"Hop in!" Riz said, gesturing towards the open doors of the steam train.
"Hmm? Are we going to ride it?" Theodora asked.
Riz rolled his eyes, "Yeah, what else are we going to do? I didn't order Charlotte to prepare this many guards for nothing. It would be ashad to return ho just like that."
As for the rest of the people there, they were distracted by the explanation from the staff on the ticket's price, number of lines, destination details etc.
Their attention resembled a swarm of bees buzzing around trees.
From ti to ti, however, eyes turned towards the steam train, viewing it like a hungry beast eyeing its prey. But with guards of the royals besieging the train, none dared to make a rash move.
Inside the steam train, Riz and the two won were guided by the train attendant to the first-class coach.
anwhile, two won behind him were looking at the interior of the train as they walked.
The walls of the train were decorated with polished wood panelling. Right above the narrow corridor was a long strip of transparent glass installed.
The purpose was to allow light from outside to penetrate through the ceiling.
Since they enter from the front door of the very first train coach, the trio walk past through the train coach that is filled with nothing but wooden seats on the left and right.
After walking past many of such coaches, they were greeted with a still narrow corridor. However, this ti it was flanked by compartnts on either side.
The condition was a notch better.
The seating arrangents within the compartnts offered more comfort. Plush seats and small tables between the seats provided a space for passengers to enjoy their als during the journey. A slightly larger window offers a panoramic view for passengers and more natural light to filter in.
As the trio arrived at the first-class coach, an imdiate sense of exclusivity enveloped both Theodora and Charlotte.
Unlike the nurous other coaches that stretched along the train, there are only two or three of these first-class coaches.
The first-class coaches set themselves apart from the rest in terms of opulence and extravagance.
Contrary to the previous two types of coaches, the first-class coach offered an unrestricted space. The entire floor was covered with plush carpets, filled with high-quality furnishings and tons of anities for its passengers.
The interior design was unencumbered by fixed seating or dividers.
It was no different from a luxurious house on the wheel.
Only a slight amazent flickered across Riz's face. He had seen the interiors of high-end caravans, campervans and motorhos before.
While the first-class train coach was undoubtedly impressive, it still has a long way to go.
"Woah!" Theodora exclaid. Her eyes widened as she looked at the amount of opulence in the first-class train coach.
His wife acts as if she has never been bath in a luxury before.
"This isn't much compared to what's in the mansion," Riz reminded her.
"I know, but this one is on a train."
"The interior designer put a lot of effort into the first-class coach. The price is hefty too. Not sothing an average person can afford since you had to pay for the entirety of the coach instead of just a seat."
Out of curiosity, Theodora asked. "How much?"
"5,000 ryn," Riz replied, showing his palm and wiggling all five fingers.
Theodora's eyes widened in surprise. "What kind of madness is this?"
If the queen of the kingdom finds the price absurd, Charlotte who is from a commoner background unable to utter a word at all.
The thought of spending such a staggering amount on a train journey was beyond her mind.
Riz laughs upon seeing their reaction, "You're right. To call the price expensive is an understatent. However, there are people out there who are willing to pay."
The train services were destined to expand beyond the borders of Riz's kingdom, marking a significant milestone in connectivity and transportation.
The scarcity of first-class coaches was deliberately made to serve as a tool to cater to the appetite for exclusivity among the wealthy nobles.
Riz knows exactly about their thought process. If they can spend money for the sake of privacy, they consider it. And if that privacy cos with prestige and reputation, they will absolutely love it.
"Anyway, both of you take a seat anywhere you want. The train is about to move."
"We're going sowhere, milord?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes. We going to be the first to officially use these services in the whole kingdom. This is also part of the inauguration ceremony."
He already told them beforehand to free up their schedule for today.
"What's our destination?" Theodora asked.
"Baroks," Riz replied. He then assured her, "Don't worry, it won't take a long ti to get there. Just enjoy the scenery outside and we'll arrive before you even realise it."
The distance between Bideford and Baroks was more than two hundred kilotres. In the shortest ti possible, it will take a few days with a horse carriage. Normally, the ti travelled got stretched for an extra couple of days.
Not everyone had excellent horses and not every journey goes smoothly.
However, the steam train can shorten the ti to three hours or so if they take a stop at Portsbury into consideration.
They can reach faster without stopping at Portsbury but it would be a foolish thing to do. That place has beco a thriving town with a good amount of population.
The amount of economic activities there was certainly not small.
Chug-chug-chug!
The rhythmic chug of the locomotive intensified, signalling the comncent of its first official journey.
There's nobody else aside from them, the train crew, the train attendants and a few chosen guards. Basically, the trio almost had an entire train for themselves.
While the two won enjoying the fast-changing scenery outside, Riz quietly lay down and took a nap. Such a rare opportunity to sleep shouldn't be wasted.
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