[Vol. 7] Chapter 117: Fate Brings Us Together, and Fate Will Bring Us Back Again
A few days later, in the northern region of the Austre Empire, Lannas Province.
The thundering train gradually came to a halt on the tracks, and a group of more than ten people stepped out of the massive steel beast, arriving at the well-maintained open-air station.
"Ha... I noticed before that the technology here was advancing fast, but I never expected them to have something like this already."
A certain black-haired girl couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
It was no wonder that the Imperial Royal Family was eager to challenge the Holy Empire, that massive behemoth of a nation. Whether it was firearms or this thing, revolutionary inventions like these, would inflate any ruler’s confidence and ambition to the extreme.
That’s right, the vehicle that had transported Violet and the others over thousands of kilometers in record time was none other than the train.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same as the industrial-era trains the priestess had in mind. This was a magically enhanced version, a blend of technology and magic unique to this world.
After receiving an invitation from Sainz a few days ago, Priscilla had led the group, alongside local city forces, to escort the rescued younglings from the Church of Truth’s headquarters. They traveled hundreds of kilometers by carriage to a large city, where they then boarded this magical train and made their way here.
From the southern border of the empire to Lannas Province in the northwest, the straight-line distance was over 6,000 kilometers. Traveling by traditional roads would have easily stretched the journey to over 10,000 kilometers, yet they had completed the trip in just over a day.
For nations where the main modes of transportation were still horse-drawn carriages, cargo-carrying magical beasts, or even plain walking, this was nothing short of a game-changer.
Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan, who were riding this kind of vehicle for the first time, had obviously realized just how groundbreaking it was. When they learned that they had already reached the northern part of the empire in such a short time, their expressions, especially after having studied the full map of Austre Empire, were priceless.
"This is incredible! This giant metal can... It’s not being pulled by anything, so how does it move? And why is it so fast…?"
Standing beside the awestruck thief girl, Priscilla, who had long grown accustomed to steel trains, chuckled and began explaining.
"Of course, it runs on magic, or more precisely, it uses magical elements as its power source. The goal of Sainz has always been to take magic, which was once an exclusive privilege of a select few, and turn it into something that benefits the majority. We still haven’t overcome the issue of magical talent being limited to certain individuals, but if we can harness magic in a different way, everything changes."
Violet tilted her head slightly, looking at the speaker with a hint of surprise.
"So this train was also invented by Sainz?"
"Train…? Hmm, that’s actually quite a fitting name. Violet, you have sharp observational skills. Just from a single ride, you figured out that its power core primarily relies on fire-elemental crystals... Heh, but this thing isn’t called a train. Its official name is the [Sainz Magical Guidance Carriage], one of the patented inventions of the Academy."
As they waited for the rest of their group to disembark, the lecturer from Sainz Academy explained with interest.
"In fact, many of the convenient tools widely used across the world today originally came from Sainz before they became mainstream. Take, for example, the well-known magical lamps, magic scrolls, and various household magic devices. These are all arcane-powered products that require no magical talent to use. They've already been widely integrated into various industries. However, most of them are still quite expensive, making it difficult for the average household to afford them easily."
"The Magical Guidance Carriage is no different. The technology is still far from perfect, and the costs of manufacturing, operation, and laying down the tracks are all significantly higher than those other products. Even the most basic level of mass adoption is difficult. Plus, its form is something most ordinary people struggle to understand and accept."
"So after discussing the matter, the council decided to first lay down a few experimental patented tracks in the Austre Empire, where magitech is most developed and where the Academy has the easiest access to resources. These tracks, centered around Sainz, would serve as a test run… which is exactly what we're using now."
At this point, Priscilla's expression wavered slightly. She lowered her voice a bit, as if trying to avoid the attention of the imperial soldiers bustling around the station or stepping off the train.
"But… how should I put it? It’s the same issue as before. While the Magical Guidance Carriage is fast, convenient, and can carry a large number of passengers, the costs are simply too high. The past few years of experimentation have made it clear that it’s not viable for public use. Outside of wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials, and nobles, the only truly practical application is military transport, which was never the Academy’s original intention. And so…"
There were too many people around, making it difficult for Priscilla to say too much. But everyone present was sharp enough to pick up on what she was implying. Even with her vague wording, it was clear that the relationship between Sainz and the Austre Empire was complicated, with intertwining interests at play.
Sainz was located right between the Lannas Province, where they currently were, and the neighboring Holmt Province. It was an independent city-state, belonging to neither.
Spanning over a thousand square kilometers, it was one of the most developed cities in the entire world, rivaling even Austre Empire’s capital, Frederick.
Although all Magical Guidance Carriage tracks in the Austre Empire extended outward from Sainz as the central hub, none of them actually entered the city itself. Instead, the train stations were built in nearby imperial cities, like this one, just outside of Sainz. From here, it was only a short half-hour trip by carriage to the Academy.
At first glance, this might not seem like a big deal, but the reasoning behind it was clear. Sainz’s leadership was intentionally keeping a certain level of distance from the Austre Empire, possibly as a precaution.
Now, their group would be heading directly to Sainz by carriage, while the members of [Tree], who had traveled here with them, would continue on the Magical Guidance Carriage toward the eastern regions of the empire. Their task was to assist the military in handling the missing persons crisis.
Just as Violet had predicted, with the headquarters of the [Church of Truth] destroyed and the will of the God of Subversion once again expelled from this world, the scattered Shadow Realms across the empire were beginning to collapse.
However, for the ordinary people who had no experience dealing with such things, these remaining anomalies were still incredibly dangerous.
This matter also involved some high-ranking officials within the empire and the presence of various hidden traitors, which made Enrique and the others particularly wary. They planned to dig deeper into the investigation.
These kindhearted adventurers were bound to be busy for a while. Violet, however, had no interest in getting involved with the scattered loose ends of the aftermath. She could only wish them the best.
On a side note, [Tree Branch], who had betrayed the team and secretly aided the Church of Truth, had been placed under house arrest. [Tree Bow] and the others were personally overseeing him.
He never tried to hide his actions, nor did he resist in any way. However, he also didn’t explain his reasons for doing so. Figuring out what to do with him was Enrique’s problem to deal with. Violet, on the other hand, didn’t particularly care. After a brief interrogation, she stopped paying attention to him altogether.
As for the agreed-upon mission reward, ten million Quarks (Austre Empire’s Currency), she accepted it without hesitation. After all, with how things had played out, the missing persons case could be considered mostly resolved, and she had indeed put in a great deal of effort. There was no reason to turn down rightful compensation.
That said, she gave a generous portion to Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan, using it as their travel funds for the journey ahead.
That’s right, these two companions, who had traveled across worlds from Ancient Spirit Realm, were also preparing to part ways with Violet and head in a different direction.
Academy life wasn’t suited for them. They each had their own goals, and as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. From here on, their journey would continue separately.
With today's farewell, they would go their separate ways, perhaps never to meet again.
But as long as they kept moving forward, fate would surely bring their paths together once more someday.
A brand-new world was unfolding before each of them.