Great Journey: Whims of Fate

Chapter 158. Mobile Home

Deep in the Great Forest, near its eastern edge where evergreen trees towered 200 m (656 ft) into the sky, a rumble broke through nature’s silence. The ground trembled as the sound grew louder and louder. Then a colossal horse made of sparkling diamonds, 7 ft (2.1 m) tall, thundered through the forest. Behind it, two enormous metal carriages 12 ft (3.66 m) tall were dragged along the path.

It raced through the forest’s moss-covered ground, trampling over shrubs and scaring away prey and predators. It made its way east toward the Kingdom of Spores, designated as a Rank 2 kingdom, preventing those of greater rank from entering.

Meanwhile, inside the lead carriage, in a luxurious modern living room, a large screen displayed the path ahead of the carriage. Three plush couches surrounded a low, holographic table in the center of the room that projected a detailed 3D map of the surrounding forest and terrain. Both the screen and the table glowed faintly from the illusion magic enchanted into them, providing information in real time. Vaulted ceilings, lofted storage, and enchanted shelving made use of the vertical space efficiently, adding height and functionality without cluttering the room.

It also included a long dining table made from polished darkwood, surrounded by cushioned chairs that were bolted to the floor to prevent movement while the carriage was in motion. Along the walls were low cabinets filled with utensils, glassware, plates, and neatly stored snacks, their doors secured with small locking runes. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, its soft, warm light powered by mana conduits running along the walls, floor, and ceiling.

A thick carpet covered most of the metal floor, muffling footsteps and making the space feel like a home. One corner of the room held a small bar stocked with bottles, while another had a bookshelf filled with manuals, maps, and a few leisure books. Enchanted vents quietly circulated fresh air through the carriage, keeping the interior cool despite the enclosed metal structure.

Despite being pulled through a massive forest by a diamond horse, the interior remained steady and quiet thanks to shock-absorbing enchantments built into the carriage frame. Soft lighting glowed from crystal fixtures embedded in the ceiling, and the faint hum of enchantments could be heard if one listened closely. The entire space felt like a high-end apartment moving through the wilderness.

Seven doors surrounded the living area. Two served as exits on either side of the carriage. At the front were two doors leading to Bastion’s and Seraphina’s rooms. At the back were three more doors, leading to Elyra’s room, Lilia’s room, and three guest rooms, one of which belonged to Ariel, who didn’t need the extra space.

Bastion’s room was the largest, dominated by a massive reinforced bed and a spacious bath and shower carved from enchanted stone, its surface warm and self-draining. Along the far wall was a large, sound-dampened forging area, lined with enchanted golems that worked metal tirelessly, hammering, shaping, and maintaining equipment without pause. The entire forge was built into the carriage itself, allowing Bastion to craft even while traveling, the enchantments keeping the noise and heat contained so the rest of the carriage remained undisturbed.

Seraphina’s room was smaller but meticulously organized, containing a bed and bath, a personal library filled with books she had created herself, and a workstation for alchemy, leather crafting, and other delicate work. It felt less like a personal room and more like a workshop with a bed, since she could always sleep with Bastion whenever she wanted comfort.

Lilia’s room was almost entirely a magic library, with shelves packed with her personal collection of spell books, scrolls, enchanted notes, and strange magical artifacts stacked in careful but dense arrangements. There was a second space, though, where she would conduct her enchanting, an isolated area that guaranteed quiet, cleanliness, and ambient mana. Like Seraphina’s, her room was less a personal space and more a library.

Elyra’s room served as the kitchen, complete with enchanted refrigeration runes, a modern stove powered by fire crystals, polished counters, and neatly stored cooking equipment. There was a bed and bath as well, but barely anything else.

Ariel’s room functioned as the guest room, connected to two additional empty rooms in case they ever had visitors traveling with them. She didn’t mind the arrangement, as she had little use for extra space due to her lack of a production job, and the 50 m² (538 ft²) space was more than enough for a bed, cabinet, armory, and bathroom, everything she needed for herself.

The total interior space of the carriage measured around 500 m² (5382 ft²), an expansion that was virtually unheard of compared to what the Crafters Guild typically sold. The size demonstrated Bastion’s mastery in constructing the carriage to its full potential while maintaining optimal mana saturation in the material, as well as Lilia’s advanced enchanting techniques, which ensured that every corner of the allotted space was maximized for space expansion.

“How much farther are we from the border?” Seraphina asked excitedly, dressed in little more than comfortable underwear.

“About a day’s ride,” Ariel answered, dressed in her full white leather combat gear, as she often left the carriage to scout ahead. “It shouldn’t be long before we reach Mushvale, a hunting town on the border that serves as the first line of defense against stampedes.”

She was the party’s designated scout, carrying the map provided by the Adventurers Guild. The role suited her perfectly, both because of her skills and because she had no production job to occupy her time. She was tasked with charting a path through the Great Forest, which was an excellent decision considering it had been only two weeks since they left Castle Diamondhart. For a heavily laden carriage to navigate such a dense forest without roads, she had done an excellent job charting a safe route.

“Tea is served,” Elyra announced as she stepped out of the kitchen in her maid outfit, carrying a tray of tea, biscuits, and cake.

“Yay!” Seraphina cheered. “Thanks, Ely.”

“My pleasure,” she replied with a smile.

“So, what kind of place is the Kingdom of Spores?” Lilia asked from the side as she joined their tea time, wearing a silk nightgown and finding it more comfortable than restrictive underwear. “I know they’re a Rank 2 kingdom like our own and that they specialize in raising mushrooms and fungi of all kinds, but what does the market look like?”

“I don’t know about the market,” Ariel answered. “But I do know they have plenty of swamps, forests, and caves with barely any open fields. It seems the kingdom thrives in dark, damp spaces.”

“Well, yeah, they need that environment specifically to raise their crops,” Seraphina pointed out.

“Basically, I want to know which of our stockpiles we will sell and which will sell out the fastest,” Lilia clarified

Between Bastion, Lilia, and Seraphina, who had production jobs, Bastion and Lilia worked together to enchant plenty of weapons, armor, and gadgets, which they planned to sell for a premium if they could. Seraphina, meanwhile, had clothes, leather outfits, potions, jewelry, spell scrolls, skill scrolls, and her novels.

Elyra would have been included among them as well if they planned to sell her cooking, but they hadn’t maxed out their stats yet. Any lucky dishes she prepared that granted permanent stat increases were immediately consumed by the group to save them the time and effort of training for those gains themselves. Also, her regular cooking was top-notch even by nobles’ standards, so none of them were eager to part with it if they could help it.

“My bet is on armor and weapons,” Bastion said, wearing a simple white shirt and shorts.

He was finally free to dress casually after spending a century being forced to dress like a noble, even in his own home. He always had to look respectable with maids constantly moving around the castle, since he had an image to project to the people.

Now, he walked around with as little clothing as the girls whenever he felt like it. However, he often defaulted to a white shirt and loose shorts to hide his muscular body and avoid turning any of the girls on constantly.

“Since they’re mostly doing their farming underground, they have to be constantly fighting off the creatures from Subterra. That means constant low-ranked battles, which means constant resupplying of armor and weapons,” Bastion elaborated.

“True, but they could just as easily need spell and skill scrolls for their armies, and you’re forgetting the fact that they probably have a ton of raw metal from opening up caverns to farm in. That means they would be able to mine for metal and minerals at a significantly faster pace than the Kingdom of Brilliance, which is fully focused on topsoil farming,” Lilia countered.

“Maybe they have a shortage of blacksmiths?”

“Time would have filled that gap. I think war supplies will be the least of their worries. Instead, they’ll want our nifty little gadgets.”

“If they even have the mana for it.”

“A girl can dream.”

They continued their discussion, mapping out their plans for the journey ahead, anticipation bubbling as the carriage raced east through the forest, carrying them swiftly toward the first stop of their Great Journey.

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