Chapter 3794: Neutral Zone (Part 1) "Nah, it wouldn’t work. Based on what I’ve heard, mages get whatever is they need to open a Warp Steps from the pictures of the sightings and get there in the blink of an eye the moment someone calls for help. That’s how they caught my cousin." The future of robbers and thieves of the Kingdom looked indeed glum. "What about Magus Verhen? All posters say he’s on the Train." Jerth asked. "No, he just designed the Train." Arkas scoffed. "Why would a Magus waste an entire day on a lump of metal when he can fly and Warp around? He probably made an appearance and left. Don’t believe everything you read, Jerth. It’s bait for fools and simpletons." Everyone nodded in approval, refusing to believe that meeting a legendary Magus could be as easy as boarding a Train. "I don’t know." Jerth licked his lips. "What if it’s true?" "What if we can’t live off robberies anymore and have to learn an honest trade?" Zef replied. "How do we survive until we move to a village far away enough that no one recognizes us? Whether we keep working as bandits or start a new life, we need money, Jerth." "Fine." Jerth raised his hands in surrender to placate the snarls of his accomplices. "How do we stop the Train?" "That’s the easy part." Arkas replied. *** The conductor of the Train travelled in a small compartment at the head of the first car, using a series of holographic controls to adjust the artifact’s course, speed, and time the announcements. He was amused when he noticed a pile of cut trees in front of the most direct route to the city of Noroi. ’This is going to be good.’ It would have taken him but a push on the driving stick to alter the trajectory of the Train and avoid the makeshift blockade, but the conductor was bored out of his skull from the long trip. Also, with Lith sitting just one compartment behind him, the conductor felt quite safe. He brought the Train to a halt without warning the passengers, making them wonder if something was wrong. The conductor stepped out of the car, pretending to examine the situation, when a bunch of rough-looking, armed men surrounded him. "The money or your life!" The leader, a tall and muscular man, said while brandishing a jagged twin-bladed ax. "Don’t try anything funny, and no one gets hurt." Arkas’ bald head and thick beard gave him a wild, dangerous look. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮 "Where are the nobles?" He asked, already counting the gold that soon would be in his pockets. "I bet they are in the first car. The posh one. Am I right, Jeeves?" "Yes." The conductor stuttered, biting his lips to hold back his laughter. The bandits assumed the man had an unusual way of coping with fear and exchanged savage grins among themselves. "Come on, boys!" Arkas snarled as he boarded the Train. "If we’re lucky, we’ll get everything we need to live like kings for- Great Mother almighty!" Lith was standing outside of his compartment to check on the situation. Arkas had seen images of the Supreme Magus enough times to be sick of him. There was no way the bandit wouldn’t recognize Lith while he wore his Magus robe. "Dya!" Elysia warned him and shapeshifted into her Tiamat form. Every hope Arkas had that the man in front of him was just an actor evaporated along with his ax in a burst of bright orange Origin Flames that destroyed his weapon and singed his beard Valeron had been instructed to keep his human form, but he could still infuse Elysia with Life Maelstrom. "Calm down, Elysia." Lith tried to pacify the baby girl. "This man-" "Please, don’t kill me!" Arkas threw himself at Lith’s feet, crying like a baby. "I haven’t hurt anyone. I have never hurt anyone. Please, spare my life!" Seeing an adult man ugly crying and wailing hard made Elysia feel bad for him. "Ba?" She asked. "Yes, he’s a bad man." Lith nodded. "Don’t kill me!" Arkas begged. "Think of my children." "You have children?" Lith was flabbergasted. "No, but one day I might." The bandit sobbed. "Please, have mercy! I don’t want to die!" "Calm down!" The bandits outside had joined their leader in his plea, too terrified to even think of running away. "I’m not going to kill anyone unless I have to!" "No?" Arkas asked with joy. "No?" Ragnarök asked in disappointment. "No." Lith replied as bandit and sword exchanged a brief look that clarified who was the hunter and who the prey. "Just surrender your weapons..." A clang of metal ensued as daggers, short swords, small vials of poison gas, and caltrops hit the ground. "Put your hands behind your back..." The bandits complied, and hard-light cuffs restrained them. "And go sit in that corner." The moment the bandits knelt on the floor, more shackles restrained their ankles, making it impossible for them to move. "No killing. You promised." Jerth said. "Think of the children." "You too want to have children in the future?" Lith furrowed his brow. "Gods, no. I’m talking about yours." He pointed at the still-baffled Elysia and Valeron. "Good point." Lith nodded. "Now shut up. I have work to do." *** The conductor contacted the local authorities, and the bandits found a welcome committee waiting for them when the Train stopped at Noroi. Seeing how easily the artifact had moved around the blockade had destroyed the bandits’ pride and any hope they held for the future of their profession. They opposed no resistance and were as meek as lambs for the whole trip. After that, the rest of the Train’s maiden voyage was uneventful. At least for Lith. When he offered the passengers to be their guide for a tour of the White Griffon Academy, many fainted out of joy, and a few had a heart attack. Once the Healers brought everyone back to their feet, the passengers enjoyed their stay and pitied those who had already gotten off the Train. Brinja asked Marth to give everyone a full check-up for free, and the Headmaster obliged. It improved Brinja’s reputation as a fair ruler and reinforced the White Griffon’s title of Cradle of the Healing Arts. The Lightning Griffon received a lukewarm reaction, since it had nothing to offer its guests, and the six great academies differed among them only in the teaching facilities that were of no interest to non-mages. Lith had to give a vague promise of riding the Train in the future and providing both his services and a tour of the White Griffon again. After the maiden voyage, news of the marvels of the Train, its safety, and speed spread like wildfire. Driven by blind envy and regret, the people of the Distar region used the Train whenever they could in the hope of meeting the Supreme Magus and being healed for free. The more people used the Train and lived to tell the amazing tale, the easier it was for those scared of the new technology to put their fears aside and give it a try. *** Verhen Mansion, a few weeks later. Elina, Raaz, Senton, and Rena had gotten used to Vastor’s tattoos to the point of using them in everyday life when necessary.