Chapter 168

Chapter 168: The Train

In the afternoon, on the vast central plains of the Prit Kingdom, long stretches of railway tracks ran through endless fields. The massive iron beast, driven by steel wheels and spewing thick smoke, roared along the tracks, racing toward the distant horizon.

The long train, filled with passengers, sped along the tracks, journeying from one end of the country to the other.

In the first-class carriage near the front of the train, in a nicely decorated single-occupancy cabin, Dorothy sat on a soft sofa, sipping coffee while looking out at the rapidly passing scenery. Her expression showed a hint of boredom.

“Ugh… I’ve already been on this train for a day and a half. It’s estimated that I’ll have to wait another day before reaching my destination. I still have to endure a bit longer…”

Sitting in her seat, Dorothy yawned as she stirred her coffee with a spoon, saying uninterestedly. Igewent was located in the southwest of the main island of the kingdom, while Tivyán was situated on the eastern coast. Therefore, the train Dorothy was on essentially crossed the entire main island of Prit from start to finish. If measured in a straight line, the distance was over eight hundred kilometers.

Due to the relatively slow speed of trains during this era and the winding tracks due to terrain restrictions, as well as the need for fuel replenishment and mechanical inspections, the train had very long stops. As a result, Dorothy’s journey would take nearly three days to reach Tivyán, and this was already her second day on the train.

To combat the boredom of the journey, Dorothy had brought several books to read slowly in the carriage. However, her reading speed was surprisingly fast, and she finished all the books in the cabin in no time. Afterward, she could only stare out the window, lost in thought.

“This is such a boring journey, but fortunately, the cabin environment is quite nice. There’s a sofa, a table, and even a bed. If it were just seats, it would be too uncomfortable.”

Dorothy thought to herself. This train had three types of carriages. First-class carriages like Dorothy’s had individual cabins with complete facilities. Second-class carriages were long rows of hard seats where many people sat together. Third-class carriages didn’t even have seats; they were simply empty carriages with straw and old rags as padding, and they were the most crowded and worst conditions.

First-class carriage tickets cost ten times more than second-class, and dozens of times more than third-class, costing about three or four pounds. Few people could afford them. They usually had high vacancy rates. For Dorothy’s safety, Gregor gritted his teeth and bought her a first-class ticket. His monthly salary was only 23 pounds, so this fare wasn’t small for him, who usually saved money to buy a house.

Although the ticket money was trivial to Dorothy, she didn’t offer to pay when Gregor bought the ticket, as she couldn’t explain where her money came from.

Just as Dorothy was sitting in her cabin, lost in thought, the train attendant’s loud voice echoed down the corridor outside the cabin.

“Alster! Alster is approaching soon! Please prepare to disembark if you’re getting off at Alster! Gather your luggage! Alster, Alster is approaching soon! Please…”

“Alster?”

Inside the cabin, hearing the train attendant’s call, Dorothy’s expression froze. She tilted her head slightly, thinking about the place name. She recalled reading about it in a book—it was a city in the central-eastern part of the Prit Kingdom, reportedly larger than Igewent.

“I’ve reached Alster, which means I’m not far from Tivyán. I’ll probably arrive tomorrow morning or noon after sleeping tonight.”

Recalling the map she had seen before, Dorothy thought, then began curiously looking out the window, watching the buildings gradually increase as the fields raced past, waiting to see the approaching city.

…

Alster, a city in the central-eastern part of the main island of the Prit Kingdom, lies south of the mountains and north of the plains. It has large-scale agriculture and forestry, providing food and timber to other regions of Prit. It is an important city in the center of Prit.

At dusk, the platform of Alster Station was filled with people, quietly waiting for the arrival of the distant train. Most of them were heading to the capital, Tivyán.

Among these people was a man in his twenties or thirties, fair-skinned and clean-shaven, wearing a dark blue jacket and gray trousers, with a low hat and a wooden suitcase with a combination lock. He watched the watch in one hand and looked in the direction of the approaching train on the track, waiting for its arrival. His gaze, directed at the distant tracks, was full of vitality, as if he could see the thick smoke billowing in the distance.

This man’s name was Sodod, affiliated with the Alster An Yin Bureau. He was an Extraordinary Being, currently executing a mission to transport something to Tivyán. Thus, he was about to board the train arriving shortly.

Time passed quickly. Soon, the whistle of the steam locomotive sounded, growing louder as the massive iron beast slowed down and entered the station, stopping at the platform.

After the train stopped, the doors of each carriage opened sequentially. Passengers destined for Alster disembarked. Once they were off, those who had been waiting on the platform began boarding the train from various carriage doors.

Just as Sodod was about to board, he suddenly felt as though someone was staring intently at him. Sodod immediately turned around to look in the direction of the gaze, but saw nothing except the surging crowd.

“An illusion?”

Muttering to himself, Sodod did not dwell on it and continued toward the carriage with his ticket. After the train attendant checked his ticket, Sodod boarded the carriage smoothly.

For safety reasons, Sodod bought a first-class ticket. After boarding, under the enthusiastic guidance of the train attendant, Sodod arrived at his cabin.

“Sir, it’s almost mealtime. Would you like to go to the dining car for a meal, or would you prefer ordering food in your cabin?”

After guiding Sodod to the cabin, the attendant asked. Sodod placed his coat, hat, and luggage on the sofa and thought for a moment before responding.

“I’ll go to the dining car. Could you please lead the way?”

“Sure.”

After saying this, Sodod left the cabin under the attendant’s guidance. Shortly after they left, a pale-skinned human hand emerged strangely from the wall of the cabin, slowly reaching toward the locked suitcase placed on the sofa.