【Saint Year 741, August 9th, 20:15】
【Countdown – 23:59:59】
The silver light before her eyes gradually dissipated. A phantom timer interface lingered before Ciel’s eyes for several seconds, then slowly faded, leaving only the flickering firelight against the night sky.
“Little Ciel… Little Ciel…”
A call instantly activated Ciel’s full control over her body, also making her feel the familiar pain of being scorched by the surrounding flames.
Flames still raged behind her. The moment Ciel burst out of the sea of fire, she collided head-on with a figure trying to rush into the fire, pushing them directly outwards.
“Sister…” Ciel saw the figure she had knocked down, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She abruptly turned her head. Behind her seemed to be a gravel slope, several sections of shattered train carriages scattered across it. Some cargo or coal from the carriages had ignited everything. The entire freight train and the miscellaneous trees and weeds on the slope were already engulfed in flames.
The firelight almost illuminated the entire night sky. Countless screams and wails emanated from the fire. This suffering was perceived by Ciel, causing her head to ache as if it would explode.
Steam train… derailment?
Ciel quickly patted herself down; there was no canvas bag hanging on her.
She raised her hand towards the sea of fire. Four black shadows emerged from her back and rushed directly into the flames.
Soon, a half-burned canvas bag was held high by a black shadow running out of the fire.
Ciel quickly took the canvas bag and opened it directly.
Inside were bundles of 20-pound denomination Su pound banknotes rolled into money rolls. Many were half-burned or reduced to ash, leaving only three intact rolls of Su pounds.
Beneath the pile of Su pounds was a notebook with a soot-blackened cover.
Ciel took out the notebook and quickly flipped it open. Fortunately, only the cover was scorched; the pages inside were slightly yellowed from smoke but still legible enough to read the information recorded.
The notebook was almost filled with text. The last date stopped at 16:00 on August 9th, four hours before the fire started.
What exactly happened?
Ciel looked at the contents recorded on the last page.
【Saint Year 741, August 9, 16:30】
【Things ended up after all… I did my best】
【I investigated everything I should have, even that loyal follower of the Divine Advent Church appeared, but I still couldn’t determine which organization, which person targeted me】
【Really unlucky lately… No, it’s like being cursed. I don’t want to stay in Berren City for another day. This place is jinxed】
【Seriously, I even wanted to use the sub-system’s “Deep Simulation” to see where the problem lies】
【But my mission is to investigate and survive as long as possible. Even exploring the Other Side can only wait until the last moment】
【Only 5 points left. Remaining potions have been exchanged for money. Fortunately, transfer arrangements are all set. Already boarded the steam train with sister】
【After several comparisons, I finally chose to go to Ansu. Although the steam train is slow and doesn’t go directly to Ansu, requiring transfers, overall speed is still much faster than a carriage】
【That’s it for today, mentally exhausted】
“Little Ciel! What’s wrong? Little Ciel!”
Calls echoed beside Ciel’s ear. Ciel, somewhat dazed from the whispers, slowly raised her head and looked at Lichie shaking her shoulders.
“Take me… away from here…” Ciel slowly opened her arms.
Lichie, almost without hesitation, took the canvas bag from Ciel’s hand, held it securely, lifted Ciel directly into a princess carry, and ran away from the train.
Just as they ran less than 10 meters, a section of the train behind them exploded violently. The strong shockwave destabilized Lichie’s figure, causing her to fall forward.
But before hitting the ground, she forcibly twisted her body, hitting the ground with her side back and shoulder, rolling several times without letting Ciel in her arms get hurt.
After this explosion, most of the whispers and wails in Ciel’s mind dissipated instantly. She fully recovered.
The struggling, panicked people were almost all dead.
Ciel quickly got up, picked up the discarded tattered canvas bag and notebook, took Lichie’s hand, and led her up the slope.
Only after crossing the railway tracks and reaching the opposite slope, no longer feeling the heat from behind, did Ciel stop, coughing a few times.
Inhaling too much thick smoke in the carriage earlier made Ciel feel slightly dizzy.
Lichie also stopped, panting. She looked back at the thick smoke and firelight behind them, somewhat uncertain and alarmed.
What… exactly happened just now?
Sister suddenly opened the carriage window, and she inexplicably… flew out, landing steadily on the ground.
But the next second, the train suddenly exploded, derailing entirely, tumbling down the slope before her eyes, erupting into fierce flames almost instantaneously.
Everything happened too quickly for Lichie to react.
By the time she realized her sister was still on the train, her sister had already rushed out of the sea of fire.
It seemed she also saw her sister’s canvas bag fly out of the fire…
“What… exactly happened? Ciel?” Lichie stammered, excessive nervousness making her speech slightly unclear.
Lichie was still reeling from the chain of events earlier, unable to concentrate and think about what occurred.
Ciel, holding the notebook, turned back somewhat puzzled, looking towards the smoke-filled other side.
She also wanted to know what happened.
How did the train suddenly explode and derail? Did someone know her itinerary and plant a bomb to assassinate her?
“Sis, what happened just now?” Ciel looked towards Lichie, squeezed her hand, and slowly asked, “Can you tell me in detail? About what happened on the train.”