The dining car was spacious, with no walls or partitions. There were several tables lined up, each covered by a white tablecloth. There were almost no signs of people, and the car was silent, save for the clinking of dishes and the noise of the train.
But Tsushima sensed something—the gaze and bloodlust he had felt when he’d entered Sherun Station.
Tsushima slowly hid Holy behind his back.
“If you’re going to hide, you should do something about that hostility of yours. Even a donkey would notice it.”
In response to Tsushima’s provocation, a boy emerged from behind a counter in the center of the train car. He had blue hair and pale skin, and although small in stature, he was wearing an impressive military uniform. His androgynous features were still childlike, while his sinister eyes hinted at a twisted inner nature.
He wore a blue navy military uniform with crimson embroidery, the kind only permitted for high-ranking military officers. For someone as familiar with the industry as Tsushima, it didn’t take long for him to understand what the boy’s attire signified.
“…The Six Imperial Swords, huh?”
Tsushima frowned and looked at the boy in front of him. He was clapping his hands and smiling arrogantly.
“You know quite a lot for an Elbar country bumpkin. Indeed, I am a member of the empire’s elite group of its strongest Informationists, Canus Miles of the Six Imperial Swords.”
The boy didn’t look any older than about fourteen or fifteen. He stuck out his chest and placed a hand over it, acting like he was making a big show of his importance.
Imperial Sword—an honorable position given to Informationists who held undeniable political power within the Balga Empire. Yet it was also a collar about their necks that forced them into serving the empire.
Although there were only six individuals with the title, at least half of them were Exceptional Level Informationists, and each was said to be comparable in power to an entire military division. They were literally the empire’s strongest war asset.
What was even worse was this boy, Canus. Although he was quite young, he made Tsushima feel more nervous than he’d ever been.
“You’re the one who made a name for himself on the front lines of the Empire’s northern invasion? That Canus Miles?”
“You know that much? Impressive. But information should be accurate. To be precise, I’m Canus Miles, the level-eleven Informationist who, in just three months, single-handedly devastated the front lines of the Balga Empire’s northern invasion after it had been in a deadlock for nearly ten years.”
Canus straightened his back as he spoke, obnoxiously proud of his own deeds. Yet his achievement was undeniable.
An Informationist of that caliber was here. Tsushima knew all too well what this implied.
Namely, that the people going after Holy were the imperial family, the sole beneficiaries of the Balga Empire’s prosperity. That explained why the regular army, the Fourth Division, had been mobilized to stop her from defecting.
Tsushima looked at Holy, who was hiding behind him. She clutched Tsushima’s jacket and lowered her eyes apologetically.
“And you’re, um, Tsushima Rindou, level-seven Informationist from the Free City of Elbar, right, buddy?” Canus said, reading aloud from a scrap of paper pinched between his fingers as he remained completely unguarded. There was no such thing as being careless when you were a level eleven facing off against a level seven; the gap in power was just that huge.
Despite being plenty aware of this, Tsushima responded in his usual tone to reassure Holy, who was standing behind him.
“That’s right. So what?”
“You’ve come a long way. But this is as far as you go, buddy. There would be a whole lot of trouble if you interfered any further. So hand over the girl quietly.” Canus took a seat at a table and pointed at Holy. She met the languid boy’s gaze and bit her lower lip. It seemed they were acquainted.
Tsushima observed both of their demeanors as he took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.
“It would cause problems if I kept getting in your way? Is Holy defecting really that disadvantageous to the imperial family?”
“Oh? Judging from the way you talk, I’m guessing you don’t know who she really is, do you, buddy? Wooow…”
“It’s common for clients of bodyguards to tell a lie or two.”
“A lie or two, huh?”
Tsushima brought his lighter to his mouth and lit his cigarette. As Canus watched him exhaling smoke, he broke into a creepy, possessive smile.
“Are you all right? Your hands aren’t quivering in fear, are they? You don’t have to be in such a hurry to smoke. I’ll let you go if you run away now with your tail between your legs. So long as you hand over the girl you’re protecting.”
Tapping some ash to the floor, Tsushima narrowed his eyes. Normally, he’d have a retort ready at this point. But not even he had that luxury in the face of a member of the Six Imperial Swords.
Canus smiled and thrust his chin up, as if enjoying their growing tension.
“Geez, it really seems like she hasn’t told you a thing. Otherwise, there’s no way you could have such a stupid look on your face. How about I just fill you in already?” Canus directed a snakelike gaze at Holy. She hunched her shoulders, shrinking behind Tsushima.
In bodyguard jobs, the hired party could terminate a contract if their client concealed vital information. Knowing this, Canus delivered the earthshattering truth.
“Would you still be up for helping this girl defect if I told you she’s Imperial Princess Lupus Filia, daughter of the emperor of Balga?” Canus asked triumphantly.
Tsushima’s expression changed at the sudden mention of such an important individual’s name. Feeling shaken, he directed a wavering gaze at the girl behind him.
“The emperor’s daughter?” he asked, the words slipping out in disbelief. A devastated look came to Holy’s face at his question. Her body language left no room for doubt that Canus was speaking the truth.
The imperial princess of the empire that dominated the globe. To think he was shouldering the fate of someone like that. Tsushima felt cold sweat run down his back. A grimace came to his face as he realized he was on the brink of death again after such a long time.
“You’re far beyond what I expected. I’ll need to rethink how to handle this.”
Holy’s face jolted at Tsushima’s words, a mixture of sadness and uncertainty in her eyes. She grasped the hem of his clothes as if pleading with him, gripping so hard that her slim, delicate fingers turned white.