Chapter 69 - Opening
We returned to Ribek. It was quite late at night.
We stopped right outside the town and the range of the Fountain of Ilia. I had Lilia keep watch as I placed all the materials inside of the magic circle…and finally placed in the ball.
After the familiar light flashed…a train appeared.
It was a small train about the size of a minibus. It looked like it could accommodate around 20 people.
「We did it desuno!」
「Yes we did.」
「This is the thing that rides on top of the rails right desuno?」
「That’s right」
Lilia and I both looked at 「it」.
The train that Lilia and I had gathered the materials for, and the rails that my other three slaves had placed.
Each of the three meter sections of rails were connected together as they meandered off.
「Ok then, let’s go.」
I lifted up the train and placed it on top of the rails.
After creating the rails, the train had been unlocked.
As if attesting to the fact that the rails and train were part of the same set, they fit perfectly together.
「Let’s get on.」
「Ok desuno」
I stepped onto the train with Lilia.
I faced the drivers compartment and saw how simple it was set up.
There was a single lever.
At the bottom of the lever were several different gradations. From the indications, it seemed like it was stop, low speed, medium speed, high speed.
I moved the lever from stop to low speed.
With a chugging sound, the train began to move slowly.
It slowly and peacefully moved along as I watched the scenery pass us by.
I took my hand off of the lever.
「Wooaaahh!」
Lilia looked around with her eyes sparkling.
Opening the window a gentle breeze came through.
「Amazing desuno, this runs on its own desuno?」
「Indeed…it’s that kind of thing.」
「Onii-chan look at this desuno.」
「Hm?」
I looked at where Lilia was pointing.
On the outside of the train there were lights shining.
On each side there were two balls of light.
The train ran on with four lights glowing as it moved.
「It’s amazing desuno」
「Yes it is.」
I responded to Lilia with her sparkling eyes as I pulled the lever once more to test the train’s speed.
Since there wasn’t a speedometer attached it would only be an estimate.
Low speed was around a bicycle’s max speed of 20 Kilometers per hour.
Medium felt like when you were riding a bike down a steep hill so I thought it might be around 30 kilometers per hour.
High speed was faster than that so I estimated it to be around 40 kph.
The low speed was about as fast as one of the two legged horses. So I think that I’ve created the fastest vehicle in this world just now.
「Lilia, hold on to something.」
「Eh? Ok desuno.」
I made sure that Lilia was holding one of the handrails and switched the lever to stop.
The train actually stopped pretty suddenly.
I set it to run faster once more and——stopped it.
It stopped quickly once more.
Then I set it to maximum speed…and it stopped rapidly again.
「It’s ignoring inertia huh?」
「Inertia desuno?」
「I stopped it suddenly many times, but even if you weren’t holding on to something you would’ve been fine right?」
「Yes desuno.」
She said while looking confused as to why that was an issue.
It seems like in this world without fast vehicles they didn’t really understand how inertia would work in a rapid stop.
But I did.
With a train running at 40 kph, an emergency stop would at least cause all the passengers to fall forward to the ground.
It was a train created by the DORECA’s magic, so I could somehow accept it.
I could accept it…but it was still incredible.
I thought as I once again set the train running.
Under the beautiful night sky, Lilia and I rode the train.
「Now that I think of it……」
「What’s wrong」
「I haven’t seen the other three.」
We had been continuing along the tracks.
I was quite sure that along the way we would’ve run into the three of them, but it hadn’t happened.
The tracks continued, the train ran, and the three of them hadn’t appeared.
「It’s because Onii-chan ordered them too desuno.」
「Huh?」
I looked at Lilia.
She was standing there looking proudly with her hands on her hips.
「Master told them to connect the rails to the town of Akito. So I’m sure the rails will continue until then desuno.」
「Opening……until there?」
「Yes desuno」
「I see.」
「So I’m sure my three Onee-sama’s are waiting in Akito desuno.」
「Hmm.」
That might be the case.
Somehow I could imagine them doing so.
I could just imagine them working their hardest to connect the rails to Akito.
If they’d truly already reached the town of Akito then…
「Then I need to think of a reward to give them.」
「Just giving them their next job will be good enough desuno.」
Lilia replied with a response characteristic of Eternal Slaves.
It was an answer an Honors Student would give…but it was their true feelings.
They were that kind of race.
Be that as it may, not rewarding them properly was out of the question.
They were people who would feel joy at being worked to the bone by their Master.
I am a person who wants to reward their wholehearted efforts and make them happier.
I need to do something to praise and cherish them. Definitely.
After a while we finally saw lights up ahead.
The light of civilization.
The rails continued.
I dropped the speed to 「low」.
We slowly advanced.
「——!」
「Waaa」
I was surprised as Lilia’s eyes glowed.
At the train stop at the entrance of the town, the people of Akito had gathered.
There was a big banner hanging there.
People with instruments were there as they started playing music.
They began cheering 「Akito Banzai」 in a great chorus.
It was passionate to the extreme.
It was a ceremony.
That word popped into my head.
I put the train in 「stop」.
I got off the train and Madway emerged from the passionate welcome party.
Madway held out a type of garland meant to go around your neck. It was clearly for me.
I stopped for a moment and looked around before spotting my three slaves off in the distance.
I immediately thought that they were the ones who had planned this.
I looked at them and the townspeople.
It wasn’t a bad feeling…in fact it was the opposite.
Especially the music.
The instruments hadn’t been made by me, they seemed a little misshapen, so I think they made them themselves.
This is how I hoped things would turn out.
I guarantee their minimum quality of life and they would slowly but surely improve their lives.
This was what I wished for…it was truly a good feeling.
「His Majesty the King.」
Madway stepped forward and placed the garland around my neck.
I accepted it with growing happiness.
This was good, but those girls truly have honored me like this.
After this I’ll reward them plenty.
I swore to myself.