334 Only Two Hours
"Did the Raevens know about it?" The emperor said as he turned his face to Uncle Steville. "Like you, Your Imperial Majesty, I don't know anything about it either. I am still in shock." Uncle gravely said as he shook his head. "All they said was that this type of transportation would be several times faster than a carriage, but I could not believe it would be that fast." "You also don't know, huh. But still, with this technological advancement, any travel on the continent would be exponentially revolutionized. Whether it is people, goods, or letters, all of it could be transported drastically shorter than anticipated. This transportation system is so good it has the potential to become bad if used wrong." "You're absolutely right, Your Imperial Majesty." The prime minister agreed with the emperor. "The trains cannot only transport passengers, but can also be used to mobilize an entire army division in a matter of time. If someone managed to steal and replicate this technology, it could significantly affect the progression of warfare." Wherever the world was, nations tended to use any available technology to improve their military quality, whether it was the old-fashioned way or the latest tech. One example was the bolt-action rifles Rick manufactured in Astley, which greatly contributed to the victory of the revolutionary army in the recent civil war. After being witnessed by several imperial scouts during the war, the empire immediately purchased a large number of karabiners, which eventually made the use of muskets obsolete. Since the empire could not recreate the karabiner completely, Rick had been making a killing out of them. One important aspect of the military was troop transport, and nations had spent fortunes to effectively shorten the travel time between two points. Currently, the methods of troop transportation are marching, horseback riding, and riding on vehicles such as carriages and wagons. There were teleportation magic spells, yes, but they were confidential military intelligence, a trump card that must be kept hidden from the enemy's knowledge. The emperor and prime minister were aware of the positive and negative impacts of the trains on the world, as they could be applied commercially and militarily. But I hoped they could see it more on the positive side. "Speaking of, are there any stations beyond Lavender City?"
"Actually, we have not requested neighboring nations permissions to extend the railway system in their domains, so the only two stations are in this city and in Lavender. But we are currently working for the documentation and patents of this system so that this would become operational as soon as possible." "I see." "Your Imperial Majesty," Rick, who was sitting beside Mark, Sophia's brother, and my cousin, spoke. "Regarding that matter, I already have discussed it with King Paul Astley, and he personally thinks that the train is a great invention. All he needs to do is wait for the documents and then sign it." "Permission is indeed needed to operate businesses legally." "Let's say that we are planning to extend the rails to the empire. Would the empire allow our trains to operate in the empire?" When Mother opened that topic, the representatives of the empire glanced at one another before they nodded all together. "Hmm... This vehicle is indeed convenient... and frightening at the same time. Personally, I think it is revolutionary and it would definitely improve the way of transportation on the continent. But I cannot decide on my own, so I have to consult with the ministers." "I understand, Your Imperial Majesty, please take your time." "Thank you, Lady Raevender." His Imperial Majesty smiled before he took a sip of his cup.