The train left the central station at two in the afternoon. Alice and Yunna had received two tickets from Lord Hunter. It was an extremely luxurious station—marble walls, enormous pillars, and various colorful neon signs.

"Yunna, we're going to the city of Brigton. Hunter gave me two VIP tickets for this trip, just the two of us… What would you like to buy in the crafts city?"

With worried eyes, the priestess was caught off guard by her question. "I would like to buy a gift for my daughter… One I never gave her when she was little…"

"Don't worry. She'll get better!"

"I know… It's just that I think… that's not the biggest problem…"

Looking confused at the lady, the princess asked: "What would the problem be, my lady?"

"The dragon that inhabits my daughter… Unfortunately, it is what I most feared…"

A pendant began to vibrate inside Alice's clothing. It was Innova, contacting them via video call. Alice took the item out of her pocket with the ease of someone who had gone through this routine many times before.

"Are you on the Railhaker?" Innova's voice came through, slightly distorted by the device.

"We just boarded the train. We're going to do some shopping before bringing Karin along."

"All right! I'll be waiting… Which station will you be leaving from after shopping?"

"Hmm… Station 57, near the city of Brigton to the north."

"All right! Try not to spend more than one million ruthz, okay?"

"No promises," said the princess, already putting the device away.

Yunna looked at Alice and asked: "How much is one million ruthz?"

"Well… equivalent to three middle-class houses… no more than that…"

"How much is that in gekkō's?"

"About three hundred million, I believe. A third of your country's economy… no offense…"

"Okay… Setting that aside, do you have anything in mind? For buying there, I mean."

"Me? No… I'll see when I get there. If something interests me, I'll buy it! And you, Yunna, what do you want to buy for Karin?"

The priestess thought for a moment, looking out the train window at the mountainous landscape of moss-green. She stared at it for a few seconds until they entered a tunnel, blocking the view, then answered.

"I… I'm going to buy an object she saw in some advertisement on TV. It was a kind of game you control with your hands… Back in Tsugaki, the importation of new foreign technology was forbidden. I told Saito to revoke the law, but he didn't even listen to me…"

"A handheld console? I can pay for it if you don't mind… I'll buy her a Gamecat. She'll think you're the best mother after this redemption arc!"

"Don't even go there… It wasn't my fault that my husband forbade importing foreign things!"

The vehicle's speed decreased, and within seconds, the sound of the arrival whistle was heard. They stood up and disembarked from the train, observing the floor and the pillars made of marble. The grandeur of the place was quite evident.

The north exit of Railhaker Station opened onto a busy commercial street. Shops squeezed against one another, street vendors calling out, the kind of density of people that made everything simultaneously lively and difficult to move through. Alice was ahead, pointing at something in a display window. She approached quickly and said in an animated tone:

"Yunna! Here's a Gamecat. I'm going in…"

The priestess wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were at the back of the scene, on a familiar figure she had seen leaving Hunter's mansion earlier. Looking away before she was noticed, she called to Alice. "Alice, let's go in."

Then she whispered in her ear, discreetly: "Someone is following us. Let's buy it and try to run, all right?"

"Understood. I'll be quick," said the princess, adjusting her glasses.

Entering, the sound of the bell on the upper doorframe rang, signaling their arrival. Alice picked up a dark purple Gamecat and took it straight to the counter along with a game, while the lady waited by the door, trying to keep watch on the man.

"That will be 400 ruthz, miss. Receipt?"

"Not necessary."

The princess handed the money to the clerk and took a bag to quickly pack the product. She then ran to Yunna, leaving the store in a hurry onto the busy cobblestone street, while the man behind them kept pace.

"Who is he, Princess?!"

"Yesterday, the waiter was him. He seemed fixated on you two when you arrived. Most likely, he is not from this country."

"A Tsugakian?! His face looked familiar…"

"Yunna! There! Let's head to Station 57, toward Anvrós. Karin should be there… If we make it there, we'll be safe."

When the man reached an intersection, he drew a sword and conjured a technique to stop them from leaving.

"Angetsu-ryū, Kagenoku…" The former waiter entered their very shadow.

"Angetsu-ryū-ogi! Kuro no kami—"

Just as he was about to conjure the next technique, the priestess, without hesitation, took a seal from her pouch in a fluid motion and activated it, whispering: "Chirasu…"

She expelled the man from her shadow, sending him spinning across the ground, leaving him behind.

Stepping onto the station platform, the two entered the carriage. They were panting, out of breath. Then they heard a very familiar voice.

"Mother… Are you all right?"

Yunna looked at her, tired, and answered: "Luckily, yes… I have a surprise for you!"

"A surprise?"

Alice stepped forward, holding the bag in her hands. "Your mother wanted to give you a gift!"

"My mother? Giving a gift?! Did she reincarnate without me knowing?"

She was embarrassed by the reaction but took the console out of the bag and handed it to her friend. "Here it is! A brand-new Gamecat!"

Karin stared without reaction, finding it hard to believe this was really happening. "Seriously? It's mine? My mother gave it to me?"

"Yes, yes! It was her idea to give it to you!"

"Her idea?"

Alice seemed even more embarrassed and answered with a slight laugh. "Yes, I paid for it, but she came up with the idea…"

"Well, finally a quality item! Thank you!"

Yunna stepped forward and looked at her, saying: "We need to make a sword for you, young lady. We're heading to the city of Anvrós, and there we'll meet Innova. So enjoy your new little toy… because afterward, you'll have to train very hard, understand?!"

"Don't worry…" replied Karin, giving a slight, embarrassed laugh.

As the train proceeded toward its destination, the princess and Karin sat down, resting an arm on the table. And there Karin began to happily enjoy her new, first console for the entire journey.

…

Arriving at Station 68 in Anvrós, the three disembarked and walked toward the exit. Karin felt someone's hand slap her rear end, snatching her new, most precious little game, making her scream.

"Son of a bitch! Come back here!" she shouted, running after the thief.

"Karin, wait!" said the princess and her mother.

The young lady ran as fast as she could toward him, ending up in an alley between two shops. Three individuals surrounded her, including the thief who had robbed her. She tore a piece of pipe from the nearby structure and said:

"Get ready. I won't forgive that slap, and much less your stealing my Gamecat!"

Without a word, one of them approached from behind and tried to punch her. With a quick movement, Karin struck the pipe against the bandit's cheek, finishing with another blow to his jaw, sending him flying into the wall.

Another ran from the side but took an elbow to the chin. Placing the pipe as if she were sheathing a sword, she conjured:

"Tsushin-ryu! Tenryuzan!"

A spectral dragon was hurled toward the two who were still standing, making them collide in the alley alongside the first bandit who had been struck. The door of the establishment next to them opened, and a short, bald man said to her in a curious tone:

"Miss, you have a peculiar technique… What is your name?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

"I am the only blacksmith in this city, and I see that something—or someone—is in great need of me."

"Your name is Alfred?"

The man stared at her and asked in a more serious tone: "How do you know me?"

"Lord Hunter asked us to find a blacksmith in the city of Anvrós. He said there was only one. His name is Alfred Smith."

Alice and Yunna finally arrived, asking desperately: "Karin! My goodness… You defeated all of them by yourself?"

The priestess stared at the little old man and thought: He seems like someone I did not want to meet…