Wayland was pleasantly surprised,she actually had chilled beverages. He twisted the cap off the bottle with a satisfied click.
"Is there anything else you require, sir?"
"No, that's all for now."
"If you find yourself in need of anything later, please don't hesitate to give us a call."
The stewardess reached into her uniform and pulled out a small, elegant card, placing it on the small table in front of Wayland. "We offer all kinds of services. Our prices are fair, and our service is honest to a fault."
"???"
Wayland stared at the card, then back at the stewardess's retreating figure as she vanished behind the carriage door. He was left in a state of deep, confused contemplation.
The card itself was remarkably simple. It bore a single phone number and the phrase 'Fair Price, Honest Service' embossed in shimmering gold letters.
***
In the final carriage of the old green train, the lights were burning bright.
The interior had been completely overhauled, transformed into a space that radiated opulence and luxury. It felt more like a private concert hall than a train car.
A record player was scratching softly at a vinyl disc, the gramophone filling the air with the melodious strains of a piano.
A man, his features obscured by a shifting shroud of black mist, was sprawled out on a custom-made reclining chair. Beside him, a computer monitor displayed a series of pixelated, 'adult' images.
The door suddenly burst open.
The man in the mist jumped, his hand flying to the mouse as he frantically,and with practiced speed,closed the images.
"Can't you knock for once?!"
The mist dissipated, revealing a mask shaped like a cat's head. Golden eyes with red-pigmented lids glared at the stewardess, who was pushing her snack cart into the room.
"Haha, sorry! I forgot!" The woman scratched the back of her head, giving him an apologetic, somewhat sheepish look.
"Siss!" The man shuddered, his skin crawling with a sudden wave of goosebumps. He let out a frustrated roar. "Dammit! Get out of that skin, already!"
The woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest. She gave him a goofy, blunt smile that held none of her previous allure. "As you wish, Boss."
She held up a snowy-white wrist and grabbed her own long black hair, pulling sharply.
Like a snake shedding its skin, her entire form,uniform and all,split open. Her 'outer shell' dissolved into a cloud of smoke that vanished into her palm mid-air, revealing a young man in simple black casual wear.
"Cebrolo Joseph, how many times have I told you not to call me 'Boss'?" the man in the mask growled. "What century are you living in? This is the twenty-first century! You running around calling me 'Boss' in front of everyone makes us sound like some kind of criminal organization. Let me say it one more time: we are a legitimate company. You call me 'Director'!"
"Rights, Boss! I mean," Cebrolo gave himself a quick slap on the cheek and corrected himself. "Director!"
"Do it again, and I'm sending you to help with the construction of the Tower of Light," the man threatened.
At the mention of the Tower of Light, Cebrolo's face paled, and a visible shiver ran through his body. "Director, my loyalty to you is absolute! The heavens and the earth can bear witness!"
"Alright, stow the drama and let's talk business." The man sank back into his chair, adjusting his position with a satisfied grunt. "How did it go?"
"With me on the job, it was a piece of cake!" Cebrolo said eagerly, his tone full of pride. "Since you gave me this mission, I haven't been able to eat or sleep. All I could think about was how to execute it perfectly.
"I spent an entire week at a high school researching the tastes of eighteen-year-old boys. My conclusion was that beautiful women are their greatest weakness. I searched the internet for the most popular facial features and body types, then crafted my disguise before approaching Wayland.
"Rest assured, my transformation was flawless. I managed to give him our company's contact information and slogan without raising a single suspicion."
"Excellent. I knew I could count on you." The man mentally reviewed Cebrolo's disguise. It was exactly the kind of look that men found irresistible. If she'd been the one to approach him, Wayland's impression of the company should be quite positive.
"What about the Norwich part? Any cracks in the story?" he asked.
"None. We took on the identity of Melody Norwich. Since Wayland had never met her before, he had no way of knowing she was an impostor."
"Good."
"But Director... why are we going to all this trouble for a mere 'Fledgling' rank magus?"
"It's an investment." The man's fingers traced the black lines of the cat-mask's mouth. "In projects like this, the earlier you get in, the higher the return. Even if it ends up being a loss, it's a minor one."
***
With nothing else to do, Wayland found himself scrutinizing the small card.
On the off-white back, he could just barely make out a faint, hidden pattern.
He tilted the card, changing the angle of the light.
It reminded him of the holographic 'flash cards' he used to play with as a child. Depending on the angle, the image changed.
He held the card up to the window, allowing the sunlight to hit it at a sharp angle. Finally, the image became clear.
It was a tall, white tower.
The design was elegant and perfectly straight, with a domed top and a translucent material that seemed to glow with its own inner light.
'Hah. They're even putting holographic secrets on these little cards nowadays.'
Wayland casually tossed the card into the trash can.
His cautious nature made it impossible for him to contact a stranger without a very good reason.
In the world of magecraft, too many people died for no reason at all. He had no intention of ending up as an unidentified corpse on the street.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. The train didn't stop, and no one else entered the carriage.
By the time Wayland finished his Coke, he found himself wishing the stewardess would come back so he could buy another.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]