But why would this man ask me about Yeongak? That was a false identity I’d only recently stopped using. Could he know? Was he doing this on purpose? What was his angle? For a moment, I suspected he was a tracker sent by the princess’s faction from the Harin Kingdom, but I dismissed the thought. Si-woo had done nothing more than ask the question. In fact, his eyes and posture suggested nothing more than simple curiosity. So, just a coincidence then? A professor at Cheon-gwan… The academy was so renowned that word of it traveled even to the farthest corners of the world. For a man this young to be a newly appointed professor meant he had to be exceptionally talented. I hadn't seen it at first, but I was gradually sensing there was something unusual about him. Still, instead of raising my guard, I inwardly shook my head. Let's just call it a coincidence for now. A guilty conscience meant I couldn’t let my suspicion show. I casually turned a page of my newspaper, feigning nonchalance, and listened to him speak. “If there really were someone like that, he would have been in the newspapers.” “Ha ha. Well, some things aren’t meant for public knowledge.” “That’s an interesting thing to say. Are you sure you should be telling that to a man you just met?” “There’s no reason I shouldn’t, is there? Besides, Mr. Jin-woo, though we’ve only just met, I feel a certain kinship with you.” “It’s an honor for an old man like me to be held in such high regard by a respected Cheon-gwan professor.” Perhaps it was his affable nature, but Si-woo couldn't seem to drop his interest in me. He wasn't one to let the subject die quietly. Since it had come to this, I decided to humor him. At the very least, having a companion to talk to made the journey less lonely. There was no harm in it. “Mr. Si-woo, when you arrive in Cheon-gwan, will you begin teaching right away?” “Not immediately. I’ll have some time to prepare.” “The first-years?” “No. I’m in charge of the second-years.” “The second-years? Don’t new professors usually start with the freshmen? You must be even more exceptional than I imagined.” From what I’d heard, Cheon-gwan Magic Academy was closer to a university by Pureun Byeol standards. A vast campus hosted all manner of buildings, and thousands of staff and their families lived and worked within its grounds. Though adjacent to a major city, Cheon-gwan’s scale was so immense it was often compared to a small city in its own right—two cities standing side-by-side. The students at Cheon-gwan ranged from first-year to fifth-year. Typically, the more advanced the year, the more brilliant the students, so it was standard practice to assign seasoned professors to the upperclassmen and new appointees to the first-years. For him to be teaching second-years right from the start… I had thought he might be impressive, but this was more than I expected. You didn’t become a professor at Cheon-gwan for nothing. The Mado-ui Yoram. This world had achieved its own industrial revolution of iron and steam, but the one thing that truly set it apart from Pureun Byeol was, of course, the existence of magic. I’d only ever seen such things in fantasy novels. Magic was an inseparable part of this world, and for ages, it had been the exclusive domain of a chosen few. One simply couldn’t use it without the proper aptitude. But things had changed. Unlike in the past, when only nobles of high birth could wield magic, a new meritocracy was on the rise. Commoners could now learn magic as long as they possessed the talent. Cheon-gwan was the pinnacle of this new era, an academy where one could rise to the top on skill alone. I found myself curious. What kind of place was it, really? When I thought of a magic academy, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a famous book series from my time on Pureun Byeol. Students flying on brooms, casting spells with wands… It was the kind of thing children who read those books dreamed about. A school of magic. What could be more enchanting? But here, in this world, it was real. Students learning magic, living out their youth. Youth… In my past life, my father died early, and I’d had no time to enjoy such things. I had studied like a madman, burdened by the obligation to support my family, constantly under pressure to succeed. My second life wasn’t much different. No, it was worse. There was a reason I lived under a false name, hiding from the world. To wish for that kind of life now would be asking for the impossible. It had been twenty-seven years since I was reborn into this world. I was long past the age of burning youth, or whatever one might call it. A magic academy was just a story from another world, one that had nothing to do with me. The same was true of the man before me, Si-woo, who was so intimately connected to that world. I, who lived a lie to conceal my true self, and he, who was destined for the shining stage of Cheon-gwan—we were polar opposites. But since he had become a professor at Cheon-gwan at such a young age, I decided I should at least offer him a sincere congratulations. He was, after all, a fallen nobleman. Social classes still existed in this world, with the nobility at its apex. But even from such heights, some were cast into the abyss—whether for treason, for antagonizing those of higher station, or for drowning in debt. For various reasons, these nobles fell. A fallen aristocrat. Considering they were often despised more by their former peers than by commoners, the man named Si-woo must have fought tooth and nail to become a professor at Cheon-gwan. As I was lost in these thoughts, I felt a strange shift in the atmosphere outside. What was that? A strange anxiety compelled me to glance out the window. The air felt wrong. Heavy. Oppressive. As if something was about to happen. “What’s wrong?” Si-woo asked, sensing my unease. I didn’t answer, instead sharpening my senses. Something was coming. “Is something—” It was the exact moment Si-woo began to speak. !!! A huge explosion and a powerful jolt rocked the Magic-tech train. The cabin shuddered violently, and the entire train lurched sideways on the tracks. I gripped the armrest of my chair to keep my balance. “What was that? Did an engine blow?” Si-woo muttered, but I shook my head. An engine failure seemed unlikely. One failed engine wouldn't shake the entire train like this. And given the safety standards of a state-of-the-art Magic-tech locomotive, a spontaneous explosion was out of the question. There had to be another reason, something that had made the explosion unavoidable. My unease proved justified as the thumping of hurried footsteps sounded from the roof above. At the same time, a clamor erupted from the front of the train—the sound of shattering glass and human screams. I knew exactly what was happening. “It’s a raid.” “A raid? On this train?” “Most of the passengers are wealthy merchants and nobles. This must be the work of the bandits from the northern mountains, targeting them.” The passengers on this expensive Magic-tech locomotive were almost exclusively wealthy. Naturally, they attracted those who coveted their money and valuables. Raids by bandits targeting these lines happened from time to time. “Even so, to do this on a train heading from the border to the Empire…” These bastards had to be out of their minds. Their daring bordered on recklessness. “That explosion just now… I don’t think that was caused by conventional force.” I narrowed my eyes, a suspicion forming. “Magic?” There was a wizard among the raiders. With a wizard, such a bold move was possible. If their plan was to rob the train quickly and escape with a wizard’s aid, they could disappear into the steep northern Baek-un mountains. Chasing them would be nearly impossible. If that was their plan, they were no ordinary bandits. Anyone with a wizard capable of that kind of firepower, willing to attack a train full of aristocrats, was far from ordinary. Since magic existed in this world, so too did those who would use it for evil. “Mr. Si-woo, I think we should find cover.” Si-woo nodded in agreement. He grabbed his luggage. He was taking his bag in a situation like this? There must be something important inside. I stood as well, knowing I couldn't afford to worry about others. Si-woo took the lead. “I’ll go first, just in case.” “Right.” For now, my identity was that of a wealthy, middle-aged commoner. The man who had become an academy professor in his mid-twenties was clearly the better fighter. Si-woo drew a small wooden wand and raised his guard. We opened the door to our room and peered into the corridor of car four. No one was in sight yet. The other passengers seemed to be waiting quietly in their rooms for now. The wrong choice. The cabins themselves might have some magical protection, but the attackers were not ordinary men. In a situation like this, sitting still was tantamount to offering your own neck to the blade. The best plan was to get as far away from the robbers as possible. But the robbers had already breached car three. Why hadn’t they entered here yet? I’d thought they would scatter immediately, extorting money and valuables from the passengers. Was I wrong? Or perhaps their target was the car ahead of ours—the first-class car where the nobles stayed. It was a VIP section under heavy protection, and by extension, the biggest prize. A relief. We just had to slip away while their attention was focused on the first car. Magic-tech trains like this were equipped with emergency signals for unexpected attacks. Reinforcements would surely be dispatched soon. We just had to hold out until they arrived. Crash! At that moment, a man shattered the hallway window and climbed inside. Shaking unmelted snow from his shoulders, he raised his head and locked his gaze on us. His eyes were severely bloodshot. He looked brutal, like a man high on drugs, his face a mask of raw hatred and anger. He must have been waiting out in the cold for this. “Aaaargh!” he bellowed upon spotting us. Instantly, Si-woo’s magic flared. Thread-like strands of mana etched themselves into the air before his wand, weaving a three-dimensional sigil that quickly coalesced into a single spell. Zzzt! A bolt of blue lightning flashed forward, piercing the intruder’s chest. “Aaaargh!” The robber crashed face-first to the floor, his body convulsing. “Did you kill him?” I asked, looking at Si-woo. “No, I only incapacitated him,” Si-woo replied, slowly approaching the fallen man with a cautious expression, his wand still aimed at the body. “Wait, Mr. Si-woo. It’s dangerous.” “It’s fine. I’m just going to ask him why they attacked the train.” “No, I mean—” But Si-woo didn’t listen. He kicked the robber’s body over onto his back. “Tell me. Why did you attack this train?” “Uurgh… Ha. Haha.” The man just laughed. His stammering voice held a frigid madness that could make one’s skin crawl. “We… need to kill… everyone.” The robber cackled as he convulsed, blood trickling from his nose. At the same time, his heavy coat fell open, revealing what was hidden beneath. It was a massive bomb. Si-woo’s eyes widened at the sight, but before he could unleash another spell, the robber pressed the detonator clutched in his hand. BOOM! A tremendous explosion ripped through car four.

Chapter 2: He Spoke Your Name