Riding The Monster Train

"I've heard you haven't been to the main branch in a long time, eh?"

A man in armor said. The man was talking to a fox-like beastman, and they both wore rings.

With them, there were another twenty people. This was a small military unit, and they owned two private carts at the end of the train.

"Yea, the old man must be furious. But I'm sure I achieved enough for him to give me the ancestral treasure."

The beastman said. This beastman is Akainari Redfox. He went back to Nippon Mountain for business and to see the family.

As he and his unit went on the train, he caught glimpses of a beastman who looked like a fox with orange fur. It has to be a member of the Redfox family! And not only that, he had never seen this one before.

Akainari had seen most of the family in the past. It was somewhat irregular to meet another member by chance but even more so when it came to those he had never met.

"Can you carry my stuff to our cart? I have something I need to do."

Akainari said. His colleague noticed how his eyes were locked in a particular direction, and he knew Akainari's intuition was incredible, so he didn't argue.

"You need backup?"

The colleague asked.

Akainari shook his head to say no and started going to the lone Redfox.

He sneaked slowly toward the front of the train while looking through the windows of the carts until he saw him. He is a young beastman with a muscular build surrounded by his friends.

Akainari watched through the window and thought of what he should say. He decided what to say, but right when he reached the door, the door opened, and a sword was pointed at his neck.

"What do you want? Who are you?"

The guy who held the sword asked.

The Redfox family member seemed shocked to see him.

"My name is Akainari Redfox. I don't care about all of you. I only care about this guy over there."

Akainari answered, and pointed at Shu.

["Okay, I'm Akainari Redfox. Commander of the South Sea station. Who are you?"]

Shu heard voices again.

"My name is Shual Adom. What do you want from me?"

Shu asked him. He remembered hearing the slaves say that he was part of the Redfox family when he was at the port of crime.

"Adom? Whose child are you?"

Akainari was shocked. An orange-furred fox beastman who's not part of the Redfox family? This was unheard of.

"I don't know who my parents are. George Adom is the person who raised me."

Shu answered.

Adopted by THE George Adom?! This was unbelievable. All members of the Redfox family lived in the godless realm, while George Adom lived in the demon god's realm. How could what this kid was saying be the truth?!

"Where are you going now?"

Akainari asked.

"Ask her."

Shu answered and pointed his head in Mary's direction.

"We are going to the main branch of the Redfox family."

Mary answered. Akainari was glad to hear he wouldn't need to do anything extra to make them come with him.

"That's great. I'm also planning to go there. If you need anything, then tell me."

Akainari said and went back toward his cart.

Mary looked at Shu, who might have been able to answer assertively, but his mind was in total disarray.

She wanted to comfort him... But they weren't that close yet!

Shuāng Wěi came close to Shu to comfort his master. Shu petted the lion and seemed to be a bit better than before.

"So, why did you want to go to Nippon Mountain?"

Alexander asked, clearly suspicious. She must have known of Shu's origins if his family was big enough to own a mountain, and she wanted to gain something from it.

"I wanted Shu to meet his family and to find his origins. I think this can make him stronger."

Mary answered.

The speed at which she answered that question was suspicious as well.

It was as if she had thought of what to answer before then, though it wasn't surprising, seeing how guilty her expression was as she looked at Shu's face. She must have considered this outcome already.

"It's okay, Alexander. I was wondering about my family too."

Shu said. He didn't seem angered or anything of the sort. Even the shock he felt before has vanished. He was calm.

********

After things had calmed down, they ate dinner. After dinner, Shuāng Wěi and Alexander went to sleep. Mary sneaked out of the cart and climbed a ladder to the train's roof.

She lay down on the train's roof, strong wind blowing by her ears. She looked up at the stars. What is up there? Were these same stars seen from the god's plane?

"They are so beautiful, right?"

Mary heard Shu's voice. He probably followed her out.

Mary smirked slightly at the sound of his words. She thinks so much about what's beyond their world, the future, and whatnot, but him. He is only looking at the beauty of things.

"They are."

She answered.

"So, what is sir Danniel doing in return for you helping me?"

Shu asked. It is something that bothered him for a while. He wants to trust her. He wants to get closer to her. It feels so natural. But he has no way of knowing what she is thinking.

"Would you believe me if I told you of other timelines? Timelines, when one mistake that bastard made the same day we reached the plateau on the Mountain Of No Returns, is the reason for the end of the world."

Mary said.

Shu was speechless, but he felt this was familiar.

As if he knew this already.

["I- I went back in time. I know you don't believe me, but... please..."]

["I believe you!"]

Shu heard voices, one was Mary, and the other was his. Maybe what she said was the truth, and they had already had a similar conversation.

He sat by her side and looked at the stars.

"I don't know the future, I don't know about other timelines, I don't know many things, But I know I won't replace this timeline with any other."

Shu said. His tone was so decisive it made Mary feel more secure about any choices she had made thus far.

Mary chuckled slightly. Between all the timelines she went through... He undoubtedly was her beacon of hope.