Chapter: 195. Magic Train (4)
“I’ve got the coordinates, so I’ll be going to gather information about the route of the Magic Train for a moment. Ah, there’s no need to follow me. I need to move stealthily.”
“Hm? Did you just ask what the issue with the Magic Train is? I have a lot to say, so let’s discuss it after I come back. Depending on how long the boarding of the Magic Train takes, we might need to come up with a new plan.”
“Hmm. If you’re bored, how about heading to the training ground? You might discover some fragments of the problem with the Magic Train. To get there, just head out and walk down the corridor. Just like when you came to this room, you just need to express your will to get to that place. It’s a method you’ll use often, so it would be good to get used to it. Most people in the Otherworld do it this way.”
After hearing those words, how long has it been since Unho and I left the room for that place called ‘Hrinji’?
I got bored and opened my mouth.
“What do you think the problem with the Magic Train mentioned by that octopus was?”
“Well, I’m not sure. We lack information… Was Unho also bored? Surely he was nodding off, but as soon as I asked my question, he quickly replied.
Then, as if he were thinking for a moment, he grunted.
“Since what you mentioned seems related to money, isn’t it a story about the economy?”
Economy.
I thought about the wealth gap? Inflation? Deflation? To be honest, I know nothing about those fields.
I should have learned something.
I think the part of me that’s a member of society seems to know something, but it’s not a professional field.
So, I kept my mouth shut.
After a few minutes of Unho dozing off again.
“No one’s around.”
“True.”
I said that while rested my chin unconsciously.
Unho chimed in with a similar comment.
Then we kept floating in the air, like balloons.
Thinking about it, this was completely different from what I had expected.
Since it was called a ‘training ground’ and because they mentioned money supply, I imagined it’d at least be like a training arena.
At worst, I expected some kind of field from fantasy.
But this is just the same as the Otherworld outside the Magic Train. It was all dark, and floating objects were everywhere.
“Ckirrr!”
Occasionally, Core Attack rushes at us.
Swish.
I wielded my hammer to turn it into flesh, and numbers popped up in front of my eyes.
Of course, compared to the enormous numbers Al’sel showed me, this was an insignificant figure, so it didn’t incite any feelings.
…What’s the difference between here and the Otherworld?
“Hmm. There are no miscellaneous things floating around.”
“Didn’t something just rush at us?”
“Well, that one at least retains some shape. What I’m talking about are the ones that don’t have any form but whisper to the others around.”
Were there such things?
Thinking back, I didn’t seem to recall anything outside that was like that.
The mosaic beasts also whispered but still retained their shapes.
• •What difference does it make? Did I not see some that didn’t have forms? Let’s just say they exist.
“Anything else?”
“Besides that, um… It looks similar to the Outside, but in reality, someone’s will strongly prevents the Otherworld Invasion or world transformation from occurring…”
Then that means, it’s not much different from the Otherworld after all.
No. But I feel like I’ve seen something similar.
“Then, isn’t this the universe?”
Floating around, and it’s all dark.
“That’s slightly different. Poyo. If it were the case, when Haram swung the hammer earlier, Haram would have flown away too.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it can’t be changed much, but just like what Haram did earlier, unconsciously creating a platform is possible. That’s the same as the Otherworld.”
Upon hearing that, I thought about how I had put in significant power even in a space without a platform.
Taking that into account, it seems the Magic Train was a training ground created with the assumption that battles would take place in the Otherworld from the start.
Still, I wondered, “With this few enemies, will it really count as training?”
“Probably not? I’ve fought while in the Magic Kingdom, and there were billions more attacking back then.”
What does that even mean?
“I’ve never heard that before. What does that even mean?”
The enemy storming into the Magic Kingdom seems so foreign. After all, I’ve hardly heard anything about the Magic Kingdom.
“Hmm? Did I say that? Oh dear. Totally Classified Information should be locked away…”
As Unho was tilting his head, he seemed to want to check against the Core Attack.
“Ah. Ah. Test. Major of World Dispatch from the world. Code number UN 1-10.”
“Major?
…Really?”
What was that just now?
“That doesn’t matter. But Major?”
“Oh, was that how it translated? Yes! It’s Major! A high-ranking person!”
Come on. You got dissed by other mascots all the time.
“What about Lin?”
“Are you talking about Lin? Let me see… she’s three ranks higher than me, so… she’s a Captain!”
Wow! There’s a General in our household!
“So what about the other mascots?”
“They’re about six to seven ranks below me.”
That’s genuinely disappointing.
These guys got demoted by someone at the general level? The army really is a mess.
“Then about that defensive battle you mentioned, was that before you were dispatched?”
“Yes! That story is from when I was in the defensive battle! Leading my subordinates, I was wielding magic at the front line…”
I couldn’t imagine that pig swinging around at the front line…
At the front line?
“General. Front line?”
“High-ranking individuals must act according to their responsibilities! Hmph!”
Uh-huh. At least I know your army is a complete mess.
Wait a minute; it’s funny to think about it.
Unho seems to be something like a ferret.
Lin looks like a proper humanoid.
A bunch of tiny beings lacking any distinct species consistency fighting against bizarre life forms?
Seeing that it’s supposedly billions of them, it certainly had to be a fierce struggle, but just imagining it is downright hilarious.
Still, they must have also suffered serious losses, so I shouldn’t laugh.
Now that I’ve got something to chat about, should I ask now?
“Unho?”
“Is your world still in the defensive battle?”
“Maybe? It’s always been that way since before I was born, and even before I was dispatched. As far as I know, this has been the case since ancient times.”
“What about the phenomenon of storytelling?”
“We had none.”
Hmm. Then there wouldn’t have been any Public Designation either…
Given the situation, it seems like I should keep my mouth shut regarding the end.
If someone related brings it up, it’d be like they’re saying something taboo.
“Then, since your world is struggling, why were you dispatched to another world?”
What gain could there be?
No matter how messed up the army is, could a Major be dispatched so easily?
Even if it were humanitarian aid, it’s not like we’re giving something to that Magic Kingdom.
“Because the Queen ordered it?”
…What the heck?!
…Did you say, ‘because the Queen ordered it’?
…What does that even mean?
“I’ve never learned why it should be that way.”
I mean, isn’t a Major supposed to know anything?
Forget it. Poyo.
Seriously, what’s going on here?
It’s the same thing.
“Then, do you dispatch to worlds other than ours too?”
“Yes! Lin went to another world! For some reason, she’s in Earth now! And there are many others as well!”
What the heck is this?
Does the Magic Kingdom still have energy to spare?
Or is it just that we don’t know? Do those remaining worlds get benefits through supporting other worlds?
In my tangled thoughts, one thing became certain.
“If I ask that Queen, maybe something will come out of it.”
Anyway, I might not find anything by just floating here, so maybe it’s time to go.
By now, I think Al’sel would’ve gotten the route of the Magic Train.
How about I listen to those plans she said she would tell me later? If she hasn’t returned, maybe I should just lie down and take a nap.
As I thought this, just when I was about to bring back the corridor…
“Hey, you over there!”
The previously silent space reverberated with the first sensation, prompting me to turn my head toward it.
What instantly entered my field of vision was a group floating in the air.
Maybe they gathered as members of the same race, as they all had similar appearances.
They didn’t look too distorted, nor did they seem particularly strange. They appeared to be quite ordinary intelligent beings.
Of course, they had four arms, or their heads had eyes clustered to the point where you couldn’t count them. No noses were visible; skin was purple, or fingers had six digits.
Such trivial issues existed, but at least they didn’t look entirely random.
“Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen something that looks human in the Otherworld.”
Now that I think about it, the mosaic ones were quite close to humans.
“True. You look quite normal.”
While Unho and I whispered to each other, the somewhat human-like group spoke to us.
“What are you stumbling on about?”
Like walking on land, they approached us naturally to a point in front of us.
Thanks to that, I, who was floating in the air, had to look at them at about a 45-degree angle.
“Ha, what a funny guy. The one who can’t even manage his surroundings dares to enter our territory? You. What organization do you belong to?”
I have no affiliation, but if you insist, I’d say the Reaper.
While I wished to smack them, I became interested in observing them.
Somehow, this might be a clue to the problems arising from the Magic Train.
“Hey, are you dumb? You think we look funny?”
Honestly, they do look a bit ridiculous.
To be honest, the slime I threw earlier was probably stronger than you guys.
“Poyo! Haram! Get your weapons out. Weapons! What are you doing!”
Slap, slap, slap.
I could hear Unho vigorously slapping his own cheeks.
This guy totally can’t read the mood. Honestly, Unho, you’re stronger than them, so why are you panicking?
“Hey, your pet seems to understand the atmosphere better than you do! What’s going on?”
…The mood seems wrecked entirely.
There’s nothing that can be done about it now.
Spin.
I tried to make another rotation in the air to adjust my line of sight, but I ended up moving more than I expected, roughly doing a complete 370-degree turn.
Thanks to that, the enemies’ perspective became more skewed.
“What are you doing?”
Heeheeheehee.
I became the laughingstock of the enemies.
Thanks to that, rage welled up inside me.
But I held it back. I had to at least exchange a word with them.
“I have a question.”
“What? Who do you think you’re talking to?”
What do you mean “who do you think you’re talking to”? Is the Otherworld translation engine not working well?
Well, does that matter? They seem to get the gist of it.
“I heard this is your territory, so it seems each organization claims a territory according to their belonging, right?”
“Ha. Is this the first time a newbie thinks he’s strong? Yeah. This is the territory of our Purple Lightning. If you understood that, you should lower your posture and get out of here…”
Got it roughly.
Bang.
I swung my hammer right away, sending the purple idiot before my eyes flying far away.
Not enough to die, just a little.
“Guh!”
The purple thing, which didn’t respond to my attack, was buried by my hammer and then disappeared into the void.
In the place it occupied, only some eyeballs remained.
…Why are the eyeballs left? Poyo?
Who knows. It might be easy to lose them.
While I amplified my hammer…
while my boot activated, spewing flames to adjust my position, I looked at the remaining group.
Were they confused by their leader flying away?
The remaining purple beings stared dumbfounded at the direction their leader flew off.
When I was about to adjust my stance with them…
“You bastard! Do you know who we are?!”
“How dare you…”
Get lost.
Bang.
I smacked the side of the first punk that reacted by drawing his weapon.
This time, I adjusted my aim, ensuring it wouldn’t fly overhead.
Like a direct hit, it flew straight.
Was the control that accurate?
Get lost!
“Uuuaaaaah?!”
The ones hit by that flying purple creature triggered a chain reaction like billiard balls, disappearing all together into the distance.
In that distant place, since it was as dark as the universe, I half-expected something to sparkle like in a cartoon, but…
Apparently, there was no such cartoonish effect; the purple friends were straightforwardly swallowed by the darkness and disappeared.
Well, that’s roughly settled…
“Unho.”
“I think I now understand what the issue with the Magic Train is.”
“Poyo? How does Haram understand? Let’s be honest, thinking isn’t exactly Haram’s strong suit.”
I know because I’ve experienced it.
But hey, did you just contradict yourself?
“Guhhhh! I’ll never mess up again!”
In an instant, without noticing, I was twisting Unho like a rag, but I didn’t care about that and twisted even more to speak.
“When it comes to seat acquisition by a group, and with limited means for currency supply, and a certain group possessing excessive wealth, what will happen?”
“Guhhhh!”
That’s right. That’s the point.
A specific group controls and monopolizes the currency. What I experienced was just in a game, so it turned into a controversy and ended there. But here, it’s directly related to survival, so… what will happen?
If the economy is weirdly designed, this will happen.
Of course, that’s just the beginning of the problem; for the overarching issues with the Magic Train, I’ll need to hear from Al’sel.
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