Five months later...
Months passed after the gathering of the province's nobles and wealthy men in Metal City. The Fuller family received the support promised by the founding members of Metal City, and the number of workers in the area greatly increased due to the agreements made at that time.
By now, Metal City had grown considerably, reaching a population of 5,000, with an area three times the size of the built-up area at the time.
With each passing day, the city generated more opportunities for its inhabitants and coins to help the founders accelerate its growth.
While building this place, Vicente's railroad lines in this province had multiplied!
The line connecting Metal City and Millfall to Ironcrest had been completed four months ago. More recently, the line connecting these three cities to Saltstar City was completed!
In addition, passenger trains were beginning to run through the province while three new rail lines were under construction.
One of them, the longest project and the one that would take the longest time, was the one that would connect the kingdom's capital to Saltstar City. The other two were within the province, one of which would connect Dryhaven to Vicente's rail network.
Though there was still a long way to go, the trains were already changing the lives of the people of Scott Province. They were speeding the transport of resources, lowering the cost of products, and improving the efficiency of travel throughout the province.
In the midst of all this, the Fuller family grew!
...
Today, Vicente was once again with Lina Seidel, who was visiting Saltstar City for the third time since their "deal" in that restaurant in the kingdom's capital.
More precisely, at this moment, they were entering the Saltstar City train station, a grandiose place of more than 10,000 square meters, where there was room for 6 trains to park simultaneously.
This station, in particular, had an area reserved for passenger trains, which Vicente had developed in recent months.
The demand for travel around the province was far greater than anyone could have imagined. Few people traveled through the province because of the many dangers and the high cost of travel. But with the advent of trains and their guaranteed safety, more and more people began to travel using it.
People who used to travel once a year to avoid the dangers of constant travel now travel every two months or even less.
Even soldiers and members of the aristocracy, who usually had fewer problems traveling, now used the network Vicente had created to travel around the province more quickly.
Although Vicente hadn't planned to focus on this possibility, he had built passenger areas in each of his stations to meet the growing travel demand.
Today, he was in this part of Saltstar City Station to make the inaugural run of the Saltstar City & Metal City line.
Lina was there to do business with him. Still, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the passenger trains and Metal City.
Along with her were her bodyguards and advisors, as well as some of the city's nobles, local army soldiers, Nina and Killian.
Nina and Killian had recently finished their penultimate year at the Royal Academy and were on vacation. In another month, they would return to classes, but this would be their last year studying there.
Since both had recently turned 13, there was less than a year until their awakening, Vicente's departure on his pentagram quest, and the beginning of the disaster.
Neither of the two young people thought much about these troublesome matters. Still, both Vicente and Lina had such a thing in mind as they looked at the two young people sitting in two chairs within sight of them.
"Sigh... Soon, we'll have to travel north and leave our families behind." Lina muttered as she looked at Nina, imagining that this would be more difficult for Vicente than for her. "How are you preparing for that? Are you too worried about them being away from you?"
Vicente looked at Nina from where he stood next to Lina in a beautifully decorated railcar with four seats per row, separated by an aisle that could hold three people passing side by side.
"Before I leave, I will ensure that Nina has a balanced life as a magician or mortal, even in my absence, even amid disaster." He replied sincerely.
"If she doesn't get a Magic Gem, I will send her to the Metal City to live safely there. If she manages to awaken her magical powers, I'll let her in the capital to study at the Seidel Magic College.
As interesting as it would be for her to protect herself in the Metal City, she needs opportunities to grow and learn. The college will be the best place for her. When I return to the kingdom after the hunt, I'll stay in the capital to protect her during the worst of the disaster."
She liked what she heard. "You don't intend to live in Metal City? Why build such a place if you don't intend to use it?"
"Some of my family will go to Metal City. But I am building this place mainly in case Nina does not awaken her powers. This place will serve to protect her in that situation. I could use it very well to protect her from the monsters.
But if she does awaken some power, developing it while she can would be interesting."
Vicente and all the experts in the kingdom knew that the worst of the disaster wouldn't hit them so soon. It could take one to three years for the beginning of the vampires' plans in the far north of the continent to reach the far south of Polaris Realm.
Seidel Magic School only lasted four years. Let's say the worst was to reach this kingdom in 3 years. Then Nina could finish most of her studies before she had to move and hide.
"But if things are much worse than I imagine, I'll move Nina to the Metal City when I return, and then I'll protect her from within the city.
In short, the Metal City will be like a defense plan in case the worst happens. I'm building it, but I really hope I won't have to use it."
"I see." The princess murmured, a little worried by the subject of their conversation. "What do you think of The Purification? What do you think we can expect from this vampire plan?"
