If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Side Story 7

“It seems we should take more train trips in the future.”

Locke pulled the panting Georgiana into his arms and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.

It was, quite literally, a sleeper car, far cozier than their estate—so much so that aside from going to the dining car or to wash, the two of them had remained practically joined at the hip.

As time passed on the train, Locke’s satisfaction peaked.

Georgiana, though a bit exhausted, was content with being far from their busy estate, allowing her to naturally spend more time focused on Locke.

They also had more time to talk.

“For a while, I suppose more people will still use carriages?”

Georgiana gazed out the darkening window and asked Locke. Though nothing was visible now, she had seen several freight wagons passing by during the day.

“That’s likely. To people living on the outskirts, the train must look like a hunk of metal spewing white smoke. If it’s not treated like a monster, we’re lucky.”

“I can imagine. Even I would’ve been terrified if a train suddenly passed by without hearing about it in the news or through gossip.”

“Your expression when you boarded the train on the first day was so adorable…”

Locke’s mouth curved upward in a smile—when it happened.

Screech—

Once again, the train came to an abrupt halt.

Locke grabbed the handrail beside the bed with one arm and held Georgiana tightly with the other.

Most of the objects in the room were fixed in place, so apart from a bit of shaking, nothing was broken or knocked over.

In fact, this sort of thing had been happening several times a day for the past few days.

“What could it be this time?”

It had been long since the sun set, so they couldn’t see outside from the compartment.

“It’s probably another wild animal on the tracks, or maybe the rails are blocked again.”

People unfamiliar with railways often thought the tracks were just wooden planks or scrap metal laid out on the ground, so it wasn’t uncommon for them to try removing pieces or placing things on them.

While staff were stationed at each station to patrol and inspect the rails, they couldn’t stop things that happened in just a moment.

Over time, passengers began to worry not about the train breaking down, but whether the tracks ahead might be blocked.

Thinking it must be something like that again, and that they would resume soon, they waited—but the train remained still for quite a while, prompting them to dress again out of unease.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Vice President, this is the conductor. Forgive me for the intrusion, but I have something to report.”

They had expected an update by now, but seeing the conductor—second only to the engineer—personally come, Locke’s face tensed in concern that something serious had occurred.

“I’ll step out. Please wait here.”

Locke threw on his jacket and pressed a kiss to Georgiana’s forehead.

“I’ll be right back. Will you be alright on your own for a moment?”

“Of course. Take care.”

Georgiana saw him off as he left the compartment.

The guards assigned to his security, along with Henry, were already waiting in the corridor.

Henry, who had insisted on taking a different car and staying at a distance during this first vacation in two years to avoid intruding, now stood with a deeply worried face and asked the conductor, “What happened?”

“I’ll explain in the lounge.”

With stiff expressions, Locke and Henry followed him.

Inside the simply furnished lounge, Anthony was already waiting.

Before the conductor could speak, Anthony explained in his place.

“A section of the track up ahead has been damaged. It looks like the work of thieves, and the area affected is quite large, so repairs will take some time.”

Anthony ran a hand through his hair with a troubled look and added, “When we started this railway business, we were worried about having no passengers. Now it seems we should’ve worried more about the tracks disappearing.”

“When you say ‘quite large,’ how long are we talking?” Locke asked calmly.

“It’s night and hard to see clearly, and help is scarce nearby, so we won’t be able to start repairs until tomorrow. Judging by the damage, it’ll take at least a full day.”

Anthony let out a deep sigh.

“So the earliest we can leave is two days from now.”

“Yes. Fortunately, we have enough food and fuel, so no one will go hungry or freeze—that’s at least some relief.”

At Anthony’s words, Locke nodded in agreement.

Then the conductor bowed his head and added, “It’s just… this area is known to be controlled by western gangs, so we need to complete the repairs and depart as quickly as possible.”

“Gangs?” Henry’s eyes widened.

“Yes. Since this area has few private residences and is surrounded by rocky terrain, it’s known to be a hideout for fugitive criminals. There are likely many gangs, both large and small.”

“Then shouldn’t we be preparing for a possible gang attack instead of just sitting here?” Henry looked out the window with anxious eyes and asked.

“Just earlier, we divided the guards in half and sent them on patrol around the train and nearby area. Judging by the lack of any reports, it seems there haven’t been any signs of trouble yet.”

“Still, I’m a little uneasy… Vice President, I’ll lead the men myself and scout the area.”

When Henry checked his weapons in the holsters and looked at Locke, the latter gave a short nod in approval.

There was no harm in checking the perimeter.

“The passengers will likely be anxious too, so announce the situation immediately. Explain that the delay is due to track repairs and give a rough estimate of the time it’ll take. We must do everything we can to keep the passengers calm.”

At Locke’s words, the conductor nodded and split the staff to deliver the message to each car.

By the time the murmuring of the passengers had settled down, Locke returned to Georgiana.

He carefully opened the compartment door, and as he stepped in, she rose immediately from reading her book and walked toward him.

Seeing the worry in her green eyes, Locke felt a warmth spread through his chest.

It had been over two years together, yet there were still moments when he couldn’t believe she was by his side.

“Locke, they explained things, but… is everything really alright?”

“It’s nothing serious. You must be tired—lie down and rest.”

Locke pulled Georgiana toward the bed and sat her down.

Just as he reached to undress her simple attire—

Bang!

A gunshot rang out from beyond the window.

***

Huxler, the leader of a mid-sized gang, had been tormented for the past few months by the clamor caused by the railroad construction.

Their biggest advantage had always been the quiet of the rocky outskirts, but ever since construction began, the sound of rocks being split and hammered had made it impossible to rest.

“They ought to tear up those rails or something.”

Seeing Huxler grumble, Joshua, a subordinate who had fled to the New World after committing crimes on the Continent, cautiously spoke up.

“Still, these trains might be quite useful.”

“Useful, huh? What good is a hunk of scrap metal like that?”

Shaking his head at the thought of the huge black train he’d seen in the newspaper, Huxler dismissed the idea.

But Joshua, lowering his voice, whispered conspiratorially.

“Most people on those trains are nobles or merchants making long journeys. Laborers rarely leave where they live.”

“That’s true.”

“That’s why train robberies were quite popular on the continent for a while.”

“Train robbery?” At the unfamiliar term, Huxler blinked and asked.

“Yes, it’s when someone stops the train and steals from the people inside or takes valuables.”

“You can stop that hunk of metal? How?”

“Trains may look sturdy, but the tracks they run on are made of little more than wood and steel. Just block the rails and the train won’t be able to move.”

“Really?” His eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Yes. If we block the rails, the train will stop, and then we can easily plunder the goods.”

“You said the tracks are made of wood and iron? One blast of gunpowder should do it.”

After the war with the Empire, military supplies had been sold off cheaply all over. Huxler had poured every coin he had into buying guns and powder.

It was meant to give him an edge in gang wars, but the weapons had ended up gathering dust in a warehouse—until now.

After that day, Huxler and his men lingered around the tracks, waiting for the construction to be completed.

Not long after, a newspaper ran a front-page article announcing the opening of the railway and the first train’s departure.

Huxler knew it was time and gave the signal to his men.