Hopping a Freight Train in the Pouring Rain
The train sliced through the darkness. After a good night's sleep at the inn, we climbed into the carriage at the crack of dawn and set off. We left the waypoint village behind and plunged deep into the forest road. Clunk. Rattle. Several hours passed, and thankfully, we were cruising along without any major issues. Tom's driving was steady, and the road wasn't too rough. But there was one thing that bothered me.
I poked my head out the carriage window and looked up at the sky. '…Looks like rain clouds are rolling in.' The sky had been clear when we departed, but now it was overcast. On top of that, there was this unpleasant humidity clinging to my skin. No way—were we really about to get rain in the middle of this deep forest—
Plop. A raindrop landed squarely on the bridge of my nose.
"W-what the…!"
Plop. Plop-plop. The droplets multiplied in an instant. Then—
Whoosh—crash!!
It was as if the heavens had cracked open. A torrential downpour slammed down on us.
"Ah! It's raining!!" Tom shouted urgently from the driver's seat.
He yanked a lever beside him. Clack!Clatter, clunk! With the sound of gears engaging, a convertible-style canopy unfolded over the driver's seat.
"T-that's insane…!" Wait, this wasn't the time to be impressed. A heavy downpour on this rugged forest road? This was bad.
"I have no choice—I'm slowing us down!" Tom reduced the carriage's speed. As the pace dropped, my insides burned with frustration in perfect inverse proportion.
'This is going to throw off our entire schedule… No, it might just be a passing shower. At least the carriage is still intact—'
Thud!
"Whoa!" The carriage suddenly sank, nearly throwing me across the interior.
"Uwaaah!" Tom's scream erupted from outside.
Clunk. And just like that, the carriage came to a complete stop.
"Tom? What happened out there?!" I shouted through the window. Tom's flustered voice answered immediately.
"T-the thing is…! The right wheel got stuck in the mud!"
"…What?!"
Why did my bad premonitions always have to be right?
"Ugh, this is driving me crazy. Seriously."
I pressed a hand to my forehead and unpacked the camping bag I'd bought at the waypoint. I pulled out a raincoat, threw it on, and handed Tom a child-sized one from the driver's seat.
"Let's assess the situation first!"
"Y-yes, sir…!"
Tom slipped into his raincoat and jumped down into the mud first. Worried the check might get wet, I left the envelope on the seat and stepped outside. The moment I saw the right wheel, a groan escaped me.
"…It's completely buried."
The left wheel wasn't in great shape either. Even if both horses pulled with all their might, it wouldn't be enough to drag us out of this swamp.
"For now, I'll push from behind! Tom, you drive the horses!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
Tom quickly climbed back into the driver's seat while I planted my feet in the mud and braced my hands against the rear of the carriage.
"H-here we go!"
Whinny!!
With the horses' cries, the massive carriage shuddered.
"Hnnngh!!"
I poured every ounce of strength into pushing the carriage with my whole body. It didn't budge an inch. In fact, the more I tried to move it, the deeper it sank into the mud.
"Haa… haa…"
Panting heavily, I glared at the wheels.
"Damn it!"
I grabbed the wheel directly and tried to force it to roll.
"Grrrr… Uraaaaaagh!!"
The moment I strained so hard my veins nearly burst—
Slip!
"Whoaaah?!"
Splat!
My hands slid across the rain-slicked surface. I lost my balance and face-planted straight into the mud. Even as I thrashed around covered in filth, the situation didn't improve one bit.
I irritably wiped the mud off my face with my hands.
Grind.
Staring at the mud caked on both palms, I clenched my teeth.
"Damn it, damn it all…! Why now, when we're so close…!"
Bang!
In a fit of rage, I slammed my fist against the carriage's outer wall.
"Haa…"
I let my forehead thunk against the carriage. The rain showed no signs of letting up. Even if the sky cleared, there was no telling how long it would take for the mud in this damp forest to dry.
'Of course, I still have another opportunity…'
To get hit with this kind of absurd bad luck at such a critical moment—it was infuriating.
Just then, Tom approached hesitantly, shuffling his feet.
"Um… Lord Goldman."
"What."
My reply dripped with gloom. Tom fidgeted before speaking.
"There… there actually is a way to get to Hamilton City…"
My head snapped around instantly.
"What?! There's a way?!"
"W-well… it's a bit dangerous, so I didn't really want to suggest—"
"No! Tell me right now! Hurry! What is it?!"
At my desperate, almost manic plea, Tom swallowed dryly. He pulled a small compass from his pocket.
"From this position… if we head straight north, we'll hit a freight train track."
"A freight train?"
"Yes. There's a freight line called ATF that runs from the south up to the capital. I read in a book that several trains depart every year in early March. So there's probably one passing through today. And that freight train makes a brief stop at Hamilton Station midway."
"…Wait a second. Are you saying we should jump on that train?"
Tom nodded.
'This crazy kid…'
"Hey, think about it. There's no way a freight train would stop in the middle of a forest like this! It'll be moving at insane speed—how are we supposed to grab onto it?"
"N-no, that's not it! The tracks around here are rough terrain, so there are quite a few curve sections. We just need to find one of those. Freight trains have to slow down in those sections to avoid derailing! So… if we time it for when the train drastically reduces speed, we should be able to board it. Though… it is still dangerous…"
"……"
"It's a bit farther than going by carriage, but in terms of overall time, it should be about the same. We might still make it by March 9th."
I looked down at Tom through the pouring rain. Was this kid a genius? Not only did he know the local railways like the back of his hand, but he'd even devised a strategy to board a moving train by factoring in the schedule and terrain!
"You… you little bastard…"
As my voice shook with emotion, Tom shrank back.
"I-I mean…! Even I think it's too reckless… Just forget I said any—"
I threw my arms wide and pulled him into a fierce hug.
"You absolute genius! I knew I picked the right person!"
"Uwaaah?! Huh?!"
Tom flailed at the sudden embrace, but I ignored it and ruffled his hair wildly.
"Just wait a bit! We'll grab only what we need and head out immediately!"
Creak! I opened the carriage door and climbed inside. I carefully tucked the check envelope into my coat pocket so it wouldn't get wet. Next came emergency rations—Mariel's biscuits, jerky, and a water bottle. I wrapped them in waterproof cloth and tied it like a bundle. Finally, I grabbed the two-person camping gear and stepped back out.
"All set. Let's go!"
When I emerged from the carriage, Tom looked back at me with a troubled expression.
"Lord Goldman… what about these two?"
The two horses standing in the rain. We had to abandon the carriage and board the train. We couldn't take the horses with us.
"…I'm sorry, but we'll have to leave them here. There's nothing else we can do."
"Ah…"
Tom gazed at the horses with sorrowful eyes. Since he'd been the one taking care of them, it must have hurt. I placed a hand on his small shoulder.
"Instead, let's release the reins and set them free. They'll have a better chance of surviving that way than if they're tied up. As for the carriage and horse costs… I'll compensate you several times over. I promise."
"…Yes. I understand."
Tom bit his lip and nodded. He then loosened the leather straps and reins. Freed from their bonds, the horses snorted and pawed at the ground. Tom stroked their necks gently.
"I'm sorry… Don't get hurt in the forest. Live well."
After that heartfelt farewell, we ran north.
"Huff, huff… haa…!"
How long had we been running? By the time my breath was caught in my throat and my legs were going numb, the dense trees began to thin out. Finally, the railway tracks came into view.
"We're here! The tracks! Tom, just a little farther!"
"Y-yes, sir…! Huff, huff!"
We finally broke out of the forest. But the moment we reached the tracks, despair hit me.
"It's a straight section…"
Thump! My legs gave out and I collapsed on the spot.
"Of course… as if my luck would ever give me a curve when I need one…"
I let out a sigh like the tragic protagonist of some melodrama.
Tap. Tap. Tom poked my shoulder.
"Um… Lord Goldman."
"What."
"Could you look to the left…?"
"…Huh?"
I slowly turned my head.
"……"
A few dozen meters to the left, a large, beautifully curved bend in the tracks sat there plainly in sight.
I shot to my feet in a single second.
Ugh, how embarrassing. I hadn't even looked around properly and had just sat there wallowing in self-pity.
"Ahem, hm-hmm!! L-let's get moving!"
I avoided Tom's gaze as best I could and ran toward the curve.
"We just need to wait here now."
"Right. We don't know when the train will pass, so let's set up the tent first."
I was grunting as I tried to unfold the tent when—
Rumble—rumble!Clatter, clatter!
A vibration rose from beneath my feet. I jerked my head up instinctively. In the distance, a massive iron behemoth spewing pitch-black smoke was barreling toward us at terrifying speed.
"I-it's the train!!"
Tom's eyes sparkled.
"That's it! The freight train heading to the capital! It says AFT-07! Wow, it's amazing…!"
I tossed the half-unfolded tent aside and sprinted toward the tracks.
Bwaaaaaaaaang!!
The ear-splitting whistle reverberated through my entire body. The scale of the approaching freight train was beyond imagination.
'I've ridden the KTX plenty of times back then.'
But this rough, hulking mass of iron was nothing like the sleek modern trains. The sheer pressure of it nearly took my breath away.
Soon, the lead car entered the curved section.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!!
With an intense metallic screech, bright red sparks flew across the rails. The train's speed dropped sharply.
"Now! It's slowing down! Tom, run!"
Leap!
I threw myself forward and grabbed the iron railing. Tom, with his light movements, successfully latched onto the train as well.
"Haa, haa…! Is this the locking mechanism?"
Clinging to the train's exterior in the wind and rain, I prayed there was space inside as I gripped the latch.
"Hnnngh!"
Krrrrk!Clang!
Using every bit of my strength, I forced the latch open. I grabbed the door handle and shoved it sideways with all my might.
Rattle-rattle-rattle!
The iron door slid open. I peeked inside and, thankfully, spotted enough space to hide between the wooden crates.
"We're good! Get in!"
"Yes!"
Clunk!Rumble-rumble-rumble!
Just before the train began accelerating again, we safely slipped into the cargo car.