Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 158: The Invisible Train Ride

After a quick explanation by the pigeon-faced conductor, Raven, and his party were offered a free ride to Elenaris. Not because they were deemed special being the alleged heroes, but due to the fact that the conductor didnʼt wanna die at the ripe age of two hundred and fifty.

Guiding the party into the invisible steam engine, he led them down the compartments where plenty of other oddities caught their eyes.

Refined goat-face man wearing a suit and reading a newspaper with a monocle, a cat-faced lady dressed in a loose silky robe that barely covered her bottom, and then there were regular humanoids in yet another section, although seeing human faces on dwarves had their mind struggling to comprehend their proportion.

It wasnʼt that they hadnʼt seen a dwarf, but the ones in Athenia were mixed with their heights at least reaching the waist, but passing through the workerʼs compartment with dwarves barely reaching their knees, none of them had a clue about what was happening.

Then they passed into yet another compartment–laden with gold for every piece of metal and rosewood seats that tinged the entirety of the cabin a lavish look, but with doors on every row shut tight with not a window, a net, or anything to peer through, none of them could figure out the kind of people that were traveling with luxury.

ʼDid we make the right decision following this pigeon in?ʼ Raven wondered right as the conductor led them through a dark passing. With no light or any room for them to creep in from the outside, nobody except him and Erika could see through the darkness properly. Their walk in the dark, however, didnʼt last long as reaching the end of the path a strange door appeared.

Possessing a massive eye with the veins of its iris blinking light like a flickering flame, the creature glared across the horde in front of it, before a slit appeared between its eye. Separating in two with gnarly teeth dripping with slime, it opened up like a gate to a giantʼs innards.

”Iʼm sorry but your seats will be past this gate, Iʼll be guiding you so no need to worry,” said the pigeon before walking into the creatureʼs mouth.

Exchanging glances with each other, the entire party seemed hesitant, but taking a leap of faith, they began following the conductor. Passing through the creatureʼs mouth, they were led through yet another compartment with creatures similar to those theyʼd encountered in the caves strapped to their seats.

The abominations struggled to escape, they flailed, they screamed, and some even munched on their own flesh in a weird form of protest.

”What the hell are these?” Amedith asked their guide.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he continued walking as he explained.

”Unfortunate creatures who went against our goddessʼ will,” folding his hands on his back, the guide gazed at the ceiling of the train. ”Once they were just like you and me, but committed heinous crimes against Elenaria and ended up like this.”

”What kind of crimes deserve these punishments?” Seeing the abomination of nature made from the faithful, Erika could not feel anything but contempt towards their god. ”Aphrodite would never…”

Puss and blood oozing out of every corner of their bodies, the howls of those creatures were brimming with agony. Even so, the conductor seemed unaffected, and instead, stopping at a gate, he turned around, looked at Erika, and retorted with sharp words.

”Or they couldʼve not committed crimes and none of this wouldʼve happened,” opening the last door, he gestured the party in.

Left completely empty, the insides looked like a normal cabin with nobody else inside. Walking right in alongside the conductor, they quickly got seated to finally rest their feet after walking for about two hours inside the train.

”Hang tight and Iʼll let you guys know when weʼre in Elenaris,” tapping his notebook on his palm, the conductor glanced across everyoneʼs faces one last time before walking out of the carriage to attend other duties.

Finally left to themselves, the party had some time to relax and perhaps even talk to each other about the whole debacle. The first thing on their mind was the peculiarity of the vessel they were traveling in. Not only could it turn invisible and fly through the air, but it could also house more passengers than a carriage–a concept theyʼd never been aware of was possible.

”Do any of you really believe that pigeon?” Aria was the first to disturb the peace.

”Yeah, who wouldnʼt believe a talking pigeon,” Mel mocked, rolling her eyes.

The two quickly turned their attention to each other and started glaring, but jumping in between Raven diffused them both.

”Either way, we have to wait and see,” glancing across everyoneʼs faces, Raven sank back into his leather seat and heaved a sigh. ”Weʼre all tired so letʼs just relax for a moment and if later on thereʼs a problem weʼll handle it one way or the other.”

Following their leaderʼs orders, everyone went quiet and simply adhered to it. Not like there was much to do in the meantime anyway, and getting some rest was something they could all use. Taking one seat each they either laid down on their back or simply enjoyed the cloudy scenery through the window with the glistening ocean in the distance.

It was their first time seeing a part of Infernal so up close. The very depth underneath which the hells burned, but unlike what theyʼd imagined, it was so…

”Pretty~” Those words uttered by Liliyana were undeniable, and as the party continued to look at it, the more they grew a fascination with it.

As time passed and night eventually came, however, they all grew tired and decided to lay down and rest their heads. The conductor arrived once more in the middle of the night, but it wasnʼt to let them know that theyʼd arrived but to hand out paper bags filled with food from the trainʼs canteen.

”Rest up, alright? We still have a week until we reach the ground!” At first, they thought he was messing with them, but as days began to pass inside the train, none of them doubted the pigeon conductor again.