folded and his head tilted to one side as he slept, he looked absurdly carefree.
He would probably be even more irritating awake, so Gewin decided to let him sleep.
“Whew…….”
Gewin took a deep breath and stood. He walked two or three steps toward the front of the carriage.
“Everyone. Good day.”
Every eye inside turned toward him at once. An old man reading a newspaper looked up, while a woman holding a child drew the little one closer to her chest.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Sergeant Gewin of Georgen.”
He took his identification from inside his coat and held it up.
At that moment, the atmosphere inside the carriage grew heavy.
“Don’t worry. There’s no need to be nervous. If you’re civilians, that is.”
Gewin put his identification away again and smiled pleasantly.
“We’ve received intelligence that a suspicious individual is currently aboard this train. This is just a formality, so I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
He started with the first seat.
“Could I see your Genealogy Certificate and ticket?”
“……Y-yes.”
Aran, thirty-two. Nothing unusual.
“Thank you. Next.”
Yaken. Twenty-four. Student. Nothing unusual.
“Next.”
Checking one person after another, Gewin slowly made his way deeper into the carriage.
Clack— clack—
The floor shook beneath his feet.
Clack— clack—
Around the middle of the aisle, he suddenly stopped.
“Excuse me?”
A man sat with his arms folded, apparently fast asleep. Gewin lightly tapped the back of his seat.
Tap, tap.
“Excuse me.”
“……?”
The man opened his eyes blearily.
Gewin gave him a friendly smile.
“Sorry to wake you, but could I see your Genealogy Certificate?”
“Ah. Yes.”
Gewin accepted the Genealogy Certificate the man handed him.
“Your ticket as well, please.”
“Yes. Just a moment…….”
The man slipped one hand inside his coat.
At that moment, Gewin heard someone rising behind him.
He turned and saw a man rising from a seat about three rows back and striding toward him. It was Paul. The rookie had woken up without Gewin noticing.
“Hey. You stay seated-”
Without answering, Paul pulled some black object from his waist.
Bang──.
Passengers let out short screams and ducked down.
“…….”
Gewin remained standing where he was. Splat. Warm liquid struck his cheek. A drop of blood had gotten into one eye, making his eyelid twitch.
“…….”
Gewin looked forward again. The man had a hole in his skull. His head lolled limply over the seatback.
“Are you all right, Sergeant?”
Paul asked.
Gulp.
Gewin swallowed hard before barely managing to answer.
“……What?”
“Look.”
Paul grabbed the corpse’s limp arm by the sleeve and pulled.
A leather cord wrapped around the man’s wrist came with it, and whatever had been fastened to the other end dropped—
to the floor.
“…….”
A knife.
The blade was short and thick. It had been designed to drop straight from inside the sleeve into the palm.
“Chief Inspector, that could’ve been bad. It’s even coated in poison.”
“……Really?”
The tip of the blade gleamed a vivid blue beneath the train lights.
“Could he have been with the Revolutionary forces?”
“Uh……”
“One moment.”
Paul casually snatched the Genealogy Certificate from Gewin’s hand. He gave it a quick look as well.
“Ah, this is fake too.”
“You…… how do you know that?”
“…….”
Paul stared directly at him. His eyes were strangely chilling.
A broad grin spread across Paul’s lips.
“I’ll tell you later.”
He pointed at the corpse and added.
“Let’s clean this up first.”
Gewin stared for a long while at the rookie dragging the corpse away. His mind had gone blank for a moment.
It had been a long time since he had seen someone shot dead right in front of him.
‘So he really had spent three years at Empire Point. He certainly knew how to act fast…… Ah, fuck, that stings.’
Gewin wiped the blood from around his eye with his sleeve.
Clack— clack—
The train was still racing north.
~~~
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