To attend the invitation of the Rail Zeppelin—the so-called 'Mystic Eye Auction'—one must navigate an incredibly sophisticated and cautious process.
One might have the fortune of personally meeting Rita Rozay-en, whose whereabouts are always a mystery, and obtaining her permission to participate. Or, one might offer to sell a rare pair of Mystic Eyes. Alternatively, one could request entry by dangling an enormous sum of money or a rare Mystic Code as bait.
Any of these routes were open to me.
With Arcueid Brunestud at my side, I could simply threaten her way onto the train if I truly desired. I possessed rare Mystic Eyes to use as bait (though I had no intention of actually surrendering them), and I could always secure a ticket through the Einzberns' signature display of excessive wealth.
"You are truly a lunatic."
"Thanks for the compliment, Great★Big Ben★London★Star."
"FUCK! Stop using that bizarre nickname!"
"How unfortunate. I happen to quite like it. What do you think, my fellow apprentices?"
At my words, the disciples standing beside Waver—Kadoc Zemlupus, Daybit Sem Void, and Scandinavia Peperoncino—all nodded in unison.
"Can't deny it."
"Confirmed."
"Isn't it obvious~?"
"You damn brats!"
Waver gave each of them a light rap on the head before surveying the surroundings and speaking in a low voice.
"The Department of Policies is here as well… it's the 'Snake.'"
"Well, I'm hardly in a position to be frightened by a mere 'Snake' after hunting the Serpent of Akasha not too long ago."
"Not funny."
Apart from that, it seemed my decision to use the Six Paths of Pain instead of appearing in person when rescuing Scandinavia and Daybit had paid off; neither of them seemed to recognize me.
"…I heard rumors within the family that Professor Waver had connections with the Magician of the Third, but to think it was actually true…"
"You are… Kadoc-kun, I believe? Waver mentioned several times that there was a young man specialized in Bestial Magecraft… so that was you."
"It is an honor to meet you."
"Could you introduce the others as well?"
Waver began a brief introduction of the two, wearing an expression that clearly said, 'How did such a monster end up here?'
"I see, I see… A genius of the Six Miraculous Powers and a vessel of Total Recall… If they play their cards right, they could easily become candidates for a Sealing Designation."
"…I'd like to decline that particular future, if possible."
Right then, a third group arrived, following behind Hishiri Adashino, who had arrived earlier.
"…I was told the den of the Modern Magecraft Department and the rats of the Department of Policies would be here, but I didn't expect to see the Magician of the Third."
"Well, well… if it isn't the Lady of the House of Animusphere. It's been a long time."
"Hmph. So… what business does someone like you have with the Rail Zeppelin?"
"Nothing special. A friend of mine had business here, and you know what they say: when a friend jumps off the Rail Zeppelin, you follow them with a Clock Tower Meteor. So I decided to drop by."
"…That proverb does not exist, Karma. Stop fabricating things."
"I'm here to help because I was asked to look after you. I heard you've been through hell lately? The Adra incident would have been dangerous without Gray and Sola-Ui, and I heard you needed Touko Aozaki's help at the Twin Lookout Towers?"
"Given the individuals present there, did you think someone like me could stand a chance…? Besides, what human wouldn't seem weak compared to a madman who drops meteors on London!"
Oops. I only intended to lighten the mood with a joke, but judging by how the woman from Policies and Olga Marie have turned pale, it seems the humor missed its mark.
"Hishiri Adashino-sama, Waver Velvet-sama… and his apprentices. And Magician of the Third. I am Trisha Fellows, the attendant to Olga Marie-sama."
"Mmm, nice to meet you."
Just as the introductions were concluding and the mutual observation—the probing for information—was about to begin, a thick fog rolled into the station. From the distance, the heavy presence of an approaching behemoth was preceded by the sharp blast of a train whistle.
The train featured a figurehead resembling a giant holding a mirror. Aside from its golden statues, the entire locomotive was painted a pitch-black, giving off a distinctly retro vibe.
With a heavy clatter, the doors of the train swung open, and the gathered magi began to board one after another.
At that moment, someone inside the train cried out in surprise upon seeing us.
"Aah~ Have additional invited guests arrived?!"
"…He certainly doesn't look like a staff member of the Rail Zeppelin."
"Of course not! More importantly, you don't recognize me looking like this?"
"…It's a familiar face. That's Jean-Mario Spinella from the Zombie Cooking channel…"
"A magus who appears on popular TV channels, I see."
Once I finally boarded the train, the doors slammed shut automatically. Waver looked around and struck up a conversation with a man sitting in a corner.
"And you are?"
"Karabo Frampton. I am an Executor of the Holy Church."
"…!"
"Ah, you're the man possessing the Mystic Eyes of Phantasm."
"…You know me?"
"Do you have any idea how many of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors I've hunted? It hasn't been that long since I visited the Burial Agency after that crazy bitch Narbareck called me…"
"I see, you truly are the Magician of the Third. I heard rumors that you've hunted Dead Apostles, but I didn't think you'd be familiar with the affairs of a mere Executor like myself."
Well, technically I only know because of my cheat-like future knowledge…
In any case, if things proceed like this, two major elements will differ from the original history.
The first is Yvette, who wanted to join the 'so-called' El-Melloi Classroom—the current Waver Classroom. The second is Doctor Heartless, who entered by impersonating Waver Velvet's disciple, Caules…
"At any rate, I didn't expect someone as prominent as the Magician of the Third to show up at an auction like this."
"I keep telling you, I'm only here to follow a friend's tracks."
"…Hey, isn't it a bit too reckless to board the Rail Zeppelin without an invitation, regardless of who you are?"
Everyone present turned their gaze toward me simultaneously.
Among them, Olga Marie Animusphere, who had the least experience, let out a hysterical, startled cry.
"Are you insane?! Do you have any idea what happens to those who trespass on the Rail Zeppelin…?!"
"Mmm… I am actually quite curious. I wonder what kind of retaliation the Rail Zeppelin would attempt against a Magician."
"…Ugh."
A Dead Apostle who doesn't even rank in the top ten of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors attacking and defeating a Magician… that would be an event for the history books in its own right.
Besides, I had another reason to meet Rita Rozay-en at least once.
Even after the Human Order is incinerated and subsequently restored and pruned, this insane train continues to operate perfectly fine within the Reverse Side of the World. In many ways… it has its uses for me.
"Well, it doesn't matter, does it? I do possess a pair of Mystic Eyes myself… and though I have no intention of selling, I do intend to buy others. If anyone is truly dissatisfied, I'm willing to do a favor in exchange… For instance, I could kill Fina-blood Svelten for you."
"You'd best make sure you keep that promise."
At that exact moment, a shadow coalesced behind me, and a doll-like figure manifested amidst scattering black rose petals.
Her attire, which could be described as more than merely provocative but outright erotic, was a dress that seemed to be the personification of a rose. It was a look perfectly suited for the title 'The Ancestor of Roses.'
Her hair was coiled into shapes resembling ram horns, and her crimson-tinted eyes looked ready to discharge magecraft at any second. She flashed a flowery smile and performed a noble-like greeting, slightly lifting her skirt.
"The current time is 11:39:17 PM. Tonight's operation will proceed as scheduled, barring one uninvited guest. A sincere welcome to you all to the Rail Zeppelin. I am Rita Rozay-en, the manager of this train."
*
Once her greeting concluded, Waver spoke up in surprise.
"…Does the Manager herself come out instead of a Manager's Assistant?"
"Usually, the Assistant would handle things following the puppetmaster's attack, but as this is a rather special situation, I shall state for the record that I have been compelled to step forward myself."
"…Didn't I tell you there was no need to come this far?"
"Why not? I was curious to see what the legendary Ancestor of Roses looked like."
In that instant, the roses scattered by Rita Rozay-en's appearance converged, transforming into a single invitation that flew toward me.
"This is sudden, but I also welcome the visit of the Magician of the Third. I have issued a temporary invitation under my authority as Manager, so please, enjoy yourselves."
After her brief statement, Rita Rozay-en vanished into rose petals. In her wake, a blunt-looking Dead Apostle and a blindfolded Dead Apostle appeared. Even without the Rinnegan, it was clear these were Rita's subordinates—the crew of the Rail Zeppelin.
"I am Rodin, the conductor of this train. My apologies for interrupting your conversation. This train is scheduled to travel through the fog and return to London in four days and three nights. During that time, we shall comfortably present the Mystic Eye collection to you, and on the third day, we shall conduct the long-awaited auction. Whether you choose to transplant the won Mystic Eyes immediately or keep them in your possession is up to you. Transplants do not take much time, so please rest easy…"
"…How do we put items up for auction?"
When the Executor from the Holy Church asked, the conductor replied in his flat tone.
"Those wishing to auction Mystic Eyes should inform us by the evening of the day after tomorrow—the third day. You may speak to me, Rodin."
"Or to me, the auctioneer, Leandra. It makes no difference."
"We shall now guide you to your cabins… We wish you a pleasant stay."
Whether by luck or design, my cabin was assigned right next to Waver's. As soon as the crew departed, I left my room and entered the one occupied by Waver and his disciples.
Waver, who was puffing on a strong cigar, violently hurled a cigarette butt toward me.
"Whoops, excuse me… what if I got hurt?"
"…Do you really think a monster who fights Beasts of Humanity in the open would get hurt by this?"
"Yes."
"Give it a rest, you lunatic… Anyway, you know something about this case too, don't you?"
"For the most part. But some things have changed from what I knew."
"…Changed?"
"Yes."
First of all, Doctor Heartless did not attend.
In the case of Karabo Frampton of the Holy Church, it's practically impossible for Heartless to disguise himself as him. For one, he is a Church Executor and, in terms of raw combat power, the strongest here excluding myself. He's the man who, in the original story, shoved his own extracted Mystic Eyes back in and went on a rampage against Einnashe.
Disguising himself as Waver Velvet is obviously impossible, and as for the trio of apprentices, I'm constantly checking their Magic Circuits and their 'colors' with my Rinnegan, so they're out of the question…
"What about the Animusphere girl or her servant?"
"It's not Olga Marie Animusphere. I recognize her 'color.'"
"As for the attendant…"
"Not her either. There's a Magic Circuit reaction in her eyes… likely a prediction-type Future Sight. The 'culprit' doesn't possess Mystic Eyes, and he didn't participate in the Rail Zeppelin before. You understand what that means, right?"
"A person without Mystic Eyes cannot mimic someone who does… Is that it?"
"Exactly."
That leaves Adashino, the snake of Policies… but I'll rule her out as well.
"The reason?"
"Because Big Sister Aoko is keeping an eye on the Department of Policies. If someone managed a swap right under the eyes of a Magician, that would be a feat in itself."
"I can't deny that."
Furthermore, Doctor Heartless's plan is forced to mutate.
The Einnashe he used in the original story was already pulverized by Arcueid and me. Perhaps due to my presence, he couldn't even infiltrate the Rail Zeppelin in advance.
And most importantly, instead of the 'Manager's Assistant'—the shadow of Rita Rozay-en—the train is carrying Rita herself. And decisively, I am here.
"Let's just enjoy the auction normally for now, Waver. Alice-san even placed a protective curse on the catalyst, right? Even if you use it, the Holy Relic won't disappear, and if you want to take it back, we can do that whenever we please."
"Right. I suppose so."
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