#1222 The Victims of the Paradigm Shift 

The name's Cretes Ponaka. 

I’m the head behind the Wagon Guild that handles logistics nationwide. 

Hauling goods by carriage is trickier than it sounds—there are turf wars, delicate ties with merchant houses, and a single misstep in a deal can turn deadly. That’s why mediators like me are indispensable. 

Our job is to allocate our drivers from crowded cities to remote villages, making sure every shipment flows smoothly.  
Thanks to us, no town ever runs out of what it needs, and no one’s left jobless because of overcrowding. 

That, in a nutshell, is why the Wagon Guild exists.  
And really, it’s true of every profession-based guild out there. 

Every transporter must register with us before buying a carriage or pack animals and join the Guild, no exceptions.  
It keeps conflicts between peers to a minimum and clamps down on smugglers. 

We logisticians always balance on the edge of illicit trade.  
Sometimes we’re even falsely accused of smuggling things we’ve never seen... to guard against that, mutual support within the Guild is vital. 

…Not to mention it lets us keep an eye on every profitable opportunity. 

We owe it to our countless haulers to keep them well-off, so we sniff out money-making ventures at every turn.  
Luckily, transporting essentials means these opportunities practically jump into our lap. 

Take the new Farm Kingdom, for example. 
 

...It reeks of big money. 

Building an entire country is a colossal project. 
And big projects gulp down supplies by the ton.  

Both the Demon Kingdom and the Human Kingdom have pledged support, sending staggering loads of materials. 

Moving all that cargo is our bread and butter.  
As expected, we raked in a fortune. 

We sent most of our guild members out, gathering relief supplies from every corner and hauling them to the frontier settlements.  

Our industry is riding high. Booming, even.  
You could call it a wartime economy-level windfall. 

We’re enjoying the prosperity, and in a recent guild executive meeting, we decide to ramp up manpower to the Farm Kingdom. 

Winter’s coming, after all, and we’ll need to ship even more goods.  
That’s why we’re increasing our workforce to rake in even more profit! 

Or so we think… until we enter negotiations. 

“...Huh?! You don’t need any more people?!” 
“That’s right. We don’t.” 

Today, I’m sitting down with Lady Kimeri, the governor of Rondmelt. 
It’s the town closest to the Farm Kingdom and the frontline of their logistics network. 

I expect a quick yes to our offer, but instead, I get this stonewall reaction. 
I start sweating. Fast. 

“Why not?! Winter’s almost here! You’ll need outside supplies more than ever! Isn’t proper support absolutely essential?! We’re offering to provide full transport support...!” 
“Of course, winter prep is necessary. Our city has been ordered by the Demon King himself to guarantee the absolute success of the frontier settlement. Supporting it to the fullest is our top priority.” 

Right?!  
Then please, let us bring in more haulers! 
If we don’t want the settlers starving out there in the cold, shouldn’t we put together the strongest supply system possible?! 

“Yes, and that’s exactly why we already have a fully operational support system.” 

Huh? 

“Supplies from all over are reaching the frontier without any issues. That’s why we don’t need more manpower.” 

No... 
Wait, wait, wait, hold on…! 

That can’t be right! 
According to our calculations, transporting everything with the current number of haulers should take forever! 

And yet the supply chain is working smoothly? 
That only makes sense if someone’s breaking the rules! 

Could it be unauthorized haulers who aren’t part of the Wagon Guild?! 

Governor Kimeri! That’s a serious problem! 
Hiring unsanctioned haulers, without proper guild oversight, could cause total chaos in operations...not to mention open the door to criminal activity! 

Surely, you’d be better off hiring fully certified guild members like us! 

“I understand your concerns, Guildmaster, and they are valid. However, I can assure you that there’s no foul play here.” 

So, they are bringing in people from outside the guild?! 
Who the hell is doing this?! 

Buying a wagon without registering with the guild is completely illegal! 
That kind of operation can’t possibly be safe! 
Please, Governor, reconsider your approach! 

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. They’re not using wagons at all.” 

Hah?! That’s ridiculous! 
Without wagons, the amount you can haul is laughably small. 
There’s no way you can sustain a shipping operation like that. 

“The times are changing. Wagons are no longer the only standard in transportation. A new option has entered the picture.” 

What are you talking about? 

“That’ll be faster than explaining. Let me show you. We’re just about on time anyway… They’re very punctual, you see.” 

Meeting the rule-breakers from their side? Talk about a lucky break! 
Very well then, bring it on. 

But why is Governor Kimeri wearing that smug grin?  
Is she trying to show off or something? 

*** 

Led by Governor Kimeri, we relocate and arrive at the edge of town. 
Well, I suppose it makes sense for transport-related stuff to be out here, where there’s more space for loading and unloading. 

But still, what is this building?  
The sign says Tokyuu Rondmelt Station… What? 

Huh? 
What’s going on with this weird terrain? 
The ground’s elevated like a platform, and there’s this massive trench running alongside it… 

And now something huge and long is sliding into that trench?! 
What is that thingggggggg?! 

As I reel in shock, Governor Kimeri gives me this “gotcha” look of triumph. 

“This is the railway responsible for transporting all the goods to the Farm Kingdom. It’s what’s carrying those massive supplies across the land.” 

That huge iron snake-thing is…? 
How does it move? It’s not like horses are pulling it… And even if they were, how many would it take to drag something that massive? 

“Thanks for your help, Governor Kimeri. We’re ready for the cargo transfer.” 
“Appreciate it, Gamma. Glad it’s your shift today. Alpha’s always so sloppy about these things…” 
“Still not over that time Alpha interrupted your date with Ariaros, huh?” 
“It’s not like that.” 

As we speak, people begin rushing in...a lot of people. 
They throw open the side doors of the iron serpent and start hauling out cargo. A ridiculous amount of it. 

Only someone like me—the Guildmaster of the Wagon Guild—could truly grasp the sheer weight of this sight. 
I can measure the load of a wagon just by looking. 

Using that skill now… if I convert all the goods pouring out of this iron monster into wagonloads… 
Ten wagons… twenty… thirty…?! 
...No way. It’s still going?! 

“As you can see, rail transport far outpaces wagons in both volume and efficiency. That’s why using the railway from our city to the Farm Nation is far more economical. Do you understand now?” 

Guuuuoooooooohhh…! 
But still…!!! 

Relying on a mode of transport not authorized by the Wagon Guild is...! 

“Oh, but this isn’t a wagon. So it doesn’t need to be part of the Wagon Guild, right?” 

Guh…! 
That’s some dirty wordplay…! 

But more than anything, what hits me now, more than anything anyone could say, is the crushing sense of defeat in my own chest. 
Speed… capacity… wagons can’t hold a candle to this iron serpent. 

If I were the governor, I’d make the same call. 
That’s how big the gap is. 

“Just between us, the Demon King himself is apparently very interested in expanding the railway. He’s already planning routes to other areas.” 
“What?!” 
“And rumor has it the Human Kingdom’s in on it too. They’re building a major line connecting the Demon Capital and the Human Royal Capital.” 

If that happens, our entire business could go under! 

I won’t accept it! I can’t accept it! 
If I do, it’s not just me, it’ll drag down the entire Wagon Guild! 

We’re facing a competitor on a whole other level now. 
If we don’t stand our ground, we’ll be wiped out in the blink of an eye!!! 

“A challenge…!” 
“Come again?” 
“I challenge them! I’ll prove that wagons can still compete with their precious railway!” 

Governor Kimeri, please arrange a meeting with your side’s representative! 
We’ll show them the Wagon Guild still has a place in this world!