She is not an investigator.

Cecilia glanced at Igris. She knew Igris needed this opportunity, so naturally, she would choose to support her.

There weren't many passengers on the train, but everyone had their own purpose.

"Count me in."

Constantine was the first to raise his hand, after all, this was his original purpose, and it was he who brought Igris here.

"Me too!"

Philina also raised her hand. She was certain she wouldn't do anything that might make Igris uncomfortable, and besides, she was also puzzled by Frostville's current situation and needed to see for herself.

I agree.

Anfer also raised his hand, which was quite unexpected, as neither Constantine nor Cecilia thought he would approve of such a risky act.

Faced with the curious gazes of the crowd, he simply smiled and explained.

“I was once a soldier myself, so I know a little about what happens in the military. Naturally, I understand that those people would never actually point their guns at civilians and carry out a large-scale massacre... So I need the truth, the truth about this farce.”

He stopped being afraid of death a long time ago, or rather, he has passed the age where he needs to cherish life.

Anfer was an old man, and he didn't know when his life would come to an end. Even though he still looked energetic, death always came so unexpectedly.

Therefore, he needed to make his life more profound and his death more solemn before that happened.

That's why, even though he's reached retirement age, he still always brings his old buddy along and appears in all sorts of dangerous situations.

"I disagree."

The one who spoke was the train conductor.

He leaned against the door, saying nothing more, only expressing his opinion.

This is normal and reasonable; he was a member of the train crew and someone who personally experienced the tragedy on the train.

He was merely offering his opinion; the final decision ultimately rests with someone else.

He just didn't want to see his partner or the car itself get damaged any more.

"I disagree. It's too dangerous there."

Erwin also expressed his opinion, for a very simple reason.

Danger.

Perhaps because he had spent so much time in the wilderness, this wilderness hunter was always particularly concerned about the word "safety".

He was unwilling to put himself at risk, nor did he want anyone else to do so.

"...I disagree as well."

This time, it was Simia who spoke up.

She looked at Igris, feeling conflicted and a little guilty, but then again…

She still couldn't agree.

She could go to those dangers in Igris' place, but she still couldn't bear to watch Igris actively approach those things.

"…sorry."

Even so, she still hoped that Igris wouldn't blame her for it.

"Igris".

Cecilia finally looked at Igris.

"Now, it's your turn. Will you continue? Your choice could affect everyone on this train. We could die because of your choice. So... Igris, will you continue?"

Igris fell silent. She pursed her lips and looked at the others who were also staring at her.

She had to make a choice, a choice for everyone.

"...I had no choice but to go."

Even if it puts us in danger?

"I cannot let anyone down."

Igris looked at Constantine, at this quiet priest who always preferred to be alone.

“I may hesitate, but I cannot waste the expectations that are placed on me. I can take responsibility for my choices… So, I will not choose to leave easily until I am sure you are safe.”

I like your answer.

Cecilia clapped her hands and said with a smile.

"So, four to three, the final decision is to move on."

"...I haven't voted yet..."

Angelo's voice was silenced by Cecilia's gaze. He probably knew he had no say in the matter, so he simply kept quiet to avoid causing more trouble.

This is a good choice, at least for his current situation.

Even if he might very well return to the city he almost risked his life to escape.

The Gods' Fools - The Northern Train: Chapter 56, Do You Believe?

“Igris…”

With everything over, Cecilia returned to the driver's cab and started the train.

Simia also arrived at Igris's side at this time.

"what happened?"

"...I'm sorry."

She came to apologize.

Simia looked deeply apologetic. She knew she should have supported Igris, and she shouldn't have left the final choice to Igris. She had made a wrong decision, even if she really wanted to.

But Igris simply shook her head.

"It's okay, I won't blame you. Everyone has the right to make their own choices, and I'll be happy that you're thinking of me."

Igris's lies were never convincing and were easily exposed.

But people always feel reluctant to expose her lies and are forced to accept her explanations.

Simia wanted to laugh. She laughed at herself for never being able to truly become the person she dreamed of being, and she also laughed at how narrow-minded her cowardice and timidity seemed in the face of courage.

However, she couldn't laugh; she only felt melancholy.

Igris noticed this; of course she could, since her eyes and mind were perfectly fine.

"If you've come seeking my comfort, I'd be happy to offer you some."

"..."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't glean any truly useful information from your silence."

As Igris spoke, she pulled Simia closer and used her fingers to pull up the corners of her mouth, revealing a comical expression.

"Smile, I still prefer the way you were when we first met."

"...You mean, what happened when I fell into a snow pit and landed on my back?"

"No, it's that smiling face you have when you're plotting against someone."

Simia quieted down considerably, though her face turned slightly red; she was still not quite used to this intimate interaction with Igris.

Or rather… I was a little too apprehensive.

After all, she had only ever dreamed of such a scene, even though the person in her dream looked very different from her.

But Simia didn't care about any of that; she never did.

Because what she liked was never the appearance or the physical form. No matter what she became, even if she was Igris now and turned into a ghoul tomorrow and then became as ugly as a vampire the day after, she wouldn't care.

She might be a bit extreme and a bit naive, but these are truly her honest thoughts.

Even if Igris can accept her, she will choose to continue following in her footsteps.

Until the day she died.

"...May I give you a hug?"

"you…?"

Simia didn't think too much about it. She quickly hugged Igris's neck, greedily rubbing her cheek against Igris's chest, inhaling the faint scent of blood on her body.

She moved quickly and left just as fast, running away before Igris could even react, giving her no chance to continue the conversation.

All that remained in front of Igris was the faint scent of Simia; she was nowhere to be seen.

It's a strange feeling, like a pet cat that's suddenly picked up and given a big kiss, then dropped and run away.

That's really weird.

"What...what is she doing?!"

Although Igris hadn't expressed any opinion yet, Felina, who had been secretly watching the two's interaction from the sidelines, couldn't sit still any longer.

She jogged over to Igris' side, her face a mixture of panic and disgust, and began wiping Igris' chest with her sleeve as if it were covered in something dirty.

"How could she... how could she do this... how could she do this..."

"..."

On the other side, Angelo, who had been sitting in the corner, also silently withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Constantine, who was reading a book.

"Have they always been like this?"

"Ok?"

Constantine raised his head, looked around somewhat confusedly, and finally fixed his gaze on Igris and Philina, nodding thoughtfully.

“Someone has already asked me this question once, but I can answer it to you separately. Yes, she always does this.”

Constantine was already used to it. It probably started when she and Alex first disliked each other, but the next time they met, Alex was a completely different person. Constantine had gotten used to it ever since.

To put it bluntly, Constantine always felt that Igris was like some mysterious demon from hell in the myths he had read.

For example, succubi.

At least Constantine felt that most of the humans and non-humans she knew seemed to be somewhat interested in her.