Chapter Sixty-Three - Departure

LOOK! Art!

Taken (more of less) from the end of chapter 25! By Slothbeing, who has only ever drawn bangers!

***

Rosario had been in a few train stations before. At least, if one included subways and metros. So, she had a mental image of what a train station would look like, and then she adjusted that image to better suit the era. 

What they walked into an hour before noon more or less fit her expectations. The Forgingburg station was a grand edifice made of stone blocks, with a band of bas-reliefs carved around the middle. There were some open spaces on the outside to allow some small plants to grow, and much of the building had large glass panelling, but it was still a rather utilitarian building beneath all of that.

The idea of a train network conflicted rather hard with the more nature-aligned aesthetic that elves seemed to default to. She supposed there was nothing to do about it. The trains needed large hangars (or were they garages?) and a lot of room to maneuver around.

Rosario purchased four first-class tickets to Wearville from a polite young man at a counter, each one costing her nearly as much as a stay at the luxury hotel they had spent the last two nights in. Then again, they would be sleeping on the train. The distance from Forgingburg to Wearville was nearly as long as the distance they crossed between Alpta and Brasmsloekr, a five day trip on foot. 

She moved out of the way, standing way off to the side so that she could people watch in relative peace. There was an order to this place, but the signage was... perhaps not ideal. The boards the announced arrivals and departures were all made of wooden planks with the names stenciled on. Those had to be moved into place by a [Signman] with a long pole that had a hook on the end. 

Warnings and announcements came from officials that were perhaps a little too fond of their whistles and who had shouting voices that carried a fair ways. 

“I like this place,” Cricket said.

“Do you?” Rosario asked.

Cricket nodded, and her little antennae wiggled about even as she scanned the room. She lit up when a locomotive--not the one they were to board, as they were a little early--shuddered into the station and came to a squealing stop nearby. “Yes! Look at the size of those! It’s very impressive!”

“I suppose it is,” Rosario agreed. “I can’t help but wonder how they function. Steam, assuredly, but I can’t smell any coal.”

“Coal?” Lucky asked.

Rosario hummed. “It could be like the trams, using ambient mana to boil water, but I feel like there’s a plateau to how efficient that can be. The square cube law has to interact with magic somehow, right? The devices to pick up ambient mana would have to be huge to draw in enough to get a boiler of that size to heat up. Besides, I don’t see many.”

The train that had pulled in was a steel behemoth painted a deep blue, with silvery trim. It had a name, The Passer and its entire forward section was one large cylinder that had to be some sort of boiler. There were a lot of additional devices around the exterior that looked like they were folded in to make movement in the constricted station easier.

“What’s a squared cube?” Lucky asked. “Aren’t all cubes kind of square? Or am I thinking about the wrong shape?”

“Ask Hailey when she arrives,” Rosario said.

“So, is this Hailey the gnome lady rather short?” Cricket asked. 

Rosario looked down at Cricket. “Yes,” she said.

“Black hair? Glasses? Blue eyes?” Rosario perked an eyebrow, then followed Cricket’s gaze even as the bug went on buzzing. “Poofy serious-people pants? Suspenders? A weird hat?” 

Hailey was, indeed, rushing across the station. She was carrying a backpack that would have been middlingly-large on a human, but which was huge on her, and dragging along a cart with a long handle behind her. The latter looked like it was made rather hastily, if she were to judge.

“You’re here!” she said as she panted. “Thank goodness. Ah, I mean, hello. Good afternoon.”

Rosario glanced at a large clock mounted on a pillar nearby and attested that it was, indeed, noon. “You’re just on time,” she said. “Good afternoon. You know Lucky, of course, but this is the final member of the retinue, our [Jester], Cricket.”

“Hi!” Cricket said. “I’m funny.”

“Uh,” Hailey said. She adjusted her glasses, which of course flashed several times. “Hello. I’m Hailey Copperfidget. A pleasure, Miss Cricket.”

“Oh, Miss. See, I like you, you’re putting some respect in the name,” Cricket said.

“Don’t do that,” Rosario said. “Any respect spent on Cricket is respect wasted.”

“Oi!”

Hailey didn’t seem to know what to say about that, but she was fortunately saved when Lucky stepped over and pointed at her backpack. “Do you need help with that, Miss Copperfidget?”

“Oh, yes, please,” Hailey said. She grunted as she dropped the back down. It made several clunking noises that had a distinct metallic ring to them. “I had to pack... well, everything that I couldn’t live without. It’s quite a bit more than I expected. But not nearly enough. I do have a few friends in the city, and I was able to foist off some of my other tools onto them. I expect that I won’t be seeing some of those back, but they’re not all lost, at least. Anyway, hello. I’m looking forward to working with you all. I recall saying that your destination is Wearville and then...”  

“Dawntown,” Rosario said. “Have you ever been?”

Hailey shook her head. “No. But I’ve dreamed of it. It has one of the best academies in the world. Their engineering department isn’t grand, but their enchanting and magical academia are second to none, at least in the Aerie. I’ve heard that there are a great number of nobles who attend as well.”

“Once we reach the city we’ll be working to find my mistress there,” Rosario said. “Until then, I expect you to put in the work and be a helpful member of the team.”

“Of course!” Hailey said with a sharp nod. It almost made her hat fly off her head. A shako, which was... a choice, in terms of fashion. Though maybe there was some symbolism attached to the headwear? Or maybe gnomes wore them because it gave them some height. 

Rosario made a mental note to ask her about it later.

The train that had arrived departed, and for a while it was impossible to converse over the sound of people loading onboard, especially with those officials with their little whistles blowing them incessantly.

A few minutes later a second train pulled in, the Swift according to the name written on its front.

They loaded up at the very front, helped by a man in uniform who took in the amount of items Hailey had with a judgemental stare. Fortunately, between the four of them, they had enough space reserved that it wasn’t an issue.

“Whoo! A chaise!” Cricket said before she rushed to a plush chair and tossed herself upon it. She started to wriggle, something which immediately put the other passengers in the club car off. 

Rosario picked her up by the scruff and forced her into a more ordinary seat.

They had a small cabin to themselves in the next car over, but for the actual travel portion of their trip, they had access to the club car, a space with a small bar, some chairs, and even an on-board musician who was even now setting up a harp. 

They deposited their things in their room, then took over a corner of the club car.

Rosario’s attention drifted over nobles and business men, and even a few third-tier adventurers. She did pause over one of them, a hooded man already at the bar. A Titled. 

None of those captured her attention as much as the retinue of what had to be a noble family. One with three servants. A butler--which she dismissed--and two [Maids].

“Swordmaster Thorn, are you okay?” Lucky asked.

“Hm? Oh, I’m going to be... meditating as we travel,” Rosario said. “I’m sorry. I promise we’ll level you up a few times on the trip over to Dawntown once we’re back to travelling on foot.”

“Ah, okay?” Lucky said. She shifted, then stared across to Hailey. “So, Miss Hailey. Do you know why squares are cubes and what that has to do with magic?”

Rosario tuned out that conversation soon enough, though she was a little curious.

But if she paid attention to that, then she’d be missing out on he study. The [Maids] were hard at work, fussing over their masters and preparing tea. One of them moved by, carrying a few coats folded over her arm, likely bringing them back to their cabin. She smiled faintly like citrus.

“Wow,” Cricket said as she leaned over. “You really like maids.”

“I do,” Rosario admitted.

“Hmm... maybe I should put on a maid dress? A short one... do maids wear panties?”

“Cricket,” Rosario said while she expertly controlled her blush. “Shut up, please.”

“Hehe!”

***