It was on the afternoon of the second day that Siles and his companions learned the truth about Mr. Lampson’s death.
At that moment, he was acting as a croupier, dealing cards for his companions’ card game. Then, a conductor suddenly knocked on their compartment door and poked his head in… He was about to say something, but suddenly became tongue-tied because of the messy playing cards on their table.
“What happened?” Siles asked.
“Uh…” The conductor hesitated for a moment, then said, “We caught the murderer and are interrogating him. So I came over to let you know, lest you continue to worry.”
His gaze swept over their card game seemingly inadvertently, as if saying that it appeared he had worried in vain.
Alva was originally about to lose. As soon as the conductor appeared, he immediately threw the cards in his hand onto the table and asked curiously, “What exactly happened?”
This conductor who came to find them was precisely the relatively young man they had been in contact with all along. He didn’t look as experienced and mature as the other conductors, so in the end, he told them the truth.
According to the truth confessed by the murderer, he was precisely one of the two suspects suspected of theft on that train. He knew very well that he had not stolen anything, so he suspected that Mr. Lampson was the real thief.
Feeling indignant because of being falsely accused, even after leaving that train, he still followed behind Mr. Lampson, intending to find evidence of Lampson’s theft.
Lampson did not notice that someone was tailing him, so out of carelessness, he exposed his weakness, letting the stalker notice the star map in his pocket.
The latter excitedly rushed in front of Lampson to argue with him, and that star map accidentally fell to the ground, being seen by both of them at the same time…
Hearing this, Siles murmured understandingly, “So they were both mesmerized by this star map.”
For humans to be mesmerized by an object—such a statement sounded very strange, but it could indeed happen in this world.
For instance, when Siles had previously seen that strange statue of a woman’s head in the office, he had met the woman’s eyes and then unconsciously reached out his hand, wanting to touch it.
This was an unconscious action; even he himself couldn’t react to it in time.
“Yes,” the conductor said. “The murderer said that Mr. Lampson actually wanted to keep the star map all to himself, believing it to be of high value. However, on the grounds that he knew Lampson was a thief, he threatened the other party to share the star map with him.
“So they began to study this star map together. That murderer is a Revelator; he knew it was a Time Trace, and his own mental state was not that… normal. Therefore, after failing to find a suitable method of use, he decided to trace the star map with fresh blood.
“He told us that this star map would actively absorb blood… and make them dizzy and lightheaded, as if immersed in a dreamlike void, completely unaware of what was happening outside.”
The listeners looked at each other.
Chester said almost in confusion, “So… this is the real reason why the deceased was ‘poisoned’?”
“It wasn’t a plant of the Hyoscyamus genus?” Alva rubbed his chin, saying with a bit of puzzlement.
Doctor Chester frowned and finally said, “Then perhaps my judgment was incorrect.”
The conductor said, “We aren’t clear for the time being either. We might have to perform a more detailed inspection after arriving at the station.”
Chester nodded slowly, looking somewhat surprised and unreconciled about his incorrect judgment. However, he didn’t show any particularly intense emotions in the end; after all, it was just a chance encounter.
The conductor continued, “During the process of their research, the deceased gradually grew afraid. Because he himself didn’t know about the existence of Time Traces and Revelators, he felt all the more that this mysterious power was terrifying.
“Therefore, he said he wanted to destroy this star map… It’s somewhat surprising, isn’t it? The murderer told us that the deceased’s attitude was very firm, and he even mentioned his family, his wife, and his children to him…
“However, the murderer strongly disagreed with his idea. He felt that this was a very precious Time Trace, worthy of their continued research and finding the ritual attached to the Time Trace.
“In any case, Mr. Lampson believed it was his item—even though he had stolen it, he could decide whether to destroy it. But the murderer, he was already blinded by greed.”
Quinton sneered and said, “It seems he hadn’t realized that it was a Time Trace that had already gone out of control.”
The conductor also sighed and said, “Yeah.”
They all fell silent for a moment.
“And then he killed him?” Alva said, almost vexed. “Just because of… that?”
“The murderer said that the night before last, he studied the star map with the deceased once again. He believed he had found some trick, thinking that by coating the entire star map with fresh blood, he could… understand the secrets of the star map?
“But the deceased said they could not continue like this. He said his wife was already suspicious. However, the murderer ignored his objections, cut himself once again, and smeared fresh blood onto the star map.
“This time, they fell into a trance once more. But the murderer was the first to regain his senses. He noticed the man beside him was delirious—he said he was thinking at the time, why couldn’t he keep this star map all to himself? Why should he share this Time Trace with this thief?
“Thus, out of anger and driven by profit, he strangled Mr. Lampson to death.”
As the conductor’s voice fell, the rest of the people let out sighs.
It seemed that from the moment the two people discovered that out-of-control Time Trace together, the situation was destined to reach this point. It was impossible for them to continue researching without risk, nor could they willingly share it with each other.
Siles was silent for a moment, then asked, “So he is also on this train?”
The conductor nodded and said, “In fact, the reason we were able to discover his presence was that after reviewing the passenger list, we found that Mr. Lampson’s supposedly empty upper berth had actually been sold.
“We checked the name of the guest who ordered that berth, and then discovered that he had purchased two tickets at the same time. This is the murderer we were looking for.
“We asked the murderer why he ordered two tickets, and he said that Mr. Lampson actually did not want to study the star map anymore, but he insisted on continuing.
“He bought one ticket first, and then, after realizing Lampson’s attitude, he bought another ticket for Lampson’s upper berth. He threatened Lampson that if he didn’t continue studying the star map, he would publicize the fact that Lampson was a thief.
“…That’s how we found the murderer, without even using any rituals. Greed itself exposed the murderer’s location.”
The others finally came to a realization.
“We have brought him under control. When we arrive at Biedel City, we will hand him over to the police station. The out-of-control star map will also be handled by specialized personnel, so this matter is considered concluded here,” the conductor said. “Thank you for the assistance you provided, gentlemen.”
Saying this, he took out four cards and handed them over.
“The Dexter Railway United Company has provided you with discount cards.” The conductor winked. “If you plan to ride our company’s trains in the future, presenting this discount card at the ticket office will give you a twenty percent discount.”
“Oh, this is really nice!” Alva exclaimed, joyfully stroking the hard card. It seemed that when young people went out to travel, they still needed to care about expenses.
The conductor smiled and nodded to them, then prepared to leave. Before leaving, his gaze couldn’t help but look curiously at their card game again.
“Mr. Conductor, are you curious about our cards?” Alva greeted him very enthusiastically. “You can come and play too. I’d be happy to explain the rules of the cards to you.”
The conductor looked put out for a moment, then said, “Not right now, I still have to be on duty. Perhaps after the shift change…”
Chester also laughed and said, “Remember our compartment number, we’ll be waiting for your shift change. Of course, we don’t gamble with money!”
The conductor smiled and then bade them farewell.
Even though the conductor had left, the four people in the compartment were no longer in the mood to continue playing cards.
Young Alva lamented the misfortune of the Lampsons.
“This world indeed contains many dangers,” Siles couldn’t help but sigh. “Perhaps one can never be too cautious.”
Quinton let out a merciless laugh and said, “Professor Noel, when you say that, I find it hard to believe.”
Chester also laughed: “Mr. Quinton, Professor Noel is only in the Ashless Lands for the first time, and he isn’t quite used to the atmosphere of the Ashless Lands yet.”
Alva blinked, looking a bit dazed, and said, “It’s my first time in the Ashless Lands too.”
Quinton could hardly contain his laughter.
Siles looked at them and finally shook his head expressionlessly, thinking to himself, Young Alva, can’t you tell that these two fellows are making fun of you?
…Even Doctor Chester has been corrupted! he thought.
Because the death incident had been resolved, Siles felt that the atmosphere on the train had improved significantly.
Of course, as they drew closer and closer to Biedel City, another kind of atmosphere began to permeate the train and Siles’s heart. It was a heavier, more oppressive sensation.
After dinner, Siles stood at the connection between the carriages, quietly looking outside through the window on the train door.
At the edge of the sky, he spotted a looming mass of gray-black mist.
Over the past period of time, such scenes had become increasingly common, and he had transformed from his initial surprise upon seeing this scene into his current calmness and thoughtfulness.
That was the mist of the Fisher World. It looked like it blotted out the sky, filled with an oppressive nature. When he first caught sight of the mist on the horizon, Siles had even been unable to stop himself from holding his breath slightly.
“You seem very interested in the mist, Siles.” Quinton’s voice appeared behind him.
Siles did not turn around, only saying, “Yes.” He paused slightly, then said, “I am very curious… about why the mist appears and why it dissipates.”
“Many people are curious about that, but they can’t come up with an answer.” Quinton took a step forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside Siles.
They gazed silently at that mass of mist. As the train moved along, they saw the mist gradually recede and ultimately dissipate completely.
Siles thought for a moment, then said, “Isn’t the distance between the train and the mist a bit too close?” He suddenly realized this. “Does this count as us being within Gainsde?”
“You can’t really say that,” Quinton explained. “Sometimes, even though the mist looks very close, the actual distance might still be quite far. Furthermore, the tracks the train passes through have basically undergone inspection and research, ensuring safety before construction begins.
“The railway company wouldn’t want its precious property to be damaged—I mean the tracks and the locomotives, not the passengers and conductors.”
Siles smiled slightly at his sarcastic tone.
Quinton turned his head to look at his expression, a flash of thoughtfulness crossing his emerald-green eyes.
After a moment, he said, “Your main purpose in coming to the Ashless Lands probably isn’t for that—as you said, the professor who got involved with Hoodoka, right?”
Siles turned his head to look at Quinton.
Quinton said with certainty, “At least over the past many days, I haven’t heard you mention anything regarding Hoodoka again.”
Siles deliberated for a moment, then said, “We haven’t found any new clues either.”
“Perhaps that’s true,” Quinton said. “However, tomorrow morning we will arrive at Biedel City.”
His underlying meaning seemed to be a hope that Siles would be more candid.
Siles looked deeply at this man with emerald-green eyes, then said, “But, Quinton, if you want me to tell you everything I know, shouldn’t you do the same?”
For example, why was Quinton involved in matters related to Hoodoka?
Quinton was stunned for a moment, then said, “You wish to know?”
His questioning tone caused Siles to look at him with slight surprise.
Quinton added, “My meaning is, the matters I am involved in might be extremely dangerous. And I… do not think, nor do I guarantee, that you can withdraw easily and safely.”
Siles said with slight surprise, “Quinton, I think you could be called a ‘kind-hearted adventurer’ now.”
Quinton said with a hint of annoyance, “I didn’t mean—”
“No matter what,” Siles said, “we are already companions now.”
“—You are my…” Quinton said simultaneously with him, then suddenly stopped. “What?”
Siles watched the mist disappear from the horizon, then turned around, glanced at Quinton, and said, “I am not yours—but of course, at least for now, I am your companion, Quinton.
“We will head to the House of Hales together, intending to investigate the truth… This is our common goal. We should both exchange information more candidly; that is my thought. Danger, safety, threats, and survival are another matter entirely.”
Quinton’s expression looked very complicated.
Siles did not know what exactly he was thinking. Quinton Praia was likewise a man hiding countless secrets, but Siles hoped to make things clear with him at this time, since they were highly likely facing the same difficult problem.
Siles continued, “The reason I am heading to the House of Hales is for that rumor that has always existed in the Ashless Lands.”
“…What rumor?”
“The Non-existent City,” Siles said. “I have two friends who are pursuing this legend, trying to find a companion who went missing in the past. As for me, I happen to have a winter break, and going out to travel is a choice.
“So I came to the Ashless Lands.”
Only then did Quinton seem to come to a sudden realization. He looked at Siles with great interest—as if the awkwardness caused by the companion topic just now had completely left him.
He said, “The Non-existent City… interesting.”
Siles looked at him with puzzlement.
Twilight passed, night fell, and the cold wind encroached. The train rocked and swayed as it traveled across this desolate and lonely land. They stood side-by-side, conversing in low voices and watching the passage of time.
Quinton said, “Perhaps you learned a bit about my reputation before setting out. Most adventurers fear my abilities and dislike my personality, but they do acknowledge my—strength.”
He spoke those words slowly, as if not quite agreeing with certain parts of it. That sarcastic tone was not only directed at those adventurers, but also at himself.
However, he quickly adjusted his tone: “In short, I myself prefer to explore those unknown, exotic regions. Therefore, many adventurers, if the timing is right, will invite me to join their teams before heading to dangerous places.
“To have me protect them, or to find a sense of security. If you ask me, they’d be better off properly improving their own strength and looking for some more powerful but safe Time Traces.
“…At the beginning of the year, a small exploration team found me, hoping I could temporarily travel with them. They had obtained a relatively rare map, said to belong to a follower of Hoodoka from the Age of Silence.
“After Hoodoka fell, this follower refused to believe that the deity had perished, so he searched all over the world for temples—remember the Temple of Belan I mentioned?”
Siles nodded.
So Quinton continued, “Many followers of Hoodoka replicated the Temple of Belan and established similar temple structures. Of course, the vast majority have collapsed, but regardless, the ruins remain.
“Most of them believed that through such a replicated Temple of Belan, they could directly communicate with Hoodoka. If Hoodoka was sufficiently satisfied with the temple they built, then Hoodoka would respond to their prayers.”
“Sacrifice,” Siles said in a low voice.
“You could describe it that way.” Quinton shrugged. “Though I don’t really want to use such pure faith to describe the followers of Hoodoka.”
Siles couldn’t help but say, “I feel that you have a… rather poor impression of Hoodoka’s followers.”
“Perhaps because many adventurers in the Ashless Lands, despite cheating, bluffing, and committing all kinds of evil, still style themselves as followers of Hoodoka,” Quinton said with disgust. “I really don’t know if Hoodoka is pleased to have such followers.”
Siles looked at him, thinking to himself that this was truly an astonishing tone. It was as if Quinton had previously known Hoodoka, so he could answer with certainty that no, Hoodoka naturally detested such hypocritical followers as well.
Such a thought only flashed through Siles’s mind for an instant.
Quinton shifted the subject: “In any case, we followed the directions on that map and ultimately discovered those ruins. That is, the temple ruins I told you about that Professor Macleod is currently excavating.
“Some grave robbers, or rather, opportunistic adventurers, had been following behind us the entire time, and likewise discovered those ruins, taking the initiative to excavate a portion of the ruins during that period.”
Siles came to a realization. So it was Quinton himself who had discovered those collapsed ruins, which explained why he was so deeply involved in this matter.
“You discovered those ruins, and then what?” Siles asked with quite a bit of interest.
“It’s close to the Duchy of Kansas, just as I said before,” Quinton said. “So I contacted some archaeology experts from the Duchy of Kansas, including Professor Macleod, who decided to personally head to the Ashless Lands.
“Therefore, I left for a period of time to escort Professor Macleod and his team over there. But… during the time I was away, that exploration team…”
“What happened to them?”
“Dead. All dead,” Quinton said in a relatively flat tone. What truly made him hesitate was not the deaths of the exploration team members, but something else.
He fell silent for a moment.
Then he finally said, “They all turned into statues, their expressions frozen in extreme terror and incredulity. When Professor Macleod arrived, he even marveled at how lifelike those statues were.”
Siles sighed softly.
“No need to sigh, Siles,” Quinton said instead, with an alarming coldness. “When they set foot on the journey to the Ashless Lands, they should have had the awareness of being swallowed by the mist.”
Siles then said, “Then the same goes for me.”
Quinton froze for a moment. He seemed to want to say something, as if wanting to refute Siles, but in the end, he simply said, “You are different from them.”
Siles remained noncommittal about this topic, only turning to ask, “Could they have violated some… taboo?”
“It’s hard to say, since I wasn’t at the scene when they died,” Quinton said. “My suspicion is that they might have encountered something while guarding against the grave robbers and fled in a hurry—a portion of the statues were frozen in the motion of fleeing.
“They had always believed that it was their team that obtained that map and subsequently discovered the ruins, so the profits from the ruins also belonged to them. Therefore, they detested grave robbers deeply.
“And… although many parts of the ruins were covered with traces of grave robbers when Professor Macleod arrived, we didn’t encounter any grave robbers after that.”
Siles nodded thoughtfully and said, “Perhaps some accident occurred to them?”
“Perhaps. But we didn’t find any new statues either. Only those few members of the exploration team,” Quinton said. “This matter struck me as somewhat strange and curious, so I waited for Professor Macleod’s exploration and discoveries, and learned that it was established by followers of Hoodoka.”
“Subsequently, you began to pursue the missing items from these ruins and went to Lamifa City.”
Quinton said, “Indeed so.” He paused. “Regarding what happened in Lamifa City… the reason I appeared at the kitchen door of that evening banquet was because I heard that some items had been sold to an organization related to food and pleasure.
“And coincidentally, a very rare disturbance occurred in Lamifa City that night, especially in the central square of the city. I noticed the castle next to the square was brightly lit and guessed a banquet might be underway, so I decided to go and investigate.”
Siles understood. He thought to himself, That item that was sold—could it be that portrait?
…So this portrait really comes from Hoodoka? It has nothing to do with Timiafa?
Siles felt a sense of absurdity in his heart. He refrained from pursuing this matter for the time being; after all, the focus now was on what was happening in the Ashless Lands. Thus, he turned to ask, “Why did you want to head to the House of Hales?”
“Because that exploration team, the map they obtained was precisely gotten from an adventurer who left the House of Hales,” Quinton said. “That seemed to happen at the end of last year.
“After that adventurer obtained that map, he seemingly didn’t have time to head out and explore due to some other matters, and subsequently became heavily injured because of some conflicts between adventure groups. The exploration team I mentioned treated and cared for him for a period of time.
“So that adventurer handed the map over to them before he died. And they, because of this adventurer’s death, didn’t dare to easily search in the direction indicated by the map.
“…Until they found me. Even so, they ultimately turned into statues and died there.”
Siles nodded slowly: “Turning into statues… this imagery truly appears without a single moment of rest.”
“Do you have any relevant clues over on your side?”
“Those two friends of mine, the reason they decided to head to the Ashless Lands once again after many years to search for the Non-existent City is because I previously obtained a travelogue. The owner of the travelogue heard some… rumors at the House of Hales last year. A treasure map.
“Subsequently, during the process of heading to the location indicated by the treasure map together with others, he was heavily injured. All of his companions died. The person who treated him said that this adventurer likewise mentioned statues before he died.
“…That is one piece of information I obtained.”
Quinton nodded: “The House of Hales… it’s this place again.”
Siles nodded and said, “Don’t you think this is extremely coincidental? Perhaps, the maps they obtained…”
“Are identical?” Quinton said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we can go and verify it. Regrettably, I didn’t manage to find that map obtained by the exploration team later on.”
“There’s no rush for that. We can wait until we arrive at the House of Hales to discuss it further,” Siles said. “As for the other piece of information… the professor I spoke of—his surname is Cabel.
“Professor Cabel borrowed a book before he went missing, which mentioned some, uh, traditions of Hoodoka’s followers?”
“What are they?”
“Followers of Hoodoka would voluntarily seal themselves into statues, believing they could thereby escape death and receive Hoodoka’s salvation,” Siles briefly recounted, and at this moment, he once again felt a tinge of strangeness.
He thought, These followers… did they truly believe this so completely?
Quinton couldn’t help but sneer, saying, “Truly ridiculous enough. Does someone actually believe such a preposterous practice?”
Siles maintained his silence.
Quinton glanced at Siles with utter boredom, unable to help but let out a sigh: “Professor Noel, sometimes I really wish you could chime in with my words, yet at other times I feel that your choice to remain silent right now is truly who you are.”
Siles frowned, his gaze looking at him heavily.
Quinton laughed. A very rich amusement emerged within those emerald-green pupils; it was the most obvious expression of pleasure Quinton had shown since Siles met him.
Siles shook his head, ignoring Quinton’s teasing, only saying, “As for the final piece of news… I’m afraid I have to seek the consent of the person involved.”
Quinton looked at him with surprise.
Siles opened his pocket watch to take a look; the time was already nearly seven o’clock. There were still about twelve hours or so before they would arrive at Biedel City.
Siles then said, “We should head back.”
Quinton said with dissatisfaction, “How can you whet my appetite like this!”
Siles let him look at the hands on the pocket watch and said, “If we don’t go back, our companions will worry.”
Quinton muttered something, probably saying that Chester and Alva could hardly count as his companions. However, he still kept up with Siles’s footsteps.
Upon returning to the compartment, Siles said to Chester, “Doctor, just in time, I have some matters to look for you for.”
Chester was chatting with Alva and looked at Siles in surprise upon hearing this, saying, “What happened?”
Quinton’s gaze shifted across Doctor Chester’s body. He probably discerned that this was the person involved whom Siles spoke of, but the confusion revealed in his gaze seemed to be saying, What hidden secrets could a doctor possibly have?
Siles ignored Quinton’s emotions. He took Doctor Chester aside out of the compartment for the time being, informed Chester that he and Quinton were currently investigating Hoodoka, and deliberately spoke of a portion of information that didn’t need to be hidden, especially regarding the statues.
Chester’s emotions transformed from confusion to surprise, and then to heaviness and a sigh. Finally, he said, “I didn’t expect to encounter someone relevant here. Professor, do you trust Quinton?”
Siles pondered this question for a moment.
Clearly, compared to Quinton, the current Siles naturally trusted Chester more.
However, the situation they were currently facing was not something that could be simply explained by trust or lack thereof.
Siles only said, “I believe he can help us investigate and clarify everything.”
Chester nodded slowly and said, “Mr. Quinton is indeed a powerful Revelator.”
It appeared that Chester had also made a decision.
When they returned to the compartment, Siles noticed Quinton sitting there expressionlessly, those emerald-green eyes radiating a bit of coldness. Across from him, Alva sat stiffly all by himself.
When Siles and Chester came in, the young man cast a gaze for help toward them.
…What is going on? Siles thought with slight confusion, his gaze falling upon Quinton. And Quinton also stared fixedly at him.
After a moment, Quinton suddenly laughed. That laugh was certainly not pleasant or relaxed. However, he didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining his current emotions, only saying, “Come, tell me what you all chatted about.”
Siles faintly formed a guess regarding Quinton’s current emotions in his heart, but that guess was somewhat unbelievable—truly, Quinton Praia, this powerful and mysterious adventurer, could he be such a childish fellow?
Siles felt he wouldn’t be, but reality didn’t seem to be determined by Siles’s thoughts either.
He didn’t think too much either, because at this moment, the heavy-hearted Doctor Chester had already sat down next to Alva and slowly opened his mouth.
Alva originally wanted to leave, but was stopped by Chester. He believed this matter could already be shared for Alva to hear.
He briefly recounted his past experience, without stating what specific purpose that archaeological expedition was for, nor mixing in too much of his past emotions and his thoughts over the years.
Despite this, Doctor Chester’s tone gradually carried a very complicated emotion. That was probably directed more not at himself, but at that fellow who was half-human and half-statue.
Quinton listened thoughtfully, then said, “It seems this kind of thing has happened many times in the Ashless Lands, but it hasn’t truly spread among adventurers.”
Siles likewise nodded. He thought to himself, Is someone concealing it, or do those who turn into statues ultimately disappear? Just as Chester had said, when he went to look for that half-human, half-statue the next day, only a smear of ash was left on the ground.
…If it truly was the latter, then Quinton was indeed fortunate. He had perhaps accidentally stumbled upon the exploration team members who had just turned into statues. However, Quinton hadn’t mentioned anything about those statues turning into ash either.
There were always many possibilities. Siles thought.
Alva’s face was completely blank; he looked entirely caught off guard by encountering the legends of the Ashless Lands in such a manner.
Right at this moment, someone suddenly knocked on their compartment door.
That young conductor poked his head in, blinked his eyes, and then said, “Gentlemen, may I join your card game?”
The originally heavy atmosphere in the compartment was broken.
Alva was the first to react, immediately saying, “Of course you can!”
The conductor also brought along a friend of his, who was likewise a passenger on this train. Originally, this passenger had merely heard that there was a fresh way to play cards, so he came over to take a look. However, it happened that both Siles and Quinton were heavy-hearted and had no inclination to play cards, so they let this passenger join in.
They just happened to form a game with Chester and Alva.
Alva explained the rules to them with great cheer, while Chester also seemed to intend to let himself forget those vexations and worries, throwing himself completely into the card game.
Siles and Quinton then left the compartment space to them and went outside to walk around together.
Siles was still pondering Hoodoka at first, but with the continuation of the silence, Siles suddenly thought of Quinton’s subtle emotion just now.
However, he hesitated for a moment, feeling there was no need to question an adult about such relatively private personal emotions. He maintained his silence.
Quinton seemed to have forgotten that previous episode as well, only saying, “Perhaps after we arrive at Biedel City tomorrow, we can sort these matters out. These are truly intricate and complicated clues.”
Siles nodded in agreement, saying, “Hopefully the House of Hales still retains the clues of the past.”
They walked for a while along the train’s corridor. Unknowingly, they arrived at the connection between the carriages where they had chatted earlier in the evening. Outside the train window, the world appeared pitch black; time had already reached the night.
Suddenly, Quinton said, “Do you think I am very childish, Professor Noel?”
This tone gave Siles a bit of a headache. He hesitated for a moment, then said, “That is not the case.”
Quinton let out a laugh of ambiguous meaning, and then said, “Just as you see, Professor, I have always been alone, yet I unexpectedly encountered you on this journey. To be honest, I was indeed somewhat surprised.”
Siles didn’t quite understand what exactly he wanted to say.
“However, I thought at the time that you were as lonely as I am…” He seemed to want to add some action or another noun after this adjective, but when he spoke up to this point, he suddenly paused.
In the end, he just stopped right here and fell silent for a moment. Thus, the word ‘lonely’ seemed as if it were used to describe themselves.
“…I am still too childish, aren’t I?” Those emerald-green eyes of Quinton’s looked at Siles. “You say we are companions—well, I must admit that makes me feel somewhat happy in certain aspects, yet in other aspects, I feel a kind of insatiability.”
Siles asked, “Do you not have any friends?”
“Friends?” Quinton pondered this word thoughtfully. Finally, he said, “I told you before, the education I received… was similar to the home education you imagine.
“That was a very closed environment. The young version of me didn’t have much contact with other people, and by the time I reached adulthood, I came to the Ashless Lands. The people of the Ashless Lands didn’t seem too willing to deal with me either.
“…Of course, I wasn’t all that willing to deal with them either.”
Siles didn’t know what to say for a moment; he even felt a bit put on the spot by Quinton’s statements.
Quinton, based on a certain very… childish and radical thought, had developed a subtle possessiveness toward Siles. That might stem from friendship, or it might merely be a slight illusion born of this long journey.
The unexpected appearance of Doctor Chester—especially when Quinton didn’t know of his existence beforehand—aggravated this point. Yet Chester had brought Alva along, so Chester himself often traveled with Alva, which gave Siles and Quinton more opportunities to be alone together.
Through a combination of coincidences, they shared a common goal, shared a space of coexistence… and shared secrets kept together.
The suspension bridge effect, Siles thought to himself.
His shallow understanding of psychological concepts told him that dangerous or stimulating situations could foster feelings between people. And as for him and Quinton, they were clearly facing a common crisis and walking upon the same terrifying land.
From Lamifa City to Marlz to the soon-to-be-reached Biedel, they had traveled together all the way and experienced quite a few things—from the unilateral knowledge at the banquet, the theft incident on the train, and a woman’s self-narrative, to the underground trade fair, the information they learned about each other, and a murder case.
Chatting, discussing interesting things and riddles, playing cards and having fun together, sharing their respective pasts and lives… wasn’t friendship born precisely from this series of events?
However, if it were just an ordinary friend, then Siles wouldn’t feel a headache instead. Quinton had never had friends; he didn’t know what a normal friendship would be like.
In his view, Siles was clearly a bit more important than those other adventurers he had traveled with in the past. But exactly how much more important? What was the difference in this importance?
Quinton seemed arrogant to the point of being unwilling to understand all of this. He only knew that Siles was his—his what? He seemed too lazy to add any noun after this modifier. He was his, nothing more.
Therefore, his faint dissatisfaction arising from Chester’s appearance, as well as his slight anger arising from Siles trusting Chester more, became very logical.
Just like children in a kindergarten fighting for a friend’s attention, Siles thought to himself.
…Thank goodness. He could actually find a suitable example to analogize Quinton’s current psychology.
However, Quinton was no harmless child. He was a powerful and long-since-matured adventurer. This distorted and mad world brought about distorted and mad humans.
Before setting foot on the path to the Ashless Lands, Siles had not expected that he would be having a headache over this kind of interpersonal relationship matter at this moment.
Furthermore, he faintly realized that if he allowed such trouble and predicament to run its course, he might face some situations he didn’t look forward to.
Siles’s silence caused Quinton to narrow his eyes displeasurably.
After a moment, Quinton said, “So—we are friends?”
Siles thought for a while and finally decided to go along with Quinton’s words. He said, “Of course, we are friends. Quinton, I am very grateful…”
“Then there’s no need to be grateful,” Quinton said. “This is what I should do… protecting you, reminding you. After all, this is your first time coming to the Ashless Lands, isn’t it?”
Siles felt a slight touch of emotion, yet also found it somewhat amusing. In the end, he still murmured in his habitually flat tone, “Thank you, Quinton.”
Quinton looked to have an unusual restlessness, as if this scene made him exceptionally uncomfortable. He said, “Alright—alright, Professor Noel. Let’s head back and see how their card game is progressing.”
Their card game was quite intense; at least those two new card partners even looked somewhat reluctant to part when they left.
However, regrettably, they were going to arrive at the station the next morning.
Thus, that conductor said exceptionally seriously, “Where can this game of cards be bought?”
Alva said mysteriously, “This hasn’t been widely promoted yet, Mr. Conductor. However, in a few months, perhaps it can be bought in Lamifa City.”
The conductor noted this information down, subsequently bade them farewell, and didn’t disturb their sleep.
The next morning, Siles woke up at six o’clock. He was the first of the four people to wake up—thanks to the power of Akamara—and subsequently went to the washroom to freshen up.
The train was quiet, but before long, human voices slowly emerged. In another hour, they would arrive at Biedel City.
Siles took out Barnett’s version of the map, observing the distribution of those cities, post stations, and villages, as well as those roads, safe areas, and dangerous areas. He took a deep breath, having a feeling that he had finally arrived at the secret place of this world.
“…Professor.” Alva poked his head over and said hesitantly, “What map is that in your hand?”
Siles cast a slightly surprised glance at him, then said, “Barnett’s version of the map. It’s said to be the most standard map example of the Ashless Lands?”
“Oh… oh, it’s actually like this.” Alva murmured to himself, looking somewhat surprised, yet also a bit strangely excited.
Siles thought to himself, Why wouldn’t Alva know about Barnett’s version of the map? He should have had some understanding of these maps of the Ashless Lands before setting out, right? Besides, Alva’s family was originally engaged in the printing industry.
He didn’t question this matter, even though he felt it was somewhat strange. Everyone had some unspeakable secrets these days.
They slowly packed up their things, and the train’s speed also slowed down. Siles caught sight of a city situated in the midst of the desert.
Those buildings all carried a kind of rough wildness, making one feel that it truly lived up to being a city within the Withered Wasteland. The surroundings also appeared very desolate; only occasionally could some carriages and crowds of people be seen walking past.
Before long, they arrived at the Biedel City train station. The crowded masses of people merged into this desert city beyond the borders.
The four of them also followed the crowd, slowly leaving the train station, and finally arrived at an area where the crowd was relatively sparse.
The one among them who understood the Ashless Lands best was naturally Quinton. Siles opened his mouth, intending to ask Quinton for suggestions regarding the subsequent journey—whether to stay in Biedel City for a day, or to head directly to the House of Hales without stopping?
Right at this moment, Siles suddenly heard someone calling his name.
“Ah! Mr. Noel!” That was a slightly familiar voice. “I didn’t expect to run into you here!”
