Tired of feeling left out of the conversation, Solus tapped into their bond to see through Lith’s eyes. As the Train approached, she noticed that the first car was bigger and wider than the rest.
It still bore the na Wayfinder on either side, along with a painted scenery from Jiera.
The people of Lutia gasped not only in awe at the size of the magical artifact but also in surprise at how silently it moved. They wouldn’t have noticed the approaching the Train if they weren’t looking at it with their own eyes.
"We must add an enchantnt that makes noise." Lith mumbled. "The Wayfinder was ant to be stealthy and to cross an ocean, whereas regular trains must move near populated areas. Too much silence can be dangerous and lead to many accidents."
"Good point." Solus took note of it in the Library.
The Train stopped without jolting or shaking. It decelerated seamlessly, coming to a halt right beside the boarding platform.
When the doors slid open, the assembled crowd looked at them in horror, as if the wagons were a pack of mighty beasts that had opened their maws to receive a sacrificial offering.
"Off we go, then." Lith lifted the Hush spell and entered the Wayfinder car, finding it almost empty.
"Lith, it’s a pleasure to see you here." Brinja acted as if their eting were a coincidence and not sothing planned for a week. "Please, co and join us. Quick, before all the seats are taken."
He and the others rushed to Brinja’s compartnt, where she, Ainz, and Milla waited for them.
"Can we co in too?" A man took his hat off and put his head inside the wagon.
"There is no distinction between nobles and commoners in a Train, kind sir," Brinja replied. "It’s first-co, first-served."
"Really?" The man tentatively stepped in. "Isn’t this reserved for mages and nobles?"
"Nope." She shrugged.
Soon everyone rushed inside the bigger, more comfortable, and more luxurious first car until there was no space left. Many groaned at the lost opportunity to sit near a Magus and moved to the rest of the Train.
"I must say, I’m offended." Brinja grunted and crossed her arms once no stranger was left near her compartnt.
"By what, exactly?" Lith asked.
"There weren’t even half the people who boarded here at the Derios station, and only a handful at every station before Lutia." Brinja replied. "I’m the Marchioness of the Distar region. I brought my daughter and husband with , yet nobody seems to care."
"Lucky you." Lith said while looking at the many people staring and pointing fingers at him. "It’s only a matter of ti before soone bothers ."
The only change in the original car was the windows. Glass panels replaced part of the tal structure to let natural light in and make the car feel less claustrophobic. It also allowed people on the outside to look inside and see Lith.
"The Train is leaving Lutia’s station. Please, step away from the doors. Next stop, Arsi village." A deadpan voice resounded, making everyone look around for its source.
People soon forgot about it and clung to their seats, either expecting the Train to explode or to move so fast that it would rearrange their guts. The train moved as smoothly as it had stopped, gaining more and more speed without a single jolt.
"That’s it?" Many Lutians stood up and discovered that, if not for the windows, they would have believed the Train had yet to depart from the station.
"Arsi village. Please, step away from the doors if this is not your stop." The voice said.
"Already?" The Lutians were flabbergasted. "But Arsi is far away from Lutia! Almost thirty kiloters (18 miles) away."
It had taken the Train a little over five minutes to travel a distance that took the Lutians several hours by carriage and half a day on foot. They stepped down the Train just to make sure it wasn’t just a bad joke.
"This is Arsi!" A woman yelled with eyes wide in amazent.
"Of course, it is!" Another woman on the platform scoffed. "What did you expect, the city of Valeron?"
Many people waited for the Train’s arrival, but only a few had co to board it. Everyone else just wanted to take a look at the monstrosity before going back ho and complaining about the danger it posed to their neighbors.
"Get in, Miss, or you’ll be left behind." Lith said, making the Arsians gasp in surprise.
Everyone had seen his picture, and the white and gold Supre Magus robe was sothing every commoner dread their children would one day wear.
"I’m sorry. Thank you for your kindness, Magus Verhen." The woman returned to the first car, too happy for the occasion to speak with Lith to reply to the annoying heckler.
Soon, the platform emptied, and another car of the Train beca full. The bystanders had suddenly changed their minds on the artifact and decided to take it for a ride.
"Okay, now I’m more offended." Brinja grunted. "When I did that, people ran away!"
"Because you are dressed like a noble and they were afraid you would flog them, dear." Ainz sighed. "You are a great ruler, but you are not famous. When I showed my face, people scread and begged not to turn them into frogs."
He waved at his Black Griffon Headmaster robe that seed to devour light and cast a deep shadow around the Marquis.
"No offense, but you look like an evil mage out of a fairy tale." Tista said. "All that black and the blood red gem at your neck scream of a necromancer. Lith’s white and gold, instead, make him look like a sage from legends.
"The baby carriers deal the final blow and destroy any shred of fear that his usual frown might instill. Not only because he smiles a lot more, but also because it’s hard to be afraid of soone with two giggling toddlers attached to the chest."
Elysia and Valeron smiled at Lith, who returned the smile and played with them.
"You are right." The Marquis sighed. "He doesn’t look like the Supre Magus of the Griffon Kingdom. More like a candidate for the Father of the Year award. Do you think I should carry Milla around more, Brinja?"
"She’d like that, dear, but if you are talking about our current situation, it’s too late." She replied. "The stops don’t last long enough for you to introduce yourself, and even if they did, your reputation among our people is non-existent.
"You are a pillar of the magical community and a powerful Archmage, but for the common folk, you are just a tall, scary mage."
"I know." Ainz conceded the point. "I didn’t take part in the War of the Griffons to keep the Black Griffon Academy going. I’ve accomplished many feats in my career, but none that would impress soone who doesn’t practice magic."
Lith checked his pocket watch and noticed how little ti had passed. The Train moved quickly from one station to another, but he had to stay there until it stopped at Lutia’s station again.
’I could project a movie, but the PA system would disrupt the vision every few minutes and ruin the experience.’ He thought.
User Comments
0 comments from readers