Chapter 790: Chapter 435: Varius’s Observations
The convoy continued north.
The wind and snow gradually became clean and sharp, with a familiar chill in the air.
When Frost Halberd City appeared on the horizon, Varius instinctively squinted his eyes.
This was once the core of the Northern Territory.
He had visited here several times in his youth. The city, scarred by war, had its walls repeatedly repaired, and its districts ripped open and barely stitched together like scars.
Everyone was in a hurry, eyes vigilant, as if the next horn could sound at any moment.
Even then, it was considered a major town of the Northern Territory, yet always a city dragged forward by war.
But what he saw now was completely different.
The city walls were taller, yet not bloated.
The streets were wide and straight, the snow promptly cleared, piled neatly on both sides of the road.
Pedestrians walked at a leisurely pace, and the shop signs were uniform and restrained, lacking the hysterical luxury of the Imperial Capital.
What surprised him most was the temperature inside the city.
The cold wind was kept outside, with pipes along the street constantly spewing warm air.
Even without approaching the fire, a steady warmth emanated from beneath his feet.
Varius stood at the street corner, momentarily lost.
This city was more magnificent than any of his previous visits, and more like a truly living capital than the current Imperial Capital.
They weren’t allowed to stay long and were directed north of the city the next day.
A colossal building, never seen before, stood there.
Thick concrete walls extended outward, steel exposed without decoration, emphasizing only the functionality itself.
The dome was semi-enclosed, seemingly to accommodate some gigantic creature.
Varius’ gaze fell to the ground.
Two parallel black iron tracks stretched into the darkness of the dome’s depths.
His brows furrowed slightly, was this the sliding track for some giant ballista? Or... a device to transport the entire castle?
Just then, Baron suddenly rushed out.
The former royal chief blacksmith almost fell to his knees beside the tracks.
He removed his gloves, ignoring the chill, and touched the cold steel rail with trembling hands.
Then, he took out a small hammer and struck it hard.
"Dong—"
The sound was crisp and lingering.
Baron abruptly turned his head, eyes red: "This is top-grade steel, forged with no air bubbles!
You... you’ve laid it on the ground for people to step on? Such waste! Are the mines of the Northern Territory endless?"
Staff quickly pulled him up and stopped him from jumping further: "Do you want to die!?"
Victor stood aside, explaining: "This is called a railway, Master Baron, to make that steel beast run, the track must be harder than bones."
Before he could grasp the idea, the ground beneath his feet suddenly vibrated lightly.
It was a rhythmic dull sound, low and steady, like some kind of awakening pulse.
Soon, the sound arrived first: "Woo—!!!"
A piercing whistle tore through the wind and snow.
Everyone instinctively covered their ears, the warhorses startled into whining, hooves chaotically stomping the ground.
In the darkness, two dazzling yellow beams abruptly lit up, as if a giant beast had opened its eyes.
The next moment, steel broke through the fog, and the Black Steel charged out from the track’s depths.
It was a five-meter-tall black locomotive, its body wrapped in heavy riveted armor.
Huge red rods drove half-person-high steel wheels, producing a rhythmic and fierce metallic clashing sound.
"Clack—Clack—!"
The chimney on the roof spewed thick black smoke and white steam, condensing rapidly in the cold air, rolling like clouds, engulfing half the platform.
Faced with this monster, no one’s expression looked good, and some even slumped directly to the ground: "Monster..."
Varius’ face was pale, gripping the railing beside him tightly.
Even on the battlefield, facing the Knight Order’s frontal charge, he had never felt such clear helplessness.
If the Knight Order were to crash into this thing, he didn’t need to think further.
The train slowly decelerated with ear-piercing brakes, sparks scattering along the track sides.
After brief hesitation, everyone was guided to board.
As the doors closed, wind and snow were completely shut out.
Warmth wrapped them silently.
Herman paused for a moment, then quietly took off his worn-out coat.
Inside the carriage, upholstered leather seats were arranged neatly.
The transparent glass windows were clean and bright, such features only graced the reception halls of the nobility in the Imperial Capital.
A conductor passed by with a trolley.
"Gentlemen, would you like some hot tea or today’s Red Tide Daily?"
Varius accepted the teacup, then the fine printed newspaper.
He looked down at the headline, which was Louis’ new decree for the day.
The tea was warm, the paper dry.
Yet his hand tensed slightly, this was not a means of transportation, this was the veins of rule.
The train started again.
Initially slow, then accelerating continuously.
The trees outside quickly receded, eventually blurring into lines.
In the distance, a cavalry team patrolled the snowy grounds, waving upon seeing the train.
The train passed them without pause, leaving them behind in the wind and snow.
"How many miles per day does this thing cover?" Varius asked softly.
The intelligence officer glanced at his pocket watch: "It can reach Red Tide City in three days, equivalent to the Knight Order’s half-month journey."
Varius leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly.
As someone who studied warfare and governance, he instantly understood what this meant.
