Witch Troupe and the Undead

However, setting aside cultural differences and unfamiliarity, the taste wasn't as bad as I imagined, especially considering that the vegetables and meat here were completely different from any meat Roach had ever eaten on Earth, which added to the novelty.

Compared to Roach, who clearly seemed a little uncomfortable, Livia seemed to be enjoying her meal. Unfortunately, she had a smaller appetite than Roach, so she was completely full after eating very little. She could only slurp her lemonade while looking at the plate, which was still at least half full, with a troubled expression.

Fortunately, they had Vilandella in the group, so they never had to worry about leftovers. For a dragon, this amount was just a matter of eating a few more bites.

“Miss Vilandella, there’s really no need for this.” Rhine hesitated, though she was also a spellcaster. But this made her look like some kind of servant. It wasn’t a hundred years ago anymore. Back then, the greatest privilege a knight could have was to eat the leftover meat and bones of the lord. So, a lord who gnawed the bones too cleanly would be accused of being too stingy.

"Oh, it doesn't really matter." After all, although the little witch left a lot of food compared to her portion size, it wasn't much compared to a normal person's appetite. Besides... it also depends on who left it, right?

If it's leftovers from Roach, then aside from some unscrupulous fox girl who might eat them on the side, Vilandela would absolutely not be willing to be the dumping ground for leftovers.

However, if it were a fragrant, soft, and incredibly charming little witch like Livia who left behind such a thing, that would be a completely different story.

While Roach and his group were having dinner, Natalia and Conger could only stare blankly at the completely sold-out train tickets. "Only third-class carriages are left, what should we do?"

“If we don’t buy tickets, we’ll have to wait for the next train tomorrow, and we’ll probably be late. Also, because of you, Miss, you bought a lot of things at the market. If we stay here for the night, we really won’t have enough money for the journey,” Kanger complained. Buying third-class tickets now would save them some money and make up for the expenses they incurred at the market.

"Hey~" "On the bright side, we're probably on the same train as that witch princess, so this trip will be much safer," another knight laughed. That was indeed an advantage.

Chapter 190 Railway Journey.jpg

"Princess Livia, please follow me. This must be your first time riding a train, right?" Rhine led the way, intending to talk to Livia and Roach about the train. But when she turned her head, she saw Roach casually stuff the luggage into the overhead luggage rack, then carry Livia to a window seat and sit down next to the little witch.

"What's wrong?" Roach looked at Rhine's wide-eyed expression with some confusion, then pulled out the footrest under the chair. The only drawback was that the chair's height couldn't be adjusted. However, this wasn't a chair from a modern train; it was a padded double bench. Between the two chairs facing each other was a long table, forming a complete seating area.

As a first-class cabin, there is a carved wooden screen behind the seat, and a small cabinet with tea set and clean towels in the window across the aisle.

"Master Roach, have you ever ridden a train?"

"Well, sort of..." Anyway, there's not much difference in structure, except that the carriages are narrower than trains on Earth, with seats on only one side and an aisle and lockers on the other, similar to the structure of a sleeper carriage.

"I need a blanket, thank you." Roach called out to the passing train conductor and asked for a thick blanket to drape over the little witch. After all, they were going to be on the train for three days and four nights, and with Livia's weak constitution, she'd be sick on the way if she wasn't properly protected. Rhine was dumbfounded by this expert childcare; he didn't seem like an alchemist at all, but more like a professional stay-at-home dad.

"Could it be that Master Roach's hometown also has trains as a means of transportation?" Trains are not cheap creations. The carriage and the golem that drives them are secondary. The key is that the processed tracks are very expensive.

“Yes, basically all the main roads have tracks,” Roach said honestly. Then he saw Rhine across from him look hesitant. All the main roads have tracks? Are you guys that rich? Or is this just some kind of bragging?

"Three days and four nights, no sleeper berths? I mean, can the train be divided into rooms with beds, tables and such, so that the journey will be relatively more comfortable?"

"...That's too big, isn't it?" Rhine looked at the size of the carriage with difficulty. If it were a sleeper carriage, then this carriage would have to be at least half the size, which would reduce the number of carriages, and the drive golem might not even be able to move it.

The train's drive structure consists of two silver-white golems, with the upper body sculpted in the shape of a two-headed unicorn, the lower body having six mechanical legs, and a row of copper-plated exhaust pipes on the shoulders from which scorching steam continuously spews out.

This steam golem is not entirely driven by steam power. To be precise, the steam power drives the internal mechanical structure to adjust and supplement the output of the magic core, thereby controlling the acceleration, deceleration, and cornering of this "vehicle".

The stoker in the control room checked the boiler, pulled the steam whistle, and at the same time, the front arched cover opened, revealing the ratchet teeth that were constantly rotating and stirring underneath. Then he scooped up a small shovelful of crushed magic crystals from the side and poured them in. The steam-driven machinery quickly chewed the magic crystals into powder and then sent them to the magic core.

The complex mechanical structure powered by steam fills the magic crystal powder into the intricate internal magic array system, which is ultimately transformed into life magic power that drives the movement of the golem. In a sense, the reason it is designed this way is because its magic source is "life magic power," and a biomimetic structure must be adopted to meet the needs of the internal rituals.

Roach's magic-powered heating system and the annihilation furnace he obtained from the mage tower output non-attribute magic and elemental magic. Due to the differences in the nature of magic, this world has always been in an awkward situation of reinventing the wheel in terms of standardization and technological development.

The life-powered driving core is completely incompatible with the annihilation furnace or Roach's magic water heater, which use elemental magic. In addition, the latter two are actually incompatible with each other except that the magic is elemental magic. Therefore, if someone wants to create a power source above the steam engine, it means that the entire system needs to be designed with dozens of completely different accessories and core components to adapt to various magic fuels and magic environments.

For example, in the desert, it is almost impossible to replenish life magic, and the output of the magic circle used in the life ritual will decrease. This is also the real reason why magical creations such as trains and airships cannot be popularized.

"Whoosh~~~~~" Two puffs of blue smoke spewed from the mouth of the two-headed unicorn, and its six mechanical legs landed on the ground. Accompanied by the thunderous sound of hooves, the carriage moved forward along the tracks, and the train slowly left the station, speeding towards the capital along the tracks.

The first-class carriage seemed to have a double-layered soundproof structure and was also equipped with a magical effect. Roach found that he could hardly hear any external noise or be bothered by coal smoke. He could open the windows to enjoy the breeze or admire the scenery.

However, it was already past 8 p.m., and there were not many light sources in the wilderness of this world. The only dim lighting came from the magic crystal searchlight on the front of the vehicle and the oil lamp inside the carriage. So, Roach casually drew the curtains and closed the windows.

"Master Roach, it seems you travel by train quite often?" "Of course, I'm almost sick of it." Roach raised an eyebrow. This was the truth. People in his line of work are bound to travel all over the place, whether it's for business trips or on-site inspections. The funding from the school is definitely not enough for him to travel by plane, unless it's going abroad. In China, he basically relies entirely on trains.

In addition, most of the ancient tombs and ruins that have not yet been destroyed and excavated are located in remote places, or places with underdeveloped infrastructure. He has taken the old green train more often than the high-speed rail. Not to mention, this is in China. If it were abroad... Luo Qi can only say that the thing he can't stand the most in his life is others bragging about the transportation in foreign countries in front of him.

If you boast about other things, he might be skeptical, but if you boast about roads and transportation, he can only sigh and say, "Since you're pressuring me so hard, I can't blame you for revealing my true form," and then he'll transform into a mythical beast on the spot.

"..." Rhine glanced sideways, unsure what to say. He'd only been being polite, and Rhine had taken it all too seriously. However, considering Roach and Livia's status, he couldn't very well call them out; that would be impolite. Besides, to be honest, even the nobles, stripped of their flowery language, probably couldn't match Roach's imagination when boasting at a banquet. (Inside the third-class carriage.)

"Uncle Sylvie, why are they so far away from us?" Natalia looked at the passengers in the distance, who could be described as keeping their distance. In the carriage, which had no seats and was filled with straw, there was a space of at least two meters.

"Perhaps it's because they're warmer when they're huddled together?" Thief Knight Sylvie winked, turned his gaze to the passengers, and gave them a "kind" smile, causing them to shrink back a few steps.

He was toying with a gold coin bearing a raven symbol in his hand. It was a trophy, or rather a symbol, he received after graduating from the "Shadow Raven" thief organization, and it was also his lucky coin.

"Miss, would you like something to eat?" Kanger came over with a tray. People in the second and third class carriages could only eat communal meals in the dining car in the middle, while only people in the first class carriages had a proper late-night snack.

"Beans in sour sauce and black bread." A thick, rust-colored broth floats in a rough earthenware bowl, and the skin of the white kidney beans is wrinkled from the vinegar stains, like pebbles eroded by time.

Smoked bacon crumbs, like caramel shavings, sank to the bottom of the bowl, while scattered bright green caper buds dotted the crevices of rocks like moss. The rim of the bowl was covered with semi-solidified grease, and a piece of dried wild onion skin clung to the edge of the broken piece.

The brick-shaped bread has a charcoal-black, cracked crust, revealing a dark brown, coarse core between the cracks. The cross-section shows unsifted bran and chaff, like an ancient fossil embedded in rock strata.

One side always bears the scorched cross mark of the oven grate, like the abbreviation of some mysterious sect. Every drop of oil, every rough fiber seems to scream the word "not tasty".

The pungent aroma of ale vinegar mixed with the bitter, fishy scent of bay leaves assaulted my nostrils. The white kidney beans had wrinkled skin like an old leather bag, but the inside was tough and chewy. The carbonized crust of the black bread was comparable to rough pieces of volcanic rock. When chewing, the edges of the bran and husks repeatedly scraped against my palate, like a dull knife cutting into my flesh.

"How do these people endure this?" Natalia's expression was almost one of fear. Iron Shield Fortress was not a place rich in resources, and black bread and beans were her daily diet as a noble lady. However, this train meal was really... speechless.

“That’s good. Compared to what we’ve eaten before, this is already excellent.” Captain Kanger used his dagger to cut the black bread, which had been placed on the cold iron, into small pieces, soaked them in the still slightly warm sour soup, and after they had absorbed enough soup, he picked them up and put them in his mouth, raising his eyebrows slightly. “It really is awful. I thought the stuff we ate in the army was the worst we’ve ever had. I didn’t expect there to be something even worse.”

“At least it’s better than beggar’s gruel.” Sylvie shook his head and ate the beans with a blank expression, sandwiching them between the softened bread. When the sour soup and the rough bread met in his stomach, a unique fishy smell of beans hit his head, reminding him of his time in the slums, where even something like this wasn’t something he could eat every day.

"I'll just eat my cured meat..." She was already sick of the cold cured meat and dried fruit she had eaten on the way here, but compared to what she had on the train, it could only be called... a delicacy.

"Would you like some dessert?" A train attendant in a dark blue uniform pushed a food cart over, displaying a variety of exquisite desserts with train-specific features. Late-night snacks were a privilege reserved for the nobility, because in this world, food was not yet abundant enough for ordinary people to enjoy snacks at night.

"Ugh~ dessert?" Livia rubbed her sleepy eyes, seemingly smelling the sweet aroma wafting from under the silver lid. Roach said helplessly, "Give us one, hopefully this meal is included in the ticket price."

"Okay, sir," the train conductor smiled politely, then pointed out, "The ticket does not include meals. Would you like some?"

"How much...is it?" "No need," Rhine waved his hand, showing a gold badge. "Their expenses are all covered by the royal family." The operation of the train is a royal monopoly, and upon seeing the badge representing the emperor's special envoy, the train attendant's smile immediately became much more sincere.

"This young lady looks a bit sleepy. I recommend she try this Moonlight Cheese Tart. It doesn't have too many pungent spices and has a small amount of calming herbs for flavor. Most importantly, it doesn't have too much sugar. I think it would be difficult to brush your teeth on the train, so this would be good for your teeth."

The train conductor took out a dessert and placed it in front of Livia. The almond shell was covered with finely chopped lemon, filled with a generous amount of goat cheese, and decorated with a slice of dried ham.

"As for you, sir, do you have any requests?"

"Anything to refresh me will do."

"How about a coal ball cake?" The cake, deliberately shaped like a coal ball, has a layer of dark chocolate on the surface, and the cracks reveal kumquat jam that mimics the burnt marks of coal. The base is covered with icing sugar, like the ash from burnt coal. It must be said that although no precious ingredients were used, the craftsmanship and appearance of these desserts are really not bad.

"I'm getting old, so a cup of hot cocoa will do, with extra milk." As a dwarf, Rhine's go-to late-night snack to stay alert is ale, but since the train doesn't offer any alcohol, he has to make do with hot cocoa.

"Mmm~ Delicious~" Livia took a bite of her dessert, her emerald eyes narrowed slightly, and her light golden hair seemed to glow softly because of her mood.

The outer layer of almond icing is crisp and delicious, and the goat cheese inside has no fishy or goaty smell at all, only a rich milky aroma. The tartness of a few bits of pickled lemon zest actually neutralizes the overly rich taste and brings a refreshing touch.

Just as everyone was enjoying their desserts, a few lights appeared outside the train window, followed by the sound of the train bell as it accelerated. An old horse, squatting in the stable of the livestock carriage at the rear of the train, listened to the sound of hooves in the wind and looked surprised. "No way, what kind of luck is this? How come someone is actually trying to rob us?"

Just as it was considering whether to warn the young lady, it saw two masked bandits climb onto the platform at the rear of the vehicle and start smashing the carriage door.

"Bang!" The rear carriage door was violently smashed open, and at the same time, several train guards hurriedly grabbed their weapons and made their way through the crowded third-class carriages toward the rear of the train.

A ghostly blue flame flashed in the old horse's eyes, and its body suddenly collapsed into a viscous black shadow, swimming along the gaps in the carriage to the back of the robbers. When the horse-headed giant materialized, the two masked men didn't even have time to turn around before the demonic horse's forehooves grabbed their heads.

With a dull thud, the unconscious body was precisely thrown into the roadside bushes. A dark figure swept past the deformed door lock, reshaping the metal to its original state.

"Bang!" The carriage door was pushed open forcefully, and the guards nervously scanned their surroundings with their weapons in hand. Apart from an old horse peacefully chewing hay in the stable, there was nothing there. The old horse even looked at them with a detached and disdainful gaze.

"...Safe, these hijackers haven't boarded the train." These hijackings happen every few months, but only one or two out of ten are successful. Even on those one or two successful hijackings, they can only loot the third-class carriages. It's very difficult to break into the armored second-class and first-class carriages.

In a sense, the passengers in the third-class carriages were like bait and sacrifices carried by the train during its journey, to be discarded at crucial moments to satisfy these bloodthirsty bandits.

"Ding ding ding!" The train bell rang again, and the overloaded magic core returned to normal. A cloud of smoke with sparks spewed out from the bronze exhaust pipe on the shoulder of the two-headed unicorn-shaped front of the train, and the train's speed returned to normal.

“We’re almost at Zhalun Town,” Rhein said, looking out the car window at the low buildings and the tall roof of the machine repair shop. “The car will stop here for about 15 minutes to refill its water tank. If there was no damage to the vehicle before, it shouldn’t be here for too long. There won’t be any more towns on the road ahead, so you don’t need to be so nervous.”

“I didn’t mean to be nervous,” Roach said helplessly. Livia’s head had naturally rested on his right shoulder, and she was breathing softly. A sweet, rose-like scent wafted from beside her, which should have helped him relax, but…

You can't help but notice the serious and tense expressions on the faces of the two dwarves opposite you, especially the dwarf girl named "Jasmine," whose face practically screams, "What if I wake up in a slave cage?"

Because of the two dwarves' tension, the beast-like fox girl Alessina, who was acting as their guard, also nervously glanced at the unparalleled greatsword on the weapon rack near the corridor from time to time. On the contrary, Vilandela, as a dragon, slept very soundly. Oh, and a certain useless mermaid also believed that even if the Demon King attacked, there would be the great demon old horse in the stable to carry the burden. The point was that as long as I was useless enough, I didn't have to worry about anything.

As for Lulua, as a member of the Night Clan... nighttime is when she is active. During the day, she stays in the inn and sleeps like crazy. But at night, especially late at night, she becomes energetic, just like a large owl.

"Don't worry, I'll keep watch for you, my beloved," Lulua said energetically. "Just immerse yourself in the goddess's tranquil embrace..." Roach thought of the "lonely old god's" barren chest and muttered involuntarily, "I'll probably be woken up in the middle of the night by that bump~"

"Ah? What are you saying, my friend?" "Oh, I'm praising the goddess of night for her vast, grassland-like bosom..."

"I see~ The goddess's heart is indeed as vast as a great plain." Lulua had no idea what she was saying, but nodded seriously. "I will add this line to the goddess's prayer."

"No way!!!!" Roach shouted sharply.

Chapter 191 Competitors are Enemies

"O Night Maiden with the triple crown, your flowing black hair weaves the curtain of the mortal world, and the stars are your compassionate whispers adorning your skirts..." Lulua earnestly prayed to a wooden board carved with symbols representing the night before dawn, for when the morning light rose, it meant that the activities of the Night Clan were almost over.

Ordinary people awaken from peaceful sleep and plunge into a busy day, while the Night Clan, as a divinely favored race that judges sins in the darkness, must also clean up the corpses and blood they have created, returning everything to its original state. At the same time, they can almost begin to rest.

According to Roach's understanding, the Night Clan's role in the Night Goddess's belief system is somewhat similar to that of the Night Wanderer in ancient China, except that they lack the task of guiding the souls of the dead.

In the former church or belief system, the Night Clan was responsible for maintaining security from midnight to 6 a.m. the next day, eliminating supernatural creatures and disasters that appear in the darkness, and also patrolling during this period to investigate evil and report to the main temple. After receiving the temple's order to kill, these "evils" would disappear without a trace in a dark night.

At the same time, the Night Clan also serve as messengers for the goddess and the church. In the darkness, they can use the concept of "darkness" to blur the boundaries of spatial distance, thus moving quickly across multiple connected dark areas in a kind of idealistic way. If you want to deliver some information or confidential letters that you don't want others to know, then the Night Clan is definitely your best messenger.

"Then Lulua will go to sleep first~" Lulua stepped off the chair back barefoot and flipped onto the luggage rack. The narrow luggage rack space was just the right size for her petite loli figure. The girl rested her head on a wicker suitcase, with one ear and a red teardrop earring on her earlobe showing under her short black hair.

"Is there really no place to sleep on this train?" Roach glanced at Lulua, who was lying on the luggage rack, performing a carefree act of falling asleep in a second, and then looked at Rhine in front of him.

"We'll be at the next stop, and there should be a place to sleep around noon today, but there obviously isn't one on the train."

"Hmm?" Roach asked, sounding puzzled.

“The train’s resupply time is quite long. It’s not just about adding water; it also requires cooling the magic core and cleaning up the ashes and residue left after the broken magic crystals are used up. As you know, most of these alchemical residues require some complicated processing methods.” Rhine pointed to the location of the town. “So, we can rest at the inn in town, since the train will stop for about a night or half a day. We can also get off and move around a bit.”

This is much more troublesome than trains on Earth, probably because its locomotive is propelled by magically powered bionic legs. This makes Roach even more eager to complete the analysis of the magic annihilation furnace as soon as possible, and combine it with his magic-powered water heater to turn it into a real magic engine.

However, since the artifact itself was excavated from the ruins, it is not only severely damaged, but also made of a very special material. It would be difficult to achieve any results in a short period of time by simply reverse engineering the artifact.

Therefore, the Royal Academy and Library in the capital city are also very important to Roach, and the resources, technology and manpower that the Royal Academy in the capital city can provide are also very important.

"Speaking of which, Vivi, when are you planning to leave? Didn't you say you were going to the Sages' Conference to ask for funding?"

"Let's wait until the next stop. By the way, this train should pass through Black Pine Valley, right?"

"Yes, we didn't cross that way before, but we've been crossing it ever since the bridge over the Greystone River was built."

Previously, the train passed through the dry bay of the upper reaches of the Greystone River. That section of the river was wide and shallow, with the deepest part only reaching waist height. During the dry season, it would dry up, exposing the dry, grayish-white riverbed. Thus, only a simple wooden bridge and track, similar to the wooden railroad bridges commonly seen in the American West, were needed to ensure the safe passage of the train.

However, this will undoubtedly cause the train to pass near the border between Black Valley County and Milk Plain County. Black Valley County is located in the eastern part of the Southern Province, close to the eastern mountains. Although it is said to be part of the Southern Province, it is actually more mountainous and valley-based, and is closer to the "Valley Province".

In fact, the Rye Valley County itself originated from the River Valley Province. During the war of imperial unification hundreds of years ago, it was seized by Grand Duke Flormont from the "Seghvar" family, the River Valley lords who belonged to the separatist forces at the time.

Due to its geographical environment, the main crop of Rye Valley County is winter-hardy rye. With its high mountains, dense forests, and numerous valleys, it is a "good place" that produces bandits and rebels, highlighting that "Rye Valley County does not support idlers" and that it is a "land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery".

After losing several trains, including a "golden train" carrying taxes from the south, the empire finally decided to change the route to pass through the Côtes du Grape region.

Perfume workshops and vineyards are scattered throughout this area, and many knightly estates are also located here. It is densely populated and rich in resources, so naturally there would be no large-scale bandit groups. Moreover, the squires and cavalry along the way can also serve as railway patrol teams.

The only problem is the Greystone River itself. This section of the river is wide and deep, and there is a significant drop between the two banks. The bridge must withstand the strong impact of the water flow, making a wooden railway bridge completely unfeasible.

It wasn't until recent years, when the Royal Alchemist Society developed an alchemical technique to strengthen metals, that this all-metal railway bridge, resembling something Roach remembered as something that would only exist after the Industrial Revolution, came into being.

"Black Pine Valley? Why do we need to get off there?"

"Of course it's because if I take the train after passing through Black Pine Valley, we'll have to backtrack," Vivi complained. After passing through Black Pine Valley, the train starts heading northwest, while her destination is in the southeast. Isn't this just making her travel more?

"I see." Roach wasn't very familiar with the Empire's geography and had to ask Rhine for information on many things. After a brief rest in Zhalun Town, the train began its journey.

The next stop is a ranch town in Milkfield County, or more specifically, in the middle of County Catherfield. Milkfield County is a difficult translation by Roach, as the original word is a combination of the words "dairy" and "field," making it very hard to translate. The literal translation is Milkfield County.

Forests, marshes, low hills covered with alfalfa, and rows of windmills are characteristic of this area.

Barley, butter, duck meat, and goose feathers are the main products here. In addition, there are the best ale breweries in the entire empire. However, for the nobles in the capital, ale is not worth their time. Therefore, its reputation is more widely known among mercenaries and adventurers.

The local cow cheese, curds, and fresh milk are known for their rich and sweet flavor. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty of preservation, apart from the cheese which is exported everywhere, the remaining fresh milk and whey can only be consumed locally.

Although these are remnants from the production of butter and cheese, they are still high-quality protein. The locals are also much stronger and taller than people in other parts of the empire. Before the empire was unified, it was known as the "Knight's Country" not only because it was the territory transformed from the oldest knightly nation, but also because people here had a greater chance of developing "extraordinary physiques" and becoming knights.

This is also the birthplace of the extraordinary profession or military branch of "knight" for humankind. After all, this place not only produces agricultural products but also warhorses. Of course, warhorses have now been replaced by other places that produce better horses, but the original custom of loving to raise and ride horses is still preserved.

The scenery outside the window gradually changed from fields to dense withered grasslands and sparse woodlands. Clear streams flowed over moss-covered pebbles, and amidst the tinkling of the water, groups of girls dressed in long floral dresses typical of central Taiwan played and frolicked by the stream, carrying baskets and gathering wild vegetables similar to water celery that only grow in late autumn.

Even in a wealthy county like Catherfield, it's hard to guarantee that farmers can eat anything good. These wild vegetables, pickled in ergot vinegar, become a rare delicacy in winter, an excellent choice for supplementing vitamins during the winter—if you don't plan to eat the alfalfa stored for cattle and horses.

"Is silage technology also used here?"

"What?" Rhine was taken aback. He had no interest in agriculture at all, or rather, most nobles were like that. They didn't care how things grew in the ground. Of course, that didn't mean they didn't care about agriculture itself. After all, agricultural harvests were related to the gold coins in their pockets, and they could figure out whether they made a profit or a loss at the end of the year.

However, asking them about specific technical details is not something nobles should know; they only need to know who to find or which unfortunate soul should be assigned to do the work.

As for what to do if you can't raise cattle and horses or grow barley well? What are your whips and tax collectors for? As long as you take away the last grain of wheat from these poor people's homes, they will have to find a way to solve their harvest problems if they don't want to starve. That's right, the empire's rule is that brutal.