Your Majesty, the Spectacle Has Missed the Country!

The steam locomotive mentioned by Bruno,

It refers to the dual-purpose passenger and freight trains between Idar City and Merin District.

With the official launch of steam locomotives,

The railway laying task led by the Idar Railway General Administration has already been put on the right track.

only,

What is different from the plan we first formulated is...

The first railway to be laid was not the main artery that ran from the north to the south of the Principality of Idar, connecting the Mann Fortress and the Valens Plains, but the short-distance intercity railway connecting the City of Idar and the Merlin District.

after all……

The city of Idar is the centerpiece of the Principality of Idar, with a large population and prosperous commerce.

The Merin District is the largest seaport in the Principality of Idar, with countless merchant ships and cargo ships coming and going every day.

If there can be a railway connecting the two, both the deployment of personnel and the transportation speed of goods will directly rise to a higher level.

The distance between Idar City and Merin District is only 80 kilometers, so... after mobilizing countless Idar people, it took just over a month to build a complete railway connecting the two places. Through.

Although Idar Central Station has only just opened its doors, that doesn’t matter!

Temporarily setting up a simple freight station outside Idar City does not take much manpower and time at all.

As for the special train...

The freight part at the back is operating normally, and then a separate compartment is reserved for the Padilla Mission in the front. This... should be regarded as a special train, right?

…

Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, it came to the day when the Padilla delegation went to Idar City.

Under the personal leadership of Merlin Governor Shabi, the convoy carrying a group of people quickly passed through several bustling streets and arrived at the temporary station located in the southwest of the Merlin District.

Sitting in the carriage, looking at the streets and houses that were gradually moving away from him, a faint doubt couldn't help but surge into the heart of Great Elder Sherman Goldberg.

What the hell is this a special train?

When the Idar people mentioned the special train to him, they didn't actually reveal much about the steam locomotive. They just said that it was a brand new means of transportation that was about to run across the land of the Principality of Idar.

but……

Looking at the luxurious carriage he is in...

All right,

Although this thing is indeed much more luxurious than the [open-top version of the 360° panoramic sightseeing two-wheeled donkey cart] in Padilla City State, it is far less than what the Principality of Idar itself has given him. The shock was intense.

after all……

In these days, he has fully seen the wealth and prosperity of the Idar Principality. After seeing too many rows of houses, his horizons have become much higher.

Although the carriage of this carriage is indeed extremely exquisite and detailed, compared to the evaluation given to it by the Idar people - "an epoch-making new means of transportation", it is a little disappointing.

only……

After walking for about ten minutes, the convoy stopped in front of a factory building on the outskirts of Merin District.

"here it is……"

Grand Elder Sherman Goldberg slowly stepped out of the car and looked around, feeling a little confused for a moment.

"This is the temporary station we built for the special train. You will take the train here to Idar City." The Idar official on the side replied politely.

"Isn't the carriage just now a special train?"

"Of course not."

Hearing this, the great elder only felt that his cheeks seemed to be slightly ashamed, and he quickly nodded to cover up the embarrassment deep in his heart.

Yes,

The impression that the Idar people had on him had always been that they contained unpredictable strength under their humble appearance. Naturally, the special train that Idar mentioned could not just be a more luxuriously decorated carriage.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his previous random thoughts.

At the signal of Grand Elder Sherman Goldberg, the Padilla delegation closely followed the leading Idar soldiers and walked into the temporary station that had just been built with full of doubts.

The appearance of the entire station looks very simple, even dilapidated. Let's put it this way, the whole building looks like an oversized rye baguette collapsed on the ground.

Even if you look around the entire Merlin District, you probably won't be able to find a building as shabby as the temporary station.

It's no wonder that the great elder is suspicious.

Although he still doesn't know what a special train is, it sounds like a high-end and classy thing that cannot be connected with the building in front of him.

If it weren't for the fact that the Idar people had been treating the mission they led with courtesy these days, and there was nothing in the Padilla city-state that might be noticed by the Idar people, the great elder would even think that this place was A trap set by the Idar people.

There are many Idar soldiers and police officers on duty at the station, and it seems that there are also businessmen who are constantly transporting their goods here.

And when the members of the Padilla Mission finally passed through the long security corridor and temporary waiting hall...

A strange-looking iron lump suddenly appeared in front of everyone's eyes!

This thing is probably full of iron!

If they are used to make weapons or armor... these iron blocks can probably forge hundreds of sets of armors and swords, right?

above,

It was all the thoughts that first appeared in the mind of Great Elder Sherman Goldberg.

The Great Elder didn't know why Idar made such a big iron lump, but he knew clearly...

In the Padilla city-state where they live, the soldiers who fight for the city-state can't even get a handy iron weapon or a set of well-fitting armor. After encountering mutants, many people can only rely on what they have in their hands. Fight with the fire stick.

To this day,

The most sophisticated weapons and equipment in the entire Padilla City-State are the return gifts that the Idar people gave to the Padilla City-State when they first arrived in the Forsaken Land - five sets of exquisite Idar standard armors and standard weapons. !

This is not because Padilla City-State has no iron ore, on the contrary, Padilla City-State can mine a lot of iron ore, and they are all extremely high-quality and rich iron ore!

But……

The limitations of the Padilla city-state's iron-making technology have become the biggest obstacle to their iron-making.

In this era, due to the lack of iron-making technology, even the soldiers of the Norman Empire could only use short swords.

Naturally, there is no need to think about small city-states located on the other side of the ocean like Padilla City-State.

And here,

The Principality of Idar has been so extravagant that it used a large amount of iron ore to make this... uh... well, even Sherman Goldberg, who is well-informed, doesn't know what this thing is in front of him. What exactly is it.

Standing on the platform and looking to one side, there are dozens of black iron boxes connected behind the iron lump, which are hundreds of meters long from beginning to end!

And this also made the great elder secretly click his tongue.

The Idar people are really good at making things!

What's wrong with doing something with so much iron? ! It still has to be a big iron knot!

At this moment, the words of the Railway Bureau official rang in the ears of the great elder:

"This is the special train we have prepared for you, and it is also the first steam locomotive of the Principality of Idar - the 'Traveler'."

"Steam...wait, what do you mean this?!"

The Idar man's words made the great elder suddenly startled.

Of course he heard clearly what the Idar people said,

But……

If you want to connect this thing in front of you with a moving car, you will undoubtedly need great courage and amazing imagination.

Looking back,

When he looked at the behemoth in front of him again, the great elder felt that... the worldview and values ​​he had cultivated over the years were collapsing and shattering at an extremely terrifying speed.

Or……

From the moment he met the Idar people, Great Elder Sherman Goldberg's worldview and cognition began to shake, and until this moment... it has completely collapsed!

What is this?

He can't understand!

However... because the words spoken by the Idar people have been verified time and time again, the great elder also knows that the Idar people will not make random jokes about such things.

And this means... what the Idar people said is not lies, the big guy in front of him... maybe he can really move!

Thinking of this, he forced himself to abandon his previous preconceived notions, and instead carefully examined the behemoth in front of him with appreciative eyes.

Don't even say it...

Although the front of the steam locomotive is just a pitch-black iron lump at first glance, if you look closely, you can actually experience a different kind of beauty.

The official version of the steam locomotive is obviously much more beautiful than the samples Bruno saw at the time, but... this so-called "beautiful" can only be said to be relative.

Bruno is a pragmatist, so...his requirements for steam locomotives are also very simple. As long as they are usable, durable, and easy to repair, that is enough!

so,

The craftsmen responsible for producing the steam locomotive did not add too many useless decorations, but retained the simple style.

The entire front of the car exudes a strong industrial style, and the angular front also looks particularly tough. Although the shape of the front has nothing to do with words like "exquisite and meticulous," the extremely rough-looking contours and lines are. It seemed to have infinite power, bringing a different kind of beauty to everyone present.

Different from common carriages and horses, the wheels under the body are connected by roots. Although I don't know why, but... the rails under the body suddenly gave the great elder inspiration.

After obtaining permission from Idar officials, Grand Elder Sherman Goldberg, who was nearly fifty years old, made a vigorous leap on the platform and jumped onto the rails in front of the steam locomotive.

The rails made of steel extend straight into the distance. Between the two parallel rails, horizontal sleepers are laid on top of the broken corpses...

He looked at the wheel hub of the steam locomotive, and then at the rails under his feet...

Then……

The Great Elder felt like he had an epiphany!

The wheels of the steam locomotive fit perfectly into the rails. If countless horses were pulled in front of these iron bumps, it might really be able to move quickly!

Presumably the Principality of Idar does have such strength!

But, if that's the case... wouldn't the lighter the vehicles on the rails, the better?

After a sudden epiphany, the great elder fell into confusion again.

One thing to say, one thing to say,

If Bruno knew the Great Elder's thoughts at this time, he would definitely be shocked by the Great Elder's leaping thinking.

Scenes like the horse-drawn train are not just clips in movies, nor are they just absurd farces in modern times.

In fact,

The situation of "horse-drawn trains" was once very popular all over the world, and it was extremely common!

New York, London, Izmir, Amsterdam...

The British call it an "urban animal-driven rail public transportation system."

Under normal circumstances, the power that horses can unleash on railway tracks is extremely astonishing. Only two horses are needed to pull a double-decker carriage with a total number of no less than fifty people.

Bruno even once considered whether to introduce horse-drawn trains to Idar City and use this to establish Idar City's public transportation system.

and……

This plan has even been approved by many officials from the Government Affairs Department.

However, there is one thing to say. It is obviously unrealistic to rely on horses for such long-distance intercity passenger and cargo transportation, so... Bruno naturally has to rely on steam engines to achieve it.

However, as the number one leader of the Padilla Mission, the Great Elder can naturally distinguish between the two matters of "visiting Idar City" and "horse-drawn train".

Therefore, while thanking the Idar people for their tolerance, he followed the reception staff of the General Administration of Railways and walked into the special train carriage he was riding.

When the members of the mission stepped into the carriage one after another, their eyes widened, because... they felt... as if they were back in the luxury hotel on Warner Street in Idar.

Although it looks like a strong industrial style from the outside, the decoration inside the carriage is not bad at all, with sofas, seats, bar counters, desks...

Fortunately, the members of the mission had already broadened their horizons in the past few days, so after being slightly surprised, they became calm about it.

There is no way, the strength of the Principality of Idar is here, even if it is just playing tricks, the envoys present may not find it strange.

As for the appearance of the steam locomotive...

That's because people don't care at all, and the indescribable industrial style becomes more and more pleasing to the eye.

only……

As a sharp whistle sounded from outside the carriage, the envoys present began to feel a little unable to sit still.

"Woo-wu-wu-"

The next second the whistle sounded, the entire carriage suddenly began to shake violently.

At this moment, even Great Elder Sherman Goldberg, who felt that he had understood the so-called principles of steam locomotives, became nervous.

"What...what's going on? Did the horses driving in front get into trouble?"

"Horse? Dear Mr. Sherman Goldberg, the steam locomotive you are riding is not driven by horses."

Hearing this,

The accompanying Idar official explained with a smile.

Although the Idar official who answered the question was smiling, he felt in his heart that the old elder seemed to be having a bit of trouble with his head. He had already said before that this was a brand new means of transportation. Are you keeping an eye on the horses?

The horses are so pitiful, why are they allowed to pull the cart?

"What? No horse?"

All right,

at this moment,

The worldview that the great elder had put together with great difficulty collapsed again.

The plot of the little pony pulling the big cart before the relationship... was all made up by my own mind? !