In a Different World with a Smartphone (LN) - Volume 25 - Chapter 1

 Chapter I: View from the Otherworld Train

“Dad, look! Look!”

“Hold on, Linne!”

It was late afternoon. I was sipping tea on my balcony, having just finished the duties Kousaka had assigned to me...when I heard the pitter-patter of Linne and Elna running toward me.

Oddly enough, the two were dressed in maid outfits, so I really wondered what was going on.

“Wow, you’re so cute! It really suits you two.”

“Mmm... You’re both very cute. Looks good on you.”

Yumina and Sue, who were sitting with me, voiced their thoughts.

Just cute? It’s way more than that... How can I even begin to describe this sight?

“How do we look, dad? Well?”

“Really cute.”

Dammit. That was such a stupid reply... Well, whatever. It’s still true. They’re really cute, yeah... Wait, hold on. Why are they dressed like that?

“Ahem... What’s with the outfits, you two? Did Linze make them?”

“Yeah. We said we were gonna help Ms. Renne out, so Mommy Linze made some for us. It was so fast... Like lickety-split!” Elna replied casually.

Lickety-split, huh? Probably only took her a few minutes, yeah. When it comes to sewing, Linze’s ability is godly. Literally too, given her divinity and all. But they’re helping Renne, huh? I guess they’re similar in age, so that makes sense... How old’s that girl now? Ten? Eleven?

“It’s funny working with the current Ms. Renne. She’s so little compared to how we know her.”

“Mhm. She’s like another person.”

“R-Really now?”

The Renne they knew was a Renne who lived over a decade in the future, after all... I wondered what kind of adult she’d end up becoming.

“Hm... The Ms. Renne we know is a perfect maid and she speaks really politely. She’s quite different right now... Also, she’s our etiquette coach in the future.”

“Seriously?!” Sue yelled, going wide-eyed at the revelation. She probably couldn’t believe that Renne, who followed her around sometimes like a little sister, could change so drastically.

I could understand how she felt, honestly. I never imagined that Renne, who used to live on the street and used to call me bruv, would end up becoming a picture-perfect maid... Though it was true she’d been learning to speak more politely since she came here.

“Ms. Renne’s amazing in the future. She can do almost anything. She can fight, she can cook, she can sew...and she knows everything there is to know about manners. She’s a little hard on us at times, though...”

“I see... We probably had her educate you all because she was capable of being strict,” Yumina chimed in with a nod.

“Linne’s just mad because she skips all her etiquette training and gets in trouble for it. Ms. Renne is very kind to me.”

“Jeez...” Elna’s words caused Linne to grumble. We all then laughed slightly before the door opened and Renne herself appeared.

“Umm...are Elna and Linne in here?”

As far as Renne knew, the kids were my distant relatives. They were all wearing brooches that had [Mirage] enchanted on them, making them look like regular children to most onlookers. I also explained away them calling me and my wives dad and mom as being weird old nicknames that stuck.

“The head maid’s waiting on you both. Shall we?”

“Oh, sorry! Let’s go, Elna!”

“Mhm. We’ll be on our way, father. See you soon, mothers.”

“Oh, wait a second. Let me take a picture!”

Just as Linne and her sister started to run off, I stopped them in their tracks. There was no way I was going to miss the chance to capture this precious moment. Thus, I quickly whipped my smartphone out of my pocket.

“Oh, right. Renne, you should join too!”

“Huh?!”

Elna and Linne both dragged Renne to their side without another word.

All right, that’s good...

The shutter clicked...and I got three good pictures out of it.

“Send us a copy later, okay?!”

With that, the three girls rushed out of the room. They were like a whirlwind...

“Hm... To think Renne’ll end up like that... Time sure does change people, huh?” Sue spoke quietly as she sipped her tea.

“That might be part of it, but even now she’s an earnest worker. She always tries her best, no matter the task, so she definitely has the makings of a perfect maid.”

I had a feeling that it might have been more nurture than nature, though. She had people around to teach her both etiquette and combat... We had all manner of gods stopping by the castle, after all.

I wondered if Renne might have some blessing from the divine as well. She often tended the fields with Uncle Kousuke, so I couldn’t help but imagine she’d end up as one of his dependents.

“I can’t help but feel jealous... Just when will my child arrive, I wonder...” Yumina said as she let out a small sigh. Yae’s daughter, Yakumo, hadn’t arrived at the castle yet either, though we knew she was wandering around the world somewhere. The ones we hadn’t heard about at all were Yumina’s child and Sue’s child, whoever they were.

“Don’t worry, Yumina. From what the other kids are saying, there’s a good chance ours are already here.”

“Then why wouldn’t they come to see us, Sue?!”

“Don’t ask me... They might just be busy with something? Or maybe they’re making their way here...?”

Hmm... I really do wonder where they are. I hope they’re not avoiding me on purpose. That’d be real sad...

“Can’t you just use [Recall] on one of our kids to find out what they look like, then search for them?”

“Uhhh...Granny Tokie said I can’t go looking through their memories... She said our kids are all safe and sound, so it should be fine if we just wait.”

[Recall] allowed me to analyze people’s memories and see things through them. If I used it on one of my kids, I’d be able to easily see things I hadn’t seen before, and then use [Search] to find them.

“One of them’s a boy, right? Maybe he’s busy playing around, so he just forgot to come here...”

“Mmm, yeah. That’s certainly possible. But according to Allis, Kuon has a pretty level head on his shoulders, and he’s pretty strong too. I wouldn’t worry.”

“And what if he’s in trouble?”

“He’s Touya’s son. He’ll be able to handle it in minutes...”

“C’mon now...”

Don’t just go making assumptions... One of you is his mother, remember?

“No point worrying about it, at any rate. We’ll just have to wait and see, okay?”

“I suppose you’re right... Oh, Touya. Could I have a copy of that photo?”

“Oh, me too.”

“Sure thing.”

I sent the pictures over to Yumina and Sue. I’d taken a lot of photos of my kids since they’d arrived, so I just forwarded them all to the photo-sharing app that we all had access to.

“Where are the other kids today, Yumina? Any idea?”

“Frei is with Hilde and Yae at the training ground. Arcia is preparing food in the kitchen with Lu. And as far as I know, Yoshino and Quun are up in Babylon.”

That makes sense for Quun, but Yoshino too? What’s she doing up there?

I decided to head up and check it out.

I headed over to the workshop, and sure enough both Quun and Yoshino were there. Quun was busy working on her construction Gollem, while Yoshino was fiddling with some tools nearby.

“Oh, daddy!”

“What’ve you got there?”

“It’s a musical instrument. Take a look,” Yoshino said as she handed over a small board with staggered metal tines lining it from left to right.

This is an instrument?

There was a hole in the middle of it, almost like a guitar’s, and the metal tines were arranged inward like a V-shape. Something about it seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it... And so, I pressed the metal tines. However, they didn’t make any sounds. I was stumped as to how to play it.

“Oh, you’re not supposed to press them. Try strumming them instead.”

“Strumming?”

I used my fingertip to strum at the tines, and it let out a pinging noise in response.

Oh, that’s how it works.

“It’s called a kalimba. Don’t you know it? You’re the one who taught me how to play it.”

“I-I did?”

Well, it wasn’t really me... It was Future Touya! I’m not really familiar with this kalimba, though.

I took out my smartphone and hopped on the internet to run a search.

Oh, I see.

The kalimba. It was an instrument from Africa, also known as the finger harp or the thumb piano. The mechanisms inside were similar to that of a music box.

Oh, now I remember... My grandpa’s favorite band used to incorporate this instrument. I remember seeing it at their live performances.

“So you can make instruments, Yoshino?”

“I can. Simple ones, at least. I usually have Quun help make the more complicated ones with her [Modeling], though. It’s fun to play different kinds.”

Makes sense. Guess she takes after her mother with her love for music, but she seems to be more interested in instruments than singing. That might be Sousuke’s influence on her...

“Can you play for me?”

“Of course. I’ll strum a tune,” Yoshino replied as she began to play a song on the kalimba. The melody was slow and relaxed. It was an extremely beautiful sound.

Hmm... Is this...Pachelbel’s Canon?

Johann Pachelbel’s Canon. It was the first part of his “Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo.” It was a melody made out of a gradually repeated rhythm.

Yoshino played it beautifully, reminding me of why it had become such a famous tune. The way she played it on the kalimba stirred the depths of my soul.

This is amazing... I didn’t know you could play this with just two thumbs... Wait, hold on. Why am I hearing the flute? Huh? Wait, don’t tell me...

I turned away from Yoshino and saw Sousuke playing the flute in a nearby corner.

Of course. Wherever music is, he appears.

I closed my eyes and let the melody wash over me. It was a rare moment of joy, to hear a beautiful song played by the god of music and my own daughter from the future.

Once the performance ended, I gave them both a full round of applause.

That was incredible... What a blessed performance.

Quun and Rosetta walked over, applauding as well...though Quun was clapping using her Arm Gear’s hand mechanisms.

“He he he he... I’m a little embarrassed...”

“No, don’t be. It was a stunning performance, Yoshino.”

I’d like to join her next time, I think. A performance with my daughter sounds like a lot of fun...

I looked up at Quun in her Arm Gear.

“Can you play anything?”

“I have some mild talents. My mother likes to listen to music, so I’ve picked up a thing or two.”

Apparently, some of my kids liked music, while others didn’t care much for it. Yakumo, Frei, and Linne weren’t all that interested it seemed.

“Anyway, forget all that, father! Look at my upgrades! I call it the Armored Arm Gear: Beowulf! I’m ready to fight!” Quun exclaimed as she piloted her machine and made it flex its arms. It had big arms and thick legs, with a rugged torso that was clearly built for power. The sight of my tiny daughter riding it gave it a comically unbalanced look.

“What are you gonna fight with it, exactly?”

“Nothing in particular. But it never hurts to have more firepower, no?”

Hmm... I wonder if she’s thinking about how to face the wicked devout on her own... I kinda feel like a failure of a father if my kids are worrying about that stuff.

I briefly mired myself in misery when my phone began to ring.

Hm? It’s from King Felsen.

“Uhhh, hello?”

“Oh, Grand Duke? We’ve finished our magic train, I’m wondering if you can help with the last parts...between Belfast and Refreese...”

“Oh, I see... Got it. I’ll head right over.”

The first magic trains existed five thousand years ago, and there were already similar vehicles on the western continent...but the eastern continent’s first modern magic train was built in Felsen, and was intended to be run on a track between Refreese and Belfast.

Various Earth mages had already built the tracks between the two countries, so now all that was needed was the train itself. Considering the fact that I could move things across great distances instantly, it was up to me to take care of that last part. Though I’d admittedly forgotten about it amid all the wicked devout stuff.

I hung up my phone, turned to Quun and the others, and said, “I’m gonna head to Felsen to pick up their magic train. It shouldn’t take long, so I’ll take lunch first and—”

Before I could even finish speaking, Quun’s arm shot right up—or rather, the Arm Gear’s did—and she exclaimed, “Take me! Take me with you, father!”

“I’m only ferrying it between Felsen and Belfast. We’re not actually riding the train, you know?”

“That’s fine! I want to take pictures! It’s a brand new train! How exciting!”

Oh... Is my daughter a trainspotter? Nah, she just loves all kinds of tech.

I didn’t see a problem with her coming, so I figured there was no reason to turn her down.

“You wanna tag along, Yoshino?”

“I’ll skip out this time. I need to work on controlling my pitch. Go have fun with Quun, okay?”

Huh. Guess Yoshino doesn’t care about the train. Maybe most girls wouldn’t... Quun’s just a bit special.

“All right, let’s get going, then... But leave the Arm Gear behind, okay?”

“Aww... But I wanted to show it off to King Felsen...”

I’d rather you not do that... It’ll just end up causing me a big headache. If King Felsen doesn’t get fired up about it, his wife definitely will. I don’t have time for that kind of thing today, okay? We’ll do it later...

After I persuaded Quun to give up, I opened a [Gate] and we headed off to Felsen.

◇ ◇ ◇

One week later...we were in the royal capital of Belfast, attending the opening ceremony for the magic train between Belfast and Refreese. We’d completed the test runs, and the two train tracks had already been run through the station building.

The station was named Alephis Station, after the royal capital itself. A single line ran from it to Bern, the imperial capital of Refreese. It made four stops along the way, with the full journey taking about five hours.

We stood on the platform, looking up at the first magic train seen on the eastern continent in thousands of years. It’d been named Rhinebell. It was silvery white with blue streaks running over the outside. It was kind of rounded in shape and didn’t have a chimney like you might see on a steam locomotive. Instead, there were two vents on either side of the main car that emitted smoky ether residue.

In terms of looks, it definitely would’ve been right at home in a steampunk story. But in terms of actual operation, it ran on magic batteries, so it was closer to an electric train than anything else. It was also very quiet.

“Enough with the pictures, Quun. Don’t you have enough already?”

“Just let me snap a few more, okay?! I want to capture all the best angles!”

I sighed quietly as Quun took pictures of the train from every possible vantage point. She’d already taken a bunch of photos when I’d first delivered it, so I didn’t understand the point of her getting even more now.

We’d been formally invited to the event, so we were set to ride on the inaugural trip. Normally, it would’ve just been me and my wives, but we managed to get Quun and the other kids on board as well. Allis wanted to join us as well, so Ende tagged along as her chaperone. Though, he’d also been hired by the kingdom as an adventurer just in case anything dangerous happened.

Various noble and merchant families from Belfast would be joining us on the ride, including Duke Ortlinde and his family. Their children were just as excited as Quun was, presumably because they’d never seen a train before.

“Ed looks so excited.”

Sue’s brother, Edward, was cradled in his mother’s arms as she sat on a bench not too far from the train. The little baby was giggling over at the vehicle.

“Mhm! You like the train, don’t you, Ed? We’re gonna get on it soon!” Sue exclaimed as she gently held her brother’s hands in her own. Linne and Allis noticed that, so they walked over to him with big smiles on their faces.

“Wow, look at little Ed!”

“Ha ha, wow! He really is little! This is weird!”

Their comments made Duke Ortlinde raise his brow.

“...Little Ed?”

“Oh, father! We should board now, okay?” Sue said. She wisely saved us a headache by leading her family away. Linne and Allis realized their mistake and they quickly scampered back over to me.

“Come on... Mind what you say, okay?”

“Sorry...”

“Ed plays with us a lot in the future, so it’s funny seeing him as a little baby.”

Apparently, the distance between Belfast and Brunhild didn’t matter all that much in the future. Still, the fact that he played with my kids didn’t surprise me much. He was their uncle, after all.

The Belfastians started to head into their respective train carriages. It appeared departure was close at hand. We all followed suit and entered the train. We were all seated in the first carriage, nearest the front. The door wasn’t automatic, so the station attendant locked it from the outside after we boarded. That meant the door couldn’t ordinarily be opened from the inside. There was, however, an emergency escape lever that forced the door open if necessary.

“Wow, it’s amazing!” Elze said, then blinked in surprise as she saw the inside of the carriage. It was so spacious that it almost felt like we were in a reception room. There was a soft carpet below our feet, comfy couches lined each side of the carriage, and manastone lights and a skylight rested above us. They even had a fridge in the corner stocked with drinks, including wine and fruit water.

This carriage was a VIP one, largely reserved for royalty or aristocracy. It had more features than the regular ones and even had a temperature regulation system.

The kids all clambered up onto the couches and looked out of the windows. A moment later, a whistle sounded out on the platform, and the vehicle shuddered as it began to move. The mana batteries activated the motors, and the wheels began turning...

“It’s moving!”

The ether residue sparkled beautifully in the air as the Rhinebell began to slowly shunt its way out of the station.

I looked out the window as we began our journey. There wasn’t much vibration, and there wasn’t much noise. It was different from the trains I was familiar with. The track to Refreese was elevated several meters off the ground, kind of like a long bridge. It would’ve taken months to build something like this back on Earth, but magic made it a trifling matter. I’d helped with some of the more intricate stuff, like connecting the bridge over water and putting the finishing touches on it.

Damn, the view’s awesome...

A short while after we departed from Alephis, we started passing by a great plain. The ride ahead would be nothing but open plains and woodland. And yet, even though there wasn’t much to see out there, the kids were pressed right up against the windows. I did the exact same thing when I was little, so it wasn’t that shocking to me.

“Want a drink, Touya?”

“Sure, I’d love one.”

Yumina smiled as she brought over a drink to my side.

Well, can’t imagine anything happening today. I’ll just enjoy the ride.

◇ ◇ ◇

The magic train rumbled through the plains and began passing through a mountain range. All the passengers seemed to enjoy the sights of mountains and hills in between periods of darkness as we proceeded through tunnels.

“This is as fast as the train we rode back on your home planet, Touya.”

“Yeah. It’s pretty damn amazing.”

I smiled as I talked to Yumina, who was seated next to me. According to Doc Babylon, her civilization’s trains ran even faster than these ones. Must’ve meant bullet train speeds were closer to regular speeds for her people.

“Oh! Wyverns!” I turned my head in response to Linne’s exclamation. Sure enough, two Wyverns were soaring through the air not too far away.

“Hm... They’re coming this way,” Duke Ortlinde said, raising his voice in concern.

The two Wyverns presumably thought the speedy train was some new form of fast-moving prey, and they swooped down close. But, just as it seemed they’d sink their claws into the metal vehicle...they were abruptly repelled by a mysterious force.

“Gwargh?!”

The Wyverns went into a tailspin and hit the ground hard. I didn’t get a long look at them, but it didn’t look like either of them was moving.

Undeterred, the magic train sped along the tracks on its way.

“Once the train hits a certain speed, its anti-monster enchantments activate. In this case, there’s an enchantment on them that repels attacks and inflicts the [Paralyze] spell on anything that gets too close. Wild monsters should gradually learn to not interact with the train.”

“Huh, I see. That’s pretty smart,” I said, nodding along as Quun explained the mechanism.

Killing any nearby monsters would’ve been easy enough, but it’d be a pain to hit airborne ones. Plus, it’d be a real problem if dead monsters were littering the tracks. [Paralyze] seemed like a pretty happy medium in that regard. That being said...those two Wyverns were now sitting ducks for any other beasts that wanted to come along and eat them... Not quite survival of the fittest, but that was nature for you.

“Still, in a few years, the new models will have aerial interceptors fitted onto them. And then, not too long after that, Gollem trains will be popularized. It’ll be much safer in general...”

“Er...in a few years?” Duke Ortlinde mumbled, raising a brow in response to Quun’s murmuring. Sue, who was tending to her little brother, suddenly leaped up and grabbed at her father’s sleeve.

“L-Look, father! Ed’s agitated! Would you take him for me?!”

“Hm? Oh, of course. There, there, Edward... You’re fine now. Those nasty Wyverns are gone,” Duke Ortlinde said as he brought Ed over to his wife. Then, the two started to fawn over the baby. Meanwhile, Sue marched over to Quun and started pressing her fingers into the poor girl’s temples. The look on my daughter’s face seemed to be a cry for help, so I let out a small sigh and walked over.

“You need to be more careful with what you say, Quun. Remember who’s around us.”

“It just slipped out... I’m really sorry,” Quun replied quietly as she rubbed the sides of her head.

The kids weren’t all that far off Sue’s age. Frei, the oldest, was only a few years younger than her. Hell, Quun wasn’t that far off either. That was probably why they could more freely scrap with each other like children. Sue had even gotten into the habit of covering up for the kids’ flubs, perhaps because her own child had yet to arrive and she didn’t want anything to go haywire before that.

We carried on through the mountains until we reached a forested area. The rumbling of the train sent tremors through nearby trees, causing startled birds to take off in unison. There were birds of white, black, red, blue, green, and many other colors scattering away into the sky.

“Wow! Mom, look at that!”

“Mhm. It’s amazing, Linne.”

“Oh, look over there, mother... It’s a ribbit-ribbit bird.”

“I-Is that what that is?”

Linze, Linne, Elna, and Elze all leaned close to the windows as they watched the sight.

...What the hell is a ribbit-ribbit bird?

“Touya-dono, where are we now?” Yae asked. Her question prompted me to pull up my smartphone and project a map. We were still in Belfast, and we had quite a way to go before even reaching Refreese’s border.

“Oh, we’re coming up to the first station soon!”

“Yes, it’s in Parameia, the main town found in the Parames family’s territory. Count Parames governs over this area. It’s something of a nature preserve, with farms, forests, and stunning plateaus in abundance. Well-to-do Belfastian families often come to stay here in the summertime,” Yumina said, explaining a bit more about the land we were passing through.

Huh, so it’s like a summer resort? Guess it’s kinda like what Karuizawa is in Japan.

The magic train slowed down as it approached Parameia Station. And soon enough, we saw buildings outside the window and the scene looked a whole lot more civilized.

Wow... This place is almost as well developed as the capital city. I guess it’s more of an urban tourist destination?

The magic train would stop here for about ten minutes. Count Parames, the local lord, was apparently here to greet us. Duke Ortlinde, being the king’s brother and all, had to get up to go see him.

Damn, poor guy... Must suck having to leave the train and come all the way back just to speak to one dude.

“...Touya. What are you doing? Did you forget that you’re a visiting royal as well?” Leen said, then stared at me blankly until I remembered that I was also a member of royalty. I’d gotten so into the family feeling of the trip that I’d forgotten I was technically here on official business.

“Oh, right. I have to go see him too, huh?”

As the train rested on the platform of Parameia Station, it released a plume of glittering ether into the atmosphere. That puff of shining smoke signified that the train had come to a complete shutdown, and it was safe to disembark.

“Well then, let’s get going, Touya. Or should I say, Grand Duke.”

“Mmm... Guess I gotta do it...”

“Do your best!” as I stood with Duke Ortlinde, waiting for the door to open, Frei called out to me with words of encouragement.

Yep... Your dad’s gonna try his best out there...

“Welcome, Grand Duke Brunhild, Duke Ortlinde. Welcome to Parameia.”

Once we got off the train, we were greeted by a well-dressed gentleman. It was Count Parames. I’d seen his face before at a party in Belfast, so it was nice to finally see the land he ruled over.

“Apologies for the short notice, Count Parames.”

“Not at all. This is a national project of the highest importance! Why, I believe this train of yours should bring tourists from all over the place to my humble home. If anything, I should be thanking you,” Count Parames responded, nodding and smiling.

He was right. It would only take a few hours from either side to reach Parameia by train, whereas the only method of arrival previously was several days in a bumpy carriage. This would no doubt improve the local tourism economy quite a bit.

I glanced over to the other side of the platform, at the track that stretched out opposite to the one we’d ridden in on.

That was, naturally, the track that spanned from Refreese to Belfast. There was another train departing from Refreese at the exact same time as ours, so we’d likely see it pass us later on. Count Parames would have to welcome the Refreesian delegation once they eventually showed up too. He definitely had a busy day ahead of him, that was for sure.

Some passengers got off the train, while others boarded it from Parameia’s platform. This maiden voyage wasn’t just for nobles, there were a handful of commoners who had gotten the right to ride as well, though they were obviously separated from the VIP passengers. The tickets that were handed out to random members of the public had different destinations on them, and the shortest ride ended in Parameia. My ticket was for a round trip, so I could just ride back from Refreese later on if I felt like it.

“Oh, we’re running short on time. Here’s a variety of specialties from my territory. I hope you enjoy them.”

“Oh, thank you so much.”

Count Parames handed me a box of snacks, which I hurriedly stuffed into [Storage].

Nice, wasn’t expecting some souvenirs. Is this some kind of advertising tactic? Whatever it is, I’m sold!

“Lunch boxes! Get your lunch boxes here! Drinks and refreshments!”

“Hm?” I mumbled as I turned toward the sound of the voice and saw a vendor with a large signboard yelling out from one of the train carriages. Apparently, there was a whole train car dedicated to selling food and drinks.

Wow, they even have that? I remember casually mentioning that around King Belfast and Emperor Refreese...but I didn’t think they’d actually pull the trigger on it so soon.

Various passengers walked over to the vendor carriage’s window, buying all kinds of foods for the sheer novelty of it. Or perhaps they were just getting food while they could, since as far as I knew, there were no active food sales while the train was moving.

“Lu-dono, I would like a bento-style box, I would!”

“Mama Lu, can I get the chicken sandwich?!”

“Mother Lu, here’s the money! O-Oh, wait! We need to hurry up or it’ll sell out!”

“Please wait your turn! Why do I have to deal with this, anyway?!”

I could hear various voices from the window of the carriage I’d just stepped out of. It belonged to a group of hungry individuals from my family.

Are they gonna buy food for everyone? With Frei and Yae there, I’m sure that means over twenty orders... Couldn’t they just pull some food out from [Storage] if they’re that hungry? Or do they want to try out the novelty of train food?

“I’d best be going then. Thanks for meeting us, Count Parames.”

“Yes, thank you for the present. We’ll be off now.”

“By all means! Have a wonderful trip.”

After exchanging farewells, Duke Ortlinde and I headed back to our train car. A whistle sounded off and the doors closed behind us soon after. That glittering residue began to gather in the air again as the magic train slowly started to chug its way out of the station.

I waved at everyone on the platform, and they waved back at the train.

Once Duke Ortlinde and I returned to our seats, we found everyone sitting at the side table, looking ready to eat their meals.

You’re starting without us?!

“Here you go, Touya. This one’s yours.”

“Oh, nice. Thanks, Yumina,” I replied with a smile as I took my boxed lunch. It was a cardboard box that was flimsily snapped shut. I opened it up to reveal a tasty-looking burger. It was in a bun with veggies.

Everyone else had some kind of sandwich or hot dog. It made me think about cultures that used a lot of bread. This was probably a normal lunch for them.

I bit into my burger, and the delicious taste of the meat spread through my mouth, with the flavor of the juicy tomatoes following shortly after.

This is a bird, I think... Definitely poultry, but what kind? Is it chicken? Kind of tastes like chicken. It’s probably not chicken, though.

It didn’t really matter what the meat was. It tasted good, and that was all I needed to stay happy.

“Dad, can I have that fruit?”

“This one? Sure.”

Over in the corner seat, Allis was taking some kind of strawberry from Ende. He was technically here to act as a guard, but I wasn’t about to tell him to stop eating with his kid. Besides, it was more than reasonable to let him take a meal break. We weren’t running some kind of shady enterprise here.

“Look, mother! A bridge!” Yoshino yelled and almost tossed her sandwich into the air as she pointed out at an elevated railway track suspended over a small lake.

“Mhm... It’s amazing...”

I couldn’t help but wonder how much it would’ve cost to make something like it back on Earth... Magic sure was versatile. The mages who made the track probably barely had any issue manipulating the terrain in this way.

Yumina looked at the bridge, then turned to me and said, “They’re in the middle of building the line from Belfast to Mismede, aren’t they?”

“Mhm. They finished the bridge over the Great Gau River the other day. I think it’ll open a few months from now. They’re working on Belfast to Regulus and Felsen to Lestia as well. I think most of the nations in our alliance are going to be connected before long.”

There were some issues, however, like how connecting Nokia to Xenoahs required going through what used to be Yulong... That probably wouldn’t be so easy. Or rather, a direct line between Nokia and Xenoahs could be achieved without cutting through Yulong, but connecting those nations to any others without cutting through that territory was impossible.

Yulong no longer existed as a nation, so it’d probably be fine to build a track, but who knew what the locals would think of it. They’d probably devolved into tribal societies who claimed patches of land or something. No country would want to run a railway track through such a miserable country anyway. It would just be bad news. If we had to, we could probably get some kind of track running over the sea, like the bridge that connected Roadmare, Lestia, Ryle, and Felsen.

“We have airship technology thanks to western science. Maybe we could just adopt that instead.”

“It’s possible, but I personally feel that trains are a much more efficient form of travel. Airships also have adverse weather conditions to contend with.”

Quun had a point. Trains wouldn’t just be for people, they’d also be hauling supplies and resources. Airships couldn’t carry half as much freight as a train. If we could improve the global supply chain, then everyone’s lives would become much better. That was one of the whole points behind introducing the train in the first place.

“Will there be a station in Brunhild?”

“Yeah. On the route between Belfast and Regulus. It should be smack bang in the middle of the two places.”

“That’ll mean an increase in tourism.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, in all honesty. Brunhild’s capital wasn’t exactly the size of other capitals. We had plenty of tourists as it was, but not nearly enough beds to house them all. The promise of more visitors probably meant we’d have to increase border security as well.

“Is there even anything for tourists to do in Brunhild? Do we have much in the way of landmarks?” I said, tapping my chin as I began to think.

Refreese’s capital had its beautiful sea and pure white architecture. Belfast’s capital had striking vistas and a magnificent lakeside. We had...

“We have a clock tower, I guess?”

“A clock tower... I’m not so sure that’s much of a draw.”

“Uhhh...we have Frame Gears?”

“Is that really something we can consider a landmark, though?”

They were kind of a landmark. You couldn’t find them anywhere else, after all.

I’m not sure how to make a giant robot into a landmark... Then again, I’m pretty sure that’s been done in Japan. I remember seeing a full-sized replica from that one anime... But, well, I guess landmarks are more things like Tokyo Tower or the Skytree. Or stuff like shrines, historical sites, and big amusement parks. There’s an amusement park under construction in Brunhild right now, I guess? That’ll definitely bring people in. Oh yeah, there are the Dungeon Islands too. I keep forgetting about those.

Adventurers from nearby regions often came to Brunhild for the lucrative opportunities, so maybe the train would bring in adventurers from further away. Train rides probably wouldn’t be cheap, though, so maybe not.

We’re definitely gonna need more accommodations for visitors. Maybe I should commission a third Silvermoon Inn branch?

Whatever the case, we needed more hands on deck. I probably needed to open recruitment for more knights too.

“Hmm... Quun said we’ll have knight Gollems deployed in the future... I guess that’ll help a bit with the manpower issues.”

“Fu fu... You’re worrying about work even while traveling? Don’t you want to relax a little?”

“Yeah, you’re right... I wish I could.”

Yumina’s words made me sigh a little. I definitely needed to start enjoying my trip instead of worrying so much. The problems would still be there for me to deal with later on, anyway.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, near the border between Elfrau and Regulus...

“Oh, this is the Regulus Empire,” the boy muttered to himself as he saw the sign by the border. He’d been riding in a carriage from Elfrau for a few days now and was finally in another country.

“Finally...no more cold.”

It was the six-year-old boy, Mochizuki Kuon. He was on his way through another time, another place, trying to make it to Brunhild.

Regulus had a much less frigid climate, but he was still in the northernmost area of the country, so Kuon kept on the coat he’d bought earlier.

“Found one.”

“Again? Coachman, stop at once! The boy’s found us another.”

One of the men riding in the carriage alongside Kuon called out to the coachman, but before he could even stop his horse, Kuon had jumped out of the side of the carriage, pulled out a bow, and fired a shot into the nearby forest.

“Hiiih?!” an animal’s yelp rang out...followed by the sound of a thud. Kuon went after it and soon emerged from the bushes with a large deer carcass behind him. It had been killed with a single arrow through its head.

“Oooh! A Regulus Elk! These are quite the delicacy,” one of the men said, a wide smile on his face as he walked out of the carriage, knife in hand. The other passengers came out to look at Kuon’s kill as well.

“Can you strip it for meat, then?”

“Sure, I can take it from here. Naturally, I’ll buy the carcass, lad.”

The man was the owner of a butcher shop who was on his way back to Regulus after attending his daughter’s wedding.

Traveling by carriage was usually a frugal affair when it came to eating. Typically, you’d carry dried meat or other nonperishables to consume along the road. Or you’d catch your own game if you came across any. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t be so easy to find fresh meat, but the people in this carriage were finding their trip to be one abundant in fresh kills.

It was all thanks to the strange young man who was with them. He had an almost supernatural sense for detecting wild animals, and no matter where they were, he easily killed them with his flimsy bow. Thanks to him, the passengers were able to enjoy good food as they carried on their journey.

“I’ll be good on meat for a while thanks to you, sonny. You’ve got my thanks.”

“It’s all good. I’m glad to have the money!” Kuon replied. He had figured it’d be impossible to make it to Brunhild with just the money he’d made from selling his cuff links, but at the very least, he’d be able to make it to the capital of Regulus. And if he made a little more silver along the way, what would the harm be?

The carriage continued along its path until it reached the town of Jonsth. It was the end of the line for their journey.

Jonsth was a fairly ordinary-sized town, ruled over by one of Regulus’s remote district counts. Once the boy reached the place, he immediately started looking around for a way to hitch a ride to the capital city. He went to the main station for carriages and checked the schedule, but upon seeing it, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Last one left a few minutes ago, huh?”

His timing had been unfortunate, as the next ride to the capital wasn’t scheduled for another two days.

“Hmm, what now? Maybe I can hitch a ride to a closer town?”

It was quite late in the evening. Dusk had almost fallen. If he took another carriage now, he’d have to live the camping lifestyle again for a few more days. Kuon decided that he wanted to stay in a proper inn, so waiting two days for a direct ride to Gallaria didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.

“All right, that’s it, then. Let’s find an inn.”

With that, Kuon hefted up his backpack and began walking around the town. He wanted to stay in a nice place, even if it was a little pricier. Countryside inns were often a hotbed for adventurers, which also often made them a hotbed for trouble. If at all possible, Kuon would’ve preferred to avoid that. And the best way to do so was to stay at the kind of inn traveling merchants stayed at, even if it was expensive. With that in mind, Kuon followed a fellow who looked like a merchant at the station. As he trailed him, he passed a street corner and saw the gentleman head into an inn down the street.

“The Silver Feather, huh?” Kuon mumbled as he looked up at the signboard with a raised brow. The place looked somewhat modern and nice, but not quite nice enough for it to be noticeably stuffy or for the upper classes. In other words, it was perfect.

Kuon took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the most important moment, then walked through the swing door.

“Welcome to the Silver Feather! Can I...? Hm? A little boy?”

A lone woman sat behind the counter. She looked to be in her twenties. A man was helping the merchant from earlier up the stairs nearby.

“I’d like a room, please. Two nights.”

“Huh? Er...I mean...I can’t just give a room to a child, now can I?”

The woman seemed a bit troubled as she looked down at Kuon. The boy responded by glaring up at her, his right eye flashing purple-gold.

“...H-Huh? Oh, my apologies. I thought you were alone. A room for two, then?”

The woman blinked slowly as she registered the image of a man in his thirties standing next to the boy...as if he’d been standing there the entire time.

“Yes. That’s exactly what we need, thank you.”

“That’ll be two silver coins, then. Could you sign here?”

Kuon leaned in to sign on the paper. The woman at the desk thought it was a little strange that the son was signing instead of who she assumed to be his father, but she didn’t ponder the matter too deeply.

“Okay, allow me to show you to your room!”

The woman stood up and walked Kuon up to a room on the second floor. It was a quaint little space with two beds, a desk with a chair, a closet, and a lightstone lamp.

“We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining hall downstairs. Please leave the key at the counter before you leave.”

“Got it. Thanks again.”

“That man didn’t say very much, did he? I suppose he’s the taciturn type.”

The woman shrugged as she said that, walked downstairs, and took her position at the desk once more.

Kuon, now alone in his room, slumped onto the bed with a sigh.

“Man, that was rough... I had a feeling she wouldn’t let me stay alone, but I didn’t want to stay at some shady place either...”

Nicer establishments usually had more rules about their guests, but less reputable inns didn’t have as much of an issue welcoming children, so long as they could pay. Those were the kinds of places Kuon had been staying at as he made his way through Elfrau, and frankly, he’d had enough. Thus, he’d used the Mystic Eye of Phantasmagoria. It was one of Kuon’s seven mystic eyes, and it had the ability to mess with people’s minds, showing them visions and making them believe falsehoods. Though, since he could only conjure illusions with it, the father he’d created couldn’t speak. That was why he had to do all the talking.

One might have said his method was far too convoluted, that he could’ve just made the enchantment make him look like an adult instead...but it was a purely visual trick. His voice still would’ve been that of a child’s, and there would’ve been discrepancies in his height while moving around. In the end, faking the presence of an adult accompanying him was the smartest thing to do, though that also came with the unfortunate drawback of paying the cost of two people.

“Ahhh...when was the last time I had a blanket this comfy?” the boy murmured, smiling as he pulled it up against his body. It must have been freshly laundered. He snuggled up into that blanket and drifted off to sleep, thinking about his plans for the morning all the while.

◇ ◇ ◇

With Parames behind us, the magic train carried on northward. After heading through mountains, more forests, and some fields, we eventually arrived at our next stop. It was Sarania Station, which was situated in Saranis County.

Duke Ortlinde and I repeated the same motions we’d done at the last station, which was to get off the train and greet the local authority. This time it was Viscount Saranis, and he gave me another souvenir package. Once I finished that, the train was ready to depart again. We said our goodbyes to the viscount and carried on.

“Hm? Something smells good, it does.”

The moment I entered the train car, Yae started to sniff around in an exaggerated fashion as she faced the souvenir box I was carrying.

...What is she, a hound?

“It’s freshly picked fruit from the local area.”

“Crystal cherries. They’re a specialty of Saranis County. They’re one of the best fruits in the world, frankly. A perfect mix of sweet and sour.”

Yumina’s words made all my children turn their hungry eyes in the direction of the box I was carrying.

Huh? You guys wanna eat it all now? Well, I guess there’s enough for everyone present...

I opened up the box to reveal several smaller boxes of different fruits. They were all different varieties of crystal cherry. One box had red ones, another had yellow ones, and a third was filled with green ones.

I picked one up and examined it in the light. It was translucent and shone brightly when held up. They were like glass, really, which was probably where they got their name. I couldn’t even see any seeds or pits inside it. It was like I was holding some kind of delicious candy... I didn’t know how they tasted, but I was already happy just looking at them.

I popped one of the red ones into my mouth.

Mmm! Delicious! It’s kinda like the cherries I’m familiar with, but this one’s way nicer!

I tried the yellow one next and found it to be much sweeter.

Oho, this one’s yummy too... Now let’s try the green...

“No faiiir, dad! I wanna try too!”

“That’s right, daddy. We want some as well.”

“Me too, Grand Duke! Please!”

I almost got lost in a world of flavor before Linne, Yoshino, and Allis dragged me out of it with their complaints.

After hearing them complain, I set the three boxes down on the table in the middle of the train car and quietly despaired as tiny hands snatched just about all of them away.

“This is delicious, it is. What a dignified flavor.”

“We could probably use these for confectionery, I think.”

“Actually, mother, desserts made from crystal cherries already exist. Though they’re somewhat expensive.”

My kids were greedily chowing down on the cherries. And not just the children, but the wives and guests too. They were like animals. Fortunately, Duke Ortlinde could sense my misery, so he quietly handed a few cherries over to me from his own stash.

“Sorry about this...”

“Ha ha ha, worry not. Viscount Saranis gives us boxes of these at the start of every year. It’s no great loss.”

This world also seemed to prioritize the idea of giving gifts toward the end of the year. Given that Duke Ortlinde was a noble, he probably got a lot of things from a lot of contacts.

Sadly, it didn’t take long for the crystal cherries to vanish entirely. Given how many of us there were, that was only natural. Though, that didn’t stop me from wishing I could’ve had some more.

Hilde quietly muttered to herself as she savored the final cherry, saying, “If the magic trains become more well established, will we be able to have these cherries in Brunhild?”

“It’d revolutionize the supply chain, I think. Even with just this train track, fish caught in Refreese can be in Belfast in a matter of hours. It’s gonna change the face of cuisine for a lot of places. There’ll only be limited quantities, though...so the fish will probably be pricey.”

Up until this point, towns far from the oceans could only eat river fish, if even that. If they wanted to eat saltwater fish, it’d only really be commonly available in dried or preserved form. There were no fresh options.

I didn’t think fresh fish would become immediately available to average households, but as the number of trains increased, the supply chain was bound to improve as well.

I guess timekeeping’s probably gonna become more important across society too. They have clocks on the western continent, so I should probably look into getting them introduced over here as well... Maybe we can start rolling out watches? Wait, if we have watches then we can...

“Hm? What’s that?” Yumina suddenly broke into my mind palace with a comment, sending me hurtling back to reality.

I turned my gaze off into the distance and narrowed my eyes, scanning across the vast field.

Hm? I don’t see anything... Wait, no...there’s something moving, it’s just really hard to see because of the distance.

“I think it’s a monster... It looks like it’s chasing something? Not a person, though... Hm...”

“I’ll check it out... Hold on... [Long Sense].”

Yumina was a sniper, so she had a well-trained eye, but not even she could fully make out the scene in the distance. Once I used my magic, the tiny speck immediately became bigger to me.

Yep, that’s a monster all right. A beast-type. Looks like a giant rhino to me... Wait, this thing’s a Rhinobash, I think. I saw it in a guild field guide once. It’s a red-rank monster, if I recall properly. It’s massive, but...what’s it charging after? Let’s see...

“Oh, this is bad. It’s chasing after a carriage and it’s about to catch up.”

“What?! We have to help them!” Yumina exclaimed, rising to her feet in a panic.

Yep, I’ve gotta help them. Shouldn’t be too hard to make a quick pit stop out there with my magic. No big deal.

I waved over to Ende.

“Yo, Ende. If something happens, you come too, okay?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll wait here until then.”

“Gotcha. Okay... [Telep...”

Right as I was in the middle of casting my spell, two small individuals jumped in from the side and grabbed me.

“...ort]?!”

I instantly shifted right next to the carriage being pursued, directly in front of the headlong charging path of the Rhinobash. But it wasn’t just me. Linne and Allis were clinging to my sides.

What the hell?!

“What’d you guys come for?!”

“It’s okay, dad! We’ve got this!”

“That’s right, we’ll take it out!”

“That’s not what I was asking! Hey, wait!”

The two kids cheerily ignored me as they turned and charged toward the Rhinobash.

Ugh... You two have way too much energy!

The carriage went hurtling past us and I caught a glimpse of a terrified man inside. It looked to be a merchant’s carriage. The Rhinobash had probably been drawn in by the scent of food.

“Let’s gooo!” Linne roared as she blasted forward, meeting the Rhinobash in a catastrophic head-on clash. But with Linne being so small, even though she had a good grip on the creature, it still pushed her back.

“[Gravity]!”

“GRAAARGH!”

I heard a sickening crunch as the Rhinobash’s knees tensed up and were forced to a halt. Linne had activated weight-manipulation magic, transforming herself into an immovable object. The poor Rhinobash struggled in vain, clearly having no idea what was going on.

Right after that, Allis came charging in from behind. She leaped over Linne’s head and extended her arms toward the Rhinobash.

“Prisma Rose!”

Vines of crystal grew from Allis’s right arm, coalescing in the form of a massive machete at the end.

The Rhinobash had already run out of strength, leaving it a sitting target for Allis, who was sailing through the air and swinging her weapon down at it.

“Prisma Guillotine!”

“BRAUUUH?!”

The Rhinobash was decapitated in seconds, its head falling to the ground at about the same time as its body.

“We did it, Allis!”

“Great work, Linne!”

The two of them did a little dance, then gave each other a high five.

Linne turned to me with a big smile on her face and said, “See that, dad? We didn’t even ruin it! The guild’ll buy this for sure!”

“Oh... Yeah, that’s right. Great job.”

Rhinobash leather was good material for armor. Cleanly decapitating it was a smart move, all things considered. The best way to kill it would’ve involved not slashing through the skin at all, but they’d still done pretty well. We’d definitely fetch a good price for this carcass from the guild, that much was assured.

I hurriedly put the Rhinobash corpse into [Storage], then looked around for the carriage it was chasing. I couldn’t see it anywhere, so it had likely fled. That was fine by me, since I needed to get back to the train anyway.

I realized it would be hard to return to the train with [Teleport], since it was constantly moving, so I opted for [Gate] instead.

“[Gate].”

We passed through the portal and appeared on the train without any issues.

“Good job, Touya.”

“Well, I didn’t actually do much...”

I could only shrug my shoulders a bit as Yumina flashed me a supportive smile. She was the only one on the train who would’ve been able to see what happened, so I appreciated her trying to boost my confidence.

“That was a lot of fun!”

“Mhm! A ton!”

Just as Linne and Allis started to celebrate, two shadows loomed over them from behind.

“Fun, was it...? Could we talk for a second, Linne?”

“Allis... Dad wants to have a few words...”

“O-Oh no...”

“Eep!”

Linze and Ende grabbed their respective kids by the arms and dragged them away for a stern talking to. It was understandable, all things considered.

Yumina handed me a cup of tea, so I took it and sat back down to relax.

Linze and Ende nagged at their respective children until we got to the next station. Both Linne and Allis seemed terribly uncomfortable as they were forced to sit on the floor and repent. I had no sympathy for them, myself. They were reaping what they’d sown.

The next stop after Sarania Station was Lancelet Station, deep in Lancelo County. Earl Lancelo owned this territory, and it was the last stop within Belfast. After this, we’d be heading straight into Refreese.

Much like we had in the previous two stations, we disembarked to greet the local lord and received a gift from him. To my kid’s disappointment, however, the gift was a selection of beautiful fabrics and textiles.

Linze and Elna seemed quite taken by the selection, though, and they quickly began to talk about what kind of things they’d be able to make with the materials.

“Oh! A tunnel!”

Just as Sue let out her cry, the entire train fell into darkness. The only light afforded to us was the dim glow of the interior lightstone fittings. The tunnel stretched on for quite a while. There was nothing but pitch black outside the windows, and the glass showed us nothing but reflections of ourselves. Every now and then we could see lights that had been installed in the tunnel, streaking like meteors as we whizzed on by.

“My ears feel strange, they do,” Yae said as she frowned a bit and placed her fingers up to the sides of her head. The air pressure in the tunnel must have been affecting her eardrums.

We still had a while to go yet. I knew that for a fact because I was the one who had dug it out.

The Sulonicia Mountains straddled the border between Refreese and Belfast. It would’ve taken a long time to travel around them. That was why I used Earth magic to dig out a tunnel, then the [Stone Wall] spell to smooth out and reinforce the interior. I’d designed it with the Seikan Tunnel from back in Japan in mind. The magic I’d used on it was strong enough that I had no reason to think it wouldn’t last at least a few thousand years.

I only dug the tunnel out and reinforced it, though. I left everything else like the installation of the lights, the leveling of the ground, and the other stuff to the two countries. Plus, I got paid a nice commission fee.

“It’s so dark... This is no fun,” Frei grumbled as she looked out the window. She didn’t seem impressed by the monotonous black or the occasional glimmer of light.

There wasn’t much I could do to help. We had to slow down in here because it was a tunnel, and that meant it’d take at least another twenty minutes to reach the other side.

Yumina suddenly turned to me and asked, “Do you think it would be possible to make an underground train in our world? Like that subwait from yours?”

“Subway, you mean. And yeah, I think it might be possible...but it’d cost a lot in terms of labor and construction fees. I’d also be a bit worried about landslides and cave-ins.”

An advantage of a subway system was that you could run trains beneath existing habitats without disrupting any existing buildings, but obviously, it took a lot of infrastructural planning to make such a thing possible.

For one, even with the power of Earth magic on our side, it would take a countless number of regular mages to carve out underground tunnels. There were also safety measures to take into account as well.

I heard it cost an obscene amount of money to build even one kilometer of subway track back on Earth, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it might take to start establishing it in this world.

I could’ve probably made a subway in Brunhild fairly easily, but I brought the idea up with Kousaka and he shot me down. He told me that if I did it, I’d be depriving our nation of a potential national project. In other words, he’d approve the subway only when the systems were in place for everyone in Brunhild who wanted to contribute to do so.

Oh? Is that a light I see up ahead? The exit, maybe?

“It’s the sea!”

The first thing we saw on the other side of the tunnel was the sight of water spread out along the horizon. It was the inland sea situated between Belfast and Refreese. It glimmered in the sun, shining a dazzling blue. Looking into the distance, we spotted a handful of fishing villages along the coast.

Seeing the spectacular view made the dull tunnel ride completely worth it.

“We should go swimming sometime, at the beach!”

“Yeah! Let’s go soon!”

“Oh, that sounds fun. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the beach.”

Linne and Quun seemed very receptive to Hilde’s suggestion.

A beach trip, huh? That sounds fun. Wouldn’t take long if we headed to the dungeon islands for one either.

Still, I wanted to wait until everyone was here. I didn’t think I’d have to wait that long... Surely not a year. After all, Yakumo was already guaranteed to be here, so the others couldn’t be far behind.

“I wonder where Yakumo is... Hope she comes home to us soon.”

She could use [Gate], so there wasn’t really anything stopping her. I could only assume she was keeping her distance for some important reason.

“Good grief... She will be sorry, she will. Making her mother worry is a punishable offense, it is...”

Upon hearing Yae’s muttering, all the kids nervously backed away from her, instinctively placing their hands near their behinds.

Ha ha ha... I bet they’ve all had their fair share of spankings from Yae in the future. Hell, she’s even spanked Doc Babylon before, so this doesn’t surprise me at all.

“Yakumo is one thing, she is, but I am also concerned for our son, I am... I hope he has not fallen into any danger or gotten himself tricked.”

Yae had a point. Either Yumina or Sue had a son, and he still wasn’t here. It was a matter worth getting concerned over.

Allis, however, seemed completely unfazed. She puffed her chest out and smirked wide as she said, “Kuon getting tricked? Hah! That’s impossible! He’ll know who to trust and who not to trust thanks to his mystic e— Bweeeehghghfh?!”

All of my kids suddenly rushed over to Allis and attempted to slap their hands over her mouth.

...What was that just now? Mystic eye? Able to know who to trust and who not to trust? That sounds awfully familiar...

Yumina must’ve had the same line of thought. She shakily stood up and began walking toward Allis. The kids, who were surrounding Allis, all parted to the left and right as Yumina stepped forward. It was almost as if I was watching Moses part the Red Sea.

“...Allis?”

“Eep?”

Yumina crouched down and placed her hands on the small girl’s shoulders. Ende was about to say something, but he immediately shut his mouth once Yumina narrowed her eyes in his direction. Presumably, he was able to sense the danger emanating from her glare.

That’s it, Ende... Probably a smart idea.

“So...did you mean what I think you meant?”

“E-Eeeeeek...”

Yumina’s words were quiet, but they carried immense pressure. Allis was trapped like a rat.

We all had a good idea of what it was she’d meant, which was why I wasn’t surprised when she gave a meek nod.

“Hmph... Kuon is Touya and Yumina’s son? That’s a shame.”

“H-He’s my son!”

Sue grumbled a bit and puffed out her cheeks as Yumina punched her hand into the air and celebrated.

So my kid with Yumina has a mystic eye? Interesting.

“Aaagh... We got found out...”

“What do you expect? Allis is terrible at this.”

“Ughhh... I’m sorry... I just don’t think when Kuon comes up...”

Frei and Yoshino shook their heads at Allis. I was personally thankful to Ende’s kid for not being able to shut up. She’d taught us plenty.

“Touya! It’s our son! My son! The heir to Brunhild!”

“Yeah, I know, calm down...”

“Calm down?! How can I calm down after learning this?! The one who’ll take the throne someday was born from me! Me!”

Our kid wasn’t even born yet, but Yumina’s excitement showed no sign of settling. She was the first grand duchess of Brunhild anyway, so it didn’t really matter. Though I could imagine there was some kind of internal, unspoken pressure from her family to produce the national heir or something.

“But Kuon has a mystic eye, you said? Is it the same one Yumina has?”

“It’s not exactly the same, no...but I wouldn’t worry about that for now,” Quun answered my question, though it didn’t really answer my question at all. What did she mean?

“It’s fine, father... You’ll find out once Kuon arrives.”

“Hmph.”

Damn you... Why can’t you be as loose-lipped as Allis? I’m not asking for much here...

“Then my child with you is a daughter, hm? That’s fine by me, of course. I’m sure she’ll be incredibly cute.”

Sue didn’t seem all that disappointed by the news. She honestly seemed happy for Yumina. The prospect of having a child with her was something that troubled me... I hadn’t even gotten physically intimate with her yet, after all.

I wondered who was older, though... Kuon or Sue’s daughter.

“Is Sue’s daughter the youngest?”

“Er, well...it’s probably obvious...”

“...Yeah, that makes sense.”

Elze turned and asked Elna, who gave the answer one would expect. It definitely made sense...and that meant Kuon had seven older sisters and one younger sister. I couldn’t help but pity the kid.

Just as I was quietly pitying my yet-unborn son, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

“Er... Sorry. What is this about? Sue’s...daughter?” Duke Ortlinde asked as he glanced around the train car, looking equally as confused as he did nervous.

...Aw crap.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Th-These children are all Touya’s? From the future?”

“Oh, all of them except Allis. She’s Ende’s.”

After some deliberation, I decided to tell Duke Ortlinde and his wife Ellen the truth. I was planning to tell them whenever Sue’s kid turned up anyway, so it was no big deal... I just hadn’t expected to do it so soon.

“Hmm... They do bear an uncanny resemblance to your brides, I must admit. But could they really be from some far-flung future?”

After I told him everything, the kids deactivated the [Mirage] enchantments that had them looking plainer. They looked so much like their respective mothers when standing by them that it was just about impossible to deny they were related.

“Hmm... I must admit, them referring to you as father and whatnot did have me confused.”

Ugh, I knew it... He had some suspicions to begin with. But I couldn’t tell my kids not to call me dad, could I? That would be a bit much...

“S-So wait, where is Sue’s daughter?”

“Oh, well...I’m not really sure about that, father. Yae’s daughter, my daughter, and Yumina’s son haven’t arrived in Brunhild yet. They’re somewhere out there, I think.”

“What?! I-Is she safe?!”

Duke Ortlinde and Ellen both looked horrified upon hearing Sue’s words. Ed, who was sleeping in Ellen’s arms, began to gently stir as well.

“It’s fine, really. All of our kids are gold or silver adventurers.”

“What?! Wait...how old is Sue’s daughter, exactly?” Duke Ortlinde asked, narrowing his eyes as Sue turned to Allis.

“Allis, how old is my daughter?”

“How old? Steph’s a year younger than me, so she’s, uh, let’s see... Five!”

“Hoh... So my daughter’s named Steph, is she?”

“Awah?!” Allis panicked and placed a hand over her own mouth.

The kids all glared at her, while Ende sighed and patted her on the head.

...Careless as ever, I see. Not that I mind. Thanks for the tip!

“Steph! That’s a lovely name. What’s her full name? Stephanie?”

“No! I’m not saying more!” Allis grumbled as she crossed her arms and turned away from us.

Aw, c’mon.

“It’s Stephania, father,” Arcia smiled over at me as she spoke in Allis’s place.

Stephania, huh...? So Steph’s just for short. Neat.

“Five, you say? I don’t care if she’s a silver or gold adventurer at all! How can she be safe at that age?”

“It’s okay. Of all us sisters, she’s the most defensively-oriented. Nobody can lay a finger on her.”

Duke Ortlinde seemed anxious, but Frei simply chuckled as she spoke.

The most defensively-oriented? But Linne uses [Shield]. Does that mean...?

“She has [Prison] on her side.”

“Oh.”

[Prison] was an incredible spell that could deploy a safe zone around you with all manner of conditions. It would even stay active while you slept. With that spell on her side, there was nothing she couldn’t protect herself from.

“She has [Accel] too. Very useful for her.”

“She can even use that? Wow...”

Impregnable defenses and perfectly honed senses... She was probably the safest five-year-old in the world no matter where she was.

“She doesn’t use [Accel] to run away, though.”

“Yeah, she just uses it for the Stephrocket all the time.”

Quun and Linne were discussing something interesting. What the hell was a Stephrocket, exactly?

“It’s her ultimate attack. She combined [Prison] with [Accel] to turn herself into a living missile.”

“A mighty ramming attack, yep.”

Elna and Yoshino explained the rest.

That’s insane... Then again, Sue always had a habit of hug-tackling me... Guess this is a case of ‘like mother, like daughter,’ huh?

I couldn’t read the expressions on the faces of Duke Ortlinde and his wife. They probably had mixed feelings about learning all this about a grandchild they’d yet to even meet.

“Have you told my brother?”

“Not yet, no. I was going to wait until Yumina and Sue’s kids arrived before telling you both. The leaders of Regulus, Lestia, and Xenoahs know about it, though.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t have believed it without seeing... I’m still struggling to believe it, even. But the thought of my granddaughter lost out there does make me anxious...and excited.”

“Me too. What kind of child is Steph? Does she take after Sue? Is she quite energetic?”

Both the duke and Ellen were clearly eager to learn more. The Stephrocket thing had me thinking she was probably pretty active. She was likely quite the tomboy.

“Please don’t tell King Belfast about this just yet. We plan to tell him when Yumina’s son, Kuon, arrives.”

“I see... So Yumina will bear the heir, then. No wonder she was so excited. Congratulations, Yumina.”

“Thank you, uncle!” Yumina replied, beaming as Duke Ortlinde congratulated her. She was already like this and she hadn’t even met the kid yet... I was legitimately worried about how she would behave when Kuon eventually showed his face.

“What’s my son like, anyway? Is he smart? Cool? Kind? Gentle? Good with girls? Obedient to his parents?! Respectful to his elders?! Polite?! Well-learned?! A good student?!”

“E-Erm... Umm... Ahhh...”

“Stop! You’re gonna make Elna’s head explode. I know you’re excited, Yumina, but you’ve gotta calm down.”

Poor Elna seemed to be at her breaking point in the face of Yumina’s rapid-fire questioning. Fortunately for her, Elze was there to save her.

“Come on... Let’s wait until you meet him, okay? He might feel awkward if you know so much about him in advance.”

“Ugh... I want him to come home soon...”

I had to step in and talk Yumina down a little, but she was clearly growing impatient. It’d been a while since Yoshino had shown up, so surely the next kid wouldn’t be much longer.

Frankly, I hoped that Yakumo would be the next one to appear, if only because if she kept Yae waiting any longer, she’d be guaranteed a hard spanking. I didn’t want to see that happen to my daughter right after meeting her, so I quietly hoped that Kuon and Steph would only appear after her.

◇ ◇ ◇

Her katana swung through the air, blood splashing off its blade. She sheathed it, triggering the [Clean] enchantment, rendering it free from imperfection.

“You’re strong, lass. Taking out a whole group of bandits on your own? That’s nothing to sniff at...”

The professor looked at the fallen men, letting out a sigh of mixed relief and concern. The two of them had come to Isengard by way of Gardio’s port, but there was no way for them to catch a ride to the ruined former capital city of Isenberg. Thus, they’d elected to head there on foot, only to run into a group of bandits.

Once Isengard started to collapse, it wasn’t long before people like them began to overrun the wilderness. With nobody left to stop them, they banded together and began using ruined forts and other places as their bases of operations.

About fifty or so bandits had attacked Yakumo and her companion...and just about all of them had fallen to her blade.

“This is strange, it i— Er... This is strange, isn’t it? These people didn’t seem to be in their right minds at all. They were saying such strange things, as well... Could this be...?” Yakumo mumbled as she rummaged through one of the men’s pockets, finding a tattered wallet. The sight caused the professor to wrinkle his nose in distaste.

“Not quite right to loot the fallen, young lady... If you’re that desperate for money, I could always give you some.”

“Th-That’s not it at all! I’m not taking his wallet because I need the money!” Yakumo roared, hurriedly explaining herself. She was looking for something in particular. And sure enough, she’d found it.

“Hm? What’s this? Some kind of medicine?” the professor asked, raising a brow as Yakumo held up a small packet she’d found in the man’s wallet. She then opened it up, revealing trace amounts of golden powder.

“Gold dust? No, the color seems a touch murkier...”

“This is a supposed miracle cure made from the branches of the puretree... But that’s not what it is at all. In truth, it’s a toxin that makes one succumb to their base instincts. It causes aggression, heavy mood swings...and eventually, death.”

“What?! And this kind of thing is just out on the market?!”

One of the bandits who’d attacked them was babbling something quietly as he stared up at the sky. No matter how you looked at him, he was clearly not thinking straight. The drugs had already worn away at him, body and soul. He didn’t have long to live.

“The goldflower pox is running rampant around Isengard, it seems. There are many here who have succumbed to the allure of the golden medicine.”

“Hm... I’d wonder what the country is doing to combat it, but there’s no country left to speak of...” the professor muttered as he frowned quietly.

The person Yakumo had met, the one in the diving suit, had called themselves one of the wicked devout. This medicine surely had something to do with them. And it was clearly in circulation in the ruins of Isengard. Plus, it had even reached the neighboring nations of Lassei, Gardio, Strain, and Orphen...

In truth, the spread was so intense that Yakumo had no idea if she could even solve it anymore. But at the very least, she knew she couldn’t return home until she had some meaningful information about the origin of the problem.

“We’re almost at Isenberg now. If we can get there, we’ll be able to return in a flash,” Yakumo said, speaking to herself as she walked down the road. She’d already told the professor about her [Gate] spell, so in the worst-case scenario, they only had to reach the ruined capital and then they’d be able to go back. Whether or not she’d immediately return to Brunhild upon reaching their destination was still up in the air, though.

After another half a day of walking, they saw large impact craters in the ground that were remnants of the battle between Yakumo’s father and the wicked god. The professor couldn’t hold back his amazement as he stared at the craters.

“Good gods above... What manner of battle could’ve caused this?”

Yakumo didn’t really know, to be honest. That was only natural, of course, since the fight had happened long before she was born. Still, she knew it had been a fierce one, and that it was the wicked god who had ravaged the landscape.

They passed the craters and began heading into the former residential areas...or at least, what they assumed must have been them. The center of the city was dead and frozen, while the outskirts were crumbling and in complete shambles. The difference between the two places was staggering.

“My, it’s hard to walk around with all these crumbling walls...”

“Best to stay away from the taller ones. You never know what building might fall next.”

This was once a proud city that was at the forefront of magitech research, but not a shadow of that remained anymore. The only things that even hinted at the place’s former glory were the scattered fragments of rusted metal and chunks of blasted stone.

Every now and then they’d pass wrecked Gollems and dead creatures trapped beneath the rubble. There weren’t many human bodies, of course. Most of the people who had lived here had evacuated back when the witch-king activated his enormous Gollem, and there were barely any people living here by the time of Yakumo’s father’s fight against the wicked god.

“Hmm...”

“What is it, lass?”

“Shh... Quiet, a moment...”

Yakumo, who was walking ahead, suddenly ducked into the shade of a nearby structure. The professor, along with his soldat Gollem attendants, followed quickly after her.

“I thought I sensed something... Wait there!” Yakumo roared. Her line of sight trailed toward a nearby building, where a monster seemed to be lurking. It wasn’t quite apt to call this thing a monster, however. It had bat-like wings and a long, leathery tail. Its entire body was covered in black armor plating. Two gnarled horns sprouted from its head. Its face was blank and featureless, with the smooth sheen of a freshly-peeled hard-boiled egg.

“A devil...?”

Devils were creatures from the Netherrealm that could be pulled into this world via summoning magic. The strength of the devil depended on the might of the summoner, but summoning a more powerful devil required far more complicated rituals.

Yakumo carefully scanned the nearby area for any signs of the summoner, but there was nobody to be found. The girl was working solely on instinct, but she assumed the devil in front of her wasn’t very strong. It was probably from a lower rank on the hierarchy.

“A devil, you say? I’ve never encountered such a creature before... What strange wings.”

The professor was born on the western continent when it was still the Reverse World, so it was only natural that he’d be unused to such things as summoning magic. But the remark about the wings wasn’t solely due to that ignorance. It was because the wings were distinctly mechanical.

The devil’s forearms were also mechanical in nature, as were its legs from the knee down. It appeared to be some manner of hybrid creature. An unholy fusion of Gollem and devil.

If Yakumo’s father were here, he would’ve surely remarked something like, “Wow. A cyborg.”

The devil seemed to have no more business in the area. It spun around and began to leave.

“Professor, you wait here. I’m going to follow it.”

“Okay. Be careful, then.”

Yakumo crouched down low and left the shade of the building. She’d been taught how to best hide her presence from a young age, and her teacher had been one of the best in that regard: Tsubaki, the head of Brunhild’s intelligence corps.

She skulked in the shadows, following after the devil-gollem as it went on its way. After a time, the creature reached what appeared to be a ruined factory. Though the glass of its windows was shattered, and its steel affectations were rusted over, it still looked far sturdier than the surrounding structures.

Yakumo quickly circled the building in search of a back entrance, as she knew it’d be riskier to follow the devil in through the front.

She cautiously peeked through the broken remains of a window. The interior was dark, save for a few spots of light that peeked in from holes in the ceiling.

“Is that—?!” Yakumo trailed off, her eyes going wide as she saw what was in the middle of the factory floor.

There were various talismans stuck up all over the inside of the building, but the most eye-catching part of all was the thing that seemed to be enshrined right in the middle. It looked like some kind of large insect. Or, to be more specific, an ant. What it resembled most was a sculpture of an ant with a muddy, stony surface. Cracks ran along it, giving it the impression of something that had experienced severe wear and tear.

It stood upon a large metal stand, and although Yakumo couldn’t make it out very clearly from her vantage point, the stand seemed to have various magical runes inscribed on it. The purpose of such inscriptions was entirely unknown to her, however.

“Is that...one of the wicked god’s servants? One of those...mutants I heard about?” Yakumo questioned herself silently. She had never seen the wicked god before, and she’d only heard stories of the mutant army it had mustered from her parents. If there was any video evidence of the situation, Yakumo wished she’d asked her father to show it to her, but it was a bit late for that now.

The sight before her matched what her mother had said about the mutants, though. Yae had told her that once the wicked god fell, all the mutants lost their golden luster and turned to stone. But if this truly was the remains of a mutant, then what was that devil doing with it? As far as she could tell, it was dead, or at least no more capable of movement or thought than any other statue.

“Hm...” Yakumo mumbled as she got lost in thought. She saw multiple devils in the factory. Most of them looked identical to the one she’d followed, but there was one individual who was visually distinct from them.

It was a woman. Her outfit bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by Leen, one of Yakumo’s mothers...but this specific take on the ensemble was far more risqué and glamorous. The most provocative feature was that the corset was bound tight, emphasizing the woman’s bust. She wore a metal domino mask on her face, obscuring her expression and making it hard to read her features. Her long, wavy red hair was bundled up messily. She had long legs clad in lace stockings that jutted out from her short skirt and a garter at her thigh.

A word came to mind when looking at her, but Yakumo dared not utter it.

Harlot.

Yet despite her gaudy, feminine attire, there was a beastly, uneven-looking mace at her waist. It seemed to emanate a faint orange glow. Her entire vibe was eerily similar to that of the individual in the diving suit that Yakumo had met earlier. Though she had no way of knowing for sure, she instinctively felt that this was one of the wicked devout.

“Hmph... Quite a bit of work this, isn’t it? But it’s work that must be done nonetheless,” the woman in the iron mask said as she lifted the mace at her waist high and brought it ruthlessly swinging down toward the mutant statue.

Yakumo would have expected the entire thing to shatter under the strike, but it didn’t. Instead, it merely cracked and dented.

“And here, and there, and there, and here!” the woman exclaimed as she began to rhythmically beat at the statue with her mace. The mutant gradually lost its form, like a lump of clay being beaten down. It was hit from side to side, from top to bottom, until it was reduced to a formless lump of stone. It was struck repeatedly until it became the size of a baseball. It was as if it was being compressed.

The mace kept picking up speed as it smacked and hammered against the now-floating orb. The orange light it emitted flared outward and filled the factory. Eventually, it all came to an end...and the tiny stone ball glowed with a muddy golden sheen.

“Haaagh!” the masked woman roared as she delivered one final swing of her mace, thrashing the orb so hard that it should have been completely pulverized... And yet, it wasn’t destroyed. It had been turned into some kind of sparkling golden dust that had fallen onto the magic runes below, which looked shockingly familiar.

“Goodness me... Is this really all there is? Indigo’s going to be upset.”

The devils ignored the masked woman and set about sweeping up the gold dust.

“Is that...the golden medicine? I never knew it was made from the remains of the mutants...”

It would’ve been more fitting to say it was squeezed out, rather than “made.” It was like they’d squeezed out a wet cloth for every last drop of water inside...

Yakumo leaned a little closer to get a better look, but the rusted window frame she was resting against suddenly popped out and fell inward.

“Eek!” Yakumo let out a quiet gasp and tried to reach for it in time, but there was little she could do. The metal frame fell against the factory floor with a loud bang, drawing all eyes toward it.

With the window and frame completely gone, Yakumo was standing there...fully visible. She knew in her heart that she looked like a total moron.

“...Oh my? An intruder? Who are you?”

“I-I won’t give you my name!” Yakumo bashfully blurted out.

“Won’t give me your name, eh? That’s fine by me, little lady. It’ll be erased from this world soon enough, anyway,” the masked woman said with a giggle before giving her cyborg devils the order to attack.

Yakumo, who was still outside the building, spun on her heels and ran for it. The devils clambered out of the window in hot pursuit.

“Huh?!”

After running a short distance from the factory, Yakumo stopped in her tracks. There was another group of cyborg devils just in front of her.

“Skreeeh!”

The creatures hissed and lashed their mechanical claws out toward Yakumo, attempting to cut her to ribbons.

“Hmph!” Yakumo harrumphed as she pulled out her trusty phrasium blade and cleaved through one of the devils in her path.

The creature’s torso was separated from its lower body, and it fell to the ground. Blue blood spilled from the open wound, dyeing the ground beneath it. Yakumo didn’t bother looking, however. Instead, she pressed the offensive against her assailants. The crystal sword she wielded had been created and blessed by her father, giving it an unparalleled sharpness. Only a phrasium blade of equal or higher magical density could hope to outmatch it. Not even these mechanically enhanced devils could do anything to stop her attack. However...

“Hngh?!” Yakumo just barely blocked in time to prevent the heavy orange mace from crushing her bones.

“Ooh? How strange. My Halloween didn’t shatter your sword. What a sturdy sword you have there...”

“I could say the same of the weapons you and your friends have.”

The masked woman had caught up to her, and she’d already begun a relentless assault with her own trusty weapon.

“Friends? Who?”

“The person with the round helmet and the blue hatchet.”

“Oh, Indigo? You fought him too, did you? Then let’s have a little bout!”

The masked woman brought her mace swinging down again. Her speed was immense, but not so overwhelming that Yakumo couldn’t make it out. The girl brought up her weapon to block.

“Gwah!” Yakumo shrieked as her arm felt a pang of pain. This blow had been far heavier than the previous one...and she couldn’t even tell if it was the extent of the masked woman’s power.

“Hm-hm-hmmm? What’s wrong?”

“Hngh... Gah!”

The mace came down over and over again, each blow heavier than the last. It was painful...and extremely strange. It called to mind the image Yakumo had just seen, of the statue being pulverized over and over again until it was nothing but golden dust.

On the next strike, Yakumo rolled to the side. The mace struck against the ground, leaving a deep dent in the earth below.

“That mace... Either you can freely adjust its weight...or each time you swing it, it gets heavier.”

“Oh my, you figured out my little trick? Just who are you, girl?” the masked woman asked, sounding curious all of a sudden as she pointed her orange mace at Yakumo.

Yakumo had quickly realized the way the mace worked because it wasn’t too dissimilar to how one of her sisters fought. Though honestly, Linne’s attacks were considerably heavier in comparison.

The fight against the woman had given the cyborg devils time to surround them both. If it was just the devils, Yakumo would have been fine...but she knew she had no chance against them and the strange woman at the same time. Thus, she took the one path to survival that came to mind.

“[Gate].”

Yakumo opened up a portal beneath her that was just big enough for one person to slip through. It was annoying, but it was still a good strategy nonetheless. She locked eyes with the masked woman seconds before she fell through, sensing her glare.

On the other side of the portal, the professor was minding his own business. Or at least he was...before Yakumo suddenly materialized in the air and fell to the ground by his side.

“Whaaagh! Wh-What was that, lass?! You scared the wits out of me!”

The poor professor jumped and backed up against a nearby wall. He nearly tripped over a piece of nearby rubble, but fortunately, one of his soldat attendants had caught him.

“They’ve found us. We need to go!”

“R-Right! Got it!”

The professor immediately grasped the situation and nodded along. Yakumo hadn’t teleported too far from where she was before, so she knew the devils would surround them before long.

“Skreeeh!”

Just as she was figuring out where to escape to, the devils appeared once more. They flapped their leathery wings and picked up speed in the distance. The masked woman was behind them, charging full pelt toward Yakumo and the professor.

It bothered Yakumo that she had to flee, but she saw no point in pushing too deep into enemy territory. If it was just her, she’d have considered fighting, but she had the professor to worry about. Her father often said that the smartest thing to do in a tight situation was to beat a hasty retreat. It was one of thirty-six military strategies. Yakumo didn’t know the other thirty-five, though.

“[Gate]!”

She quickly opened up another portal and made the professor and his soldat entourage run through.

One of the devil cyborgs fired its arm forward on a chain, as if attempting to prevent her escape. Yakumo simply sliced the chain apart with her blade, however. It was a meager threat in her eyes.

The last thing Yakumo saw before backstepping through her portal was the sight of the masked woman lunging toward her with that orange mace. Seconds later, the portal disappeared. The woman’s attack swung into thin air and landed on the cobblestone paving below, shattering it to pieces.

“...She got away. What a shame. I wonder if this’ll annoy Indigo?” the masked woman, Tangerine, mumbled to herself as she let out a deep sigh.

The other side of the [Gate] was a back alley in a bustling city. The alley led into the main plaza, where the city’s majestic clock tower stood. Off in the distance, one could see the castle on the hill. It was a castle Yakumo knew all too well...the one she was born in.

The sight of the castle left Yakumo heaving a quiet sigh.

“Home at last...” Yakumo muttered. She had unconsciously thought of the safest place to escape to, which was her home. She’d brought them to Brunhild. The specific alleyway they’d come out in was one she and her sisters had used to sneak out of the castle a few times in their childhood.

“This is Brunhild, is it not? You and the ruler here know each other, yes? Quite a wise hideout.”

“I definitely know the ruler here, yes...”

The professor seemed happy, and he couldn’t quite understand the mixed look on her face.

Yakumo had accomplished her goal of finding more intel on the wicked devout, and her parents would surely be able to make use of that information, yet despite that, she couldn’t help but feel hesitant in approaching them after all this time.

Her stomach growled, though she knew not if it was out of anxiety or hunger.

“Oh, are you hungry? That inn over there seems to serve food. Shall we go there?”

“Sure, why not... Ah! Wait, no. Not that inn. I think we should head in the opposite direction instead. Yes, let’s go to a restaurant over in this direction. Come on, follow me,” Yakumo hurriedly said as she dragged the professor off somewhere else.

The inn he had pointed out was none other than the Silver Moon. It was a state-operated inn run by the Brunhild royal family. Knights working for Brunhild often ate there, and it was generally considered one of the best and safest places to eat in the whole town. Yet for Yakumo, it was one of the most dangerous. All kinds of people related to her father could’ve been there, after all. In the worst-case scenario, her father could be summoned there after she was recognized...or even her mother...

Yakumo had no intention of leaving Brunhild, but she still wanted a little more time to wrap her head around seeing her parents.

Unfortunately for her, she was far too flustered to realize she’d already been caught. A group of cats sitting outside the Silver Moon was staring right at her, yowling to each other all the while. One started to tail Yakumo, while the others headed back to inform their boss about what they’d seen.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, on the magic train...

The magic train had stopped at Pariston Station, the first station within Refreese’s territory. For geographical reasons, that was our only stop in Refreese other than Bern, the capital city. In other words, we were almost at the end of the line. Our little day out would soon end, and the train seemed to be in good shape. Things had gone shockingly smoothly.

I felt that they’d build from this track and start spreading it out across different regions of Belfast and Refreese, like a local line in another world or something. The track would also eventually be expanded to other countries like Regulus, Mismede, and even Panaches, which would definitely help in terms of trade. And once that was done, there’d be more people who took the train just for vacations too. I had a feeling tour companies and things like that weren’t far off.

Yumina wistfully gazed out of the window, seemingly sad the trip was already coming to an end.

“It only took five hours to get to Bern from Alephis... Given how many days it used to take by carriage, this feels surreal...”

“Well, it’s not cheap. But since it guarantees your safety, I think it’ll offer a lot of advantages to those who can pay.”

Taking the magic train guaranteed your safety. No bandits or monsters would be able to attack you during your trip. And assuming freight trains were eventually added, they’d be a safer alternative for hauling cargo. It felt as though a distribution revolution was upon us as a result of my work.

《My liege.》

“Hm? Kohaku?”

I suddenly received a telepathic message from Kohaku, who was back at the castle. I wondered if something had gone wrong.

“Did something happen?”

《You could say that, yes. One of the cats we have on surveillance in the castle town reported seeing a girl who resembles Lady Yae...》

“What?!”

My sudden outburst roused the attention of everyone else in the train cart. Yumina looked at me as if to ask what had happened.

“Wh-What is it, Touya?”

“Well... I just received a message from Kohaku. Yakumo might be in Brunhild...”

“What?! Do you think she is, do you?!” Yae exclaimed as she scrambled over toward me. Everyone else had stopped chatting, so the entire carriage was silent.

“Kohaku, where is she now?”

《I don’t know her exact whereabouts, but she isn’t headed for the castle. We have cats tailing her, so I’m heading after them now...》

Not heading for the castle? Is she thinking of running away again?

I could feel Yae’s impatient gaze bearing down on me.

“W-We must seize her at once, we must! If she is not caught quickly, then she will escape, she will!”

Don’t treat her like a criminal... She’s your daughter, remember? Our daughter!

Yae had a point, though. Yakumo could use [Gate], which meant she could escape easily if not tracked down fast.

“All right. I’ll use [Gate] to go to Kohaku. Then, I can meet up with the cats and—”

“W-W-W-Wait a moment, Duke Touya! Emperor Refreese is waiting for us in Bern! It would be improper not to greet him!” Duke Ortlinde suddenly spoke up in a flustered panic.

Oh, yeah... This isn’t just a fun little trip, it’s part of my duties as a royal. Dammit! Why now, of all times?! If it was just the emperor, then it’d be fine, but his advisers and retainers are gonna be there too. It’d be bad if I vanished midtrip and didn’t say hello.

“Wh-Why not just send Yae back to Brunhild by herself? It won’t be as big of a problem if just one of us isn’t present... Would that be okay, Duke Ortlinde?” Linze timidly asked, raising her voice.

The duke tapped his chin before replying, “Well, so long as Touya’s present... If you explain to the dignitaries that you sent one of your wives home due to sickness...it should be quite fine.”

“Very well, then! I am not feeling well, I am not! I ask that you send me home at once!” Yae shouted, speaking so clearly that it was hard to buy the idea that she was sick. Luckily, nobody in the carriage really cared.

Grr... Wish I could go with you, but I’m stuck here... Damn, this blows.

“I’ll go with her, father. I want to see my sister,” Frei chimed in, offering to accompany Yae, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility as the second-oldest. If Frei went with her, I’d definitely feel a bit better. That way, at least Yae wouldn’t be alone.

“Got it. Now, Yae, please keep a level head when you see her.”

“I will keep my head as level as can be, I will. Calm and collected, I am.”

Yae was just about bouncing off the walls as she spoke, so I wasn’t exactly convinced...but I desperately hoped all would be well. I opened up the [Gate] to Kohaku, and Yae practically sprinted through. Interestingly enough, Frei also bolted right after her.

“I wonder if they’ll be okay...” I mumbled as I shrugged my shoulders, a mild sense of unease setting in as the train carried on toward Bern.

◇ ◇ ◇

Yakumo said her goodbyes to the professor and walked around Brunhild’s castle town. The professor had gone toward the castle to meet an acquaintance of his, likely Elluka...while Yakumo had elected to look around a little.

Ordinarily, they would’ve gone together, but the girl was still hesitant to return.

“I’ll be in trouble, I’m sure... I should have asked mother for permission before going off on my own...” Yakumo whispered to herself. She then let out a sigh as she aimlessly wandered the streets. Even though this was a town in the past, it was a town she’d wandered around from a young age, so she couldn’t possibly get lost in it.

As Yakumo fell into deep thought, a shadow suddenly eclipsed her body. And when she looked up to investigate, she saw a familiar face. It was a younger face than the one she knew, but it was unmistakably her mother’s. Yae stood before her.

“I have found you at last, I have! My runaway daughter!”

“N-No, I... Mother, I did not run away...”

Yae’s glare inspired fear in Yakumo, who instinctively stepped back. She’d already lost to the fearful, silent pressure. Yakumo was a gold-ranked adventurer. She was a proud warrior who had absolute confidence in her skills. And yet, she knew she couldn’t hold a candle to her mother.

“So you’ve just been wandering around, you have? Where, exactly?”

“W-Well, mother...I... I have my reasons, I do... But...”

Yakumo sounded like a frog staring into the gaping maw of a ravenous snake. Her mother’s wrath was something she knew well, so she cowered miserably.

The thought of escaping via [Gate] crossed her mind, but she dared not pour oil on the fire. And so, she closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate, when...she felt the warmth of an embrace wrap around her body.

“E-Er...Mother?”

“You foolish girl! Did you not know how worried I was?!”

It was only natural for Yae to fear for her young daughter’s safety, gold-rank adventurer or not. While she had no memories of caring for her daughter, who’d yet to be born, Yae instinctively loved and cared for her...and such feelings naturally came with anxieties as well.

“We finally get to meet, we do...”

“Mother, I... I am sorry...”

“Hu hu hu... Looks like Yakumo’s acting all shy.”

“What?! F-Frei?!”

Yakumo’s younger sister, Frei, appeared from behind Yae. Kohaku, one of her father’s summoned beasts, was there as well.

Yakumo naturally grew flustered as she realized this tender moment had spectators. Though she struggled to free herself from Yae’s grip, her mother refused to let go.

“M-Mother, you need to free me!”

“...You worried us all, you did... Did you think I would let you go so easily, did you?”

“Huh?”

Yae’s tone of voice suddenly shifted, prompting Yakumo’s eyes to glaze over. The arms wrapped around her grew uncomfortably tight.

“Ah... M-Mother? Isn’t that a bit tight? Owowowow!”

“Might I have to punish you for your misbehavior, might I?”

Hearing the whispered threat caused the blood to drain from Yakumo’s face. It was the tone of voice that really killed her, as it was something she’d heard many times before.

The same thing happened whenever she failed to return home in time for curfew, or when she told a lie to cover up her own blunders, or when she annoyed the residents of the castle with her selfish desires.

No matter what she did wrong, the punishment was always the same...

“Nooo! M-Mother! P-Please forgive me! Please!” Yakumo screeched as she began to flail in her mother’s grasp. However, Yae’s arms refused to give even an inch.

“F-Frei! Save me!” Yakumo cast all of her remaining pride aside to beseech her sister for aid.

Unfortunately for her, Frei simply flashed her an impish smile and said, “Sorry, Yakumo... It’s bad to run out on your family, isn’t it?”

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

“Let us return to the castle, let us. I have some spanking to mete out, I do...”

“Eep! Father! Save meee!” Yakumo called out to her father...but he was nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, Kohaku considered telling Touya about this via telepathy...but Yae’s terrifying smile soon stopped her. Not even Kohaku was immune to the fear.

Yae hauled Yakumo up over her shoulder and began the long trek back to the castle. The poor girl could only lament the fate awaiting her as her mother held her firmly in place...

◇ ◇ ◇

“Hrghrghrrrgh...”

“Welcome back, everyone.”

“Oh, yeah...”

I’d kept my anxieties in check long enough to finish the relevant meetings in Refreese before opening up a [Gate] and bringing us all back to Brunhild. Once we got back to the castle, we were greeted by the sight of a smiling Yae and a girl who was probably Yakumo face down on the couch. Frei was applying an ice pack to her butt.

Apparently, the poor girl had been punished with a particularly fierce bout of spanking. In that moment, I made a mental note to never upset Yae ever again.

“What happened here...?”

“I have punished our runaway a little bit, I have.”

Upon hearing that, Yakumo glanced over at me as if to say, “It wasn’t a little bit...” However, Yae didn’t seem to acknowledge her. Though my wife was smiling, I couldn’t help but fear her demonic eyes.

“Yakumo.”

“Y-Yes?!” Yakumo replied, scrambling upward and trying her best to sit comfortably upon hearing Yae speak. Her butt was clearly still sore, however.

“I-I’m sorry for causing you all such trouble, I really am...” she said as she sat up straight and bowed her head apologetically.

You didn’t cause me any trouble! It’s okay!

I walked over to Yakumo and cast some restorative magic on her. The pain seemed to dissipate within a few minutes.

“You okay now?”

“Ahhh... I am thankful, I...er... Thank you, father.”

Yakumo’s cheeks flushed a faint red as she thanked me before turning away in embarrassment. She was rather similar to her mother in that regard. She seemed utterly serious, perhaps even a little too serious, to the point that she lacked flexibility in her focus.

Whatever the case, I was just glad she was okay. That made seven children under my care, which meant there were only two left. I couldn’t help but wonder where my only son and my youngest daughter were...