Ticket for Magyuba is 30 swen for one, 20 swen for a child."
"Tickets for two please."
I purchase the smoke car tickets from the conductor of a temporary station.
Swen is the currency used in Weasel Empire, one blue copper coin is one swen.
Come to think of it, this might be the first country that has a name for its currency.
It might be translated to like '●● copper coins' by language skill because it's called the same.
I don't mind this since memorizing them would be a pain, but it does make the sense of exoticness decrease.
"Yes, thank you. If you're going from Magyuba city to your next destination, please buy the ticket from the ticket box or the conductor of the next train there."
The weaselkin conductor told me so while giving the tickets.
It seems to be a fairly placid system.
I thank the conductor and then go toward the smoke car with Tama.
"Second class citizens can only ride on the general car, so don't make a mistake and enter the noble car that's immediately behind the smoke car."
"Yea, understood."
Assenting the conductor's warning, we board the general car.
Looks like this one is of unreserved seats. Villagers from the nearby villages heading to Magyuba town to peddle things are carrying huge luggages on their backs.
"There~"
"Quietly."
"Aye."
The officials carrying the emperor statue had finally arrived, we got here first since we used teleport magic.
The whistle signaling departure echoed the moment they got on board, apparently it was waiting for them.
It might be more efficient to just track them, wait for them to arrive at Magyuba City and then teleport there afterward, but for the sake of later on, I confirmed whether the forged citizenship ID could be used to buy tickets here.
There was not even a simple ID check at this station, so I'm planning to confirm it once we arrive at Magyuba city.
"Gatan goton~, gatan goton~"
Children really are fascinated by the unique rhythm of a train and the flowing scenery on the window.
Tama is rooted on the window since awhile ago.
"We will be entering a tunnel soon. Everyone, please close your window."
The conductor showed himself from the window in car ahead and shouted.
The other passengers begin to close their windows.
Window?--Is it because the vibrating sound is noisy?
"You folks, it's tunnel soon, close yer' windows."
When I was racking my brain to think of the reason, the ratkin aunty who was sitting next to us bent her body and closed our window.
All the windows here are fitted with glass.
"Yer faces would become pitch black from the soot if you don't close the window in a tunnel."
"Is that so, thank you very much."
"It's alriight, if one's open, everyone's face will become pitch black y'see."
The aunty's anger dissipated once she knew that I was a beginner of smoke car.
Apparently, everyone does the same at first.
"Mountain~? There's a hole on it~"
"That's called a tunnel."
Tama who's sticking her cheeks on the closed window says so while desperately looking at the front.
Don't put too much strength into it since the glass will break okay?
I secretly put force magic [Enchant Physical Protection] on the window.
"Pitch black~"
Looks like there's no illumination inside the tunnel.
The car in the front probably has headlights.
The wall of the tunnel isn't made of stone from earth magic's petrification, but from concrete-like thing.
"Did ya know? This tunnel is--"
According to the knowledgeable aunty, the tunnel itself was made by 100 earth magicians of the empire in one go.
Looks like they don't overemphasize the use of science, they do use magic when it's convenient, kind of hybrid.
To capitalize on the unexpected source of information, I offered some baked sweets made by Lulu to stimulate the aunty, thus I got to hear various things about the remote regions of the Weasel Empire.