Sitting in the driver's seat, I glanced at the odometer—barely under 100 kilometers. This was practically a brand-new car. As I examined the area around the steering wheel and the dashboard, I noticed there was no place to insert a key. All that was present was a round button on the dashboard labeled "ENGINE START STOP."
"Is this what I press?" I pondered, pushing the button, but it didn't make a sound. While I could potentially tamper with the wiring to start the engine, it wouldn't work on a car with such robust security features. Besides, regardless of the vehicle model, I clearly lacked those skills. It was impossible.
"What do I do now? This car is loaded with me as its only passenger, but I think we're stuck."
Cracking a joke alone wasn't going to change anything. When I learned to drive at the driving school, cars used a key to start. Has the world really moved on to keyless vehicles? Times sure change fast. Maybe the driving school just used outdated cars.
As I stepped out of the car, I stored the Rank 0 in my item box and began to ponder my next move. *"At this point, I definitely want a car. But not just any car—I need one that starts with a key."*
*"Thinking of such a car that can handle off-road like a champ…"*
*"In terms of versatility, vehicles with caterpillar tracks come to mind, but they're impractical in their own right. Given that, military vehicles might be the best option."*
*"I remember there's a Self-Defense Force base not too far from my apartment. I spotted it while visiting a sightseeing tour for the Ground Self-Defense Force. Well, spotting is a stretch since the tour was right next to the base. I clearly recall a huge, greenish-gray vehicle driving around inside that base. That's it!"*
*"Let me think—maybe I can transfer right before that sightseeing tour? *…* Yes! It's coming back to me! I remember it clearly now! This could work. Here goes! *Transfer!*"*
I arrived at the observation course of the Ground Self-Defense Force, known as "Rikkun Land." Next to it was a Self-Defense Force base. I walked along the sidewalk facing the road until I reached a spot where I could see inside the compound. From behind the iron-bar fence, I could get a good look at what was happening. There it was.
A wide four-wheeled vehicle was parked inside the base. I wasn't sure if I could handle it, but it definitely looked cool. I'm not a military enthusiast, but it had a nicely worn look that was appealing.
I stored that vehicle in my item box through the fence. Quickly moved it to the duplication box and made a copy. The original was returned to its original spot.
It felt like about ten seconds, but I probably vanished that vehicle from the world for only about five seconds, and it seemed no one noticed the change. Even if they had, it would soon be chalked up to an optical illusion.
Wearing a satisfied grin, I used Transfer to head back to the backyard of my mansion. This time, I ejected the duplicated vehicle in place of that large vehicle I had just previously released. It was far bigger than the big one.
The driver's door was unlocked, and when I opened it to take a look inside, of course, the key wasn't there. However, there was a keyhole under the dashboard on the right side of the handle. This should work just fine.
"Come forth, my beloved car key!"
I hadn't given this car a name yet, but it was already my prized vehicle.
Once the key for the door was made at the local shop, I thought it only made sense that a key for my beloved car should be possible too, and sure enough, it was. This time, it was a proper key. How wonderful!
As I settled into the driver's seat, I slid the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life effortlessly. At the same moment, the tachometer and fuel gauge on the dashboard sprang into action. The fuel gauge read about half full. I couldn't tell if the temperature gauge moved; there were no warning lights illuminated.
Since the fuel was supposed to be diesel, I focused on transferring the fuel from the tank to my item box for a copy, filling it to the brim. I then poured the copied fuel back into the tank. Now the fuel gauge pointed to F. I estimated that my beloved car's fuel tank held around 100 liters.
Leaving my cherished vehicle out in the backyard was quite inconvenient, so I exited the car and stored it in my item box. Referring to it as "beloved car" felt a bit odd, but given my lack of knowledge about different vehicle types—even military ones—I decided to whimsically name it the Turtle. It was a name I had come across in a web novel I enjoyed. Ah, that story was quite entertaining!
Tomorrow will be a picnic with a drive! I'm curious about the weather, but so far I've never encountered heavy rain, and most days have been filled with blue skies. Today is blue, and I expect tomorrow will be too.
**Note 1: That Novel**
Of course, I'm referring to "The Goddess of Eternal Darkness Series," specifically Volume 2, "The Goddess of Eternal Darkness: Aim for My Grand Temple!" [Link here](https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0271gt/). I apologize for the constant promotions. I've kept the subtitle the same as in "The Goddess of Eternal Darkness."
Dreaming of the Turtle Ship, I pondered my next move. By the way, the ice cream at the burger joint I visited today was subpar.
I decided to hop over to the ice cream shop. I was pretty sure there was one inside my usual large supermarket, but if I was mistaken, that was just how it was. I had plenty of time to search if needed.
I could also pick up some cakes from the pastry shop. That would definitely be a hit with the girls and kids. Imagining their joyful faces sparked various wonderful ideas. My newfound financial freedom made this extra relaxing, as earning money was now effortless, and with Lily joining, I had a reliable companion to share ideas with.
As I recalled, the ice cream shop was indeed a tenant in the supermarket.
Peering into the display case, I asked the store attendant, "To-go, please—all single cones."
"Do you want all 32 varieties?"
"Yes, we've received your order for all flavors in a single cone. Please wait. First, let's settle the bill… The total comes to XXXX yen."
After completing the payment and waiting for my ice cream, I was handed two paper bags. Upon opening them, I found three base holders inside one of the bags, each designed to accommodate six cones. That's a total of 32 cones—6 x 3 plus 6 x 2 plus 2.
"Excuse me, do you have a brochure? I can't tell which flavor is which," I asked.
"Here's the ice cream description," the attendant replied, handing me a brochure showcasing pictures along with the details of the 32 flavors. I stepped out of the shop, though "stepped out" seemed a misnomer for the open layout of the store.
Once outside, I quickly stashed the paper bags in my item box and copied them to avoid forgetting. Now I could indulge in ice cream whenever I pleased.
Since ice cream relies on dairy, I knew that making it from the ingredients in the item box paired with my Sky energy might deplete my resources. To alleviate this burden, I headed to the grocery section and bought ten one-liter cartons of milk. I couldn't help but wish for bigger cartons.
I also picked up paper cups for a picnic, disposable small plates, a larger aluminum plate, and a bundle of plastic cutlery—about a hundred knives and forks in total. While I could have crafted these items from scratch if I wanted, it felt easier to simply buy them.
I loaded up on ice cream and gathered supplies for a picnic, then decided to head to a nearby bakery. I knew of one bakery close to this supermarket and two more across the station. The bakery near the supermarket was newly opened, and though I hadn't been inside yet, it seemed more upscale compared to the other two. Just because it looked fancy doesn't guarantee it's delicious, but since none of us, myself included, has a discerning palate, it didn't bother me much.
So, I made my way to the nearby upscale bakery, also known as a patisserie. Upon entering, I saw a line of customers in front of the showcase, so I joined the queue at the back. After a short wait, it was my turn. I turned to the female clerk standing behind the display and said, "I'd like one of each cake in this case, please. Also, if you have a pamphlet with the cake names and descriptions, I'd like one of those too."
Two clerks quickly packaged one of each cake into three boxes. They placed the boxes into a large paper bag, which they handed to me, along with the pamphlet. After paying the total, I turned to leave the shop, only to notice the other customers staring at me. If they wanted the cakes so badly, they could buy them themselves. Not that I'd say it out loud.
That day, I decided to save the ice cream and cake I had bought for another time, opting instead for the ice cream from the burger shop we had visited previously as our dessert. Everyone was likely thinking about enjoying all three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry in turn.
That night, after using my alchemy to create a golden die, I slept soundly.
The next morning, we had a breakfast of bread, salad, soup, and ham steak.
"Once everyone finishes their morning tasks, we're going on a picnic today!" I announced.
"What's a picnic, Master?" one of the children asked. It was unclear whether this culture simply didn't have picnics or if it was just the slave children who were unfamiliar with the concept.
"A picnic is when everyone brings lunch and goes out to a field or a mountain to relax together," I explained, but it seemed to leave them confused.
Noticing their bewilderment, Lily stepped in to clarify. "We walk together to see beautiful scenery. When lunchtime comes, we sit on the ground in nature and enjoy a delicious lunch. Eating lunch surrounded by beautiful nature tastes far better than when we eat in the mansion."
Even Lily's explanation didn't seem to resonate much with the children.
"This time, though, we won't be walking; we'll travel by carriage."
"Are we going to ride in a carriage?" Eva asked with curiosity.
"That's a reasonable question. It may technically be a vehicle, but it's not a carriage. Like the picnic earlier, it's hard to explain, but you'll understand as soon as you see it. Just hang in there until then."
"Okay."
"Mr. Rockwell, do you have a car too?" Lily asked this time.
"A little. I managed to get my hands on one. I'm not sure how many people it seats, but it's a big car, so there's plenty of room for everyone."
"Mr. Rockwell, this is what you call another world, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"That's enough."
"When I jumped to Japan yesterday, I found a nice car and used alchemy to copy it. However, there were issues with that version, so I got a new one."
"You can really copy something like that?"
"Well, yes. Copying something as large as a car does come with a certain cost, but that's acceptable. By the way, it's a bit strange to call this place 'here' or 'another world,' don't you think? The locals tend to refer to it as Earth."
"That is true."
"So, I've decided to call this place the New World."