Chapter 220 The Moving Train

The sound of the train wheels rubbing against the rails and the engine rotating every time the train's gears rub against each other. However, there was no sound of smoke coming from the carriage. A train crosses the track very quickly.

This train does not run due to burning coal or electricity. Instead, it uses another power sourced from a unique stone called a mana stone.

Mana stone is a mineral that can be found in the ground. Like other precious minerals, mana stones must go through several purifications before they can be used. However, what comes from this mineral is not how it is purified, but how it is formed.

In contrast to mutated animals and rare plants which can only live and grow in places where mana species do not live, Mana stones are always found in places where mana species live. Especially in places where many mana species died and were buried in it.

That's right.

Mana stones are formed by the condensation of the bodies of deceased mana species. Even though these corpses were no longer defunct, there was still mana in their bodies. The mana is stored within the mana flow for an indefinite amount of time.

The soil will absorb what is in the mana flow which will then affect the shape of the rocks in it. For a very long time, a process of change took place and the rocks changed so that they contained condensed mana. The mana that is condensed in these rocks is called mana stone.

Because mana stones actually come from Mana Flow, mages can use them to cast magic. However, before that, purification must be carried out which is useful for determining which spell faction can be used for the mana stone.

This train uses a mana stone that has a fire spell faction. So by using the mana contained therein, the train engine can continue to burn so that the train wheels can continue to rotate.

Even though it sounds like mana stone is a very rare mineral, in reality, it's not like that. The number of mana species in the Meer continent is very large along with that the number of deaths will also be high.

Some cities that have dense populations will establish their own regulations regarding burial places. With the concentration of bodies buried in a place, it is hoped that in the future the mana stones can be found under the burial.

Those who know the true nature of the mana stones come from, call this important mineral by another name, Corpse Stone.

Artur dazedly stared out the train window. The view that is blurred due to the running train is a sight to be admired. Even so, Arthur didn't feel amazed, his mind was blank just waiting for the time when the train arrived at his destination.

*Knock! *Knock! *Knock!

Three knocks sounded from behind the stall of his carriage door then the door opened without any prior approval from Artur. He can see a middle-aged man wearing a ticket collector uniform looking at Artur with a gloomy face.

"Your ticket please," his language is polite but there is no courtesy in his voice.

Artur reached into his jacket pocket and took out a piece of paper. The ticket collector took the piece of paper and made a hole in it with the object in his hand. He returned the ticket to Artur and closed the carriage door without adding another word.

Arthur just kept silent and looked back at the window. His body did not shake even though the train was going very fast. Even though right now he should be feeling comfortable but his empty mind was not in line with his racing heart.

There was a cacophony of teenagers joking around outside Arthur's carriage booth. He try to ignore it but when the door opened he was forced to turn to look at it.

A young man who looked the same age as he came in with a smile on his face. He carried a large bag over his shoulder and placed it in the drawer above the stall. He didn't immediately close the carriage door but instead stuck his head out and shouted.

"Thank you for showing me my carriage room good sir!"

There was only a grunt that might be accompanied by a nod to answer the young man's excited shout. He then sat in front of Arthur and observed him from head to toe.

Arthur also did the same.

This young man had cropped black hair that looked unkempt. His wide smile showed neat white teeth. He looks quite handsome but not as handsome as Artur who was blessed by his mother's genes. His tight clothes showed that he was a commoner.

Well.. This train carriage is specifically for commoners so it's impossible for nobles to stray into it. Even so, commoners also have class; those who are rich and those who are poor.

Those who are rich come from merchant families but do not have enough money to buy noble titles. Even so, merchants despised the dirt-poor commoners more than the nobles themselves. They don't want to be compared to other commoners so their chins are always up and their noses are above the sky.

However, it seemed the young man in front of Arthur didn't come from a merchant family. He had the same type of clothes as Artur and though his lips were smiling widely his eyes radiated the same feeling as Artur's.

Artur felt a little relieved, he wanted nothing to do with arrogant merchant children whose eyes were blinded by snobbery. Artur also saw the same expression of relief from the young man in front of him.

"Hi, My name is Colby, Colby Frank" Colby extended his hand toward Artur.

Artur took Colby's hand, "Artur".

"Just Artur? Don't you have a last name?" Colby's forehead creased.

Artur smiled bitterly because he understood the reason why Colby had asked that. Although commoners are looked down upon by merchants and nobles, commoners are not the lowest class.

There are still other social classes that suffer more, namely slaves. They are poor people who sold themselves out of debt or were sold by their parents to pay debts. When a human becomes a slave they lose their last name.

Nobles look down on merchants and commoners but are disgusted with slaves, they don't even want to breathe the air in the same room. While merchants consider themselves better than commoners, they will not consider slaves as humans.

Commoners as the lowest citizen class like to vent their frustration against slaves. If they have excess money then killing slaves is not too expensive.

The circle of inferiority complex.

"Artur Morris" replied Artur curtly.

"Oh.. you're from the Morris family, what city does your family live in? I'm from Hows city" Colby's frown disappeared and his smile widened again.

"Heles"

Ah... the famous Heles city? Wow... I heard that Heles city became the food supply center of the great army. Is that true?

"I don't know"

"...."

The carriage's booth returned to silence with the two youths inside looking at each other awkwardly. Artur looked at Colby who was starting to shift around in confusion to find something new to talk about.

Artur wasn't like this before, he was a cheerful and lively boy. With a happy family; a loving mother and father who always support him. But all that changed when his sister disappeared.

His father became a drunkard and his mother was overcome by grief. Maybe there is guilt in the hearts of both parents because of the departure of his sister. But all of that resulted in Arthur's life being chaotic.

He became a gloomy boy and locked himself in. His friends started disappearing one by one and he too drifted away from his old social life. Even so, Artur doesn't want to take out his bad attitude on Colby who tries to befriend him.

With a deep sigh, Artur brought up a new topic of conversation, "Are you also a student of the Military Academy this new school year?"

"Ah!" Colby answered too late in surprise at Arthur's sudden question. But Artur waited patiently for Colby's answer.

"Yeah, I got accepted into the Military Academy this school year. Do you too?"

Artur shouldn't have had the chance to enter the Military Academy. He didn't have the money or the connections to be accepted into the world's number one mage institute. But the second mana-species war that came suddenly made the human alliance need new blood in its army.

As people say when shit hits the fan, the demand for meat shields will increase. Because of that the Military Academy conducted a large-scale test throughout the kingdoms in the human alliance to search for new mage candidates.

Artur who was supposed to be destined to become an ordinary adventurer and save years of money to buy mana potion got his chance to show off on the biggest platform. Because of that he didn't know whether to be grateful or cursed when the second mana species war broke out in his youth.

"Yeah, Me too. So what class are you in?"

"Me? hehehe... Look, I made it into class B!!" Colby proudly took out his acceptance letter. Besides the photo and data there is a stamp showing the letter B, the red ink used for the stamp cannot be copied because it contains the mana of the mage holding the stamp.

"Congratulations!" Artur tried to sound happy but his tone was too flat for that to work.

"Hehehe... Thank you. Then what class were you accepted into?" while scratching the back of his head shyly, Colby asked with curious eyes.

"Me? Hmm... I was accepted in class A"