Hours ticked by.
They moved to the train’s dining compartment and took a seat around a round wooden table that was polished.
A waiter with an ordinary face, who was dressed immaculately in a white shirt that was crisply ironed, a black waistcoat, trousers to match, and shoes of patent leather that gleamed, approached them with a professional smile.
Each ordered their meal, and their preferences varied. Val asked for a steak, while the nun requested a simple vegetable stew.
The unusual choice came from Lord Lucious, who requested nothing more than a glass of red wine despite having abstained from eating for half the day.
His unusual choice led Val to quirk an eyebrow in surprise.
His eyes reflected his curiosity as he observed Lucious across the polished wooden table.
He wondered, wasn’t the man hungry?
Shortly after, the meals were served.
Eliana commenced her meal after a short prayer.
Meanwhile, the waiter served a glass of the red wine to Lucious. Unfazed by the gathering shadows of nightfall outside the train windows, he started his indulgence in the wine.
The more he drank, the more it seemed like he was on a course to drunkenness.
“Is he an alcoholic?”
Val’s once favorable impression of Lord Lucious has certainly taken a hit.
He couldn’t help but reassess the man he once believed was formidable.
Was he truly as strong and daunting as he’d initially thought?
“Please enjoy.”
He snapped out of his thought as the waiter called out to him.
A plate with a well-done steak was set before Val by the waiter, who showed him a pleasant smile before he turned around to tend to the needs of the other passengers who called out to him.
Val cut into the freshly served steak, raised a piece on his fork, and began moving it towards his mouth.
However, before he could take a bite, a powerful throbbing sensation spread throughout his entire body.
It was significantly stronger than the sensation he’d felt before, which had been restricted to his heart alone.
He had a sixth sense, and he could tell that it was reacting to the steak.
There was something wrong, something lethal about the food so close to his mouth.
The message his sixth sense was sending him was clear: continuing with his action would be certain death!
Thus, he pulled the fork away from his mouth.
As he did so, the overwhelming sensation began to diminish.
‘My sixth sense is reacting to it. The steak is probably tampered with.’
To confirm his suspicion, Val once again picked up a piece of the steak on his fork, bringing it close to his mouth. The moment he did, the overwhelming sensation surged back into existence.
It was undeniable now. The steak was indeed poisoned. His inky, black eyes turned icy. If they were filled with an excessive amount of calm before, then now they were overflowing with ruthlessness.
Lucious silently observed Val and upon witnessing his peculiar behavior, his curiosity was piqued. 𝒐𝒱𝗅xt.𝗇𝓔t
“Is the food not to your liking, Val?”
Val retained the ruthlessness in his eyes as he looked at Lucious, responding to the inquiry about the food not being to his liking. “It’s not a matter of taste,” Val sighed, pushing the plate with the steak away. “The steak is poisoned, and not just with any toxin. It carries a potent poison capable of killing even a level 2 bloodline user like myself. I dare not eat it.”
Because Val disclosed it publicly, a wave of panic surged through the dining compartment.
The once lively conversations and the clattering of silverware abruptly ceased, replaced by an eerie silence.
The onlookers’ faces drained of color, their eyes widening with fear and uncertainty.
In this moment, a chilling realization spread among them: if Val’s food was poisoned, who’s to say that theirs wasn’t?
Eliana found herself at a loss for words in the face of this alarming revelation. She was too stunned to even speak.
A waiter, who had been busy serving a table nearby, turned to Val.
“Surely you jest, sire,” he said, “Our best chef prepared this meal. It’s entirely safe to consume.”
Val raised an eyebrow at him. “So, you think I’m lying?”
The waiter, in a misguided attempt to demonstrate the safety of the food, retorted, “If you won’t eat it, I will. That will show there’s no poison.”
With the fork loaded with a piece of steak, the waiter moved it towards his mouth. But Val, faster than the blink of an eye, slapped the utensil out of his hand. The fork along with the morsel of meat flew across the room, landing with a thud against a window.
Had he been alone, Val might have watched the scene unfold, allowing the waiter to meet an unfortunate end as a consequence of his own actions.
However, he was not alone. Lucious and Eliana were there with him.
Val knew that letting the waiter perish when he could obviously save him would undoubtedly disgust his companions, tarnishing the efforts he had made to cultivate their friendship. He was unwilling to let his own reputation be marred by the reckless bravado of a foolish waiter. Therefore, he chose to intervene, ultimately saving the ignorant fool’s life.
The waiter stared at his empty hand then turned a perplexed gaze to Val.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked, confusion etched on his face.
“I don’t want to see you die by eating the poison prepared for me. I don’t want innocent blood on my hand. So don’t be stupid,” Val said, his voice stern. “Find another way to prove your point.”
Despite Val’s seriousness, the waiter and the crowd seemed skeptical. The murmurs of disbelief and dismissive laughter echoed in the car, accusing him of being a paranoid man.
Eliana found it impossible to sit silent as they badmouthed Val.
“Fellow passengers, I am Eliana, a nun from the Church of Light. I vouch for Brother Val. He is a good man and has no reason to lie. Please, believe his words.”
Surprise flickered across Val’s face at Eliana’s support. He had not expected such staunch support from Eliana. But he said nothing. Talking to a bunch of trash wasn’t going to solve anything. He needed someone who held the authority to deal with this situation and had the patience to sincerely hear him out such as the guardians of the train.
Although Eliana defended him, the onlookers sadly continued to mock him.
“Wait, everyone. I have a way to verify Val’s claim. I just ask you all to be patient.”
When they saw who it was, the onlookers turned silent real quickly.
‘Why did he help me?’
Val was taken aback by Lucious’s intervention, not expecting the man to stand up for him.
He and the other onlookers watched as Lucious reached into his white suit’s inner pocket, pulling out a small black case.
Upon opening it, it revealed several fine, silver needles.
He picked up a few and stabbed the steak with them.
In an instant, the silver needles turned black.
The crowd watched in ignorance. They were clueless about what just happened. What did the needles turning black mean?
“These needles, they are made from a special alloy that reacts to cyanide by turning black. You might not know what it is so I will tell what it is you to you. Cyanide is a recently discovered poison. It is colorless and odorless poison. In a dose as small as 200 milligrams, it can kill an ordinary person. And in large doses, it could kill a bloodline user. It has quickly become the most popular mean of assassination among assassins. The steak here seems to have a lethal dose of Cyanide. It’s an attempted murder case.
Lucious addressed the puzzled audience.
The onlookers gasped in shock, upon hearing his words. Shock and fear swept through them. The very notion that someone could have died while they were dining sent shivers down their spines.
The waiter, who had almost consumed the deadly steak, stood rooted to the spot, a ghostly paleness overtaking his face. Attempted murder had serious consequences. His life would be ruined if he was wrongly accused in this case.
The waiter fell to his knees and managed to stammer out, “I… I didn’t know… I swear…”
“I’ll let the professional decide,” Val said.
“Bring over the guardians.” Lord Lucious commanded.
The train’s guardians were brought into the scene.
“We will investigate this matter, thoroughly” After hearing what transpired and getting a thorough understanding of the situation, they promised Val. “Rest assured, whoever is responsible for this attempt on your life will not go unpunished.”
“I appreciate that, but I have one request.”
“What request?”
“All I ask is that when you find them, I get to question the culprit,” Val replied.
The guardians nodded in agreement.
They then dispersed, beginning their search for the potential assassin
The incident left most passengers with lost appetites. Some turned pale, while others stared in disbelief.
One of the guardians questioned the waiter who had brought the steak.
It was delivered directly from the kitchen, leaving no room for it to be poisoned en route.
Either it was tainted prior, or the waiter was responsible.
However, the waiter had no motive. He bore no grudge against Val. Why would he want to kill him?
The situation was complicated and baffling.