PR: Cursed
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Before he could explain the circumstances, he needed to dig a little deeper into the woman who had become Tyria Wyvern… no, Tyria Portman.
She was the only daughter of House Wyvern, the former lords of Wyvern, and the only noblewoman in the land.
Naturally, her life would not be the same as Elric’s.
She had been educated in tradition, history, elegance, and refinement from the moment she could walk.
From a young age, she has been taught the manners that came from time-honored traditions, away from all the technology of the new age.
There was no denying that her upbringing had influenced her old-fashioned tendencies.
She was quite ignorant of complex institutions and all things that utilized electricity.
She still believed that candles were for lighting fires, that farming was best done by hand, and that transportation was best done by horse and carriage.The current situation was an extension of this fact.
When faced with the unknown, some people become curious and go to challenge it, whilst others become wary and reject it.
Elric was of the former group, whilst Tyria was of the latter.
To her, mechanical artifacts that had yet to find their place in the world, especially trains, which were giant, steam-belching hunks of iron, seemed like nothing more than ferocious monsters.
“We’ll be taking the carriage.”
She was stubborn.
It was an unmistakable declaration of strong will, stirring a small feeling of discontent and a great sense of mischief within Elric.
As previously mentioned, whenever Elric encountered something new, he looked at it with curiosity and challenge.
This new side of her was no exception to this ideal.
“What would you say if I insisted on taking the train?”
Tyria’s expression softened.
For once, she wasn’t so scary.
It was a sense of humanity. It went without saying that it was easier to relate to someone who was human than someone who was perfect.
There was more.
Elric perceived himself to be fairly well versed in advanced civilization.
After all, his friend Elvus Grayman, who had been with him throughout his adventures, was a part of the Empire, the heart of continental civilization.
Thus, he wanted to introduce Tyria to technology’s conveniences and wonders.
And he had a good excuse.
“Actually, I had a bit of a run up the mountain on that last hunt, and I’ve got a few fresh wounds that are still bothering me. Riding something as rattly as a wagon would be too much for my knees.”
The drama he could bring to the table was an added bonus.
Elric ran his hand over his knee, wearing a defeated expression.
Tyria’s lips pressed together.
It was hard to tell from her expression, but in the context of the atmosphere are them, it was impossible not to recognize the distress in her voice.
“…Even a train rattles, doesn’t it?”
“Less so than a carriage. It’s not like you’d feel much of a vibration moving that fast anyway.”
“How do you know so well?”
“Why, I rode the train all the way to Yubin, so of course I’d know.”
“…”
He was gaining momentum.
“Besides, the train is a great way to save time. You can travel to the capital in a day for a journey that would usually take a week, and that’s not all. You’d save a lot of money, and you’re always talking about saving money.”
He had a point.
In fact, the odds were stacked in Elric’s favor.
Trains were, after all, a higher form of the carriage.
It was a form of transportation that continuously evolved into something better as civilization progressed.
Tyria’s arguments against trains for sentimental reasons were weak.
What followed was a losing streak for Tyria.
“As for meals….”
“There’s some pretty good food on the train.”
“If my butt hurts….”
“You know, first class carriages on trains these days have fancy upholstery on the seats, and they’re actually more comfortable than the chairs we’re sitting in now because they’ve got cotton batting underneath.”
“Restrooms….”
“The first class carriages always have them.”
First class, after all, was designed to please the snooty, upstuck aristocracy.
Everything she wanted, without exception, was available on a train.
In chess terms, it was a checkmate.
There was no way out for Tyria.
And, unlike most people, she was a woman who could concede in rational submission rather than just sobbing with emotion when things didn’t go her way.
“…I’ll consider it.”
She said that she’d consider it, but it sounded more like she had relented.
“I understand!”
An unnecessary sense of anticipation welled up inside him.
Nothing happened in the end.
Ultimately, Tyria decided to travel by train, and the manor began to prepare for the journey.
Meanwhile, the accident that Elric had was only going to make him work even more, considering the shortened travel time.
And Tyria would probably be even more demanding when it came to that work.
“Wrong. Do it again.”
Her voice was the same as it had been before, a steady monotone adorning an expressionless face that didn’t show an ounce of emotion, conveying an iron grip.
Everything was the same as before, but it was enough to make Elric think that she was retaliating against him.
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to voice that thought.
He humbly accepted her harsh words and followed her instructions.
And then, a week passed.
It was now the day of their departure for the capital.
“Milord, Milady. Let us depart.”
Aldio, the head maid, and the two maids who would attend to Tyria were the only ones that would follow them.
After all, the mansion the Portmans had purchased in the capital wasn’t very large.
Their lodging would be a small house that the previous head of the household, Elric’s father, had bought solely for business purposes and its location.
Overcrowding was not a worry.
“…But are you sure we don’t need an escort?”
Tyria asked, unable to shake the uneasiness that she’d felt since arriving at the train station.
Elric smiled.
“We don’t have escorts on the train. The railroad is a pan-continental corporation, and it has its own security force, so there shouldn’t be any incidents unless one of the Seven Greatest decide to attack.”
“Are you saying it would be different if one of the Seven attacked?”
“At least in the Kingdom of Yubin, that should be the least of our worries.”
After all, it was the same in the West.
He didn’t know all of them, but of the Seven he had met so far, none of them had been demented enough to terrorize a railroad.
The most likely candidates were Ygret Chloride or Zerdia the Demon King, both of whom were major shareholders in the corporation that ran the railroads.
So, the odds were stacked against an attack happening.
“Are you scared?”
Tyria’s head snapped up.
“No.”
Her tone was hard.
And it set off a strange tickle in Elric’s gut.
Something about the straightness of her posture, the way her clean, mysterious aura was being broken.
She was like a small herbivore trying to hide its fright.
It was irritating to Elric, who hadn’t yet grown out of some of his childish ideals.
“Well, that’s settled then. The train should be arriving soon.”
First class passengers had their own waiting area.
It was a railroad company’s arrangement for the sake of snooty noblemen, and it allowed Elric to talk to Tyria in peace.
After all, they weren’t the only nobles traveling to the capital from this Wyvern station.
Well, they had obtained the Wyvern Family’s schedule a few days ago and found out that…
…they had left for the capital three days ago.
By now, Tyria’s parents should have been traveling to their favorite social gatherings.
‘Hmm…’
He’d see their faces again at the royal banquet.
It was not a pleasant thought.
He was uncomfortable with the fact that they had come so far as to threaten him with the littlest things, saying they had no intention of ever being allies with him again.
Elric clutched the dull dagger in his arms.
What if they hadn’t come to their senses and tried another trick?
The thought crossed his mind.
Choo, Choo!
A horn sounded, vibrating the air around them.
It was followed by a steamy sound that resembled the gasping breath of a hissing monster.
“It’s here….”
Elric, who was about to speak, could see it.
“…Hmm?”
Tyria’s body had gone rigid, almost to the point of trembling.
Her eyes were fixed on an empty space.
It was as if her soul had left her.
Without a doubt, Elric had never seen Tiria so tense before.
To the point of revealing her emotions on her face.
Her technophobia was worse than he’d thought.
And that wasn’t all.
Thump, thump, thump, thump–
Elric’s keen senses had picked up her quickening heartbeat.
“…Milady?”
“I’m coming.”
She said, her tone stiff.
Tyria stood up from her seat, her movements stiff and rigid.
It was as if she were a wooden doll.
Elric had to struggle to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching up uncontrollably.
Chieeeek–!
The train stopped and the doors opened.
Stepping off of it was a burly man in full regalia.
A knight, at the very least, and a mana-armed one at that.
“Are you Baron Portman and Baroness Portman?”
Elric nodded as the man spoke in a formal manner.
The man smiled and bowed.
“At your service, Sir.”
He had a well-educated demeanor.
Elric led Tyria onto the train.
In that moment, he was feeling a bit playful.
Elric glanced at Tyria and whispered.
“Milady, you must take off your shoes before boarding the train.”
Her eyes lost all color.
Her gaze snapped to Elric.
Recognizing that his mischiefness had gone too far and has crossed a certain line, Elric quickly apologized.
“…I’m sorry.”
Elric sheepishly rubbed the back of his head before boarding the train.
As for Tyria, she had been genuinely trying to take off her shoes before hearing his apology.
The truth of the matter remained buried in silence.
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