The only attendant in the dining car was a young man. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his face expressionless and his gaze somewhat vacant, as if he were lost in thought.
It wasn't until the cleaning woman accidentally bumped her head against a table leg that he instantly frowned and barked in an impatient tone.
“Hey, what's wrong with you? How can you be so clumsy just doing a simple cleanup? Wipe under that table over there too. Don't slack off.”
“I know, I know. I'll get right to it,” the cleaning woman replied.
Taking advantage of the fact that the attendant was behind her and couldn't see, she pouted and made a disgusted face, though her movements remained sluggish.
Bai Ci walked up to the counter. “Hello, I'd like a pastry, please.”
Hearing her voice, the attendant glanced at Bai Ci. The impatience on his face didn't fade in the slightest; if anything, it became even more half-hearted. In a cold tone, he said, “Ticket.”
Bai Ci didn't mind his attitude. She retrieved her ticket from her handbag and handed it to him.
The attendant took the ticket, looked down at it, and his eyes flickered slightly. Yet, his expression remained sour. He casually tossed the ticket back to Bai Ci, reached under the counter to pull out a brand-new menu, and placed it on the counter.
His tone was as dismissive as ever. “Look at it yourself. Let me know when you're ready to order.”
Bai Ci picked up the menu, sat down, and casually flipped through it.
In her mind, she wondered: if even the trainmaster, Wisteria, was a monster in disguise, what about the other attendants?
Unlike the other attendants she had seen who wore warm, friendly smiles, the one before her was different. He wore his dismissiveness and annoyance openly, without the slightest concern about offending anyone.
Why was that?
Was he a monster who had given up on putting on a friendly facade? Or was he a human who knew something?
There weren't many items on the menu, mostly simple pastries, drinks, and a few home-style entrees. The prices weren't cheap, clearly targeted at the passengers in Carriage One and Carriage Two.
Without much hesitation, she randomly ordered a blueberry muffin and a cup of black tea. Looking up at the attendant, she said, “Just these, please.”
The attendant nodded without speaking, wrote down her order with a pen, tore off the slip, and passed it through the kitchen window.
Bai Ci chose an empty table and sat down, waiting for her food to be served.
Just then, the door at the back of the dining car was pushed open. Bai Ci instinctively turned to look and saw a young girl wearing a Lolita-style dress.
The dress was pink, with layers of ruffles adorned with ribbon bows and tiny pearls. Complete with a cape, gloves, and a bonnet, it could certainly be described as a highly detailed, heavy-set coordinate.
The girl's hair was tied into twin tails with pink ribbons. She wore exquisite makeup, and one of her eyes was covered by a white eyepatch, leaving only a single red eye visible.
She marched toward the attendant behind the counter, her manner confident and theatrical. “Servant who presides over the sweet realm, halt and listen.”
“This journey is a sweet trial traversing the clouds. Guided here by destiny, we must seek two blessed gifts from the servant of this domain.”
“The first is a fluffy, soft confection kissed by crimson berries—a crystallization of happiness blessed by sweet magic. Only this can soothe my restless soul.”
“The second is a warm, rich, brown divine elixir, carrying a slightly bitter yet fragrant aroma. Like a gentle warmth enveloping the body, it shall dispel the fatigue and chill of this journey.”
“Present these two gifts at once. Do not allow us, in this turning of fate, to miss our sweet coronation ceremony.”
What a confident child!
Hearing the girl, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, recite such a long speech, that was the only thought left in Bai Ci's mind.
Even as a mere listener, Bai Ci was curling her toes in second-hand embarrassment, yet the girl's expression remained perfectly calm and composed.
But speaking of which, was this chuunibyou phenomenon even a thing in the era this instance was set in?
The answer was almost certainly no.
If she wasn't an instance NPC, then it was very easy to guess. This chuunibyou girl was undoubtedly a player. This way of speaking was either a personal hobby or a forced constraint of her class.
But as everyone knew, the formation of a class was related to what a player did.
If this behavior really was a class requirement, the girl was probably enjoying it. In a way, that was a good thing; at least she wouldn't easily die of embarrassment.
The impatience on the attendant's face vanished for a brief second, replaced by confusion and bewilderment. “What did you say? I don't understand. What on earth do you want?”
Seeing this, the girl's confident composure didn't waver. She simply turned around and raised her chin toward the door she had just entered through. “Hey! My familiar, Yan Zheng, you indolent subordinate, why have you not stepped forward yet?”
“Coming, Milady,” a young man in his early twenties replied, appearing in response.
Unlike the girl in her complex attire, this man named Yan Zheng wore a swallowtail suit, giving him the distinct look of a butler.
Still, these two were likely players in a team.
If nothing else, a name like Yan Zheng, which completely clashed with the setting's style, gave it away.
Raising her chin slightly with a touch of pride, the girl tapped her cheek with her fingertip. “This mortal servant cannot comprehend my will. He fails to understand the sweet revelation bestowed by destiny. Come quickly and convey it for me.”
“What I seek is, first, a fluffy, soft confection infused with crimson berries, and second, a drink carrying a slightly bitter fragrance.”
“Go and return swiftly. Do not let mortal dullness delay my coronation. Otherwise, you shall be forbidden from accompanying me on today's trial as punishment.”
Yan Zheng's expression was deadpan, probably long accustomed to this. He replied respectfully, “Understood, Milady.”
With that, he turned to the attendant and spoke in a concise, clear manner: “Hello, we'd like a strawberry cake and a hot cocoa, please. Thank you.”
The attendant finally understood. The confusion on his face ultimately dissolved into a speechless, disgusted look, as if he were looking at an idiot. “Tickets first.”
Seeing that the incident was over and there was no need for her to step in and translate, Bai Ci withdrew her gaze.
As she did, the corner of her eye caught the cleaning woman in the corner.
She noticed that the cleaning woman had stopped her work at some point. Head raised, she too was staring at the newly arrived girl and young man.
The worker's eyes held a trace of hard-to-conceal excitement, as if she had spotted some old acquaintances.
Was she an NPC who had previously crossed paths with these two players?
Or was she a player whose class was similar to a cleaner?
The girl and the young man named Yan Zheng finished ordering and sat down at the table next to Bai Ci's.
Seeing the attendant enter the kitchen, the cleaning woman took the opportunity to shuffle closer. Suppressing her excitement, she greeted the two in a low voice.
“Arbiter, Yan Zheng, I'm a player too! Please, you have to let me tag along. The waters on this train run deep.”
Sitting nearby, Bai Ci heard every word clearly.
The cleaning woman's words triggered a memory, and Bai Ci finally recalled who this girl was. She was one of the famous top players on the forums—the one whose class was Magical Girl.
Rate on N.U.
