"Well, it's time I head back."
After killing the monster, Kaelis decided to return to the others.
When he reached the train platform, he noticed people staring—not at him, but past him.
Their gazes were fixed on the frozen remains of the boiler area.
He shrugged and turned, spotting Ayame and her crew nearby before making his way over.
"So, how much more time do you all need before we can move out?" he asked casually.
Since there were no more significant threats left in the station to interfere with their work, he saw no issue with them taking a bit more time to finish up.
"At the current pace we're going, we should be ready to leave by sundown," Ayame said after a quick mental calculation.
The station hadn't had a large stockpile of supplies to begin with—most of it had already been used to keep the remaining civilians alive until the train's arrival.
And their numbers were few—barely even a hundred people.
"Alright then," Kaelis said simply.
…
For the next few hours, everyone went about their respective duties, though things didn't run as smoothly as before.
The new additions proved… troublesome. They had far too many questions about the so-called "Kami-sama."
Once their curiosity was satisfied, however, awe quickly turned into devotion.
Before long, they began referring to Kaelis with reverence, abandoning their old beliefs and eagerly joining the growing band of Kaelis followers.
Only a step short of outright fanaticism.
Unlike the previous group, the new survivors were hit much harder. They had been teetering on the edge of mental collapse, crushed under the weight of despair.
In just a matter of days, they'd been dragged through a whirlwind of emotions—from watching their station fall, losing loved ones, and awaiting certain death, to feeling a spark of hope when the train arrived… only for that hope to shatter when the monster appeared.
And then—miraculously—salvation descended before their eyes.
It was, in hindsight, the perfect recipe for a cult's creation.
Seeing the way they gazed at him with such unshakable reverence was… new—and honestly, a little unsettling.
He wouldn't deny that he'd gladly bask in admiration if the chance ever arose, but the look in their eyes…
It wasn't simple awe. It was devotion—raw, completely blind like the one talked about in television shows.
Though it was a first for him, he quickly brushed it off.
"Sir Kaelis! All supplies have been accounted for, and the survivors are fully boarded. We're ready to depart whenever you give the word."
"Good work," Kaelis replied with a nod. "Yukina, fire up the engine."
"On it!" she answered, already climbing up to the controls.
The train quickly left Yashiro Station behind, the rumbling of the tracks fading into the background.
Kaelis made his way toward the passenger cars where Ayame and the others should be.
Stepping inside, he spotted Mumei in a quiet corner talking to an older man—one eye covered, leaning on a stick where his left leg should've been.
Her expression was unusually serious.
"Hey, Mumei. You seen Ayame or Ikoma?" Kaelis asked, walking over.
"Huh? Kaelis! Uh… I think they're in the—uh, fifth car! Yes, the fifth car." Her serious look immediately shifted to a nervous smile.
Her reaction was strange. Kaelis picked up on it right away.
Kaelis glanced at the man she was with, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "And who might this be? A friend of yours?"
Mumei twitched slightly. "No. He's just a former subordinate of my brother."
"Former… you say?" Kaelis raised a brow.
"Yes. He's a traitor," she said with a faint scoff, muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like so pathetic.
Kaelis then turned to the man. "And you? What's your name?"
The man dipped his head slightly, as if bowing. "My name is Enoku, your lordship. Pleased to meet you."
"Enoku, huh." Kaelis gave him a long look, as if sizing him up before speaking. "Well then, I won't interfere in your business any longer. I'll take my leave."
He gave a casual wave and walked off toward the fifth car, the two watching silently as he disappeared through the door.
Enoku's eyes took on a dangerous glint, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
He had witnessed Kaelis's display of power back at the station and, unlike the other survivors, felt no awe or reverence.
What he felt instead was apprehension.
Though branded a traitor, his loyalty still belonged to his true lord—Mumei's brother, Biba.
He had seen the way the people looked at Kaelis: the complete reverence, the near-fanatical devotion.
He could tell those followers would kill for him without hesitation.
And anyone capable of inspiring such blind faith and commanding such power… was a direct threat to his master's ambitions.
It would be useful to bring someone like that to his lord—imagine what Biba could do with Kaelis's power.
But Enoku also knew the truth: people who wield that kind of power rarely take orders.
Better to recruit them, yes—but if they refuse, the cleaner option was elimination.
What stopped him from lunging forward and stabbing the so-called god right then was a single, cold doubt: killing a man like that might not work.
'I should inform lord Biba once I am able to. As for mumei—she is disposable.'
…
Pushing the door to the fifth car open, Kaelis found Ayame, Kurusu, and Ikoma in mid-conversation. They looked up as he entered.
"Hey Ayame. We're heading for Shitori. We should make it by noon tomorrow. Anything I should know?" Kaelis interrupted, casual as ever.
Ayame's voice was steadier when she answered. "I don't know much—only what my father told me."
The mention of him seemed to ground her. She's improving, Kaelis noted, approving the small change.
"Anything's fine. I just wanted a heads-up." He gave a small nod.
"Shitori's one of Hinamoto's strongholds," Ayame said. "From what I've read, it's a small city—farms, homes, and a railyard for the Hayajiro. It's organized, fortified… not the sort of place you stumble into by accident."
Kaelis absorbed that, already thinking ahead.
Kurusu and Ikoma exchanged looks—plans forming silently between them as the train rolled on toward the next stop.
Chapter 24 end.