Chapter 513: The Principality's New Look

Lei En originally planned to stay at Red Dragon Fortress until his son was a month old.

However, he has too many matters to handle.

The duties of the Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng council, a few students, the affairs of Gra Morgan Ling and the principality, as well as his own various researches, etc.; some can be postponed, but many require his timely decision.

Yigan had just been away for two days when the Mechanical Guild's vice president Akarand came knocking.

"Lei En." Guided by a Scale-Guard Blood Guard, Akarand found Lei En teasing his son and laughed loudly: "You really gave me a good hunt." He glanced at the gradually growing Rex, "Congratulations on becoming a father; this child already shows boundless future."

"Thank you." Lei En modestly nodded, knowing the other was merely offering polite compliments, yet feeling quite happy inside.

Perhaps this is what being a parent feels like.

He handed the babbling Rex to the nurse's arms, turned back to appraise the wind‑blown Akarand, and asked, "You're in such a hurry to find me—do you have something important?"

The two have maintained close cooperation these years, becoming very familiar, so their interaction is rather casual.

"No nonsense!" Akarand glared: "Did you forget what today is?"

"What day?" Lei En couldn't recall at the moment.

"The Twin Dragon Railway officially opens today." Akarand replied irritably: "This railway was your proposal; after more than two years of construction it's finally opening. As the owner of the railway, you should appear and attend the opening ceremony, right?"

"Sorry, that's my fault." Lei En felt a bit embarrassed.

The Twin Dragon Railway was indeed his concept; the first phase began at the principality's capital Dragon Ridge City, linked to another northern city of Augustus Principality, Stream City, then followed the coast northward, passing three major cities within Zhuogeng Fortress Principality, finally reaching the Royal Capital Kingsland's port.

Later there will be a second phase, with the railway crossing Giant Dragon Forest to connect five cities in the southern principality.

The third phase is planned even farther, to link all five principalities in the central and southern Kangjiatuo, aiming first to boost the economies of the cities along the line, and second to facilitate the export of Augustus Principality's industrial goods abroad while bringing back raw materials.

Once the railway network is fully completed, it will become Kangjiatuo's economic lifeline.

Lei En took out his communicator, checked the time, saw that morning was just past half past, and laughed, "We can still make it if we go now, right?"

The opening ceremony is held at the inaugural station of the Royal Capital Kingsland, not far from Red Dragon Fortress, located in the eastern port district; a horseback ride takes only a dozen minutes.

"Everyone's waiting for you," Akarand stood up and said.

"Then let's set off."

Lei En had someone notify Emilyss; the guard returned saying the sovereign also intends to attend the ceremony, making the departure even more grand.

A moment later, Lei En and Akarand boarded Emilyss's luxurious carriage, escorted by Scale-Guard Blood Guards at the front and rear, with nearly three hundred transcendental knights clearing the way; the grand procession left Red Dragon Fortress, drawing the roadside pedestrians to stop and watch.

Akarand had seen Emilyss a few times before; although his strength exceeds hers slightly, the intangible authority of the crown makes him somewhat restrained.

Emilyss asked several questions about the Mechanical Guild and the railway, and he answered them in great detail.

Lei En watched from the side, feeling a bit puzzled.

Akarand's soul and emotions fluctuated noticeably; his demeanor was so careful it bordered on flattery, not merely because of Emilyss's queenly status, but likely because he had a request of her.

Thinking of the past years' cooperation with the Mechanical Guild—always yielding, bearing costs, offering various concessions, even taking loss‑making deals just to fully mechanize Augustus Principality—Lei En suspected that the guild's plan was not satisfied with Augustus alone, but had set its sights on the entire Kangjiatuo kingdom.

"The Mechanical Guild's ambition is huge!"

Lei En couldn't help but think to himself.

Soon, the queen's convoy entered the port district and arrived at the newly completed Royal Capital train station.

The station's style clashed with the surrounding architecture; a five‑story building towered like a crane among chickens, its cement‑reinforced exterior painted gray, with the massive characters "Royal Capital Station" atop, each taller than a person, emitting dazzling red light at night, visible from miles away.

Beneath the building, one side housed a spacious platform, its roof supported by steel trusses, shielding wind and rain.

Lei En had only seen the station's design plans before; seeing the real thing, he was momentarily stunned.

The train stations of his childhood looked just like this.

As he grew up, most stations were upgraded to more advanced bullet‑train hubs; he never expected to revisit that feeling in another world.

For railway transport, he founded the "Augustus Railway Company," holding half the shares himself and half by the Mechanical Guild; daily operations and steam‑train maintenance are handled by the guild, while station staff are locally hired with benefits far exceeding ordinary jobs, causing quite a stir at the time.

At this moment, the station is packed with people, the platform and its surroundings clogged to the point of being impassable.

Most people are not there to ride, but to watch the spectacle.

The transcendental security forces have already been fully deployed, maintaining order, and clearing a passage at the station's main gate for the queen's convoy.

The carriage stopped at the ticket hall entrance.

Lei En, Akarand, and Emilyss disembarked; the surrounding crowd, separated by Scale-Guard Blood Guards, immediately fell half‑kneeling in a huge wave, with someone shouting loudly, "Salute the queen!"

The person in charge of the Royal Capital station stood respectfully at the foot of the steps; he is a senior mechanic transferred from the Empire by the Mechanical Guild, responsible not only for the station's management but also the railway company's general manager, possessing extensive transport management experience.

The mechanic led several key managers of the railway company forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."

Then he greeted Lei En and Akarand, "Duke, Vice‑President."

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Emilyss has been queen for several years, and such scenes have long become routine; she smiled, waved to the surrounding citizens, then was ushered into the station hall.

Inside the hall, the crowd was partitioned by Scale-Guard Blood Guards; the mechanic escorted Emilyss's party on a tour of the entire station, walked through the railway company's offices upstairs, and finally returned to the platform where a brand‑new steam train waited on the tracks, ready to depart.

The steam train's metal shell was painted a striking green; the first glance may seem odd, but the longer one looks, the more pleasant it feels.

In fact, this was Lei En's strong request.

Of the twelve carriages, most are already filled with passengers; only the rear luxury carriage remains empty, reserved especially for Lei En and Akarand.

After a solemn ceremony presided over by the queen herself, Lei En and Akarand waved farewell to Emilyss, boarded the train, and the locomotive let out a deafening whistle, white steam billowing from the top, and, under the curious gazes of thousands of Royal Capital citizens, slowly rolled out of the platform.

Wooo!

Moreover, moreover, moreover, moreover…

The rhythmic friction between wheels and rails sounded familiar to Lei En, evoking memories of his past life. The train ran smoothly, gradually gaining speed, and soon left Kingsland far behind, racing swiftly along the tracks.

Lei En gazed at the passing scenery, estimating the steam train's speed at about eighty kilometers per hour, matching the Empire's trains.

This speed is just right; faster would risk excessive coal consumption, slower would lower the railway's utilization and waste its transport potential.

"How does that sound?"

Akarand, seated opposite, took a sip of the tea the attendant served, his body relaxing comfortably on the soft sofa, and asked leisurely, "Duke, are you satisfied?"

"Excellent!" Lei En nodded, indicating his satisfaction.

The Mechanical Guild's cooperation these past few years has indeed left no stone unturned, but it also makes him more suspicious of the Mechanical Guild's motives.

"Take your time admiring the scenery along the way; I'm going to take a nap," Akaland stretched lazily, "Wake me up when we reach Dragon Ridge City."

Having said that, he fell asleep quickly.

However, the Soul Eye saw that Akaland had not truly entered sleep; his soul waves were still very active, clearly feigning slumber.

"That guy…"

Lei En let out a low hum, guessing that Akaland was afraid of being asked questions he shouldn't be, and thus resorted to feigning sleep to evade.

Never mind, take the advantage while it lasts; the Mechanical Guild's purpose will sooner or later be exposed.

Twin Dragon Railway Phase I spans less than four hundred li in total, passing four stations, the first three of which lie within the Zhuogeng Fortress Principality; each stop lasts about ten minutes for passengers to board and alight. After a little over three hours, the steam train finally entered the Augustus Principality, and the scenery outside the window changed quickly.

Vast swaths of newly cultivated fields, all neatly planned and planted with the same crops, present a pleasing sight from afar.

There are not many farmers laboring in the fields.

Half of them operate steam‑powered mechanical farm tools, resembling simplified, modified automobiles, performing sowing, fertilizing, and mowing; one person's efficiency can match that of dozens, even hundreds, of people.

When the train passes, these farmers cast glances, but unlike the farmers of Zhuogeng Fortress Principality they are not startled; after a quick look they resume their work, as if already accustomed.

Ahead, Stream City draws nearer, and villages and towns along the railway become increasingly dense.

Gradually, one can see smooth roads, with motorcycles of various models racing along—two‑wheelers, three‑wheelers, and occasionally four‑wheel cars loaded with cargo shuttling between the city and the outskirts.

The train has not yet entered the city, yet from afar one can see towering smokestacks spewing white smoke and steam into the sky.

These are factories under Lei En's ownership, administered by the City Hall, roughly a dozen in number.

Stream City's walls were demolished within three years, and the steam train rolled directly into the station situated in the city; as it stopped, Lei En saw the crowd outside weaving like fabric.

The wide avenues have been rebuilt, accommodating six cars side by side; the streets are clean and tidy, constantly swept. Pedestrians move briskly, each with a job; their attire is neater and sturdier than that of people in other principalities, their faces flushed, and despite fatigue they appear fulfilled.

Not far away, from the God of Magic's temple school, the sounds of students reading and reciting letters drifted out.

Construction sites pepper the city, erecting schools, factories, and apartment blocks; once completed, they will house more people and draw rural folk into the city.

The whole city exudes vigor and vitality.

If someone left Stream City three years ago and returned now, they would scarcely recognize this city, once close to the sea yet perpetually impoverished; its transformation is beyond description.

The same changes are not limited to Stream City; the seven cities of Augustus are all developing at a rapid pace, though to varying degrees.

The guard at Stream Station recognized Lei En on the train, his face alight with excitement, and hurried to inform the mayor.

However, when the mayor arrived, he only saw the train's departing plume, and could not help pounding his chest and stamping his feet, regretting that he did not know teleportation magic and missed the prime chance to report face‑to‑face to the Duke.

The steam train continued for nearly an hour before reaching the journey's terminus—Dragon Ridge City.

(End of Chapter)