A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

53 – The Era of Railways, the Era of Automobiles

“Sultan! A vast number of people are leaving the city at night and heading to the wilderness!”

At his second son Amir’s words, Sultan abruptly woke up from his deep sleep.

“Where are they! Where is this happening!!”

“To the east! People are flocking eastward!”

“Release the execution squads and sorcerers! They must be captured! They are Mysterians!”

Sultan’s heart was pounding. It was the first time they had caught a tail. Perhaps they had judged that some of the Toi, who were the largest group, might be caught while trying to escape little by little.

So, everyone decided to move, and unlike before, they moved in a hurry, causing a tail to be caught. Sultan laughed and released the army to search.

“Capture them! Bring back all those heading to the wilderness!”

When the magic that emitted light was cast into the sky, many people who had been hiding, wrapped in cloths to withstand the cold of the wilderness, started running away. Sultan unleashed his troops to try to capture them, but upon seeing how difficult it was to catch those who had been captured so hard, Sultan had to contort his face in frustration.

“What, what is this?”

They were the poor in the slums of the slums. When they were interrogated, everyone said the same thing.

“The Kraak of the To’ins promised to give us the remaining property of our tribe.”

“W-We just came to take that. It’s unfair. Sultan.”

Upon hearing those words, Sultan realized he had been deceived.

“This isn’t it! It’s a deception tactic! They must be teleporting somewhere else!!”

Frantically trying to disband the army and search for the wastelands in another region, Sultan’s army was late, very late.

As a hurried sorcerer using teleportation spells roamed around, he reported that the To’ins were on the move in the western wastelands. An army was urgently sent to capture them. However, by using teleportation spells all the way to the last To’in tribe member, they vanished and were nowhere to be found.

An empty wilderness.

The To’ins who had completely disappeared from the slums.

“Randor, you bastard!!!!”

In the end, the ominous rumor spread that Sultan couldn’t bear it and cursed.

Ah.

And what about the property and 1000 gold coins accumulated by the To’ins over decades, left behind by the Kraak of the To’ins?

“What… What? My gold! My gold!!!”

The 1000 gold coins left with the merchant at the Imp Market turned into sand and flowed away just three days later. Under the moon-headed statue, instead of all sorts of gems and property, it was filled with foul excrements.

Among the 1000 gold coins turned to sand, a note like this was left behind.

[Even though you live by stealing from us, you have never sold white bread to us.]

“Kraak, you bastard!!!!”

Rumor had it that even the chief merchant of the Imp Market, Reza, also cursed.

“Kraak.”

A huge teleportation magic circle flashed, revealing about 200 To’ins. Among them, it was easy to recognize Kraak. Feeling the chilling air of the Elond Lordship, Kraak soon began to shed tears.

“All To’ins have completed the transfer. Lord Randor. There are no teleport scrolls left behind, and no stray To’ins.”

Hastily approaching Kraak at his words, I embraced him.

“You did well. You did great! Welcome to Aylam!”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

I escorted Kraak and the To’ins down from the teleport tower. A festival was taking place at the Lordship.

“Welcome to Aylam! To all the To’ins!”

Although hesitant, the residents of the Lordship welcomed the newcomers who would be their new neighbors. Stone stoves were spread out in squares and downtown areas to warm people, and various fast foods and local dishes made by Knife and Fork were set up buffet-style for everyone to enjoy.

At that sight, all the To’ins burst into tears simultaneously.

Confirming that the true paradise they had longed for actually existed, they were happier than anyone else.

“Let’s eat and drink in celebration of today’s miracle! Hooray!!”

“Hooray!!!”

And so, on that day,

Aylam accepted the new race as citizens of the empire.

And the next day,

“What’s your name?”

“Shivolak.”

“Shi… Volak. It’s quite difficult to write in the imperial common language.”

By officials sent by Prince Adran, citizenship and identification cards for the To’ins were massively issued.

“Now, with this ID, you can find a job anywhere in the empire and be protected by imperial law. Welcome to being a part of Aylam.”

Through the interpreter, as they handed over their words and identification, the Suin people wept once more, causing the Identification Office and City Hall to overflow with Suin individuals wailing in unison. However, no one consoled them. No one congratulated them. Tears of joy were welcome to flow endlessly.

“It was a long journey. Karl Hansen.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Yes, it was. Lord Randor.”

“We risked our lives to come to Aylam, so we must keep our promise. The large-scale housing construction projects in the Lord Elond’s estate and the Portu commercial city?”

“They are progressing as planned. The ap…artments, you mentioned?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

In the construction industry, after erecting the Teleport Tower, there was a newfound confidence in designing high-rise buildings based on steel and concrete. I could read their intentions well and thus entrusted them with the grand construction of apartments.

“We are currently constructing large-scale apartments in the Portu commercial city and Lord Elond’s estate. We are also demolishing existing single-story residential areas to expand and build apartments.”

“Provide housing to the Suin people and hire them as railway laborers immediately after they move in.”

I gazed at the large map laid out in the Merchant Guild Chairman’s office.

The intricate railway lines, tangled like spider webs, came into view.

“The Empire will prosper. With the development of new transportation means.”

The era of railways.

It had been a long wait to bring the Suin people here.

Now was the time to lay down railways across the nation in earnest.

To cut to the chase, it was like this:

The Suin people were tremendous workers, which made the process of laying tracks much faster than when using regular laborers.

“You mean you can lift this railway track alone?”

“It’s not that heavy, really.”

The Woongin people were so strong that they could lift a railway track alone, and even other Suin individuals, if not as strong, could handle the work of five human laborers alone.

“Lay the sleepers. Place the track on top. Secure it.”

The Suin people began laying tracks at an astonishing speed. They were natural laborers, Imperial engineers, and even the Dwarves, working at a level that could match them.

And I had no intention of just watching their hard work go unnoticed.

“I will pay the team five times more than regular laborers.”

The Suin leaders were taken aback by my words.

“Isn’t five times too much?”

“You all work that much. It’s no loss to me. I will pay accordingly. Furthermore, if you can lay the tracks a bit faster, I will also provide bonuses.”

I generously paid the Suin people their wages. The power of gold was mighty. The Toins, Hoins, Woongins, and Myoins worked even harder in hopes of bonuses, and whenever they achieved outstanding results, I generously distributed gold to boost their morale.

“You must be tired from working! Have some hamburgers and pizza!”

“Do you have soda?”

“Of course.”

“Fantastic!”

I provided abundant food to keep their spirits high. As the days passed, the efficiency of their work increased as the Suin people became more skilled, resulting in a faster track-laying speed.

And finally.

Five months after the start of laying the first track, the Suin people and I were able to complete a railway that would go down in Imperial history.

Total length: 1789km.

It was a moment when the massive railway construction project connecting Lord Elond’s estate and the Portu commercial city, the western songbird region, and the Imperial capital, Hwangung, was coming to an end.

“I announce the completion of the inaugural railway station in the capital, a monumental occasion!”

Prince Adran announced the completion of the capital’s railway station, followed by thunderous cheers.

A festival was held, and I brought the Suin leaders to the party in the capital to introduce them to everyone.

“These are the main characters of the railway project! Let’s welcome them with a big round of applause!”

Who would dare not follow the words of the empire’s wealthiest and most powerful figure? The noble class, showing a sense of propriety, cheered and clapped enthusiastically, while the tribal leaders of various races, dressed up for the first time and awkwardly attending the party, shed tears at the applause.

“Thank you… for welcoming us… thank you!”

“hahahaha! These friends are crying! Why! Drink, eat, and enjoy! Enjoy!!”

The Wung Tribe, Ho Tribe, Myo Tribe, To Tribe, and the Rang Tribe of Chertu.

The tribesmen were treated as heroes that day, rewarded with cheers and congratulations from many nobles, happily laughing amidst the celebration, finally reaping the rewards of the laborious five-month-long grand project.

After this, there would be no one who would dare to ignore the tribesmen.

And so, the day after the festival.

“Princess Selene.”

“Don’t speak. Randor. I said don’t speak.”

“You seem much more excited than at the festival yesterday.”

“Wouldn’t I be excited? Oh! Randor. You wouldn’t understand. The scientists, magicians, and alchemists of the Tower. How long they’ve toiled for this moment.”

I and Karia, Carl Hansen, watched Selene’s unprecedented excitement.

The dwarves were already drinking beer and, to put it crudely, bawling their eyes out.

“Damn it, so damn cool! So damn cool!!! This, this! This is moving! This!! hahahahaha!!!!”

Whatever made the dwarves go wild and Selene excited was none other than the same thing.

“Preparations are complete. Engine preheated. Commencing movement!”

With a hum, a massive hunk of metal began to move. The Empire’s first magical stone-powered engine, prepared and researched for a long time in the Tower.

It was the moment when the train with an Arcane Engine finally started moving.

The dwarves and the Tower’s magicians. Princess Selene all held their breath as the train, laden with numerous cargo cars behind it, accelerated quickly and soon disappeared into the distance.

Even after the train vanished, the once quiet capital’s train station was filled with the cheers of dwarves, Tower scientists and magicians, and Princess Selene. Selene, not hesitating to kick off her shoes, embraced the dwarves and shouted with no restraint, showing a shocking sight.

“To see such a huge piece of metal move! A piece of metal moving!! Thank the Forge God!”

“The Arcane Engine has finally been commercialized! Finally!!”

Well, the moving parts were a bit different for the dwarves and the Tower people.

Watching the excitement, with everyone letting go of manners and such, I stepped back a bit from the bustling train station scene and looked on contentedly.

“Randor.”

Karia approached me cautiously and took my hand.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I smiled at Karia’s words.

“Thank you, Karia. But this is just the beginning.”

“The beginning now?”

I shouted towards the Tower’s magicians.

“The Arcane Engine. I’ll try another project with that.”

I wasn’t satisfied with just the train. Remember? The era of carriages had already passed.