'Hold on.'
"...Janeus, have you read through this information file yet?"
Ron did not look up at the girl again. He continuously flipped through the information reports.
Of course, as was often the case, there was nothing of significance. Part of it was likely because the occult incident had already spread beforehand.
"...In any case... the rules seem to align with what I predicted."
Ron spoke as he picked up the report concerning the man he had robbed of money, Mooroe.
He had known from the beginning that the train car was an occult object, meaning a place that once contained an occult event, carrying some sort of unique characteristic itself.
Initially, he also thought it fell roughly into:
Spatial isolation.
Permission to kill.
Magic limitation.
But from the information just now, he had deduced something.
'Is it that easy to guess? A riddle meant for me?'
Particularly when he looked at the folder of photographic reports documenting the moment the train was opened, he seemed to comprehend something.
"Janeus... Princess, I think for the time being, could you follow me back to the hospital? This is quite important. I need to cross reference the information, I seem to have realized something."
Ron earnestly pleaded with Janeus, but what answered him was only the mechanical coldness of an authority figure.
"Are you commanding me? Where are your manners? Ron Irus?"
Ron seemed caught off guard by Janeus's words. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly understood what she meant.
'Slow down by one beat. Proper manners. Commanding.'
Ron glanced to both sides. He felt something drawing close.
"..."
Ron immediately yanked the fishing line in his right hand, causing something to bulge up from the ground.
"My beloved and respected Royal Highness, are you certain about your proclamations?!"
"Still not polite enough. I shall state this: there are three different rules that commoners like you need to learn more about."
'Three? Three distances.'
BANG~
...
"Ugh... what time is it now—"
The young girl sat up after a long coma. She threw her blanket aside to search for something.
"Mark?! Where are you?! Mark~?"
"Ah—Sister, you are awake?"
The girl startled upon hearing a familiar, young, and energetic voice from behind her.
"Mark?! How are you?!"
Bordering on hysteria, the girl lunged toward the source of the sound within a fraction of a second.
"Mark, here you are. Are you alright?"
She embraced the boy and felt around his body, terrified that some sort of lingering sequelae would still manifest on his frame, or fearing that something was still wrong with him.
"Nothing is wrong with me... Sister, don't worry, I am fine. He helped me. But your eyes, sister, you..."
Paying no heed to the final part of her younger brother's words, she recalled that last night she was indeed fortunate to have encountered a certain mysterious man.
She had spoken with him for a brief moment, but then her memories vanished at some unknown point. What had been told, she could not remember.
"...Alright, you don't need to concern yourself with my eyes. It is wonderful enough that you are fine. Mark, where is that man now? Let me go thank him."
Disregarding the wound beneath the layers of bandages wrapped around her face, the girl patted the child's head and inquired about the person who had saved the two siblings.
Click~
"Ah, young lady, you are awake?"
Suddenly, she caught a voice coming from afar. Within a split second, a surge of fear welled up in her heart, but she managed to suppress it.
"A-Ah, is that you? The person who saved the two of us. Thank you very much."
The girl clumsily thanked the man, but what answered her was only another awkward response.
"Ah—Um, you don't need to thank me. I am not the person who helped you. What I mean is, I did help inspect and protect you and the boy, but I am not the one who saved you from critical danger. In any case, he is not here. If you wish to express your gratitude, you can wait until he returns."
Lunas, who was entering through the door of the hospital room while carrying a tray filled with some food and a little medicine for the two siblings, spoke.
"Well, alright. My name is Lunas. I am here to assist the two of you. If anything happens, remember to call my name."
Lunas cordially placed the food into the hands of the sister and the younger brother, offering a highly friendly smile to both of them.
The girl seemed to want to say something, then suddenly fell silent, appearing to be fearful of something.
"Ah, um... Hello, Mr. Lunas. My name is Emy, and I am a historical researcher belonging to the social sciences department at the university of—"
BANG~
While the girl named Emy was speaking, a terrifying sound suddenly transmitted from outside the window, like something howling in the wind.
"!?"
She immediately pulled her younger brother Mark back into her embrace, terrified that something would slaughter him.
"...An explosion near the seaport! Is it the train station?!"