The compartment held two men. The younger sat cross-legged, skimming through a newspaper he had purchased from a beggar that morning. Across from him, a man in his late twenties watched him not with suspicion, but with something closer to admiration.
"Oi! That is quite an expensive suit for a young man such as yourself. From Wajka, wasn't it? The famous boutique, I imagine."
The young man didn't spare him a single glance. He kept his eyes on the newspaper, stealing looks through the window every so often to check where they were.
They were aboard the kingdom's newest train, running on the arcane railway that made it the fastest in all of Culter Kingdom, and it was headed straight for Ransmburg, the city of education.
"You seem quite invested, mate. Ransmburg finds itself in quite the predicament, doesn't it? The royal family assassinated just as the city needed them most."
"Wait—the royal family was assassinated?"
Whatever the man said, it was enough to finally catch the young man's attention. He turned back to the newspaper, this time with focus, his eyes landing on the front page. There it was. The leading news of the day.
"You must have overlooked it. This isn't the sort of information newspapers are typically bought for, is it?"
An awkward smile crossed his face as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"Gabriel. I have no surname."
"Leomaris Xanthus. Leo will do."
They shook hands, introductions exchanged, though Gabriel looked briefly dazed.
"A noble? I must admit, I didn't expect that. Though your dress does rather speak for itself."
Leo flashed him an awkward smile.
"Actually, I was adopted."
"Ah, that explains it. You're far too relaxed for a nobleman. A proper one would have checked my status the moment the train left the station."
Leo kept his forced smile in place. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.
The truth was, the newspaper had been purchased for exactly that purpose. To look occupied. To make sure no one bothered him.
These things rarely happened, and that made him quite nervous. His parents hadn't sounded very convincing when they called for him on urgent matters.
Five years in the Xanthus household, it had never been easy, receiving a noble treatment his biological family hadn't bothered with. He feared they might ask him to search for his parents. The Runerths.
"You must be terrified. The Xanthus family is close to the royalFamily, isn't it? And yet you're traveling alone. Is it because you were adopted?"
Leomaris's face contorted with annoyance. He couldn't tell if Gabriel was insulting him or genuinely concerned. The smile didn't help.
"I might be adopted, but I believe my family loves me like one of their own. I've just been returning from tutoring a fellow noble, that's all."
Gabriel's mouth parted in shock.
"A tutor? At your age? People in their thirties would give anything for that. You were tutoring in Weijka City, were you?"
Leo smiled. He never got tired of that look, the shock people wore when his intelligence caught them off guard. The Xanthus always told him it wasn't the reason they'd picked him from the orphanage over the others. But he knew a white lie when he heard one.
"Well, I've never been particularly witty, but I suppose a sharp brain is the only thing my real parents left me."
"I must say, I'm rather stunned, Leo. As a commoner, I'm not often exposed to people like you. Are you quite sure you're not of noble blood?"
Leomaris frowned. Everyone loved to believe he was born of noble blood because of what he'd achieved so young. Hell, the caretakers had spent fifteen years at the orphanage searching for his parents. The Xanthus had done the same. Neither found a single family named Runerth in the entire Culter Kingdom.
"I beg to differ, Gabriel. Unless they originate from one of the other three kingdoms, they must be commoners."
Gabriel stroked his chin for a moment.
"That might be true, but it still doesn't take away from your achievements."
His eyes lit up a second later.
"I've been invited to a conference hosted by Prof. Abigail. She's researching a strange incident that occurred in my district. If I have the opportunity, I will recommend you, you may become a tutor at the renowned Ethelred University."
Leomaris was pleased to hear that from someone he'd been trying to ignore moments ago. Commoners warming up to nobles wasn't unusual. But he acknowledged the courage it took, regardless.
"I'm honoured, but I don't think I'm quite at that level yet. I only teach history and mythology. I wouldn't be any match for the professors at Ethelred University."
"Oh, that's a shame. I think you've still got room to grow, but if that's what you think, I guess that's that."
Gabriel leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"That was a nice chat, lad. Now it's time to sleep."
Leo scowled.
"Uhm… what do you mean?"
Gabriel reluctantly reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. The dazed look on Leomaris's face came when Gabriel lit it with nothing but his finger.
His heart skipped a beat. Moments ago, Gabriel had been nosy, almost an annoyance. Now he was something else entirely. Not to mention the flame sitting at the tip of his finger.
"How is that possible? How did you do that? What exactly are you?"
The thought of whether Gabriel was human crossed Leo's mind. It didn't matter though. He just had to leave. He made for the cabin door, but a flicker of Gabriel's finger sent him back into his seat.
"That's too many questions, lad. I told you to sleep."
Gabriel stared into Leo's eyes and saw it all: confusion and terror, clear as day. What he was doing wasn't normal. Of course, a helpless human like Leo would be terrified.
"I expected more of a fight, but for someone who killed the royal family, you're pathetically weak. Those you've faced don't even deserve to be called Tricksters. Ah… I'm getting carried away. You don't even smell like one of us. Still, you seem like a decent bloke."
Gabriel blew a puff of smoke in Leo's direction. But the smoke didn't matter. The magic didn't matter. What concerned Leo was what Gabriel had just said. He killed who? The royal family?!
"Don't overthink it, mate. Act like you never saw me. Thinking too much about it might get you killed before they do."
Before Leo could question anything, before he could even think, his vision grew hazy, his eyes heavy, and his muscles lax. He was unconscious before he hit the seat.
Gabriel leaned back in his seat, watching the train slow to a halt at the first station in Ransmburg.
"Poor little bastard. I went through all that effort, thinking he was the real deal. Still… time to die, lad. I'm finished here."