The situation had quickly calmed down. It was highly unlikely that so many elites would find themselves in the same place during a terrorist attack.
But that's exactly what had just happened.
According to Azimus, who had captured their leader along with the main group, these individuals were part of the terrorist organization Lost Paradise.
Of course, he hadn't managed to extract much information from them, but he had nonetheless rendered them unable to move or commit suicide, simply waiting for the kingdom's knights to arrive and take over so that the proper authorities could step in.
Lys hadn't stood idly by either. In addition to the protection she had applied to Dieh and me, she had accomplished an even more astonishing feat.
She and Azimus were the only ones who had succeeded in capturing the enemy. Dieh was shocked. Lys hadn't even moved away from him… so how had she done it?
I had a simple hypothesis, based on the state of the enemies and the passengers: she had probably erected a thin barrier layer around all the people present on the train. Except that, this time, the layer blocked all contact with the outside. To put it simply: she had frozen everyone, from the passengers to the enemies.
And she had done all of that just by removing her top. If I were to assume that her abilities increased as she undressed, then Azimus was far behind her.
I expected no less from the 7th Stellar.
This train was semi-autonomous. It operated more or less without human intervention.
The moment the incident broke out, the staff had sent a distress signal to the station tower. With the second signal sent by Lys, the knights had quickly arrived.
The train had been forcibly stopped from the control tower, while knights in armor disembarked from their vehicles.
"There they are at last, the train's technical team and the Awakening knights."
The Awakening knights were also part of the railway service corps.
This group was made up of elites, deployed during major incidents involving the rail network. Their presence meant there was no longer any need to worry.
As we sat in the cabin where Dieh and Lys were supposed to be, the knights began assessing the situation. Conducting an investigation, Lys had spoken with them before returning to the cabin.
Between the preliminary investigation and the cleanup, they worked quickly; Lys had to maintain her ability for a while—passengers would likely never fully understand what had happened to them.
After that, one of them entered the cabin. After giving a military salute, he spoke:
"We have captured all the terrorists. They will be interrogated. Thank you for your intervention. Please wait a moment; the train will soon be operational again."
There had been no human casualties among the passengers, thanks to Lys. Some had been protected in designated compartments, but with her help, the protection factor had been strengthened.
"I'm glad you're taking charge of the matter. My current assignment doesn't allow me to intervene further, you see."
Between anecdotes and discussions, the train had finally resumed its journey. It was decided to simply finish the trip as is. In any case, the longest stretch was already behind us, and I had admitted to losing my bet against Azimus.
The train was about to reach its destination. We had left the mountainous area behind. It had been replaced by the capital's largest city. This was where I would now spend the next three years studying.
As I expected, this place hadn't changed much. I had already been here several times. Tall buildings reached for the sky, the landscape was filled with factories—a true technological hub.
And of course, there was the Steel Barrier, a gigantic monument surrounding the entire city, protecting it from any danger.
This city was the very heart of magical engineering.
Dieh was both amazed and overwhelmed as we disembarked from the train.
I sighed. Some memories from my past life overlapped with what I was seeing. Everything sometimes seemed dull and boring to me. Day by day, I supposed I would eventually recover my full memory.
How would I feel at that moment?
This era, which should have been unique in the eyes of Alden KHAN, now felt distant to me.
As Azimus and I got off the train, police officers arrived.
"We're going to conduct a verification," they said.
"Huh…?" exclaimed Dieh, as Azimus and Lys turned their gaze toward him.
Meanwhile, the police were deploying devices, trying to compare the data with that of the people on the train.
"What's going on?" asked one of the officers.
Now that I think about it… we were, in a way, stowaways. Only Lys and Dieh had tickets.
It wasn't particularly problematic. If I shouted my name, the situation would be resolved, but I found it unnecessary—and besides, I was forbidden from using my last name.
Someone would surely handle it.
"Leave them. They are with Miss Lys Dawnfall. In any case, both are regulated. I'll take over from here." It was one of the knights who had accompanied us. I remembered seeing him barking orders during the initial inspection.
"Who are you?" asked Lys.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lieutenant! My name is Luc, rank: Fourrier. I have the honor of being part of the Awakening knights. Considering your rank, I'd like to know if it's possible to schedule an appointment with you and your companions, to collect your statements regarding this incident."
"Ah, yes, I saw you with the other knights while you were carrying out your duties. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. We'd be happy to assist with the investigation. I'll give you my address."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"It's an honor!"
"But… even though I have great respect for you, allow me at least to identify your companions."
At that moment, Azimus stepped in to explain our situation. The knight's eyes widened.
"I see…" he said, without adding anything else, before walking away.