Unlike the relatively quiet dining car earlier, the carriage Naoki and Rei were in now was quite crowded. Though the seats were scattered and not grouped together, Magus were a distrustful bunch, so it was only natural they didn't like clustering.
Among the many Magus, the only one wearing a Church uniform stood out starkly. In an already unwelcoming atmosphere, she seemed even more unapproachable.
Of course, that person was Ciel.
In Naoki's memory, the last time he met her was in Misaki City, about seven years ago. But compared to seven years ago, Ciel hadn't changed at all. She looked almost exactly the same.
The lingering effects of being possessed by Roa clearly hadn't fully faded. Of course, when it came to unchanged appearances, Naoki was no different.
Hearing Naoki's voice from the door, Ciel immediately turned toward him. "Naoki?"
Her tone carried a hint of hesitation and uncertainty. For both of them, their last meeting was seven years ago. Feeling a bit unfamiliar with each other was inevitable.
Sitting across from her, Naoki smiled. "What? After seven years, you don't recognize me anymore? My appearance shouldn't have changed much compared to yours, just like seven years ago."
"I recognize you, but it's because I recognize you that I'm a bit unsure." After a moment of surprise, Ciel showed a nostalgic smile. "Long time no see. I never expected to meet you here, on the Mystic Eye Collection Train… Are you here for the auction?"
"Yeah, you could say that. Let's just say I'm here for the auction—though it seems you're not, right?"
The Mystic Eye Collection Train was created by one of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, while the Church, which Ciel followed, was their sworn enemy. There was no way Ciel was here for the auction.
"Is the Church planning to take down the Ancestor behind this train?"
"Forget it, I suppose it's fine to tell you."
After hesitating about whether to share with Naoki, Ciel said, "The Ancestor behind this train—the Fifteenth Ancestor, Rita Rozay-en—the Church has no intention of confronting her for now. I'm here for another purpose."
"Another purpose?"
"I don't mind explaining, but it's a confidential matter that can't be discussed in public."
Hearing Ciel say this, Naoki immediately understood her meaning. "Rei, I'll leave it to you."
"Yes, Master."
Nodding, Rei turned to the other Magus in the carriage. "[My apologies, my Master dislikes crowds. Please leave this area]."
*BZZZZZZZZ—!*
A vibration of Mana, like the buzzing of a mosquito's wings, spread through the carriage. As Rei's voice faded, the Magus stood one by one and left the carriage like marionettes being controlled.
In the blink of an eye, only three people remained in the carriage: Naoki, Rei, and Ciel.
Rei turned back. "It's done, Master. I've also set up barriers to prevent interference, eavesdropping, and surveillance. You two can speak freely now."
"Thanks—now, can you talk, Ciel?"
"Who is she?"
Instead of answering Naoki, Ciel fixed her gaze on Rei with a serious expression. As Roa's reincarnation, despite being a Church member, Ciel's knowledge of Magecraft was among the highest at the Clock Tower.
That's why she reacted this way. What Rei had just done was clearly the result of Magecraft. Ciel could also use Charm Magecraft through words, but controlling over fifteen Magus with a single sentence, rendering them powerless to resist, and still having enough energy to set up barriers—
"She's no ordinary maid."
"You flatter me, Miss Ciel. I once had an identity worth boasting about, but now I'm just an ordinary maid serving at my Master's side. I only know a little about Magecraft, nothing remarkable." Rei said with a smile.
Only a little about Magecraft?
Ciel recalled the earlier scene. If that level was considered "a little." then perhaps there were no true Magus in the world. It should be noted that nine out of ten Magus who could board this train were far from ordinary.
After staring at Rei for a moment, Ciel shifted her gaze. "I'll take it as that—but you haven't changed in this regard either. There's always one or two women by your side."
"After all, Master has an overwhelming charm with women. It's one of the things that gives me a headache." Rei laughed. "When will he learn to restrain himself a bit?"
"Don't ask me… By the way, Ciel, you still haven't said why you're on this train."
Seeing the two about to start critiquing him, Naoki hurriedly steered the conversation back to the main topic. Hearing this, Ciel adjusted her expression and explained, "I'm here on a mission from the Church… the Burial Agency."
"You must know the Seventh of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, right? The Forest of Einnashe, Einnashe. It appears every fifty years. It's a monster born after a vampiric plant absorbed the blood of the original Einnashe. When it appears, it draws everything around it into the Blood Forest to feed. The blood it collects gathers in a great tree at the forest's center, crystallizing into a red fruit. It's said that eating this fruit grants immortality."
"It's been about fifty years since it last appeared. Each time it emerges, the Church forms a team to hunt it. Though they've failed every time, if left unchecked, it causes massive damage."
At this point, Naoki roughly understood the situation.
"In short, you're here to deal with the Forest of Einnashe?"
"Yes. The Church has a way to predict where it'll appear next. This time, it's confirmed it will emerge along this train's route."
"Impressive… But the hunting team from the Church you mentioned—is it just you alone?"
"Correct. Just me."
After a brief silence, Ciel nodded.