BXBX NOVEL Chapter 409: Now Or Never
In order to get there, we boarded the train, of course. The railway system would be our nation\'s notable feature, so we were showcasing its convenience and beauty to our special guests so that they could share their experience with their peers.
The trains were fully operational and accessible to the public. As the construction of the railways and stations kept going on at different locations, the trains only transported passengers between the cities of Lavender and Louisiana at the moment. But we would be servicing other nations in the near future.
Since our family was dealing with business, we made an agreement with the Grise family to establish a few train stations in their domain as well as branches of our restaurants. Not only were we doing business, but we had been building trust in one another as well, solidifying the ties between the two families.
"The trip really took two hours. I never thought that I would be able to see and experience a technology as advanced as this."
After the two-hour trip, the train finally stopped at the Louisiana Train Station, and the passengers disembarked from their carriages. The station, as well as the other one, was crowded as expected, even though the fare was several times higher than riding a horse-drawn carriage.
Almost all the passengers were astonished by the speed the trains, and one of them was Archduke Grise himself. He was amazed by the excellent performance of the train we just boarded, and he could not believe that a week or so of travel was drastically shortened to just a few hours.
Sophia and Iris were with us too.
"The ride was so stable and smooth that I could spin a coin on the table," Christine noted. "It almost made me forget that I was in a moving vehicle."
"Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your experience with the train." Mother appreciated their positive insight. "Unfortunately, the system is only available in this nation yet. But we will be operating in other nations soon."
"Hoho. I am looking forward to it."
"I promise you that, archduke. For now, let\'s go to the palace."
Shortly thereafter, we left the station, and then we all boarded a magic carriage. Using teleportation was kind of impolite to do, and by doing that, we were able to tour the visitors throughout the city.
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In the afternoon...
"I have been to the Imperial Dungeon several times, but this dungeon really is huge."
"This has over a hundred floors and is the biggest dungeon after all."
As my family was tending the Grise family in the royal palace on the surface, I decided to go to the dungeon together with Iris. We were specifically on the plain of the 101st floor, where the breeze brushed our skins and somehow relieved the heat of the summer.
Iris was going to be my wife and become a part of our family, and she had the right to see what was inside our domains. Soon, my sister would be bringing Christine here too, but they were so busy at the moment.
"The place seems empty. You said that this dungeon has over a hundred floors, right?"
"Every dungeon has extra floors for the Dungeon Master. Depending on the size of the dungeon, the total number of floors is beyond what it seems. By the way, we are on the 101st floor, right. This floor is where we train and conduct mock battles without holding back."
"I see. The black walls and the invisible barrier on the top are impregnable and indestructible, so it\'s the best place to go all out."
"Exactly."
"Unrelatedly, you know what, Raphael, there is something that has been bothering me since earlier." She briefly paused. "How were you able to make a Portal here in the dungeon if teleportation won\'t work from the outside?"
She asked me that question and looked at me seriously. But I had been waiting for this moment.
There was a reason why I brought her here, and that was to ask her about her abnormalities. I truly did not want to doubt Iris, but she was going to be my wife, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to know anything about her.
That was why I intentionally transported ourselves to the surface instead of going into the dungeon first. By doing that, I made her suspicious about me and had her take the initiative to start this conversation.
"I have an explanation for that, Iris. The truth is... I have the ability to travel with the dungeon and the outside world freely. Only my family, including Sophia, Gabrielle, and Mary, know about this, and I am telling it to you right now because I love and trust you."
"Wow...I never thought you were this straightforward. But possessing an ability like that is really unexpected. You are already incredible, and your capabilities seem boundless. You really never failed to fascinate me, Raphael."
"There\'s more you should know, Iris. I just actually acquired a skill that allows me to take a peek at people\'s stats more accurately than the Extra Skill: Analysis."
"...."
"You see, when I cast it to you, all I could see was... nothing. It literally says [SYSTEM ERROR] or something. It was like I just bumped into the real you, but I did not have enough power to get a grasp of it. What are you hiding, Iris? Who are you?"
I knew that this was an act of mistrust toward Iris, my future partner in life, especially when we were still building trust. But because of that, I had the right to learn about the real her.
"Please tell me everything, Iris. I want to know anything about my beloved one."
It\'s now or never. If she\'s really worth it, she should be honest with me.