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Violet Evergarden

The railway parting from the southern maritime country Leidenschaftlich finally being extended to northern nations was something quite recent.

Public means of transportation were rather useful for traveling around a wide continent, yet the trains across the mainland contributed greatly not only to each person but also to society in terms of logistics. It could be said that the current results had been achieved due to the North-South feud of the Continental War being terminated on a superficial basis.

The information that a ceremony would be held for the departure of the intercontinental train spread quickly in the city of Leiden, and people rushed in pursue of tickets for the first trip. On the following day, the morning newspaper prior to the departure ceremony, which was completely taken over by the latter, was made to be delivered not only throughout Leidenschaftlich but also to the neighbor countries.

Although it was a trivial article for those who were not interested in the subject, the appearance of a single woman amongst the published photographs of people seeking the tickets instigated, for better or worse, a surrept.i.tious feeling in those who knew her. Lux Sibyl, who would be at the CH Postal Service first-thing in the morning, smiled proudly upon spotting the figure of her beautiful friend. A novelist who quietly recited words in the middle of the mountains was in high spirits as though he had found a treasure amidst the article’s photos, and laid it as decoration on his cutouts wall. A young astronomer on the way of a journey bought two more copies of the same newspaper after a moment of astonishment, and Cattleya, who was on an amanuensis duty at a place far away from the office, asked her male client, with the newspaper at hand, who the cutest one was between herself and the woman displayed in it. Someone who had not seen her face for a long time surrendered himself to tracing it with his fingertips.

It was only a picture, but on the morning of that day, a premonition that something special was about to begin was engraved remarkably in the minds of those who had been involved with Violet Evergarden.

The departure ceremony was held in the Leidenschaftlich Station at two o’clock in the afternoon, and at three o’clock, after the pa.s.sengers had come aboard the intercontinental train, it departed from the city by the end of the formalities. Children riding a train for the first time leaned their bodies forward over the windows and praised the scenery, proudly boasting to each other about the good fortune of managing to entrain the first expedition. Those using it for work-related transferences were satisfied with the careful customer service and safe driving, and those who had booked the sleeper car had their hearts stolen by the comfort as their bodies immediately embraced the drowsiness.

The operation went on without a hitch in general. Little troubles were witnessed, such as the employees in charge of transporting the baggage sending a pa.s.senger’s luggage to the wrong room, or a customer who had ordered a dish without onions from the dining car finding a small piece of onion in it and getting angry, but they could not be considered important.

The pa.s.sing scenery outside the windows was gradually dyed in madder red, and just an hour after the departure, the world began to be surrounded by signs of the night. Once every hour, the train was required to be refilled with water.

“We will soon temporarily stop at the water supply point, so please sit down as the train will shake.” The porter advised the customers of each car.

As people were completely fascinated with the tour, they did not attempt to impede those who remained on their feet without any intention of sitting down. There were also many who observed the scenery while sipping alcoholic drinks. Those in a good mood did not listen to what others said. The porter, who had given the warning, smiled while thinking along the lines of, “what troublesome patrons” as he gently walked next to said pa.s.sengers and asked them to take their seats.

It was an exceptionally wonderful voyage. n.o.body imagined any tragedies would happen. Nor did anyone find the behavior of those individuals suspicious. The fact that they stuck a knife to the porter’s neck and slit it went unnoticed as well.

That day was genuinely supposed to be a marvelous one for several people.

At two quarters past four o’clock, under the thick clouds spreading in an autumn sky, a corpse was discarded on the railroad track as if it were dirt. It rolled onto the ground and, before the crows could greedily devour it, it was found by the owner of a nearby meadow, who happened to be pa.s.sing by. Much like rain pouring onto the surface of a lake, such thing hinted the extent of some sort of big incident. The first drop was the dead body. From the sky, one, two more drops fell, which marked the discovery of a problem that was now progressively growing.

The abnormal conduct of the intercontinental train, which had originally been supposed to make stops yet was pa.s.sing every station while keeping the pa.s.sengers on board, caught a lot of attention, and at some point, the army was mobilized. First came a report from employees and civilians from one of the stations that were pa.s.sed by, and the message was relayed to the military police.

The military police based itself mainly on law enforcement duty to protect the safety of the citizens’ everyday lives, and was a separate ent.i.ty from the army, despite having the word “military” in its name. By the time the military police had arrived at the Leidenschaftlich Army Ministry, a reinforce request for the situation had been issued from the Leidenschaftlich National Railway as well.

The headquarters of the Leidenschaftlich Army Ministry were, in one word, a fort. For a mere building, it had a hardly describable architecture. Firstly, there was a castle tower-like construction that housed the Army Ministry, with double stonewalls surrounding it. There was a dry moat outside of the walls, and the trees and shrubs beyond said moat had been entirely cut down in order to open the view. There was no place for foes to hide in case of invasions. The structure seemed to already intimidate with a “if you want to defeat me, come try”.

Being able to bask in a const.i.tution that was so well-attuned to hostility was likely a proof that its soldiers had overcome numerous aggressive wars. In such setting, courtesy of the country’s system, the reinforcement request project, “Case of the Intercontinental Train’s Hijacking”, was set to be launched at the Army Ministry on an early stage, but the recruited officers were not yet aware of the extent of the chaotic rain’s dispersion.

At twenty minutes past five o’clock of that day, in one of the Army Ministry’s rooms, Gilbert Bougainvillea was discussing the course of action of Leidenschaftlich’s army’s Special Offense Force, which he used to lead.

“Disbanding would be reasonable, but if it is to be handed over, I would like to be the one to choose the personnel.”

Gilbert Bougainvillea, who used to be a major of Leidenschaftlich’s army, had equitably served as lieutenant-colonel, and, in recognition of the achievements in the Great War by the Special Offense Force of Leidenschaftlich’s army, led by himself, yet another promotion of position was acknowledged and he was allowed to wear the rank insignia of a colonel. As he became one, operating inside the Army Ministry was basically his main task. As it was, his troop had been on march both inside and outside of the country, since the circ.u.mstances had required post-war armed interventions, yet it was left afloat as a result of his successive career.

“It’s my honest opinion that disbanding it is regrettable. There are members who want to resign from it due to being promoted, but even with those posts vacant, it has a high level of excellence. To the point it can very well work as an independent unit. Well, the higher-ups probably won’t allow that so easily… since they might think of it as your private soldiers.” A bluish black-haired man agreed with Gilbert’s words. “Laurus Schwartzman” was written in the nameplate on his desk.

Gilbert nodded at the outlook of the person who had the same status of colonel as himself but used to be in the position of his superior in the past. “Eventually, we could create this independent unit… From the viewpoint of those who are managing it, a unit that has too much freedom is dangerous, but it spends great efforts when there are big emergencies. However, if we are told that there have been none of those until now, we will not be granted consent. Therefore, I would like to leave a foundation ready for the sake of this occurrence… and, if I am held responsible for it, let me take over to those who can take into consideration the individual qualities. They were mostly polished by being brought into my personal care.”

“Who do you intend to appoint as successor?”

“Idris. He’s fit for being commander.”

“Isn’t he a fellow without education or supporters? It’s almost like me. Won’t you recommend someone from the Bougainvillea lineage? There are people in the army who are from your branch families.”

“Colonel Laurus… you recommended me because you dislike faction-based nominations, but now you’re telling me to nominate a Bougainvillea? Idris is clever even without education. He’s also vastly ambitious. As for supporters… I will become one.”

“I was just teasing; don’t get so angry.” At Gilbert’s low voice tone, Laurus soon laughed and apologized. As he became older, Gilbert had come to possess a presence that he did not in his younger days.

“Well, then, regarding the placement of a successor in my troops… I will count with your a.s.sistance for the necessary arrangements.”

“And my recompense will be…?”

“My little sister has said she wants to ride a horse with you in our next outing.”

Laurus’s showed a pleased reaction and Gilbert sighed a little, his shoulders slumping as if a weight had fallen upon them.

Gilbert’s position in the army appeared stable, but it was not so in reality. Although there were people who supported him simply for being a Bougainvillea, there were also those who attempted to ostracize him for it. Gilbert had reached a period in which he would have to decide whom he would take as his allies. Jealousy and corruption always rose wherever there was influence. Gradually gathering into his hands those people who were so hard for him to become like and securing them tightly under his arms was something now necessary for Gilbert.

Laurus was someone whose back he used to observe as if chasing after it when he had entered the army, and now Gilbert was finally lined-up by his side. There were very few who could manage through the promotion from colonel to brigadier-general and from brigadier-general to major-general. As Laurus himself did not display interest in being promoted, Gilbert believed he would not go above being a colonel. His origins, unlike Gilbert’s, did not leave him in an advantageous condition for disputing success either.

“This is up to the two of you, but please don’t ever upset my sister, who deeply cherishes you. Promise me.”

“I know. She confessed her love for a guy like me, after all. I intend to be with her even in my grave.”

He displayed no signs of looking for compet.i.tion and his nature could be trusted. For Gilbert to think he could leave his sister to the latter’s care, he had to be a commendable individual.

Upon easing the wrinkles between his brows with the fingertips of his left arm, which had become a prosthetic, Gilbert took in his hand a newspaper unrelated to his duties that was lying on the desk. Ever since he had read it in the morning after waking up, he had carried it around with him while working. He unconsciously looked at the part of it that had photos of the intercontinental train.

“You’ve… been reading that since morning, huh. You like trains?”

“If there comes a chance to get on a tour ride, I want to try it.” With gestures that could not be perceived as unnatural, he folded the side with the pictures and put the newspaper down.

The two men had been in a situation in which even Laurus had come to question why Gilbert had forsaken the Warrior Maiden of Leidenschaftlich’s army in the aftermath of the Great War, and therefore, he did not wish to get into the topic. As they chatted about trivial everyday matters, someone knocked on the door.

“Colonel Schwartzman… ah, Colonel Bougainvillea, you’re here in a good timing. We are having an emergency meeting. A big incident has happened. The case has been established at the countermeasures headquarters, so please come quickly. Right now, we are summoning all the personnel from the task force.”

Being told so by the administrative official, the two looked at each other’s faces and stood up at the same time.

Those who gathered at the headquarters, in which a roundtable was prepared, were mainly colonels. The occurring incident would be explained by the major-general beforehand.

“First and foremost, at two in the afternoon, a departure ceremony was held in honor of the intercontinental train, and one hour later, the pa.s.sengers came on board and it left the station. It pa.s.sed Attaccare, which was one of it stop stations, and proceeded just like that. It was also at this time that a corpse was thrown off in the vicinity of Attaccare. The body was found and reported by a farmer of that neighborhood. According to the information of the Leidenschaftlich’s national railway, the train is currently stopping at the Rauschend station, which is one of the water supply points. Through the station’s staff, a demand for reward in exchange for the pa.s.sengers was issued to Leidenschaftlich.” While everyone paid attention, the major-general said bitingly. “The enemy is telling us to release a political felon who is being kept in the Altair Prison. He’s a criminal from one of the countries that had formed an alliance in the previous war, Rochand. After the proclamation of their defeat, he blackmailed his motherland’s leaders into revoking the announcement, caused an internal conflict and was arrested. The ones responsible for this hijacking incident are maybe his guard dogs, certainly his comrades. Meaning the main offenders of this case are people who still don’t want to acknowledge that they lost the war.”

A feeling of tension ran through the place as the major-general recognized the other party as an ‘enemy’. In Leidenschaftlich, ‘enemies’ brought harm to the whole nation. They would all become targets of elimination, and most of them counted with military power as their means of control, unwilling to solve anything with dialogue.

“To top it off, the enemies hope to migrate to their country. The train is headed to the northernmost port city of the continent. They have a s.h.i.+p prepared there as well. It seems they expect everything to go flawlessly…” The major-general punched the north part of the map laid on the roundtable.

The people seated at the roundtable did not move even upon being startled, and their line of sight was fixed on the major-general. They accepted the anger emanating from him.

“We… we of Leidenschaftlich’s army… exist for the sake of defending our people and territory from foreign threats. To allow something like this after ending a war is a disgrace to Leidenschaflich’s name. But this is not just a matter of honor. There have already been casualties. This is quite an obvious statement, but it’s clear that our country’s people will be taken throughout this trip until the migration succeeds. There are surely women and children who can’t fight back in that midst. It’s not hard to imagine what they’ll go through. We must prevent this no matter what. The ‘enemy’ is moving. The problem is how to take the reins. We shall form a strategy considering the hypothesis of even worst-case scenarios. From this point on, I give everyone, regardless of them being upper or lower ranks, permission for voicing suggestions.”

At the major-general’s words, everyone started composing tactics while observing the map. The train was in motion. If they were to strike it, their only option would be invading it. Attacking from the outside would compromise the lives of the pa.s.sengers inside. The opinion that there was no choice but stand in wait for it at one of the water supply points and ambush it all at once was settled down no matter what. But the enemy would probably antic.i.p.ate that much. The concern that a hostage could be killed for display so that their pa.s.sage would be permitted was enunciated, as well as the fact they would be in tantalizing circ.u.mstances, as they would not be able to do anything until the train stopped at the water supply point. They sought for urgent contact.

The debate became heated. In that midst, only Gilbert was reticent as he paled in silence. His ears registered everyone’s exchanges. He was also formulating in his head what proposals he should verbalize, as doing so might be necessary. However, a single fact dominated his entire body and halted its outward functions.

——Violet is on board.

There was no way he could have mistaken her figure as he saw her in a photography of people trying to buy tickets for the first trip. It was extremely natural for an Auto-Memories Doll traveling around the world to rely on trains. Meaning there would be no one else to be aboard the intercontinental train in her stead.

——If I called Hodgins, would he answer?

He had judged Gilbert for leaving Violet without a trace. In their last conversation, he had said he would be cutting their ties until Gilbert reconsidered it.

“Gilbert…? You’re… quiet, but don’t you have any ideas?”

As Laurus spoke to him from the side, Gilbert turned towards his direction. He was probably making a face he normally would not. Laurus leaned back with a start. The major-general promptly noticed it.

“What’s wrong, Laurus? Don’t hold back to give your suggestion.”

“No… I… right, I agree with the ambush at the water supply point. It will be off-the-cuff from the garrison on the railway, but I think we can’t do anything other than prepare the troops and stand in wait… I believe that organizing a plan and personnel that can back us up during a seizure battle after the waiting is most crucial. The fact that stopping at the water supply points is mandatory for the train is its trait, after all.” After uttering the proposition, perhaps due to thinking he was feeling sick, Laurus asked Gilbert in a low tone, “Are you okay?”

Gilbert nodded without saying anything. As the major-general requested his opinion as well, Gilbert settled for saying, “I approve the flow of the current situation’s discussion.”

Since he was worried about Violet’s and the pa.s.sengers’ safety, Gilbert favored the course of action of a short-term decisive battle.

——Still, it is only a matter of time for an antagonistic view to manifest. Just as he thought so, what Gilbert dreaded soon became a reality.

“I sense an incongruence in this trend. To ensure the success of our scheme, wouldn’t it be better to formulate a plan for us to take control of the train at the last station in that northern port city?” After Laurus and Gilbert had expressed their valuations, a colonel who had been solely observing, much like Gilbert until that point, raised his voice.

“Ahmar, when you object, you have to explain your plan in detail.” The major-general urged colonel Ahmar to speak further.

Laurus had an obviously unamused face on. Bearded and enormous, the man named Ahmar was on par with him, but the two of them were like cats and dogs. The people present were aware that the fact Ahmar had not voiced his own suggestions until then was due to wanting to oppose Laurus. The air became heavier.

“This opinion has been given just a bit ago, but if we target them at the water supply point, in case we end up letting them pa.s.s, the number of deaths would go up, right? The perpetrators would kill hostages for revenge, and their demands towards us would be bound to increase. In that meantime, I can already see that they would use a ransom for their requisitions. If that will be the case, making the other party think that things will proceed as they requested and then taking them down at once is a better idea. I’m sorry for regressing the discussion, but if this is an emergency, I believe we should choose an a.s.sured plan.”

“No! If you think about the citizens, we should act immediately! Right now, how do you think the people in that train are feeling? Are you saying that while being aware of how much time it takes to reach the last station?! Their families, too, want the army to do something as soon as possible!”

“Laurus, you always show off your principles with emotion-oriented arguments, but that’s unnecessary for a strategy. Results are everything, and we can elaborate the process later on. Are you giving those suggestions by picturing the aftermath of the aftermath? There have already been casualties, and for the sake of causing no more of them, we’ve no choice other than have the pa.s.sengers endure it.”

The subject of the meeting was split into two sides: Laurus, who thought about the citizens’ rescue before anything else, and Ahmar, who prioritized bringing the situation under control.

Gilbert, who was silent beside Laurus, could even feel his restless heart sort out in the course of events. Rather than agitation, his impatience to do something about the direction things were taking, which was not the one he wanted, was becoming stronger. Gilbert could not consent to Ahmar’s methods.

It was difficult to imagine that Violet Evergarden would tamely ride all the way to the final station. She would likely take some sort of action. The fact that she was on board enthused not only great hopes but also a sense of unease.

——If she’s on her own, it’s evident that she will be reckless.

She was not the kind of young woman who would not use self-defense were she in a situation that required it. Gilbert had disciplined her that way.

——I must go for her aid. I must protect her. It’s precisely because she’s strong that she…

It would mean taking back his resolve of that day, in which he shed tears while making the decision to part ways with her. Should she find out he was still alive, Violet would definitely attempt to become Gilbert’s tool once more. That was his biggest fear.

——I don’t want… to see the one I love acting as a tool ever again.

Gilbert asked himself – in the current circ.u.mstances, what was the man named Gilbert Bougainvillea most afraid of?

——Violet’s death.

Gilbert asked himself – in the current circ.u.mstances, what did he wish for the most?

——Her safety.

Peeking into his heart’s discords, what he had to do was crystal-clear.

——Is this… also fate?

Gilbert closed his eyes once. He evened his breathing. The face of the girl he had let go of in resurfaced in his mind. So did her appearance from that picture, which showed she had grown up a good deal in the meantime that they had not seen each other.

He had spent many efforts until managing to take that seat. The next one he would aim for was the seat of major-general. The more he climbed up, the more he would be able to do in exchange of his free conduct being restricted.

At that moment, while such an incident was going on, he could feel G.o.d’s guidance yet again. He had become distressed when worrying about Violet, but could clearly understand what he had to do upon reasoning calmly.

——What are you living for? Don’t get worked-up.

Slowly, slowly, he opened his adhered eyelids.

——I’ve chosen a path in which I’d be able to walk at times like these. The time has come. That is all.

“May I… offer my suggestion?”

No wavering remained in his emerald green orbs. He stared at the major-general and everyone at the round table with his opened eyes. He knew what conduct he should take even without thinking about it.

“I have an idea.” His voice was neither too loud nor too low. “Firstly, about dispatching soldiers to the garrison located on the train’s route… I agree with it. We simply should not let it go to the North. Should it, by any chance, reach the sea, the navy will be the one to deal with it. I will talk to my older brother, Dietfriet Bougainvillea. As the Major-General has said, we should move while keeping the worst possible scenario in mind.”

It was important to speak with a calm att.i.tude.

“About the current problem of where the dispatched soldiers should engage, I am against a battle at the final station. Should the place turn into a battlefield, emotion-based issues with the northern side will be involved. They are heroes from the North’s viewpoint. Showing them being purged in northern lands, their own home, would become a great display, but we should expect that it would instigate a shock big enough to cause an incident. Right now, they are showing a well-behaved att.i.tude towards the Southeast regarding the release of their military forces, but they will definitely hold a grudge against this.”

“We shouldn’t be discussing such a thing now!”

Gilbert responded level-headedly to Ahmar’s angry roar, “The one who talked about picturing the aftermath of the aftermath, Colonel, was you.”

“You… have some nerve to be using such rude words with me given that you became a colonel just recently…”

“The Major-General said from the very start that we should make our suggestions freely. Are you against the Major-General’s decision?”

As their superior was cited, Ahmar refused to back off with a “no way”, his face becoming bright red.

Just as Ahmar had done with Laurus, Gilbert laid out a protest, “Please allow me to continue explaining my idea. There is no guarantee that damage is limited only to the pa.s.sengers. It is necessary to evacuate all of the stations along the train’s course and the citizens in their proximities as well. Paired to the ambush attack at the water supply point, I propose an infiltration plan by tailing them from the capitol Leiden.” He stated loudly with a manner of speech that had a touch of composure and elegance.

People judged others mostly through vision and hearing. Doing such thing would make them think, “what this man says is worth listening to”.

“‘Infiltration plan’, you say? Will we make it in time if we start chasing the them now?”

Gilbert retorted Ahmar’s mockery without so much as raising a brow, “I will have the Nighthawks take flight.”

“Even if it’s on a stop now, it will eventually move!”

The one who became emotional would lose.

“Even if it does, it will stop again. To replenish water. If the infiltration turns out successful, it will greatly increase the accomplishment rate of the estimated suppression at the water supply point. Rescuing the pa.s.sengers is a top priority. The more time this hijacking case takes, the more the death toll will rise. Both the criminals’ side and the victims’ side are losing their sanity. You shall know whether or not the Nighthawks will make it in time if you leave it to me. Let us mobilize the Leidenschaftlich Special Offense Force. Of course, I will be the one in command.”

There was a stir. He examined the major-general’s complexion, but the latter did not find fault in his suggestion.

Not letting the flow slip away from him, Gilbert resumed speaking, “Just a while ago, there was a remark about how we must prepare personnel specific for this sort of situation, but everyone, have you forgotten? The Leidenschaftlich Special Offense Force has been widely active as a raid unit since wartime. They clearly have the role disposition necessary for the process of an infiltration with a small number of people. If we are told to move now, we will can act immediately. Although there may be opinions that I should not be the one commanding on-site given my rank, the troops are still in my care, and my status is of recently nominated colonel. I shall prove my effectiveness. Please think of me as a board piece. A board piece that will mobilize the navy and, if everything goes well, fulfill the infiltration which will bring a quick resolution to this. If my troops fail, the ones lying in wait will be the dispatched soldiers of the Leidenschaftlich army. I find it extremely hard to believe that this incident merely stems from the North’s revenge. There must be… something else happening behind the scenes. There is not only one trap. I feel that… they are seeking for a devastating win, for which they have yet another scheme that we would not be able to crush along with the twofold and threefold traps they have laid out.” After pausing once to swallow saliva, Gilbert inquired, “Major-General, what do you say? I wish you would let me do it.” He pleaded, yet the right to decide was not his. Maintaining such posture, he pleaded even more with his eyes and approach.

Gilbert was aware. From an early age, he had always understood how he should behave in front of whom whenever he was in the presence of others. Should he make a mistake, admonition would come flying at him. That was the secret for success in order to live as a Bougainvillea. Depending on the att.i.tudes he took, he knew what his opponent’s outcome might be. Within the world he understood, he currently existed for the sake of the one and only person that he once did not know he loved.

“Well, give it a try. Show me your abilities as a board piece.”

“I will definitely show you satisfying results.” While replying, Gilbert had already created a different strategy.

If there was something that could have been considered a brilliant day in the life of Samuel LaBeouf, it would be today. He had been elected head engineer of the frontal engine room in the first intercontinental train, which would remain in the country’s history. One had to wonder how many kisses of joy he had planted on the polished, black car walls. He had boasted about it to family and friends countless times. The people who knew of his efforts praised him sincerely and saw off the first service with a smile. Initially, Samuel had planned to spend his time humming a tune while journeying around the world as the Sun set, replaying in his head that wonderful day.

“The subst.i.tutes… still haven’t arrived?”                                          

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…!”

It was exactly six hours and forty-three minutes into the evening. Samuel had a gun thrust at his neck from behind. The unmoving body of one of his colleague engineer and a.s.sistant lay at his feet, head hanging loosely. Said person, who had greeted and chatted with him on that very day, was now immobile. The train which tale had only just started and which name would be engraved in history had suddenly been hijacked and occupied by criminals.

——Why… why… did it come to this? What did I even do?

When exposed to a cruel fate, people would mostly have similar thoughts. Firstly, they would bemoan their doom.

——Where and what did I do wrong?

And then, they would trace in their brains the way back to when they were struck by misfortune. The time in which the intercontinental train that Samuel had been supposed to drive had left the station of Leidenschaftlich’s capitol city, Leiden, after the departure ceremony was over had been a while before dusk.

The intercontinental train, so-called “Femme Fatale”, was a full thirteen-car train composed of Locomotive 1, 2 and 3, Single-Room Sleeping Car 1 and 2, Simple Sleeping Car 1 and 2, Pa.s.senger Car 1 and 2, Panoramic Seats Car, Dining Car 1 and 2, and a freight car. In order to pull the other ten cars, each of the three locomotives had an engineer and an engineer’s a.s.sistant, and with a steam whistle as sign, each locomotive would do a triple-heading to adjust its pace. Therefore, even if the driving staff were lacking by just one person, the operation would not go as desired.

Femme Fatale had been invaded by hijackers with weapons not even an hour after departing from Leidenschaftlich. The hijackers had scattered in each car after the start of the operation, controlling the train from the freight car. In the process, the ones murdered were a porter from the simple sleeping car 1, one engineer from locomotive 3 and Samuel’s partners from locomotive 1 – a total of three a.s.sistants.

Femme Fatale needed replenishment of water, which was its fuel, from the stop stations. Currently, parallel to the water supplying, a demand had been sent to Leidenschaftlich and the National Railway for replacements to the vacant engineer and a.s.sistant posts, and the subst.i.tutes were being awaited. The hijackers seemed to have made other demands to the government, but did not notify Samuel, who was merely one of the hostages, of such things.

They had a cloth bearing the national emblem of a certain northern country wrapped around their arms. What on Earth was their purpose? Was it to take revenge for their defeat? Did they have even more outrageous plans? Either way, it could be a.s.sumed that their group was full of people that had a careless conduct and did not take orders. After all, no matter how much they lacked knowledge of how trains worked, they wound up killing staff members for hindering the operation.

“Don’t worry. If you hadn’t listened to the instructions, it’d be another story, but since you are a driver, we won’t kill you. This s.p.a.ce is crammed. Don’t get too scared and wet your pants. It’d stink.” One of the hijackers said as if to calm Samuel down, perhaps due to his fearful form being difficult to watch.

“Hum, once the vacancy is supplemented… until what point am I supposed to drive…?”

“Go to the final stop with no changes in the course. What we demand of you is to deliver us safely.”

He had thought that saying anything would irritate them and earn him a violent response. Thus, he was a little surprised to be able to talk normally with them.

——Those people may be human beings just like me, but I can’t bring myself to think of them as such.

From Samuel’s viewpoint, they seemed like people from a completely different world.

There were obviously people other than Samuel LaBeouf wondering why things had turned out that way. Unlike Samuel, who had his life a.s.sured to some extent for being in the position of engineer, the ones in question were the frightened pa.s.sengers, who had no idea of when they might be killed should they get on the hijackers’ nerves.

Several hours had pa.s.sed since the incident had started upon arrival at the water supply point. The number of criminals was not too big, but a few of them were monitoring the hostages by taking turns with one another. The information that engineers and a.s.sistants had put up a resistance and been slaughtered in the frontal engine room, and that replacement personnel was being awaited had not come down to them. The state of tension due to fear persisted for a long while, and the mental condition of the pa.s.sengers was nearing its limit.

“Aah, really, why did this have to happen?” In the back dining car number two, one of the customers – an elderly gentleman – lamented with his meal gone cold in front of him.

——At this point in time, I was supposed to be seeing my niece wearing her wedding dress and getting married in our hometown.

He had not expected that the train ride, which had begun with such a happy mood, would turn into something so horrid. The big incidents he would see in newspapers and hear about in rumors always took place far away from himself, and therefore, he had not thought that a disaster of the same sort would actually occur.

He had not been directing his words at anyone in particular, but the woman sitting close to him reacted to them.

“What is an intercontinental train even meant to be…?”

Amidst such an overwrought scenario, a beautiful and refres.h.i.+ng voice echoed in his ears, “Just as the name says, it is a large-scale vehicle that makes connections through a railroad that goes from one end to the other of the continent, and transports anything, from goods to people. It grants accessibility and profit to many. However, trains cannot run if there is no railway. To build railways, the ground must be shaved off. Even if there are flowerbeds or homes on said ground, whatever might be on the way is forcefully removed and their existence eliminated.” It belonged to a strange, attractive woman who only mutely watched the change of colors in the sky without letting out a single scream ever since the car had been taken control of by the hijacker group. As though a machinery or something of the sort was embedded in her head, she talked on smoothly, “In order to make this railroad, it seems that a northern castle, which used to be a cultural monument, was demolished. Moreover, I have heard that operators from the North, the losing side, have suffered profoundly from overwork due to low-wage labor. Paths are opened with explosives so that we can get through mountains. The number of explosion accidents that happened in the process was not small.” The woman’s blue eyes observed the northern country emblem wrapped around the arm of a hijacker that held a weapon.

“That can’t be. You shouldn’t tell lies. Such a thing was… not in the newspapers, was it?”

Few were the people who would not become uncomfortable upon hearing that the state or nation they belonged to was the evil side. As the gentleman spoke a little indignantly, the woman – Violet Evergarden – spouted forth, “It is not a very well-known story. I, too, heard it by coincidence when I was traveling. I have been to everywhere, after all. Most likely, it can be presumed that this was their impetus… but if that were the case, taking the chance of destroying this train car and killing us should have been the main aim. They have murdered crew members, but seem to regard the lives of us pa.s.sengers as considerably important. There… might be some other purpose…”

The gentleman was shaken at such a frail-looking girl uttering the word “murdered”.

“By that, you mean…?”

“Who knows? Since they have taken us as hostages… it is reasonable to believe that they are making demands to the government.”

The gentleman was not convinced of Violet’s speech, yet was impressed by her intelligent guess.

——Just… what exactly does this girl do for a living?

She was a mysterious young woman who had an appearance akin to a doll that a small child would carry around. The fear that had been enveloping him was settled down a little due to his curiosity towards her.

“Still, that has nothing to do with us. I simply… wanted to attend the wedding of my niece, who lives far away.”

“Yes. However,” Violet continued, “Our circ.u.mstances also do not matter to them. Each side persisting on their convictions is what wars are about. This place can already be considered a battlefield.”

The world, which had been covered by dusk, morphed into evening. The soft glow of the lanterns hanging in the car produced a gentle light that significantly contrasted with such an edgy situation. Blue eyes stared at the state of the water supply procedures outside, the car’s lamps and the men yelling at a few pa.s.sengers that had been taken hostage, respectively.

“I should soon… get going.”

It was then that the gentleman finally noticed. She was not merely observing the situation in silence. She had been aiming for some sort of opening.

“Hey, you, I don’t know what you intend to do, but it’s better to stop…”

“It is completely dark outside. This window is rather large, is it not?”

The gentleman was confused at the remarks that did not make sense.

“Sir, if I may ask, do you smoke cigarettes or cigars?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Do you have matches?”

“In my right pocket…”

“Please allow me to borrow just one of them later.” Saying nothing but that, Violet promptly stood up. She slowly raised a hand to her hair’s bundle of braids.

The gentleman could see that her hand grasped a thinly sharpened silver stick. It was one of her hidden devices, which could be used in both close and long-range combat, but from an ordinary person’s view, it could be perceived as nothing but a thick needle.

However, one of the criminals held Violet at gunpoint as she had started acting odd. “Hey, what are you doing?! Hands up!”

“Understood.” She raised her arms, just as she was told.

The next instant, only the lanterns of the car abruptly burst and the lights went out. The screams of the pa.s.sengers mingled with the hijackers’ angry voices. But there were no gunshots. The sounds of something striking and of breaking gla.s.s continued. And then, it became completely quiet. Everyone was enveloped in bewilderment at the silence that met them amidst the pitch darkness.

What had happened to the hijackers? What had been made of the girl who had suddenly stood up? What on Earth was going on in that vehicle at that moment? While the pa.s.sengers’ minds were filled with questions, fire was lit back within one of the shattered lanterns. A beautiful woman holding a match emerged from the dark like a spirit. With an index finger against her lips, she whispered a “shh”. The woman stood out vividly against the colors of the night. All the pa.s.sengers who took notice of her fell silent under compulsion.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am a traveler. Everyone, I am aware that you must be tired. Please wait a little bit longer. I will now take control… of the guards outside and the freight car.” Saying no more than that, Violet blew out the match’s fire with a whiff.

The gentleman realized then that a match had been taken from his breast pocket without his notice.

Within that world of darkness, only noises began to echo yet again as one of the left-side windows was opened and someone landed outside. The sounds of gravel being stepped on and of someone running ensued. After a short while, a man’s groan could be heard. A few seconds later, there was a rustle of something heavy being dragged. The pa.s.sengers shuddered, astonished with the unexpected turn of events. They then heard a treading over the gravel once more. It was a nimble pacing, coming close to the car. The footsteps of the unseen person fueled the sense of uneasiness in those who had been immersed in fear for a long time span.

“Excuse me.”

“Hih!” The gentleman yelped curtly as the window was casually knocked from outside.

Violet stood in the outer world, where one could rely solely on moons.h.i.+ne, with the moonlight against her back.

“Everyone, make sure to remain quiet. Please escape before the people from the other cars come to attack this one.”

Doll-like clothes, doll-like features. The hints of her humanity were dim in everything about her.

“Do lend a hand to women, elders and children. Please follow along the railway and walk in the opposite direction of the ride. It will most likely take time, but if you go to the nearest station, the military police will definitely grant you protection. It is not a good idea to stay at this station. People who seemed to be station’s staff were speaking friendly with the guards, so there must be other ent.i.ties partic.i.p.ating in this takeover.”

One could tell without directly seeing her fight. She was not an ordinary person.

People started to climb onto the window and come down in a surge.

“What about you? Will not you come with us?” The gentleman asked the mysterious woman whom he was curious about once he set his foot on the ground.

Violet shook her head. “I have something to do here. An incident such as this one is a first ever since the war ended. Most likely, Leidenschaftlich’s army will make its move to deal with the this strife. It is exceedingly difficult to stop a train… which is like a box with people inside, without attacking from the outside. If the inside is emptied, there will be no need for hesitation. It is clear that a battle will commence at one of the next stop stations. Until then, I have to do what I can…”

“That… isn’t something for you to do, right? Let’s all run away together.”

“No…”

Her blue eyes were staring down at the gentleman in front of her, but her consciousness lay elsewhere.

“No, it is something I must do. This is… this is… for the sake of someone whom I wish to become the strength of, even if indirectly.”

She was looking at Gilbert Bougainvillea, who was, somewhere far in the distance, surely spending efforts on the rescue of the citizens.

“Fortunately, I was going to arrive at the place where I was heading to one day earlier than planned. I happened to use this train by coincidence, but there are other means of transportation. If I am still able to contact my head office today, they should be able to prepare a subst.i.tute for my work… This is a rather big incident, so my company’s president might have already antic.i.p.ated this situation and arranged a replacer. That is my only matter of concern.”

“You should be concerned about your own body rather than about such things. It’s dangerous… Aren’t you just a young girl?”

“Do not worry. The night has deepened, so I believe I can take control of this with the least possible damage.”

“‘Control’, you say…”

“Take control” were the words that had spilled from her a while before as well. It was neither “put up a resistance” nor “seize”. The standpoint she spoke of was different. She was planning to force the battle into surrender. That beautiful woman did not seem fearful or nervous in the slightest of being outnumbered.

——I have a feeling… that this is not quite having confidence.

All of her actions appeared to the gentleman as an automatic mechanism.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“I am not.” Her att.i.tude was of someone who was unbothered by the fact that she was about to pick a fight with hijackers.

Soon, the train started moving.

The gentleman thanked her for saving everyone as she climbed back in and asked lastly, “You, what’s your name?”

Violet’s expression grew even more attractive than before as she placed an index finger against her lips without saying anything. As the train was gone, the gentleman was unable to hear her name.

Back at six hours and twenty-seven minutes, Gilbert had sent out an emergency convocation to his own troops, a.s.sembling them at a runway where Nighthawks took flight. All were waiting at a standby place near said runway for the transmission of the operation’s contents, the arming of the troops and the adjustment of the Nighthawk planes to be finalized. He had decided to make use of that time and contact the two men he needed to speak with.

“We are connected to the Leidenschaftlich Navy Ministry.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll borrow this as it is. I’m counting on you to keep people away for now.”

The person from the communication room, whom Gilbert had requested beforehand to make a call to his brother, gave him the seat.

His brother’s voice could soon be heard. “Gil, you had a favor to ask your great older brother?”

It was the tone of someone feigning displeasure, Gilbert thought.

Although Dietfriet requested things from Gilbert, the opposite usually did not happen. Whenever he asked for anything, his brother would take a stance of annoyance, but never refused him. He probably felt indebted to Gilbert for the treatment he had been giving the latter so far.

“Yeah, Brother. I do have a favor.”

There was no way the older one would be unhappy that his younger brother was relying on him.

Gilbert had been able to declare in the meeting that the navy would be mobilized since the chances of success of his appeals were visible. The circ.u.mstances seemed to have been transmitted to the Navy Ministry as well, and so, the request for a battles.h.i.+p to be dispatched and prevent the migration from the port capitol of the North was officially issued.

Even though both were national organizations, Leidenschaftlich’s army and navy were separate ent.i.ties that shared the military budget. A mediator was needed for one to acquire the other’s cooperation, or else, it was quite difficult to do so whenever there was no great gain for either. With the pa.s.sage of time, the fact that Dietfriet had betrayed the Bougainvillea – a family that had joined the army for generations – and enlisted into the navy had been turning into an a.s.set for the two brothers. Just as Gilbert, Dietfriet had carved a position for himself that enabled him to move his troops to a large extent.

“Well, then, I will definitely pay you back for this one day.”

“Bring drinks and celebrate my birthday with me when it comes. That’d be enough.”

“If it’s something like that, I’d do it even without it serving as repayment.” Gilbert replied and was about to hang up, but his fingertips, which had stretched towards the communication equipment, halted at the next words from Dietfriet.

“That’s right… just one more thing. The reason you’re so desperate is because of ‘that’, isn’t it? I saw the newspaper. I ended up spotting ‘that’ in it even without wanting to. Has ‘it’ come to see you? ‘It’ discovered that you survived, right? I was curious as to what happened afterwards. Did you make ‘it’ yours?”

“Hah?”

It was common since their childhood for his brother to prank him, and so, Gilbert thought that had been tasteless witticism at first.

“Stop with the bad jokes at a time like this, Brother. Violet doesn’t know of my survival.”

Silence.

“Brother?”

“It wasn’t a joke. I see… I was sure ‘it’ was gonna go see you as soon as possible, but I was wrong, huh? So ‘it’ is laying low because of this situation… Since you’re so nice, you stayed away in order to give ‘it’ a peaceful life, so you’re sure to be worrying that ‘it’ might find out about you because of this emergency rescue plan. Don’t fret. ‘It’ already knows.”

“What… What are you saying…?” Cold sweat slowly trailed down his back. “There’s… no way she would.” His voice was faltering.

“But it seems it is. Last time I saw you during the Flying Letters… I told you I had seen ‘it’, right? Back then, ‘it’ asked me… if you were alive. I gave an answer that neither affirmed nor denied anything. And so, ‘it’… she became convinced. That you were alive, I mean.”

Although Gilbert could not change what had already happened, he felt like saying “wait up”. His vision went white. He was dizzy enough to be on the verge of throwing up. With a hand on his lips, he stayed quiet.

——Violet… knows?

“Hey, Gil. You okay?”

He had heard in detail from Hodgins about how much his lie had afflicted and saddened her. If she had found out he was alive, then Gilbert was nothing to Violet other than the Lord who had tossed her away without so much as praising her military deeds. There would be no helping it if she came to hate him.

“Why… did you do something so uncalled for…?!”

Intense wrath engulfed Gilbert’s heart. He was close to venting, but the only outlet for his rage was his brother.

“Like I care. Don’t involve me in your blind love mess. I didn’t answer, but she was convinced of it. That’s all.”

“You think it’s unrelated to you… Brother, you always… Just how am I supposed to face her…?!”

“The people closest to you are family, right? It looked like she had always been believing that you had lived. When she confirmed that you really were, how can I put it? Well, she had her eyes s.h.i.+ning like an idiot. If she hasn’t gone there to see you… that’s right. There’s only one thing I can think of. Since she’s a tool, she’s waiting for her Master to pick her back up. She’s probably antic.i.p.ating a moment when she’ll be needed… ‘cause she’s stupid. It’s a good opportunity, so go fetch her.”

“Brother—!!”

“You were preparing yourself for the worst while making this emergency rescue plan, right? Be thankful to your older brother for giving you this push. Bye, Gil. Leave the sea to me. Next time we meet will be on my birthday… Love ya.”

“Brother, wait!”

The line was turned off one-sidedly. Gilbert was mute out of great perplex.

Perhaps people were waiting for the conversation to end, as the door was knocked from outside the communication room. Someone from his troops handed him a baggage with weapons and ammo that he had specified. The one who had brought the baggage was concerned about Gilbert’s oozing distress, taking it merely as a glimpse of the intense negotiations with the navy, but in reality, that was not the case.

While checking the baggage’s contents, Gilbert held firmly onto the gun. Should he shoot a bullet into his own head, his worries over everything he was shouldering would surely be gone, but he could not do so.

He then contacted Leidenschaftlich’s CH Postal Service. A girl with a young-sounding voice answered the phone, but informed him that they were on temporary closing for the day. It seemed that they already knew about the hijacking incident.

“Please announce… that I called to offer help in the hijacking case of the intercontinental train. One of your members is in it, right? If you just say that I am from the Leidenschaftlich army, he should be able to know who it is…”

He could faintly hear a state of agitation on the other side of the line. It was a shout from his old friend, followed by the thud of something like a chair being knocked over as someone stood up, rustles of falling paperwork, and finally, he was able to catch sounds of breathing.

“Gilbert! You… Where have you been and doing what?!” A voice clearly coated in anger echoed in his ears stridently. Regardless, Gilbert wound up feeling joy. It had truly been a long time since he had last talked to Claudia Hodgins.

“I heard just a moment ago from the secretary that you had contacted the army. Sorry. I was in a meeting.”

“Don’t go having meetings while one of my employees is in major trouble! You… know what’s up, don’t you? The army is making its move, right? I mean on the hijacking case of the intercontinental train! She is… she is…”

“I am aware. Violet is on board, isn’t she? There was a photo of her in the newspaper.”

Hodgins was dumbfounded at Gilbert’s casual response and soon retorted, “Don’t speak so calmly!” Losing his composure even more, he started making odd claims, “I am the way I am, and you were supposed to be like me too. You were supposed to be like that all along.”

——He’s sentimental, and a boisterous guy.

Gilbert ended up laughing. He felt embarra.s.sed of how much he had longed for that noisy friend of his in the meantime they had not talked to one another. Not letting it show that he was just as anxious as the latter, he replied with words that were not solely his vanity, but also merged with his true sentiments, “As if I can afford to lose my mind. During times of crisis, it’s my duty to come up with means of protecting the citizens.”

“Does Little Violet… count as one of those citizens?”

“Obviously.”

“Are you mad… that I let Little Violet get in danger even though you entrusted her to me?”

Gilbert was sincerely surprised to be asked something completely different. “What are you saying? I’m grateful to you. I wouldn’t have entrusted her… to anyone but you. You’re a man with sense of responsibility, so I left her to you. But that has nothing to do with what is happening now.”

“I don’t think so.”

Gilbert realized what Hodgins was talking about as if he had grasped the matter with his hands. Even though he was not at fault, blaming himself while wondering what else he could have done was a trait of his best friend’s personality.

“Hodgins.”

“What?”

“You’re my number one friend.”

“What’s with that, out of the blue…?”

“Hodgins. A friend like you… won’t show up before me again. You’re that important, even if you don’t want it. I’m the same to you too, aren’t I? That’s why… I thought you were taking my sins lightly. You asked me why I had let go of Violet and told me to come see her, right? And said I shouldn’t call you unless I reconsidered it.”

“I did. I definitely did.”

“I… I keenly felt that I was the last person she should see, so I let her go. When we first met, I had thought it was best for me to watch over her while keeping her at arm distance, but that was a façade, and in the end, I used her as a tool.”

“But that… under those circ.u.mstances, there was no helping it. I would have done the same.”

“Is that really so? I… don’t think you would. How is she now, the Violet that you guided and raised? If I… hadn’t made the wrong choice… if I hadn’t raised her by my side, she would have grown up without knowing the battlefield. The current Violet is how she was originally supposed to be. That’s why it’s not your fault if something like this happens in the process. For starters, this was an accident.”

“If you’re gonna say that, I can shoot it right back at ya. Don’t make it seem like Little Violet fighting alongside you in the war was something bad. That’s blasphemy against every soldier we lived with in that period. The problem was how you would have guided her after that. And it was then I got angry because you were prioritizing only your own feelings and not thinking about Little Violet. But, listen! I’ll cease fire temporarily. Now isn’t the time to be on break-up. We’re both her guardians. Let’s save her.” His tone was determined and seemed to deliver the heated, glaring gaze of his greyish blue orbs even through the communication equipment.

“I agree with that… For her sake, anything I can do… In order to keep her away from the army, I have done several preparations to prevent her return. Personal connections, merits… I devoted myself for everything to be the utmost and very best. I’m in the middle of that even now. If it’s to protect Violet, I won’t nitpick methods.”

“So, you’re gonna put up a cool pose like, ‘whatever is not for her sake… shall be excluded, even if that is myself’ and protect her from the shadows?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

By the looks of it, Hodgins also did not seem to know the truth. Then Violet had concluded on her own that Gilbert had survived and, as Dietfriet had said, was simply waiting for him. For her Master to come retrieve her.

“But I wonder about that… Soon, the lie I pinned into her might be busted. There’s a high chance I’ll come in contact with Violet.”

After a brief silence, Hodgins’s request for repet.i.tion in the form of a “Haah!?” resounded loudly. He finally took notice of turbine sounds coming from behind Gilbert. “Wait a bit, then where… are you now?”

“Near a runway that was reserved for my troops’ Nighthawks. I’m currently coordinating the departure.” Gilbert loaded his gun while speaking. He had also taken off his military uniform and finished changing into his battle outfit. The latter felt more familiar on his body.

“Of Leidenschaftlich’s Special Offense Force!? Yo-You… are commanding them and going for the rescue?!”

“That’s right.”

“You… said you wouldn’t see her! Is it okay if you do?!”

Silence. Gilbert believed the conversation would drag on for much longer if he revealed that Violet apparently knew about his survival.

“Why are you quiet? Isn’t that it?”

“When everything is over, I’ll apologize and report to you too. This is in order to save Violet. There’s no other option anymore. If we do end up meeting, I’ll beg for forgiveness…”

Their time to talk was shortening.

“Then prepare yourself for the worst. This is something that you caused.” Hodgins said something similar to what Dietfriet had. “So, what will you do once the Nighthawks take flight? Don’t tell me you’ll jump onto the train while it’s moving?”

“That’s right.”

“You really… are insane sometimes! A knight-in-s.h.i.+ny-armor gone crazy over love! Haha! I’ll praise you for that.”

Hodgins’s laughter could be heard. As Gilbert was unable to counter-argue, his face reddened.

“By the way, eh, are you… still a lieutenant-colonel? Wasn’t there some deal about you receiving other two rank promotions?”

“You’re full of questions… They waited for my injuries to heal. I became a colonel a few days ago.” With his prosthetic left arm, Gilbert stroked the eyepatch on his palm, which hid the right eye he had lost. Even with only one side of his vision, his handling of weapons had not deteriorated.

“And yet you’re the one in command!? That’s even more insane! The higher-ups sure made a great concession!”

“No more mocking, Hodgins. I told you, didn’t I? If it’s for Violet’s sake, I don’t nitpick my methods. Of course, our objective is to settle down the current situation, but there’s no way that can be done without me commanding on-site. Earlier, you said you’d do everything you can. If those words weren’t a lie, I want you to show me your data-acquiring skills. Is there any information that the military doesn’t know of?”

“Got it. I’ll tell you. But lemme just say one thing.”

“What is it…?”

“You… turn into a huge idiot when it comes to Little Violet, huh. I… like that a lot.”

“Shut up.”

Why was that? Between friends, even if they spent a long while without speaking to each other, once they eventually opened their mouths and reached out to one another, they would end up talking as if the flow of time in that gap had never existed. The two forgot about back when they had stopped contacting each other and begun to chatter.

“I’ll say what we have here, so you tell me too. Let’s have an info exchange. The hijackers had in them the national emblem of a certain northern country, Rohand. Remnants of an extremist party that also caused trouble before by raiding a construction site when the railroad of the intercontinental train was being made are in that group. Still, it seems they were not supposed to be a number of people significant enough to cause such a big incident… they might’ve gotten more collaborators.”

Gilbert ran a pen through his notebook. He also spoke about what he had heard during the meeting, as well as about the demands for a political offender kept in the Altair Prison to be handed over and to migrate to another continent in exchange for the pa.s.sengers. He was aware that they were not ones to negotiate with in normal circ.u.mstances.

“Our information and yours aren’t that different in terms of freshness. The train is currently making a stop at a water supply point. It’s been confirmed through the supplementary information from the Leidenschaftlich National