Chapter 428. It was a big and beautiful train.
⑵Anyway, there were not just one train, but even five trains that would run on the first day had to be completed first, so it seemed quite burdensome.
There, there are vehicles waiting to be completed even after that.
So, of course, you have to be busy.
Next time, I’ll have to make the schedule a little more generous and add more people.
I thought it would be better to speak to Kelly and leave it to the outside.
Like that mana engine.
‘External honey…
Come to think of it, all of those mana engines have already come in as many as needed.
However, there was no communication from Helmin, the owner of the mage tower.
There have been strange rumors since the last black magician incident, but I haven’t had a conversation with him yet, so I’m not sure.
‘Shall we visit later?…
There are many things to order in the future, so it seemed necessary to go and talk.
Well, I can’t afford it right now, so let’s postpone it until later.
It’s more like a train! train!
‘I’ll be able to see him running soon.’
I looked up at the exterior of the train, which had not yet been fully assembled, with a pleased gaze.
Surely, when these things run, they will once again receive considerable attention from the public.
Even the guys who still show a cold reaction will surely roll their eyes.
The opening ceremony has begun to announce that the railroad has been opened in earnest in Ernesia Kingdom.
First of all, the first route to be shown on a trial basis was only opened from the royal capital to Figlia, the domain of Arell.
Afterwards, as additional train cars are produced and the tracks are completed, distribution routes are sequentially extended to each large city and further to smaller cities.
The plan is to operate trains connecting most cities in the kingdom within at least a month.
After that, we will operate trains to and from other countries.
That is a rough picture of the agenda that Arell is promoting.
Therefore, this opening ceremony is primarily aimed at showing off the appearance of the train and its power.
introduction of trains.
In line with the beginning, ordinary citizens, merchants, and furthermore, nobles and powerful people from each country have paid attention to this place today.
On the other hand, each noble attends the event for the event of the opening ceremony.
Citizens who came to see it also paid attention.
Numerous spectators gathered around the newly built station on the outskirts of the capital.
What they were looking at was the train.
Citizens who saw it for the first time couldn’t take their eyes off the strange vehicle with a huge black body and numerous wheels underneath.
“Is that a big wagon moving?”
“Rumors say it’s a train.”
“Right. You’ve been working on putting something suspicious on the floor all the time, but was it to make a way to move it?”
Citizens watched the train as if it were strange.
The fact that the train was in operation had already been known through rumors that had been spread beforehand.
However, what they imagined was just an extension of the carriage, that is, a huge carriage.
However, the train they saw in real life was beyond their imagination.
“Is this something that runs faster than a horse? Something terrifying.”
“Come to think of it, I’ve heard rumors. A peddler I know said he saw it by chance when he was test-driving it in Fahilia. The sound of running alone seems to shake the ground, right?
The friend’s horse saw it and went wild with excitement, so he suffered quite a bit.”
“Is that enough…. I want to see it once, so they sparked their curiosity about trains.
And that expectation was met in a good way.
After the first half of the opening ceremony.
Not only the king, but also the nobles and representatives of each grand council boarded the train in turn.
Today’s event includes experiencing it with your own body while taking the train to and from Fahilia.
It was thanks to Arel’s insistence that it is certain to ride it yourself rather than talking about it.
Finally all the passengers boarded and the train was started.
The mana engine, which is the core of moving the train, was started, and the power transmitted from there began to be transmitted to the wheels in sequence through the main shaft.
It will take time for the car to gain momentum yet, but as the wheels roll, the car body moves forward, and the passengers on board burst into exclamations of exclamation from the audience.
“Move!”
“Oh oh! It’s really rolling!”
“To move such a heavy body!!”
“I couldn’t believe that such a device could move such a heavy vehicle because I had never seen those wires, and it makes me ashamed.”
Since it was a project promoted by that Arrel Ernesia, I guessed that it wasn’t a simple bluff, but seeing it with my own eyes is a different way of feeling.
As the engine output increased, the vehicle gradually began to speed up and move forward.
Citizens who came to watch from outside cheered.
But their interest was only that much.
“Hmm, I think it would be fun to ride.
It must be difficult for commoners like us, right?”
“Isn’t it?”
“How can things like us burn?”
They thought of this train as an expensive magic tool.
Magic tools are difficult for ordinary people to come into contact with.
Because it is not accessible to wealthy merchants or aristocrats.
It’s like expensive bread that can’t be easily touched.
It was not unreasonable to think that even if the train was in full operation, it would be the exclusive property of the nobility.
“Rumor has it that it will take less than half a day to get to Pahilia if you ride it, but commoners like us won’t be able to escape.”
“Isn’t it? They have nothing to do with things like us.”
They licked their lips thinking about it.
More than that, the only thing they regret is that they express a small amount of sadness, saying that there will be less work for a while now that the railroad installation work is over.
However, after the full-fledged opening ceremony was over and operation began.
They realize that it is a preconceived notion.
This is because the toll paid to ride the train was surprisingly cheap compared to riding in a carriage.
There is no discrimination based on status.
The citizens once again marveled at the fact that it was a policy that Arel had firmly insisted on.
The first train that departed for the test run was headed for Fahilia.
I heard that the train had departed.
After I finally got the report that the train was arriving in Fahilia, I waited at the station to greet the guest.
“You’re here.”
A train whistle could be heard in the distance.
Woo woo woo woo woo!
It is a sound that resonates deep in the heart.
After all, the train makes that loud noise.
I nodded in satisfaction.
“Ah, that sounds good.”
Unlike a steam engine due to the mana engine, the noise is low, so it was purposely equipped with a device that makes noise.
After chasing monsters or wild animals, there might be someone approaching them.
It is a countermeasure against it.
After the train finally arrived at the station and checked for safety, the guests got off the seats.
First, they descended in order of status, and lastly, the king, the oldest brother, descended.
“I really didn’t expect it to arrive in a matter of hours… It sure is amazing speed and power.”
“It’s overcompliment.”
As I smiled and lowered my head, he deliberately pretended to look around and continued.
“If this spreads more widely in the kingdom, in fact, the distance between each territory will become a little closer. Isn’t it?”
My older brother expressed such feelings.
While genuinely admiring it, it is clear that it is a word that the passengers who came on the train should also listen to.
Some of the guests on the train today are still hesitant about the opening of the track that connects their territories.
Most of them must have been here for the purpose of estimating how useful this train really is.
I’m telling them to listen too.
If you knew the usefulness of this quickly, it means that you should move forward with the agenda quickly.
However, the reason why Jeil Hyung-nim is so motivated is not simply to help me with my planning.
The management of this line was officially decided by the royal family.
In other words, laying a track connecting the territory means laying a way for the royal family to intervene at any time.
In addition, we have already discussed that tampering with the tracks is strictly prohibited by national law.
So, he must have thought that laying the tracks in each territory would be useful to control the hearts of the surrounding nobles at any time.
It was judged that it would be easier to take over them as the speed of coming and going would increase.
Politics doesn’t even bother me.
Looking at the nobles in conflict with such a big brother, I laughed inwardly.
For me, that’s probably a good thing.
Anyway, my goal is one.
As long as it’s easy for me to come and go, that’s all.
‘This makes the world more comfortable for me to play in.’
Anyway, that’s all I’m aiming for.
The high-speed distribution network using trains will change many things.
I’m looking forward to it.
Two weeks after the opening ceremony].
Finally, after additionally checking the operation plan and the condition of the trains, the trains were officially put into service.
A certain number of trains began to come and go between each city through the tracks laid in the kingdom, including the capital.
There are still only five round trips per day to each city.
At present, considering the number of vehicles produced and the initial demand and cargo volume, it was judged that that amount was an appropriate margin to start with.
After that, the people in charge have decided to narrow down the operating interval by looking at the demand, and the opinions are divided.
At first, tourists flocked to see the train ride out of curiosity.
Tourists preferred trains because they realized that trains were faster than carriages and safer and more convenient compared to the time and effort required.
Those who have ridden the train even once did not spare high praise.
As a result, the demand naturally increases.
And, as expected, the response from the merchants was the best.
In particular, the Daesang Society sucked honey extensively in the transportation area by using the freight car of the train.
Although the freight fee is by no means cheap, considering the risk factors and time, it cannot be said to be a burden at all.
Therefore, each Grand Prize show showed interest in trains to the extent of asking whether it was possible to monopolize only vehicles for carrying cargo.
Naturally, Arel did not allow it.
It was because he was well aware that allowing a monopoly, swayed by momentary gains, would rather affect long-term box office success.
Ordinary merchants also showed interest little by little, and their business skills began to change.
It wasn’t just the merchants and the people who showed a change there.
Thanks to the introduction of the train, there were also those who were hit hard.
No, in this case it would be quite inappropriate to describe it as a blow.
On the contrary, it should be said that trains have a great advantage.
It was none other than the thieves who started stomping their feet.
A red light was turned on in the industry of thieves.
* * *
Not only the kingdom of Ernesia, but the security of each kingdom across the continent is not perfect.
As far as large cities are concerned, the neighborhoods within sight are maintained to some extent thanks to the Knights under the jurisdiction of the lord.
However, the risk rises rapidly once you leave the city.
It’s not just monsters that threaten passers-by.
Rather, what is more troublesome is the same human being.
In other words, they are called thieves.
In the case of the kingdom of Ernesia, each lord periodically patrols the army to exterminate the thieves, and when there is a report that there is damage somewhere, the army is immediately dispatched to wipe it out.
