With the birth of the ZTX, people were now able to travel safely between regions—an unprecedented experience in the Empire.
The Misty Plains, once deemed one of the most dangerous territories, had become a tourist attraction. People flocked there to observe the undead, and they freely traveled between Amun and the capital without fear.
But ZTX was not without its challenges.
Whenever a new innovation emerges, friction is bound to occur at first—and the ZTX was no exception.
"Slurp—ahh, now that hits the spot."
"…Grrr. Hey, can you stop eating ramen? I'm trying to enjoy the view of the undead."
"What does me eating my ramen have to do with you? Just mind your own business."
"Mind my own business? Your ramen smell is filling the entire train car! How can I ignore it?"
"If it bothers you so much, why don't you switch cars?"
"Grrr… I've had enough of this."
"Just what I wanted, beast! Let's settle this with a duel."
A knight and a werewolf rose from their seats.
"Die, beast!"
"Roarrr!"
As the fight broke out, other passengers quietly moved away—or started placing bets on who would win.
This scene was an everyday occurrence aboard the ZTX.
Humans, beastfolk, dwarves, elves, and even vampires—people of all races and backgrounds used the train, and inevitably, cultural clashes erupted.
Beastfolk were sensitive to smells, elves had delicate hearing, ill-mannered passengers, and arrogant nobles—there was no shortage of reasons for disputes.
And more often than not, these fights stemmed from food, smoking, or other consumables.
People left their trash, ate food with strong odors, and in some cases, even stole meals from others.
The ZTX had gifted the people with the freedom to travel, but it had also introduced a new level of chaos.
"Sir Yuri, I respect you, but this situation is unfortunate. How do you plan to handle it?"
"Excuse me, but how exactly did your son get injured?"
"Hah! Just for eating ramen, a werewolf turned my son's face into this!"
The noble's son, a knight-in-training, had a severely swollen face.
'Wow, he really got beaten up…'
But… just for eating ramen?
And by a werewolf?
Among all non-human races, werewolves were considered the most gentlemanly.
They might look terrifying, but outside of full moons, werewolves were renowned for their rationality—even more so than humans.
There was no way a werewolf would brutally attack someone just for eating ramen on the train.
If anything, he would've just torn him to pieces outright…
"It wasn't just ramen—he also ate fried chicken and drank alcohol."
"…On the train?"
"Yes. Right next to the werewolf."
…Honestly, it's a miracle he's still alive.
Hearing Aria whisper the real story in my ear, I turned back to the noble and his son.
That werewolf must have been an absolute gentleman.
If he weren't, this ramen-chicken-alcohol offender wouldn't have been sitting here in one piece.
This wasn't even the first time an issue like this had come up.
Ever since ZTX started running, complaints had been rolling in daily.
Of course, I was handling these complaints in the most courteous and professional manner possible.
"I hope you can reach an amicable settlement."
The noble blinked.
"…That's it?"
"Is there anything else I need to say?"
"Well, maybe you could help facilitate the settlement or eliminate the cause of the problem…?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have any close ties with werewolves, so I can't help with that."
In the past, a noble would've immediately exploded in anger at a response like this.
But now?
He didn't dare.
Because I was no longer just a mere mage—I was closely linked to the Imperial Family.
Everyone in the Empire knew that I had a special relationship with Christina, the Second Princess.
"…I see. Very well."
"Glad to hear it."
"...."
"That said, the root cause of these issues should be resolved soon."
"Is that even possible?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Three days later.
An Imperial decree was issued.
[ ZTX Route Expansion & New Train Regulations ]
The announcement shocked the Empire.
"Wait a minute—doesn't this mean more routes were added?"
"This is way more than before! Look! Rundel and all the neighboring regions are included now! That's double the routes!"
"What?! Our region is on the list too!"
"No way! This is real?!"
"Oh man, does this mean we'll finally get to ride the train?!"
"I hope they finish it soon!"
"This is all thanks to him, isn't it?"
"Haha, of course!"
People cheered; their eyes glued to the updated railway map.
Rundel, which had previously rejected the railway, was now included—along with several neighboring regions.
And upon seeing who had signed off on the plan, the public erupted in celebration.
"Long live the Sage of Gluttony!"
"Long live the Sage!"
The name at the bottom of the railway expansion document:
"Yuri Grail, White Tower"
But that wasn't the only surprise.
"No outside food allowed on the train?"
"What the hell? Are they seriously banning food?"
"Looks like it."
The new rule sparked mixed reactions.
"Haha! Finally, some proper manners on the train!"
"Seriously, the slurping sounds were unbearable!"
Beastfolk and elves, sensitive to smells and noise, celebrated the decision.
But…
"Damn, this sucks…"
"Man, there's nothing better than a hamburger while watching undead!"
Those who enjoyed eating on the train were devastated.
Still, many felt the ban was excessive.
"How can they ban food when the trip is over two hours long?"
"Grr… I hate food smells, but I still need my cornflakes."
Humans and beastfolk alike were used to eating while traveling.
And now that it was suddenly prohibited, there was bound to be pushback.
As passengers complained, an announcement echoed through the train.
─Attention passengers. A train trolley will be passing through shortly. If you need anything, please make a purchase.
"Train trolley?"
"Wait… they're selling food?"
The confused passengers turned toward the approaching trolley.
Then—
Rumble—
"What's that?"
"Cola? Wait… they have Pringles too?!"
A train attendant pushed a trolley overflowing with food—including all the previously banned snacks.
"…Milk! They have fresh milk!"
"Grrr… Cornflakes!"
There were specialty foods tailored to each race—from fresh milk for vampires to cornflakes for feline beastfolk.
"So THAT'S why they banned outside food!"
"Honestly, I don't mind this at all."
The reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
The food selection was diverse, and because everyone ate at the same time, the atmosphere became lively.
With no conflicting mealtimes, no one had a reason to fight.
"Grrr… this is great."
"Shame that there's no ramen but this grilled meat patty is pretty good."
"Wow… this milk is from today's batch!"
By offering tailored meals and coordinating meal times, order was finally restored to the ZTX.
A single train trolley of processed food had brought peace.
*
With the ban on outside food and the introduction of train trolleys, conflicts aboard the ZTX significantly decreased.
But this wasn't just about reducing disputes—it had far-reaching effects beyond that.
"My ears are practically ringing from all the talk about your lover."
"Oh? That much?"
Christina chuckled.
"They say there's a man who built an interregional railway, forced even the defiant Count of Rundel—who won't listen to the Imperial Court—to invest for free. Do you think I wouldn't be hearing about him constantly?"
"…."
Now that she said it, it did sound like things people would talk about.
As I responded with a faint smirk, Christina's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"More than anything, that man even managed to steal the heart of an Imperial Princess."
"So, does that mean you've given up on war?"
"After seeing all this, do you think I'd still be interested in war?"
For a long time, I had worked tirelessly to shift Christina's focus away from war and toward culture.
And now, I was hearing proof of my success from her own lips.
"Though, if you ever try to run away, I might reconsider."
"That won't happen."
"Hoo… a reassuring answer."
Her sharp, red eyes drew closer.
We shared our breath—
And in that moment, the tyrant of the Empire disappeared.
***
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