Chapter 38
Before explaining this situation, it is necessary to delve a little deeper into Tyria Wibin—or rather, the woman now known as Tyria Portman.
She was the only daughter of House Wibin, the former rulers of this land, and the sole noble lady raised in Wibin.
Naturally, her life had been nothing like Elic’s.
From the moment she could walk, she had been educated in tradition, history, dignity, and etiquette.
Since childhood, she had deliberately been taught to reject convenient innovations in favor of customs and manners inherited through generations.
It was impossible to deny that such an upbringing had shaped her conservative nature.
She knew little about inventions that relied on complex machinery or electricity.
To her, candles were meant to provide light.
Farming was something that should be done by human hands.
Travel was something accomplished with horses and carriages.
The current situation was merely an extension of that worldview.
When confronted with the unknown, some people are filled with curiosity and a desire to challenge it.
Others feel caution and rejection.
Elic belonged to the former group.
Tyria belonged to the latter.
To her, the train—a gigantic iron beast that spewed steam and had only recently become commonplace—looked like nothing more than a dangerous monster.
“We should take a carriage.”
She was stubborn.
Immeasurably stubborn.
And that unwavering declaration awakened both a small irritation and a great deal of mischief within Elic.
As mentioned before, Elic was the type who greeted new things with curiosity and enthusiasm.
A newly discovered side of Tyria was no exception.
“What if I insist on taking the train?”
Tyria’s expression darkened.
But for once, she wasn’t frightening.
Instead, she felt oddly approachable.
After all, a person with flaws was easier to relate to than someone who seemed perfect.
That wasn’t all.
Elic considered himself rather knowledgeable about modern technology.
After all, his closest friend throughout his youth had been Elvers Graham, a man from the Imperial Capital—the very heart of the continent’s civilization.
He genuinely wanted Tyria to experience the convenience and wonder of such innovations as well.
And fortunately, he had a suitable excuse.
“To tell the truth, I overexerted myself climbing that mountain during the demonic beast hunt. My injury has been acting up lately. Even when I’m sitting still, my knee aches. If I ride in a rattling carriage, the pain will become quite unbearable.”
The exaggerated groaning was a bonus.
Rubbing his knee, Elic put on a pitiful expression.
Tyria pressed her lips together.
She rarely showed emotion, making her difficult to read.
Still, from the context alone, it was obvious she was troubled.
“…Wouldn’t a train shake just as much?”
“Far less than a carriage. Besides, trains move so quickly that you barely notice the vibrations.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because I rode one on the way to Wibin.”
“…”
At this point, it was fair to say Elic had gained momentum.
“Furthermore, trains drastically reduce travel time. A journey to the capital that might take a week by carriage can be completed in a single day. And that’s not all. The travel expenses are much lower as well. Haven’t you always emphasized saving money, my lady?”
Every point he made was valid.
In truth, this was a battle Elic was destined to win.
How could it be otherwise?
A train was simply a superior version of a carriage.
It was transportation evolved through the progress of civilization.
Tyria’s objections were rooted entirely in emotion, leaving her arguments weak.
What followed was a series of defeats.
“What about meals…?”
“The food onboard is quite good.”
“My back will hurt…”
“Did you know? First-class seats use premium upholstery. They’re padded so well that they’re more comfortable than the chairs we’re sitting in now.”
“The restroom…”
“First class has one.”
After all, first class had been designed specifically to satisfy the demands of arrogant aristocrats.
Every concern Tyria could think of had already been addressed.
In chess terms, it was checkmate.
There was nowhere left for her to retreat.
And unlike most people, Tyria wasn’t the type to become emotional when things didn’t go her way.
Instead, she accepted reality rationally.
“…I will consider it.”
Though she said consider it, it was essentially an agreement.
“Excellent!”
A strange excitement rose within Elic.
* * *
There were no further complications.
In the end, Tyria agreed to travel by train, and the mansion began preparing for their journey to the capital.
The only misfortune Elic suffered was that the shortened travel time meant Tyria expected him to complete even more work beforehand.
And she became far stricter in evaluating that work.
“Incorrect. Please do it again.”
Her voice remained calm and flat.
Her face remained expressionless.
Her standards remained uncompromising.
Everything was exactly as it had always been.
Yet Elic couldn’t shake the suspicion that she was retaliating against him.
Naturally, he wasn’t foolish enough to voice such thoughts.
Instead, he humbly accepted her instructions and followed them.
Thus, a week passed.
And before long, the day of departure arrived.
“Young Master, My Lady, it’s time.”
The people accompanying them were limited to Aldio, the head maid, and two maids assigned to attend Tyria.
That was all.
The reason was simple.
The Portman family owned only a modest residence in the capital.
The house had originally been purchased by Elic’s late father for business purposes, with location being the only consideration.
There simply wasn’t room for a large entourage.
“…Are you truly certain we don’t need guards?”
Even after arriving at the station, Tyria’s anxiety remained obvious.
Elic smiled.
“People don’t bring personal guards onto trains. Besides, the railway company operates across the entire continent and maintains its own security. Unless one of the Seven Great Powers appears, there’s virtually no chance of an incident.”
“If one of the Seven Great Powers appeared, that would be different?”
“At least within the Kingdom of Ferdin, it’s not something worth worrying about.”
The same was true even in the West.
Though he couldn’t judge the mysterious one known as Situation, every member of the Seven Great Powers whom Elic had met possessed enough sense not to randomly attack a railway.
If there were any exceptions, perhaps Blazing Flame Igret or Demon King Zerdia.
But both of them were major shareholders in the company operating the railways.
The odds were effectively zero.
“Are you afraid?”
Tyria immediately turned her head.
“I am not.”
Her tone was stiff.
And somehow, that only made Elic want to tease her more.
The elegant posture, the serene beauty, the mysterious aura she always carried—it all cracked slightly in that moment.
She resembled a small animal desperately trying to hide its fear.
To someone like Elic, who had never truly outgrown childish pranks, it was irresistible.
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. The train should be arriving shortly.”
First-class passengers had a separate waiting area.
It was a courtesy provided by the railway company for high-ranking nobles.
As a result, Elic was able to sit peacefully and chat with Tyria.
Not that there was anyone else to bother them.
After all, aside from House Wibin, they were practically the only nobles traveling from Wibin Station to the capital.
And Elic already knew House Wibin’s schedule.
They had departed three days earlier.
By now, they were probably busy attending the social gatherings they loved so much.
Hmm…
He would undoubtedly see them again at the royal banquet.
The thought didn’t please him.
After all, he had already made it abundantly clear that he had no intention of becoming their ally and had even gone so far as to threaten them.
An awkward reunion was inevitable.
Absentmindedly, Elic touched the dead dagger hidden inside his coat.
What should he do if they still hadn’t learned their lesson and tried something again?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
BWOOOOOOO!
A thunderous horn shook the air.
Moments later came the rhythmic hiss of steam.
Chuff! Chuff! Chuff!
Like the heavy breathing of some gigantic beast.
“It’s he—”
Elic stopped mid-sentence.
“…re?”
He finally noticed.
Tyria had frozen completely.
Her eyes stared blankly into space.
She looked as though her soul had left her body.
Elic could say with certainty that he had never seen Tyria this nervous before.
Her emotions were actually showing on her face.
Her fear of modern technology was apparently much more severe than he had imagined.
That wasn’t all.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
His sharpened senses picked up the rapid acceleration of her heartbeat.
“…My lady?”
“Let us go.”
Her voice was rigid.
She rose from her seat, but her movements were equally stiff.
Like a wooden puppet.
Elic had to struggle not to burst out laughing.
HISSSSSSS!
The train came to a stop.
The doors opened.
A sturdy man wearing a formal uniform stepped out.
At the very least, he possessed the aura of a knight—a trained fighter capable of using mana.
“Are you Baron and Baroness Portman?”
His friendly demeanor prompted Elic to nod.
The man smiled and bowed.
“It will be my honor to serve you.”
Clearly, he had been trained well.
Elic led Tyria aboard the train.
And in that moment, his mischievous side resurfaced.
Glancing at her, he leaned close and whispered:
“My lady, passengers are required to remove their shoes before boarding a train.”
The light vanished from Tyria’s eyes.
She stared at him silently.
Did I go too far?
Realizing his joke might have crossed a line, Elic immediately apologized.
“…My apologies.”
Feeling awkward, he rubbed the back of his neck and boarded the train.
What Elic didn’t know…
Was that for a brief moment—right up until he apologized—
Tyria had genuinely been preparing to take off her shoes.
That truth quietly disappeared into silence.
