Chapter 199

The super-magic-conductive magnet, a crystal fused of magic and science, glided smoothly at an unbelievable speed on the guideway formed of high-magic alloy and extreme heat-resistant concrete.

The sharp and stylish aerodynamic body tore through the wind, and the scenery seen from the windows of this car passed by at a tremendous speed.

Thanks to an extremely sophisticated 18 different large-scale composite magic formulas, the interior was surprisingly quiet and vibration-free, and even the roar and shock waves generated by the speeds exceeding 900 km/h in normal operation were mitigated by the barrier magic on the guideway.

This.

This is it!

This is the high-speed magic railroad!

This is nothing short of amazing!

“Look, Shouhei! Look!”

I called out to my brother as we sat at a round table in the far corner of the luxurious and glittering dining car, gazing at the scenery flowing by at breakneck speed.

“In the blink of an eye, we’re in this mountainous region! We were in the heart of Dailan just a few minutes ago, but it’s like we’re in a different country!”

The excitement, which I was clearly aware of, was released through my nose in the form of hot air. In other words, I was breathing hard.

Well, I never thought the day would come when I would be able to ride this thing. Five minutes after the train left the station, I still was not sure if it was real or not.

The train is a state-of-the-art land vehicle, the result of a combination of Japanese railroad technology and magical technology from several magical nations on the sphere continent.

Considering the fact that the train is still in the experimental stage and only celebrities and business people from large corporations are allowed to ride it, the price of the train alone is enough to build a mansion.

I remember reading on some online news that just to qualify for the ride, you have to spend money that I have never seen before.

Sadly, there is no way that commoners like us can afford it no matter how the situation is turned upside down.

And it was for 6 people including the little ones.

If my father knew how much it was, his heart might stop.

Well, it’s nice to have a royal friend, isn’t it?

Thank you so much, Atol!

Even if you ask me to return this debt, I’ll never be able to!

Don’t get your hopes up!

“Nii-chan, calm down. The other customers are looking, it’s embarrassing.”

Shouhei, looking around nervously, warns me in a whisper.

“Oops, my bad, my bad.”

I’m sorry. My voice was too loud.

“Look, Jaja. Take a good look at it while you’re at it. I’m really sorry about this, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to give you a ride again, okay?”

I lifted Jaja up from my lap, holding her by her sides, and showed her the view out the double-glazed window.

“Dah?”

Jaja stared at me curiously.

No, no, not me, look at the view. It could be the view of a lifetime.

“What a pathetic thing to say with such bravado…”

Leaning back against the back of the expensive chair, Shouhei sipped orange juice poured into a shiny glass, which also looked expensive.

It seems that all services in the train are included in the fare, and you can eat as much as you like from the dining car’s entire menu during the ride. What an amazing celebrity!

When Atol explained this to me before we left, I nodded yes with a light heart, but when it came time to order, I was so whithered that I did my best to tell the waiter that I wanted orange juice, cola, and apple juice for Jaja, which seemed to be the cheapest on the menu.

Oh, how sad are the small-town Kazamachis.

Even Shouhei was too nervous to speak to the waiter.

It seems to be a celebrity-only ride, because everything from the interior to the furnishings was shiny and sparkling.

For us poor people, we just don’t understand the chandeliers on the ceiling of the train. Is it really necessary?

The footing is too fluffy and uncomfortable.

I’m a little intimidated to walk around because of all the expensive-looking paintings, vases, statues, etc. placed all over the place.

Thank goodness I’m used to it to some extent because of the Sea Dragon Island and Atol’s other house.

Otherwise, I’m sure I would have been too nervous to enjoy the two days and one night in this luxurious vehicle.

I’m excited about the high-speed magic train I’ve always dreamed of, but I’m too restless.

“Ah, there he is. Kunpei-kun. Shouhei-kun.”

“Ah, Yuuno-neechan is here.”

As I was thinking about this very sad thing and watching the scenery flow by the train window, Mikuma, who had arranged to meet me here, called out to me.

Shouhei took me into consideration and got up from his seat next to me and moved to a chair across the round table from me.

That kind of attention to detail, like a disgusting adult…

I wonder if he still holds a grudge against me for teasing him about Hina-chan.

“Oh, Mikuma. You should see it too, it’s amazing.”

“I rode on it when I came to Dailan. Did you forget? Oh, Jaja-chan, good morning to you too!”

“Dah!”

Mikuma made a wry, awkward smile, sat down on an empty chair at the round table where Shouhei and I were sitting, and held out her hands toward Jaja.

“Here, why don’t you say good morning to your sister?”

“Ada!”

Leaving Jaja with Mikuma, I slid the glass of orange juice I ordered in advance onto the round table and offered it to her.

“Thanks. Mmmm… ahh, delicious.”

As soon as she took the glass, she gulped down the contents with gusto and let out a big sigh.

“What about the others?”

“Alice was freaking out about leaving the room, so we came out to take a look around first. Jaja couldn’t wait to get out of the room, and she was on a rampage.”

“They were so excited just now, nii-chan and Jaja.”

“Hahaha, Kunpei-kun, you too? Jaja and her Papa are just too much alike, aren’t they?”

“Dah! Adah!”

Jaja squirmed against Mikuma’s chest with both hands and answered with a big smile on her face.

“Fufu”

Mikuma gently rubbed Jaja’s cheeks.

Hmm, I thought it was my imagination, but she still looks pale.

“… you look tired.”

The reason is obvious, but I’ll ask just in case.

In all probability, I’m sure it’s regarding Mikuma’s father and me…

“Y-yeah, my dad has been bothering me a lot since yesterday… I keep trying to explain to him that nothing happened but he won’t believe me. I’m really sick of it.”

“I can’t explain the dragon thing, and even if I did, he wouldn’t believe me.”

It was the day before yesterday that I returned from the sea dragon island.

After a night of discussions with Carolia, the Sea Dragon King, we went up to the ground with Alice, seeing Yule off who was still staying on the island, and left this morning for Francion, where the magic tool exposition was to be held.

We chose this high-speed magic train as our means of transportation because it allowed us to avoid people.

It seems that the royalty and dignitaries of each country have their own cars prepared for them, and if they board at the terminal before the train is connected, they can travel without seeing anyone else.

Due to issues with the topography and environment, the high-speed magic railroad cannot run straight to the center of the continent, so it is shaped like a circle around the sphere continent, heading toward the center.

Dailan is the closest station to the end of the line, and the problem is that it takes almost two days to get to Francion, the center of the continent, even by a fast train.

The private jet for the Dailan royal family is now in the United States with Atol’s second or third brother, so this high-speed magic train is the best solution at the moment for the safest and most secretive way to get around. This is what Atol and Gatol-san explained to me.

I thought it would be better if I could share the trip with Mikuma, who had become good friends with Alice, so I asked him to arrange the departure date with Mikuma’s father’s work schedule.

I consulted with Gatol-san in a lighthearted manner, and was seriously freaked out by how things were progressing.

When I saw how easily he could even move the schedule of the Dailan company that was doing business with the company where her dad worked, I realized that that man and Atol were really royalty.

I heard that Mikuma’s father had told her that he had felt let down by the fact that the business meeting, which he had expected to take a little longer, had gone through so easily.

I felt a little sorry.

Nevertheless, we are truly indebted to the Dailan royal family.

Well, from the point of view of Atol and the others, it was probably more because it was something to do with the sea dragons than because I asked them to do it.

Dailan has long been a demon nation under the patronage of the sea dragons.

Although no one but the royal family is aware of their existence, there is even a sense of religious faith in the country.

Atol’s brother, Gatol, and his wife, Gasha, were originally invited to the exhibition as part of a diplomatic mission, and their presence helped us clear up the many problems we had as officially authorized smugglers.

Nobody in our family has a passport…

Thank goodness we didn’t have to go through Rouge’s dangerous ‘we all ride on Aoi’s back and force our way through the border at night’ plan… which could have turned into an international problem if it had gone badly. Phew.

“I haven’t told my dad that Kunpei-kun and his friends are on this train yet… When I tried to explain it to him, he covered his ears like a child, saying, ‘I don’t want to hear about my daughter’s boyfriend, I don’t want to hear about him!’ Mom is happily poking fun at it… what should I do.”

“You didn’t tell them?”

So it’s not good for me to be hanging around there, is it?

“Our room is near the back, so I’m sure he won’t come to the car closest to the VIP area, you’ll probably be fine. I’ll make sure to tell him tonight, so don’t worry?”

“… Well, if it’s too hard to explain, you don’t have to.”

“I promised Alice-chan to go around the expo with her. Dad is here on business and mom is tired and says she’s going to stay in the hotel. If I don’t explain, I’ll worry them even more.”

“As long as you’re okay with it.”

At any rate, Alice’s dislike of me… or rather, her dislike of men, is unbelievable.

I had thought she was avoiding me since our first meeting, but I had no idea that she would scream and faint at the slightest approach.

To be honest, I’m used to girls hating me, but Shouhei…

He had never had someone reject him in such a straightforward manner, so even though he understood, he was quite shocked.

Last night, with a serious face, he asked me if it would be better for him and Alice to go their separate ways.

Now, can we really go sightseeing in Franscion without any problems?

Outside the car window, we were in a lush forested area, a complete change from the mountainous terrain we had just passed through.

The itinerary itself was going surprisingly well, and there were no obvious problems at the moment.

And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t help but have a bad feeling.

“Jaja-chan, do you want some apple juice?”

“Kya!”

“Okay, let’s drink it slowly, no rush, okay?”

“Dah!”

I looked at Jaja sitting on Mikuma’s lap.

The Kazamachi family’s first family trip was full of uncertainty about the future.