170: Chapter 168 This might be the freshman exam

The Assistant Train Conductor moved very quickly.

The three of them had only been dawdling in the corridor for a few seconds before he used his wooden staff to control the two men, passing by Toby's side. At the same time, he urged them to hurry back to their rooms.

Holding back Leon, who was itching to say something, Toby waited until the Assistant Train Conductor was far away before saying, "We can't expose our relationship.

If they lock us in the detention room as well, we'll never find the truth."

"I understand." Leon looked a bit anxious. "But Klaisi was taken by them. Will he be interrogated?"

"Inevitably."

"Then..."

"Calm down. We're powerless to change facts that have already happened. Or do you plan to use this to do something?"

Toby lifted one side of his overcoat, revealing a holster tucked at his waist.

Leon wanted to say "yes," but recalling how the Assistant Train Conductor used that wooden stick—oh no, staff—

Using the staff to immobilize Klaisi and Wino, he quickly dismissed the idea.

"We'll take a look at the scene." Toby glanced left and right to see no one around, then pulled the stunned Leon and Misha back to their room door.

But when he reached out to push the door, he found it wouldn't budge at all.

"Strange, this door clearly wasn't locked."

"Maybe it's some kind of sealing magic. I've read about it in novels."

"I told you, don't use descriptions from novels to dictate our course of action in reality."

"But there must be similarities, right? For example, they're both called Hogwarts?"

After a moment of daze, Toby felt there was some logic to this and gave up on using force to break the door.

"If we can't get into the room, we can't investigate the murder scene.

We don't have a single clue about the killer."

"Woo—"

A long, melodious whistle sounded from the front of the train, and they knew it had departed.

The train car began to sway. The two stabilized themselves against the wooden wall by the door while supporting Misha by her shoulders.

"What on earth is going on? They just boarded the train, and they've never been to the world of Hogwarts before. How could they be followers of some Dark Lord?"

Toby muttered to himself, remembering that Leon and Klaisi were both fans of the novels. "Who is the Dark Lord?"

"Voldemort, the ultimate antagonist of the harry potter world."

"Does such a person really exist?"

"We'd have to ask Mr. Dumbledore whether it's Rowling's fantasy or a tangible reality."

Obviously, Dumbledore, who had taken Rowling goodness knows where, could not appear to give them an answer right now.

The conversation was forced to a halt.

"I think I mostly understand now," Toby said, suddenly looking up from his thoughts.

"What?"

"This might be the entrance exam!"

Leon was a bit bewildered. "But two out of the five new students have been taken away.

Until the killer is found, they won't have a chance to get out. How can they participate in the exam?"

With a confident smile on his face, Toby said, "This is a team exam.

As for the two of them, their job is to collect enough clues at the moment of the crime and hand them over to us, who arrived a step late."

"Klaisi?" Leon's lip twitched. "You can't expect him to be meticulous enough to notice tiny traces at a crime scene.

That guy often throws his smelly socks everywhere at home."

"But Wino is there."

Toby pinched his chin. "To be able to serve under Prince Suleiman, he must have some ability."

"So, should we go find them immediately?"

"Yes, and we must not let the train staff notice we're in contact. Otherwise, if all five of us are detained, the exam might be considered a failure."

"Heavens, does the entrance exam need to be this intense?" Leon seemed unable to believe it. "The corpse and the smell of blood filling the room didn't seem fake!"

"No one said the exam has to be safe. This is Hogwarts."

"Are you saying... we're at risk of losing our lives?"

"A significant one."

Leon opened his mouth, his gaze turning dull. "Mur—murder is against the law."

"I'll emphasize it again: this is Hogwarts." Toby's expression was serious. "Don't try to view an unknown magical world through your past perceptions and the laws of the Kingdom!"

"I—I understand." Leon snapped out of it, taking a few heavy breaths. "The ticket says the train will travel for two days before reaching Hogwarts.

In other words, we have to find the killer within two days?"

"Exactly."

Toby stood up straight, moving away from the wall. "Let's go. We're going to the staff lounge at the front of the train to gather information."

Hearing this, Leon didn't delay any longer. He knew there was no turning back, so he took Misha's hand and followed.

By now, the train had already left the station. Bright sunlight streamed through the neatly arranged windows on the right, dispelling the gloom of the corridor.

After walking for a while, Leon said in a low voice, "Look out the window."

Toby, who had been deep in thought, snapped to attention and turned his head toward the window.

Outside was a field where the planted crops had just begun to sprout, a vast expanse of emerald green as far as the eye could see.

Looking toward the more distant mountains, he could see the faint outline of a village nestled at the foot of the hills.

The specific details of the houses weren't clear, but a giant windmill could be seen turning slowly.

"This is definitely not Blue Star!" Leon said with certainty.

Toby kept walking. "Once we successfully enroll and become new students of Hogwarts, Mr. Dumbledore shouldn't be stingy about answering our questions."

After that, the two stopped talking and made their way to Carriage One, where the train staff gathered.

It was laid out somewhat like a dining car.

Instead of leather armchairs for resting, there were rows of long tables for four fixed to the floor on both sides.

At the moment, several conductors in black uniforms, responsible for security, were sitting around a table chatting happily.

The conductors serving the passengers mostly wore blue uniforms.

The former were almost all male, while the latter were mostly female, interspersed with a few young, handsome men.

"Hello, ma'am," Toby greeted a female conductor walking toward them.

"Hello, honored guest. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm looking for the Assistant Train Conductor."

"The Assistant Train Conductor is currently interrogating a prisoner. I will notify him and have him find you later."

"I'm in a hurry."

The female conductor hesitated slightly before turning around to walk forward. "Please follow me."

His tensed heart relaxed slightly, and Toby signaled with his eyes for Leon, who was holding Misha, to follow.

They passed through the cluster of long tables that took up half the carriage and followed her to the lounge area in the latter half of the car.

"Knock, knock—" She knocked on one of the doors in the middle of a row of rooms. "Mr. Assistant Train Conductor, a guest says he's in a hurry to see you."

Inside, the faint voices coming through the door fell silent. A few seconds passed.

"Click—"

The door was pulled halfway open, and the Assistant Train Conductor, whom they had just parted from, poked his head out. "What's the hurry... it's you?"

"I said it's very dangerous right now. Please return to your room immediately."

The Assistant Train Conductor was very burly, completely blocking the small gap in the doorway.

Toby couldn't see how Wino and Klaisi were doing in the dimly lit room, but he wasn't in a hurry.

He straightened the collar of his trench coat. "Actually, I am a detective."