81. To the Capital

Since Miradia was returning to the capital, Shiro and the others naturally came along—acting as escorts, too.

From Sotohaim to the capital, Hainzberg, we followed the river southward, then took the main road. The distance was roughly 280 karmetel, or 400 kilometers.

It’s a major thoroughfare, fairly well-maintained, so the carriage managed about 15 km/h. Traveling seven hours a day, we could cover 70 karmetel—about 100 kilometers. That made for a four-day journey. There were inns roughly every 70 karmetel, so we’d stop there each night and continue the next day.

Preparations for departure were simple enough, but Shiro suddenly announced he’d be modifying the carriage—and spent two full days on it. Not much time, so nothing too elaborate. The main focus was the wheels.

First, Shiro went hunting for slimes. His goal was isobutylene and isopropyl. From naphtha slimes, he extracted and synthesized those two compounds, then performed polymerization and copolymerization inside the barrier sphere using the 【Chemical Synthesis】 skill. The resulting butyl rubber was formed into tubes. Then, for the outer tires, styrene and butadiene were copolymerized—what’s commonly known as styrene-butadiene rubber.

He forged a steel mesh, then fused the styrene-butadiene rubber onto it using magic-based bonding—no adhesion issues whatsoever. Next, he inflated the butyl rubber tubes, slid the mesh-reinforced tires over them, and finally attached the whole thing to the carriage’s wheels. For now, he just bonded it directly.

“Amazing,” Aria said. “The small vibrations and noise have really dropped.”

“Yeah, quiet and comfortable,” Shestia added.

“Hmm, well, this’ll do for now? Think I could sell these to Nagato if I seal a contract with him?” Shiro muttered.

“Yeah, you’ll make a fortune for sure,” Albert replied, helping out.

Shiro was now equipping every carriage bound for the capital with rubber tires. The delight of Miradia and the others went without saying.

The journey took only four days. The main road between Sotohaim and the capital was well-maintained, with no monsters appearing at all—nothing worth noting happened at all.

The world was peaceful, and the safety was good, so thieves were rare.

Then again, if there were any, they wouldn’t dare attack a royal carriage guarded by knights.

“Whoa, wow—look at that! Is that the capital’s castle over there!? Amazing! It’s beautiful!” Shiro shouted, barely holding back his excitement.

They were just a short distance from the capital, on a slight rise. From here, the city beyond the grasslands lay spread out below. The central castle looked remarkably like the famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Earth’s Germany.

To the right, a vast lake stretched out, fed by the Fraser River, which had run parallel to the road. The lake bore the same name as the capital—Lake Heinzberg.

“Shiro, you always get so excited when you see castles,” Aria said, exasperated.

“No, seriously—don’t you think it’s incredible? It’s awesome!” Shiro couldn’t hide his glee.

“Shiro, you like castles? Maybe one day you’ll build your own?” Shestia suddenly suggested, deadpan.

“Huh… that might not be a bad idea… If I did, then…” Shiro started thinking.

“I’d want a room too. One with a balcony overlooking the lake,” Shestia said.

“Ooh, that’d be nice. Then…,” Shiro muttered further, and Aria felt a flicker of unease—she couldn’t help but think Shiro might actually build it.

Incidentally, Albert had quietly requested a room of his own and a training hall to boot.

The Miradia contingent passed through the noble gate without issue.

Shiro’s group had been assigned lodging at the royal guesthouse, so the procession moved down the main street toward the castle.

After safely passing through the city gate, they arrived at the guesthouse, where a sturdy man in his late prime—aged just short of old—greeted them with dignity.

“Welcome, esteemed guests. A long journey, I’m sure,” he said.

“Thank you, Patrick, for coming out to meet us,” Miria said as she stepped down from the carriage.

“Ah, Lady Sophia, it’s been a while,” Sophia said.

“Indeed, Lady Sophia. Still as youthful as ever,” Patrick replied.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Shiro Kamikawa. This is my companion, Mitoka,” Shiro said, offering his hand in greeting.

“An honor, indeed. I am Patrick, chancellor of this realm. Welcome, Shiro-sama, Mitoka-sama. You’ve traveled far—thank you for your journey,” Patrick responded, shaking Shiro’s hand.

Once all greetings were exchanged, they were led into the guesthouse, where they would first rest—each retiring to their own rooms to unpack and recover from the long journey.