A group of men clad in white coats were working tirelessly.
And standing before me was a moving miniature train—
a model train in name, though large enough that even an adult could ride it.
"Yo, Your Majesty! Did that surprise you?"
The booming voice belonged to Kaijin, proudly wearing an unfitting white lab coat as if he had invented the very concept of research itself.
The hall was enormous—comparable to a grand auditorium. Elaborate railways snaked across the entire floor, leaving no room to stand casually. Models of mountains, valleys, and tunnels rose like an intricate diorama brought to life.
They were clearly built for aerodynamic and
environmental analysis.
I folded my arms.
"...These terrains are simulations meant to test performance under varied conditions."
Kaijin's beard twitched upward.
"As expected of the King of Eterna! You see through everything at a glance. Honestly, the amazing part isn't me—it's this team of genius engineers that your reign has attracted."
Indeed.
Their brilliance had created this entire facility.
This three-dimensional, magically generated landscape was a feat few nations could even dream of.
The prototype train Kaijin crafted—now running along the track—was one of his finest creations yet.
I stepped closer to the rails.
"What is powering this train?"
I could have invoked Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, and unraveled every mechanism instantly.
But I asked on purpose. It is a king's duty to hear from those who pour their soul into their craft.
Kaijin grinned.
"Steam."
I nodded once—exactly what I suspected.
Until now, trains in Eterna relied on horses.
Stable, yes. Efficient? Hardly.
Various proposals had arisen—golems, monsters, enchanted constructs.
None solved the fundamental problem.
The true breakthrough required something greater.
A locomotive.
And its power source—
a steam engine refined through magic and science.
Thus was born the concept of the Magitrain.
Magicules would be converted into heat, generating steam, providing both combustion and thrust. A hybrid of the natural and the arcane. The prototype engine… a true Spirit Magic Core.
Primitive in design, yes.
But the magic involved required astounding technical depth.
Magic in this world often ignored natural law. It bent reality according to imagination.
But spirit magic was different.
It followed nature's rules—oxygen, combustion, pressure.
The perfect tool to recreate physical phenomena.
It was this principle that inspired me to propose:
"Use spirits as the engine's fire source."
Kaijin scratched his beard.
"Sometimes we boiled water using the smithery's excess heat, but we never realized steam could be weaponized like this."
I allowed myself a faint smile.
Their ability to recreate the concept from only my explanation was astounding.
"All in all," I said, "there are countless methods—pistons, turbines, electrical generators. Thermal energy becomes motion or electricity. Another field for future research."
Kaijin hummed.
"If we master electricity, the power output will skyrocket."
He wasn't wrong.
They now possessed enough theoretical understanding that they may soon surpass even the knowledge of my previous world.
The locomotive before us pulled six miniature freight cars heavy with iron ingots.
Scaled to reality, the load capacity was extraordinary.
Ramiris—at some point perched atop Treyni's shoulders—beamed.
"In this lab, we can simulate any environment! Right now we're in a tropical rainforest! Next door is a desert! And after that, a snow region!"
Even a vampire researcher nodded enthusiastically.
"Moi delights in these experiments. Truly delightful!"
He thrust a stack of meticulously written notes into my hand.
Charts, calculations, diagrams… all impeccable.
Paper made from plant fibers—another innovation Eterna produced on its own.
Gabil's subordinates had created prototypes, refined them, and achieved stable production. Efficient, elegant.
I turned the pages.
Motive power, required magicules, engine deterioration, load analysis, acceleration calculations…
Everything was there.
With this data, we could begin constructing a full-scale locomotive.
Then something clicked.
I lowered the notes slightly.
"...Veldora. When you mentioned 'prototype,' were you not talking about the model train, but something else?"
"Kukuku! As expected of Atem!" Veldora laughed triumphantly.
Ramiris puffed out her tiny chest in pride.
I glanced around the room…
Treyni, Beretta, the researchers—
Every pair of eyes sparkled with anticipation.
They'd lined up at a particular door.
So that was it.
Kaijin stepped forward, pushing his hand onto the door handle as he explained:
"We struggled, you know. Summoning a fire spirit alone wasn't enough. The power output fluctuated too much. A mage had to stand by constantly to regulate it. But we don't have enough qualified mages for every train. So instead—we built magic circuits into the engine to regulate it automatically."
The engine's Core: a mid-tier fire spirit.
The control panel: engraved magic circuitry.
The execution: a monumental effort.
He brushed over the summoning part like it was a casual task…
But summoning a salamander, ranked B-plus, was not something ordinary people could accomplish.
Naturally…
Ramiris' presence made it possible.
Former Queen of Spirits—
anything spirit-related was trivial for her.
As the realization sank in, Kaijin slowly opened the door.
"Oh… oh, this is—"
The sight beyond the door stole my breath.
A sleek, black marvel gleamed under the laboratory lights. Its surface shimmered like polished obsidian, emanating a quiet yet unmistakable aura of authority. Clearly forged from magisteel, yet its form suggested something alive, something… predatory. A steel beast, brimming with latent power.
Vesta's voice rang with unrestrained pride:
"This… is the culmination of our technology, Magitrain Zero!"
I had expected a prototype, a rough experiment. Yet before me stood a fully realized train—the embodiment of a dream, one step beyond theory.
This was more than a mere vehicle. This was Eterna's first leap toward transforming transportation forever.
Kaijin's and Vesta's eyes glimmered with unyielding determination.
"We will begin by testing the durability of the train's body," Vesta explained. "Freight cars, passenger cars, even dining and resting cars—we intend to refine every aspect."
Kaijin added, with the precision of a craftsman, "Even the locomotive itself isn't entirely finished. Minor details remain to perfect its operation."
All around, the researchers gazed at Magitrain Zero with reverence. It was clear: even the slightest improvement could be a breakthrough.
Vesta hesitated briefly, then spoke:
"There is also the electricity Solarys mentioned. That one was… tricky. We summoned a wind spirit to generate it, but couldn't harness it directly yet."
I inclined my head slightly. Of course. Electricity was versatile, but dangerous to manipulate.
Kaijin's voice resonated with authority:
"First, we develop storage—batteries. Once we succeed, we can convert the locomotive's excess thermal energy into electricity. Then, illumination, climate control… the potential is limitless."
I nodded, fully aware of the complexity involved. The wisdom of Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, had been invaluable. My memories of Earth's technological texts had been carefully transcribed and enhanced by Solarys into Eterna's language. I had entrusted the materials to Vesta, knowing they would be put to their fullest use.
"Indeed," Vesta affirmed. "We studied the application of electricity in depth. With every researcher contributing, even incomplete knowledge became potent."
Kaijin chuckled, recalling an earlier achievement.
"And when we witnessed the Elemental Colossus—Ramiris' creation—we realized how far we could push our abandoned Armored Soldier Project."
I observed silently, as his words carried weight. Seeing a working prototype made the principles concrete. Another Colossus was in progress, destined for research purposes.
"Exactly," Vesta continued, "as we reviewed the texts and considered everyone's opinions, it became clear: our prior mistakes stemmed from assuming elemental and spirit magic were the same. That misunderstanding nearly cost us the project."
Kaijin nodded. "By testing the Elemental Colossus, we discovered what was missing. Spirit magic obeys natural law; elemental magic obeys imagination. Misapplying one to the other created failure."
"And yet," Vesta added, "our missteps led to discovery. By analyzing the 'Master Core'—the original Spirit Magic Core—we now fully understand its potential."
Kaijin laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Both frustrating and exhilarating. The theory wasn't flawed—just misinterpreted."
The magnitude of their accomplishment struck me. With the Spirit Magic Core, magicules could be converted into heat to drive turbines, and that heat could then generate electricity, powering every car. Energy could circulate, be stored, and controlled seamlessly—all by the spirits themselves.
It was revolutionary.
Vesta and Kaijin had opted to use the steam engine's energy as a medium, rather than directly extracting electricity from the spirits. Too unpredictable otherwise. But now, the train ran entirely on a fully realized Spirit Magic Core, fueled by magicules in the atmosphere or supplemental magic stones.
Continuous operation? Only limited by maintenance and magicule availability.
I allowed myself a small, rare smile. This was the dream realized.
Veldora and Ramiris, perched proudly, boasted loudly.
"Come now, Atem! Aren't you impressed?!"
I regarded them calmly, my presence alone commanding silence.
"It is extraordinary. Exceptional work. Continue like this, and Eterna will forever change the world of transportation."
Veldora puffed up, Ramiris fluttered in pride—they were justified. The day Magitrains would traverse Eterna was near, and nothing could surpass this achievement.
Vesta leaned closer.
"Your Majesty, there is one thing I wished to discuss…"
"Yes?"
"I… would like to host a small celebration for Magitrain Zero's completion. A gathering…"
I understood immediately. They sought joy, camaraderie, and reward. I nodded once, decisively.
That evening, we arrived at one of Eterna's finest nightclubs.
"All right! Tonight, we celebrate!"
Kaijin grinned broadly.
"Your Majesty, I cannot simply rent this establishment… but tonight, it is ours!"
The staff cleared the night exclusively for our celebration—a recognition-of-service party for the researchers, engineers, and spirits who made Magitrain Zero possible.
The mood was electric. Gratitude poured freely, bows synchronized as if choreographed. Even the vampires joined in, partaking of alcohol without hesitation.
Ramiris, ever the mischievous fairy, attempted to sneak a sip.
"No, Ramiris. By my command, children shall not drink," I declared.
The tiny fairy pouted—but even she understood the authority in my words.
Amid laughter, music, and the glow of triumph, Eterna's future began to shine ever brighter.