"Sir, it is hardly gentlemanly to barge into a lady's room without permission. Even in a train compartnt, I should think you would observe the most basic social courtesies."
The doorknob was slightly warm. Jenkins turned it, but before he had pushed the door fully open, a stern reprimand ca from within. His hand paused for a mont, but he proceeded to push the door open.
The compartnt's interior was unremarkable. The young woman sitting at the desk was the one who had just spoken. Like the Dawn Express itself, she was composed of a green, fluorescent substance, giving her the appearance of a specter.
"I do apologize, madam."
Her attire gave no clue as to her identity, so Jenkins simply assud she was a passenger on the Dawn Express. However, past records from other explorers had never ntioned any beings aboard the train aside from the conductor. This led Jenkins to suspect he had either stumbled into another unforeseen situation or that the train itself was capable of erasing adventurers' mories.
"Allow to introduce myself. I am a passenger on the parallel train. The reason for my rude intrusion is that I need to find the conductor of the Dawn Express. I am truly sorry if I've caused you any distress. Pardon the interruption, and farewell."
With that, he gave a slight bow of apology and turned to close the door, but just as he expected, she called him back.
"So then, you're a living person from this era?"
The woman inquired with interest, and Jenkins's heart skipped a beat.
The words echoed in his thoughts. This era? A living person? What could she possibly an?
He suppressed his shock and suspicion, forcing a nod. At the sa ti, he understood that to the woman, he looked no different from the other 'green and ghostly' passengers who might be on the train. That was why she hadn't recognized his nature at first glance; otherwise, she wouldn't have asked such a question.
"How interesting. I can't believe I actually ran into one," she mused. "The brochure for the trip said the chances were minuscule. It seems my luck is quite good. Maybe I should consider buying a church lottery ticket when this is all over..."
She muttered these strange words to herself before flashing Jenkins a pleasant smile.
"You're in luck. I know where the conductor is," she offered. "At this ti of night, he'll only be in one specific place. If you're willing to chat with for a bit, I'll tell you where to find him."
She was telling the truth; his Lie Godhood remained silent. But Jenkins had no desire to trade conversation for information. For one, the woman was clearly very strange. For another, doing so would make him feel like so kind of professional companion.
"I know you're about to refuse," she said, "but aren't you curious about the truth of this train? Even though you'll lose this mory the mont you leave—it will be replaced by long, tedious, fabricated ones—at least for now, you'll get to learn what astonishing things this train can do."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling, giving her an exceptionally charming look. But Jenkins wasn't the type to fall for a honey trap. The only reason he stayed was his profound curiosity about the Dawn Express—that, and the fact that judging by the strength of her aura, the woman was no match for him.
He turned and closed the door, but instead of sitting down, he leaned against the wall. At the sa ti, he gently pushed Chocolate—who had poked its head out, eyes wide and darting about—back into his coat. The cat's head was pleasantly soft.
"Let's do this fairly," he proposed. "We'll take turns asking questions, and each of us can decide whether or not to answer, and how. I have..."
He glanced down at his pocket watch before continuing, "...two hours. But I doubt we'll need that much ti."
"Of course," the woman replied. "I have very few questions myself—fewer than you, I imagine. You're probably the one who needs the ti more."
The woman didn't speak quickly, but her words carried a distinct, cultured cadence, leading Jenkins to suspect she ca from a noble background.
The woman graciously invited Jenkins to ask the first question, so he went straight to the most critical point:
"Where is the conductor right now?"
"That's a waste of a question. I already promised I'd tell you when you were ready to leave. But if you insist on wasting your opportunity, I certainly don't mind. Go forward three cars, and check the second-to-last compartnt. He's with an old fla. Aside from a few cargo cars and the engine, the Dawn Express is made up entirely of compartnts, so it's quite simple to navigate."
"Alright, I understand. Your turn to ask."
That hadn't been a lie either. Jenkins, his main worry now settled, breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"My question is simple. Where are we, right now?"
Jenkins froze, his mind flooding with countless speculations.
"We are in the northern snowfields of the Hamparvo Kingdom. I don't know the precise location, as the train is moving at high speed, but our final destination is Velu City in the south of the kingdom. The starting station was Sente City, also known as the Fortress of Ice and Snow. Oh, and so call it the Third Ice City, though that's a very old na."
As Jenkins gave his answer, the woman nodded. Her expression was unreadable, offering no clues—but then again, Jenkins was no expert at reading people.
"Now it's your turn. I hope you can co up with an interesting question."
"Of course. Give a mont... Who are you?"
"Another boring question, and one that's completely worthless to you."
The woman shook her head as she spoke, but she didn't refuse to answer.
"My na is Emilia Schwieger, second daughter of the Schwieger family. I am a baroness, and I am twenty-seven years old. There you have it. Do you find that information valuable?"
Of course it was valuable. At the very least, Jenkins was now certain she wasn't from his ti. For the second daughter of a family to hold the title of baroness was sothing no ordinary noble house could manage.
Yet Jenkins had never heard of a major noble family with the surna 'Schwieger'—not in any of the three great kingdoms. And he would know; for his study of heraldry, he had examined the records of most of the great noble families of the era.
As for a title from outside the three kingdoms, that was even less likely. Titles from those smaller nations held little value and were rarely recognized. A duke or a marquis might still be worth ntioning, but a re baron from a minor state would rarely advertise their noble status within the three great kingdoms. It would only bring them embarrassnt.
"So, is she from the past, or the future?"
The current clues weren't enough for him to guess, but Jenkins was a patient man.
"Thank you for your answer, Miss Schwieger. It is now your turn to question , and I will do my best to answer."
The woman cradled her right elbow in her left hand and, with a smile, gently tapped her cheek with her right index finger.
"My next question is a very interesting one, my mysterious sir," she said. "I know you're trying to figure out where I'm from. I think you'll be quite satisfied."
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