“Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.” Kyle Leonard handed over the woman he captured to the magistrate in secret and bought train tickets at the ticket booth along the way.

Meanwhile, Park Noah sat on a chair in front of the station, enjoying vanilla ice cream along with Muell, who sat on her lap.

“What do you see, Mu?”

“I don’t see anything now.” The child replied, licking his ice cream in delight.

Although Muell appeared like a three-year-old child, he was a dragon. And as long as he was present, Park Noah was comforted; the odds of dying in her enemies’ hands became low. Unless Muell sucks all her mana and she dies. 

“Noah, Noah.”

However, it was no time for carelessness. By the time she was almost finished with her ice cream, Muell had turned around and wrapped his arms around her neck. Then, he whispered in her ear, “I see suspicious humans.”

“…How many?”

“One at 2 o’clock, two at 7 o’clock, two at 10 o’clock. They aren’t looking at us, but they have their arms crossed, and they have been standing in the same place since we arrived.”

Five men guarded the doors of the train, perhaps on the lookout for a red-haired woman. Park Noah glanced at their direction, and saw two bearded men, looking surprisingly ugly, conversing seriously. One man shook his head, and the other immediately turned his back and marched towards them.

Thump. Park Noah’s heart throbbed at the sight of the approaching man. She gripped Muell tightly as the man drew nearer.

“….” 

The man passed by them. Breathing a sigh of relief, Park Noah asked Muell a question. “You seem to be trying to monitor both platforms, aren’t you?

“Uhuh. I’m looking at B right now.”

There was only a single train bound to the capital, Tezeba, but there were two locomotives — one preceding eight trucks, and the second one situated in the middle of the entire series of sixteen trucks. Consequently, the destination of the first eight trucks differed from the last eight.

The first locomotive rests on Platform A, heading towards Tezeba through Central Edman — the route the three travelers originally intended to take. On the other hand, the second locomotive on Platform B, proceeds to the capital through Battuanu, the coastal region to the west.

The train travels along the border between Lunazel and Cezanne, and diverges into two paths, Central Edman and Battuanu.

Currently, two men guarded on Platform A and three on Platform B.

“Whether we go to Edman or Battuanu, I think one or more will go on the same train,” Park Noah muttered to herself.

Lunazel was the largest city in the province; it was inevitable that the train station would always be packed with travelers. It would cause a huge commotion if something unfortunate happened.

Oh, I feel like I’m playing a chase game… Should we just stay in Lunazel for a night?

While Park Noah was occupied in her thoughts, she saw Kyle Leonard returning. She quickly beckoned to him and asked, “Sir. Maybe we should stay here overnight-”

Kyle Leonard leaned forward, interrupting Park Noah, his face inches away from hers.

“Sir… Sir?” A gasp escaped her lips when she felt his lips brush against her cheek, his breath tickling her ear. From afar, it would look like a man kissing his beloved on the cheek.

“One night’s sleep won’t make any difference.”

At the investigator’s whisper, Park Noah came to her senses. Then, he continued urgently, “I was briefed by the security guard that just yesterday, a woman with red hair was attacked.”

“What are we going to do, then?”

“We must lure them.”

“Lure them… How?”

Kyle Leonard’s fingers stroked her apricot hair that was hidden underneath the robe, staring at her intensely. Park Noah instantly understood the meaning of his gaze and held his hand. In his hand were two tickets — one to Edman, and the other to Battuanu. 

The train was scheduled to depart ten minutes later. Looking at the tickets, Park Noah realized what they were for. Then, Kyle Leonard whispered to the child on her lap, “Mu, the magic of invisibility, how long can you do it without taking too much mana from Noah?”

Muell stayed silent for a moment as if counting in his mind. Then, he murmured, “About thirty minutes. I can’t do more than that with this body. I could make it longer if I went back to my original size, but that would make things difficult for Noah.”

“Thirty minutes?” Nervousness started to invade Park Noah as she thought of numerous possibilities that could happen.

Kyle Leonard twisted his head a little, his chin touching against her skin.

“It starts as soon as you get on the train. Soon after you take off your robe and glasses, and mix into the crowd and board the train to Central Edman, Mu will immediately cast the invisibility spell on you. When they see you, they’ll send a signal. That’s when you go on the train to Battuanu. Are you going to be alright?”

“It’s okay. It will be fine. It should be okay!” Park Noah exclaimed despite her trembling legs. 

“That’s great, then.”

The investigator straightened his posture and stretched his hand towards her. “Let’s go, Miss Noah.”