Chapter 615: No Matter Who Is the Loser, the Demon King Definitely Isn

"Clang—clang—"

The "Prince" train raced across the boundless fields, the vibration of its wheels over the rail joints jolted Luo Yan's thoughts.

Inside the lavishly decorated royal carriage, the air, wrapped in a magical barrier, hung thick with a cloying, sticky sweetness.

Due to Edward's last-minute cancellation, the number of passengers originally scheduled for this carriage dropped from three to two.

The attendants who were supposed to come in to serve tea and water had all vanished into thin air, appearing only when the bell rang to disturb.

Erin sat directly across from Luo Yan.

She wore a dark travel cloak over a clean, light-colored day dress; the pearl-white collar framed her silver hair and cheeks flushed with an unyielding blush.

Because magic existed in this world—a convenient thing—soot and white smoke could not enter the carriage; one only picked up traces upon disembarking.

At this moment, she stared fixedly out the window, seemingly captivated by the scenery outside, leaving only a burning red ear for the man seated opposite.

To be honest, Luo Yan worried she'd keep this posture and wake up with a stiff neck after getting off.

But he himself seemed too preoccupied to tease Erin; after all, he too was enduring a different kind of torment—

Every kilometer the train advanced toward Lei Ming City, Prince Colin drew one kilometer closer to "losing his disguise."

Watching the scenery rapidly recede outside the window, Luo Yan had never imagined he'd wish this journey would last longer.

Was this not the very definition of picking up a stone only to drop it on one's own foot?

It was said that before the railway connecting the northern and southern regions of the Campbell Duchy opened, Lei Ming City was a famous "elopement destination" among the valley nobility.

Some nobles kept a legally wedded wife in their castles, then went to Lei Ming City to give their lovers a formal status.

One must admit, the nobility of the Os Continent were still quite human in reality, unlike the blasphemous portrayals in "Zhong Sheng."

Conversely, the priests of Lei Ming City were less conservative than those in remote regions; like the Colin Grand Theater, they offered "VIP access" for a fee.

Nobles and gentry from Graston Castle needed only to pay a modest sum to have the three public readings and final vows secretly completed behind closed doors.

As long as no one knew, no one would object, and nobles could marry n times.

After all, the priests of Lei Ming City had no reason to waste time traveling all the way to distant Graston Castle to investigate and verify every new couple.

Not to mention it would harm their clients' interests—what if they ended up getting themselves investigated and exposed?

Thus, lovers gained a status convincing enough for their families, and illegitimate children no longer had to languish in orphanages.

But now that the duchy had trains, such operations would be considerably harder.

After all, the lawful wife could buy a ticket and arrive in Lei Ming City the very same day, without hesitating due to the three-day-and-night horse ride or seasickness, ultimately deciding to turn a blind eye and avoid trouble.

This was one of the ways the train disrupted the old era.

Though the nobles would soon catch up to Lei Ming City's "trendiness"—if love existed, formal status didn't matter.

But ideological decline takes time; at least for now, these "sea kings" were still suffering the pain of capsizing.

Perhaps the resentment of the lovers and illegitimate children whose umbrellas had been stolen had coalesced into karmic gales, blowing away Prince Colin's own umbrella in return.

If so, he owed an apology to the other orphans—blame him, the orphan who came from hell.

If you must hate someone, hate Luo Ke instead.

Or hate hell itself.

To ease this sweet yet bitter awkwardness, Luo Yan picked up a plump tangerine from the fruit tray, his slender fingers expertly peeling the rind, removing the white pith, and offering a translucent, glistening segment.

"Erin, have some fruit."

Erin did not turn, nor did she speak.

Luo Yan assumed she was too shy to talk and was about to withdraw his hand, when he noticed her posture was stiff, her nose nearly pressed against the glass.

The gaze that had once masked her shyness now truly froze outside the window, as if witnessing some impossible miracle.

Luo Yan followed her gaze.

The train had now entered the heart of Lei Ming County, less than twenty kilometers from the city known as the "City of Miracles."

A year before Erin left, this land had been muddy and barren; during the rainy season, country roads turned into swamps that swallowed carriages whole.

The thatched huts along those roads were dilapidated; only the towering windmills could be called respectable, while all other buildings were as haphazard as patches on a serf's clothes.

But now, everything had been transformed by an unimaginable force.

A straight gravel road cut across the railway like a gray ribbon slicing through the green fields.

The thatched huts scattered among the fields had vanished, replaced by rows of red-and-white brick houses, sturdy and neat.

Farther away, massive red-brick factories rose from the ground like castles of the new age; towering chimneys tirelessly spewed thick white smoke into the sky.

In this era, no one would be so pretentious as to call it pollution.

After all, the people of Campbell had just entered the first stage of industrialization—the happiest growth phase any industrial civilization experiences in its lifecycle.

The cake grown from the land was large enough for everyone to have a slice.

"Saint Sis above…"

Erin couldn't help but gasp, for she had seen something even more bewildering—something she had never witnessed on her previous journeys.

On the wasteland beside the railway, several strange-looking machines moved slowly.

Their locomotives belched steam like monsters smoking cigars, but they were much smaller than train engines, pulling not carriages but a row of metal plows.

Amid deafening roars, they effortlessly turned the hard earth that once required several oxen to pull.

In the past, farmers of Lei Ming County never chose to clear land in summer; the best window was late autumn to winter.

But now, they could even do it in summer!

A few old yellow oxen stood at the edge of the field ridges, their eyes wide as copper bells, forgetting even to chew the grass in their mouths.

Perhaps they too were pondering their oxen lives and where their futures lay.

Beside the machines belching black smoke, several farmers in coarse work clothes frantically operated levers, their faces flushed with tension and excitement.

Standing beside them were several "townspeople" dressed in relatively respectable attire, gesturing wildly as if instructing the farmers how to control these stubborn iron beasts.

Everything visible to Erin felt incongruous, yet strangely harmonious, leaving her spellbound.

"That's a tractor—the latest product from Lei Ming City's industrial zone."

Strictly speaking, it was a product of Bei Feng City.

Long ago, players from the Great Cemetery had mounted steam engines onto rails, then further refined them onto wheels and tracks.

These advanced technologies had, over the past six months, been channeled through player networks into Lei Ming City; some astute life-profession players and guilds had already begun investing here, turning it into their "branch base."

Though these individuals were not the main actors of this industrial wave and felt no deep attachment to this land, their bustling figures, driven by silver coins and contribution points, became a vital lubricant for this wave of industrialization.

Colin's voice echoed in her ear, pulling Erin back from her shock; only then did she realize she had been so absorbed she'd forgotten the man in the carriage.

"Thank you."

Erin blushed as she accepted the tangerine segment and gently placed it in her mouth.

Its soft texture reminded her of last night's tenderness—after all, it was her first kiss; she wondered if it had been his too…

Her head grew hotter with each thought.

Bowing her head, Erin wished she could find a crack in the floor and crawl into it—until the tangerine juice burst between her lips, so sour she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Luo Yan quickly handed her a tissue.

"Sorry, I didn't taste it—I didn't know it was this sour."

"Cough… It's fine, I… accidentally choked." Erin swallowed hard, then noticed the tissue in her hand and realized she could've spat it out; finally, she blushed and wiped her mouth.

"Drink some water." Watching Erin flustered, Luo Yan offered her a cup of hot water he had prepared earlier.

Erin blushed again as she accepted it.

"Th-thank you."

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"You're welcome."

Thanks to that tangerine, the stiffness in the carriage had eased considerably; the awkwardness from when they first boarded had vanished.

Holding the water cup Colin had given her in both hands, she lowered her head, watching the mist curl above the rim, her index finger circling gently along the edge.

After a moment of silence, she looked again out the window, her gaze dreamy as she voiced her thoughts.

"…Just one year has passed, yet it feels as if a century has gone by here. My brother told me you brought miracles to Campbell—I thought it was just polite flattery. Now, seeing this outside the window, I finally understand the weight of those words."

Earlier, as they passed a small town, she had seen a cake topped with cream in the window of a newly renovated bakery.

Though she didn't know its price, the fact that the baker had made it and displayed it meant people here could afford it.

Long ago, such a sweet treat could only be seen in the windows of Lei Ming City's urban shops, never appearing in such remote places.

Having something was better than having nothing.

Luo Yan smiled, tossed the tangerine peel into the trash, then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands, speaking in a casual tone.

"This isn't a miracle, nor is it my personal achievement—I'd rather call it the power of many."

"The power of many…"

"Yes."

Watching Erin murmur the words, Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"It's a force capable of reshaping heaven and earth—when they unite and push downward, you've already seen the dusk province. When they unite and push upward, they can hold up a sky even the gods have never seen."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the window as well, speaking casually.

"…As for me, I'm just another passenger on this train, and at best, I've polished the rusted wheels and rails a little."

At that moment, the train let out a loud whistle.

White steam swept past the window, blurring the fields beyond, as Lei Ming City's station came into view.

In the rear carriages, at the smoking area, Deputy Dibico's face twisted in shock, his cigar nearly dropping from his fingers.

He hadn't expected that in just half a month, a vast construction site had sprung up around the once-empty train station!

"Saint Sis above…" Dibico, who had departed from here only half a month ago, uttered the same exclamation as the recently returned princess.

And in that sigh, there was also a trace of regret, similar to that of his old rival, Councilor Horace.

These guys moved too fast!

…

With a long whistle tearing through the sky, the "Prince" train glided slowly into the suburban railway station of Lei Ming City, like a steel dragon returning to its nest.

Beneath the newly laid glass dome, sunlight was sliced by steel supports into brick-like patches of light, spilling onto the crowded platform.

The bustling platform had not been cleared for Princess Ailin's return; instead, it was filled with dizzying noise and activity.

Porters dashed along the platform's edge, carrying heavy crates; railway staff whistled to coordinate order; newsboys waved copies of the Lei Ming City Daily, their ink-scented papers colliding squarely with Horace as he stepped off the train.

"Sir! Sorry for blocking your way! You seem in a hurry—you must be a man of great business! And I happen to have the latest issue of the Lei Ming City Daily—you can read it in your carriage, saving you the trouble of looking around!"

Horace didn't buy the paper, but he dropped two sheets of paper into the newsboy's hand, speaking urgently.

"Where is the land auction taking place nearby? Take me there right away!"

According to Horace's experience, no one knew the rumors of these alleys better than newsboys—they lived here every day.

As for why he gave two silver pounds, it was simply because he was in such a rush his hand slipped.

The boy blinked, saw the two silver pounds in his hand, and broke into a wide grin, shoving the bills into his pocket and snapping shut his satchel.

"By Saint Cis… may He bless you, sir! This way!"

Too rushed to mourn the extra silver pound, Horace gritted his teeth and followed the boy.

He struggled to keep pace with the boy's swift strides, forcing a polite smile as he spoke to the lad ahead.

"What's your name?"

"Rul! Sir!"

"You seem sharp—are you from around here?"

"Of course! I've lived here since I was a child! I know every brick here—new and old alike!"

"Excellent! Then tell me, after passengers get off, which way do they usually go? I want to know which side is more crowded…"

"Right down this road, sir!"

To recoup the extra silver pound, the panting Horace asked a flood of questions, but gradually realized he was unexpectedly in sync with this boy named Rul.

The fellow was a natural salesman.

He'd just mentioned his plan to invest in a "Horace" train, and the boy, while praising the brilliant idea, suggested letting Miss Qiqi wear clothes from Horace Textile Factory.

This genius idea stunned Horace—why hadn't he thought of advertising on Miss Eloise herself?!

Though the Iris Troupe's actors wore hand-tailored high-end custom garments, that didn't mean Horace Textile Factory couldn't supply their clothing!

He could simply pay a sponsorship fee, hire two tailors to alter their outfits, then openly publish the news in the paper—

Miss Eloise's dress was made by Horace Textile Factory!

He could already foresee every woman in Lei Ming City going mad for the name Horace.

Looking at this sharp-witted boy, Horace grew fonder by the moment.

Thinking it better to trust fate than waste another silver pound on distant efforts, he handed the boy a business card.

"I plan to open a… perhaps several shops, targeting railway passengers. You have experience in this—would you be interested in partnering with the great Councilor Horace?"

"Councilor? You… you're a councilor?" Rul's eyes widened in shock—he never imagined this nobleman would speak to him.

Though Councilor Horace was a minor figure before Baron Gus, to Rul, living in the suburbs, this man was the greatest figure he could imagine.

"Correct. You can find me at the address on the card."

"So we're looking for shop locations? How many shops are you planning to open?! You've found the right man—I'm the best newsboy on this street; ask anyone, they'll tell you!"

Clutching the card, Rul's palms were slick with sweat—but behind him, Councilor Horace was nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

"Wherever the Duke's railway extends, my shops will follow… Ha! By Saint Cis, how much farther do we have to walk? If it's over a kilometer, let's just hire a carriage—don't waste money on this!"

As Horace leaned on his knees, gasping by the roadside, Princess Ailin and Prince Colin finally pushed through the crowd and exited the station.

Thanks to the Iris Troupe absorbing the attention, Ailin and Luo Yan had disembarked quietly and drawn no commotion on the platform; they were soon guided into the VIP passage.

The Northern Rescue Army's victory parade would take place in three days; right now, those fifty thousand young men were still resting in the Granston Camp.

For a railway system in the Duchy that had only been operational for less than two weeks, transporting fifty thousand soldiers back to Lei Ming City in such a short time was an extreme test of rail capacity and logistics.

Standing at the station entrance, Ailin stood with her mouth slightly open, her face filled with disbelief at the sight before her.

The narrow, muddy streets, once reeking of horse dung, had vanished. In their place stretched a wide, smooth black road.

The chaotic wooden shacks along the roadside had also disappeared, replaced by rows of neat, uniform red-brick villas.

But what stunned Ailin most were the cast-iron lamp posts standing along both sides of the road!

"Those… are streetlights?"

In the year 1054 of the Os Continent, streetlights were not tools for illumination—they were symbols of royal majesty.

Even in Lei Ming City, streetlights were a luxury reserved exclusively for Empress Street.

In Ailin's memory, the city council had once argued for days over which streets deserved lighting.

Yet now, these symbols of order had spread all the way to the suburbs!

This was far too extravagant!

Standing beside Ailin, Luo Yan assumed she was astonished by the straight black road below, and smiled as he took on the role of guide.

"Our engineers accidentally discovered a byproduct called coal tar during coal gas refinement."

Actually, it wasn't accidental.

Players had known about it for a long time, and the roads of Bei Feng City had been using coal tar to cut costs for years.

"Coal gas?" Ailin repeated the unfamiliar term, and Luo Yan immediately understood—her shock was over the streetlights.

His gaze turned ahead, and he smiled.