Fortunately, Raid went ahead and did it for her; he landed two iron fists on both their heads, then grabbed them by the back of their collars. “All right, that’s enough horsing around. We’ve still got a trip to make,” he said as he dragged them toward the magic automobile, where a familiar boy was waiting for them. “Lucas, could you load the girls’ luggage into the passenger compartment? I’ll sit in the luggage carrier with these two handfuls.”
“Roger that,” Lucas crowed as he spun around to the girls and gestured toward the passenger compartment. “Welcome, everyone! Please, make yourselves at home.”
“Thank you! Norn, Ariel, let’s get in,” Millis urged. “There are enough seats in here for us. As for the idiots, though... Well, I suppose they can have fun jostling about like baggage!”
Ariel staggered exhaustedly into the automobile. “Okay... I can finally rest at least...”
“Wow! It’s my first time riding something besides a cow or a horse!” Norn exclaimed.
With the girls seated and luggage loaded, the magic automobile set out on the road. Cradled by the gentle sway of the vehicle, Ariel eventually found her eyes drawn to the passing scenery outside: an endlessly blue stretch of sky, a field of verdant green dancing softly under the passing breeze, and a distant horizon lined with magnificent mountains. Their automobile drove along a neatly paved road, occasionally passing by houses. People were out and about—doing laundry, tending to their yard, and simply living their lives.
“It really is...the opposite of our world,” she muttered. There was no dense fog of polluted mana blanketing the surroundings, no contaminated clouds blocking out the sunlight, no barren desert ravaged by sandstorms, no warped and grotesque vegetation, no Calamities and Offspring prowling the lands. “How do I put this...? It’s so opposite, it almost feels...eerie.”
Norn hummed, cocking her head. “Really? Not for me, though. It must be because I’ve spent most of my life in Paradise. I’ve seen the outside world every now and then, but to me, this all just feels like...a bigger Paradise!”
“I suppose that would make sense for you, Lady Norn,” Ariel replied with a strained smile. “However, I spend most of the year staring out at the front lines of our polluted world.” This was how the world was supposed to be, and Norn and the people of this world were right to feel at home with it. Raid had been right on the nose; Ariel was simply far too accustomed to the disaster that was the First World, as unfortunate as that was.
“I wish that our world, too, will look as peaceful as this someday.” Ariel dreamed that the day would come when they would no longer need to use magic devices to protect themselves from polluted mana or stay on high alert at all times in fear of attacking monsters or spend their days trembling in terror, unable to sleep lest they see nightmares of their allies being devoured by the Calamities. As these feelings of hope blossomed within her, so did her gratitude for Raid, who had brought her along for this very purpose.
Ariel watched the passing scenery with a wistful smile on her lips until she was drawn from her reverie by a hearty laugh. When she turned her gaze back into the automobile, she found Millis puffing out her chest with a smug smirk on her face.
“We’re just getting started!” she declared. “You’d best prepare yourself, Ariel and Norn, for we are currently headed to the capital of Vegalta—the largest metropolis of the central continent!”
Ariel hummed. “In the First World, the only traces left of Vegalta are some old documents and records... I’m looking forward to seeing it as a prosperous nation.”
“Wooow! Does it have a super big castle?!” Norn asked.
Millis snickered darkly. “Oh, little Norn... Not only does it have a super big castle, it’s also filled with crowds upon crowds of people, the likes of which you’d never see out in the sticks! Boasting of the latest cutting-edge magical technology and ranking as the most popular sightseeing destination—here it is, the magnificent and glorious capital of Vegalta!”
With a bombastic swing of her arms, Millis drew their gazes to the window—and there, in the distance, was a vast city surrounded by looming walls with a spectacular castle standing proudly at the center. Instantly, Ariel’s and Norn’s eyes grew wide with wonder.
“Wow... It’s certainly quite impressive,” Ariel remarked. “The architecture has such a traditional, classical charm to it... How fascinating!”
“The buildings remind me of the antiques granny showed me before!” Norn crowed.
Millis froze, blinking widely at the two. “Huh...? That...wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.”
“N-No, well, you see... The city looks wonderful, yes, but this is millennia-old architecture to us,” Ariel sheepishly explained. “It feels very...mystical, yes! It triggers a strong sense of nostalgia!”
“I liked the iron castle in the imperial capital, but this one reminds me a lot more of the brick houses back at home!”
Millis clutched at her chest and gritted her teeth. “The metropolis I looked up to all my life...is on par with a rural brick house to Norn?!” Each well-intentioned remark from the First Worlders stabbed deeper and deeper into her poor hillbilly heart.
Just then, Raid poked his head in from the luggage carrier. “Why’re you so surprised? Their world is a thousand years ahead of ours,” he reminded her. “Norn may have lived in Paradise all her life, but Altanian machinery had already propagated throughout the continent by the time they isolated themselves. She’s used to the magic devices and machines in her village.”
“Grrr... Okay, fine, I admit I was impressed by those ‘chainsaws’ and ‘cultivators’ in Paradise, but still...!”
“Actually, won’t they be more blown away by the food?” Raid asked. “All they have in the First World are canned goods and light seasoning, right?”
“Yes, well, we have very little land to work with...” Ariel sighed. “We have potatoes, beans, and some vegetables, but the flavor is mostly processed into the food, then supplemented afterward with nutrients. We do have some livestock—such as cows and pigs—only for the privileged class, though.”
“We also usually eat veggies in Paradise,” Norn added. “I don’t get to eat meat very often.”
“Really?” Raid smiled. “Then you’d best get your fill while you’re here. We can grab some skewers from the food stalls.”
Instantly, Ariel snapped her head up. “S-Skewers...from food stalls?! A-And do you mean real meat, and not protein made with soy?!”
“Are those chicken skewers? Or can we eat pork and beef too? Are they grilled?!” Norn’s eyes began to sparkle. “We only eat those during the annual festival in Paradise!”
Raid nodded. “Chicken, pork, beef—take your pick. You can have it all.”
“H-How could this be...?” Ariel grabbed her head like she’d been assaulted with a sudden dizzy spell. “I’ve only ever eaten real meat once in my life, when I first became a Hero. Since then, I’ve been craving it—seeing it in my dreams, even—and you’re telling me I can now have as much as I want?!”
“We usually process and preserve our meat; grilling it is such a luxury!” Norn shouted. “The way it falls apart when you bite, and the juices spread through your mouth... Can you really eat that every day here? I’m so jealous!”
Raid turned to Millis with a smirk. “See? Told you so.”
“Whaaat...? My urban dreams lost to some meat? Really? Boo...”
Millis hung her head and slumped her shoulders, utterly defeated by the sparkling gazes on Ariel’s and Norn’s faces. Alas, it seemed that enjoying delicious food was a universal experience no matter the world.