"Don't push yourself..."
His eldest sister looked worried. If a steel behemoth that big went out of control, they would be in trouble...
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Annan smiled back, stepped onto the extended footplate, and entered the cab.
Everything about the locomotive built from Annan's drawings was brand-new, yet it stirred old memories.
"Pull the lever to start it. Can you do it? If not, let me."
Michael's impatient voice from outside snapped him out of it.
Annan took a deep breath, gripped the control lever, and pulled hard.
The Magic Runes inside the Magic Energy Engine activated at once. Elemental magic that had roamed free for tens of thousands of years obediently supplied the engine with tremendous power, setting the artfully interlocked gears covering an entire wall spinning rapidly.
The Magic Circuit lit up, drawing Magic Power from the pile of Magic Stones beside it.
The turning gears made a rhythmic mechanical sound, more pleasing than during the first test. As the largest gear began to turn slowly, like the second hand of a clock—
The locomotive shuddered beneath Annan's feet, then began moving forward, slowly but steadily.
A realization suddenly struck him. It was as if the view beyond the windows had always been shrouded in impenetrable fog, but as the steel behemoth roared ahead, it tore the fog apart and revealed a clear blue sky.
He had skipped the steam age and every branch of technology that followed, setting foot on an entirely new path.
That path was utterly unfamiliar and so captivating that he could not help wanting to explore it...
"Don't get arrogant, Annan. You're not the only one to walk this path..."
Annan murmured to himself.
The ancient Goblin Empire, the Ancient Wizards of Wilhelm, and the Dwarves of recent