#1224 Help Has Arrived 

And that’s how our train-vs.-carriage delivery duel went down. 

Unsurprisingly, the carriage side won in a landslide. 
It was bound to happen. The train team might as well have tried to build a scale model with pruning shears. 

Precision work is out of the question, so the meticulous carriage crew takes the cake. 

But it’s not that I wanted the train to lose.  
I just hoped this match would spotlight everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, so we could learn from each other and get even better together. 

Did everyone pick up that lesson? 

“Gwaaaahahaha! Do you finally get it? You upstarts can’t hope to compete with the centuries of experience backing the Wagon Guild!!!”  
“Grrrrrr! You relics of a bygone era don’t even realize you’re the ones about to be left behind!” 

Nope. 
This isn’t a teachable moment at all.  

The victors gloat, the losers seethe. 
The hope that fierce competition would forge bonds was nothing but a total fantasy. 

“That’s right! This outcome is unacceptable!”  

Even Miss Kimeri pipes up.  
The place is teeming with glory-obsessed ghosts of victory past. 

“I get that trains have their pros and cons, but delivery and transport are two different concepts! We should judge this by the transport perspective, where trains really shine!”  
“Exactly! Stop cherry-picking only the parts you excel at!” 

Miss Kimeri and the triple-hybrid train trio protest in perfect sync. 
What even is happening? 

“Hooohohoho! Fine, we’ll treat this as just the first of three matches. Though everyone knows the wagons will win again!”  

Even the Wagon Guildmaster is getting carried away! 

Wait, come back to your senses!  
If we go head-to-head, you guys will just lose every time! 

“…Anyway, just admit defeat gracefully on this first bout.” 
“Yeah! Best out of three!” 

Suddenly, we’re locked into a three-round format…! 

“For the second round, let’s focus on speed and endurance—the predefined rules. Does that sound good to you, Lord Saint?!” 

Uh… sure...! 
Because I rigged the first round, now they’re treating me like the enemy? 

I’m a modern guy with a sensitive spirit. Directed hostility wounds me more than you know. 

Meanwhile, the Guildmaster turns to me... 

“Lord Saint! How about lending us your brilliance again and guiding us to victory?!” 

He has completely misread me as their ally.  

These guys are way too into the moment. 
All I wanted was a simple, supportive vibe, where we figure out each other’s strengths and weaknesses and help each other out. That’s it. 

Hmm, if I channel my inner strategist…  
... 
Yeah, I’ll throw the second match. 

“Whaaaat?!”  

Don’t worry. 
It’s best-of-three, so even if you drop this round, you won’t lose overall. 

By dragging the decision into the third match and sacrificing the second from the start, I’ll buy myself some time. 

While that’s happening, I’ll come up with a solid plan.  
Call it “thinking time.” 

What I’m really fighting for is a world where everyone understands each other and stands together in peace. 
The third match will be all about striving for that world. 
Mutual understanding, you know? 

“Urk… but having to hand over round two so blatantly still stings...” 

The Wagon Guildmaster’s frustration shows. 

Well, to be fair, the second match is obviously tilted in the trains’ favor, so struggling is kind of pointless. 

In a pure speed contest, it’d be weird if an animal could beat a machine. 
Seeing them both show off their strengths like this, I can’t help but feel despair at humanity’s refusal to acknowledge each other’s merits. 

Is it really so impossible for them to just take each other’s hand and walk toward a peaceful ending? 

“All right, we’re ready! Simple rule: depart from Rondmelt Station and race to Farm Station. Any vehicle’s fair game. Our rail team sends Alpha to the line!” 
“I’ll run, so victory’s guaranteed! I’ll show you beyond the finish line!”  

Ichiro has already transformed into train form, engine revving like it's ready to shoot off down the tracks any second. 

Well, if you let him run, no horse alive could keep up. They’d be eating dust before the race even started. 

But the reason trains beat horses isn’t just because they’re fast. 
It’s because they run on routes that have already been cleared and laid out in advance. No detours, no delays, just a smooth ride straight to the goal. 

Compared to a horse-drawn carriage, where you have to navigate and build your own route as you go, trains are several levels more efficient. 

…Not that anyone really needs that explained. 

“Hrm… which horse should we bet on…?!” 

The master of the Wagon Guild is still agonizing over which draft horse to enter into the match. 

“If we’re talking raw horsepower, then it’s got to be Brutalion, that beast can pull two carriages without breaking a sweat. But if it’s speed, then Tulip Vincent’s our guy—nothing outruns him in a sprint! Most of our carriages are built for long distances, though…” 

Honestly, it doesn’t matter what horse he picks. Against a train, none of them stand a chance. 

Let’s not overthink it. Just throw the second round and call it a strategic loss. 

…Hmm? 
What’s that? 
A single, glowing point of light in the sky…?! 

“Wh-Wh-What's that?!” 
“It’s a horse! A glowing horse flying through the sky?!” 
“Is it… a divine messenger?!” 

What the heck? 
A radiant, flying horse soaring across the heavens? No way that’s real. Even in a fantasy world, there’s gotta be some limits… 

…Wait, scratch that. 
This is a fantasy world. Of course there’s a flying horse glowing like a divine spotlight.  

And hold up… Don’t I know that horse? 

“Sakamoto?!” 

That's right, my beloved steed. 
It’s Sakamoto, the homunculus dragon-horse! 

Sakamoto was originally created using merfolk homunculus technology by Zoth Syra. A fusion of dragon and thoroughbred genes born from cutting-edge fantasy biotech. 

With half his body made from pure dragon genetic material, he’s far faster than any normal horse and can even ignore gravity and air resistance to fly. 

I’ve been relying on Sakamoto as my main mode of transport lately. In fact, he’s the reason I even made it to this city today. 

I figured while I was handling my business, he’d be off grazing somewhere in the nearby mountains, enjoying the wild grass... 

"What’s up, Sakamoto? Craving a carrot or something?" 

Don’t tell me you’ve gotten too refined for plain grass? 
Well, considering the genes you’re working with, I guess it’s not impossible you'd turn into a bit of a gourmet... 

But Sakamoto snorts with clear dissatisfaction. 
Okay, so it’s not food. 
Then what are you after? 

While I stand there confused, trying to read his mood… he trots straight toward the wagons prepped by the Guild. 

Wait… does that mean…? 
You’re trying to enter the race?! 

"Brrrrrhh!!!" 

That affirmative neigh says it all. 

I mean… sure, Sakamoto, technically you're a kind of horse, so maybe you do qualify to compete, but still! 

What made you decide to sign up all of a sudden...?! 

Wait a second. Could it be…? 

Lately, I have been using that combined mecha for travel.  
I rode it from the farm to Farm Station a few times, too. 

Are you feeling… threatened?! 

Is this your way of reminding everyone that you’re still top dog—er, top horse?! 

"NEIGHHIIHHHNN!!!" 

That snort carries a message loud and clear: “Don’t get cocky, newbie.” 

So this is what lit a fire in Sakamoto’s competitive soul…?! 

This just got interesting. 

The Wagon Guild vs. Otherworld Railway Round Two: 
Sakamoto the Dragon-Horse enters the fray!!!