A Dark Fantasy Spy

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Camila let out a small gasp while gazing at the golden fields.

“Wow… what a beautiful view.”

It was indeed a breathtaking sight.

The wind raced over the cool meadow, and the train horn bridged the blue sky and the ground below.

The passenger train we boarded was right there.

“Brings back memories.”

With my back turned to the reverse seat, I was quietly working when a nostalgic voice tickled my ears.

“What are you thinking about?”

“About the time I traveled by train with my friends. We went from London to Warsaw.”

“Oh, Warsaw.”

Perhaps being on a train journey after so long made Camila chat away with an almost giddy tone.

So I chuckled softly, tapping on my device.

“It must have been via Paris.”

“Of course, if you’re coming from London, you have to stop there first.”

“Then it was Berlin next? Or was it Amsterdam?”

“Berlin. We only passed through Berlin when going to Warsaw. Amsterdam was a separate trip.”

“Is that so? Sounds delightful. You must have traveled by train often.”

“Eh, not so often. How can I travel all the time?”

“Oh, so maybe a few times a year? Did you take a long trip?”

“Huh? No? At least two or three times a year. It’s the same Europe after all.”

“…?”

I couldn’t believe my ears for a moment.

Blinking repeatedly, I met Camila’s gaze and opened my mouth in confusion just after.

“Why is the UK not a part of Eu—”

“It is Europe.”

“No, Brex—”

“I’m telling you it is Europe.”

“……”

“Are you unhappy about it?”

…Oh, yes.

Absolutely. Let’s leave it at that.

—

Episode 20 – Who Tried to Threaten with a Knife

In a neighborhood crawling with monsters, trains seem like an inefficient mode of transportation at first glance.

However, free from the influence of weather and seasons, with almost no traffic jams, and an overwhelming capacity for cargo, trains are used more widely than one might expect.

Some people might ask, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to use ships instead?’ But that’s only possible if there are rivers and seas.

Inland countries without seas, like Mongolia, often have naval forces with fewer than a thousand personnel, or they’re stuck using army patrol boats to substitute for a navy.

Moreover, is the sea truly completely safe? Not at all.

Monsters inhabit both coastal and oceanic areas.

Even in the deep sea.

The reason trains traveling overland are so favored is precisely because of that.

“The stations are secured by railway guards, so it’s safe; ordinary monsters can’t catch up with a train even at full speed. The rails aren’t living things, so monsters don’t even recognize them as prey.”

“Seems safer than I thought?”

“Right?”

Of course, safety is a highly relative concept, and it’s not like plane crash probabilities are infinitely low like in the global village.

Considering that, trains are exceptionally safe, and safety levels typically correlate with budget.

The train we were on was a prime example of that.

The thin mist of breath dashed across the plains aboard the iron horse.

Elegant passenger cars adorned with finesse passed gracefully along the tracks, the logo ‘Al-Raed’ meaning “thunder” flashed by like rays.

“I heard it was imported from Lushan, and indeed…. It’s the highest-grade train as its reputation suggests.”

Lushan Federation, a bridge connecting the Mauritania Continent and the mighty nations like Abas, Patalia, and Kien.

While its presence might seem diminished due to the gluttony of the Kien Empire and the Kingdom of Abas, the Lushan Federation still holds a place among the great powers.

It’s bordered by straits leading to the ocean, making it a traditional maritime power alongside Patalia. Plus, it rapidly embraced the magical revolution, allowing science and magic-based industries to thrive.

Consequently, the Lushan Federation has accessed the Mauritania Continent with relative ease across numerous sectors.

This isn’t too different from how the UK has interacted with Europe through the Dover Strait, pointing to the notable closeness between the Lushan Federation and the Mauritania Continent, but the most crucial factor remains religion.

Just like many nations across the Mauritania Continent, the predominant religion in the Lushan Federation is Al-Yabd.

Of course, while the Lushan Federation legally pursues ‘secularism,’ the overwhelming majority of its populace is Al-Yabd believers, with even the ruling aristocracy being devoted followers.

The Lushan Federation has always been the first-choice trading partner among the Mauritania Continent’s nations.

The train we were riding, ‘Al-Raed,’ stood as one of the symbols of this amicable relationship.

“Is it a famous train?”

“Certainly. It’s known as the fastest train on the Mauritania Continent, and tickets are notoriously expensive. Of course, the fact that the kingdom importing it is a regional power also plays a part, being one of the home countries of Al-Yabd.”

“In a continent with a desert and being one of the home countries of a single religion… it sounds like Saudi Arabia?”

“That’s spot on. In reality, they are quite similar.”

Just as oil-rich Saudi Arabia serves as the hegemon of the Middle East and a leading Islamic Sunni state, the kingdom possessing this train is also the hegemon of the Mauritania Continent and a leading state of the Al-Yabd sect.

Interestingly, their ancestors built homes in lands where digging could lead to oil.

Thanks to their ancestors who were said to be lucky (for real), this might well be a heart-wrenching story for folks from the other peninsulas who might have been crying and pounding their chest.

“If there’s a kingdom acting as a hub for Sunni Islam, is there a hub for Shia Islam too?”

“Sure, there is.”

“Eek….”

Camila expressed her distaste at my casual reply, sticking her tongue out.

As a side note, the Shia hub within Islam is Iran, familiar to the citizens of Seoul through the name ‘Teheran-ro.’

“Why the disgust? Iran is such a nice place.”

“Iran as a ‘nice place?’ Then is North Korea the best Korea?”

“I didn’t say it was paradise on earth, but there’s plenty to see and eat. Sure, as an Islamic country, it might lack entertainment.”

I chuckled softly as I tapped on my device.

“Of course, I went there for work every time.”

“I hope the Al-Yabd hubs in this area are a bit more peaceful. They won’t punish us just for breaking some law, right?”

Camila’s voice carried an odd worry. It was understandable. Most of the countries we had traveled through since the Jamria Federation have been generally secular Al-Yabd states.

If I had to draw an analogy, places like Jamria are like secular Turkey, while the kingdom that owns this train might be closer to the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other tightly-run theocratic states.

But there was no need to fret.

“Depending on the severity, there are degrees of difference, but not like throwing people on a crane like Hussein, or gathering an audience in a stadium for mass beheadings.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

“Why go through that hassle? Whether alive or dead, toss them outside the border, and the monsters will take care of the rest.”

“……”

“There’s no immediate need to go anywhere, so don’t worry. If you have to go, they’re mostly friendly towards foreigners, so there’s no need to be too frightened.”

“…As if that’s reassuring.”

—

‘Al-Raed’ boasts a magnificent route spanning the entire Mauritania Continent, and we would be on this train for approximately seven days.

Recalling the time I traveled by train from Vladivostok to Moscow, where I ended up uncovering the guy who took a cold lunch with water and kicked the one snoring, this journey was indeed monumental.

The problem, however, lies in how we would eat and sleep in this cramped train.

Fortunately, this issue was quickly resolved thanks to Duke Alexandra Petrovna booking the Royal Cabin for us.

“We have a room for two with one bed each?”

“There’s a door lock, and look here, there are also partitions. They fold away during the day and can be unfolded at night for separation.”

“Wow, it’s better than I expected. Must be a product of an oil-rich country.”

This meant that neither Camila nor I would have to fight over sleeping space.

While I pondered if renting a royal-level cabin for seven days was worth the cost, perhaps Duke Petrovna, as a mentor, wanted Camila to travel across various regions and broaden her horizons.

But of course,

“That’s not the important part right now.”

“What is then?”

“The important part is that all the food in this cabin is free!”

What expanded was her cheeks rather than her knowledge.

(Probably Duke Petrovna’s heart also broke at that moment.)

Anyway.

I began to think while leaving behind the gluttonous red pig (who said there’s no airplane) dashing back and forth in the train, gathering every bit of food.

Having Camila ride the train with me wasn’t an issue. The real problem was the train, Al-Raed itself.

For the next six nights and seven days, the train would traverse numerous regions along the tracks. At least six or more countries would be visited, repeatedly boarding and deboarding passengers at each stop.

And as is the case with railroads crossing through various countries, such modes of transport typically attract travelers, traders, immigrants, criminals, terrorists, and information agents alike.

Particularly so for the intelligence officers of the European nations. The benefits of the Schengen Agreement didn’t differentiate between travelers and spies.

“Let’s see. What remaining sea routes are there….”

Thus, I tried to book a ferry to reach our destination after getting off midway.

But just as I was about to reserve, a rejection came through from the company.

“Are you saying we can’t use the ship?”

-‘Stick to the original plan and travel by rail. Unless there’s a special issue, we can’t permit you to use a ship.’

“Why the sudden switch?”

The reason Leonie presented through the secure line was straightforward and clear-cut.

-‘A few days ago, a patrol ship sank while navigating along the coast.’

“Oh….”

Turns out, their navy had fought a monster near the coast in one of the Mauritania Continent countries.

According to a government official’s testimony, they had rapidly dispatched a combat squad to secure safety, but what Leonie told me was the stark opposite.

-‘The command received communications from the squad indicating that they seemed to have sustained irreparable damage.’

“Completely wrecked?”

-‘Yeah. A nearby submarine passing through sent data indicating signs of the presence of a kelpie-class marine monster. Precisely in the waters where the patrol ship sank.’

“So, what now? Did that squad that went out to sea at least manage to secure the area?”

-‘They did secure the area, but there’s hardly anyone left to guard it. The squad that faced the kelpie was completely obliterated… They’ve been requesting assistance because of this issue, and they’re currently debating whether to send a detachment or not. The higher-ups want them sent, but the navy says it’s nonsense.’

By “higher-ups,” he meant the Ministry of Defense. The Military Intelligence Agency is under the Ministry of Defense.

In other words, it meant there’s a quarrel regarding the dispatch of troops between the Ministry of Defense of Abas and the Abas Navy.

“Seriously? If I recall, the monsters in our coastal area are no joke either. If the navy pulls out troops, who’s going to protect the front yard?”

-‘Exactly. Aren’t we all forgetting about the two vessels that went down to a Charybdis two years back?… Anyway, please refrain from using any ships for a while. If, like the last time with Jamria, someone goes missing, I can’t guarantee we’ll even be able to recover the body.’

In any case, it seemed using the sea routes would be difficult for the time being.

Thus, I was left with no choice but to eat, sleep, and live on the train for the next seven days with Camila. What a pitiful scenario.

But as long as we safely arrive at our destination, does it matter? Surely, nothing bad would happen during a week. The worst would likely be a robbery.

Let’s keep a positive mindset.

Anyway, it’s all good news!

—

This thought was barely a few hours ago.

[Dear passengers, we would like to inform you.]

A sharp voice flew into my ears while I was savoring dessert and flipping through a book in the cabin.

[An incident has occurred on our train, and we will be making an emergency stop at the next station. All passengers should remain seated for safety.]

Camila, with wide eyes, looked at me while still processing her dessert, and I quietly turned the page.

“It seems someone might have collapsed. Don’t worry about it, just keep eating.”

At that point, I thought it was nothing major, really.

So.

Until the stretcher covered in white cloth was wheeled out, followed by armed police boarding the train.