The total area of Britannia was just over two hundred thousand square kilometers—almost identical to that of Proper Human History.
For Shiomi, who had lived across countless lands, such a territory was hardly vast. And with both him and Aesc possessing endless time to wander, he had rarely needed to think about travel speed.
Except now, war had already begun.
Even with Runes reinforcing their legs, it would still take them nearly a full day of running across the plains to reach Norwich in the east and rendezvous with the Black Knight, Ector.
"If only we had a vehicle."
The next morning dawned bright. After resting and recovering, Shiomi reapplied Runes Magecraft to strengthen everyone's legs, murmuring the thought absently.
"A vehicle? I recall the Fang Clan had some fairies good at pulling carriages," Aesc said. "Wouldn't that work?"
It wasn't that vehicles didn't exist in the Fairy Kingdom—rather, there simply weren't large Phantasmal Species like horses to pull them.
So after humans had invented carriages, the fairies had relied on lower-ranked fairies or humans to draw them, using them only for short-distance transport.
"If... if you don't mind, I could pull the cart," Baobhan Sith offered hesitantly. "Back when I was with the Wing Clan, I used to pull them too..."
Shiomi frowned. "That was just them bullying you, wasn't it?"
"But I—" Baobhan Sith wanted to help, to do something for the Sage and the Witch she respected so deeply.
"Don't worry about it," Aesc said gently, brushing a hand against Baobhan Sith's cheek. "I'm just happy you're traveling with us as a companion. So cheer up."
"...Alright." Baobhan Sith nodded, a trace of regret still in her voice.
Totorot, perched on the spinning wheel, tilted her head. "Both Aesc and Shiomi can use Magecraft, right? Can't you just use magic to make the cart move?"
"Without a proper power source, it would drain too much mana," Shiomi replied, rubbing his chin. "Normally that'd be fine, but with war so close, we need to conserve our strength for—"
Aesc interrupted, tracing a small circle in the air with her finger. "Didn't Tenkei once say that Britannia's air is filled with thick magical energy?"
"Of course," Shiomi replied. "After all, this land still exists in a state close to the Age of Gods..."
He paused mid-sentence, realizing he had completely overlooked something.
He had lived in this world for so long that he'd begun to take its divine-age environment for granted. The fact that the air itself was dense with True Ether had long since become something natural to him.
"It seems my husband finally caught on," Aesc said with a teasing smile. "If we design a circuit that efficiently converts atmospheric mana into energy, we wouldn't need anyone to pull the cart, would we?"
Shiomi nodded. "Theoretically, yes. But time is—"
"If we both work on it, we can finish in half a day at most," Aesc replied, meeting his gaze. "You have a usable design in mind, don't you?"
"...Actually, I do." Shiomi tapped his temple.
After returning from the Sixth Singularity, during his stay in Chaldea, he had examined Da Vinci's improved blueprints for a desert vehicle—an all-terrain machine powered by ambient magical energy, designed for use in environments rich in mana like those of the Age of Gods.
He had never had the chance to use it in later Singularities. After all, during the Uruk expedition, Chaldea's rear base was the entire city itself.
The only reason he still remembered it was because Morgan had told him it might be useful someday. Using Magecraft and suggestion, she had etched the design permanently into his memory.
Whenever necessary, he could reproduce the blueprints from memory through magic.
Whether that foresight was planned or born from experience, it now proved invaluable.
Shiomi smiled inwardly.
He and Aesc immediately set to work—cutting trees from the nearby forest, shaping and refining them through Magecraft and tools.
By noon, they had finished. The group climbed aboard the newly built all-terrain magic-powered vehicle.
The unpaved ground made for a rough ride, but the vehicle's suspension enchantments absorbed the jolts with ease.
What should have taken a full day's travel was shortened thanks to their new means of transportation.
"Hahaha! This speed is amazing!"
Totorot clung to the handrail, watching the vast wilderness race by behind them.
"Shame it's not a sightseeing trip," Aesc replied lightly. "Otherwise, we could've taken it slower."
Baobhan Sith looked around in wide-eyed wonder, her mind struggling to catch up with everything happening around her. One thing, however, she was sure of—this journey was filled with excitement and joy.
"But even so, this is really fun, Witch-sama." Baobhan Sith held down her wind-tossed hair and voiced her delight. Aesc gave her a satisfied nod in response.
"Sorry to break up the good mood!" Shiomi's voice suddenly cut through the air. "Brakes on—hold tight!"
The vehicle swerved sharply, its tires carving four long tracks of churned mud across the plain.
The reason was simple.
A battlefield lay ahead—two armies locked in combat.
One side was the Earth Clan, led by the Black Knight Ector, defending a convoy of supply wagons stationed along the road.
The other side, attacking fiercely in an attempt to seize them, were unmistakably Northern Fairies.
"So they crossed the forests and mountains, planning a surprise attack from the east?" Aesc leapt off the vehicle.
Shiomi's hand tensed around the Holy Lance, Longinus.
"Whatever the case, we help them now." He turned back. "Totorot, Baobhan Sith—guard the vehicle."
"Leave this treasure to me!" Totorot declared proudly.
Exchanging a brief glance, Shiomi and Aesc sprinted toward the battlefield, joining the fray.
A halberd aimed at Ector's back shattered mid-swing under Aesc's Magecraft. Realizing the ambush, the Black Knight spun around, swinging his warhammer in a brutal arc. It slammed into the enemy's chestplate with a crunch, crushing both armor and bone, sending the fairy sprawling to the ground.
"Witch-sama? Sage-sama?" Ector blinked in surprise. "Why are the two of you—"
Shiomi's answer came in action, as two crimson spears soared across the battlefield, skewering enemy soldiers one after another.
"We came to reinforce the Earth Clan. The Northern Fairies have already begun their assault on Manchester. The war's officially begun—and from here, it's a struggle for survival between your clans and theirs."
"So the Sage-sama was right after all."
Barely over a meter tall, the dwarf fairy Ector shoved aside an opponent more than twice her height, sending him crashing into the dirt.
"No time for small talk—let's finish off the enemy first."
She gripped her wand in both hands. Mana swirled around her, gathering into a powerful gust that lifted her slowly off the ground.
"Then you take the offensive," Shiomi said. "I'll cover you."
He knew full well Aesc could never bring herself to kill.
Aesc nodded firmly, raising her staff high and shouting:
"Rain—wash away the filth!"
In the next instant, the skies opened. Torrential rain poured down in sheets, drenching the battlefield and striking every enemy soldier in sight.