Chapter 11

“Alright! We’re all set.”

I nodded in satisfaction, arms crossed as I stood before the golem car. The vehicle was packed to the brim. Most of the cargo consisted of bomb-making materials and various pieces of equipment Alice deemed essential—mainly magic tools. The rest was just a few days’ worth of food and water. All of it was vital for our journey.

I peeked out the window to check the situation outside. The soldiers had been attempting to breach the perimeter for about ten minutes now. They were struggling immensely with the electrical traps set into the fence and gates. Even those who managed to scale the walls were being systematically beaten unconscious by a small army of golems.

The mansion’s defensive capabilities were not to be underestimated. They were holding the line perfectly, which had bought us enough time to pack our things.

“You slow-witted fools! You can’t even suppress a single mansion?! It’s just an alchemist’s house, for pity’s sake!”

A hysterical scream drifted up to us. Mixed in among the common soldiers, a man in ornate armor was shouting at the top of his lungs. His gear was leagues above the rest, so I assumed he was a knight. He was frantically urging his subordinates forward; he seemed desperate for a face-to-face meeting with me.

I’d better go say hello. It would be rude to keep him waiting any longer.

I opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. It was a low-resilience seat, surprisingly comfortable—the kind that wouldn’t make your backside ache even on long trips. Alice sat in the passenger seat, clutching her bag. She was ready, sitting there as quiet as a small animal.

I reached for the seatbelt, only to realize that such a thing didn’t exist. It seemed safety features were lacking in this world. I wondered if all vehicles here were like this.

‘Great, I probably shouldn’t hold my breath for airbags, either.’

Grumbling inwardly, I surveyed the interior layout. At first glance, it was remarkably similar to what I was used to. The steering wheel, accelerator, and brake were all in their standard positions. The main difference was that the controls were simplified compared to cars back home—likely because the “engine” was actually ten golems.

The simpler the better. I’d already received a crash course on how to drive the thing from Alice while we were loading the supplies. She mentioned it had an autopilot function, but I decided to take the wheel myself.

We were about to smash through a military blockade and flee the city. It was going to be a rough ride, and with the high probability of unpredictable variables, I wanted total control of the machine.

I’m confident in my handling. I’ve navigated countless car chases in past missions—situations where a man didn’t have enough lives to spare. I’ll make a brilliant getaway this time, too.

I inserted the cylindrical key into the ignition and turned it. Immediately, a low, growling engine sound vibrated from the chassis. The golems making up the vehicle had awakened. The vibration hummed through the seat.

“Nice sound. Just my type.”

This thing was powerful. Perfectly suited for an escape. Alice, on the other hand, was fidgeting restlessly. She looked like a child about to ride their first roller coaster at an amusement park.

“I think I’m starting to feel a little nervous. Not that I’m scared, though.”

“It’s a drive date, after all. Even my heart’s racing.”

Except the course was brutally harsh—a thrill-ride of a path where arrows, bullets, and magic would be flying. Getting out of the city was going to be the real challenge.

“Mr. Jack. I’m opening the wall. Ready?”

“Yeah, anytime. Let’s do this.”

As I answered, Alice muttered something—an incantation. Corresponding with her words, the wall ahead morphed and shifted, creating a straight ramp leading down toward the main gate. We were now in full view of the outside world. The soldiers noticed us instantly and readied their weapons. The crowd was already wild just for our entrance. I felt like a superstar.

Time to give them a show worthy of the hype.

“Here we go. The start of a fun drive.”

I gripped the wheel and floored the accelerator. With a sensation of being pinned back into the seat, the golem car roared and leapt out of the room. We plummeted down the ramp, shaking violently.

“Watch your tongue! Don’t bite it!”

“Y-yeah!”

Several yards ahead was the main gate partitioning the estate. The knight from earlier was screaming desperately.

“S-Stop! I said halt! You Bomber, for your destruction of the Capital, you are already—”

“Shut up. Is that all you can do, talk?”

I didn’t decelerate for a second. I charged straight through, smashing the main gate and running over the blustering knight for good measure.

“Bu-gyah!?”

Letting out a sound like a squashed frog, the knight bounced off the hood. Blood and brain matter splattered against the windshield as his broken body tumbled away behind us. The golem car continued its momentum, plowing through the soldiers blocking the path.

“Oh, I should clean that.”

Alice pressed a button on the dashboard, and the wipers began to oscillate, clearing the filth. The blood was mostly just smeared thin, but it wasn’t enough to obscure my vision. I’d just have to tolerate it as a bit of chic decoration.

“Don’t let them escape! Kill them at all costs!”

“Contact the other units!”

“Mages, aim for the wheels!”

A barrage of gunfire and magical projectiles struck the body of the car, but every single one was deflected by the heavy armor. The vehicle’s speed didn’t falter for an instant. With overwhelming power, we broke through the blockade and sped onto the main street. Once the soldiers surrounding the mansion were out of sight, I pounded the steering wheel and let out a cheer.

“Hah-ha! This is a world-class monster machine!”

Is there anything better than this? Blowing them up with bombs is one thing, but this has its own special charm. Above all, it’s exhilarating. My racing heart pounded with intense excitement.

“I almost forgot. I have to activate this too.”

Alice touched another button. Suddenly, high-volume music began to blare inside the cabin. It was a melody reminiscent of a certain “Ride of the Valkyries,” but with a rock arrangement turned up to eleven. Naturally, it was far removed from the typical image of a fantasy world. I tapped my fingers on the wheel to the rhythm. The vibe of the song was making my driving even more aggressive.

“What is this? Does it have a music player built in?”

“It’s a special magic that uses melody as a formula. The fifth ‘me’ was a musician and apparently liked this kind of style. I don’t care for it much myself, but it is effective. This song improves dynamic visual acuity and promotes a sense of elation. The records say it’s ideal for raising the morale of allies.”

Alice answered with a straight face. So music can carry magical effects too? I’m starting to feel like anything goes in this world. Well, I liked the song, and driving to hard rock felt great. Might as well enjoy it. We’d already chosen the flashiest escape route possible; a little loud music wasn’t going to change the math now.

The golem car reached the city streets. we blasted past panicked civilians. Roadside stalls collapsed one after another as the car clipped them.

‘(If I keep going straight, it should lead out of the city…’

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I saw several vehicles stopped ahead. The street was blocked by a traffic jam. Soldiers were gathered there, leveling their guns at us. It seemed they had predicted our escape route and set an ambush.

“Not bad, but—!”

As a volley of fire commenced, I drifted the car, sliding into a narrow alleyway. We sped through the intricate backstreets, the sides of the car scraping against the stone walls. One wrong turn into a dead end could mean a fatal crash. I chose the route with careful, split-second precision.

“Pursuers are coming,” Alice warned, looking back.

Checking the side mirror, I saw several soldiers on motorcycles. They were all leveling staves. They were planning to cast magic while driving—quite the dexterous bunch.

“Well, I won’t let them.”

I operated the door lever and rolled down the window. Then, I pulled a leather tube bomb from the bag at my feet. My self-made tear gas bomb.

“Alice, help me out.”

“Okay.”

I handed the bomb to Alice, and she efficiently lit it with a lighter. Confirming the fuse was short, I tossed it out the window. The bomb tumbled along the ground, spewing thick red smoke. The smoke billowed out, filling the alleyway.

“Gugh, what is this!?”

“My eyes! My eyes hurt!”

“Cough! Gah…!?”

The soldiers on the motorcycles crashed into walls or each other as they reacted to the gas. The ones behind them piled into the wreck. They wouldn’t be getting back up anytime soon. At the very least, no one would be following us through this alley.

I cleared the alley and headed toward another street. Unsure of the exact direction, I turned right.

“It’s the opposite way if you want to leave the city.”

“Oops, my bad. An uncharacteristic mistake.”

I wanted to turn around, but I didn’t have time for a slow three-point turn. It would be a hassle if the soldiers swarmed us in the meantime. I figured it would be safer to dive into another alley to correct the course.

Just as I thought that, the body of the car spun 180 degrees without warning. I braced against the sudden centrifugal force, keeping my hands on the wheel. The tires screamed, kicking up clouds of dust as if the brakes had been slammed. Having completed the turn in an instant, the golem car began driving toward the city exit as if nothing had happened.

“What did you just do?”

“I ordered the golems to rotate the upper half of the wheels. Turning around the long way is a hassle, isn’t it?”

“…Tell me before you do that next time. You actually surprised me.”

While I was reeling from Alice’s sheer competence and decisiveness, more soldiers appeared behind us. They were gaining fast on motorcycles, holding small firearms. Based on the way they were aiming, they were going for the golem car’s tires.

“Not on my watch.”

I grabbed a rifle with one hand and poked it out the window. Adjusting my aim with a flick of the wrist while watching the soldiers in the side mirror, I fired. The bullet punched through the lead soldier’s forehead, stopping the threat to our tires. I handed the empty rifle back to Alice.

“Reload.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Though her movements were a bit stiff, Alice finished reloading the rifle. It was a simple but vital bit of support. I wanted to focus entirely on driving right now, so having her handle the small things was a huge help.

“…This is unexpectedly fun,” Alice murmured peacefully, watching the scenery blur past at high speeds.

It was a subtle change, but she was definitely smiling. She looked as if she were just out on a casual drive. Seeing her like this, she seemed quiet but emotionally expressive. In any case, it was good that she was enjoying the situation. Since she was proactively helping, it made things easier for me too.

Ethically, there was nothing but problems here, but that wasn’t my concern. The extreme drive was far from over.