Today is January 27. Last night, on a whim, I decided to build an electric motorcycle. So for now, we've stopped in a forest to give me time to design and assemble it.
Along the route to the capital, we occasionally have to cross mountains. But on steeper slopes, Jacob and Alice simply don't have the stamina to climb, so we end up going on foot.
Walking takes too long, though. If we want to make things easier, it's time for a motorcycle to make its debut. The problem is, I don't have any knowledge of fuel-powered motorcycles in my mental database—but oddly enough, I do know how to build an electric one.
Still, that's good enough. It may not be as fast as a regular motorcycle, but it's definitely better than a bicycle. I did consider building a car, but unfortunately, I have zero knowledge about automobiles.
Right now, everyone is doing their own thing. Jacob is calculating earnings, Grace has gone out to practice her swordsmanship, Ethefelis is maintaining her weapons, and Alice is reading a romance novel she borrowed from Grace.
As for me, I took out some paper and started drafting a design for an electric motorcycle powered by electric magic cores. First, the most essential component—the one thing it absolutely can't function without—the electric motor.
After finishing the initial design, I went outside to find Grace and asked her to create three electric magic cores. At the same time, I gathered the materials I needed: metal, batteries, sponge, leather, and silicon sand, which could be found almost anywhere.
And then I realized something.
I didn't have rubber for the tires.
…Right. That's the end of that.
Without tires, even if the motor spins, it's useless. I couldn't think of any better alternative to rubber, so I had no choice but to shelve the plan for now.
Then I remembered—I'd originally planned to enter this country's dungeon to obtain rubber for making phone cases anyway.
At that moment, Grace handed me three golden magic cores.
"Mr. Karen, the electric magic cores are ready."
"Thanks. But I'm missing some materials. There's no reason to stay here anymore—let's get moving."
After taking the cores, I told her we didn't need to remain here any longer.
"Understood."
I returned to the travel house and explained the situation to the others, and we continued our journey east.
Fourteen days later, on February 10, we finally arrived at the capital.
It turned out the port where we disembarked was actually in the southwest of the continent, though closer to the central axis. Even so, the country's sheer size meant it still took quite some time to reach the capital.
The journey was long—but incredibly interesting.
On the morning of the second day, we came across a pink lake. We stopped our bicycles to take in the view, and I explained the phenomenon to the others.
The lake's pink color comes from its high salinity—higher than seawater. Combined with strong sunlight and high temperatures, algae in the water produce red pigments, turning the entire lake pink.
But that wasn't all. The most breathtaking sight was a road dividing the pink lake and a blue lake. Both stretched endlessly into the horizon.
It was a uniquely beautiful scene—truly unforgettable.
Since it was a salt lake, we also saw locals harvesting salt. The area had become a tourist spot, too. Visitors were boating on the blue lake, laughing and enjoying themselves.
Someday, I'd bring Lina and Lani here—and a camera, to capture the memories.
Later, in a nearby town, there was an eating contest. Ethefelis wanted to participate, so I let her sign up.
The whole thing turned out to be surprisingly dramatic.
Against all expectations, Ethefelis won.
The strong contenders either ate too fast and choked, or stuffed themselves before the competition and couldn't eat anymore. It was honestly hilarious.
I'd only thought of it as a way to fill Ethefelis's stomach for free—but she ended up winning a prize of five gold coins.
Jacob, treating it like a bit of fun, placed a small bet on Ethefelis at very high odds—and ended up making a hefty profit.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, we entered a hot, dry savanna.
It was unbearably hot—I ended up taking off my gear entirely.
Along the way, we encountered a kangaroo-like monster, with fists as big as cooking pots, hopping after us aggressively.
It even had a pouch, with a baby inside—clearly modeled after real kangaroos. For a moment, the sight felt oddly heartwarming, reminding me of my parents' warm embrace.
Then I killed it.
Because it was trying to attack us.
At noon on the eighth day, we left the savanna and traveled along the coast.
From a cliff, we saw four massive rock pillars rising from the sea in the distance. Each one differed in size and height, scattered randomly—not man-made, but like a masterpiece of nature.
They weren't particularly special, yet they drew my attention. The sound of waves and wind created a calming atmosphere.
There were even stairs leading down to the beach nearby—definitely a scenic spot worth noting.
Meanwhile, Grace, still committed to using her sword, was fighting a bull-type monster that had suddenly appeared.
Not a minotaur—just a massive, four-legged beast with enormous horns.
As for why I was just watching the pillars… well, I couldn't be the one fighting every time.
Grace was strong. She just needed to get used to killing. Otherwise, she'd always hesitate before finishing a fight.
The others were on standby. Ethefelis was ready to step in if needed, Alice prepared to heal afterward, and Jacob watched nervously, clearly wanting to jump in and help.
After a somewhat lengthy battle, Grace finally hunted it down.
As expected of a swordsman chosen by King Leon—her control and physical ability were excellent. She just lacked experience. A few more fights, and she'd be reliable.
Afterward, I dismantled the monster and gave the magic core to Grace. Then I decided to grill the meat right there in the open, to enjoy the spirit of traveling.
We sat on the grass around a campfire, roasting meat and seasoning it with salt gifted by the kind locals from the pink lake.
I took a big bite.
Delicious.
On the morning of the eleventh day, we passed through a eucalyptus forest. We saw several koalas—and by the river, even a platypus.
The koalas didn't seem strange to the others, but the platypus confused them. Its beak made them think it was some kind of duck-type monster, which made me laugh.
I explained what a platypus was—and warned them not to touch it. Male platypuses have venomous spurs on their ankles. While not fatal to humans, the venom causes intense pain and temporary paralysis.
On the afternoon of the twelfth day, we entered a cool grassland. We were getting close to the capital, though the trees around us had begun to turn yellow.
Then suddenly, dark clouds filled the sky, and it started raining. We had no choice but to rest early.
The next day, it was still raining.
Annoying.
We were so close to the capital, yet the rain wouldn't stop. Worse, it kept starting and stopping all day, over and over again.
In the end, on the thirteenth day after lunch, I had Jacob use magic to stop the rain so we could continue traveling.
And finally, before noon on the fourteenth day, we arrived at the capital.
"Finally, the capital!"
"Yay."
Ethefelis echoed my excitement in her usual style.
Alice tilted her head in confusion.
"Mr. Karen and Ms. Eis seem really happy."
Ethefelis did seem unusually lively—but I already knew why.
"Of course we're happy. Reaching your goal feels great."
"Same."
After fourteen days of travel, we'd finally reached the capital I'd been looking forward to. Of course I was excited.
As for Ethefelis… she was excited because this place gathered cuisines from all over the world.
At first, I thought she just had a big appetite.
Turns out, she was a full-blown foodie.
Meanwhile, Jacob and Grace were whispering—loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Mr. Jacob, I think I can tell how Ms. Eis is feeling."
"Me too. Her expression hasn't changed at all, so why…?"
I understood their confusion. Ethefelis's face was as expressionless as ever—but her subtle hand movements gave away her excitement.
Then Ethefelis looked at them and said,
"Food."
"Eh?! Ms. Eis, we weren't saying anything bad about you…!"
"R-right, we were just curious why you seem happy."
They panicked, clearly unaware we could all hear them.
Ethefelis repeated,
"Food."
"...Food?"
This time, even Alice joined in, equally confused.
I decided to explain it later.
For now—
"Let's go. Time for lunch."