“Get under there.”

As soon as the shaking stopped, Jens quickly pushed Aira under the table attached to the train wall.

But no matter how small Aira was, the lavender dress spreading across the floor couldn’t be completely hidden.

Noticing this, Jens pulled Schedel, who was still covering her head and trembling. She stumbled toward him and, following his guidance, sat in the seat next to him by the window.

Sharne must have been right about fashionable dresses, as Schedel’s fabric was similar in color and material to Aira’s dress. Additionally, it was so voluminous that it completely covered Aira’s dress spread across the train floor.

“What do you think you’re doing all of a sudden…!”

Bang bang!

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

The train, which had come to an emergency stop, started moving again. Along with it, gunshots could be faintly heard beyond the closed door. Jens crossed his arms and said indifferently:

“The soundproofing is quite good.”

“T-terrorists?!”

Schedel’s eyes darted wildly. Aira tried to emerge from under Schedel’s dress to assess the situation, but Jens pressed down on her head.

“Stay hidden. We don’t know what might happen.”

Only then realizing Aira’s presence at her feet, Schedel glared at Jens.

“So you didn’t put me on the inside to protect me, but to hide this child?”

“Protecting the vulnerable is a soldier’s—no, an adult’s duty. You should know that.”

“This man is really…”

Schedel gritted her teeth. But when Aira kept fidgeting and glimpses of her ivory hair became visible, Schedel sighed. She removed the shawl from her shoulders and draped it over her knees to cover the hair.

“Stay still, little one.”

“I’m not little.”

Aira grumbled from under the shawl. Just then, the door opened with a loud noise. With her view blocked by the table, shawl, and Schedel’s dress, Aira could only hear. It was a train attendant.

“Lieutenant Commander Will! Something terrible…!”

“Has the engine room been seized? How many boarded behind the tender car?”

“What?”

“It must be those Theology people.”

Theology was a name Aira had heard before. Extremist anti-imperial terrorist group.

But she couldn’t understand why they would attack a Republic train, supposedly their ally.

“I-I don’t know. But armed men with guns…”

“We are Theology! We won’t forgive anyone who resists!”

Bang bang bang!

“Hands up! We’ll shoot anyone who moves!”

Before the attendant could finish speaking, rough voices and gunshots rang out.

Judging from the loud noises starting from the front of the train, they had already seized the front cars and engine room and were moving backward.

“How many were there?”

“What? What?”

As the perpetrators’ voices were heard, Jens pulled the attendant and threw him into the opposite seat, then asked. But the young attendant, likely experiencing such an event for the first time, covered his head and trembled violently. Jens, unfazed, asked again nonchalantly:

“How many people forced their way onto the train?”

“Ah, I saw… three.”

“You’re only responsible for this car, right?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“I understand. Calm down.”

Looking at the excessively calm Jens, Schedel asked:

“What are you going to do, Lord Jens? Don’t you carry a gun?”

“It’s heavy and troublesome.”

“My goodness…! You’re a soldier, aren’t you?! Do something!”

“Well…”

After briefly looking around, Jens suddenly focused on Schedel’s hand resting on the table.

Realizing he was looking at her trembling hand, Schedel said venomously:

“Are you going to mock me? Even a soldier’s daughter gets scared sometimes.”

Through the open door, they could hear people checking each first-class compartment one by one. Occasionally, there were rough sounds and screams, suggesting some passengers were resisting.

Jens reached for Schedel’s trembling hand. Thinking he might comfort her, Schedel brightened momentarily, but when he lifted her hand, she called out in confusion:

“Lord Jens?”

Without a word, he examined her hand from all angles and removed a large jeweled ring from her thumb. Schedel’s mouth fell open.

“What are you doing?”

“Well. I knew these were fashionable, but if those guys recognize it, they might cut off your finger along with it.”

Schedel stiffened with a jolt. Jens, unconcerned, rolled the ring on his palm.

The clear, water-colored round jewel looked like a concentrated lake. Inside the jewel, tiny, thin gems of various colors sparkled. If you stared at it long enough, the small gems inside the water-colored stone seemed to move very slowly.

It was a magic stone.

“How would those ignorant brutes recognize this jewel!”

“They hate Republic citizens who mine magic stones in Republic territory and sell them to the Empire through the Archipelago just as much as they hate the Empire itself.”

Schedel’s face turned pale. She stammered:

“Then…”

Jens looked at her with a disinterested expression.

“Was someone from the Sini family in your party? No. They would be around your age, so it must be Elise Sini who boarded. The Sini family’s esteemed daughter.”

“T-that’s…”

Listening in, Aira could roughly guess the situation. Upper-class ladies including Schedel had boarded the train together, and among them were not only daughters of high-ranking officers like Schedel and Lüse, but also the daughter of a major businessman, Sini, who sold magic stones to the Empire.

The Theology thugs had likely launched this terrorist attack targeting Sini’s daughter to blackmail the Sini family—either to extort funds for their activities or to block magic stone trade and choke the Empire’s lifeline. It was typical behavior for people who hated the Empire.

While Aira was deep in thought about what would happen next, something tapped her forehead.

‘What’s this?’

When she instinctively caught it, she found it was the large ring with the magic stone that had just been the topic of conversation.

Now that she thought about it, among the accessories Luten had lavished on her in the past, there had been something like this.

In the Empire, magic stones were important components of the power that moved the country.

But in the Republic, where people couldn’t use magic, they were merely pretty stones, so all produced quantities were sent to the Empire through the Archipelago.

And magic stones processed in the Empire and infused with magical power would contain magic like small jewels embedded in a larger gem, just like this one.

Since they were beautiful, Aira had heard that Republic citizens were secretly using them as accessories. By covertly importing magic-infused stones back from the Empire.

Schedel, having connections with Sini’s daughter, must have been able to obtain something like this.

Aira clicked her tongue. As she silently examined it, Jens gestured with his hand.

‘Go.’

‘What?’

Aira unconsciously responded informally. At her reaction, Jens smiled slightly and pointed to the attendant, who was still trembling with his head buried in his knees, and the door outside where the commotion was getting closer.

His intention was clear. If these ruffians, who might cut off Schedel’s finger just for possessing a magic stone, recognized an imperial princess, what would happen?

‘Ah, I see.’

He meant for her to use the magic stone to cast a spell and escape alone. Using her own magical power would shorten Aira’s lifespan. But as an imperial princess with knowledge, she could use magic stones containing magical power without affecting her lifespan.

But was that really okay?

Realizing she understood, Jens nodded and mouthed:

‘Go. Don’t worry.’

Using the small amount of magic in this tiny ring, she could probably manage to escape alone from the moving train.

But right now, his safety was more important than her own life.

So she couldn’t escape alone.

Aira nodded to reassure him. She demonstratively rolled Schedel’s ring in her hand. At that moment:

“Everyone put your hands up. We won’t forgive anyone who resists.”

Having finally reached this compartment, a harsh voice was heard.

“Hmm.”

Jens made a troubled sound. Aira also felt stuck.

‘If I use magic now, there’s a risk light will leak through.’

Despite their fullness, both Schedel’s and Aira’s dresses were made of thin fabric that couldn’t block light. Aira tried to remain as still as possible while focusing on the sounds.

“First, the attendant. Come out.”

“P-please… spare me…”

“Don’t do anything foolish. If you don’t want to die.”

The attendant seemed to struggle a bit before going out. From the sounds of doors opening and closing and multiple people groaning, it seemed they were herding people into one place.

The perpetrator spoke again:

“Sieron, who are these people?”

The sound of papers being shuffled stopped, and another man’s voice was heard.

“There’s nothing special about this compartment? Why, it’s kept empty for those high-and-mighty folks. For the premium seats.”

Click.

The sound of a gun being loaded. Schedel quickly drew in her breath.

“Wait. Wasn’t that woman not in that compartment earlier?”

“Woman. What’s your name?”

“I…”

“Shaaran Schedel.”

“Lord Jens!”

“Jens?”

When Jens recited Schedel’s name, she screamed. But he remained calm, and instead, the voices of the questioning criminals trembled.

“Jens? The Jens Will from the Servolang Naval Battle?”

“Yes.”

“No way…”

“Can I prove it?”

Even his tone had become respectful. Despite being an anti-imperial group, they seemed to hold reverence for the man who had annihilated the imperial army.

“If you don’t believe my face, would you believe any proof I offer?”

Jens spoke with slight irritation. To Aira’s ears, it sounded like a deliberately affected voice.

But it worked on the terrorists, who whispered quietly to each other. After a while, they spoke in a cautious voice:

“We believe you, Lieutenant Commander Jens Will. But even for you, we can’t let you go. Please stay quietly in this compartment. We won’t harm you.”

“What are your demands?”

“That’s…”

“Giorr!”

Sieron, the one holding the list, cut off the armed terrorist named Giorr who was about to answer instinctively. Giorr hesitated, then shook his head.

“This is not a matter to discuss with the Lieutenant Commander. You, woman. Come out.”

“…What?”

Schedel, who had been somewhat relieved seeing they recognized Jens, was terrified by the gun now pointing at her.

Aira was in a dilemma. If Schedel was taken away, her own presence would be revealed.

Should she use magic now to take down these guys? But it would be difficult to take down all three with the small amount of magic in the ring…

That’s when Jens’s calm voice was heard:

“She’s the woman who will be my wife. Back off.”

Aira felt strange.