Chapter 689 ·The Storm

“Ru—Run!?” ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Hunter was startled and immediately began glancing around suspiciously.

“W-Where ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍did you hear that? Was it some kind of strange whisper again?”

“Oh, ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍no, not that. What I heard was Morse code.”

Ever ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍since Hughes had brought Morse code into this world, it had been successfully applied to communications.

Many ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍places that could be seen or heard but were inconvenient to approach were communicated with through this code.

“How’s ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that possible? I didn’t see you bring a reference chart.” Hunter glanced at Yami. They had been together the entire time, and Yami had never flipped through any chart.

“You need to carry that thing around? Just look at it once and you remember it.” Yami blinked in confusion.

“.Fine. Where did you hear it?”

“Just now. I heard the steam whistle sounding intermittently. When I pieced it together, it formed that word.”

“The steam whistle?” Hunter froze, pricked up his ears, and began listening. Outside, there was nothing but the howling wind. No—if he listened carefully, there really was a faint, sharp whistle mixed within it.

“There really is. Wait—no!” Hunter suddenly reacted, his face turning pale. “This is the wasteland. How could there be a steam whistle here?! I’m afraid it’s—”

His heart skipped as a terrifying possibility came to mind.

Could there be a train approaching ahead?!

The railway between Castel and the Northlands was currently still single-track. Although construction on a double-track line had begun, it would be a long time before completion.

Therefore, if a train was coming, they would not pass each other—

they would collide head-on!

Screeeeeech————!!

A sharp metallic grinding sound rang out.

“Ow!”

“Ah!”

“Hold onto something!”

The passengers in the carriage immediately swayed and stumbled. Fortunately, most of the luggage had just been secured and did not strike anyone.

Unfortunately, the train attendant and the Church Guard who had been fastening the luggage had just reached the carriage ahead. Yami and Hunter had only just stood up to begin securing theirs, and now they stood directly beneath a pile of luggage waiting to be fixed in place.

The violent movement of the train instantly sent the luggage above sliding, crashing down in a clatter!

Yami and Hunter widened their eyes. Neither was particularly athletic. In that instant, their minds reacted, but their bodies failed to keep up. They could only watch as the luggage came crashing toward them.

“Careful!” Alvare rushed forward to pull them away—he, too, lacked athletic ability and was farther away, making it impossible to reach them in time.

But a dark figure suddenly flashed before them.

Bang! Clang!

The items from the overhead rack fell, but all were blocked by that figure.

There were plenty of heavy objects among the luggage, yet the man seemed entirely unconcerned, calm and composed.

“.Patriarch Ignati?” Alvare spoke in surprise.

“It is I. Are you all unharmed?”

Ignati set the luggage in his hands down and turned around.

His hair was completely white, and his face bore many traces of time. Though his features were aged, standing before them, he was still like a wall.

The leader of the Burial Ones lowered his head slightly. Only after confirming they were unharmed did he shift his gaze out the window.

“An emergency brake… What happened?”

Only then did the others realize that the metallic grinding sound they had heard was the braking.

Trains rarely braked so abruptly. It was neither safe nor good for the equipment’s lifespan.

An emergency brake, combined with the earlier whistle spelling out “run”…

Hunter swallowed. A deeply ominous thought took shape—was there truly another train ahead, about to collide with them?

He was about to voice his speculation when Ignati suddenly raised a hand, signaling them to be silent.

Then he strode to the window and looked upward.

“Patriarch Ignati…”

“There is an airship above.”

“An airship?” They were shocked. In weather like this, a train was one thing—but sending an airship into the sky was practically courting death.

Yami’s eyes lit up. “Right, that must be the airship’s steam whistle. I thought it didn’t sound like a train’s. If it were a train rushing toward us, there would be an obvious Doppler shift in the whistle.”

At his words, Hunter suddenly understood, while Alvare still looked confused.

“What’s a Doppler shift?”

Unfortunately, before Yami could explain, the train jolted again. The wheels beneath the carriage screeched against the tracks.

“Why is it moving again—wait, this time it’s going the other way!?”

Because the railway was single-track, trains generally had engines at both ends. Starting a Steam Locomotive was complicated and time-consuming. For it to restart immediately after an emergency stop could only mean the engine had already been preheated, the water in the steam chamber already heated in preparation.

All of them looked out the window together. It was likely because of the airship.

The airship in the sky had drawn closer to the train. They could now barely make out details. Hunter narrowed his eyes and stared for a moment before speaking.

“Something’s wrong.”

“What is it?”

“The steam engines on that airship are all running in overload, flying forward at full power—and even so, they’re only barely faster than the storm.”

“Isn’t that just normal storm evasion? What’s wrong with that?”

“That’s exactly what’s wrong.” Hunter shook his head. “From the train, it’s understandable that we might not clearly see the storm. But the airship is in the sky—if they saw the storm, why didn’t they avoid it? And we’re heading backward right now, with the storm ahead. By all logic, the airship shouldn’t be in front of us unless—”

Hunter swallowed, scarcely daring to believe his own words.

“Unless the storm is chasing the airship.”

Silence fell over the carriage.

They had all been watching the airship. At Hunter’s words, they turned to look at the distant storm.

Before, it had seemed nothing more than dark clouds, wind, and rain.

But now, rainwater and sand, mixed with trees and debris, had gathered into a massive black tornado. Like a colossal spinning top smashed onto the earth, it plowed a deep scar across the ground.

“Hiss—”

With his sharp eyes, Yami even spotted an entire section of rail within the vortex.

Woooo—

The steam whistle pierced the air, carried by the roaring wind into their ears.

The airship was now quite close to the train. The whistle it pulled rang clearly to everyone aboard.

Long and short bursts alternated. Many hurriedly pulled notebooks from their pockets and began recording.

Hunter did not reach into his pocket. Instead, he turned to look at Yami.

Yami frowned, listening carefully, translating directly into words as he heard it.

“Full speed… forward… storm is… chasing… us…”

At that point, his eyes suddenly widened, and he stopped translating.

“And then? Keep going!”

Yami looked up at the airship, shock written across his face.

“They want to change direction—to draw the storm away!”

RelatedRelatedRelated