#1221 The Tracks Go On and On Forever 

My grand plan to build an otherworldly railway finally sees completion today. 

Two lines stretch out from Farm Station, one toward the Demon Kingdom, the other toward the Human Kingdom, each linking the nearest towns by iron track. 

Now, transporting goods within this newly opened network will be a breeze. 

To thank the city representatives who helped make this happen, we held a grand ceremony, and it went off without a hitch. 
I may have gone a bit overboard on the hospitality, though. 

I even built passenger cars that weren’t in the original plan. 

The elves took charge of those cars, pooling their best materials to create a truly luxurious space. 

We even fitted seats with top-quality springs sourced from the dwarves, so the cushioning is unbeatable. 
Honestly, to top this comfort, we’d need cushions shaped like honeycombs. 

And then... 
The glassworkers got ambitious, insisting on installing chandeliers. 
I mean, it’s still a car, remember? 

At first, I thought, if a chandelier fell or shattered during a rough ride, we could have a real disaster on our hands. 
Falling chandeliers are a surprisingly common cause of death in mansions, after all. 

But they rigged the chandelier mounts with mana-metal for safety, and the crew promised to drive smoothly. 

In the end, those chandeliers were a hit, and the passengers felt they’d stepped into a whole new world. 

I tell myself it was worthwhile because everyone loves it… but I still wonder if it was really necessary. 

And those station bento boxes... 
Those were my responsibility. Typical me, I threw myself into them wholeheartedly. 

Eventually, I settled on shumai bentos, but only after debating dozens of options. 
Steak bentos, crab bentos, squid-stuffed rice, you name it. 

That said, I’ve never really been that familiar with station bentos myself, so while I was trying to figure out what even counts as a classic meal, I ended up settling on a shumai bento. 
I get that station bentos are a staple of train travel. 

…Huh? Why shumai, of all things? 
Because it’s still delicious even when it’s cold! 

…Thus, with railway operations running smoothly these days, a guest suddenly shows up out of the blue. 

*** 

It’s the Demon King. 

“Lord Saint, I’ve heard the news! You made something marvelous again?!” 

Pardon? 
Made what? 

There are a thousand things I could claim. I don’t know where to begin. 
Is this about the shumai bentos? 
If you’re that curious, have a taste. 

“Reports came in from Rondmelt City! This ‘railway’ they mentioned far outstrips carriages in speed and capacity, a revolution in transport… Oh, this tastes wonderful!!!” 

Shumai’s flavor always hits you a bit late. 

But yes, the railway. So, you’ve heard.  
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. 

Since it only ran through a small stretch of the Farm Kingdom, I figured I only needed local approval. 

Yet here you are, the supreme Demon King, hearing news faster than I hoped. 

“I’ve ordered all news from the Farm Kingdom to reach us first! I’m thrilled to see such an inspired project!” 

The Demon King is visibly excited by the potential of the railway. 
As expected, anything that brings tangible benefits really gets his attention. 

“You wound me, Lord Saint! To think you'd create something so promising and keep it a secret from us! I simply must see it for myself!” 

Ah, sure, go right ahead. 
But if you want to see the railway in action, we’ll have to head to the Farm Kingdom, not just the farm. 

Right now, the three otherworldly railway units are busy hauling supplies.  
Still, with their impressive speed and cargo capacity, their tasks finish in no time, leaving them with not much else to do. 
 

We move from the farm to the Farm Kingdom. 
And arrive. 

 
“...Oh? Lord Saint, what brings you here so suddenly?” 

Looks like the trains were bored out of their minds. They’ve fused into one giant unit again. 

Guess today’s work wrapped up early, huh? 

"You bet! For a tiny village like this, hauling relief supplies is easy-peasy with our cargo capacity! Lord Saint, give us a mission that really puts our specs to full use! 

Lately, I’ve come to realize something about this three-unit combining robot. 
Even though their bodies are merged into one, their minds (?) aren’t fully synced. The personality that surfaces seems to shift between Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo depending on the moment. 

Well, it doesn’t really matter. They share a single body, and their intentions always seem to be in sync, so whoever’s talking is fine. 

“Hm? Is that a giant golem...? Lord Saint, even something like that falls under your domain...?!” 

No, no, no, Demon King.  
That thing’s more of a side product.  
I mean, it is part of the main project, but its functionality is kind of a bonus. 

Anyway, hey, you three. Since the esteemed Demon King is here to see how you operate, shift into work mode already. 

“Stop calling vehicle mode ‘work mode!’ Ugh, fine. Docking out, form change!!!” 
“Ohhh! The golem is transforming! This is… this is an incredible new function!” 

The Demon King’s eyes are sparkling. 
Well, yeah. Considering he’s obsessed with God Figures, it makes sense that a combining-transforming robot would hit all the right buttons. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if 1/100 scale transforming toys of these guys are flying off shelves across the Demon Kingdom by next year. 

But let’s file that little glimpse of the future away for now. 
Right now, I need to explain the railway system to the Demon King. 

“These guys act as power units that pull the railcars. We attach multiple trailers to them to increase total freight capacity. That’s the basic idea.” 
“Hohoho! Fascinating!” 

The Demon King is enthralled as he listens to the explanation. 
He must genuinely find trains super cool—classic boy behavior. 

He probably would’ve started hoarding model trains or Plarail sets back in my world. 

“Would you like a test ride?” 
“Oh! Absolutely!” 

His reply is full of enthusiasm. 
And so, on the spot, we kick off an impromptu test ride with the Demon King aboard. 

“Woaaaaaaaaaaah! This is the passenger cabin?! It’s fancier than my own chambers!!!” 
“Would you like a station bento?” 

We casually drive the train over to San-Chome Station in the Human Kingdom, and the Demon King is practically vibrating with excitement... 

“This is a marvelous invention, Lord Saint! If trains like this ran throughout the land, the world would transform, no question about it!” 

He also somehow managed to polish off three shumai bentos during the ride.  
He’s totally gonna get scolded again by Mrs. Astres for “getting fat.” 

“I must have this railway in my Demon Kingdom as well! Lord Saint, would you be willing to draft a plan?!” 

Um, hold on a sec...! 

This railway is still in the experimental stage.  
It’s practically a singularity-level breakthrough, something that could shift the axis of civilization itself. We really need to be cautious about introducing it on a global scale. 

“But even so, as a ruler, I can’t ignore the promise of this technology! What if we extend the tracks all the way to the Demon Capital?!” 
“Count me in on that plan, too!” 

Wait what?! 
Ritheseus?! 

Why is the President of the Human Kingdom popping up here like a random RPG encounter?! 

“I heard the rumors about this railway and came to the city to investigate! But if the Demon Kingdom's all-in already, we can’t afford to sit on our hands! Let’s extend the line from the Human Kingdom too, and link the Demon Capital and Human Royal Capital with a single track!” 
“A true bridge of friendship!” 

The two heads of state keep charging forward with the conversation. 
The railway—this literal and symbolic bridge—starts to connect their once-distant worlds. 

Though, of course, not everyone is thrilled about this. 

Whenever the world takes a big step forward, there are always people who get left behind.