The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Chapter 122 Magic Train

The front of the magic train looked enormous to everyone.

After all, most people thought it was a new minecart or a railcart or something similar.

It's not that nobility hasn't tried to create similar things, but they all eventually abandoned them because they were too troublesome to maintain, and they were just used as entertainment for the nobles during their leisure time.

However, when the curtain was actually lifted, everyone realized that the engine looked heavy and huge, and it didn't look like it was meant to be pulled by horses at all. For some reason, Keith felt a chill down his spine as he looked at the magical train.

Linde boarded the train and was just about to gracefully invite Lena on board when he saw Lena leap to his side.

Helpless, Lind could only say to the train conductor who had boarded with him, "Let's depart."

Although this magic-powered train no longer has a whistle, Linde still installed a whistle-sounding device, since he could directly copy the whistle signals from his previous life's trains.

As the guards dispersed the crowd on the tracks, the magical train emitted a clear and melodious whistle and began to move slowly forward without any external assistance.

Linde leaned back leisurely in his seat, admiring the gray-collar workers outside the window.

Thanks to the leap in steelmaking technology and the efforts of alchemists, Linde regretfully never heard the sound of churning again.

The entire track uses seamless steel rails, and it is estimated that seamless steel rails will continue to be used for connections in the future. Although the initial cost is relatively high, the maintenance cost of seamless steel rails is lower.

Keith's eyes nearly popped out as he watched the magical train, which resembled a large horse-drawn carriage but had a more streamlined design, begin to move along the tracks on its own.

Once he realized what was happening, Keith started chasing after the moving magic train with the gray-collar residents.

Keith almost instantly thought of the train's application; after all, it's called a train, so he guessed that many carriages could be added later.

Once the railway is laid, it will be possible to transport troops, food, and supplies, and the entire territory will soon be connected.

From now on, the situation of being far from home and in a remote place will be greatly alleviated—if this magical train can support long-distance travel.

This is a monster, Keith immediately realized, this will be a monster invention that changes war, no, it can even be said to change the world.

Even though the residents of the gray-collar community were used to seeing new things almost every day, this self-operating magical train still excited them immensely.

Looking out the train window at the people running and shouting, Linde asked the conductor to slow down the train so that the people could catch up.

At the same time, Lind and Lena reached out and waved to the people outside the window.

A professional used a magical artifact to record this moment, and the magic train for gray-collar workers officially began operation.

However, at present, it has more symbolic significance than practical significance. After all, the railway has not yet been built, and other obelisks are still under construction. We can only drive around the gray-collar area.

Although the highest density primary sand containers serve as backup energy, the main power source for the Magic Train still comes from the charging of obelisks. Once the railways and obelisks in various locations are completed, the Magic Train will be able to operate throughout the entire territory.

After the magical train had circled the area once, Keith stared in awe at the stopped behemoth.

Keith originally believed that the war had only just begun. Even if the Grey and White Collars had superior weaponry, Governor Doug still controlled most of the northern lands. Even with the land area, he could still engage in a protracted struggle with the Grey and White Collars, and the two sides might be locked in a stalemate for a long time.

But now it seems the war is over.

The Pétain Line's supplies have been almost completely cut off. Based on Keith's understanding of Doug's army, the Pétain Line will most likely surrender without a fight.

Then the gray-collar workers will lay out the railway along with this behemoth.

Even Keith, who had no experience in warfare, knew that wherever the railway was built, Governor Linde's territory would likely expand as well.

All that awaits Doug is a slow death.

The day of prayer always seems to fly by, and Keith, after queuing for a whole day, still couldn't get on the magical train to experience it.

Even though the ticket price for the experience is not low for ordinary people, and is even somewhat expensive, the wealth of ordinary white-collar workers still far exceeded Keith's imagination. Even though they could only experience a short distance, there were still plenty of people willing to pay for tickets.

Especially after the governor said that the railway might serve the military first and civilian use would have to wait until later, tickets were scalped to exorbitant prices. A large number of businessmen didn't even blink before buying scalped tickets, just to be the first to know about the train. In the end, the authorities had to announce that tickets could be bought and boarded on the spot to eliminate scalpers.

Even so, there were still plenty of people queuing up, especially the merchants who valued time more than money. They actually followed the common people and joined the queue. These merchants were keenly aware of the enormous value behind the magic train.

By the time Keith returned to the cabin that Governor Lind had prepared for him, it was already dark. Although the gray-white building was still brightly lit, it didn't look like it was late at night at all.

"Lord Keith, I have received a letter from you today."

Linde still gave these surrendered nobles some face, especially those who were willing to come to the Grey and White District. Linde not only preserved their titles, but also arranged accommodations for them in the expensive Grey and White District.

However, most nobles felt this was an insult and retreated to their original territories with their wealth. Only Keith was very cooperative. He not only brought the Grey Collar but also dismissed his servants, leaving only one soldier to serve him. He also signed a new contract according to the regulations.

Keith accepted the letters, most of which were from nobles in Black Iron City and other newly occupied territories, inviting him to participate in important matters.

After all, the new policies implemented by Linde were worse than death for these nobles, especially the confiscation of their land.

The earliest nobles had almost no choice but to either abandon their land and flee or obediently work for Lind.

But these nobles are different now. They have the help of Doug's forces behind them. Their experience tells them that they might as well give it a try. The previous noble wars, which were too frivolous, coupled with Lind's relatively tolerant attitude, gave these nobles a misconception: trying it won't kill them.

It seems that the nobles of the Kingdom of Capet all like to think this way.

But Keith doesn't even bother to look at it now. The princess's affairs? Forget about it!

Keith collected all the letters without missing a single one, intending to deliver them directly to the Governor that very night.

Those old-fashioned folks simply cannot imagine the speed at which gray and white-collar workers are advancing; it's practically another world altogether.

Keith admitted that he was cowardly, incapable of fighting, and the typical scheming nobleman that the governor described as someone who could only scheme and not create productive value, but he was not stupid!

Especially after seeing the Magic Train today, from this day forward, there can only be one sun in the sky, and Keith will only have one sun in his heart.

Keith has only one thought in mind right now: loyalty!

"correct."

Having taken all the letters, Keith said to the soldier serving him, "I'm going to the governor's mansion. Go and buy me the latest two issues of the newspaper, and ask the newspaper owner if they have any information on the Governor's 'Noble Reform Ordinance' and 'Land Allocation Act'."