The first thing she saw was the sky.
She was lying on the ground, arms spread out, looking straight up.
It was a night sky full of stars, or it should've been. The lights in the sky had hidden themselves directly above her. A patch of sky where no stars could be seen.
Something tickled her cheek, she strained her eyes to the side to see what.
Flowers, pure white flowers, swaying in the breeze. Their petals tracing lines across her hands and face.
She wanted to fidget, but her movements felt awkward. Like her body wasn't hers to use.
So she laid still, watching the empty sky above her. She felt empty as well, like much of her had been used as fuel to burn a brilliant flame.
Footsteps approached her, she moved her eyes to look.
A man in a tattered military uniform approached. Red stained the sleeves of his coat.
His eyes were hollow, his cheeks stained like nothing could ever wash his dried tears away.
"Do you… know your name?" He asked her, his voice hoarse like he had just screamed out every bit of his soul.
She thought. She didn't. She didn't know anything, it was like she had just been born.
But she wanted to offer something to the man. Even if it was just a name.
She searched and searched, testing syllables that felt familiar on her tongue. Until finally a word seemed right.
"My name is… Krist… Kristine." She spoke slowly. "Who are you?''
But the man didn't seem happier. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I see…"
When he opened them again, there was resolve in his steel gaze.
"You have survived something truly harrowing. As your father, I am truly sorry that I could not protect you." He reached out a hand and grasped hers.
"...father?"
"Yes. And you're my daughter, Kristine Osborne."
Kristine Osborne was a girl who was born twice.
Once as the daughter of brigadier general Giliath Osborne, into a cozy countryside home on the outskirts of the capital.
Then again, after their home was attacked and burned down. As the daughter of the blood and iron Chancellor, or at least the man who would become him. She and her father were the only survivors, with barely anything of their previous life left behind.
She didn't quite feel sad about that, not when she couldn't recall anything she might have lost.
Her father doesn't talk about those days either. She has heard no stories nor seen any pictures of their previous family.
She had started over, as a blank slate. So she viewed it as a new life. What else could she call it, when she had lost any connections she might've had before.
The only things she had of her previous life were the belongings the 'previous her' had. Having survived the fire by virtue of having been buried in their backyard.
…the her from before had apparently been quite eccentric. Not just because she buried things for safekeeping. But because of what she buried.
Books. Dozens of books that acted as her diaries. Though what she had kept recorded were not personal thoughts, but simple stories.
They had no set order to them. One entry could be about a game that only existed in data form and the one after that would be a ridiculous tale of humans wearing armor hundreds of times larger than themselves and battling against each other in a place above even the sky.
Kristine had read them all, some of them even twice. Though of course, it wasn't because she was interested in this nonsense. But because it would help her understand some of her former self.
She didn't.
Though now she thought about it. If this was the kind of thing her previous self liked. Then wouldn't it be better to immerse herself in it?
Satisfied with that realization, she put on the crimson jacket that came with her admission letter.
Though not quite as prestigious as the wizard academy written in one of her previous self's entries, Thor's Military Academy could be said to be the most recognized school in all of Erebonia. Every year, the sons and daughters of nobles and influential commoners would gather together to form the freshman class of Thors, continuing a tradition that has lasted for decades.
And as the daughter of the chancellor, Kristine couldn't decline the invitation if she wanted to. Her father had kept her out of the public eye for the years since their family was reduced to two. But it was time for her to leave her books and make something of herself.
In short, she was being kicked out and her 'neet' status was revoked.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her long black hair messily draped over her face, covering her eastern features as well as the sharp glare fixed permanently on her face.
She had no clue why she looked so different from Osborne, maybe she looked more like her mother? Either way, while she could fix up her appearance a bit, she was more comfortable like this. And wasn't it something she read before? Being natural was a style in of itself. So in her case, she styled herself in the style of a tired, sleep-deprived shut-in.
Sure she won't win any beauty pageants, but nobody can say she didn't at least try to look presentable for her first day of school.
Now her rose-colored school life was only a train ride away!
Make that a train ride and an hour-long line away.
Struggling with the weight of her luggage in one hand and a birdcage covered in a cloth in the other. Kristine's glare almost pierced through her bangs when she made it to the ticket station. Making the poor RMP officer freeze up before his face lit up with recognition.
"Miss Kristine! That's right, today was your first day of school. You must be excited, huh."
"...yeah." She made a noncommittal grunt, she recognized the man as someone who brought food to her door before. Saving her a trip outside.
In honor of that, she decided to entertain him a bit.
He continued. "But are you going by yourself? Shouldn't the chancellor have at least sent an escort?"
"You know RMP officers aren't allowed to be stationed inside public transport." She responded, much more eloquent than her previous attempt.
"Yeah, I guess. But the chancellor's really been pushing for it so it's pretty much a done deal yeah? I don't see why we can't in the first place, I mean we are the Railway Military Police, it's in the name."
"Because the train is a public place, it's off-putting to have it claimed by some politician's lackeys."
"L-lackeys?" The officer sputtered. "Um, miss do you perhaps disagree with the chancellor on this topic?"
"Is it strange? I'm not a part of his party, I'm just his daughter." She replied dryly. "I think he does a lot right. But I don't agree with him on this. It's good to have your own opinion on things, no?"
"Oh, I see! You're right, I'm sure your father appreciates an alternative point of view instead of being surrounded by yes man like those haughty nobles. He sure raised you well." The officer smiled, handing over her ticket. "There you go, one ticket to Trista. Have a safe trip miss."
She nodded in response and took the ticket. Walking away towards the waiting train. Maybe she should've left earlier, she was cutting it a bit close.
"Hold it." A rude hand stopped her from boarding. A man in overalls blocked the door before pointing at the birdcage in her hands. "No pets allowed in the carriages. If you want to bring em, take it over to the luggage car."
Makes sense. She nodded and left for the end of the train. On the way, she lifted the cloth, revealing a crow perched within the cage.
Seeing her, it closed its eyes and turned away from her.
Clicking her teeth, Kristine held a cracker between the bars. Seeing this, the crow finally opened its eyes and turned its head over. Pecking at the cracker like a noble savoring wine. After a pause, it nodded its head. Before allowing her fingers to pet it.
[Munin has joined your party]
Frigging bastard really won't give her the time of day unless she pampers it.
Sighing, she put back the cloth and handed Munin and her bags over to a worker loading luggage before boarding the train herself.
Finally, she gets some time to relax. She reached into her pocket and took out a pouch. Contained within was one of the few things her previous self's books actually showed how to recreate.
A candy called a 'gummy bear.'
Why they had to be bears she didn't know. But she tried making some into birds once.
And they just tasted wrong.
So she stuck to bears. She took one from the pouch and chewed its head off. 'Mercy killing' it before enjoying the rest.
She had a long train ride ahead of her.
She was halfway through the pouch when the train shook.
"W-what's going on?"
"Are we slowing down?"
The panicked voices of the other passengers woke her up from her gummy bear induced daze. She smelled smoke and heard gunfire coming from the front of the train.
An attack?
…This close to the capital? Must be a stupid group then.
That, or they're here for a quick smash and grab and were skilled enough to pull it off.
She frowned at the thought. Either way, she needed information.
Flipping the latch on the window next to her, she slipped her hand out of the train carriage.
[Party member - Munin is deployed]
A lazy crow appeared perched on her fingers, identical in every way to the bird she left in the storage car, with the exception of one feature. A strange pattern shone in its eyes, its meaning should've been beyond her knowledge, but somehow she knew it all the same.
{Envy}
She willed the bird to fly and it took off. Pulling her hand back inside, she brushed her bangs over her eyes, keeping the light out. Before closing her eyes as her vision switched to Munin's eyes, giving her an aerial view of the train she was sitting in.
She herself didn't know why she had this ability. Whether if it was something the previous her could do or something she gained after she survived whatever Osborne rescued her from.
All she knew was that it was useful for times like these.
She watched as the train approached a tunnel carved into a mountainside. They were slowing down, she realized. She willed Munin to fly closer to the smoke billowing from the front of the train.
A hole had been blown into the side of the first carriage, probably some sort of explosive. Men armed with rifles were holding the passengers at gunpoint as they looked through the crowd. She saw someone who looked like the conductor being shoved into a small supply room clutching a wounded leg.
Great…
It was a robbery, and it looked like they were looking for someone too. Even if it wasn't her, no one criminal would pass up a chance to ransom off the chancellor's daughter.
So she was either the main prize or a bonus. She wasn't sure which one was more flattering.
"Pull us into the tunnel, then stop the train." She heard one of them say. "Keep searching the carriages."
The men nodded and went to work.
Shit, they were coming over. Kristine switched back to her present situation.
Did she have to fight?
She couldn't fight if she wanted to!
She wasn't able to use arts or crafts at all. And the hundred-forms training her father forced her to practice were as good as morning exercises if she wasn't able to use an orbment!
It's not like she didn't try. But she really couldn't use a single bit of orbal energy. Even a child could throw a punch stronger than her.
So…
She looked over at the other passengers. Still shaken by the explosion from earlier. Some remained in their seats, trying to keep calm. Others were out of their seats hesitantly approaching the door to the next car or looking out the windows.
Now there's an idea to consider.
The scenery outside the train turned dark as the train slowed to a stop inside the tunnel.
Kristine turned to the window, using it as a makeshift mirror. If she wanted to do this then she'll need to look convincing.
She swept back her bangs and showed her face without any obstruction. She imagined Osborne at one of his speeches. She imagined what the daughter of the chancellor should look like.
A determined steely gaze, a stern but confident expression. A face that didn't budge no matter what the situation. The girl that stared her back in the window was completely different from the one before.
She adjusted her Thors jacket, showing the emblem of the Horned Lion front and center.
Perfect.
Standing up, she spoke out.
"There should be weapons in the emergency locker." Her voice was clear without breaching the territory of shouting. "Every train carriage is supplied with firearms and axes for dealing with monsters."
Her words were a simple tip that captured the attention of everyone wondering what to do. Introductions or throwing her name around here wouldn't gain her any attention.
Tell the audience what they want to hear, and they will come to you for more. Her father's words, not hers.
A muscular man looked around, before spying a metal cabinet in the train's walls. Wretching it open, he showed off his prize, five single-shot rifles and three axes.
Sure enough, he turned to her for advice with a grunt of vexation. "This won't be enough. That was an explosive I heard. And lowlifes with that kind of firepower won't be scared of these." He shook his head. "We aren't dealing with monsters here. We're outgunned."
She shook her head. "We need a barricade. Please use the axes to cut out the benches." She pointed to the rows of passenger accommodations. "We can use them to block the door and make a firing line through the gaps."
She turned to the rest. "If a train does not arrive at the station within a destinated five-minute time frame. RMP is required to investigate. So help is coming." She watched the relief fill the passenger's faces.
"B-but we're in a tunnel. How will they get us out?" A worried man spoke out. Evidently not convinced by her words. "They can't bring airships or armored cars here!"
She nodded in agreement. "That's true, which is why I am going to the front of the train by roof. I can restart the train in the engine room, even if I can't bring us all the way to the next station, I can at least bring us as close to help as possible. I just need you all to hold on and take the attention off of the front of the train." She straightened her jacket, bringing the emblem of the Horned Lion to their attention.
"As a student of Thors Military Academy. I promise to not fail you. So please, can you trust me?"
She made a bow to show her earnestness.
The muscular man holding the weapons grumbled before grinning. "Well? I can't use three axes and shoot five guns at the same time. So who's helping and who's letting a kid show them up?"
At his words, the passengers slowly started to move.
"I can help too!"
"Give me an axe!"
"I know how to shoot better than you old man!"
As she raised herself from her bow, she didn't notice many of the passengers sending her looks of gratitude.
She was too busy looking at something else.
[Passenger A has joined your party]
[Passenger B has joined your party]
[Passenger C has joined your party]
[Passenger D has joined your party]
[Passenger E has joined your party]
…
The list continued for quite a while.
Wow…
That's a lot of meatshields.