Did you know?
Even the 'Undead' can eat processed foods too.
"Here, eat this."
"Growl—"
"Arf! Arf!"
Just like throwing shrimp chips to seagulls, I tossed some Pringles, and the ragged dogs swarmed in, biting and tearing at each other in a frenzy.
These were Dead Dogs—stray dogs that had died in the Misty Plains and turned into undead ghouls.
No one knew exactly why dead dogs became ghouls.
One theory was that the mist in the plains trapped the souls of the dead, preventing them from moving on which then turns them into undead.
Of course, as undead, they didn't actually need to eat.
Their decaying bodies, like ragged corpses, had no digestive systems to process food.
But perhaps due to lingering habits from their previous lives, ghouls behaved like living creatures, moving around and eating food.
Whether they could taste it or not was a mystery.
The continent was full of such inexplicable monsters and creatures, even magic couldn't fully explain them.
That was why we needed trains.
In this world, achieving safe travel was an almost impossible dream without trains.
"Senior, the magic stone stakes are here."
"Really?"
"What were you doing?"
"Just playing with the dogs."
"Those are ghouls."
When Aria drove a metal stake into the ground, the Dead Dogs were startled and scattered away.
At the tip of the metal stake, a Cryostone was embedded.
Because of this magic stone, the undead couldn't approach the tracks at all.
Monsters had an instinct to avoid the aura of a dragon, and Iberkina, who could provide an infinite supply of Cryostones, made this possible.
Aria and I moved around the area, driving magic stone stakes into the ground.
As we did, the undead retreated, and the fog that shrouded the area cleared away.
The mist surrounding the plains was also a type of monster.
Since it wasn't a living creature, perhaps it was better called a "phenomenon".
Anyway, once safety was secured, we could lay the tracks again for the train.
"You can come now."
—Understood.
After I contacted someone through the communication crystal, a group of workers arrived shortly, pulling carts loaded with materials.
Most of the workers were half-breeds or beastfolk who struggled to find work elsewhere.
There were polar bears carrying iron beams, tiger beastfolk pulling carts, and a diverse mix of half-elves, Dwerg, and other marginalized groups.
In human society, beastfolk and half-breeds often found it difficult to fit in, usually resorting to such hard labor.
But despite the nature of the work, the workers' expressions were surprisingly bright.
"Come on, you lot! If you want your daily wage, work properly!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The generous pay of 5 gold per day was enough to light up their faces.
Considering that an average citizen earned less than 1 gold a month, this was an incredible amount.
"It's expensive, but hiring beastfolk was the right choice."
"Yeah, their work speed is unbelievable."
What would have taken normal humans a long time was done in a flash with the beastfolk.
Clang! Clang!
Powerful beastfolk like the tiger clan or polar bears could drive iron stakes deep into the ground with a single blow, a task that would take humans dozens of strikes.
They were like living machines.
Their wages were high, but their efficiency more than justified the cost.
"At this rate, we might finish within six months."
Even six months was a conservative estimate.
The distance from the capital to Amun wasn't that far.
The challenge was the management of the diverse beastfolk without conflict, but that was also handled well.
"Dorian really knows how to manage people."
"I heard he's been a foreman for over a hundred years."
"Hmm."
The foreman for this project was Dorian, a veteran dwarf.
True to his experience, Dorian skillfully handled the workers.
"I will select the hardest workers and give them a bonus of one gold each!"
For the record, the one gold bonus was money I had intended to give everyone anyway.
Offering performance-based rewards for good work was only natural.
To repurpose the original bonus into a motivation tool, skillfully mixing reward and discipline, was truly impressive.
Regardless of the truth, the workers' speed in laying the rails was astonishingly fast.
Clang! Clang!
With every clang of metal, new rails were being laid down.
The fact that this was a monster-infested danger zone did nothing to hinder the work.
Only the dense fog that obscured vision and the cold weather posed a challenge.
Just then, officials from the Ministry of Land Development arrived with a magic-powered vehicle, distributing food to the workers.
"Take a snack break, everyone!"
"Grr, what is this?"
A tiger beastman, who had been busy hammering away, tilted his head in confusion.
In his hand was a strange food item shaped like a fish.
"This is called 'Bungeoppang.' It's hot, so blow on it before you eat. And here, have a 'Let's Be' coffee as well."
"Fish bread? Thanks."
The official had given him Carp Bread, a traditional Korean fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste.
The tiger beastman took a bite, and his eyes widened.
"…Grr, it's delicious!"
True to his kind's voracious appetite, he devoured the Carp Bread in an instant.
The other workers' expressions also softened.
On a cold winter day, a warm carp bread and a hot cup of coffee naturally warmed their bodies.
"Oh! So this is carp bread!"
"Nom, nom."
Both Lilith and Iberkina were delighted as well.
Iberkina's love for food needed no explanation, and Lilith, who adored sweet treats, was practically in heaven.
Why those two were even on the construction site would be explained later.
"How is it?"
"Eating outside makes it warm and even more delicious."
White steam rose from Aria's mouth as she nibbled on her carp bread.
The plan to introduce Carp Bread had been in the works since before Christmas.
Upon learning that the red beans needed for the filling had to be imported from across the sea, I had the elves start cultivating them two weeks ago.
This was the third round of taste-testing the Carp Bread.
It was our first time enjoying them outdoors in the cold, though.
"But why a fish shape?"
"Isn't it more fun to eat something with a shape than just a plain one?"
To be honest, I didn't know why Carp Bread was shaped like a fish either.
From what I had heard, its origin was the Japanese Taiyaki (Sea Bream Bread).
Initially, when Taiyaki wasn't selling well, they tried different shapes like turtles and sea bream, eventually settling on sea bream.
When it reached Korea, the shape was changed to a carp.
For me, it didn't matter what shape it took—as long as it was delicious.
When I bit into the tail, the crispy texture and warm red bean filling spread delightfully in my mouth.
'Ah, this is the taste.'
I washed down the sweetness of the red bean with a hot can of Let's Be coffee, fresh from the warmer.
When I looked back, Aria's cheeks were rosy from the cold.
"If you're cold, you can go inside first. We can handle planting the magic stakes ourselves."
"It's fine, I can handle it."
Though she said so, Aria's flushed skin betrayed her discomfort.
Her fair skin always showed changes quickly.
'Time to get started.'
I glanced around before speaking up.
"Iberkina."
"…Yes."
Midway through eagerly inhaling her Carp Bread, Iberkina waved her hand.
The air rippled, and a pitch-black void like an abyss appeared.
It was Iberkina's subspace.
From this subspace, a pile of red magic stones, all neatly cubed, came pouring out.
Rumble…
A mountain of Pyrostones formed, drawing the attention of the resting workers.
While everyone was still staring in shock, the magic stones began to float and stack themselves like building blocks.
"Is this how it should be done?"
"Please stack them a bit higher."
"Understood."
The wizard controlling the Pyrostones to build the wall was Lilith.
With her peerless skill—as she herself often claimed—expertly stacked the stones, building a structure on the once-empty plain in a matter of moments.
It was a U-shaped structure, with only the side facing the tracks left open.
Officials from the Ministry of Land Development, who had prepared in advance, brought over a signboard and mounted it on the newly built wall.
The sign read:
—Misty Plains Station
"What is this?"
"A station."
"A station?"
"A rest stop."
From points to lines, and from lines to areas.
The isolated points that were cities and regions would now be connected by a single line.
What had once been a remote point would become a resting place, and the railway lines would connect points to points.
It was a shift from isolation caused by monsters to the formation of a community.
From the world of points to the world of lines.
And the first step toward that new world was the birth of this station.
***
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