The Cornflower Witch

That afternoon, Sylutia climbed the steps onto the roof deck and gazed into the distance.

The cold wind was biting. Layers of clouds drifted endlessly across the sky, while the land below was a stretch of grayish white. The towns they passed along the way were also quite desolate, with many houses damaged—some being hastily reinforced and repaired, while others had been outright abandoned, left to let the cold wind pour in.

Twenty hours had passed since their departure. The train had traveled north about two thousand kilometers, reaching the Derrin District. Here, there were sprawling forests and rolling hills.

The trees swayed noisily in the fierce gusts of wind. The grass was flattened in a single direction, revealing the occasional rabbit darting across the dim sky.

Passing through the Derrin District, the train continued north. A shower of raindrops, as large as beans, fell from the sky, splashing against the train’s body, sending up droplets and white mist.

Once they entered this rain belt, the cold moisture gradually spread over the train, making the night considerably chillier. Some crew members requested extra blankets and bedding to fall asleep.

Late that night, Sylutia led a group to inspect the carriages. She then received a notification.

“Lady Hedra, please follow me. Master Ge Zhen is gathering everyone.” A crew member in a blue cap approached her.

“Alright, I’ll head there right away.” Sylutia nodded, and with a few members from the Inspection Department, she made her way to the locomotive.

When she arrived, the leaders of each team were already present. Master Ge Zhen informed them of certain matters.

“I’ve received a communication from the Worzer District ahead. The tracks passing through that area are currently under emergency repair. We won’t be able to pass as scheduled and will have to make a temporary stop in Worzer until the repairs are complete.”

“I recall that ensuring the smooth passage of support trains is a critical mission for all major districts along the route. How could something like this happen?” Taggus frowned. As a soldier, he saw this as a serious dereliction of duty in such an emergency.

“I asked for the reason, but the other party seemed reluctant to go into detail. They simply told us to stop at the town of Heilen ahead and wait.”

Hearing the name, Novadon thought for a moment, then spoke: “I remember that Worzer’s main city has a station. Why are they making us stop in the outer town of Heilen?”

Heilen was one of Worzer’s satellite towns, known for its beer production—not only supplying the local area but also shipping some to the central parts of the Alliance. So it had its own station.

“Not sure. Maybe it’s the section at Worzer’s main city that’s broken?” Kubo shrugged, saying anything was possible.

“Hard to say.” Amisa replied with a squinting smile.

“I recall that the tracks at Worzer’s main city should be the most robust, the least likely to be damaged. On the other hand, the Heilen section, being out in the wilds, had a smaller budget and didn’t leave much safety margin during construction.”

Master Ge Zhen mentioned he had considered that as well. But since that’s what they were told, they couldn’t risk pushing the train forward. If the tracks were truly faulty, the brakes might not stop them in time.

“We’ll have to rest at Heilen for a while and quickly send someone to the main city to check the situation.”

“At the current speed, how long will it take to reach Heilen?” Sylutia asked.

“About an hour,” the train conductor replied, pulling out his pocket watch to check the time.

“After we arrive at Heilen, I’ll lead a team immediately to Worzer’s main city to investigate. Considering the elite capabilities of the Inspection Department, we’ll be able to move quickly.” Sylutia made this proposal.

“In that case, I’ll leave it to you, Miss Hedra.” Master Ge Zhen nodded. As the train’s overall commander and the strongest person present, he needed to ensure the entire train’s safety and stability, so he couldn’t leave easily.

“You should go too. After all, you have an engineering background and can determine the actual condition of the track damage and repairs.” Novadon suggested.

Sylutia pondered for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. She then had her and Novadon summon the crew members.

Half an hour later, Sylutia had selected eighty people for the mission with her, about half of them Seventh Tier elites, with the rest being specialists in various technical skills.

On the other side, Novadon had also chosen suitable personnel. He didn’t take many—only about a dozen mages skilled in engineering.

After making the decision, Sylutia discussed subsequent matters with Cerise. Since she would be temporarily away from the train, the ‘Scorching Sun Crystals’ loaded on board remained critical and needed someone to supervise their guarding. That task fell to Cerise, the second-in-command of the Inspection Department team.

“I understand. Please be careful on the road, Lady Hedra.” Although a bit worried about the young girl, Cerise knew the gravity of the situation and didn’t insist on coming along.

“Having you on the train does put my mind at ease.” Sylutia nodded.

Soon, the train began to slow. Ahead, in the light of the headlamps, the outline of a small station appeared. Staff members were already waiting there, waving flags to signal the train’s approach and indicating where to stop.

A few minutes later, accompanied by the hiss of brake steam, the train gradually came to a halt. Then the doors opened, and Sylutia and her people jumped off.

“Welcome, honored guests heading north to support.” The stationmaster, wearing a black coat, stood with a group of personnel, nervously greeting the deep-blue-uniformed members as they jumped down.

As an internal inspection body, the Inspection Department was the nightmare of many Alliance officials. No one dared to claim they had no stains on their records. The stationmaster, though knowing they probably weren’t there to arrest him, was still quite uneasy.

“Hello.” Sylutia inquired about the situation, while Novadon and his people arrived.

“I don’t know much about what’s happening at the main city. Two hours ago, I received an urgent order telling me to prepare immediately and receive the arriving Ninth Train,” the stationmaster explained in the cold night wind.

After asking a few rounds, Sylutia and the others determined that the stationmaster’s knowledge was limited and stopped pressing him.

“Even if he doesn’t know the specifics, he must have some guesses. I could tell—his eyes were a bit evasive,” a team member whispered to Sylutia.

“I know, but even if we interrogate him, it’d just be his speculation. We’ll only know the real situation once we get to the main city.” Sylutia shook her head slightly.

“Let’s go. Standing here won’t get us anywhere. Let’s head to the main city first.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Sylutia informed Novadon that she would set out first. Then, leading her members, she rose into the air and turned into a streak of meteors, disappearing into the night sky’s end.

Seeing Sylutia and her team leave so quickly, Novadon could only wave helplessly. He then had his engineers activate the modified ‘Black Steel Spider.’

It was called a spider, but only the structure was roughly similar. Its three pairs of legs were exceptionally sturdy and thick, standing like clamps on the ground, supporting the heavy body in the center. In front, a pair of raised fang-like blades resembled mantis scythes, but at the tips, there were smaller cutting blades that could shear metal like hydraulic shears.

When the Black Steel Spider stood upright, its body reached about six meters in height. The power furnace inside began to operate, spewing boiling steam heat from its back. Then, with its swift movement, it carried the members on board and headed toward the distant main city.