Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 126 Heading to Faith

After receiving the arrest warrant issued by the governor, the first problem facing Levi was transportation.

There are three routes from Mullers, where the governor resides, to the city of Fayhart.

The shortest route is by boat, then by train, and finally by horse-drawn carriage.

Melesia was geographically distant from the Empire, separated by an ocean, and the Empire held little affection for it. Therefore, Melesia was the least likely to benefit from the Empire's steam industrial revolution.

Just look at the fact that you can't even see steam cars on the roads of Melicia now; people still mainly travel by horse-drawn carriages and horses.

This is a completely different concept from the foggy city where steam cars are already becoming common. However, Melisia's backward development has been going on for a long time, and Levi didn't expect to change it directly; he could only find a solution himself.

Ships… Levi immediately ruled that out. Ever since his encounter with the sea monster, he had vowed never to travel by ship again unless absolutely necessary. Thalassophobia was no joke; Levi felt he would probably have to say goodbye to deep-sea travel from now on.

Levi didn't want to ride in a carriage either; the road conditions in Melisia were far worse than in the Empire. The Empire had paved roads everywhere, while Melisia was mostly dirt roads—it was practically a poor, rural area. It would take about half a month to travel by carriage from here to Fehart City; by then, it would be too late.

So Li Wei ultimately decided to take the train.

If Li Wei had any favorite mode of transportation, it would be the train.

Airplanes are very fast, and safety aside, flying is always a boring experience. Most of the time you can only sit in your seat, watch videos or movies, and then take a nap.

Traveling by car is equally tiring. Whether driving or riding, it is a very tiring experience, and you have to consider and prepare food, clothing and accommodation in each place you arrive at, which is quite troublesome.

However, trains are a better way to travel. They're like a moving house, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenery from the comfort of their own home. And they move forward, taking passengers to unknown places.

Of course, the premise is that you should take a sleeper berth, preferably a soft sleeper. If you only have a hard seat or a standing ticket, then forget about the scenery or any enjoyment.

Levi went to the railway company to inquire and learned that a train would be departing for Fairheart at noon that day, but unfortunately, the tickets were already sold out. However, this did not deter Levi. He went directly to the railway company manager and paid him one hundred pounds to have an extra luxury carriage added for him.

Although Melesia is relatively underdeveloped, it is quite luxurious. Or rather, with enough money, one can enjoy a lifestyle similar to that of modern times most of the time. For example, the luxurious carriage that Li Wei is currently riding in was originally prepared for high-ranking officials such as governors. It not only has air conditioning and a reception room, but also a separate bedroom, a viewing window, a toilet, and a bathroom.

That's quite good, you could say.

Before departure, Li Wei encountered a minor unexpected situation. The manager approached him, explaining that a distinguished guest also wished to travel on the train. Since the luxury carriage had two rooms, he asked Li Wei if the guest could use the other room. Li Wei neither agreed nor objected, intending to meet and discuss the matter first. If the guest had no objections, he would then agree.

To Li Wei's surprise, the person who appeared here was actually an acquaintance of his.

"Ah, Mr. Li Wei. I never expected to see you here."

Mrs. Molly, still with her usual cheerful, plump, and prosperous appearance, waved to Levi. Beside her, Miss Anne Branson, as always, stood there expressionless, carrying her suitcase, like Mrs. Molly's maid.

“Oh, Mrs. Molly, Miss Branson, this is quite a surprise.”

Looking at the two of them, Li Wei was somewhat surprised.

"Are you also going to Fairhart City?"

"That's right, this child is going to that university over there for an exchange program... what's it called again?"

Mrs. Molly turned her head curiously to look at Anne, who answered in a low voice.

Miskatonic University.

"Ah, yes, yes, Miskatonic University. I heard it's about that sea monster. I don't know anything about this, but I can't let her go alone. I would have been relieved to know you were here, Mr. Levi."

Li Wei simply smiled in response to Mrs. Molly's words.

"Of course, it would be an honor to serve you both."

Since everyone knew each other, there was no need to discuss the rest. Li Wei quickly agreed to their request to travel together, and then they all went into the carriage.

During the journey, Li Wei also inquired about the disposal of the sea monster's corpse with Annie. He learned that Annie had already preserved the sea monster's corpse and transported it back to the country by airship—air transport is the most expensive in any era, not to mention considering the size and weight of the sea monster, the shipping cost must have been considerable.

This shows that the family is quite wealthy.

It seems like none of the girls I know are poor.

Li Wei, bored, started to think. Whether it was Katie, Olivia, or Annie, they were all children from wealthy families. He just wondered who among the three was the richest... Anyway, Olivia was definitely the most generous.

After all, it was a lump sum of ten thousand pounds, after tax.

"Waaaaahh ...

With a whistle, the train slowly started moving and left the station. Thus began Livy's journey to the city of Fayhart.

Unlike the other passengers who were busy admiring the scenery outside, Li Wei first greeted the two ladies before returning to his room. He then took a shower and enjoyed a good night's sleep in bed.

After all, he had been up all night, and Li Wei was exhausted. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, he would have stayed in the hotel for at least ten days to two weeks to relax before continuing his mission.

Now, all I can do is make the most of my time to rest on the train.

Li Wei slept soundly, but the others couldn't fall asleep.

For example, the Continental Parliament currently in Faithah City.

The battle that took place in Lakeington quickly came to the attention of the Continental Parliament, but the outcome was unexpected.

Or rather, this is not the outcome the Continental Parliament had hoped for.

"How could this be?"

Hancock sat silently in his chair, his face ashen. Beside him, Adams was also silent, chain-smoking.

For the Continental Congress, the Battle of Lakeington had a very negative impact on their confidence. The governor had made the whole affair public, so everyone knew that the Imperial troops were on a secret mission to destroy the armory, but were stopped by militia en route. They then defeated and arrested the militiamen who were blocking their way.

In fact, nothing here was unexpected for Hancock and his companion. The only thing that surprised them was that the Imperial Army, contrary to its usual practice, did not engage in combat but instead arrested and detained the enemy.

This is unlike the Imperial Army's usual style!

It should be noted that before this, whenever the Imperial Army and the militia clashed, they did so without regard for the consequences.

Hancock had originally planned that if the Imperial army and the militia clashed, or even if the Imperial army killed the militia, they would be able to use this as a pretext to persuade the rest of the Continental Congress to unite against the Empire.

After all, the current mainland parliament is not really of one mind.

Most local leaders did not intend to truly confront the Empire; they merely hoped to reach an agreement with the Empire, not to betray the Queen.

If bloodshed occurs, it can easily solidify the stance of those who are wavering, however…

Bloodshed did occur, but the process and outcome were completely different from what Hancock had imagined.

In an attempt to rescue his captured comrades, Captain Pike led four thousand militiamen in an attack on the Imperial army, only to be repelled. This caused a huge uproar in the Continental Congress.

Just as Livy had predicted, whatever disputes existed between Melisia and the Empire, they were currently being fought behind the scenes. However, a direct attack by the militia on the Imperial army escorting prisoners would be a full-blown rebellion!

Moreover, according to reliable sources, Governor Geller was furious about the matter and planned to carry out a major purge of the militia in the surrounding areas.

This made many local leaders in the mainland parliament feel like they were completely caught in the crossfire.

The people who attacked the Imperial army were clearly from Hancock's region, so why are we being dragged into this?

This is precisely why the mainland parliament is currently divided into two parts. One side believes the situation has escalated too much, which is not what they wanted, and wants to withdraw decisively. The other side believes that things have come to this point, so they should just go for it. Maybe that's how they can survive!
Unfortunately, in the current parliament, the majority of people support the former, while only a minority support the latter.

Is this the end of the story?

"Clang clang clang."

Just as the two were frowning, there was a knock on the door. Adams looked up, put his cigarette in the ashtray, and looked towards the door.

"Please come in."

Then, the door opened, and the two saw a portly man with gray curly hair walk in.

"Mr. Clyburn?"

Hancock and Adams were somewhat surprised to see this uninvited guest. Clyburn was a powerful figure in the Continental Congress, but he was currently mainly neutral. The two had originally intended to persuade him to take their side, but they hadn't expected him to come knocking on their door.

"What can I do for you?"

“I came to find you, of course I didn’t come here for nothing.”

Clyburn, panting, walked into the room and plopped down on the sofa. The sturdy, beautiful sofa groaned loudly beneath him, but Clyburn clearly didn't care. He shifted his 300-pound body to make himself more comfortable, then looked at the two of them.

"I heard that your situation is not good this time. The Lakeington incident is something that no one wanted to see. It will be very difficult for you to explain to the Continental Congress in this state."

"……………But……………"

"I'm not here to hear your explanations."

Clyburn waved his hand, interrupting Adams's explanation.

"I just want to make a deal with you."

"trade?"

“That’s right, you help me kill someone, and then I will support your proposal in the Continental Parliament.”

"this……………"

Upon hearing Clyburn's suggestion, the two frowned, but before they could speak, Clyburn raised his hand.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. Actually, this person is also related to you."

"who is it?"

"Detective Levi".

"You mean that sea monster hunter?"

The news of Levi hunting the sea monster was the biggest news in Melicia recently, and Hancock and Adams certainly couldn't have been unaware of it.

“That’s right, and his identity is not just that of a detective.”

At this point, Clyburn stared at the two of them and smiled.

“Aren’t you surprised that the Imperial army behaved differently at Claythington than before? Let me tell you why: one of the people who commanded that army at the time was Levy.”

"Hey?"

It must be said that this news really surprised the two of them.

"Him? He's just a detective, how could he possibly command the Imperial Army?"

"A detective from the foggy city."

Clyburn corrected the two men's statements.

"And I have something else to tell you: he has obtained an arrest warrant issued by the governor and is on his way to Fairhart City. I think you can guess what he's here for without me having to say more."

At this point, Clyburn took a breath, laughed heartily, and his fat belly rippled like waves.

"I imagine you wouldn't want to be arrested in the name of the Empire and the Queen at the Continental Conference, would you?"

"…………………"

Neither Hancock nor Adams spoke. They understood, of course, that if things really came to this, their situation would only become more difficult.

"According to intelligence, he has already boarded the Explorer train of the Central Railway Company and will arrive in Fahart City in three days. If I remember correctly, the Continental Conference will be held on that day."

Clyburn reached out, gripped the sofa armrest, and struggled to stand up.

"That's all I have to say. Whether you fight or flee... the decision is yours."

After saying that, he turned around, panting, and walked out of the room step by step.

"Click."

The door closed again, and this time Adams stared at his companion.

"what should we do?"

"…………………"

Hancock didn't answer immediately. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and then made up his mind.

"It seems we have no other choice."

Then Hancock spoke.

(End of this chapter)