The long-awaited day of the railway’s opening had finally arrived.
A few days earlier, we had told Gregory-san that we were interested in the event, and thanks to him, special seats had been prepared just for us.
It seemed he had played quite a large role in bringing this railway to life. With his influence, he could call on the kingdom officials overseeing operations and bend the rules a little on our behalf.
――And so, when we first laid eyes on the railway itself, we froze on the spot, struck dumb with awe.
「Well? Impressive, isn’t it?」
「This is… astonishing…」
「Truly…」
Charlotte and Kiara were the first to find their voices.
After Gregory-san had first told us about the railway, maid Claudia-san had explained that their house were actually heavily involved in its development.
Charlotte’s family, the Blaffer household, had made a massive financial contribution. They anticipated that the railway would vastly expand logistics and trade, so they treated it as an investment for the future.
Meanwhile, Kiara’s mother, Slafin-san, had directly assisted with the technical side of its creation. Since the magic railway was powered by magic ore, she had contributed her expertise in appraisal and processing, helping to bring the project to completion.
In short, the magic railway was deeply tied to my companions’ families, so much so that it was incredible to think we were here attending its opening ceremony.
And as it turned out, both Kiara and Claudia’s families were present for the event. The two of them ended up in unexpected reunions, chatting earnestly with their families.
While they were occupied, Martina, Hanon, Simone, and Ailia were absolutely enthralled, seeing the railway for the first time.
Since today’s ceremony also doubled as a trial run, the entire train car had been reserved for us.
That meant they could be as excited as they wanted without bothering anyone.
And they certainly were.
「To think such a massive hunk of iron can actually move!」
「I-I wonder how exactly it runs～?」
「Humans really are capable of surprising things.」
「If we’re riding, I call the front seat!」
Each one shouted out their thoughts freely, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
At that point, a station attendant handed me a sheet of paper.
It was the railway’s route map.
「Hmm… so this Driessen is the starting point. And the terminal station is… Zerbal?」
A town I had never even heard of.
I wondered what kind of place it was.
Just looking at the map gave me a sense of wanderlust, like the start of a journey with no set destination.
Soon after, we were called to board the train car.
The moment of departure was finally upon us.
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