333 On Board
"Train? Is that the new vehicle you are talking about?" "That's right, Your Imperial Majesty. It's a type of vehicle that doesn't run on horsepower." "What?" As His Imperial Majesty was in shock, the train was about to go inside through one of the station's openings. The screeches of the brakes echoed throughout the station. The slowing train stably ran on the right train track until it eventually came to a stop precisely at the center of the station before the attendant manually opened the carriage's sliding door from the inside. "What the hell is this massive thing...?" The guildmaster was astonished, but everyone was beholding the marvel and did not say a word..
Everyone on the platform focused their full attention on the very first train in this world. The visitors from the empire, including the Raeven family, were awestruck upon seeing something they had never seen in their lives.
After dozens of trials and errors, our efforts finally came to fruition, and the final result is currently right in front of us. The train had successfully completed several test runs and covered a great mileage. Though the test runs mostly occurred inside the dungeon. In terms of looks, the whole train was designed like that of a bullet train, specifically the N700 Series Shinkansen. Although it was largely made of iron and other metals, the exterior was plated with mithrill for durability and protection. In terms of actual operation, the locomotive used lightning magic to run, fueled by the massive magic core of the Typhon my sister and I defeated to capture this dungeon; it was the biggest magic stone we had ever seen. We focused more on developing the locomotive, so there were only two twenty-five-meter-long carriages manufactured so far: an ordinary and a first-class car. For this run, only the first-class carriage was attached to the locomotive for the convenience of our guests, who were sternly staring at the train. "The train is truly magnificent, yes. I, too, was amazed by its appearance, so I can understand you all. Instead of staring at it, why not try riding it?" "Ah, yes, I agree. Ahem." Mother's voice snapped the emperor back, and then he cleared his throat. "But is this really safe to ride in?" "I can guarantee its safety, Your Imperial Majesty, as I have experience riding in it. Not only is it safe, it is comfortably stable and unbelievably fast as well." "Well, I don't know what the boundary of the word "safe" is for the Sword Saint." The emperor said this while he looked suspiciously at Mother, which I kind of understand since our family was on an entirely different plane from normal people. For us, a Level 500 S-ranked Dragon was barely considered a threat, but for the general populace, it was a calamity. "Your Imperial Majesty, can I have a word?" Emperor Jeffrey nodded to Sophia's request. "What Lady Raevender just stated was true, Your Imperial Majesty. I have been participating in all the test runs of the train. As someone as powerless as me, I can say that riding the train is indeed safe." "Oh, I see. Thank you for expressing your opinion, miss." "Is it not enough to convince you, Your Imperial Majesty?" The prime minister asked. "Well, to be honest, I really want to ride this so-called train without regard to safety. I think it is safe, as they say. Even if things go south, Gavar is here to protect me. Besides, I am actually excited to try out this revolutionary invention that could immensely change the world. Aren't you all feeling the same as well?" "If you ask me, I would say yes." "Same here." The guildmaster agreed with the prime minister. "That's good, then. So we will be in your care, Lady Raevender." "Verily, Your Imperial Majesty. This way." After that, Mother started to head into the carriage. On her lead, we followed suit and boarded the train. "Wow, amazing..." When we got inside the carriage, a six-foot-wide corridor unfolded before us. There was a soft carpet below our feet that extended to the end of the corridor, and the carriage even had a temperature regulation system, so it was kind of cool here. There were no seats that could be seen along the corridor, only walls with lines of doors every five meters; there were four doors on each side and eight in total. At the end, we could see a door that actually led to the restrooms. It felt like we were in a hotel rather than a train. "Our trains have two types of passenger carriage: the ordinary and the first-class," Mother started explaining. I also told her anything about the train, so she was quite confident. "And this carriage is a first-class one." "So what is the difference between the two?" "Good question, Your Imperial Majesty. As the name implies, first-class carriages are more convenient and have more features than ordinary carriages. While ordinary carriages have open coach seats that are separated by a narrow aisle, this type of carriage has cabins." Mother opened the door of the first room of the carriage and entered inside, so we followed suit. When we entered the cabin, we found ourselves in a spacious room illuminated by a magic bulb. The room was big enough to fit all fourteen of us. The door was located at the corner, by the way. Inside the four-meter-by-four-meter room, there were comfy couches lined at each side of the room with a table at the center. With a wide window made out of jet glass, we could clearly see the scenery outside without worry. Though we could only see the interior of the station right now. 14:07
Inside the four-meter-by-four-meter room, there were comfy couches lined at each side of the room with a table at the center. With a wide window made out of jet glass, we could clearly see the scenery outside without worry. Though we could only see the interior of the station right now. Without the expansion magic, each cabin was constructed four meters long and one meter wide. We only stretched the width so that it would not distort the windows. If the magic carriages did not use jet glasses, the faces of the passengers inside would have been thinly compressed if someone saw them from outside. "Amazing... So this particular type of carriage uses the same technology as the magic carriages?" "Exactly, Your Imperial Majesty. The first-class carriages are largely intended for the convenience and privacy of royal and aristocratic passengers, so we are making sure they will be having a nice trip." "Given how lavishly built this carriage is, the fare must be high as well." Those were the types of carriages we had made so far. But we were planning to add a middle-class carriage for the rich and a freight train for transporting cargo.
"Oh, the whistle has been blown, which means the train is about to set off. So please kindly take your seats and enjoy this journey." As Mother requested, everybody had taken a seat before the train shuddered as it began to move. The other members of the emperor's convoy boarded this train as though they were in other cabins. For the security of the emperor, only selected people were chosen to board with us, so there were not many passengers in here. As for our seating arrangements, the emperor's group sat on the left couch, the Raeven family took the couch attached to the wall of the corridor, and my family settled ourselves adjacent to the emperor's side. We left the couch beside the window empty so that we could clearly see the view outside. A moment later, the accelerating train finally exited the two-hundred-meter-long train station and reached the farmlands. With that, the first trip on the train on the surface had started.
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