She is not an investigator.

Incidentally, its prey list includes other unusual creatures.

Because of the unique nature of spider webs, certain anomalies, even those with unusual forms but not particularly strong physical bodies, can be trapped in the webs and easily hunted.

There are many such examples; for instance, the Shadow of Malice that Igris once encountered is a typical example.

The fire seed could perhaps be considered one, but because the fire seed's body is constantly burning, it would be difficult for it to hunt even if it wanted to.

In short, if it can be confirmed that the opponent is indeed a human-headed spider, then Igris doesn't need to actively seek opportunities to attack.

Of course, she didn't want to open her eyes to look. Regardless of what would happen if the other party wasn't a human-headed spider, even if it really was, Igris couldn't guarantee that she could maintain her already fragile rationality after staring directly at the human head on the giant spider's abdomen.

Not to mention that in such an unusual environment, she needs to be even more careful.

"Igris! Someone's coming!"

The Mirror Demon's notification came again, and this time, although it hesitated somewhat, it still accurately stated that a person had come, and not something else.

As soon as the Mirror Demon spoke, footsteps reached Igris's ears, sounding exceptionally clear.

It came from behind her.

Clearly, based on the direction and position of her seat, Igris was facing the rear carriages of the train, and behind her was the driver's cab.

So, if she hears footsteps behind her, that means...

"Huh? There's someone here."

A flash of light passed in front of Igris, and footsteps stopped beside her.

Igris finally opened her eyes and looked at the light source that was almost touching her face.

It was a lantern, its light not particularly strong, and its illumination range not very far, but at this moment, the lantern was held high in front of Igris, illuminating her entire face.

How did you get here?

Another voice came from the figure that was faintly visible behind the lantern.

She is a woman, but she is not very young; she is very mature, but she is not the particularly stable type.

With the help of the lamplight, Igris could barely make out the appearance of the person who had come.

She was a woman who looked exceptionally strong, with strikingly white hair, and was probably around twenty or thirty years old.

Igris didn't know what specific words to use to describe her, but she could feel an exceptionally heavy pressure emanating from the person in front of her.

This wasn't her targeting Igris; she was simply standing there, questioning Igris, and that invisible pressure was already engulfing her.

Perhaps it was because of his height, which seemed to be half a head taller than her, or perhaps it was the muscles that looked like they could smash her head into his body with a single punch, or perhaps it was his powerful yet not at all incongruous, but rather more beautiful physique that made her somewhat envious, but Igris was quite interested in getting to know this guy.

For example, learn how to transform your body into this shape.

The Gods' Fool - The Northern Train: Chapter Ten, The Train's Dream

"Aren't you going to answer my question, ma'am?"

The lantern approached Igris again, pulling her wandering consciousness back to normal.

Igris looked around to make sure the Mirror Demon had returned to the mirror before lowering the sword she had been holding horizontally.

"It just happened suddenly while we were going through the tunnel."

"A tunnel? Well, you're really lucky."

She took the lantern back and hung it on her waist.

Igris had many questions, and she knew about Igris's confusion and bewilderment, so she explained very naturally.

“I am the train conductor of this train. You can call me Cecilia, or just call me the conductor.”

"Train... conductor?"

Looking at her casual clothes, Igris found it hard to recognize her as the train conductor.

However, more important than that is...

"If you were the train conductor, who's driving the train right now in the driver's cab?"

While steam trains of this era could indeed travel normally for short periods without human intervention, this did not mean they could be completely free from the conductor's control.

After all, the idea of ​​a train driving itself is already unbelievable enough, let alone the fact that it's a steam train.

If something unexpected happens, or the train loses speed and derails, then the problem could be much bigger.

"Your question is actually quite easy to explain."

The train conductor understood what Igris was worried about and explained nonchalantly.

“Although we are still on the train, this is no longer the train we used to be. I think you can probably tell that, since there is no one else here except the two of us and a giant spider.”

"so?"

If it were the other world or another dimension, then Igris and Cecilia appearing here would undoubtedly mean that they would disappear on that normally moving train.

Even if Igris suddenly disappeared from the carriage, it would only cause a moment of panic, but what if the train conductor disappeared?

So, can this car really continue to be driven?

"This is a dream. Whether it's us who are here or everything we experience here, it's all just a dream."

"So you fall asleep in real life too, don't you?"

What Igris really cared about wasn't the specifics of the current situation; what she really cared about was whether the train conductor, Cecilia, was driving the train properly.

Igris didn't want to wake up one day to find herself and the train flying off the tracks.

"I'm not asleep."

Cecilia waved her hand and explained with a smile.

"In reality, I'm still driving safely, but I'm not here. Besides, driving in a dream is meaningless, since as long as the car in reality is fine, nothing can happen here."

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and continued to explain.

"Also, this dream is neither my dream nor your dream, but the dream of this car itself... You probably don't understand what I'm saying, but I'm more curious about why you were able to get here."

Igris shook her head. She didn't know why she was in a dream about a train, after all, she wasn't the conductor, or even a train attendant.

"Then how can I leave here?"

"How can one escape a dream? That's a good question."

Cecilia did not directly offer a solution on how to leave the area; she simply repeated Igris's question.

Igris realized what she meant.

There is only one best way to escape a dream: wake up the dreamer.

But the question is, how can we awaken a sleeping train?

"This tunnel will be very long, and I can't say exactly how long, but they have most likely told you about it."

Cecilia casually sat down in the chair next to Igris, looking completely relaxed, as if nothing was urgent.

"So instead of keeping your nerves on edge in a place like this, you should relax, rest, and wait for dawn. Maybe it will wake up naturally."

"What if there isn't one?"

"Then let it have a nightmare."

Igris fell silent, but even in this somewhat oppressive environment, she found it difficult to relax.

She wasn't afraid of the dark, or rather, darkness was almost synonymous with light in her eyes, but this wasn't the case for most things.

Those creatures or anomalies lurk in the darkness, in corners that ordinary people can't see at all, spreading their malice to their heart's content.

They wouldn't know that Igris could see, and Igris wouldn't want to look.

"Tell me about yourself. You're the first person to arrive here besides me. Although most people who board this train are quite special... you're clearly the more special one."

Cecilia dragged the lantern from her waist to her hand, so that the light could illuminate both herself and Igris, making it easier for them to chat face to face.

This also made it easier for her to see Igris's expression and appearance at that moment.

"And... I've actually been wanting to say this for a while now, you're really beautiful."

"...Thank you, you too."

Igris politely pulled her collar up again, trying to cover her face as much as possible.

She no longer feels joy when others compliment her appearance; instead, it makes her think of unpleasant things and causes her some anxiety.

As for who caused it, Igris didn't know either.

However, to be fair, Igris's words were not just a simple compliment, because she genuinely thought Cecilia was very beautiful.

While most people might not like a woman who seems more assertive than most men, Igris is not one of them.

Cecilia is quite tall, and because of her well-developed muscles, even though her frame is relatively slender, she still looks very voluptuous. Moreover, because of her gender, her muscles do not appear too flamboyant or exaggerated, but rather maintain the most basic aesthetic lines.

Igris was running out of words, but the best thing she could think of was that... she had always dreamed of having a figure like that.

Unfortunately, Igris has always had considerable difficulty gaining muscle; even with her diligent training, it's still difficult to see any muscle on her body.

She had sighed countless nights while pinching her flat stomach.

The Gods' Fool - The Northern Train: Chapter Eleven, A Minor Trouble

"I still don't know your name."

“Igris…you can just call me that.”

Igris had lost count of how many people she had said similar things to, something that would have been rare in her previous life.

After all, at that time, most people wouldn't actively ask her name, and some already knew her name.

“Okay… Irene, I’ve got it. Although I’m a little curious about your identity, I know you must have your reasons for choosing to take this train, so I won’t ask any more questions.”

Cecilia could determine a lot from some of Igris's little habits, such as the short straight sword she still gripped tightly in her hand even in this situation.

This means that she did not completely lower her guard against Cecilia despite their relatively easy conversation, and it also means that she always had the ability to start a fight at any time.

Even though she doesn't look like she would be aggressive at all.

"Oh, right."

Cecilia suddenly remembered something and waved to Igris, who looked somewhat puzzled.

"Although you don't seem like the type to wander around, I still have to remind you that it's best not to leave this carriage."