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Camila gasped softly as she gazed over the golden fields.

“Wow… The scenery is beautiful.”

It was indeed a breathtaking view.

The cool breeze raced across the plain, dancing with the sounds of horns that echoed between the azure sky and the ground below.

The charter train we were on was right there.

“It reminds me of old times.”

As I quietly attended to my work in the reverse-facing seat, a nostalgic voice stirred my ears.

“What are you thinking about?”

“About the time I traveled by train with my friends. We started from London and went all the way to Warsaw.”

“Oh, Warsaw.”

Perhaps being on a train trip after such a long time made Camila chatter excitedly for quite a while.

I smiled softly as I tapped on my device.

“It must have been a route that went through Paris.”

“If you’re coming from London, it definitely has to stop there first.”

“And then Berlin? Or was it Amsterdam?”

“Berlin. We only stopped in Berlin when heading to Warsaw. I went to Amsterdam separately.”

“Is that so? You must have enjoyed it, traveling by train so often.”

“Oh, not that often. How could I just travel all the time?”

“Oh, so it was maybe once every few years? Did you take long trips?”

“Hmm? No? At least two or three times a year. It’s all in Europe, after all.”

“…?”

I momentarily questioned my ears.

As I blinked repeatedly while meeting Camila’s puzzled gaze, I opened my mouth in disbelief.

“Why is England not part of Europe—”

“It is Europe.”

“No, Brexit—”

“I told you it’s Europe.”

“……”

“Are you unhappy about that?”

…Ah, yes.

Definitely. Let’s leave it at that.

Episode 20 – Who Threatened with a Knife

In a neighborhood teeming with monsters, a train might seem like an inefficient means of transportation at first glance.

However, free from the whims of weather and seasons, with virtually no traffic jams, and capable of carrying an overwhelming amount of cargo, trains are surprisingly widely used.

Some people question, “Wouldn’t it be better to use ships instead?” but that assumes there are rivers and seas to sail on.

In-land countries like Mongolia, where there’s no sea, often have naval forces numbering less than a thousand or operate army patrol units to substitute for a navy.

And above all, is the sea completely safe? Not at all.

Monsters inhabit both coasts and the open ocean.

Even in the deep sea.

The reason trains that traverse the land are favored is precisely that.

“As long as the stations are guarded by railway police, it’s safe. Most monsters can’t catch up to the train even if they sprint. The tracks aren’t living creatures, so monsters don’t perceive them as prey.”

“It sounds safer than expected.”

“Indeed.”

Of course, safety is a strictly relative concept, and it’s not as if the accident probability is infinitely low like in commercial aviation.

Even so, trains are quite safe, and their safety generally correlates quite well with the budget allocated.

The train we were on was a perfect example of that.

With a thin puff of breath, the iron horse galloped across the plain.

Sleek and stylish passenger cars filed along the tracks, the logo ‘Al-Raed’ that meant thunder flashed past like lightning.

“I heard it was imported from Lushan, and it truly lives up to its reputation… It’s a top-notch train.”

A foothold connecting major powers like the Mauritania Continent, Abas, Patalia, and Kien, Lushan Federation.

Though overshadowed by heavyweights represented by the Kien Empire and the Kingdom of Abas, Lushan Federation holds its own as a significant power.

It’s bordered by straits leading to the ocean, consistently ranking alongside Patalia as a traditional maritime power, rapidly advancing in technology and industry based on magical revolutions.

Thus, Lushan Federation has easily made its mark across various fields in the Mauritania Continent.

Their relationship is somewhat akin to how England has interacted with Europe through the Dover Strait; Lushan Federation and the Mauritania Continent share a relatively close bond, but the most critical aspect is undoubtedly religion.

Like many countries in the Mauritania Continent, the predominant religion of Lushan Federation is Al-Yabd.

Though Lushan Federation formally espouses ‘secularism,’ the vast majority of its citizens adhere to Al-Yabd, and even the royal families of its principalities follow this faith.

Lushan Federation has always been a top-choice trading partner for Mauritania Continent nations.

This train we ride, the ‘Al-Raed,’ symbolizes that amicable relationship.

“Is it a famous train?”

“Of course. It’s the fastest train in Mauritania Continent, and the ticket prices are notoriously high. The fact that the kingdom that imported it is a regional powerhouse in Mauritania plays a role too, considering its status as one of the founding nations of Al-Yabd.”

“A regional power in a desert continent and one of the founding nations for a religion… Sounds a bit like Saudi Arabia, right?”

“Spot on. It’s nearly identical.”

Just as Saudi Arabia is a wealthy oil nation and the hegemonic power of the Sunni Islamic world, the kingdom that owns this train similarly stands as a hegemonic force within the Mauritania Continent and a central authority of Al-Yabd.

Interestingly, their ancestors built homes in lands where you could hit the ground and find oil.

Thanks to their notoriously wealthy ancestors, if any peasants from neighboring lands heard about this, they might have wept and lamented.

“If there is a kingdom that serves as a Sunni center, is there perhaps also a Shiite one?”

“There sure is.”

“Ew…”

As she answered casually, Camila made a disgusted face and stuck out her tongue.

Just for reference, in the realms of Islam, the Shiite center is Iran, which is well-known to Seoul citizens under the name of ‘Teheran Road.’

“Why are you so disgusted? Iran isn’t such a bad place.”

“Iran being a ‘good place?’ Then is North Korea the Best Korea?”

“While it’s not a paradise on earth, it does have a lot to see and eat. Though as an Islamic nation, it might lack entertainment options.”

I chuckled softly and continued to tap on my device.

“Of course, I’ve only gone there for work each time.”

“I hope this Al-Yabd center in this region is somewhat peaceful. They wouldn’t punish anyone for breaking laws, right?”

In Camila’s voice, a peculiar concern emerged. It was an understandable reaction considering that the countries we had visited thus far, starting from the Jamria Federation, had mostly been secular Al-Yabd nations.

If I were to draw an analogy, places like Jamria could be compared to Turkey, which is a secular nation, while the kingdom owning this train runs similarly close to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, or Afghanistan, operating more tightly as a religious state.

Still, there’s no need to worry.

“Depending on the guard, the degree of severity varies, but there are no cases like Hussein, who hangs people from cranes or gathers spectators in stadiums for public executions.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

“Why would they go to such trouble? Whether alive or dead, just throw them outside the borders, and the monsters will take care of the rest.”

“……”

“There’s no need to worry since there’s no urgent business right now. Even if something does come up, they’re usually quite friendly to foreigners, so you don’t need to be too scared.”

“…I doubt that.”

*

‘Al-Ra’ed’ boasts a grand route that spans the entire Mauritania Continent, and we’re set to spend about seven days on this train.

Reflecting on my experience moving by train from Vladivostok to Moscow, where I had to weed out those who had brought cold bento boxes for eight days and kicked the snoring ones, this truly feels like a significant journey.

The real issue, however, is how we eat and sleep in this cramped train.

Fortunately, this issue was swiftly resolved thanks to Duke Alexandra Petrovna reserving a royal cabin for us.

“Two people per room, and we each have a bed?”

“There’s a door lock too, and look here, there are partitions! You fold them during the day and unfold them at night to separate the spaces.”

“Wow, it’s better than I expected. Guess that’s what happens in an oil-rich country.”

Thus, I no longer had to engage in a squabble with Camila over sleeping arrangements.

With the money for renting a royal cabin for seven days, I pondered whether it would have been better to use the Warp Gate, even if it cost a fortune. However, it seems the Duke, as a mentor, wanted Camila, his disciple, to travel more and broaden her horizons.

Of course,

“That’s not what’s important right now.”

“Then what is important?”

“The food in this cabin is all free!”

What expanded first was her cheeks rather than her horizons.

(Most likely, the Duke’s heart sank with disappointment too.)

Anyway.

I delved into thoughts while trailing behind a gluttonous ‘red pig’ (with no airplanes), busily gathering all sorts of food on the train. Traveling with Camila was not the problem; the real issue was the train, Al-Ra’ed itself.

Over the span of six nights and seven days, the train was set to pass through numerous regions along the tracks. It would easily cross over six countries, with passengers getting on and off at each stop.

And as is customary with railways traversing various countries, such modes of transport are adored by travelers, merchants, immigrants, criminals, terrorists, and information agents alike.

Especially by the information officers from European nations. The benefits of the Schengen Agreement don’t discriminate between travelers and spies.

“Let’s see. What shipping options are left…?”

Thus, I planned to disembark midway and find a way to reach my destination by ship.

But when I attempted to book the tickets, the company promptly sent a refusal.

“Are you telling me not to use the ships?”

– ‘Continue by train as planned. We can’t permit ships unless there are special issues.’

“Why the sudden change?”

Leonine, on the other end of the secure line, presented the straightforward and clear reason I couldn’t take the ship.

– ‘A few days ago, a patrol ship sank while sailing along the coast.’

“Oh…”

Apparently, the navy of a Mauritania Continent country was fighting monsters near the coast.

According to local government officials, an air squadron was dispatched to ensure safety, but the story Leonine relayed was quite the opposite.

– ‘We intercepted communications between the squadron and headquarters, and it seems they suffered irreversible damage.’

“Did they all get wiped out?”

– ‘Yeah. The data transmitted by a nearby submarine indicated signs of activity from a suspected Kaiju class monster. Right in the area where the patrol ship sank.’

“Then I suppose we have no choice. By the way, what became of the squadron that was dispatched there? They said they reclaimed the sea, right?”

– ‘They did reclaim it, but there are no troops left to hold it. The squadron that faced the Kaiju was completely destroyed… They’ve sent cooperation requests due to that issue, and the naval forces are stuck arguing about whether to send more support. The higher-ups are saying to send some, while the navy is saying not to make a fuss.’

When they said “higher-ups,” it referred to the Ministry of Defense. The Military Intelligence Agency operates under the Ministry.

In other words, it seems there’s a tussle between the Abas Ministry of Defense and the Abas Navy over troop deployment.

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, the monsters off our coast aren’t that harmless either. If they pull troops out of the navy, who’s going to protect the front yard?”

– ‘Exactly what I’m saying. Have you forgotten that we lost two warships to a Kresta-class monster two years ago… Anyway, do your best to avoid using ships in that vicinity for a while. Just like last time with Jamlia, if you go missing, you can’t even count on retrieving your bodies.’

In any case, it seemed the oceans would be off-limits for now.

Ultimately, I was left with no option but to live off the train with Camila for the next seven days. How pitiable.

But as long as we arrive safely at our destination, isn’t that what matters? Surely nothing catastrophic will happen over the course of a week. At worst, maybe just a robbery.

Let’s think positively.

After all, good things are good things.

*

…Or so I thought just a few hours ago.

[Attention passengers.]

A sharp voice pierced my ears as I was enjoying dessert and reading a book in the cabin.

[An incident has occurred on our train, and we will urgently stop at the next station. Passengers, please remain seated for your safety.]

Camila, who had been savoring dessert, opened her eyes wide and stared at me, while I calmly turned the page of my book.

“I guess someone collapsed. Don’t mind it; just keep eating.”

Up until that point, I figured it was nothing serious.

That was, until the stretcher covered in white cloth passed by, followed by armed police boarding the train.

 

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