"Could you show me what kind of wood you guys are using as fuel?"
I asked as I looked thoughtfully at the steam train. Although Henry probably wouldn't understand my reasons for asking this, he just nodded and stepped out for a moment before returning with a type of white wood in his hands.
(As I suspected)
I thought as I watched the wood in Henry's hands. It was a type of wood used in everyday tasks, including fuel, but unfortunately, it wasn't known for its ease of ignition. The only reason we used this type of wood was because it was abundant in Solaris.
While it was true that using this wood would be more efficient since we needed a constant supply of fuel, unfortunately, this wood wouldn't serve the purpose we were looking for. For some unknown reason, this wood was basically hollow and dry inside, making it much less effective in terms of burning compared to regular wood.
"Well, there's the problem; unfortunately, the train won't run on this wood as fuel. It produces very little steam to make the train work properly"
Listening to my words, Henry let out a sigh and placed the wood on his desk.
"Although I considered that this might be the reason, I was sincerely hoping it wasn't the case"
Henry said as he approached, his face clearly reflecting the disappointment of the situation. Well, I couldn't blame him for that.
"Don't worry; it's not the end of the world. All we need to do is switch the type of fuel, and then the train will probably start running normally"
I said, pointing to the steam train. Hearing my words, Henry went out to arrange for another type of wood so that the tests could continue. Although they were more expensive than the woods that were used previously, they were still feasible to purchase, albeit in smaller quantities.
After Henry left, only Hana and I remained in the cabin. There was an annex in the cabin that served as a kitchen, albeit more limited, with nothing more than some desserts and refreshments on the shelves. With that in mind, Hana baked some cookies using the ingredients left on the shelves.
After eating the cookies, some time passed, probably hours. Honestly, I was getting bored of staying in the same place for so long. As I got up, intending to leave and come back the next day, the door opened again, revealing a visibly exhausted Henry. He looked like he had run a non-stop marathon.
"You're finally back... Also, why do you look so tired? Did you decide to run a marathon or something?"
Ignoring my words, Henry let out a relieved sigh as soon as he saw me. Although I was confused, I decided to let him start talking, as it seemed urgent.
"I'm glad you're here. I managed to get a new fuel, now we just need to check if it will work or not"
Henry said. With these words, he walked over to the windows that gave a view of the steam train. With nothing to comment, I followed Henry to the window, and soon he, Henry, and Hana were once again watching the train. One of the men who was below looked at Henry, seemingly waiting for something. As soon as Henry nodded, the man entered the steam train.
In a short while, smoke began to emerge from the train's chimney, and the wheels started turning gradually, moving the train. It seemed like the problem had been resolved.
"How did you manage to get a more flammable type of wood so quickly?"
I asked. Upon hearing my words, Henry turned to me with a smug smile on his face. I don't know why, but at that moment, I had an intense urge to punch him.
"Don't underestimate my personal connections, kid"
He said, pretending that Henry had his mouth shut. I continued to gaze at the steam train. There were tracks in front and behind it, which made me wonder how far the train could go.
"Henry, where do these tracks lead?"
I asked, pointing at the tracks.
"Are you really going to ignore me? Anyway, they don't lead anywhere. The train just goes around the shed and ends up back in here again. Since this is just a testing site, there was no reason to send it anywhere else. Oh, but the loop it makes is quite extensive. It probably takes about ten minutes to complete the loop. After all, we need to test the train's endurance as well"
Henry said. Hearing these words, I began to consider the idea of taking a ride with Emi. Ten minutes would be more than enough time for us to spend some time together inside the train. Besides, I could decorate the interior to look like a picnic, at least that was my plan.
"Do you think you could have it running by tomorrow? I'd like Emi to be one of the first people to ride the train, if possible. Of course, after all safety tests are completed"
I said, looking seriously at Henry. Hearing my words, he put a hand on his chin and directed his gaze towards the train.
"I think it would be possible. So far, the only problem we've encountered is the fuel, and I have enough confidence to say that the train was built perfectly. Your blueprint didn't have any mistakes, right?"
Henry asked, looking at me. Hearing that, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh in response to his words.
"Who do you think I am? I'm sure my blueprint doesn't contain any mistakes"
(After all, it matches what I remember from my past life. The blueprint I handed over to Henry was the most updated version I saw before reincarnating)
With that thought, I turned my gaze back to the train.
"Nevertheless, it would be good to double-check. It's better to be safe than sorry, sometimes, arrogance can lead to self-destruction"
I commented. Hearing my words, Henry raised an eyebrow in doubt.
"Where did you hear that?"
He asked. I simply shrugged, leaving that part aside.