When Isabella asked about him, the richly dressed, chubby boy confidently puffed out his chest and grinned.
"Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Carter, the sole heir of the Head of the Light Guild. I'm already a tier-bronze mage and a future student of Lioncrest Academy—a soon-to-be master of magic!"
With each sentence, his head lifted a bit higher, his small eyes squinting with anticipation, as if waiting for Isabella's admiration.
But after a few moments of silence, he realized she hadn't reacted with the awe he'd expected.
Frowning, he watched as Isabella tilted her head curiously and asked, "What's the Light Guild?"
Carter's chest tightened, and his small eyes widened in disbelief.
"You don't know the Light Guild? Are you even from the Plantagenet Kingdom? Even if you're not, you should know that the Light Guild is a renowned super-alliance that hunts spellbeasts! We're famous even in the imperial capital!"
"Oh," Isabella replied, raising an eyebrow. "Are they impressive?"
Carter beamed, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Of course, we're impressive!"
"Are they as impressive as my brother?" Isabella asked, frowning slightly.
Carter smirked. "Who's your brother? I don't even need a top-tier fighter from the Light Guild; I could knock him out with one punch!" He raised his right arm to flex his muscles but, noticing only flabby flesh, quickly lowered it, though his face remained full of confidence.
Isabella shook her head. "Forget it. I wouldn't want you to end up crying because my brother beat you up."
"Who are you looking down on? I'm the future head of the Light Guild!" Carter raised his voice defensively.
Not far away, a middle-aged man dressed just as opulently as Carter, who bore a slight resemblance to him, twitched slightly at his words.
Unfazed by Carter's boasting, Isabella replied dismissively, "Immature! Do you have a brother? I have the best brother in the world. Anything I want, he'll give me! And you? What do you have besides inheriting the Light Guild? Tell me, what else do you have?"
Carter's face flushed as he tried to counter, but Isabella's sharp tone had him stepping back in retreat. Frustrated, he stomped his foot and stormed off toward the well-dressed man nearby.
"Daddy, didn't you say the Light Guild is super famous? Then how come she doesn't know about it? And, is having a brother really that nice? Why didn't you get me one?"
As Carter retreated, Isabella chuckled and walked over to join Alan.
While admiring the beautiful night view from the top deck, Alan had also kept part of his mind power focused on Isabella and couldn't help but smile at the scene.
Taking a deep breath, he continued gazing at the night scenery below as it slowly receded into the distance.
Perhaps because of the late hour, Alan felt his heart relax. The sounds of the wind, the train's whistle, the rhythmic clattering, and even piano music drifting from some of the luxurious rooms melded into a strangely harmonious melody.
Isabella had initially planned to stay by his side, but sensing that Alan was entering a key moment in his training, she decided not to disturb him. Instead, she watched his focused expression, memories of their life together filling her with a warm smile.
Meanwhile…
In the main control room of the Charlie No.1 train, an elderly man in a black top hat and a tailcoat scanned the collected data, searching for even the smallest flaw.
As the Overseer of the Charlie No.1, he had control over the train's operations and had hoped to find a reason to remove Annie from her position as acting captain.
But Annie, well-prepared, had left no gaps, giving him no opportunity to cause trouble.
"Fine. There's still time before we reach the capital. I'll find a way to catch her off guard," he muttered with a sinister smile.
Suddenly, he noticed something amiss and turned to Annie behind him.
"Acting Captain Annie, why is the deluxe room I reserved no longer available?"
Annie gave a slight bow, a hint of apology in her voice. "Overseer Monk, room 99 was originally reserved for you, but we recently discovered a young grand magus on board.
We thought it best to allocate the room to him."
Annie disliked the old man, who constantly targeted her within the Church of Steam and Magic, but outwardly, she maintained a respectful demeanor. "I was simply following protocol, as it's essential to show respect to a young grand magus."
Monk scoffed, unimpressed. "There are many ways to show respect. Handing over the room meant for me—what's that supposed to mean, Acting Captain Annie?"
Monk had anticipated that Annie would find a way to resist his presence, but he hadn't expected her to directly undermine him by taking his room.
Annie replied calmly, "At this point, it's too late to discuss that. If you're not satisfied, Overseer Monk, there are plenty of medium and lower-class rooms still available on the train."
Monk's face darkened at the insult. As a mid-ranking officer within the Church, he found the suggestion to stay in a lower-class room a complete humiliation.
Seeing his expression, Annie continued, "If the Overseer prefers, we'll soon reach the border fortress. You could transfer to another train. With me managing the Charlie No.1, there won't be any issues even if you're not here."
"So, in the eyes of Acting Captain Annie, I'm expendable?" Monk's voice grew icy, and his tier-gold mage's pressure bore down on her.
"Is the Overseer planning to use force against me?" Annie's silver eyes flashed with a cold light, showing no fear.
Realizing the futility of aggression, Monk reined in his aura, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Church rules strictly prohibited internal conflicts, and with Annie's strong connections, attacking her would only play into her hands.
Suppressing his anger, he stormed out, followed by his entourage. "Fine, Annie! We'll see who has the last laugh!"
As they left, his furious words echoed through the corridor.
"Captain, Overseer Monk is notorious for holding grudges. He's unlikely to let this go. Should we prepare for retaliation?" a maid close to Annie asked with concern.
Annie shook her head. "No need to rush. We'll take things one step at a time."
…
"Did you manage to find any information on those siblings staying in deluxe room 99?" Monk asked his confidant as soon as they exited the main control room.
"Both of them seem to be nobodies with no background. I'm not even convinced the man is truly a grand magus. He's too young, and he has no notable affiliations."
Hearing this, a dangerous gleam flashed in Monk's eyes. "Whether Annie did this to annoy us or not, those two have no background or real strength. They've barely stayed there long, so let's kick them out!"
His men, eager to please, quickened their pace toward room 99.
Their aggressive march quickly drew the attention of the nobles on the deck, who looked on in confusion, unsure of who occupied that room.
Bang!
The guards burst into room 99, tossing out anything that didn't belong there.
Isabella, who had been casually watching the commotion, froze in shock when she realized the intruders had barged into her and Alan's room.
She felt a surge of fear at the thought of the disturbance disrupting Alan's breakthrough.
While she was trying to calm herself, a few of Monk's personal guards recognized Isabella, their faces darkening as they charged toward her.