The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 38

On the Train – 3

After gathering the remaining poison bombs, Leo dusted off his dirty hands.

[Is it all over now?]

There were about one or two people in the engine room. Though their abilities were no different from the remnants they had already dealt with, the problem lay in the fact that they were in the engine room.

[Well, if you blow up the engine room, it’s game over.]

[So, are you going to join up with Ariasphil?]

Leo shook his head.

If he joined up with Ariasphil, the group in the engine room might notice, and having more people could actually be a disadvantage.

[Then?]

Leo stepped back for a moment, then started running towards the carriage that housed the engine room.

There was no need to overthink it.

For the ambush, Leo charged forward and broke down the door.

“Argh!!”

The surprise attack seemed to work, as one of the remaining black magicians blocking the door was sent flying by the impact.

[Isn’t this just a frontal assault?]

Both involved a sudden attack, so it was essentially the same concept.

“Who… Who the hell are you…!!”

Without responding, Leo swung his fist at the other remnant. The attack was impossible to evade or block, as it was imbued with aura.

“Aaaagh!!”

Once both of them were taken down, Leo quickly ran towards the spot where the engineer was. If the engineer got hurt, everyone on the train could be massacred at once.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes… Thanks to you, I’m alive.”

Fortunately, the engineer seemed to be in a stable state of mind. That was probably why the train was still running without derailing, despite the chaos.

“What should we do now…?”

“Is there anything nearby we can use to tie them up? Even though they’re unconscious, it’s better to be sure.”

Looking at the two fallen rookie black magicians, Leo spoke. But something felt a bit off.

Given their level so far, there hadn’t been anyone who seemed like the leader of this group.

‘I definitely thought the leader would be in the engine room…’

At that moment, the engineer opened a drawer in the engine room and spoke.

“Oh, if you’re looking for something, it’s right here.”

As Leo looked in that direction, a poisonous gas began to rise. It was a highly concentrated toxin, even more potent than the previous bombs. The thick fog directly hit Leo.

“…You… You couldn’t be…”

“You should’ve checked the engineer more carefully. What a pity.”

The engineer twisted his face back to its original form, smirking. He was the mastermind and leader behind this terror attack, and he couldn’t help but be delighted at the death of the nuisance.

“Alright, I admit it. I didn’t see this coming.”

But Leo wasn’t dead.

In acknowledgment, Leo decisively crushed the black magician who had been disguised as the engineer with his fist.

“Gah…?!”

As he clutched his suddenly broken nose, the magician looked at Leo in disbelief.

Leo was wearing a gas mask over his mouth. It wasn’t one he had stolen from them. The mask was crudely made, too rough to have come from the enemy.

[You’re using the black stone as a gas mask?]

Leo praised the versatility of the stone as he clenched his fist.

“Do you think you can last long with such a toy?! My next spell will…!”

“That’s why I have to finish this now.”

[Blizzard]

A magic circle had already formed in Leo’s clenched fist. A freezing blizzard swept through the engine room, creating frost and dropping the temperature rapidly.

“With such a low-level 1-circle spell, you can’t even freeze my fingers!!”

Shouting confidently, he spewed out the poisonous gas once more.

“…Huh?”

Despite his bravado, all the poisonous gas sank lifelessly to the ground. Not only the newly emitted poison cloud, but even the previously floating toxins were now sinking and adhering to the floor.

“What the…?! Why is this happening…!?”

“Cold air is heavier, so it sinks. And since this poison consists of liquid particles, freezing it nullifies its effects.”

Even without being a regressor, one could find a way to counter this with basic knowledge and observation.

“Then I’ll use fire magic…!”

“Do you think I’ll let you?”

Leo’s advancing fist completely silenced the babbling mouth. In addition, the cheekbone and skull got slightly crushed, but that was none of Leo’s concern.

“It’s over now. All that’s left is to call Miss Ariasphil.”

He wasn’t particularly worried about Ariasphil. Unless there was a 5-circle magician, it was impossible to take her down in a place like this, and if there were, Leo would have sensed it first.

[But Leonardo.]

The Sage looked at the engine room with a slightly puzzled tone.

[You know how to drive a train, right?]

<…What?>

Leo seemed flustered by the sudden question, his face showing his confusion.

[We’ve ended up without an engineer to drive the train. So, who’s going to drive it?]

Even though it was the black magician who had infiltrated secretly, it was still the criminal who had been driving the train.

“…Ah…”

[Hey… you don’t mean…]

Leonardo, through his life as a mercenary and his past warrior training, had amassed a wealth of experience, not just in combat techniques.

His ability to quickly learn the Sage’s harsh magic training was also a result of this extensive experience.

“…It’s okay. Probably.”

However, the opportunity to drive a train had never easily presented itself in either his past or present life. Moreover, unlike horseback riding or carriage driving, there was no time or reason to learn how to drive a train.

[How can it be okay!! This is no different from riding a carriage without a coachman!]

“It’s fine as long as it runs on the tracks. As long as the tracks are fine, it’ll be okay.”

As long as they didn’t derail due to excessive speed, the train should reach its destination safely.

[Wait… Hold on…!]

The Sage peeked outside through the locomotive wall.

[Shit!! Stop it right now!!]

[A tree has fallen on the tracks!!]

Leo rushed towards the brake. Even a novice knew where the brake was.

[It’s too late!! We’re going to crash!!]

“Ahhhh!! Nooo!!!”

Leo didn’t pull the brake. A sudden stop would only overturn the train.

All that came out now was a scream.

“Leonardo!?”

Ariasphil, who had rushed in, ran to Leo who was screaming in the engine room.

“Are you okay?! Are you hurt!?”

“…Well… the thing is… there’s… something on the track…”

However, something felt odd. Given the train’s speed, they should have crashed by now.

Yet the train was still moving smoothly.

“…Miss, could you please look out the window?”

“Huh? The window?”

Ariasphil leaned out the window as requested.

“…Why? There’s nothing there.”

“What about the tracks?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. The station’s not in sight yet.”

Leonardo’s gaze naturally shifted toward the sly old man.

[“Ugh… Ahhhhh~ Noooooo~”]

Leonardo vowed—no, swore—that when he reached the Magic Tower, he would first research how to exorcise that personality-mocking spirit.

***

Fortunately, despite the embarrassing screams, the outcome of the story turned out well.

Soon after, railway guards and the Magic Knights arrived, stopping the train, dispelling the black magic affecting the passengers, and arresting the black magicians.

The only thing that remained embarrassing was the scream from earlier.

“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for the two of you, this could have turned into a disaster.”

A representative of the professional security team and the Magic Knights bowed their heads in gratitude to Leo and Ariasphil.

“What happened to the black magicians?”

“Thanks to subduing them without killing anyone, we might be able to uncover the organization and those behind this incident.”

Normally, prioritizing passenger safety meant they had no choice but to use lethal tactics. However, thanks to Leonardo’s strategy, the situation was resolved without anyone dying.

For the knights and guards who had to continue the investigation, there couldn’t have been a better outcome.

“But… may I ask one question?”

Ariasphil, who had been silent, asked, unable to suppress the question that had been bothering her during the conversation.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“Why did the black magicians do this? I’m honestly not sure I fully understand…”

It wouldn’t have been easy for her to understand, given that she didn’t know the framework of black magic. In fact, it might have been a bit disturbing if she did understand it without knowing.

“There could be several reasons, but the most likely one is that they needed sacrifices for black magic.”

“…Black magic…”

Black magic

Though it’s called “magic,” people often assume it’s similar to regular magic, but in reality, black magic and regular magic are fundamentally different.

Not just ethically, but academically as well.

“Unlike regular magic, black magic focuses on malice and emotions rather than knowledge. To put it simply, in a way that’s easy to understand…”

“Magic is mathematical, but black magic is more literary in nature. That’s a positive way of describing it, though.”

Magic involves calculating and deriving results step by step, while black magic relies more on interpretation than calculation.

There are many other differences, but this distinction is the most important point for explaining this situation.

“The problem with black magic is that it’s difficult to fuel it solely with one’s own emotions. That makes it less efficient than magic.”

That’s why black magicians devised alternatives. And this despicable act was one of those methods.

“By massacring a large number of people on the train, they could harvest a significant amount of life force and emotions such as resentment, anger, and despair. The bodies would then be easy to sell as by-products afterward.”

And the rest was simple. They could either absorb the malice by converting it into mana, creating magical energy, or form another contract with a demon.

It was a common cycle of evil.

“Using positive emotions is…”

“A small amount of anger lasts longer than great happiness. Such irrationality maximizes the abstract elements and power of black magic.”

For that reason, black magicians are despised and pelted with stones. They stop at nothing—sacrifices, atrocities—for the sake of their power.

“…You seem to know quite a bit. It’s knowledge that’s hard to come by at such a young age…”

Although slightly taken aback, Leo answered calmly.

“Well, when you study magic, you tend to hear rumors.”

“…I see. It’s unfortunate.”

Saying this, the man slightly lowered his hat to cover his eyes. For a magician, it was not particularly comforting to think that a child would hear such rumors.

“Well, the arrests are complete, and you’ve explained everything, so you’re free to go. I apologize for taking up so much of your time.”

“Thank you.”

Leonardo bowed and left the station with Ariasphil. Given how noisy it had been due to the investigation and arrests, he was glad to be leaving.

“But how do we get to the Magic Tower?”

“There are many ways, but since the timing is off, let’s first find a place to rest.”

It was now lunchtime during the vacation period, meaning the area around the Magic Tower would be bustling. Considering the commotion they had just witnessed, it was also necessary to find a place to rest for a while.

“Then, would you follow me?”

At that moment, a man approached Ariasphil and Leo.

He had splendid blond hair and bright green eyes. Dressed in a high-quality hat and suit, his appearance only added to his aesthetic charm.

“…Who are you?”

Leo asked the man, his tone slightly wary.

“Ah, I’m late in introducing myself.”

The man politely removed his hat, accompanying his introduction with a courteous bow. His dignified demeanor seemed to exude refinement.

“My name is Jeffrey Fednian. I am a 4-circle mage from the Blue Tower, and I’ve come to guide you, Mr. Leonardo.”

“I see.”

Jeffrey’s gaze then turned to Ariasphil.

“How do you do, young lady? I’ve heard much about you from Rios.”

Saying this, he gently took Ariasphil’s hand and made as if to kiss it.

“Oh, my apologies.”

Leo smoothly pulled Ariasphil’s hand away, naturally interrupting the gesture.

“There was a large bug on the path. I didn’t want you to dirty your shoes, so I intervened.”

Jeffrey narrowed his eyes and smiled at Leo, while Leo’s expression remained slightly stiff.

“It’s fine. Shall we go then?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. We’ve just gone through quite an ordeal, so we’ll rest first before continuing.”

“Ah, in that case, may I—”

“That won’t be necessary either. I’d like to visit the place Mr. Rios recommended myself.”

Saying this, Leo took Ariasphil’s hand and walked towards an alley in the city. Ariasphil couldn’t help but express her curiosity at this unusual behavior.

‘…Why is Leo acting like this?’

Normally, Leonardo was more polite than most nobles, as long as he wasn’t provoked or treated rudely.

That man hadn’t been rude at all; in fact, he’d come to help them.

The only possible explanation…

“…Leonardo.”

“Yes? Is there something you want to say?”

“Did you not like him trying to touch me?”

Come to think of it, Leo had reacted when Jeffrey was about to kiss her hand.

Which means…

“Yes, it might be difficult to understand, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to be around that man.”

Ariasphil felt a certainty from Leonardo’s words.

This must be…!

‘He’s jealous…!! Of another man!!’

She had read about this once in a book Rios had recommended. It said that when a man has set his sights on a woman, he becomes uncomfortable even if another man merely touches her.

“…Hehe…”

She couldn’t help but smile. She had never imagined that even the mature Leonardo would have such a cute side.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, I understand everything!!”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Leo quickly looked back and exited the alley.

[So, you’re a man after all, huh? Even getting jealous.]

[…What?]

The Sage had once lamented how the discipline within the Magic Towers had collapsed.

Leonardo didn’t disagree with that assessment, and the reason was simple.

Leo had witnessed and dealt with their evil deeds firsthand.

[…Damn… But how are you planning to catch him? You said he hasn’t done anything yet.]

Leo frowned as he gave an unpleasant example.

[…Damn it, this time you’ve done well.]

For once, the Sage and Leo were in complete agreement.