Chapter 67 Forced March
To the far west of the capital lies the sea—more precisely, a bay. The road to Suuroi requires a significant detour around this bay.
Taking a boat would be faster, but arranging one in the middle of the night on such short notice is impossible.
The kidnappers who took Yuruyana are likely taking the same route.
"If we can intercept them before they reach Suuroi, that'd be great."
"Think they'll take a leisurely break along the way?"
"Doubt it."
Drivers are supposed to take regular breaks when working properly, but kidnappers don't exactly follow the law.
"Besides, the planner and the executor are probably different people. They likely left the capital around 4, maybe even 3 in the morning."
"So we're 3, 4 hours behind... This is gonna be tight."
They can run without a care, but we're moving in secret on the General's orders.
We can't afford to draw attention by going too fast.
Already playing catch-up, and these constraints are nerve-wracking.
"If the planner left at 6, there's no way we can catch up, right?"
"Maybe. But they're a court Arcanist. Even if we push the Arcane Car to full speed, they won't run out of magic easily."
And they're used to all-nighters.
They could keep going non-stop.
"We're up against a captain-class Arcanist? This sucks."
"Their magic skills might even be better than mine."
Sighing, I look outside again.
In the daytime, the nearby water would shimmer beautifully.
But at night, with minimal lighting, the sea looks eerie and black, like if you fell in, you'd never come back.
"...Last time we went to Suuroi, it took 3 days. Wonder how long it'd take without resting."
"Well, we drove 8 hours a day back then. With minimal stops and rest, maybe about a day."
So, by tomorrow evening.
The western region is mostly sunny this time of year, so we don't have to worry about weather delays.
"Alright, Thomas, we switch in 4 hours."
"Yes, sir."
We don't know what might happen.
So, we need to conserve our magic as much as possible.
Better to switch out often and recover what we can. I won't sleep, but I lay down in the cramped car and focus on resting my body as best I can.
* * *
Every 4 hours, we rotate driving. We eat inside the car. We push forward without looking back, passing through dozens of towns.
"Your new magic, Captain. It's nice. Beats having to keep the windows shut all day in this heat."
With the heat draining our strength and magic, we decide to cool the car during the daytime.
It's a trade-off.
"But honestly, we can't replace our captain."
Cooling magic uses a lot of magic power.
It's not much different from what Arcane Car consumes while driving ── and Luka's magic pool isn't endless.
If we overuse him, he won't have enough mana to steer.
Thomas has more magic, but he's just clumsy.
His magic control isn't good enough to run multiple spells at once while driving.
"...Look, like this. Pull back here..."
Luka looks up at the ceiling, where the basic mesh circuit is.
I remove unnecessary parts based on the material and shape, then adds what's needed.
"Hey? It got cooler, captain!"
"You fixed it just now?"
"Yeah. There's nothing else to do for me."
I won't sleep anyway, but overthinking just makes me feel worse.
Better to use this time wisely.
"Still, I feel like I can make it more efficient."
"...Haa. If it helps you forget your worries, fine. But don't go overboard, okay?"
Normally, Luka is the one getting scolded.
Today, it's me ── Luka, the one getting annoyed.
"Gonna open the window for a bit."
Stuck in this sealed space, I get claustrophobic.
Sometimes I open the windows a little.
Then, a strong gust blows in from the driver's side window.
It mixes with the car's air and messes up your hair.
"So that's how it is. I should add wind magic, too."
I keep experimenting as thoughts come, and by the time I see Suuroi's town, I've evolved a magic routine that creates a comfortable breeze with very little mana.
"Captain, when this is all over, teach me how you did it."
"Alright."
We don't enter the town yet. Instead, we find a quiet, isolated spot and park the car.
Luka said with an uncharacteristically serious face as he stepped down and stretched his limbs.
If we talk about the air conditioner, we might even get orders from the military.
"How do we search from here?"
Luka asked. The scenic granary area was dyed red by the setting sun.
Yuruyana mentioned that they were also producing materials for medicine.
"For now, I'll sort of casually ask around the garrison."
There were simple identity checks at the gates leading into the capital from all directions.
But other towns didn't have such mechanisms, so there were no detailed records of comings and goings.
"For now, they haven't come near the border."
Luka shook his head as he communicated through his portable device.
While we spoke, the red sun slowly set behind the low mountains that divided the countries.
"I see..."
After hearing about Yuruyana's situation, I had considered giving him a communication device for times like this.
Yuruyana himself hesitated to buy one for private use due to the cost, but now I regretted not having arranged for one.
Incidentally, Luka only had one because it was convenient for his communications with the general.
He had grumbled, "It's like I'm being watched everywhere, and I hate it."
"They haven't arrived ahead of us, right?"
"They're not resting and resupplying before crossing the border, are they?"
The kidnappers weren't many in number.
Records from the West Gate suggested that at most 2 or 3 people traveled together in the same vehicle.
It was unlikely that all of them were court Arcanists, so if they traveled at the same speed as us, they must be exhausted and weary by now.
"They might've noticed us heading to Suuroi."
There was a chance that someone who hadn't been recognized as a companion had reached the border and confirmed that they were being pursued.
"How much do they know about the captain, that Arcanist?"
"That I was the top student at the Arcane Art Academy and a former military member belonging to the Arcanist Squad."
Ricardo had spread rumors, and his flashy performances made it possible for others to gauge his strength.
"That's troublesome. They probably wouldn't want to face a senior, so they might keep Mr. Yuruyana imprisoned until the heat dies down, to lay low."
Yeah, so we need to avoid a prolonged battle at all costs.
Not just because I want to get back to the capital quickly, but the two of them following the general's orders feel the same way.
"This is too much, man."
"Even with magic detection, if we don't have a general idea first, the search area is just too wide, right?"
Used to forced marches as they are, even they're showing signs of fatigue.
I pondered for a moment.
"...Yuruyana mentioned before that Arcane Cars aren't widespread in the west yet. Our car sticks out, but so should theirs."
They must be near Suuroi.
If Arcane Cars are rare here, that means there are fewer roads and places to hide.
"Let's do some serious eavesdropping along the main roads before nightfall."
Then, I suddenly thought of one person we could rely on in this unfamiliar place.
Don't know much about him, but it's worth a shot to meet.
"While we're at it, let's ask about the whereabouts of an Arcanopharmacist named Elmer. Yuruyana's master, and my grandfather's friend. If we mention a ridiculously handsome long-lived species, even people who don't know the name might have an idea."
Luka and Thomas exchanged a quick glance,
"Got it."
"Understood."
Each of them nodded in agreement.
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