Chapter 58
“Possession. Is that really what it is?”
At Mist's question for confirmation, Ariel nodded heavily, her face somewhat darkened.
Mist gazed at Ariel and cautiously shared her opinion.
“Could you use the communicator to properly explain to me and the others what possession is?”
As a member of House Nebula's [Shadow], Mist naturally had basic knowledge of heretical powers.
The problem was Abel, her master.
Information limited to what the world generally knew about possession would not be enough.
They needed more definite information to fight possession.
At Mist's words, Ariel nodded and activated the communicator to tell Abel about possession.
“Phew...”
A short while later.
After explaining possession to Abel, Ariel moved immediately.
“Let's go.”
They had to move right now.
Since they didn't know when this possession technique had been activated, delaying could mean the possessed person's consciousness might disappear at any moment, making this a dangerous situation.
Mist also knew how dangerous the current situation was, and just as she was about to compose herself and move, it happened.
Tap. Tap.
A strange sound resounded in Mist's head.
It was a strange sound, as though someone were tapping on a piece of clothing.
“What is this...?”
A code?
Mist's mind began spinning rapidly after she suddenly received the code.
Only a limited number of people could have sent it.
Right now, there were only Bellias and Abel.
But Bellias had made the communicator, and at this distance, he was enough of a monster to send telepathy without using it.
Then that meant Abel had sent this signal.
“Mist?”
Although she heard Ariel's voice, Mist simply stood there and began decoding Abel's signal.
A short while later.
“Lady Ariel...”
After decoding Abel's entire signal, Mist slightly furrowed her brow and looked at Ariel.
“Lord Abel says there's been a slight problem.”
The contents of the code contained bad news.
“But...”
Mist chose her words for a moment before slowly continuing.
“The code Lord Abel was sending suddenly cut off midway.”
The code had been cut off.
Ariel was not so foolish that she couldn't understand what those words meant.
“...”
The two of them immediately rushed out of the compartment and moved to check on Abel's situation.
***
This is troublesome.
That was the first thought that occurred to me as I left the lounge and began moving through the train.
“Ah, crew member!”
First, I was spotted while discreetly heading toward the room Mist had mentioned.
“Um, could I perhaps take a picture with you?”
Once my location was exposed, the gazes of countless female students began focusing on me, as if they were looking at an idol.
Because of my deal with the chairman, I responded to the requests of the students approaching me with an unfamiliar smile.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
A noble-looking female student looked delighted enough to fly.
She handed her camera to a female student who appeared to be her friend, then stuck herself tightly against my stomach.
“That student?”
“Yes?”
She was touching me—in more ways than one.
But the girl looked up at me with such an innocent expression that I found it difficult to say anything.
Should I tell her to back off because her breasts were pressing against my stomach?
That would sound like sexual harassment. There was no way I could say that.
No, if it were normally me, I might have said it.
The problem was that I now had to perform the role of a crew member perfectly.
Press.
A crew member could never be rude to a passenger aboard the train.
Press.
A crew member was basically required to comply with a passenger's requests unless they were unreasonable.
Press.
So even though I was uncomfortable with such close contact, I couldn't refuse.
“Oh my, oh my. Look at his face turning red. Big brother crew member.”
[Cute, isn't he?]
The female student whispered into my ear.
Should I consider it fortunate that she interpreted my reddened face, caused by embarrassment and anger toward the chairman, that way?
“Hahaha. Aren't you going to take the picture?”
Click.
Only then did the camera flash go off as I looked at her with a trembling face.
'It's over...'
After barely surviving the time it took to take a picture with the girl, I let out a sigh of relief internally, only to turn my head and freeze at the sight of countless female students staring at me.
Every student was holding a camera and looking at me.
It was obvious to anyone what intentions had brought them here.
I let out a hollow laugh and moved quickly to escape the situation.
“Ah, I'm next! This time, a wall slam! Please do the wall-slam pose!!”
I performed a wall slam for an arrogant-looking noble girl who clearly appeared to be the daughter of a high-ranking noble.
“Eek! Me, me next! Please gently stroke my rabbit ears!”
I gently stroked the ears of a nonhuman girl who appeared to be a rabbit beastkin.
“M-me, me, me! Could I get a back-hug kind of pose?!”
As I fulfilled the request of a brown-haired girl who appeared to be a cat beastkin, I couldn't hide my bewilderment at this strange situation.
'This is strange...'
The crowd had gathered in numbers beyond anything I had imagined.
It was suspicious. Far too suspicious.
I had expected an excessive amount of attention to gather.
But for it to gather this quickly and this broadly?
'Something's going on.'
I racked my brain as I carried an elf-looking girl in my arms like a princess.
In terms of dates, I had only been aboard this train for two days.
Yet on this enormous train, had a crowd really gathered simply because of the appearance of a crew member who had been here for only two days?
Besides, their behavior was strange.
They were treating me so shamelessly, as if they were looking at an idol they admired.
'Something's going on.'
As the question continued to occupy my thoughts, Ariel's voice began echoing in my head.
[This is Ariel. Can you hear me?]
[I've found out what the confirmed heretical power on this train is.]
[Possession.]
[Yes. It seems the heretical power to be used in this attack is possession.]
'The possession technique?'
While fulfilling the request of a dwarf girl, I focused on Ariel's voice in my head.
[Though we call it possession, there is another reason this possession technique was designated as a heretical power.]
[Of course, possession itself is dangerous, but the derived power was the problem.]
'Derived?'
It was frustrating that I couldn't immediately respond to the questions arising in my mind.
There were already so many people crowding around me that I couldn't even speak freely.
As if she had guessed my questions, Ariel's voice gave me a clear explanation.
[Someone skilled in possession can split off part of their consciousness and implant it in another person to brainwash them, which is why possession was designated as a heretical power.]
[Ah, let me correct that. Though I say brainwashing, it is closer to a form of guidance.]
[Guiding someone's consciousness to move according to one's own thoughts.]
At Ariel's words, I involuntarily looked at the female students gathered around me.
[Of course, it is only guidance, not complete brainwashing, so don't worry.]
[It is closer to amplifying emotions they already possessed or that have arisen.]
The sudden attention focused on me.
The unidentified organization definitely knew who I was.
The most important thing in this infiltration operation was probably to minimize standing out.
But look at my situation.
The girls' eyes looked as though they were watching an idol they admired.
'Damn.'
[First, we need to find the possessed person and completely separate them.]
'I've been had.'
[Let's move quickly. If we're not careful, the possessed person's will may disappear, and they could turn into a puppet.]
'I can't move right now.'
[Let's gather first and exchange information.]
Female students were approaching me one after another.
Because of my deal with the chairman, it was impossible to ignore them.
Clench.
The situation had become more tangled than I could have imagined, and I involuntarily made a nasty smile as I clenched one hand until it made a sound.
'No, first I need to deal with my current situation.'
Before coming here, I had established a signal in case something happened to me. I never thought I'd have to use it.
Tap. Tap. Tap-tap.
[I am currently.]
Like Morse code, I discreetly generated mana in a steady rhythm to tap against my body.
Bellias or Mist would probably receive this signal and learn of my situation.
Swish. Tap. Tap-tap.
[Unable to move.]
Tap-tap-tap.
[Changing the operation based on personal judgment...]
Just as I was about to send the code to the others, however—
I stopped dead.
'No, wait a second.'
I looked around.
The voices of the female students who had gathered to take pictures rang out from every direction.
It wasn't as if I disliked it.
Who would dislike someone showing them pure affection?
Even if their consciousness had been guided by possession, these girls wouldn't have acted if they had not already felt some affection for me.
But this uncontrolled situation was a problem.
“Phew...”
“Oppa?”
Murmur. Murmur.
Maybe they sensed something strange because I had suddenly stopped while complying with their requests.
Or perhaps they were startled because the atmosphere around me had changed all at once.
Since I wasn't them, I had no way of knowing.
‘Wait… am I free now?’
The condition that I become a perfect crew member while aboard this train had been based on the premise that no attack would occur.
In other words, at this point, with decisive evidence of heresy guaranteed by Saintess Ariel, the fact that an unwelcome presence was aboard this train was practically proven.
'Then it doesn't matter?'
I no longer needed to play the role of a crew member that had never been part of my plans.
Tap-tap.
Once that thought occurred to me, I began undoing the top buttons of my suffocating crew uniform.
[Aaaaaaah!!!]
At the same time, screams like cheers erupted from the girls around me.
Ignoring the screams, I tossed off my hat, roughly swept my hair back, and looked at the noisy, murmuring girls.
“Now, students?”
Snap!
A simple finger snap.
At the same time, the mana released by my finger snap silenced every sound around me, creating a soundless zone for a brief moment.
So that only my voice echoed.
“Good. It's quiet now.”
There was no need to speak harshly.
They had followed me because they liked me.
Being harsh to people showing me goodwill—especially pure goodwill—wasn't my style.
No, this went beyond style. It was basic human decency.
“Could you listen to me for a moment?”
Informal speech slipped out before I knew it.
But I didn't care.
Counting my previous life, I was older than them anyway.
What about these other races?
Who cares.
With gentle eyes that nevertheless failed to hide my irritation, I opened my mouth to the students staring blankly at me.
“I have something I need to do.”
A very important job, at that: catching the bastard trying to attack you—or rather, this train.
But if you all remain gathered like this, won't that make it difficult?
“So I need to leave for a little while. So...”
Of course, I didn't reveal the truth.
If they panicked, things would certainly become troublesome.
So I decided to tell them to move aside first.
Carefully, that is.
[Move aside.]
But the words that came out of my mouth were completely different from what I had intended.
Maybe it was because I was irritated, but even I was surprised by my own low, rough voice.
I realized my mistake as soon as I said it, but even after uttering those words, I found myself silently looking down at the students, who were filled with a bizarre silence.
[Yeeees…]