Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

T/N: Edited 10/28/24.

HOOOONK!

“Wow.”

The sound of a ship’s horn coming from far away naturally woke me up.

I looked out the window.

The people in the wide open scenery were so lively from early in the morning.

It was a scene something you would rarely see in the Bayel Empire.

Suddenly, the chirping of birds, the crowing of roosters, and the sound of Benjamin hitting a pan with a ladle―all those lively things I relied on to wake up in the past―fleetingly crossed my mind.

Waking up to artificial noise.

No one in this city would find this situation special.

In other words, it was a privilege that only I could enjoy.

I smiled drowsily while rubbing my eyes on the bed.

“Right. It’s not a dream.”

The first morning in the Frauvian Federation had dawned.

#July 22nd. Clear.

For me, who only knew about land transportation in the form of horses, carriages, ponies, and mules, I learned about the existence of trains from an encyclopedia.

Even an encyclopedia published in the Frauvian Federation a decade ago was the latest technology for someone from the Bayel Empire.

If the blueprints of a sailing ship gave me astonishment as the most elaborate drawing I had ever seen in my life, trains and railroads are what I admired.

My goodness.

A mass of iron that runs by burning black rocks.

I even wondered if such a concept could be established.

Beneath the elaborate illustration, the significance of the towering chimney and the principle of how the heavy mass of iron moved forward were described in detail, but I never fully understood it.

Benjamin also added a remark.

Several years have passed since that day.

Finally, the moment to see the real thing had arrived.

The problem was that I didn’t know where the train station was.

“…Why is this city so wide?”

I grabbed my considerably lightened wallet and went out to the streets without a destination.

The scenery of the port city in the morning was quite different from that at night.

Countless magic lamps stood tall, their lights withdrawn, and unknown black lines hung in the air.

Well-paved roads stretched endlessly, and carriages, which I would see once a day at most, were ubiquitous.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Move aside, move aside!”

Neigh!

I don’t know how many times I almost got hit by a carriage.

After wandering the streets for about 30 minutes, I thought:

“I should ask.”

If you don’t know the way, ask.

It was the most common method, but at the same time, it was a method I wanted to avoid in my current situation.

I had never seen a train station in person, but I guessed that it would be a symbolic building that anyone born and raised in the Frauvian Federation would know.

Someone with gray hair asking where the train station is?

I would be suspicious, too.

But now, there was no other way.

I looked around a few times and approached the kindest-looking elderly couple to strike up a conversation.

It might be a bit despicable, but I judged that if their eyesight was poor, they wouldn’t be able to notice the gray hair.

“Excuse me. Do you happen to know where the train station is?”

The couple, each holding a cane with one arm and tightly grasping each other’s hand with the other.

The elderly gentleman turned his head.

“The train station, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe, we’re also travelers from the countryside, so you must have come from quite far away, young man.”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s too far to walk. Here.”

The elderly gentleman pointed his finger.

There stood a signboard.

“If you take the tram over there, you can get there in one go.”

Tram?

If I asked what that was, I had a feeling that this time, I would definitely be suspicious.

That’s when it happened.

Something that was neither a carriage nor a train started running down the middle of the road in the distance.

Is that the tram?

“Oh. It’s arriving just in time. Hurry and go.”

I even got confirmation from the elderly gentleman.

I bowed my head in silent thanks and hurried over to the signboard.

Behind the signboard, a few people were lined up, each holding coins.

I also hastily took out several one-shilling coins.

Screech―

It stopped in front of the signboard.

How should I put it, it was like an elongated carriage.

People inside were reading newspapers or puffing on pipe tobacco.

Seeing it up close, I finally understood its purpose. It seemed to be a means of transportation that circulated around the city’s major facilities for a fee.

Does it use magic power?

I wanted to delve into its principles, but I had to organize my thoughts as people started boarding the tram.

The fare was three shillings.

Should I consider this expensive?

Ding, ding, ding―

Shortly after, the tram started moving with the sound of a bell signaling its departure.

Rattle. Rattle.

Around 15 people were huddled together in a space that couldn’t be called spacious, even as a joke.

As if they noticed the gray hair hidden under my hat, a few people started eyeing me from head to toe with a displeased gaze.

I finally felt the reality of arriving in the Frauvian Federation.

A gaze that was familiar and one I would have to get used to.

No matter which of the three countries in the Federation I went to, that gaze would remain unchanged.

I stopped paying attention to them and focused on capturing the sights of the city flowing outside the window.

The scenery of the Federation was painted on the glass window inside the tram.

Wasn’t it a waste to ignore it just because of a gaze filled with suspicion?

40 minutes later…

I arrived in front of the largest building I had ever seen in my life, called Orris Station.

“15 pounds.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re going to Frauzen, right? The Orris Station doesn’t have a direct line to Frauzen, but there is a line running to Leslie Station.”

“I understand. So the seat price is…”

“Third class, 15 pounds.”

“Oh.”

I turned away from the ticket office without hesitation.

This was already the second time I experienced the prices here, but I showed no signs of getting used to it.

15 pounds.

And that was for third class.

An amount that exceeded my imagination came out of the ticket clerk’s mouth.

I hadn’t eaten anything in case I might lack money, but that effort was in vain.

I had three pounds and a few shilling coins on me.

It was far from enough.

Although I had anticipated being short on money to some extent, I felt dejected when the difference turned out to be so large.

I plopped down on a nearby bench.

“Should I look for work around here?”

In the end, I had to find a job and earn money wherever I was.

I didn’t expect to not even be able to start the train journey, but working itself was a given anyway.

Since it was also a port city, I could get on a fishing boat.

I could also find work utilizing my magic knowledge.

Unlike in the Bayel Empire, where I had to secretly learn magic in a small room, here in the Frauvian Federation, I could use magic in the middle of the street without any issue.

What should I do?

One thing for certain was that both options would undoubtedly be troublesome.

Considering that I would be spending eight pounds a day on lodging and meals, I might have to stay in the port city for a while.

I wanted to avoid wasting time unnecessarily if possible.

I needed a way to earn tram fare money quickly without starting capital.

Was there no such dream-like method?

“…Wait.”

Suddenly, a plan flashed through my mind.

I raised my head and looked around.

Passengers carrying travel bags were gathered in groups of three or five, waiting for the tram.

A significant number of them were families traveling together, parents with children.

“……”

This might work.

For the first time in a long while, I awakened the ‘entrepreneur’ that had been lying dormant within me.

Both then and now, only two things were needed for ‘business.’

A body and a tin can.

“Sophie, wait here nicely with Mommy. I’ll be right back after getting the train tickets.”

“Okay, Daddy! Sophie will be good.”

“That’s my girl. Take good care of your allowance!”

“Yup.”

As a large hand patted the blonde girl Sophie’s head, she beamed with a smile.

Sophie and her family, who lived in the port city of Orris in Oslovya, had set out on a family trip after a long time.

It had been two years since their last trip.

Since Sophie’s father, who worked at the immigration office, was always busy without a moment’s rest, Sophie hadn’t been outside of Orris since her fifth birthday trip.

That remark was the decisive blow.

And so, an emergency trip was decided.

The cute daughter, though, had no way of knowing her father’s struggles to get time off to match Sophie’s seventh birthday.

“Wow… so many people!”

Sophie was fully committed to doing everything her parents hoped for on the trip they prepared―have high expectations and enjoy to the fullest.

Her bright, sparkling eyes were filled with the sight of people everywhere.

There were truly diverse people.

There were families excited about the trip, like Sophie.

There was a middle-aged man who seemed to be going on a business trip rather than a trip, not taking the pipe out of his mouth.

And lastly, there was a young man with a friendly, easygoing smile.

The last young man, in particular, had quite an impressive appearance, so Sophie’s gaze lingered on him for a while.

That’s when it happened.

“Huh?”

Sophie tilted her head.

‘Is he looking at me?’

The young man wearing a silly mask from the souvenir shop held three balls, also seemingly bought from the souvenir shop, in his hand, and at his feet was a tin can with its mouth wide open, as if he had picked it up nearby.

Curiosity welled up in Sophie’s heart.

She had long forgotten her father’s request to ‘wait here.’

Taking advantage of her mother’s momentary distraction, Sophie tottered over to the young man.

“Hmm. Hello, little miss.”

“Hello.”

“Shall I show you something fun now?”

The young man smiled even more amicably, gripped the balls, and then…

Whoosh!

He sent them flying into the sky.

One. 

Two.

And three.

“Wow…!”

The three balls danced above the young man’s hand.

He was juggling.

A red ball, a yellow ball, and a black ball.

Sophie watched the dazzling movement of the balls as if mesmerized.

…Without realizing it, she opened her allowance wallet and placed a one-shilling coin in the tin can with a clink.

Then:

“Thank you, little miss!”

The balls increased from three to four.

Three was his specialty, but four was almost like a stunt.

The gazes of the family travelers strolling nearby gathered on the young man who suddenly started performing acrobatics.

The young man’s smile deepened.