"It was a pouring evening, the kind of rain that seemed unending. Those who had stepped out in light clothing, expecting nothing more than a passing shower, now wore disgruntled expressions as they boarded the long-distance automatic carriage.

'My clothes are completely soaked.'

The carriage was traveling through the western part of the Aether Continent, passing by Lake Triman in Count Galeo’s territory. Few passengers typically boarded this route, and the quality of the automatic carriage reflected this. The seating consisted of nothing more than simple, linear benches arranged along both sides of the vehicle.

Outside the central continent’s major …