The Steel Beast

In the morning, before the city awoke, an enigmatic figure in robes and a child dragging along a suitcase a little too large for him could be seen traveling through the sparsely populated streets on foot.

Interestingly, it was Theodore who had woken up first. Even after enduring the lecture that seemed as if it would last all night in regards to the history of magic, his body habitually awoke before the break of dawn. For the longest time, Theodore was an early riser. Annaliese, on the other hand, was out cold. So defenseless she was, Theodore was tempted to try and see what she was hiding beneath the mask that she wore even while sleeping.

Fortunately for him, he did not give into the temptation, for as soon as he approached the door, a voice called out to him.

"Where are you going?" Annaliese asked, her voice so clear that it was questionable if she was sleeping at all.

"The latrine..." Theodore answered straightforwardly.

"I see. Since we're both awake, I suppose we could set off early. Take the chance to wash up."

Afterwards, they had a quick breakfast on the ground floor of the inn, or at least, Theodore did. Even as Theodore ate, Annaliese did not remove her mask. Either she had eaten before Theodore returned or she planned to eat later in secret. Then again, perhaps beneath the mask hid a creature that required no sustenance whatsoever. With the being that was Annaliese a complete mystery to him, Theodore's imagination conjured up endless possibilities.

Leaving the inn immediately after breakfast, they made their way to a particularly busy section of the city with a large density of stalls and shops along the streets. Even in the early morning, a large number of people can be seen coming and going here, with a large portion of them flocking into a large building up ahead. Annalise and Theodore as well, entered said building.

Walking through one of the building's many doors, the pair walked up to one of the booths that could be found within.

"Two tickets to Nix, one adult, one child," said Annaliese to the person seated within the booth as she produced a slip of paper bill from within her robes.

With a raised brow, the one within the booth scrutinized the masked face of Annaliese before handing her two slips of paper.

After the transaction, the two moved deeper into the building.

Deeper in, Theodore found the building to be a strange one indeed as it seemed to be been cleaved into two, the two halves separated by a huge gap. The gap was then paved with stone and laid with rails of iron in pairs parallel to one another.

Casting his eyes wide, Theodore counted six tracks. Considering that the city was supposed to be a hub of a sort, it can't be considered much, but considering as well that this kingdom was the most rural under the empire, perhaps this could be considered impressive.

In the distance, a faint roar, one unlike that of any beast, could be heard. In its direction, a cloud of white steam trailed towards the building where Annaliese and Theodore awaited.

"It's early. How unusual," Annaliese muttered. From those words, it sounded as if she had memorized the scheduling.

As the roar became louder, a creature of black steel could be seen, trotting towards the large gap between buildings.

"Impressive, isn't it?" commented Annaliese. "A beast of steel running on the power of steam... Though, I can't say that I'm happy with its existence."

"Is it running on something similar to brightstones?" asked Theodore, recalling the conversation the previous night.

"Indeed, but instead of light, they give off immense heat."

"I thought you hated the use of these things."

"I do, but I was instructed to bring you back as soon as possible. Besides, the train would run whether I'm on it or not. It makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. The lives of many are already tied to it. Even if I alone oppose it, the world would march forward the way it sees fit regardless."

"......."

Theodore didn't say anything else. It wasn't that he had no thoughts regarding it, but he could feel the gaze from behind that featureless mask. Annaliese wasn't just pouring her heart out, she was probing him for a response.

"I think it's cool though," Theodore eventually said.

"I see. Well, it is an impressive piece of engineering, so it's not as if I don't understand."

Concluding their mundane conversation, the two boarded the vehicle. From here on, it would be a relatively straight line to the Mage Tower. In three days, Theodore would arrive at the place where he would spend the majority of his youth.

***

End of Chapter 18

***