Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Damn it…
Roland took a deep breath and raised his hand to wipe away the tears. That felt a little way too real.
But he was knew that he was merely lying to himself by acting relaxed; it was simply to conceal the stirring emotions within. At this point, his hands continued to tremble while his back was covered in cold sweat.
Just a moment ago, he had experienced an awfully dreadful catastrophe. Despite it being an instant in reality, it felt as though he had accompanied the final moments of life and civilization as they faded away. Or in other words, he felt as though he was part of it. From the birds, worms, fishes, beasts, from the inferior lives to the higher lifeforms, the scene of every single entity struggling and the sounds of suffering made him feel as though the entire world was damned.
This tear was for them.
For a time, Roland was unwilling to leave the sunlight that shot in through the window.
The scenery outside remain unchanged, but was somehow particularly moving to him.
Even the sewage pipes by the walls or the advertisements for animal furs were extremely vivid experiences for him.
After staring at the bustling streets for a long time, he calmed himself down through great difficulty.
He was certain of one thing—magic power did not exist at the world’s genesis. This guess was raised by Anna in the Second Act, and it had finally been verified.
The Gateway Plan was what led to the appearance of magic power.
But it was without a doubt that it was not the outcome the people from the conversation wanted.
The “gray shadow” looked forward to breaking free from gravity despite the blunt mention of the ‘unpredictable risk’ by the other party.
From the looks of it, magic power was a result that neither had anticipated.
And the catastrophe triggered by magic power was the so-called ‘price’ mentioned by God. In the end, the power was spread far and wide without a short time frame, which the people who spoke could not escape from.
And the world turned into what was right in front of him currently.
Although Roland had understood this, he knew that all that he knew was only the tip of the iceberg.
The most important question was, what exactly was the ‘Gateway Plan,’ and why was the ‘gray shadow’ so fixated on it? How was the Battle of Divine Will related to all to these?
Or were they hoping that others would fill up the gap?
Roland turned his head and looked at the express delivery package for a long time before picking up the phone.
“Hello, Mister Rock, I need the Association to look for a person for me.”
…
Neverwinter, Fertile Plains, Tower Station No. 2.
A train gradually stopped at the transfer bay.
“Buddy, I’ll make a move first.” Without waiting for the carriage to stop, Charms jumped up the platform excitedly.
“Hey, you brat, you can’t expect me to carry this refillable boiler alone—”
“Please, I beg you! Drinks on me, tonight!”
He darted towards the cargo carriage and left Hank’s voice trailing behind.
When his military conscription ended in Taquila, Charms did not become the formidable and handsome officer that he had envisioned himself to be, despite the fact that his family of four—his elder brothers and father—were conferred medals and awards for their sacrifice by His Majesty. The Administrative Office eventually picked him and his father out of the First Army’s lineup and transferred them to become train drivers.
His father did not have any objections towards the change, since the trains still required manning even after the war. Aside from transporting cannons, the powerful machine had a wide range of applications. Although the main army returned to Neverwinter, the vehicles that moved along the Fertile Plains actually increased instead of decreasing. Thus, the Administrative Office had made the decision to transfer them to be train drivers.
In his father’s words, every position was to serve the King.
Furthermore, their remuneration was even higher compared to the past.
But Charms was not happy about the change; handling coals daily was not as satisfying as wielding rifles and fighting monsters. Another reason for killing more demons at the frontline was to take revenge for his brother’s sacrifice who died defending the camp, but waiting upon the train could not fulfill this purpose.
But what he could not accept the most was the fact that his second brother was unaffected. Not only was he promoted, he was also chosen to be part of the First Army’s elite force.
This is a little too unfair.
Charms thought that his following years would be spent unhappily in the desolate plains, but the development surpassed his expectations.
Farms and residential areas emerged to the north of the Impassable Mountain Range in quick succession alongside the increase in the number of train stops, pubs, and shops. Transporting goods was no longer a dreary work, and if they ended early, Charms could spend some time having a few drinks at the pubs. The benefits of being a train driver was that everyone welcomed him, be it the locals or migrants. Everyone was extremely interested and invested in the land once hailed as the ‘Cursed lands.’ Every session at the pubs ended with excited talks and free drinks.
Of course, there were no difference in the treatment at Neverwinter or other stops. What truly made him feel with anticipation was a person here—
“Everyone, please line up. Those in line will receive their own puppets!”
By the side of the carriage, a girl cupped her mouth and shouted. Even before Charms could approach, she spotted him and waved her hands excitedly. “You’re here!”
Seeing the adorable smile, Charms felt that being a train driver was truly great.
“I’m here to help.” He pulled up his sleeves.
“Alright, you can take a puppet for yourself as well.” The girl smiled and took a doll made out of straw, tiptoed, and hung it over his neck.
“Oh, trying to court favor.” Another girl jumped out from amongst the goods and stared at him coldly.
Charms did not retreat from her stare, the two glared at each other for a long time and froze by the side of the carriages.
In the end, it was the girl who interrupted their staring match. “Come one, Balshan, Mister Charms is being warmhearted and kind. Didn’t we receive his help when we were lost?”
Upon hearing the episode of them getting lost, the woman’s face froze. She turned her head and snorted disdainfully. “I can’t be bothered to bicker with you today. Move aside, I need to work.”
With that, she picked up two bags of seed and walked towards the plaza without turning back.
“I’m sorry…” The girl bowed in embarrassment. “Balshan is just…”
“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” Charms waved his hands and shrugged the matter off magnanimously, then carried a bag of seed and followed along.
In truth, he had been long looking forward to this day, and had drawn countless scenarios in his head. There was a new play at Neverwinter’s theater and he had booked two tickets and planned to invite the other party out after work.
The two gals were Witches of the Sleeping Spell. Their meeting could even be hailed as dramatic, When the girl boarded the train for the first time to assist in the construction at Station No. 2, they had accidentally missed their stop. At that time, she weeped like a tear-stained beauty while gazing out into the vast plains not knowing what to do. By her side, Balshan was also at a loss. Faced with the unfamiliar people and land, they maintained vigilant and guarded, yet were afraid and frightened like cats who had their tails stepped on.
Helpless, Charms could only stop the train and send them over to the train that was traveling in the other direction. He informed the driver about their destination and eventually got the two to Station No. 2 by nightfall.
He thought that it was an accidental encounter and would never meet them again. Who would have thought that the two Witches were sent to help at the station.
In the course of time, they gradually got familiar with each other, and he finally learned her name—Dusk.
