"Thank you for choosing this train. Your presence was a great honor for me."
The balding train worker stood with his back straight, waving goodbye with a smile.
Myra waved back, while Cyril ignored him.
I am sure it was.
"It actually is. He should be more grateful. It's his biggest achievement in life, something to tell his descendants."
"..."
They were now standing on a platform near a row of small buildings. This was the last station this train went to, there weren't any rails placed further.
"Where to now?" Cyril shot his companion a look.
Instead of answering, Myra observed the rest of the train, trying to find something.
Eventually her gaze settled on a particular car near the end, where a handful of people in shabby clothing were carrying crates.
"It should be them! Let's go."
Them?
Myra quickly ran in that direction. Cyril calmly walked after her.
"Hey!"
To her excited yell, one of the people turned in confusion.
Surprise suddenly colored his face, and he waved back.
"Myra! How come you are here?"
To his voice the others turned their heads with similar surprise.
As Myra finally came closer to them, they all gathered together with wonder in their eyes.
"Oh, did you become taller?"
"Yes, she is taller than you now, haha!"
"You decided to visit home? Polly would be so happy!"
"Did demons really attack the Tower?"
Myra awkwardly tried to answer all the questions.
Cyril slowly walked closer, observing the doting looks on their faces.
What is happening?
As he approached, Myra flinched and ran up to join him.
"I am here with my classmate, Cyril. Can we use your carriage, Uncle Otto?" She said to a middle-aged man wearing a sun hat.
"Of course you can!"
The man's doting smile changed to a smirk.
"I really didn't expect that unruly girl would suddenly bring a man home. Should I congratulate you?"
"..."
"What a country bumpkin! It's impossible for you to be attracted to some average-looking, basically ugly, and violence-loving stalker..."
The butterfly on his shoulder fluttered her wings defensively, her compound eyes locked on the men.
The smile on Myra's face turned slightly stiff.
"We are here on... academy business. My village was just close, so I proposed we take a break there."
"Is that so?" The worker narrowed his eyes, giving Cyril to the side a scan.
Upon meeting the cold blue eyes, the man flinched and looked back at Myra.
"What's wrong with me? It's just a lad..." He whispered to himself.
"Ahem! ...We'll drive the carriage back as soon as we are done loading onto the train."
He pointed with a finger towards a particularly bulky car of the train.
There near the loading area stood a train worker, shooting awkward glances towards them.
"Haha, they are usually so full of themselves, ordering us around! Look at them not daring to interrupt us now, thank you, Myra!'
Myra gave a thumbs-up and a nod.
"I'll help too."
She rolled up her sleeves and approached the crates still left on the carriage.
Why don't they use magic to help?
...They probably can't.
"Country bumpkins, like I said. Worse than waste."
Just as he was silently walking after Myra, Otto stepped in their path.
"No need. Leave the physical labor to us! You mages should stay in libraries, this job requires strength!" He dismissively shook his head, then flexed his arm.
Myra gave him one long look, then smirked.
"Watch this then."
She quickly cast a spell, her body flashing for a second, and walked up to Otto.
Picking him up by his shirt, she lifted him off the ground with one hand.
"Wowow! Ok, I get it! Let go of me! It's embarrassing!"
The others around them laughed openly and loudly, coloring Otto's face in subtle red.
Myra let go and dusted off her hands with a smirk.
"That's not even anything too impressive."
She proudly pointed with her palm toward Cyril.
"Cyril here has strength surpassing all of you put together without casting a single spell!"
"..."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"That fair-skinned lad? Doesn't look that strong..."
"No cheating with weird light stuff, right?"
Skeptical gazes pierced Cyril from all around, while Myra looked on expectantly.
...Fine.
Under their eyes Cyril walked up to the carriage, the butterfly on his shoulder proudly fluttering her wings.
There were about 6 crates left, each about the size of a table.
He observed them for a second, trying to find a good way of transporting them.
This should do it.
"Unhitch the horses." He motioned with his head towards one of the men near the carriage.
Confused and intrigued, the man obliged and took the horses by their leashes.
Cyril nodded, then put his hand under the carriage and raised it.
As if picking up a toy, the carriage was easily lifted off the ground.
Using both of his hands, Cyril completely lifted the carriage in the air and walked towards the train.
On his face, not even a drop of sweat.
It's not that heavy actually...
"Enduring this smell is way harder. What is this even?"
Fish, I think.
Walking up towards the loading area, he tilted the carriage, and the crates slid downward, where the awe-struck train workers caught them.
With this done, Cyril calmly walked back, put the carriage in its place, and looked around.
The people from the village were silent, their faces blank.
Are they scared now?
After a second, their reaction finally came.
"Really!?"
"That's inhuman!"
"Is everyone in Ailanthus like this!?"
They looked at him with excitement and awe, starting to whisper between themselves and Myra.
Cyril calmly observed them.
Even if their voices lacked any of the usual wariness, he still saw fear hidden deep within their eyes.
"Of course! Weak humans fear what they don't understand. And these guys are the weakest of the weakest!"
Myra walked up to him and raised her hand in front of him.
"Good job!"
Cyril stared at her palm for a few seconds, not reacting otherwise.
Myra's hand moved, and she awkwardly scratched her cheek instead.
"Myra! How is he so strong?"
She turned towards the still excited workers. They scanned Cyril from top to bottom as if trying to find some trick.
"Some people with a high concentration of magic will be affected by it physically, their bodies changing."
"..."
"...They trick themselves, it's too easy."
"Magic sure is convenient." Otto gave a long sigh.
...
"It's not that far from here. We should arrive by twelve." Myra explained to Cyril with a nod.
They were seated on the end of a carriage. To free up some space two people from the group changed to riding a horse instead.
Cyril listened to Myra talk about her village while looking at the passing greenery.
The tall and short grass, the trees swaying in the wind, the bickering of insects, the birds flying above them, the whole world seemed alive.
The butterfly flew around the carriage, exploring to her heart's content.
It feels different from visiting a park.
He mused as he observed a rabbit run past in the distance.
The city had plenty of recreational places for its tired citizens to enjoy. They were not small in size either.
However, Cyril never felt they were worthwhile to visit.
"If only there was more mana, it would've been perfect." Rhamn sighed with despair, sitting perfectly balanced on the carriage railing.
We'll get used to it.
As they left the train his 'travel sickness' became a bit worse.
"Is there no magic to make him feel better?" Asked a curious villager.
"I am fine." Cyril coldly replied, sitting up straight again.
"...If you say so."
"-so Shamrock is a fishing village, and it occasionally floods there, especially during this season." Myra continued.
"Uncle Otto, when is the next flood happening?"
The middle-aged man adjusted the sun hat on his head with a wry smile.
"It could happen any day, actually."
"Yes! Lucky..."
"You know, not all like to play in that water..."
Myra was unperturbed, "I think it's fun."
"And what do you think?" Otto asked despite Cyril's cold stare.
"...To each their own."
"I am sure you'll like it."
"During the flood, fish swim among the huts. It's fun to look at, beautiful even. It's like nature intertwined with humanity." Myra said with a deep stare.
"Is it also fun to catch them with bare hands like some wild woman?" Otto had a knowing smile.
"...Yes. Though there is no need to put it like that."
Myra turned her face away from them, it losing any semblance of depth.
Cyril observed her gradually reddening face and looked back towards the greenery around him.
"She really looks like she is on a regular trip home to have fun. Why take us?"
...We'll see.