The train slowly emerged from the fearsome mist, just as Roland had predicted—Montette, the Undying, never appeared again.


    As night fell, Buck dragged his weary body back to his compartment, where he found his three maids trembling in the cabinet all day.


    "I''m hungry. LeftYi, RightYi, go prepare dinner," Buck ordered, his voice carrying both exhaustion and undeniable authority. The maids quickly composed themselves and obediently followed his command.


    Interestingly, the three maids were not the only ones hiding in Buck''s compartment.


    In the corner, Veronica, the female hunter, was crouching and sobbing quietly. The moment she saw Buck enter, relief first washed over her face, only to be replaced by hesitation.


    The train’s cook had long perished in Montette’s attack. Buck, who had endured the torment of the Devourers, finally had a chance to enjoy a proper meal, carefully prepared by the twin maids.


    He filled the table with food and devoured it ravenously, stuffing mouthfuls with no regard for noble etiquette.


    Across from him, Veronica watched, dumbfounded. Seeing Buck eat like a starved beast, she found that she had completely lost her appetite.


    "Pardon my curiosity, Miss Veronica, but why did you choose to become a hunter?"


    Halfway through his meal, Buck, having barely suppressed the gnawing hunger inside him, finally had the energy to look at her properly.


    In truth, ever since he had entered the room, his gaze had drifted toward her multiple times. But only now did he directly meet her eyes.


    That morning, Buck had noticed something—Veronica was the only hunter who hadn''t charged forward to fight Montette to the death. Because of this, she was also the only hunter left alive on the train.


    Buck did not look down on her for it. He was simply curious—if she couldn’t face the darkness head-on, why had she chosen a path that required her to battle it?


    Veronica''s expression stiffened, and after a long hesitation, she lowered her head and spoke with a trembling voice.


    "My hometown was destroyed by dark creatures. My parents were killed by their claws, my siblings devoured by monsters. At the final, desperate moment, a hunter saved me. So…"


    "So, you decided to become a hunter?" Buck said, stuffing another piece of meat into his mouth.


    Veronica silently nodded.


    Recalling everything that had happened before, she realized that Buck had saved her three times now.


    In front of him, she had no courage to speak of her past resolve to become a hunter.


    She knew very well—she was nothing but a failure.


    "You will become a great hunter," Buck suddenly said, completely contradicting her own thoughts. Veronica was stunned.


    "At the very least, you survived, didn’t you?"


    The nobleman continued eating without stopping his hands or his mouth. Somehow, even while wolfing down food, he managed to speak clearly.


    "A good hunter is one who stays alive. What about your companion? Is he still alive?" Buck asked, referring to Muken.


    Veronica nodded slightly. But from her expression, it was clear that even if Muken had survived, his condition was far from optimistic.


    Buck shrugged and continued,


    "Courage and fearlessness are admirable qualities, but even more precious is knowing how to use them to stay alive. Advance when needed, retreat when necessary. When it comes to the fundamental decision between life and death, you have already done well."


    Was he… comforting her? Veronica’s gaze wavered, a complex emotion rising in her heart.


    "May I ask—what was your ritual to become an Extraordinary?" Buck suddenly asked with curiosity.


    Veronica hesitated before answering slowly,


    "It was the Ritual of Fate."


    Buck set down his knife and fork, a slight smile appearing on his lips.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "See? Fate is already watching over you."


    —


    In the dead of night, at the edge of the railway leading north, a small village was engulfed in raging flames.


    Screams of agony and desperate cries for help echoed endlessly through the inferno.


    A tall hunter stepped out from the burning village, leaving behind a gruesome trail of blood.


    The fire illuminated the deep scars on his face beneath his tattered hunter’s hat, as well as his twisted, fanatical smile.


    "I’ve found it… Finally, I’ve found it…"


    He murmured to himself, clutching a gemstone that glowed with intertwining hues of red and blue.


    "Daughter, wait for me. I will bring you back to life."


    With the gemstone in hand, he walked southward.


    The Dead Prison had stripped him of too much power.


    It had been far too long since he had tasted death.


    But now—no one could stop him.


    —


    The train continued its steady journey north, departing from the remote southern border.


    In the days that followed, Prince Roland remained unseen. Buck could only receive updates on his orders through the prince’s attendants.


    As the train drew closer to the imperial capital, the scenery outside the window gradually changed.


    Endless plains and barren lands gave way to vast fields of golden wheat and lush, verdant farms.


    And whenever the train passed near a town, Buck could see sprawling alchemical factories dominating the landscape.


    Thick smoke billowed from the chimneys of the factories, gathering in the sky to form dense clouds. The closer they got to the imperial capital, the less frequent the sight of clear skies became. The cities where they stopped for resupply grew increasingly prosperous, giving Buck the illusion of having traveled back to the Industrial Revolution era of his previous life.


    After nearly a month of safe travel, they finally entered the territory of the imperial capital. The capital of the Goliath Empire no longer had city walls. The moment the train crossed the Lionheart River on the iron bridge, the northern jewel of the empire gradually unfolded before Buck’s eyes.


    Yet, this jewel was somewhat dim. The sky was shrouded in thick black clouds, and in the distance, against a relatively brighter horizon, countless smokestacks loomed, emitting plumes of smoke. An endless stream of steamships traversed the waters of the Lionheart River, while the bustling docks teemed with people, creating a lively and vibrant scene.


    On the wide streets of the city, horse-drawn carriages and small steam-powered automobiles brimming with gears sped back and forth. Along the roadsides stood rows of steeply pitched-roof houses and towering clock towers. Residential buildings, shops, and workshops stretched endlessly toward the horizon, sketching the grand outline of an immense metropolis. The city had already taken on the shape of a modern supercity from his past life, filling Buck with both a sense of strangeness and familiarity.


    The train tracks ran along the boundary between the city and the countryside. After crossing the river, the prince’s exclusive express train instead veered toward the outskirts. Buck would not be following Roland to the final stop. According to the prince’s instructions, he was to disembark at the southern district station of the capital. The fourth prince’s emissary had already arrived in the capital ahead of time, meticulously arranging for Buck to directly enter the Holy Light Church and become a church hunter.


    But before that, those who had come to receive Buck held a brief yet solemn conferral ceremony. A royal court emissary, dressed in crimson robes, led a squad of ceremonial guards, welcoming Buck Frank with the most formal imperial royal etiquette. At the station, aside from Buck and his three servants, there were no other spectators for this ceremony.


    After a brief but impassioned speech, the emissary solemnly handed Buck a silver medal. The pure silver medal was engraved with a silver dragon spreading its wings, symbolizing a high honor bestowed by the royal family— the Silver Dragon Medal.


    In the nearly sixty-year history of the Goliath Empire, Buck was the only person ever to receive this medal, and it was awarded by none other than the aged emperor himself, Timur O’Brien Goliath.


    The reason Buck received such a great honor was, of course, his heroic rescue of the empire’s fourth prince, Roland, aboard the train. Most crucially, on the surface, Buck was neither an official hunter nor a member of the royal guard— he was merely the son of a minor noble from the empire’s borderlands.


    Naturally, Roland’s influence was at play behind the scenes. She was already paving the way for Buck’s entrance into the empire’s core power structure.


    Examining the dragon emblem on the medal, Buck noticed that it was half of the emblem of the Goliath royal family. The full insignia consisted of a lion, a dragon, and a crossed spear and sword. He had seen various military honors in his father’s study, most of which were lion-shaped. This made it clear just how rare the Silver Dragon Medal truly was.


    "I wonder how much I could sell this for?" At that moment, Buck and Doug, the servant burdened with carrying luggage behind him, shared the same lowly thought.


    Tucking the medal away, Buck boarded the carriage prepared to escort him to the headquarters of the Holy Light Church in the southern district.


    Through the carriage windows, the sight of elegant, ancient, steep-roofed buildings left Buck in awe. Their intricate carvings seamlessly blended the patterns of the blazing sun with the delicate craftsmanship of clockwork gears, forming a unique and mesmerizing aesthetic.


    A strange feeling crept over him— now that he had arrived in the imperial capital, he was no different from a country noble’s son setting foot in the city for the first time, finally witnessing the true face of this world.


    Oh, right— he really was just a country noble’s son…