Chapter 62: Departure from the Royal Capital

Ten kitchen cars traveled in a line along the highway scorched by the summer sun. Outside, it’s midsummer heat, but if you open the windows, a cool breeze blows in, so inside the car, it’s reasonably cool. There’s also a small fan inside serving as a ventilator, after all. We occasionally pass carriages and travelers on the highway, but everyone was surprised by the kitchen cars speeding past, eyes wide. Having departed from the Royal Capital toward the le Philharmonie territory, we are split among the ten kitchen cars I summoned. In the first car driven by Father, there’s Mother, me, and Kohaku-san. In the second car driven by my guard Tanya Celesta, there’s Estelle, Bianca, and our maid Arisa-san. And in the third car driven by the Empress, there’s Grandmother, Elliott, and Jean. Yeah, it’s strange. The question is why the Empress is driving a kitchen car. The Empress, who apparently had an interest in driving kitchen cars for a while, volunteered to be the driver to the territory. When I asked His Majesty the Emperor, “Is it okay not to stop her?”, he replied with words close to resignation, “If you can stop her, try stopping her…”. Don’t give up, Uncle… Just like Father, the Empress, who acquired driving skills easily in a short period, obtained the driver’s seat like this. The guards are also in the following kitchen cars, but we’ll drive safely to the territory, of course. On a highway with no oncoming cars and good visibility, accidents aren’t likely to happen easily, but paying attention to safety is still important. I hear there are magic beasts too. Well, magic beasts appearing around the highway aren’t that strong apparently, so I think it’s fine. About an hour after starting, we arrived at the first town. The gatekeeper soldiers were surprised by Father appearing in an incomprehensible vehicle, but when they realized Father was the Duke of le Philharmonie himself, they hurriedly let us through. We passed through the town without stopping. We were the center of attention here too. The gatekeepers on the other side were also surprised, but they also let us pass smoothly once they knew who Father was.

“Should I have painted the Imperial crest on the kitchen cars?”

Father leaked such words after passing through the town. Basically, carriages with the Imperial crest are untouchable to everyone. Maybe we could have avoided troublesome thoughts. Let’s go with that on the way back. I think pasting a cloth with the crest painted on it would work.

“Even so, it’s fast. It’s not even noon yet, and we’ve already passed the town of Slough. Normally we would stay overnight in that town, you know?”

Mother said while looking at the passing scenery from the passenger seat. Apparently, it takes three days to go from the Royal Capital to the le Philharmonie Ducal territory by carriage. A carriage’s speed is about 15 km/h, but since horses get tired, they can only travel about 100 km a day. The le Philharmonie Ducal territory is about 250 km away, so in terms of distance, maybe like Tokyo to Fukushima? Even driving at 60 km/h, we arrive in about four hours. It’s close enough to make a round trip in a day. If it were Estelle‘s Euphonium Baron territory, called the frontier, it would take more than double that. Even so, if we speed with the kitchen car, we arrive in about eight hours.

“However, with a road this unchanging, one’s attention starts to wander… There aren’t any particular turns either…”

Father grumbles from the driver’s seat. Well, yeah. Basically, roads connecting towns are mostly gentle straight lines. Unless there’s a place like a mountain or forest one should detour around. I understand Father’s feeling of boredom.

“Shall we play some music?” “My, that sounds nice. Can you request something bright?”

Bright song, huh. Responding to Mother’s request, I activate [Store BGM]. By the way, I won’t play it in other cars. If music suddenly plays, they might be surprised and make a driving error. I’ll explain and play it after the next break. Eventually, the sound of a light piano echoes inside the car. Mu, this song is.

“As always, I don’t understand the lyrics, but it sounds like a fun song.”

What’s playing is Western music. The Beatles’ ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’. If I recall correctly, my senior said this song is called ‘the most perfect pop song’.

“I understand the meaning of the lyrics somewhat. Umm, a man and a woman meet, get married, children are born, and they build a happy family. But life goes on and on… those are the lyrics.” “Life goes on, huh. I see.”

Perhaps liking the song, Father is humming while driving the kitchen car. However, it’s strange, but Father and the others don’t seem to understand the meaning of English or Japanese songs. Is the language we speak not Japanese? Is it being translated on its own and reaching my brain as Japanese? When my consciousness became clear three years ago, I could speak and understand the language of this world. But I couldn’t read the characters. Though I managed to learn the characters after being taught by the apothecary grandmother. Does this mean I could speak and listen with my knowledge up to three years old? I could listen and speak but couldn’t read or write. Is not being able to read at three years old slow? I don’t know well. I can read now so it’s fine. While thinking about such useless things, we arrived at the next town.

“What shall we do? Take a short break in this town?” “No, let’s pass through and rest a little further ahead. This car stands out wherever we stop.”

It’s a horseless carriage that doesn’t exist in this world. Undoubtedly it will attract interest. In both good and bad ways. If they know it’s the Imperial Family party, weirdos won’t pick a fight, but that in itself leads to troublesome things. If the town mayor or lord comes out and welcomes us, we won’t reach the le Philharmonie territory today. Normally, it’s a noble custom to spend money in the towns they stop by, but please spare us this time. Having decided to avoid trouble, we passed through the second town as well. Proceeding further through gentle hills for a while, we decided to stop the cars and take a break at a place with a good view. Guards, attendants, maids, and others who were riding in the kitchen cars came out and secured the perimeter. Eventually confirming no problems, the Empress, Grandmother, Elliott, and Jean came out of their cars. We also got off the kitchen car. Father arched his back greatly and stretched.

“Sitting all the time is tough too.”

Well, in a carriage you can lie down a little inside. In the back seat… or rather, in the kitchen part of the kitchen car, Kohaku-san and I were rolling around on the cushions we brought, though. Other people are also stretching their bodies or cracking their necks and shoulders like Father. Taking a short break, people buy light meals like hot dogs and tea from the kitchen cars. As for me, I summoned ‘Cafe & Patisserie La Vie en Rose’ by the highway with a good view. Will I eat cake too? No no. This is, you know, picking flowers… (euphemism for going to the toilet) Several women hurriedly enter La Vie en Rose. It’s strange even now, but where do the things flushed here go… Well, if I start saying that, where do the cakes come from? It becomes that kind of talk. Since I summoned the kitchen cars last night, I still have plenty of magic power. I found out recently, but apparently my magic power fully recovers exactly at midnight. So at one minute to midnight and one minute past midnight, I think I can summon twenty kitchen cars. Provided I haven’t used any magic the previous day. I don’t really understand how this works. Indeed, in the game, the protagonist Estelle‘s magic recovered after a day passed… I asked other people too, but normally it recovers slowly over a day. Apparently, it doesn’t recover all at once exactly at midnight like me. This might be synchronizing with the characteristic that the stores I summon disappear after twenty-four hours. Thinking about such things, I offered a hot dog bought at the kitchen car to Kohaku-san, and Kohaku-san dexterously sandwiched it with his front paws and bit into it—gaburi.

“Fumu. Not as good as what Lu-sama makes, but quite delicious.” “By Lu-sama, do you mean Lady Ruliet, the Earth Mother Goddess of Fertility?”

Separated from Estelle and the others, I secretly asked in response to Kohaku-san’s mutter. Lady Ruliet is one of the Nine Goddesses of Genesis. Called the Earth Mother Goddess of Fertility, she gathers faith from people engaged in agriculture.

“Lu-sama is skilled at cooking. She especially liked making Earth dishes. I often partook in her meals.”

The Goddess of Genesis making Earth dishes? As expected of a God, knowledgeable across world boundaries…

“Mu?”

While I was impressed by the Goddess, Kohaku-san raised his face from the hot dog as if sensing something. His small ears are twitching. Cute.

“What’s wrong?” “I hear voices like some kind of struggle. Over there. Bandits?” “Eh!?”

The highway leading to the Royal Capital is reasonably open, so it’s not very suitable for magic beasts or bandits to attack. But it’s not like they don’t appear. That’s why merchants and such travel together forming caravans along the highway. Bandits give up against large numbers, after all.

“I hear weak children’s voices too… It might be a little bad.” “Kohaku-san! Go help them!” “Mu? However, I am my little master’s guard…”

Kohaku-san bites into the hot dog again while furrowing his brows. Ah, geez…! Kohaku-san is supposed to be my summoned beast, but in reality, he is a guardian beast sent by the Goddesses of Genesis. I don’t have the right to order him. No choice, bribery it is!

“If you go, I’ll give you two large whole cakes from ‘La Vie en Rose’!” “Umu! Leave it to me!”

Kohaku-san swallowed the remaining hot dog in one bite—bakuri—and returned to his large tiger state in an instant. Alright, bribery successful!

“Side with the ones with children!” “Understood.”

Da! Like the wind, Kohaku-san runs down the highway. He disappeared in the blink of an eye. Apparently, he’s faster than a kitchen car if he runs seriously. As expected of a Divine Beast. Oops, I can’t just stand here. I have to tell Father and the others and get some people to head over there!