Siles snapped out of his thoughts. With a tinge of confusion, he stood up and opened the door.
Standing outside was a young train conductor. Upon seeing Siles’s expressionless face, the conductor stumbled over his words for a moment. Then, jolted awake by the chaotic noises behind him, he hurriedly said, “Sir! Someone on the train claims to have had something stolen, and we are currently asking around about the situation.”
Someone had been robbed? Siles cast his gaze past the conductor’s shoulder. There seemed to be an argument taking place.
He then asked, “What do you need to know?”
“It would be wonderful if you’re willing to cooperate.” The conductor let out a sigh of relief.
Out in the carriage corridor, other conductors were likewise knocking on the doors of different compartments. The matter seemed to have caused quite a stir.
The conductor asked, “Did you visit the dining car toward evening? The victim claims her property was stolen there.”
“I did,” Siles said. “Roughly around five o’clock.”
The conductor nodded, noting this down. He asked another question: “Did you happen to see the victim at the time? She is a lady wearing a long dress embroidered all over with stars.”
This distinct feature gave Siles a slight pause. He thought to himself, Heidi, the female astrologer from the circus?
Though he guessed as much internally, he merely shook his head calmly on the surface. He truly hadn’t seen a lady matching that description.
The conductor didn’t seem surprised. He asked one last question, “One final question, sir: have you seen a star map about the size of a handkerchief?”
Siles countered, “Is that precisely what the lady lost?”
“Yes,” the conductor said politely. “It is embroidered on a special blue-black cloth, and the stars were made using golden cotton thread.”
Siles shook his head and said, “I haven’t seen it.”
The conductor recorded this response as well. Afterward, he said, “Then that will be all, sir. If we require your cooperation for anything further later on, I will come find you again. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing,” Siles said in his deep voice.
After the conductor left, Siles pondered for a moment. For the time being, he walked back to the edge of his berth, retrieved a bottle of potion with a 10% purity level from his bag, and took a sip. This would maintain his ritual time for roughly three hours. He then put on the Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame and stepped outside.
…Even if he was just joining the crowd to watch the excitement, he still needed to maintain caution.
Outside the window, the night was pitch-black and the cold wind howled fiercely. Siles soon arrived at the place where the commotion was happening, which was precisely the dining car of this train. The dining car’s operating hours had long since passed; at this hour, the aroma of food had morphed into a cold, stagnant scent.
A woman was currently sitting there, looking entirely lost and despondent. The overhead lights of the dining car cast complex shadows across her face. Siles recognized her at a single glance—it truly was Heidi, the astrologer who had been missing for a long time.
A few conductors stood slightly off to the side, discussing something in low voices. Not far from them, two men were arguing until they were red in the face. One of them bore a blue radiance on his person, indicating he was a Revelator; the other was shabbily dressed and did not look particularly wealthy.
At the same time, five or six people were looking on from the sidelines, occasionally interjecting to tell them to calm down.
To Siles’s surprise, Quinton was also standing at the entrance of the dining car, looking at the situation inside with a thoughtful expression.
Under the dual effects of his ritual time and the eyeglass frames, Siles discerned the rich blue radiance upon Quinton’s body—an unparallelled richness. It was even deeper than the radiance of the 50% purity potion he had once seen on Horatio Dwight, bordering almost on a blue-purple hue.
Siles looked at him with quite a bit of astonishment. After all, he had never heard of a potion purity level higher than 50%. Had Quinton straight up drunk a star-dust solution?
However, what surprised Siles was that the Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame provided no further information, as if the blue radiance on Quinton’s body were merely Siles’s hallucination.
Sensing something, Quinton turned his torso to look over. His emerald-green eyes were exceptionally striking in the dim light. He nodded toward Siles.
Siles walked up to his side and asked, “What happened?”
Quinton deliberately turned around with theatrical flair, thrusting his face right in front of Siles and staring intently at him, as if to say, “You’re expecting me to tell you?” Nevertheless, he still cleared up Siles’s confusion.
Leaning against the side doorframe at the dining car entrance, he said, “That lady came outside the dining car not long ago, loudly claiming she had left her things inside, so a conductor came over to open the door for her.
“Yet after they entered, they couldn’t find it either, so the lady concluded her things had been stolen. Right now they are busy hunting for the thief. Those two fellows currently quarreling are the current suspects.”
Siles offered a word of thanks to Quinton and then fell into deep thought.
A female astrologer, a missing star map, a circus… Where had Heidi been over all these past days? Why was she boarding this train intending to leave after the matter with Greyson had concluded?
Quinton observed Siles’s expression and finally said, “You seem to know this lady’s identity?”
Siles suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and said, “I once crossed paths with her briefly in the city of Lamifa.” He paused, but in the end, still chose to share, “She used to belong to a circus from the Ashless Land, but they seem to have had a falling out.”
“A circus?” Quinton murmured in slight doubt.
After contemplating for a moment, Siles stepped into the dining car and came to Heidi’s side.
He said, “Madam Astrologer.”
Heidi shuddered violently, instinctively lifting her eyes to look at Siles. After a brief pause, she said, “I remember you, sir. At the October Fair… we once crossed paths briefly. Fate has caused us to reunite in this place once more…”
Her voice was slightly raspy, carrying a sort of trance-like lack of focus, and the content of her words also came across as somewhat eccentric and mystical.
Siles nodded and sat down across from her. Quinton walked over as well and sat down right next to Siles. He didn’t seem to intend to join their conversation, but wanted to listen in.
Siles very nearly frowned. He turned his head to glance at Quinton, remaining silent for a brief moment. Ultimately, he abandoned any plan to communicate with Quinton, even though this silhouette bearing a rich blue radiance struck him as somewhat an eyesore.
…An eyesore in the literal sense. That blue radiance practically turned Quinton into a little blue man.
He asked, “Madam, I have always been entirely curious as to why you had a falling out with them back then, and why…”
“Why I am appearing here now, is that it?” Heidi said in a low voice.
Siles nodded.
“We ran that kind of business in the Ashless Land.” Heidi nodded toward Quinton. “This explorer gentleman here likely understands what sort of existence a circus is in the Ashless Land.”
Quinton gave a noncommittal nod.
“We provided amusement for everyone. In those lands once blanketed by the terrifying mist of the Ashless Land, only we could bring joy and laughter to sorrowful people,” Heidi murmured. “That is a strange power… the circus, merely by virtue of its existence itself.”
Siles was slightly startled. From Heidi’s words, he faintly realized something, but he didn’t ponder it deeply at this moment.
He merely said, “And then Billy found you.”
“Billy… yes, that man was named Billy. No one knows why he appeared at that exact moment,” Heidi said. “He said we could go make a fortune in the city of Lamifa, taking advantage of the October Fair.
“At that time, we were blinded by the immediate profits dangling before our eyes, so we went. Only after going did I learn what those people truly needed us to do…”
Her voice gradually grew quieter, and she exposed a blank, vexed expression.
Siles watched her quietly.
After a moment’s pause, Heidi said, “You also once overheard our argument. At that time, we were already driven into a corner and could only follow Billy. Before wealthy merchants, we were nothing at all.”
Siles said deliberately, “Could it be that you did not possess any… power?”
“Power?” A highly subtle smile surfaced at the corners of Heidi’s lips. “In the Ashless Land, we are the circus that possesses power. In Lamifa—just as I said, we are nothing at all.”
Siles narrowed his eyes slightly. The Heidi before him did not have a blue radiance on her person, which proved she hadn’t consumed a potion. Yet, Siles could clearly feel a strange… aura?
Seeing through the false and the true, peering through the mist. This was the utility brought by the Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame. And right now, as he looked at Heidi, he seemingly could spy the hidden secret of this female astrologer.
A moment later, Siles spoke. His voice was deep and calm, as though he already had everything thoroughly within his grasp: “That star map. That is the source of your power, isn’t it?”
Heidi’s eyelids snapped up. It was as if she had received a fright; her pupils constricted almost instinctively. She said in an unbelievable whisper, “How could you know?”
Siles said, “From your anxious attitude toward that star map, and from certain tones and implications when you mentioned your own power. The circus… doesn’t just refer to your current circus; it must also be a certain circus that once appeared in history, right?
“You are replicating their actions and borrowing their power. You obtained the time-tracks they left behind, and thus you too became that circus… the astrologer, the beast tamer, the clown, the magician… This is your power?”
Heidi’s lips began to tremble. After a moment, she let out a bitter smile and said, “Sir, you are far too perceptive… If I hadn’t met you before in the city of Lamifa, then I might well have thought you originally belonged to the Ashless Land…”
Siles maintained his silence, merely gazing at Heidi quietly.
Beside him, Quinton was also watching him with great interest.
Heidi let out a sigh and said, “Yes. That is the source of our power. Those people in the circuses that once appeared in history… However, there is a question you perhaps haven’t considered…
“And that is, those people were neither revelators nor blessed. They were just ordinary people. Yet throughout the years—with different circuses and identical identities—amidst such accumulation and consolidation…
“We truly came to possess a certain power. A certain path. A certain… stable ritual.”
Siles was slightly surprised to learn this.
He pondered, and upon combining this with certain knowledge from Earth, he slowly came to understand it.
It was just like a specific “profession.” In this world, the past equated to power. Therefore, if countless people held employment in the same industry, then the profession itself naturally possessed power.
From a certain perspective, take the clown for example. The concept of the “clown” had already been sublimated. They could strike all sorts of ludicrous poses, they could make people laugh, and they could also become the nightmare in people’s hearts within certain urban legends.
And all of these stemmed from that concept. As long as one “became” a clown, then all the power of past clowns would be replicated onto this new clown.
It was as if every single ordinary circus clown had left their own imprint upon the conceptual “clown” within the long river of destiny. Over months and years, these imprints stacked up, becoming an incomparably heavy and far-reaching power.
Consequently, the new clown touched those imprints and likewise obtained the power of the clowns of the past.
Even if it wasn’t a part of an already apparent deity’s power, and even if they weren’t a Blessed, a Revelator, or any kind of known extraordinary power, still…
If it became heavy enough, then perhaps… it could become a “deity”?
Siles’s heart suddenly thudded violently. He thought of the prophet from that mysterious tribal ruin Alfonso had once spoken to him about.
The power of destiny. Conceptual connections. A metaphysical formulation.
In this world where mystical forces truly existed… could a human become a deity?
At this moment, Siles seemed to have faintly touched upon a hidden truth. It might be fragile, it might be incapable of withstand a single blow, and that power might be thin and minuscule. But it might, indeed, be a deity.
He thought of the clown—that character card from the tabletop game, possessing extremely high spirituality and extremely low willpower. If a normal person possessed such attributes, they would have gone insane long ago. Yet the clown… a clown remained a clown.
Could this be related to the “profession” of being a clown? Because he was a clown, he was able to resist such maddening erosion?
Siles’s prolonged silence seemed to make Heidi somewhat uneasy. She said, “You might misunderstand us as possessing overly formidable power… In truth, that isn’t some powerful ritual. It merely grants us some capacity for self-preservation within the boundaries of the Ashless Land.
“If we leave the Ashless Land, then we also lose this power. Because over the past few centuries, circuses have mostly only appeared within the Ashless Land. That is a limited power.”
Siles nodded. He weighed his phrasing and then asked, “Then, madam, may I understand it this way? You do possess… an astrological ability, in a certain sense?”
Heidi was visibly stunned for a moment. She said, almost at a complete loss, “I… sir, I don’t quite understand what you mean by an astrological ability?”
“Predicting the future, prophecy, divination…” Siles said. “Abilities related to an astrologer.”
Beside him, Quinton let out a soft laugh.
Heidi hesitated for a moment, then said, “To my knowledge, sir, astrologers do not possess this kind of ability. However, we can indeed observe the changing trajectories of the stars, the seasons, and the transitions of the years… and then match them to a person’s destiny.
“But that can hardly be called some kind of… prophecy. That is merely an interpretation of destiny. As for whether the people who wish to receive this interpretation will project their own destinies into it, that is a separate matter entirely.”
Siles nodded, understanding Heidi’s meaning.
Prediction and precognition were entirely different situations. People always believed charlatans were right, but that was merely their weak psychology counting on making sense of their own destiny.
However…
Siles suddenly remembered that he himself possessed the Keeper’s judgment ability.
From this angle, if he told someone they were about to experience such-and-such, and then used the judgment ability to judge the opponent’s subsequent actions, selecting the dice values that fit his prior statement…
Wouldn’t he truly become a prophet then?
The prophecies spoken would have to be personally fulfilled by himself?
A subtle sense of amusement mixed with speechlessness arose in Siles’s heart.
While they were chatting, off to the side, the results of the conductors’ discussion seemed to have emerged as well. One of the conductors walked over to the two men who were arguing and said, “The suspicions against neither of you can be cleared. Please cooperate with our investigation.”
The conversation on Siles’s end consequently came to a halt. Heidi said softly, “They are the only two current suspects… When I came to the dining car to eat, they were right here.”
Siles said, “Even so, did you not keep the star map safely preserved, madam?”
Heidi fell silent for a moment, then said, “To tell you the truth, my mental state has been consistently rather dazed lately. The things that happened at the October Fair… you know of them as well. That caused me to develop a bit of resistance toward the circus.
“And when I left the circus, my power and mental state were also in a constant state of decline. I became weak, dazed, and bewildered… It wasn’t until not long ago that I pulled myself together slightly, intending to return to the Ashless Land.
“I don’t even know whether this is because I finally grasped Mickey’s true colors, or because the circus and the astrologer are indeed tied so closely together.”
Her voice gradually dwindled.
Siles frowned slightly. He thought, Mickey? Was that the ringmaster of the circus, that tall, thin man? However, this didn’t seem to be the moment to verify that point either.
He merely said, “Perhaps… you could persuade your companions?”
“They are no longer my companions.” Heidi looked as though she were lost in grief, yet also as though she had gained liberation. “Some of the people in the circus are innocent. But some… no matter what, we ultimately committed many wrongs. That is not something that can be repented for just by talking about it.
“…I intend to return to the Ashless Land to seek out my final resting place. Therefore, that star map… perhaps if it’s lost, then so be it.”
She seemed to suddenly let out a breath of relief. Standing up, she approached the two men who were currently arguing with the conductors until they were red in the face. Following her footsteps, they gradually quieted down. Eventually, the entire dining car fell silent.
Heidi said in a low, gentle voice, “I do not know who the thief might be, or perhaps I simply misplaced the item while I was in a daze. In short, I have troubled you all. There is no need to look for it anymore. It might be important, but no matter how one looks at it, it isn’t worth much money either.
“For many years, that was also a certain burden and heavy pressure to me. Now, everything is over.”
Having said her piece, she swayed unsteadily as she left the dining car.
The dining car fell into a brief silence. The conductors and the two suspects stared at one another, as if no one understood why this eccentric lady would utter such words.
Siles let out a soft sigh, leaning his body back against the backrest of the seat. He felt a deep, viscous emotion coating his heart.
Sitting beside him, Quinton said in a low voice, “A trick of fate?”
Perhaps for a long time, Heidi had always been immersed in the power of the astrologer and the atmosphere of the circus. She had committed quite a few wrongs and witnessed a fair amount of evil while staying out of it. It wasn’t until she encountered irresistible danger that she abruptly woke up, yet she still merely stood by and watched.
However, when by a trick of fate she lost her life-dependent time-traces in the train’s dining car, she suddenly realized that the power was both a reliance and a curse.
Bearing an indescribable mood, Siles ultimately merely said, “Destiny is fickle.”
Quinton let out a laugh. “I always feel that if someone truly mastered the power of destiny, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing?”
Siles was somewhat surprised to hear such a claim. He asked, “Why?”
“Because I am a human,” Quinton said, “rather than a deity.”
Having uttered this sentence, he stood up and spoke to Siles, “Time to sleep. This grand play must have its moment of curtain fall eventually. We merely listened in on the boring past story of a single person.”
Siles thought for a moment. He didn’t quite agree with Quinton’s descriptive phrasing, but in the end, he merely smiled softly and followed Quinton’s footsteps.
Perhaps because they had listened to Heidi’s story together, the next morning, when Siles woke up in the hazy morning light and caught sight of Quinton’s sleeping face on the opposite berth, he actually didn’t experience the prior sense of awkwardness and constraint.
He felt that Quinton wasn’t necessarily a difficult person to get along with.
Thus, when Quinton woke up, went to the washroom to freshen up, and returned with a face full of water droplets, rubbing his grey-white hair with a sleepy expression, Siles asked, “Mr. Praia, I wanted to ask you something not long ago.”
Quinton looked at him in confusion, then said, “No need to call me that. Just Quinton will do. What do you want to ask? If you ask now, I might be inclined to answer you.”
Siles said, “On the night of October 19th, you came to the back kitchen of the royal palace, didn’t you?”
Quinton’s movements in drying his hair came to a halt. Then, he suddenly burst into laughter. “Of course, Mr. Siles Noel… sir. I was still wondering when you would question me about this matter.
“If what you wish to ask is identical to what I am thinking, then yes, I witnessed the entire process of you handling that scene, and I also heard what you said—judgment, was it?”
He looked at him with a half-smile.
Meanwhile, Siles merely gazed back at Quinton calmly.
Ultimately, Quinton said uninterestingly, “Fine. Please put your heart completely at ease. That is your power, your secret. I don’t possess that much curiosity. The secrets hidden by people in this world are a dime a dozen; there’s no need for me to be so invested in everyone.
“Of course, perhaps I do have a bit of curiosity. But that’s all.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
Siles let out a breath of relief, yet also felt somewhat amused, perhaps over his own anxiety during this past period. He thought that perhaps it was because he himself placed too much importance on the identity of the Keeper and the secrets hidden behind it.
To other people, that might just be some sort of mystical power hidden behind the curtain of history. And such powers were countless in this world.
Thinking this, he spoke up: “Siles.”
Quinton was startled and said, “What?”
Siles laughed quietly and said, “No need to call me that. Just Siles will do.”
Quinton froze there. After a brief moment, he said playfully, “Are you joking, Siles? I didn’t expect you would actually crack a joke.”
Siles: “…”
What do you mean ‘actually’!
The faint trace of a smile lingering between his brows slowly vanished. In the end, he merely gave a cold and polite nod, saying, “I’m going to have breakfast.”
Quinton said, “You aren’t angry, are you?”
Siles said, “Of course not.”
“Don’t expect me to apologize,” Quinton said, before hesitating a moment. “Are you really angry?”
Siles held back the amusement that surfaced in his heart once more. He always felt Quinton resembled a feline creature. He spoke quite calmly, “It’s nothing, Quinton. Seriously, I should go have breakfast.”
Quinton looked at him with slight doubt, but ultimately still stepped aside to clear the exit path.
Siles walked past him. Having just gone to wash up, Quinton hadn’t properly buttoned the collar of his shirt. Siles caught a fleeting glimpse of an accessory he wore around his neck, suspended by a fine black chain.
It seemed to be something circular. Siles merely glanced at it superficially without paying it any mind, then left the carriage to have breakfast in the dining car.
Seven o’clock in the morning. The rising sun was visible at the edge of the sky. The morning light spilled down, making Siles, who had already grown accustomed to the gloomy winter weather of Lamifa, feel thoroughly delighted.
The quality of sleep last night was unexpectedly good, he thought. Perhaps the vast majority of the credit should be attributed to Akamara’s power.
Train carriages were always swaying and jolting, and the corridors were constantly filled with the smells of alcohol, sweat, and burning coal smoke. However, it was also fortunate that he possessed a travel companion with decent living habits, which made the slightly germaphobic Siles feel quite relaxed.
There was still half a day left before they arrived in Maltz.
Siles calculated that after he met up with Dr. Chester, they might have to stay a night in Maltz. They wouldn’t necessarily catch the six o’clock train in the evening; moreover, after a day of travel, they might also need to rest and recuperate.
Furthermore, they needed to search for suitable explorer companions.
…Actually, Quinton was a pretty good choice, Siles turned around and thought. His destination was the same as theirs, and his strength was absolutely reliable.
Thus, after finishing breakfast, Siles inquired whether Quinton would be willing to travel together with them.
“You have another companion?” Quinton questioned this matter instead.
Because Chester Fitzroy’s train was a few hours later than Siles’s, they had to wait in Maltz for a period of time. Siles specifically mentioned this matter.
Siles was somewhat surprised by Quinton’s concern. He said, “Yes, a doctor. I heard that when heading to the Ashless Land, it’s best to have a doctor as a companion.”
Quinton mumbled something in a low voice, then said, “I will travel to the House of Hales together with you all. But you and I are merely traveling together, not companions. Remember this point.”
Siles was slightly startled, thinking in some confusion, What difference does that make?
Perhaps this was the stubborn insistence of a solitary explorer.
Siles then said, “Then after we arrive in Maltz, shall we go purchase the train tickets together?”
Quinton shrugged, not caring particularly as he said, “Alright.” Suddenly, he changed his tune again, “No, you buy yours for the two of you, I’ll buy mine.”
Siles completely failed to comprehend Quinton’s peculiar insistence, so he merely said, “Okay.”
…Quinton shot him a look.
Siles had already cast this matter to the back of his mind, sitting down to continue reading the book he hadn’t finished yesterday afternoon.
Quinton stood there, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he sat down without a word. His emerald-green eyes slowly narrowed as he gazed deeply at Siles.
Siles seemed entirely oblivious.
They went to the dining car together at noon for lunch. Quinton appeared to have completely returned to normal.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, the train arrived at Maltz Railway Station right on schedule.
Maltz was the westernmost city in the Duchy of Konst, facing the Ashless Land and the Duchy of Kansas from afar.
This was a small city. The buildings inside all appeared somewhat old and dusty gray. In the transition between autumn and winter, the pale sunlight spilled down, making this city appear even more lonely, withered, and ruined. Even the roads here were still in a dirt state.
The permanent population of Maltz probably didn’t exceed a hundred thousand people, but the population turnover was very large, because this was the mandatory path for the Duchy of Konst to access the Ashless Land.
In this place, Siles could already feel certain qualities of the Ashless Land. Amidst the coming and going of people, that sort of wealthy composure belonging to the Duchy of Konst’s capital, Lamifa, had disappeared. People’s faces bore a tense, neurotic, and alert expression.
Quinton stood by Siles’s side, stretching his arms as he casually slung his bag over his shoulder. He said, “This place is already entirely different from the Lamifa you’re used to.”
Siles nodded and said in a low voice, “The Ashless Land… is this the atmosphere of the Ashless Land?”
“I don’t know how you view the Ashless Land,” Quinton said. “Galsworth, Gladstone, Gaineshead. The atmosphere of each region is different, and it’s also related to the habits of different adventure groups.”
Siles fell into thought.
After a moment’s pause, he said, “Let’s go—do you have any plans?”
Quinton then said, “Find a place to get a good night’s sleep. Sleeping on the train is truly miserable.”
Siles agreed with his statement.
They left the platform—the train station here naturally didn’t have the beautiful glass canopy of the Lamifa Railway Station either. There was only a slightly dilapidated signboard placed at the entrance, indicating that this was the Maltz Railway Station.
Despite not being all that prosperous, the people loitering here were likewise a mixed bag.
At the very least, if it hadn’t been for Quinton’s quick eyes and hands, Siles truly would have had the wallet in his pocket stolen without realizing it. There were about a dozen Duke coins inside the wallet, as well as some loose change.
The thief was a young boy. Upon being discovered, he didn’t panic either, merely offering Siles a grinning smile before running far away.
Quinton said harshly, “Mr. Siles Noel, it appears you truly do require an explorer to accompany you to the Ashless Land, otherwise you might well be a sheep entering a tiger’s mouth.”
“Thank you, Quinton.” Siles ignored his mockery, merely saying sincerely, “I am immensely grateful for your help.”
Quinton was suddenly left speechless. He closed his mouth and gave Siles a look with a hard-to-fathom expression.
After a moment’s pause, he added, “The reason that boy… was let go is because there isn’t much law to speak of here either. Since it wasn’t actually stolen, it saves some trouble to just leave this place sooner.”
“I understand,” Siles responded simply. He gazed in the direction the boy had left, thinking to himself, Is this the place where his apprentice, Jules Hans, grew up?
It looked like he ought to view his apprentice in a new light. To study and grow in such a chaotic small city and ultimately manage to enter Lamifa University to become a research scholar was clearly very impressive.
The two first went to the ticket office to purchase three train tickets departing tomorrow at noon at twelve o’clock, heading for Biddle City.
This train from Maltz to Biddle City possessed a highly unique name, called the “First Snow Light.”
The “First Snow Light” train began operations every year during the October rainy season of the Duchy of Konst. Of course, there were identical train runs in other seasons, but the names varied.
“First Snow” implied that within the timeframe this train operated, the Duchy of Konst would truly usher in winter and scenes of falling snow.
Siles bought two tickets—as long as one provided a name, one could purchase tickets for others. Siles felt that the security loopholes of this world could be said to be very large; however, it could also be said that every era had its own laws of survival.
Quinton bought one for himself.
A single ticket was worth 5 Duke coins.
The berths of the “First Snow Light” train only consisted of ordinary compartments for ten people and premium compartments for four people. Siles and Quinton naturally chose the latter.
The structure of the premium compartment was similar to the compartment hard sleepers on Earth, with four beds arranged as upper and lower berths.
The train berths of this era could be folded. If they weren’t in use during the day, they could be folded into the wall, which made the space of an entire compartment appear quite a bit larger.
Four people to a compartment. Siles, Chester, and Quinton made three people. He didn’t know what kind of person the remaining travel companion would be.
…Of course, having had Quinton as a prior example, Siles had already lowered his psychological expectations for this passenger considerably.
“That… doctor,” Quinton said. “When does he arrive?”
“Four-thirty in the afternoon.” Siles opened his pocket watch to take a look, saying, “Still nearly two hours.”
“Then let’s go find an inn first,” Quinton said.
Siles said, “Do you have any recommendations?”
“Levi Inn,” Quinton said without the slightest hesitation. “Over there, there will also be a trade fair tonight.”
Siles was slightly startled, subsequently saying, “Perhaps we can go take a look around.”
He thought to himself, Did Quinton specifically mention this trade fair because there is something he wishes to purchase?
Quinton nodded with satisfaction, then said, “Let’s go, we’ll go book…” He suddenly hesitated for a moment, “Three rooms? I’m not certain if they still have that many rooms left over there.”
A dozen or so minutes later, his suspicion came true.
The Levi Inn was a refined three-story building that appeared exceptionally conspicuous amidst the sea of dusty gray structures. The ivy on the walls had already turned a brownish-green in this weather, yet it still appeared exceptionally dense; looking at it from afar, it resembled some ancient and mysterious pattern.
“Only two double rooms left,” the lady behind the counter said with a sweet smile.
They first reserved both of these double rooms, whereupon Siles proactively said, “Chester and I can just share one room.”
Quinton turned his head to glance at him, seemingly acquiescing to this decision.
They went upstairs. The rooms were on the third floor. A single floor had seven or eight rooms; their rooms were two facing doors at the very end of the corridor. Siles randomly selected the one on the left hand side, opened the door to go inside, placed his backpack onto the table, and then turned back to size up the room.
Overall, he liked the warm wooden furniture in the room, as well as the clean bedding, the washroom, and the hot water in the washroom. At the very least, these services were worthy of the price—an exorbitantly high price of ten Duke coins for a single night that made Siles click his tongue slightly.
However, since this was their last chance to get a good rest and thoroughly unwind before heading into the Ashless Land, Siles didn’t feel terribly reluctant either.
He merely felt…
He suddenly froze for a moment, looking with quite a bit of surprise at Quinton, who was currently sitting on the other bed.
Quinton said, “I feel that judging by your complete lack of experience and alertness, you will be swallowed up by the mist of the Ashless Land sooner or later.”
Siles felt a trace of embarrassment and said, “I am not exactly…”
“Not exactly completely unguarded,” Quinton said unhurriedly. “It’s just that you almost had your wallet stolen in the railway station, that’s all. You didn’t even realize I followed behind you into this room.”
Siles fell silent. He Jiayin, who had once lived on a peaceful Earth, naturally didn’t possess an overly flawless sense of defense. He was merely cautious by nature, not some combat genius.
Ultimately, he could only say helplessly, “Thank you, Quinton.”
“Why are you thanking me?” Quinton countered almost instinctively.
“No matter what,” Siles stated his own feelings, “you have helped me a lot, and you are constantly reminding me, even if you claim otherwise with your words.”
Quinton frowned, looking as though he wanted to refute something. In the end, he supplied a reason: “It’s because you provided information related to Hoodoka that I am willing to help you.”
Siles thought to himself that this sort of phrasing was just like the Church of Yesterday saying that because Siles provided lines of inquiry regarding the heretic, their attitude would be so warm.
Yet for some reason, when the Church of Yesterday said so, Siles could believe it and feel unworthy of the treatment. But when Quinton said so, Siles felt a subtle… sensation that this was merely an excuse.
…It really was a problem with Quinton’s personality after all.
Siles merely smiled slightly, saying, “Regardless, I am very grateful.”
Quinton sat there, lifting his eyes to gaze at Siles. For a certain split second, Siles felt some highly complex meanings flash through Quinton’s gaze. But in the end, Quinton still didn’t say anything at all.
Siles then said, “You rest here, I’ll go to the railway station to pick up…”
“Wait. With your level of alertness?” Quinton refuted almost without thinking. He frowned as he looked at Siles, finally saying, “Forget it, I’ll go together with you.”
Siles thought to himself, How is it that this explorer also seems to have developed that ‘overprotective’ mindset of Chester’s. He couldn’t help but fall silent for a brief moment, but in the end, he still accepted his goodwill.
Since there was still a period of time before Chester’s arrival, they walked a lap around Maltz. This was indeed a small city, within which the vast majority of people coming and going were foreign explorers.
Siles noticed that there were indeed quite a few young children walking back and forth near the railway station, occasionally strike up conversations with some explorers. This seemed to match up with Jules’s prior claim.
In this small city, when the young children had nothing to do, they would consider the half-true, half-false stories brought by the railway station explorers to be highly interesting things.
Jules had once been one of those children, and a decade later, he had shared that story with Siles as well.
The palace floating in the sky, and the statue looking up at the heavens.
Siles felt this story resembled a method used by that explorer to coax children, yet he also felt that a portion of truth seemed to be contained within such a joke. Perhaps that was a part of his exploration experiences?
Jules said that explorer wore his hair in a braid. In this era, Siles only knew that men from the Duchy of Kansas would have such a habit. The men of the Duchy of Konst mostly had short hair.
He instinctively glanced at Quinton beside him.
Quinton stood by his side with his arms crossed. They were currently gazing from afar at the exit of the railway station, waiting here in utter boredom for Chester’s arrival.
Siles then asked, “Quinton, do you come from the Duchy of Kansas? I have only seen people from the Duchy of Kansas have this habit of braiding their hair.”
Quinton turned his head to look at him, then casually ran his hand through his hair. He said, “I do indeed hail from Kansas. However, that is not my homeland.”
Siles was slightly startled, not understanding the meaning behind these words.
However, Quinton didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining the meaning. He merely said, “It is also true that only the people of Kansas in this world, regardless of gender, will braid their hair. As for me, I merely find it a bit more convenient this way.”
His hair couldn’t actually be said to be very long; if let down, it would probably reach his shoulders. He tied it up loosely to the side and then braided it casually. That actually fit his temperament quite well, carrying a bit of a natural and unrestrained meaning.
Of course, from another perspective, the novelist from Earth was slightly envious of Quinton’s hair volume.
…Such words weren’t easy to voice aloud.
Siles consequently shifted the topic, “Speaking of which… a student of mine once encountered an explorer who should have come from Kansas. That explorer mentioned a palace floating in the sky and a statue looking up at the heavens to him.
“This rumor makes me think of the followers of Hoodoka. It’s just that I don’t know the veracity of this rumor.”
Quinton listened with great interest, finally saying, “It’s hard to say. People will hear legends that are half-true and half-false, and then combine them with their own experiences, ultimately forming a brand new exploration story. It usually goes that way.
“After all, in the Ashless Land, there are countless legends in circulation.”
Siles nodded slowly.
Right at this moment, Siles suddenly spied Chester Fitzroy walking out at the entrance of the railway station. He was currently conversing quite cheerfully with a strange young man.
