Three Families Under One Roof

Three days later.

Noon.

I arrived at the rail station with my companions.

The boarding point for the imperial railway stretching across the empire…….

At the station entrance, crowds lined up waiting their turn.

Seeing everyone queue up, I also got in line.

“What’s this?”

“Seems like a Railway Military Police inspection.”

After checking ahead, Heinkel spoke.

Garul acted like he knew everything.

“We can’t fight the Railway Military Police. Young Master Rigen, you just have to endure it, right?”

“I know, damn it.”

The Railway Military Police — the armed group managing the railway — held immense power.

Enough that nobles and everyone else had to meekly queue up and wait.

And I was the one who gave them that authority.

“……”

I briefly looked back.

Amelia stuck right beside Lisera, managing her.

With a veil and different clothing, no one knew Lisera was a princess.

Heinkel asked quietly,

“You split the group in two for security reasons?”

Roderic, Melius, and Alicia departed by rail early this morning.

Garul, Heinkel, Lisera, Amelia, and I were now preparing to leave.

I checked for nearby ears and explained.

“Alicia also wore a veil when she left, so it’ll be confusing which one is Lisera. A precautionary trick for worst-case scenarios. We’re fair game for anyone to target now.”

“But if it’s dark elves……”

“Information transmission speed is exceptional, right? And contact inside the train helps avoid other people’s eyes. With all these conditions, they’ll come find us.”

Filter out other rabble and only contact dark elves.

Also for safety reasons, splitting the party was better.

We had already arranged to reunite after arriving at the capital.

“But the line is long……”

After checking ahead again, Heinkel said,

“Seems they’re unpacking and inspecting all luggage.”

“Discipline is tight, huh?”

A hundred years since I granted them authority, but they’re still sharp.

Heinkel hesitated, then told me,

“You must not fight with the Railway Military Police.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“No, I’ll just handle it myself.”

“……?”

The line shortened and our turn came.

The moment we entered the platform, Heinkel suddenly stepped forward.

“Ah, good work.”

Approaching the military policeman, Heinkel spoke smoothly while slipping him money.

The policeman glanced down at his hand and jerked his chin.

“Pass!”

“……”

What?

As I entered feeling puzzled, Heinkel spoke beside me.

“Military police inspections are a bit harsh. Men or women, they strip everyone down to underwear for inspection…… I couldn’t subject the princess or Amelia to such indignity.”

“Really?”

They could just pat down over clothes, but they deliberately strip people?

When I turned around, the person after us was really removing their clothes.

“Excessively coercive yet bribes work. Typical corruption and rot, huh?”

“Well, not all military police are corrupt, but…… it’s beneficial to avoid friction with the Railway Military Police. There are no exceptions to this.”

“……”

I frowned.

The railway was the protagonist of modernization, so I paid special attention while creating the imperial railway.

I also made the military police guarding the railway an independent group, giving them authority and power.

But the military police I saw again after a hundred years were deeply disappointing.

“Let’s handle boarding procedures first.”

Heinkel suggested.

We boarded the train.

Departure.

The journey to the capital takes five days.

Normally, nobles would travel comfortably in Noble Class, but…….

My companions and I rented two Normal Class sleeping compartments.

One for men, one for women.

We all gathered in the women’s compartment to discuss future plans.

Lisera’s handmaid immediately protested to me.

“Must Her Highness stay in such a cramped, uncomfortable place?”

“This is where everyone eats and sleeps.”

Lisera cut her off sharply.

I smiled and explained.

“You think I want to travel uncomfortably? Actually, if I’d booked a few days ago, I could’ve gotten Noble Class.”

Everyone seated focused on me.

To understand my intention.

“First, there’s a reason I split the group in two and sent Brother Roderic ahead. Right now, our Librata is being watched by power players across the empire. Since Princess Lisera, who could become the elves’ political weakness, came outside.”

I continued speaking.

“We’re not traveling to the capital for fun. Starting with Marquis Crocell’s incident, through successive incidents, groups across the empire are watching us. If we’d booked days ago, or if we’d revealed the princess’s identity and boarded Royal Class, everywhere would’ve mobilized. Right, Heinkel?”

“Yes. They would’ve held a welcome parade at the platform.”

“But we suddenly bought same-day tickets, split in two, and boarded the train. Normal intelligence groups would scramble, but the dark elf intelligence network would immediately grasp it. Right, Heinkel?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Conclusion: we sit here and wait for dark elves to make contact. It won’t be long, so everyone wait without unpacking.”

Garul asked with a puzzled expression.

“Why shouldn’t we unpack?”

“Because when the dark elves arrive, we’ll move to better rooms.”

Everyone seemed to understand.

Except Garul.

I chuckled and changed the subject.

“Well then, everyone rest. Let’s play since it’s boring on the way.”

Five days of rail travel ahead.

On Earth, smartphones make time pass quickly, but here there’s not even electricity.

Card games — Lisera can’t enjoy them.

So I prepared in advance.

“Sir Garul, you’re quite good at cat’s cradle.”

“Haha, am I?”

Garul smiled happily at Lisera’s praise.

When the atmosphere seemed good, I slipped out to the corridor.

Heinkel also came out shortly after.

“Why did you come out?”

“Mm, this is truly a personal question, but…… what is your relationship with the princess?”

The train car is full of noise.

Lisera reduced her hearing.

She can’t hear our conversation.

At my look, Heinkel added,

“You seem to care for her extremely attentively yet maintain distance.”

“Does that appear on exams?”

“I’m not seeking a specific answer. I just feel I should understand my lord’s heart.”

Lord.

Heinkel changed his mode of address while serving me.

Heinkel spoke again.

“In the worst case……”

“You mean priorities? Protect yourself over me, protect Lisera over yourself.”

“Understood.”

Harsh words, but Heinkel accepted immediately.

When a dark elf reveals his family name to another race, that’s what it means.

I pulled out my pocket watch and checked the time.

“About two hours now. Stay inside the room. Don’t come out no matter what happens.”

“Understood.”

Heinkel understood and immediately went inside.

I leaned against the rattling, shaking corridor wall.

“……”

While waiting, people passed by.

A young couple who just boarded, searching for their seats.

A young student with an armful of books.

A small child holding their mother’s hand going to the bathroom looked up at me curiously.

When I smiled and waved, the child shyly hid behind their mother.

“Everyone’s using it well.”

The imperial railway is also the empire’s legs.

My efforts to lower passenger fares paid off.

“……”

They’re here.

Two people approaching, both dark elf men.

One was familiar.

Section Chief Gunter, who got hooked and contracted with me before.

Gunter spoke with obvious wariness.

“How coincidental to meet you here.”

“You came looking for me, so what coincidence?”

“No, well……”

“It’s obvious Librata would go up to the capital to attend the Round Table. Normally using rail, moving in the near future. Then station dark elves in advance on the platform heading from Alakas Range to the capital.”

“……”

“You also failed to seize initiative at Librata manor before, so to wash away that mistake, you took the vanguard first.”

When I spoke smoothly, Gunter looked quite surprised.

“……As expected, I was fooled before, but you’re no ordinary person.”

“You don’t have decision-making authority anyway, right? Just bring your superior.”

“Cheeky brat.”

The dark elf who came with Gunter snapped harshly.

I asked indifferently,

“And who might this polite individual be?”

“Section Chief Garner. Human. Stop with the bravado……”

“From your perspective, the Fourth Princess is a jackpot — no, a super jackpot. Two section chiefs wouldn’t command such a big operation. You’re both just messengers delivering words, right?”

“Finished talking?”

“This is me being restrained. I bet you were going to tell me to follow your ass, but if you have something to say, tell that bastard to come directly.”

Garner clenched his fist tightly.

I smiled and said,

“Hey, unclench your fist. How can I trust you guys and leave my position? You might kidnap Lisera if given the chance, right? You loaded dark elf agents front and back of this train, didn’t you?”

“Cheeky human brat!”

Garner exploded.

But I had already activated clairvoyance.

The moment I saw the internal movement as he activated magic…….

Wham!

I immediately charged while throwing a punch.

Telekinetic Fist!

“Gack!”

Ignoring the train’s shaking, my punch, doubling my body weight, struck Garner’s solar plexus.

As he staggered while trying to activate magic defense, my follow-up was much faster.

Crack!

I struck his jaw upward, then finished by stomping his groin with my knee!

“Gaaaaaack……”

Garner made dying sounds and collapsed.

When Gunter hastily activated magic, I waved my hands.

“Hey, don’t. Don’t do it.”

“What?”

“I received the 1 billion well. I need to keep receiving in the future, so why fight?”

“……”

“You just go deliver the message. Garner got hit and it seems you should come see for yourself.”

Hesitation.

Wavering, Gunter turned and ran.

Originally, dark elves prioritize information transmission over comrades’ lives.

As I dusted off my hands, collapsed Garner groaned.

“Ga, gack! You, you bastard……”

“Ah, sorry. Did it burst?”

“You, you’ll regret thiiiis……”

Garner curled up like a shrimp and spoke desperately.

Well, he’s combat-incapable now.

Magic activation requires mental focus…… and normally you can’t fight when your vital spot is hit and the sky turns yellow like that.

“As expected of a section chief. Even with your thing smashed, you’re loyal to the company!”

“……Grrrrk. Even, even now…… surrender.”

“What, why? Did some big shot show up?”

Commander.

Directly below the Queen of Assassins, three warriors.

The dark elves’ supreme masters.

But they’re each busy, so they couldn’t deploy them for such urgent matters, right?

Then Garner bared his teeth.

Normally it would be a fierce, intimidating smile, but with sweat pouring down his face now, it just looks pitiful.

“……O, or.”

“Orgasm is coming?”

“Lord Orca! Gaaaack……”

After enduring pain to spit out the name, Garner gasped and glared at me.

How about that?

Hurry up and fear and bow your head.

“……Uh, damn it. The commander is Orca?”

But I was stunned for a different reason.

Orca.

The empire’s second prince.

My second son.

Is this a family reunion or something?