I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 402 Steel Behemoth
The Dirac Corps retreated, which was indeed due to Chris's orders.

The reason for the retreat was simple... Chris saw no reason or value in Marquis Dirac continuing the fight.

This was something Chris thought of the day after he sent out the magic consultant, Polka.

Why should I continue fighting the Kingdom of Minicia?!
The player expedition has achieved its strategic objective and is on its way back with the gifts from Guano Island—Elena and the Tia family members. They will be back in Tavitsky in less than ten days.

Marquis Dirac's mission was to provide cover. Once the main force's mission was completed, his work should have stopped. Why should I send someone to support the Marquis and keep him in Suvano to fight the Minisians and the monsters they let in?

No need, really no need!
Chris felt he had been completely out of his mind lately, constantly thinking of solving problems through violence.

Therefore, after sending out his advisory team, Chris immediately dispatched a messenger the next day with orders to retreat in pursuit of the latter.

After making the arrangements, Chris stopped paying attention to Dirac.

Although Charles brought some heretics and demons like the Dark Swamp to cause trouble here, this is the Greek mainland without magic. Even if an army of 10,000 can't take Suvano, retreating shouldn't be a big problem.

If Marquis Dirac really can't retreat, then Chris can cheat and let the players pass, or he can simply lead his elite troops to escort himself there, open a respawn point, and release both new and old players.

There are currently 20,000 players in the game, filling Chris's territory to capacity. They are everywhere, and Chris is hesitant to let in more new players to maintain their current gaming environment and content.

But if you push him too far, Chris wouldn't mind unleashing the Fourth Scourge army to overturn the table on the Greek continent and leave everyone with nothing to play with.

Fortunately, things did not develop in the worst possible way. The Dirac Legion's retreat went very smoothly, and the snake-men, who had been accidentally defeated by the young master, did not jump out again.

These so-called heretics and rotten swamps are clearly a group of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong.

That makes sense. All bad people and dark forces are essentially the same. Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is their basic principle, and opportunism is their specialty.

After all, they lack the unwavering conviction and sense of mission of those on the side of justice; they act solely for profit, survival, or chaos. When faced with a powerful adversary, they choose to retreat, even shifting blame among themselves.

The successful retreat of Dirac's army also proves this point.

Chris's decision was undoubtedly wise. After all, the outcome of a war depends not only on the fighting on the battlefield, but also on strategic vision and accurate judgment of the situation.

Continuing to remain in Suvano and entangle themselves with the Kingdom of Minicia and those dark forces will not only deplete the Dirac Legion's fighting strength, but may also cause more unnecessary trouble.

More important now than war is "farming".

……

The atmosphere at Anvil Fortress, a fortified city once located at the border between the Kingdom of Bagnia and the Kingdom of Minicia and now occupied by Chris, is completely different from its usual somber mood.

Within the transformed, enormous central plaza, a brand-new railway track, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, stretches straight into the distance.

At the end of the railway tracks, a 20,000-square-meter railway station made of reinforced concrete stands majestically. Above the platform at the top of the station, a double-headed eagle flag representing the Kingdom of Bagnia and Prince Chris hangs.

The air was filled with the unique smell of coal smoke, engine oil, and fresh wood, as well as an irrepressible restlessness belonging to the new era.

Inside the Anvil Fortress, a massive crowd was now gathered.

Officials from the Kingdom of Bagnia, generals and soldiers from the Anvil Fortress, curious and slightly apprehensive local workers, and numerous players dressed in various styles with eyes gleaming with excitement.

They surged like an unpredictable tide outside the cordon, their voices and exclamations blending into a noisy ocean, crowding around the train station.

"Silence, silence!"

On the stage in front of the train station, "Diu Ni Rem," dressed in white and holding a megaphone, shouted loudly, his voice barely drowning out the noise of the crowd and the low rumble coming from afar.

Diu Ni Rem was considered a high-ranking official within the Bagnian regime, and was allowed to wear white clothes.

According to Chris's regulations, Bagnian civil servants could wear different colors of clothing depending on their rank.

The colors of these clothes range from the lowest level, level 10, black, to level 9, dark blue, level 8, green, level 7, apricot yellow, level 6, brown, level 5, red, level 4, white, level 3, purple, level 2, silver, and level 1, gold.

Among them, there are currently no high-ranking officials who can wear gold and silver. Even the Marquis of Dirac can only wear white. In terms of civil servant rank, he is an official of the same rank as Diurrem.

Therefore, he is very happy to see Rem here now.

"I hereby declare that Tiezhan Railway Station is now officially operational, handling both freight and passenger transport..."

Just like a real-life leader, Diu Ni Rem rambled on on the stage for over ten minutes, gradually annoying the players below. They started throwing trash at the stage and eventually drove Diu Ni Rem off the stage.

Shortly after Rem's ignominious escape from the stage...

"Woo!!!"

A long, sharp, and extremely penetrating whistle suddenly tore through the air, like the roar of a giant beast, instantly drowning out all other sounds.

A gasp rippled through the crowd on both sides of the railway tracks at the train station, and many people instinctively took a step back. Even some civil servants looked surprised.

In the distance, a massive steel structure, spewing thick smoke and supported by countless iron wheels, rumbled along the gleaming rails at an unprecedented speed.

Like a steel monster that has broken free of its restraints, it broke through the limits of people's cognition with its enormous inertia, deafening piston roar, and overwhelming momentum.

"Boom... Boom... Crack... Crack..."

The heavy steel wheels rolled over the joints of the rails, producing a rhythmic and powerful thud.

Driven by immense steam pressure, the massive cast iron pistons reciprocated wildly, driving the connecting rods and crankshaft to transmit surging power to every wheel.

Hot white steam billowed violently from the valves and chimneys, quickly condensing into large swathes of mist in the cold air, enveloping the front of the vehicle and making it appear and disappear intermittently.

The coal smoke, like a rolling black dragon, soared straight into the sky.

The people on the platform were completely stunned by this unprecedented sight. Even the players were gaping and clapping their hands in amazement... The technology of their era was so advanced that such a noisy old relic was kept in a museum.

Seeing a steam train in motion for the first time, their bodies trembled slightly with the vibrations of the ground, their faces a mixture of excitement and awe. "Holy crap, a real steam train! That's awesome!"

"This steam...this sense of power...it's so exhilarating!"

"Quickly record a video, take screenshots, and post them on the forum! Brothers, the Steam Age has arrived in another world..."

"I want to take the first train, nobody can take it from me!"

"Chris is awesome! He's definitely a construction maniac!"

The massive locomotive, carrying powerful wind pressure and heat waves, slowly and precisely came to a stop beside the brand-new platform. With a final, heavy exhaust screech, the steel behemoth fell silent for a moment, leaving only the low hum of the boiler and the lingering hiss of the steam pipes.

Rem, who had been kicked off the stage but secretly ran back, rushed up the platform at that moment. He turned around and looked at the people below, his emotions running high, waving his hands in a passionate gesture.

"I hereby declare that the Anvil train has successfully completed its operation and the Anvil Railway Station is now officially open for business!"

As soon as he finished speaking, twelve cannon salutes rang out around the train station. The huge red silk covering the platform nameplate slid off, revealing a gleaming brass nameplate underneath, which clearly read: Anvil Fortress Station.

"Hua Hua Hua..."

Applause, cheers, and gasps of amazement erupted once again, even more enthusiastic than before.

Before the deafening roar of the salutes and the clamor of the crowd had subsided, the steel behemoth "Anvil" began its real work.

With a series of sharp exhaust screech and heavy metallic scraping sounds, the massive hook connecting the front of the car to the cargo box was released.

The loading and unloading workers, who had been waiting on both sides of the platform and were dressed in uniform, rushed toward the huge carriages painted with dark green anti-rust paint as if they were wound up.

"Action, over here, unload grain at platform number one."

"Weapons and equipment are in Zone Two. Handle with care..."

"Soldiers in the passenger carriages, this way! Line up according to your officers and don't push your way out!"

Amidst the foremen's hoarse commands and the players' excited shouts, the side doors and roof of the carriage were opened one by one.

The side door of the freight car was opened, and the first thing that came into view was a mountain of sacks.

Inside the wagon bearing the mark of the Hegland Province, the military judge, holding a sampler, randomly pierced the grain sacks, causing golden wheat and plump corn to cascade out like a golden waterfall. He nodded in satisfaction, turned, and waved his hand, at which point the workers pushing specially made handcarts swarmed forward.
During the transport of grain, the air is filled with the unique, dry, and warm aroma of the grain.

Next up was timber from the Boras Timber Mill.

The massive logs and neatly cut planks were slowly lifted by the heavy crane, landing with a dull thud.

The fresh scent of pine resin mixed with the coldness of steel created a unique industrial atmosphere.

Most striking were the heavy, enormous crates nailed shut with thick planks, which were carefully moved out of the carriages marked "Beech Armory" using logs and pry bars.

When the lid of the crate was opened a crack and the Bagnya officer in charge of receiving it inspected it, a sharp-eyed person nearby could glimpse the neatly stacked, brand-new flintlock rifle barrels inside, gleaming coldly.

Inside the even heavier crates, the cold outlines of the three-pound field gun and the tiger crouch gun could be vaguely seen.

These cold, steel structures silently proclaimed their power, causing the Bagnian soldiers maintaining order on the platform to involuntarily straighten their backs, their eyes filled with pride.

At the same time, the doors of the passenger carriages were opened.

The first to disembark were the civil servants of the Kingdom of Bagnia, dressed in sharp black coats with serious expressions. They carried briefcases and were clearly heading to the new province to take up their posts or conduct inspections.

Following closely behind were squads of fully armed Bagnya soldiers. They were impeccably dressed and well-equipped, carrying standardized backpacks and flintlock rifles. They marched down the platform in orderly steps and quickly assembled in the designated area, numbering in the hundreds.

Their presence immediately infused the bustling industrial scene with a chilling, somber atmosphere.

Are they rotating troops?

Or are they reinforcements for the southern fortress?
No one can be certain immediately, but their very existence is a demonstration of power.

Amidst this bustling scene, symbolizing the powerful logistics and mobilization capabilities of the newly formed kingdom, several pairs of eyes, hidden deep within the crowd and seemingly no different from the curious onlookers, gleamed with a completely different light.

Their hearts pounded with the sight of the unloaded grain hills, the cold weapon crates, and especially the elite soldiers disembarking from the train in orderly formations; their palms even broke out in a cold sweat.

The Reteria Empire spy, disguised as a wool merchant, held a tuft of inferior wool in his hand, seemingly assessing the goods, but his eyes were fixed on the mountains of grain sacks, his mind racing with calculations.

"Bagnia, a small mountainous country that has been unified for less than two years, can stably produce such a huge amount of food?"
Furthermore, this steel behemoth can transport goods at a rate equivalent to a hundred large merchant caravans in our country—its efficiency is simply terrifying!

When he saw the weapon crates and soldiers in the distance, the mole felt his throat go dry and couldn't help but swallow.

"With this war machine called the steam train, they are able to deploy troops and equipment to the front-line fortresses so quickly."

This railway, this steam train… it must exist within the Empire; it cannot be something unique to the Bagnians!”

The mole was both scared and excited, but he controlled his expression and quietly slipped a charcoal note containing the amount of cargo unloaded and the number of soldiers into his clothes.

After doing this, the mole breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at a strong woman mixed among the porters a dozen meters to his left.

She was dressed in the same gray uniform as the porters and was also pretending to work, busily moving planks, but while she was working, her eyes kept glancing at the boxes of brand-new flintlock rifles.

Shifty-eyed and sneaky.

The mole could tell at a glance that this was a fellow professional, and a very amateur one at that.

"They're Minisians... It seems the Bagnians are deliberately showing us a steam train, and they haven't even caught these guys.

(End of this chapter)