As they followed the railway police to the forward carriage, the crowd steadily swelled, soon rendering the narrow aisle impassable.
The heated argument continued unabated.
A middle-aged man, perhaps forty, dressed in an unremarkable suit, grimaced as he clutched a lady’s blue wool coat.
Even with several attendants and railway police attempting to intervene, he remained unyielding.
“How could you possibly allow a thief onto this train?” the man roared, his voice laced with indignation.
“We cannot take action without concrete evidence,” the female officer countered calmly. “However, if your behavior continues to delay the train, we will have no choice but to escort you to the police station.”
“What do you mean, no evidence?” he scoffed, gesturing wildly. “They all witnessed it! She bumped into me and snatched my wallet!”
The man raised his arm, sweeping it across the circle of onlookers, yet not one offered a corroborating word.
“If you insist on such claims,” Esli, who had been restrained, spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness, “then they also witnessed a boorish man attempting to accost a delicate lady.”
“Hahahaha…”
“Precisely!”
A chorus of approving laughter erupted from the crowd.
“Damn it all, you’re in league with her!”
“Regardless, no one is disembarking until I receive a satisfactory explanation.”
He turned to the female railway police officer standing before him.
“My uncle works at the Epidemic Prevention Bureau,” he declared, his voice dripping with menace. “You would do well not to lay a hand on me!”
“The Epidemic Prevention Bureau…” A hush fell over the crowd, the previous murmurs of derision instantly silenced.
Most people were well aware that agents from the Epidemic Prevention Bureau held authority far beyond that of a common police officer.
Left with no recourse, the female officer stepped aside, casting a pleading glance at the white-haired nun behind her.
“Allow me to introduce you,” she announced, “This is Sister Ghervil of Solis Abbey.”
‘Why are they looking at me?’
Feeling the inexplicable convergence of gazes upon her, Ghervil glanced around, then to herself.
Upon realizing that the individual being accosted was Esli, she harbored no immediate intention of offering assistance.
‘She simply wished to enjoy the spectacle for a moment longer.’
“Hey, friend, I’m over here!” Esli called out, waving to her with an excited grin.
“It’s truly her! White hair and golden eyes, exactly as described in the newspapers.”
“I only know Abbess Anthea of Solis Abbey; the other sisters aren’t particularly renowned, are they?”
“Of course you wouldn’t know, not being a native of Mistfall City. It was Sister Ghervil who, in the Bishop’s stead, rang the Sacred Bell, averting disaster. Even the clear skies we enjoy now are credited to her…”
“Heavens, it’s the living legend!”
“If you have nothing sensible to say, then silence your cawing!”
“Oh, confound it, she looks as if she stepped right out of a painting…”
“It’s undoubtedly her. I recall, roughly 160 centimeters in height.”
‘My dear sir, there’s hardly a need to announce her precise height.’
With a faint twitch of her lips, Ghervil stepped forward, meeting the excited stares of the crowd.
Her gaze first fell upon the middle-aged man, prompting him to instinctively recoil a wary step.
Then she turned to Esli, whose face betrayed not the slightest hint of remorse for the trouble she had caused.
“The solution is quite simple, actually.”
She swept her gaze across the assembled faces.
“A quick search by a professional detective will readily prove her innocence or guilt.”
“Indeed! Search her thoroughly,” the man exclaimed, his face brightening. “And summon more police, perhaps even a few agents from the Epidemic Prevention Bureau! This woman is clearly troubled; her mental state is utterly abnormal.”
Witnessing the impartiality of their chosen arbiter, the man’s face lit up in a wide grin, and he released his grip on Esli’s coat.
“They absolutely cannot search me!” Esli whispered urgently, leaning close to Ghervil’s ear and winking conspiratorially.
“Did you truly steal it?” Ghervil inquired, a slight frown creasing her brow.
“I didn’t steal a thing. How best to explain it… I had barely returned to the Mistfall City Cathedral when I was assigned this mission. Surely, you understand what that implies?”
“I’m afraid I don’t.” Ghervil feigned ignorance.
‘So, she’s admitting to being part of The Order?’
“If a search is out of the question, how do you propose to prove your innocence?”
“It’s quite simple. You merely need to find a private compartment and feign a search. No one would dare doubt your word.”
“And why, pray tell, should I lend you my assistance?”
‘Ghervil aimed to extract more valuable information from her.’
“Alas,” Esli sighed, “had I known, I would have declined this assignment.”
Esli scratched her head, her face a picture of distress, and after a few agonizing seconds, she made the difficult decision to confess.
“I am a knight of the Plague Knights,” she revealed, “dispatched by my superiors to ensure your protection. Furthermore, I am aware that your journey to Florence is to fulfill a certain commission.”
“Plague Knights?”
‘Ghervil had encountered that name on more than one occasion.’
“Indeed. But you must not reveal this to anyone.”
“Very well. I shall assist you, but on one condition: you are not to disrupt my normal life for the remainder of this journey.”
‘As she was a bodyguard dispatched by The Order, refusal was out of the question. This presented an opportune moment to observe the legendary Plague Knights and discern their unique capabilities.’
“You needn’t instruct me; I would have acted accordingly regardless.”
“May I conduct the search myself?” Ghervil asked the man.
“Of course. I have every faith that you will render a just verdict.”
With a nod, the female officer escorted them to an unoccupied compartment.
A brief conversation revealed that Esli had spotted a suspicious individual on the train and, in her pursuit, had inadvertently collided with someone, thus sparking the entire commotion.
“What distinguishing features did this suspicious individual possess?” Ghervil inquired, settling into her seat.
“I didn’t actually see them,” Esli admitted, coughing and pulling her coat tighter around her, “but I trust my instincts as a knight. I sensed something amiss the moment I boarded the train.”
“And so, you sought to warn me first?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. It’s time we emerged.”
Opening the door, Ghervil stepped out first.
The man eagerly craned his neck to peer inside. Seeing Esli’s composed demeanor, he found it utterly unbelievable, standing before them with his mouth agape.
“You didn’t find anything?”
“There were no irregularities whatsoever, nor was your wallet recovered.”
“How is that possible!”
He lunged forward, his hand outstretched, intent on tearing at Esli’s attire.
The female officer swiftly stepped between them, intercepting his aggressive advance.
“Sir, our stop at this station has already exceeded five minutes. You are welcome to remain on the train while we await additional personnel to investigate your claims, but at present, this lady is entirely beyond reproach.”
Ghervil and Esli exchanged no further words, simply turning to walk towards the rear of the carriage.
“I want to report her!”
The man suddenly bellowed, his face contorted in a dark scowl.
By now, the surrounding passengers, thoroughly exasperated by the man’s obstinate behavior, began to openly condemn him.
“You idiotic fools! I am trying to save your very lives!”
He glared furiously at the crowd, then pivoted to fix his gaze upon Ghervil, who had turned back.
“Sister Ghervil, I must lodge a complaint with you.”
“This woman carries a severe plague within her!”
An immediate, chilling silence descended upon the carriage, every eye now riveted on the two women.
This profound stillness, however, endured for mere seconds.
“If such an ailment were present,” Ghervil stated, her voice calm as she met his gaze, “why would you presume I would fail to detect it?”
The man was momentarily rendered speechless.
Given her composed response, the surrounding passengers dismissed the man’s outburst as mere spite and baseless theatrics.
Ultimately, it was the female officer who stepped in to quell the disturbance.
“The train is preparing for departure. Please return to your seats. Our personnel will soon be with you to assist in locating your missing valuables.”
“I know…”
The man bowed his head slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
“No wonder they were conspiring so quietly just now.”
“Even the sisters of the abbey have betrayed the Goddess. This world is utterly beyond salvation…”
“I shall show you the fate that awaits those who betray the Goddess!”
A dagger, seemingly conjured from nowhere, slid from his cuff. Like a madman, the man suddenly lunged forward, bypassing the female officer and surging toward the two women—or, more precisely, directly at Ghervil.
His speed was unnaturally swift. The female officer had barely grazed the pistol at her hip when he was already upon the young woman, the dagger arcing directly towards her throat.
In that crucial instant, with the blade less than five centimeters from its target, the hand clutching the dagger froze, utterly motionless.
Two seconds later, the man collapsed with a dull thud.
Esli held the pose of a low hook, a grimace on her face that was far uglier than any genuine smile.
“From the bottom of my heart, I truly believe they ought not to have sent me.”