As Rita Rozay-en departed, I stood up slowly and returned to my cabin, while Waver appeared to be engaging in conversation with Olga Marie, who had approached him.
Upon returning to my room, I activated the Rinnegan and began a slow scan of the entire Rail Zeppelin. I quickly arrived at the conclusion: 'No significant anomalies detected.'
'What Olga Marie Animusphere is after is likely assistance with the auction. She's probably eyeing the Rainbow-rank Mystic Eyes, and if she has the backing of the Third Magician who accompanied Waver, outbidding everyone for them wouldn't be just a dream.'
In the original history, Animusphere had approached Waver—who had become Lord El-Melloi II—with topics regarding the Holy Grail War and requested his cooperation. In exchange, they offered the intent to repay a portion of the debts he owed to Animusphere.
For a Lord El-Melloi II drowning in debt, it was a profitable trade in many ways; he could put the Animusphere faction in his debt just by participating in a few auctions and alleviate his own massive financial burden...
'But things are different here.'
Waver, far from drowning in debt, is soaring as a star lecturer in the Department of Modern Magecraft. His faction has grown to the point where it can engage in political maneuvers against the El-Melloi main branch. Of course, it's all a charade orchestrated by Kayneth and Waver, with Solau providing silent backing, but still.
Furthermore, this isn't simply El-Melloi II moving as the weakest Lord; it is I, the Third Magician, who is taking action. The sheer weight of presence is different... and Waver surely knows that as well.
"Hm?"
Right then, along with a slight jolt of the train, a stiff voice echoed throughout the cars.
[This is the conductor, Rodin. This train will remain stationed at this leyline for approximately two hours before departing again. Guests are free to spend their time as they wish, whether staying inside or taking a stroll outside.]
A short while later, the Rail Zeppelin came to a halt as if performing an emergency stop. The passengers disembarked one by one, beginning to partake in the afternoon tea and light finger foods prepared by the Rail Zeppelin staff.
The one enjoying it most enthusiastically was none other than Jean Mario, the mage who often appeared on TV. He was shamelessly approaching and striking up conversations with those around him.
"Man, I tell you. It's my first time on the Rail Zeppelin, but the service is quite abundant, isn't it? The view outside the window being nothing but fog was tedious, so being able to enjoy the train's exterior like this isn't bad... though I wish they'd let us off somewhere with a better view. What do you think, Lord Third Magician?"
"It suits me fine. These sandwiches are delicious."
However, my attention was entirely focused on Waver.
Originally, the 'true culprit' who stole the fragment of Iskandar's mantle from Waver should have sent a message by now... yet there was still no message. Of course, since Doctor Heartless, who had disguised himself as Waver's student, hadn't boarded, I had no idea how things might have changed.
"By the way, this train is full of nothing but stiff and taciturn people... the Animusphere girl was talking only about herself and is now quietly sipping tea, and I'm too scared to even talk to the Holy Church person..."
"Aren't you going to speak with the Department of Policies, Mr. Jean Mario?"
"...Is there anyone who actually wants to talk to that snake? That would be a horror movie, Mr. Waver."
At that moment, Rita Rozay-en—who had changed from her uniform into a provocative and flashy party dress—stepped forward and shouted with a voice amplified by magecraft.
"Welcome to our new passengers!"
"...Ah, that's right. The Rail Zeppelin picks up new passengers every time it stops."
"Indeed..."
We quickly returned to the Rail Zeppelin and began to wait for the people boarding after us.
Soon, the doors opened following Rita Rozay-en's energetic command... and the first to react was none other than Karabo Frampton of the Holy Church.
"...You are...!"
"Hmm, an Executor. I didn't expect to meet a 'fellow' member of the Holy Church here..."
"What business do you have here, Father Kotomine... and accompanied by the Burial Agency, no less?"
"Isn't a family visit quite a common occurrence? As a member of the clergy myself, I haven't come here to purchase Mystic Eyes, so rest easy, Executor Karabo."
"...If you're accompanied by the Burial Agency, I have no choice but to believe you, Father Kotomine."
First to board was Kotomine Kirei, carrying Caren Ortensia on his back.
"Le-Lev! How did you get here?"
"Hmm, Marisbury was rather persistent... he said leaving you with just one attendant made him uneasy in many ways."
A man dressed entirely in green: a green suit, a green hat, and green shoes.
A piece of trash who adds honorifics to the end of every sentence and acts kindly to everyone, yet hides contempt and loathing within... truly, the one I had predicted might show up in the worst-case scenario... Leif Leito Flubber... no, Lev Lainur Flauros.
"...Karma, is he going to be okay?"
"There's a limit on his output, so it's fine. Besides, if he went on a rampage right now, he'd be turned into minced meat by me, Rita Rozay-en over there, and the Executor duo..."
And then...
"...I nearly missed it."
"Holy hell."
Really, I mean it.
I couldn't understand at all why that bastard was showing up here. I could understand Flauros because Olga Marie was here, and I was prepared for him to pop up at any time.
"I received your previous invitation well, Third Magician. You ruined my work quite splendidly."
Well, of course.
"...Souren Araya."
"Is he someone you know, Karma?"
How on earth did that bastard get on this train?
*
Be wary of variables and be ready to face them at any time.
The King of Demon Gods is a transcendental being who pressures me with bizarre moves I could never even imagine, and I have been occupied just defending against them.
Naturally, I tried to predict the moves he would throw at me as attacks, and I had anticipated that Flauros would show himself before me using Olga Marie as an excuse. In fact, now is the best situation for Flauros to contact me.
On the surface, he is Marisbury's subordinate, and attacking him would naturally be a declaration of war against Marisbury Animusphere.
Marisbury would undoubtedly use that as a pretext to tear into the Third Magician and the Einzberns, who are fighting for Chaldea's shares. It would also make it incredibly difficult for me to merge my shares with Waver's to swallow the remainder after Marisbury's death.
However, committing a 'silencing of witnesses' nonchalantly is problematic because there are no allies on this train.
Rita Rozay-en is a Dead Apostle to begin with and likely has no reason to like me, so she's out of the question.
Waver would follow my lead without question, but his personal skill is lacking; rather, if he moves, I have to be wary of the Department of Policies, which might move in tandem.
Kotomine's combat power is excellent, and he has more than enough skill to support my back... but the existence of Caren Ortensia, who essentially has zero combat capability, is a problem. Moreover, with the presence of another Executor like Karabo, moving would be even more troublesome.
'Besides, almost all the techniques I use are public knowledge on the surface.'
If I used the Human Path, I could kill him as many times as I wanted with just a touch, but since I am the only human on this train who can touch the soul, that is out of the question.
If I used Chibaku Tensei to seal him, everyone would know I was the one who did it, and using the Asura Path or Animal Path to kill him would be risky due to the firepower he possesses as a Demon God Pillar.
Even if killing 'Flauros' once he reveals himself is no big deal, killing 'Lev Lainur' while he is hiding his identity is troublesome in many ways.
However, Flauros himself isn't actually a major problem.
Just as I cannot touch him, he cannot touch me either. If he tries to attack me, I can simply expose his true identity. If it were known that an entity as significant as a Demon God Pillar of Solomon was on the train, Rita Rozay-en wouldn't stay idle either.
His presence here is likely nothing more than a 'warning' directed at me, and I have no intention of killing him on this train either... If necessary, I can just throw him into Prometheus's Furnace or handle him with the Human Path later.
The real problem is... as expected, the third passenger. Souren Araya...
He vanished from Misaki City while my attention was divided by the Clock Tower's sudden declaration of war, and his accomplice, Cornelius Alba, was shattered by me and is essentially unable to recover.
Godword Mayday has completely sided with me, and since I've effectively monopolized the preparations he made for Shiki Ryougi, it means Souren Araya is the one who has suffered the most damage because of me.
Of course, in terms of pure combat power, he is no match for me.
The Bounded Field techniques he possesses are meaningless before my Seal Absorption, and Araya's puppetry was trash that even Touko mocked for being mediocre.
The problem is... the hostility he must harbor toward me. And the existence of Flauros.
The King of Demon Gods once awakened Angra Mainyu, the filth of the Grail, to use as a Beast of Humanity, and through that, showed he could interfere with the past to launch attacks against my present self.
To put it differently... this Souren Araya harbors the possibility of becoming an accomplice to Lev Lainur, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
"Well, then, how should I handle this...?"