Chapter 152: Train (5)

Amun was considered one of the most dangerous places in the Empire.

A land of death where the undead roamed.

Now, that land of death had now become the Empire's most crowded tourist attraction.

"So, this is Amun!"

"Wow! I really just took a nap and we're here."

"Unbelievable, it feels like a dream."

The reason?

The ZTX.

The creation of the train that connected the capital to Amun.

The ZTX allowed safe travel through the Misty Plains, once known as a forbidden zone, in comfort.

Of course, most people didn't believe it at first.

"They say if you ride the train, you can get to Amun by just sitting still."

"Is it like a carriage?"

"No, it's different. What kind of madman would take a carriage through the Misty Plains? You'd be torn apart alive by the undead."

"You say that as if the train is any different."

"That's what they say. I don't believe it, but they claim it's safe to pass through the Misty Plains."

"…What? How does that make sense?"

"Haven't you heard? They say undead can't approach the railway."

"Hmm, I've heard that, but it's hard to believe."

The train's advertisements were filled with outlandish claims that Imperial citizens found hard to trust.

Traveling comfortably while sightseeing through the Misty Plains?

Though some people had started to travel through the Misty Plains using the railroad, this was only true for those strong enough to protect themselves.

For ordinary civilians, the undead were still terrifying creatures.

But the ZTX turned those undead into a tourist attraction.

==

[Come see the Undead with the ZTX!]

─In the Misty Plains, you can see ghouls and skeletons that are rarely seen elsewhere!

Who knows, if you're lucky, you might even spot a Dullahan.

==

"Enjoying the sight of the undead is the highlight of the train ride? Are they insane?"

"A Dullahan? That's a high-level undead!"

To sightsee creatures that hated the living and attacked on sight?

This was nonsense to the Empire's common sense.

Even the Dullahan required the Holy Knights of the Papal Court themselves to defeat—truly a terrifying undead.

To ordinary citizens, riding the train sounded like a death wish.

And the train's absurdity didn't stop there.

"They say if you take the ZTX, it only takes two hours to get to Amun."

"…What? Two hours? Ha! Come on. It takes three hours to get to Rundel, so how could Amun, which is much farther, only take two hours?"

"I'm telling you, it's true! My cousin just rode the ZTX to Amun."

"Thompson? That braggart? You believe him?"

The ZTX claimed to cover the day-long journey to Amun in just two hours.

People could hardly believe that it was safe to pass through the Misty Plains, let alone that it only took two hours.

Naturally, when the train was first introduced, the Imperial citizens shunned it.

No one wanted to risk their life to test a new invention.

A comfortable, safe journey? Such a thing had never existed in this world.

In fact, the concept of "travel" itself was not even fully established.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, no one rode the ZTX.

Even with the positive word of mouth from early passengers, the public's fear did not subside.

For ordinary citizens, riding the train was out of the question.

What's worse was...

"The ridership is lower than expected."

Christina muttered as she looked at the ZTX's first-month performance report.

"At this rate, the Imperial treasury won't allocate funds."

The ZTX had just begun its journey.

Its goal was to connect the Empire, and eventually the entire continent, into one line.

But the ZTX was struggling from the start.

"No matter how useful it is, the Imperial treasury can't support a facility that no one uses."

The Empire's resources were limited, and funds had to be allocated wisely to various projects, not just the train.

Without public use, the train project would naturally lose priority.

And building railroads required a massive budget.

The Emperor had granted a chance by allowing the laying of the tracks to Amun, giving them a chance to prove whether the train was worth the Empire's investment.

But despite this opportunity, the train's ridership remained critically low.

At this rate, the train would be restricted to limited military use only.

Since it was a project that Christina had personally endorsed, she couldn't let that happen.

"No need to worry."

"Oh? You have a plan?"

"Of course."

When I nodded confidently, Christina's curiosity grew.

It wasn't anything special, but...

"We'll advertise that if anyone dies or is injured on the train, we'll pay them ibe million gold."

"...What?"

The unexpected response left Christina momentarily speechless.

"One million gold?"

"Yes."

To make it clear, I nodded again.

"Fear is no match for money."

One million gold.

It wasn't just bold—it was explosive.

But to promote the train, this kind of showmanship was necessary.

The reason imperial citizens were reluctant to ride the train was fear of undead and monsters.

For thousands of years, they had faced death whenever traveling and had deep-seated fears because of it.

No matter how safe we claimed the train to be, it was impossible to erase that fear overnight.

That's why a shock strategy was needed—one that could make them forget their fear, even temporarily.

[ If you're attacked by monsters on the ZTX, you'll receive one million gold! ]

The one million gold campaign had begun.

*

[ The ZTX is safe. If it's not, I'll give you one million gold. ]

[ All you need to do is prove you were attacked by monsters. ]

Standing in front of a desk piled high with one million gold coins, Yuri made this bold statement.

His words sent shockwaves through the Empire.

"All you have to do is prove you were attacked by monsters, and they'll give you one million gold?"

"What? one million gold? I've got to get on that train!"

Prove you were attacked by monsters.

If you could prove it, you'd receive one million gold!

People focused on the enormous sum of one million gold, not the threat of monsters.

Sure, you needed to stay alive to spend the money, but one million gold was enough to make any rationality fly out the window.

"Crazy! Look at that line…!"

"Train tickets! I'm buying train tickets! Any departure time is fine!"

"I'm buying tickets to Amun!"

The ZTX ticket booth was packed every day, with crowds swarming to buy tickets.

"Hehe, looking for a ticket? Just add 3 silver, and it's yours."

"I'll stand in line for you for just 1 silver!"

Scalpers selling train tickets, and people offering to hold spots in the line.

It was hard to believe this was the same place where no one wanted to go just a few days ago.

At first, it was all about the one million gold.

But that only lasted a few days.

==

[30 Days Accident-Free]

[31 Days Accident-Free]

[32 Days Accident-Free]

.

.

==

As the accident-free days increased, the perception of the Empire's citizens began to shift.

"Wait, is it really safe?"

"It's been over a month, and there haven't been any deaths, not even injuries."

"Wow, that's impressive!"

The public interest shifted from the one million gold to the ZTX itself.

"So, it's true, you can get to Amun in just 2 hours."

"Have you been to the Misty Plains? The scenery is amazing! I even saw a Dullahan along the way, haha!"

Once safety was proven, the Empire's citizens flocked to ride the ZTX.

The train seats were sold out daily, with no empty seats in sight.

The deadly land of the Misty Plains became a scenic view, and the undead were nothing more than a sideshow through the train windows.

With the ZTX transporting hundreds of people daily, travelers could relax, enjoy the view, or even take a nap, and still arrive safely in Amun or the capital.

==

─Today too, enjoy a comfortable and safe journey with ZTX!

==

What had once been a dangerous journey between regions had transformed into a casual trip.

People wanted to see the undead, experience the train, and admire the scenery of the Misty Plains.

The Empire's citizens began to fall in love with the ZTX.

And then…

"Senior! It's here!"

Aria ran into the meeting room, her face beaming with excitement.

"What is it?"

"Funding! We got approval to lay new tracks!"

Support from the Imperial Court.

After seeing the success in Amun, the Imperial Court had allocated additional funds.

It was an achievement that came just a month after the ZTX began operations.

"And there's news from Rundel too!"

"Rundel?"

"The place where we originally wanted to lay the tracks but were rejected."

"Ah, right."

Rundel, the most suitable nearby area to lay tracks from the capital.

The plan had shifted to Amun after the Lord of Rundel opposed the train project, saying it was unnecessary.

"What did they say?"

"They said they welcome us. We can lay tracks anytime we want."

"And who's going to do that for them?"

Rundel had been left behind.

***

Read the fully translated novel now!

Patreon(.)com/SiRoasa