She is not an investigator.

For example, when she is overly anxious, when she feels fear, or when she smells blood.

Fortunately, she has not encountered any of these three situations so far.

“My name is Igris. It’s nice to meet you too, but I have to go. My companions are waiting for me.”

Igris smiled politely, not intending to linger there.

She wasn't just walking around because she had nothing better to do; she needed to get a general idea of ​​the train's layout and whether there were any other passengers in other carriages.

After observing the train for a while, she was certain that there were very few passengers on it.

Excluding the locomotive and dining car, the train has only three passenger compartments, and after excluding Constantine and Igris herself, there are only two passengers left.

One of them was the girl who had just boarded the bus, and the other was this strange-looking old man.

While it's still uncertain whether anyone will continue to board at Biyanka, the train is indeed nearly empty.

It's estimated that even the cost of train tickets might not be enough to cover the fuel expenses.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why those things are so expensive?

Igris returned to the first carriage, back to her seat, and hugged her suitcase to her chest again.

She could have put the box in a designated storage area, but carrying it around isn't entirely unacceptable.

The main reason is that she can put her suitcase on the seat to prevent some inconsiderate or malicious person from leaving an empty seat and deliberately sitting next to her.

Igris is doing well now, but that doesn't mean she'll always be doing so. If she suddenly goes crazy and kills someone, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At least Igris didn't want to have to point a gun at the conductor's head and force him to keep going at that moment.

The Gods' Fool - The Northern Train: Chapter Four, What Lies Beyond the Ocean?

Half an hour passed quickly, and the train did not pick up any more passengers in Biyanka, most likely because most people did not even know that a train would pass through there.

Igris also inquired briefly and learned that if they started from Byanca, it would take about three days to reach the vicinity of the final stop.

It is said that this speed was achieved without any unexpected incidents, and in the shortest time.

In other words, Igris couldn't expect the train to suddenly grow wings and arrive at its destination within a day to deflect the ticking time bomb that could explode on her at any moment.

Igris rarely spent the night on trains, and even when she traveled long distances, she would not choose to take a steam train.

It's not that she has any objection to this technology; it's simply that she prefers to travel to her destination in her own way and learn more and gain more experience in the process, including how to survive as healthily as possible in the wilderness.

However, besides these, there is actually another reason.

She gets a little carsick.

Although there was no nauseating smell or stuffy air on the train, that didn't mean her motion sickness wouldn't bother her.

Igris is the type who gets seasick even when riding in a carriage. Although the exact reason is still unclear, if she were to wait on a moving train for three whole days, she would probably ask to spend the night on the roof.

Although the weather is still quite cold.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, hold onto your belongings, and keep your weapons safe to prevent them from going off accidentally... We are about to depart."

The train conductor wandered through the aisles between the seats, reminding everyone in a tone that sounded like he hadn't slept in ages.

Igris had a slight suspicion that he might also be cursed by a witch, like Daphne, who was cursed to never be able to sleep well.

Soon, the train attendant left the carriage and headed towards the carriages behind.

Putting aside the fact that there was only one train attendant on such a large train, and given that there were clearly not many people, why did some people still prefer to sit in the back?

For example, Anfer, that old man who made Igris somewhat uneasy.

Perhaps this also explains his unconventional personality and his dislike of interacting with too many strangers?

Igris was just guessing; maybe she was right, since they had only met once.

With a slow, rumbling sound and a slight sway, the train, which was probably older than Igris's entire lifespan, successfully began to move forward.

Igris tilted her head slightly, looking at the window next to her and the street outside.

She was leaving Byanka again, leaving this city she had only been in for less than a week, to go to an even more unfamiliar place.

Iglesias felt she might have the chance to visit all the cities if things continued this way.

By then, maybe she can call herself a traveler?

"……Well."

Although her mind was wandering, Igris still felt somewhat uncomfortable in this quiet atmosphere.

If someone were to make a fuss, it might slightly disrupt the atmosphere, but with the people on the bus right now, even if they sang together, they probably wouldn't make much noise.

Naturally, this raises an even more important question.

If Igris really calms down, then she becomes prone to anxiety and sadness.

This was probably a complication of her strange illnesses, so Igris was constantly trying to think about completely unrelated things.

For example, what is the train's current speed? If someone were lying on the tracks, would the train jolt? If someone placed a giant blade at the tunnel entrance while the train was passing through a tunnel, would it slice off everyone's heads?

It was pointless, but for Igris, it was the only way she could distract herself at the moment.

"Father?"

Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, Igris turned her gaze to Constantine, who had been quietly looking at the strange book in his hands.

The book was rather thick, clearly not the kind of book you could carry around for entertainment. But the black cover didn't have a title, making it hard not to think it was some kind of forbidden or strange book.

After all, Constantine has a criminal record. Perhaps because things aren't going well at work, he's starting to consider reopening the Church of Eternal Night and causing another round of destruction.

Upon hearing Igris's voice, Constantine slightly raised his head and closed the book in his hands.

"…What's wrong."

"What are you looking at?"

Igris stared wide-eyed with curiosity, her face practically screaming "I want to see!"

Constantine hesitated for a moment before handing the book to Igris, explaining as he did so.

"This is a notebook; I've been learning some geography lately..."

Igris took the thick book and flipped through it with some curiosity.

The contents were numerous and complex, with various professional terms and numbers arranged together, seemingly possessing some kind of special magic that made her consciousness somewhat blurred.

"...I'll give it back to you. I don't think I'm really suited to learning this kind of thing right now."

Igris sighed softly and handed the notebook back to Constantine.

Constantine shrugged and smiled somewhat helplessly.

"Actually, I don't understand it very well either... I only have some knowledge of theology."

"Then why did you suddenly decide to learn about geography?"

Igris's question was not without merit. Although it was his freedom to want to learn something, he couldn't have suddenly become interested in geography for no reason. There must have been some explanation.

“When I was in Byanka, someone asked me this question.”

Constantine touched his chin, raised his head slightly, and continued speaking as he recalled.

"He asked me, 'Have you ever seen the ocean? Have you ever seen the end of the ocean? Do you know what it's like outside the world we live in?' These kinds of questions remind me of that detective... Maybe this is a common tactic used by every member of the Deep Sea Church?"

"So, that's a cult, and you shouldn't listen to what cult members have to say."

Igris had always understood this deeply. She pointed to her head, as if she were saying something, but also as if she were saying nothing at all.

"I know, of course I know."

Although Constantine said this, he still seemed to be thinking.

“But I’m also a cultist, remember? Ever since then, I’ve been thinking about those strange things… what’s outside the world like, what’s at the end of the ocean.”

Instead of thinking about these meaningless things, you'd be better off learning something more meaningful.

Igris sighed and said with a hint of helplessness.

"Even if the ocean really does have an end, we at our current level would never be able to see it."

Even the most robust warships in human society today appear exceptionally powerless when faced with ocean storms.

"But perhaps it wouldn't hurt to think about it?"

"Suit yourself, Father."

The Gods' Fool - The Northern Train: Chapter Five, The Unfaded Past

The conversation between the two did not continue. The train conductor who had just left slowly walked back from the back carriage and sat down in a seat not far in front of Igris.

Igris didn't know if what he was doing was legal, but probably no one would care too much about it, since there were almost empty seats everywhere.

"It might snow soon."

He looked at the scenery flashing past the window and suddenly spoke to himself.

The sound wasn't very loud, but Constantine and Igris, who were sitting in the front, could hear it.

It's November now, and while snow at this time isn't unacceptable, it's still much earlier than usual.

Igris also looked out the window. The city had been left behind, and all that was left in her eyes were the rapidly passing mountains and plains.

How did you know it was going to snow?

Igris didn't see anything special about the scenery outside; it seemed no different from usual.

"intuition."

He glanced at Igris, then turned his head away again and fell silent.

He definitely looked like he needed a rest, and Igris wasn't in the mood to talk to him much.

The journey on this train was indeed far too tedious, and the only person I could talk to, Constantine, was an even bigger silent type.

"...Tsk."

Igris suddenly felt very unhappy, though she didn't know why, she just suddenly felt very unhappy.

It could be a relapse of an illness, or it could simply be a complication caused by a bad mood.

Excuse me—

It was at this moment that a melodious voice rang out beside Igris, attracting everyone's attention.