Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

Chapter 579: A Not-So-Smooth Journey

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After getting on the train, Alan handed his luggage to the conductor and carefully took his wife and children to the first-class carriage that his friend had reserved for them.

There weren't many people in the carriage, and it was very quiet. It seemed that every passenger had their own things to do, and there weren't many people communicating. Alan walked through two carriages and found that there were less than fifty passengers in this car.

It seems that although the economy has recovered slightly and social conflicts have been eased, people are still reluctant to leave their permanent residence before things are completely stabilized... Alan breathed a sigh of relief. Now he didn't have to worry about the noise in the car waking up his little son.

His wife was already seated in a spacious spot, and when Will fell asleep, he looked like the adorable little angel that he usually was at home.

After sitting down, Alan bought a newspaper from the newsboy outside the window as usual and began to read leisurely.

Woo!
Soon, the whistle sounded, and the steam train began to run with a clang, and the scenery outside the window passed by one scene after another at an accelerated speed.

Alan and Wilma chatted in low voices, discussing the scenery of the coastal city and the delicious grilled fish, and looking forward to a leisurely vacation life in the next few days in Disi Bay.

……

Leonard rested in the cabin for a few hours, then walked out of the room again, went up to the deck, and casually looked at the scenery of the river bank from the side of the ship.

"It's a little colder here than in Loon."

Leonard cupped his hands to his mouth, exhaled while talking to himself, and saw the white steam blown away by the wind.

He changed his clothes to follow the local customs and did not wear his formal suit. Instead, he exchanged the gold pounds in his hand for some Intis currency in the city to buy new clothes and personal belongings.

He changed into a shirt and coat that was common in Intis, but looked a bit fancy to the people of Loen. The coat was decorated with some golden accessories, which made a jingling sound when he walked, which was a very novel experience for Leonard, who often had to move quietly.

The holy emblem and the pair of red gloves owned by the senior deacon of the Church of Evernight were neatly folded together with other miscellaneous items and placed in the small suitcase he had just bought. In Leonard's opinion, these two things were the most valuable things in the suitcase.

Now, he looked like a young Intis man who was traveling. When his green eyes accidentally met the gaze of a lady or gentleman, they would always cause ripples in the other person's heart.

In order to travel more comfortably and quickly, he chose to board a steam-powered passenger ship heading north along the Serenzo River. The Serenzo River intersects with the Rhine River in Trier, so he could consider staying in Trier for a while, meeting his companions in the Tarot Club, and then continue to head north.

He has nothing to do now, as if he is spending a long-awaited vacation in a foreign country.

It was very cold on the river, and there were almost no passengers on the deck to enjoy the breeze. The breakfast in the restaurant was only a few minutes away from being served. Leonard straightened his collar and looked at the relatively new houses on both sides of the river, and the buildings in the distance that seemed to have experienced some huge impact and showed many signs of collapse. However, he was not interested in the scenery of Intis. On the entire ship, his favorite thing was the soft bed in his first-class cabin.

Although you don't need to sleep, it is still very comfortable and relaxing to lie on it.

"Klein is in Feysac now..."

There was no one around, so Leonard whispered to himself: "What is he doing in Feysac?"

Pales did not speak. After a few seconds, Leonard said, "By the way, old man, is the place we are going to a secret doll town? Like the 'Kingdom of Night' you mentioned, the kind where there is no living person?"

"I asked Klein at the Tarot Club when I could give him the cards, and he said I had to go to Feysac to find him."

"What on earth is a small town, old man? Do you know?"

Pales clicked his tongue and said, "Don't ask me everything. Can't you think about these things yourself? Even if you take a step back, he is your former colleague, not mine. If you have something to say, can't you just ask... him?"

"I indeed forgot to ask him about the means of contact - but for this, I can pray to Mr. Fool." Leonard muttered. Just as he was about to say something else, he saw the doors of other cabins open one after another, and some passengers walked out and began to head to the restaurant.

Is it time for breakfast? Leonard heard the bell ringing. As a foreigner, he had high expectations for the food and beverage on this high-end domestic ship. He temporarily stopped bickering with Pales and quickly moved towards the restaurant with the passengers.

Leonard didn't ask, and Pales was happy to keep silent.

He also couldn't figure out these things about The Fool. Pales was now very glad that he didn't tell Leonard that "The Secret City of Dolls was a ritual of Sequence One of the Fortune Teller", otherwise the two of them would definitely be at a loss now.

Pales was stunned by this obvious "Secret Servant" promotion ceremony, which completely overturned his previous confident speculation that "the one who is now in Sefirah Castle should be the hidden 'Secret Servant'". Obviously, if the other party is already a Secret Servant, then preparing the ceremony again in this situation is really a waste of time. He should focus on accommodating the uniqueness and gathering the other Sequence Ones as soon as possible.

The "Secret Doll Town" obviously belongs to the "Fool". No matter what, it belongs to this camp. But why would Leonard's former colleague prepare the Sequence One ritual while the "Fool" exists?
Anyway, it couldn't be Zaratul. That guy might still be secretly calculating the time of his resurrection. And Antigonus definitely wouldn't want to come to the Secret Doll Town again - this obviously wasn't to rebuild the "Kingdom of Night". So now there was actually only one answer, that was - the "Fool" was indeed Klein Moretti, and this was his promotion ceremony to Sequence One - but from Leonard's description of his power and status, and his every "decryption", the identity of the "Fool" was clearly...

Pales stopped thinking.

His spiritual intuition did not give any warning, but He still felt that it would be fruitless to continue thinking about it, so He stopped thinking about it and instead stole the taste of the grilled fish that Leonard had just tasted.

It smells quite nice, but there's a bit too much sugar... Pales thought lazily, and instructed Leonard to try other desserts.

……

"What's wrong with you, Audrey?"

Irena once again invited Audrey to have afternoon tea in her restaurant. Seeing her unhappy expression, she couldn't help but ask, "You seem to have something on your mind again but you don't share it with me. Are the ladies in Rune always so reserved?"

As she spoke, she poured Audrey a cup of hot tea and pushed an envelope with the holy emblem of the Church of the Creator printed on it over to her:
"this is for you."

"There is an important person in your Psychological Alchemy Society who wants to see you. He hopes that you can visit Him when you are free. Just go to the garden behind the cathedral. You happened to be taking a nap at that time. He said that you should know his identity, so I accepted him for you."

Audrey had already guessed who it was. She was silent for a moment, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then asked casually:
"Did this gentleman just leave?"

"It turned out to be a gentleman."

Irena laughed lazily, "I don't remember what he looks like or how old he is, nor do I remember whether he is a man or a woman. So I know this must be a high-ranking member of the Psychological Alchemy Society. You have an ability called 'Psychological Invisibility'."

"He came here twenty minutes ago. Since He doesn't want me to know His identity, I won't ask you."

Twenty minutes ago... Hermes' sudden visit made Audrey once again clearly aware of the subtle relationship between the two gods, which made her feel a little complicated. She suspected that he had discovered her going to the "Tarot Club". No, Audrey felt that Hermes should have discovered that she had a connection with the god "The Fool" a long time ago, which should be one of the reasons why He came to her. It seems that now the other party has clearly expressed his curiosity about the "Tarot Club" and "The Fool" and wants to find out the news.

There was no point in keeping secrets or lying to an audience angel who was stronger than herself, so Audrey decided to tell the truth directly and say something nice to Mr. Fool as much as possible - after all, those were her own feelings.

"I...will visit you again in the evening." Audrey said.

She took the letter but did not open it. After that, Audrey looked at Irena across from her. She saw only frankness and sincerity in this lady who was not much older than herself. She knew that she also saw the world very clearly and the promises of the gods and heaven. But because she knew this clearly and knew her own abilities, Irena never showed any distress.

"I told you before that I have a story about an elder."

Audrey took a sip of tea and said with a wry smile:

"Well... I told him about my troubles and what I was thinking about recently. He tactfully expressed his support for my idea, but also said that since I had decided to join the Church of God sincerely, I didn't need to associate with him anymore."

Irena just picked up a piece of brownie and was stunned for a moment when she heard this. Then she said thoughtfully:
"Is your elder a believer in the God of Thunder?" "No, I don't know what he believes in." Audrey evaded the question and thought to herself with a smile, "I am sad, but not overly sad or angry. Although he didn't want me to change my beliefs, he still supported my choice and didn't express any other dissatisfaction or hostility towards my behavior - this further deepened my respect for him and the regret in my heart."

"I'm sorry, too," Irena said. "He sounds like a gentle and reasonable man, and certainly not a believer in Thunder."

"Not all followers of the God of Thunder are rude and violent," Audrey said politely.

Irena smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this. After all, I haven't been to Loen many times." After that, she took out a folder from her side and handed it to Audrey. "This is the transfer order and dispatch plan given to you by the church. It includes hospitals, schools, and official charitable organizations in Trier and other cities. As a demigod, you have the freedom to make your own choice. After all, you are an archbishop. Although Trier is good, many other cities are still under reconstruction. It is also a good opportunity for you to build your network and influence."

Audrey understood what Irena meant. She took the folder and looked at the thick stack of more than ten pages of paper inside. Thinking that even the parish itself could choose these jobs, she once again felt the importance of power.

"I'll respond as soon as possible." She felt better.

……

A few hours later, Alan looked out the window with some worry.

Because of the heavy dark clouds gathering above his head and in the distant sky, a storm was inevitable.

This meant that the steam train would stop at a station early and wait until the storm was over, or even continue its journey early the next morning, instead of arriving at the scheduled location.

"Have we arrived in Deasy County?" He called the conductor to ask without any hope, and sure enough, he got a negative answer.

However, he had no way to stop it. He could not change the weather like the "God of Thunder".

The only thing he could do was pray, pray to God.

The child woke up while the vehicle was moving. He was well-behaved as usual, sitting quietly in his mother's arms, not crying and making a fuss like he did in the morning. This made Allen and his wife believe that the abnormality in the morning was just because the child did not want to leave the familiar environment.

Will's eyes were also looking out the window, and the dice held by his fingers hidden in the swaddling clothes was facing "six".

Sure enough, not long after, the first drop of rain appeared on the window. The rain was left with a long trail by the high-speed train. Then a flash of lightning flashed in the sky, and heavy rain suddenly poured down.

"I'm afraid we'll have to stay in another city for a night." Allen shrugged and said with a smile, "It's a good deal that we still have the opportunity to experience the scenery of other cities within four days."

Some passengers on the train began to complain to the conductor, and some began to write letters or ask if there was a telegraph on the train. Their scheduled trips and things were delayed, but for Alan and Wilma, this sudden situation was indeed a bit unexpected, but it could also be regarded as a small episode in the middle of the journey.

It turns out that prayers are useless most of the time. When it gets darker, the platform ahead uses lights to signal the train to slow down and stop on the spot.

Woo!
The whistle sounded again, the train slowed down, and finally stopped at a platform that seemed a little unfamiliar to everyone.

The next second, the mechanical door opened near the front of the train that was belching steam. The conductor stood at the entrance. The heavy rain blocked the road ahead. He could only shout to the staff on the platform:

"What happened in front?"

"It's raining heavily. We can't see anything!" the station worker, whose temples were already turning a little gray, answered loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled thunder sounded in the sky, shaking everyone.

"Damn it!" the conductor cursed, "Which station is this?"

Because it was an irregular stop, he didn't quite know which station the train was at. After all, the train he was responsible for did not stop at every station along the way in the past.

"Torn City in South Wales! A small station! You can make your own arrangements next!" The staff member shouted a few times and ran to the other end of the platform holding a glass lantern, "I have to signal the train behind!"

The conductor had no doubts about the staff's attitude because this was the normal dispatching procedure, otherwise there would be a rear-end collision between the two steam trains.

He could even conclude that other staff at this station had already sent telegrams to other stations to give warnings.

Of course, they must have received the telegram only to find out that the area ahead was covered by heavy rain.

"We are in South Wales now."

Alan didn't find any useful information in his mind, but there were too many small stations and cities that he didn't know about. He was in a good mood: "Wilma, I like the beer in South Wales very much. Now I can try the local wine. Maybe I can bring them some specialties back."

Of course, he didn't care too much about it, because there were many unknown steam train stations throughout the Kingdom of Loen, which was a reflection of a country's comprehensive strength.

The conductor looked at the dark sky, muttered a few words, and then spoke to the passengers using the newly equipped loud speaker:

"A storm is coming. The train will be at Thorn Station until eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

He expects the storm to continue into tonight.

"You can stay in the carriage or leave on your own and go to the city and find a hotel. You can get back on the train tomorrow just by providing your ticket stub. Remember to be on time." The conductor gave two options.

Alan did not hesitate, as they had to find a hotel to rest with their children, so he picked up his suitcase and helped his wife out of the train.

After the Chris family entered the Tone Station, they saw another train stopping on the opposite track before they left. The train must have stopped early due to the heavy rain. The lights inside were all off, and it seemed that all the passengers had gotten off. Only a man dressed as a conductor was sitting on a bench at the station to rest.

Having just arrived in a strange city, Alan was ready to ask the conductor for some information, so he walked forward.

"Good evening, sir." Allen took the initiative to greet the other party. The conductor turned around. He had three-dimensional features and broad shoulders. He did not look like a Loenese. Allen did not think much and asked directly, "Excuse me, are you the conductor of that car?"

The other party hummed, and then said in the common language with an accent:
"This is my first time here too. If you want to ask me for recommendations on accommodation and restaurants, I can't answer you."

"Oh." Allen had to give up the idea of ​​asking further. He asked, "We are going to Dixie Bay for vacation. Where are you going?"

"Mingerminsk Mountains." The train conductor looked at the family of three and said in a muffled voice, "Because it is on the border between the two countries, it has the style of the Feysac Empire. It is a small resort city at the foot of the snow-capped mountains."

"Sounds good." Although Allen had no interest in the customs of the Feysac Empire, he still said politely, "If I have the chance in the future, I would also like to visit a city like this. I heard that the bacon and liquor in Feysac are very good..."

After he said this, he suddenly heard his child sobbing.

The sobbing quickly intensified, and Alan and Velma had no choice but to quickly leave the station with the child in their arms.

TBC
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I just came back from something outside.

(End of this chapter)