The ride back to Pakihana took twice as long. Driving so slowly above an open road was frustrating, to say the least. Had this been Earth, his foot would be on the ground, traveling as fast as he could.

With Feodora and Lily next to him, he couldn’t do that. He didn't want to endanger their lives. The simple dirt roads also didn’t help. One mistake and they would be in the ditch, stuck in the middle of nowhere.

“Are you still scared?” William teased the girl next to him. He had nothing better to do, after all. He needed concentration, but not so much that he couldn’t have some small talk.

“... I do not know,” she answered, gripping the seatbelt.

“The speed is no longer scary, and the headlights light up the world beyond… yet, I still feel some unease.”

“I get it,” Lily added. “For some reason, it’s quite unsettling to be traveling at this hour. In your previous world, did your people travel in the dark like this?”

William took a deep breath. Part of his magic training involved enhancing his senses. He heard the faint engine grumbling, the uneven dirt road shaking the truck, the insides of the truck rattling lightly. He didn’t notice anything that felt not right. It all felt like usual, nothing weird.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. Lily shook her head. “No, nothing. But the people here tend to rest at this hour.”

“Well… in my previous world, we had a lot of these lights, so lighting up the night isn’t hard. Heck, some people, me included, specifically went out during the night.”

The night saw little traffic compared to the day. William had a limit on how long he could drive. Past that limit, and the fatigue kicks in, turning him into a danger on the road. By driving at night, when others were asleep, he could drive faster and reach farther distances. He was used to that, but apparently, neither Feodora nor Lily was accustomed to such late work.

“Feodora, your world is in a state of war, right? Did you have any night battles?”

“We have, but our troops tend to be quite inefficient during that hour, same as the enemy, so they are quite rare. There are exceptions for people like me, who were tasked with infiltrating the enemy lines. In that case, yes, I do operate in the night.”

“I see… You can use magic to light up the dark here, but it’s a spell on the harder side. Finding an adventurer that could use it for a long period of time is a godsend, and they practically get all the good adventurers flocking around them.”

"Why not use normal fire?”

“... You want to be locked in hand-to-hand combat while carrying a torch?”

“... Yeah, you’re right. That’s a bad idea.”

William agreed, keeping his eye on the road. He heard a yawn from his left, but since the two girls were both on his left, he had no idea who let out that yawn. Based on the loudness, he would guess Lily. It must be a while after her bedtime, so he needed to get back to Pakihana faster, back to a safe spot where they could rest their eyes.

He pushed the gas lightly, trying to drive the truck as fast as safely possible. Feodora, who was sitting close to him, visibly shook.

“Are you alright?” he asked, as he was sure that he only pushed the gas lightly. There was no jolt or sudden acceleration, and the movement outside the window wasn’t changing that quick, nor did the engine get louder all of a sudden. She shouldn’t have noticed the increase.

“I am fine. I am sorry for making you worried.”

“It’s alright. How did you notice, though? Does it have anything to do with your enhanced senses?”

“No, I believe not. While I am able to sense the increase, it is not the thing that caused me to shake.”

“Then what is it?”

“Maybe I am just not used to moving on a vehicle just yet,” she murmured.

“Wait… how did you move around in your previous life? Didn’t you say you’re in a war?”

“On foot. Vehicles of any kind are reserved for higher-ups. If I ever found the need to go fast, then I would run. Maybe I am just not used to this yet.”

Lily visibly grimaced. William understood what she was thinking about all too well. He knew that, in the past, soldiers moved on foot as well. They didn’t have transportation like modern planes or trucks carrying them around, but something just didn’t sit right with him. Whether what she ate, how she acted, and how she moved, it was as if there was a jail cell that limited everything she did, turning her into nothing more than a mindless killing weapon.

It filled him with anger and disgust. She was as much of a human as he was, she shouldn’t be treated like a tool. He glanced past her face, toward the girl sitting next to her. Under the faint glow of the moonlight, she saw Lily’s darkened expression. She was thinking the same thing, he assumed.

He took a deep breath and slowed the truck down. He couldn’t let his emotions take over him. Not now. She was there in the truck with him. If something happened to him, it would affect her as well. He took a deep breath.

“Well, it’s pretty late, too,” he murmured.

“Yes, it is,” Lily added. Feodora looked in between the two of them. “What is?” she asked, but William didn’t answer.

He looked at the distance, finding an imposing structure appearing from the darkness.

“Oh, look, we’re close.”

William pointed to the lights in the distance. A series of lights surrounded a large wall, the walls that protected Pakihana.

“Should I increase our speed?”

“Please do not worry about me. I will count it as training.”

Hearing that, William pushed the gas lightly, driving straight toward the city.

* ••

“Halt… what?”

Surprised gasps filled the air as they arrived under the gate. The knights that were tasked with guarding the gates looked at the arriving vehicle with shock. Were they stopped because it was already dark, or was it because of the truck?

“Umm… excuse us, Ma’am,” one of the knights walked to Lily’s side. William pointed to the crank handle under the armrest on Lily’s side. She grabbed it and began spinning, lowering the windows.

“The driver is here,” he said from his side.

“Ah, excuse me." The knight moved to William’s side.

“What’s the point of me lowering the window, then?” Lily mumbled as she cranked the window back up. William shrugged and lowered the window on his side. It was true that the truck’s engine had gotten significantly quieter after it was transported into this world. For one, even with the windows opened, he could barely hear its low pitch rumble that it usually let out.

“Good night, Sir.”

“Good night. Is there an issue?”

“Can you show me your documents, please?”

“Ah, right…”

No one asked for his documents when he entered the city before, so he didn’t expect the knights to ask him now. To be fair, he did walk in on foot. Now, he had his truck with him. In their eyes, they probably thought of him as someone suspicious, especially since they had never seen this kind of vehicle before. William handed over his adventurers’ card. The knight inspected it.

“William Ari, is that correct?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Do you have the necessary documents for owning this vehicle?”

Wait, I need those here as well?

William leaned to the side.

“Sorry, can you move a bit?”

Feodora slid away. He reached out and opened the compartment in front of Lily.

“That can open?” Lily asked, quite surprised.

“What did you think it’s for?”

“I don’t know. Decoration?”

“It is, until you fill it up with things.” But there was nothing inside. He remembered storing some documents there back on Earth, but it seemed that none of those got transferred here. He then checked his bag again, but it too was empty. He searched for some kind of excuse. He didn’t even know that vehicles required documents. If he answered honestly, his precious railgun might be confiscated, but he didn’t want to risk a fight, especially not with Feodora next to him.

If his weapon was confiscated, the only one who knew how to operate it was him. Feodora may have received some pointers from the Goddess, and she would presumably be on his side. Lily would also probably side with him, as long as Feodora sided with him. He still had a decent chance of getting it back.

“Sorry, I don’t have any.”

“I see. May I ask some questions regarding your carriage?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Sure. Should I get off?”

“There is no need, Sir. I only have a few quick questions.”

“Alright.”

“First, is your vehicle carrying any cargo?”

Does the railgun in the back count?

“Cargo as in?” he asked to confirm.

“Goods, as in food or items for trade.”

“No. I only carry weapons for adventuring.”

Technically, the railgun does classify as something I used for adventuring.

“Is that so? Second, is your vehicle using any magic?”

“Yes, it used water magic as its fuel.”

Saying that would probably be easier compared to explaining how an engine works. I don’t even know if this is the same engine or not.

“Noted. That is all. Please register your vehicle with the sheriff tomorrow. You are to minimize your movements in this vehicle until you are registered.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Good night and have a safe journey.”

“Good night,” William pressed the gas and drove into the city.

“What was that about? I didn’t even know carriages needed to be registered.”

“Just some paperwork. They probably don’t want anything falling into the demons’ hands.”

“Makes sense.”

Unlike the village, the roads of Pakihana were much more well-lit, but at the same time, there were more people going around, forcing him to be careful. Far, far less when compared to Earth, but the roads were smaller as well. He raised his window.

The three arrived in front of the adventurers' guild. Their arrival attracted the same amount of attention as when they arrived back at the village, impressive when considering the time. Feodora applied another lightning shield on the truck before going inside. Out of the five receptionists, only one occupied the station behind the desk. He was reading some papers when they entered, letting out a yawn, his feet up on the desk. When he saw the three approaching he quickly pulled his feet down and stood up.

“Good evening,” the man greeted with a calm demeanor.

“Good evening, we completed this quest,” William handed over the quest paper to the receptionist. He took a close look.

“Yes, the quest has indeed been completed. Please wait as I gather your reward.”

He then sat back down and opened a drawer.

“One hundred forty thousand Karape, here you go,” the receptionist handed them four slips of paper, two greens and two light blues.

“So this is Karape,” William muttered, inspecting the four slips of paper, their value written on them.

The light blue one was the fifty thousand bill, while the green one was valued at twenty thousand.

“Yes. From what I heard, money here is created with a very specific kind of magic, making counterfeiting them almost impossible,” Feodora whispered.

“I can confirm. It is created with magic. How? I don’t know.”

“Here,” William handed over two slips, one fifty and one twenty to Feodora. He then handed over a fifty thousand bill to Lily, taking the last twenty.

“Will you only take one?”

“I’ll take more once I deserve it.”

“Are you sure?” Feodora asked, looking down at all the money in her hand.

“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll be borrowing them if I ever need it.”

“That’s no different.” Lily spat. “But… not like I deserve this as well.” she shrugged.

“... Alright, feel free to tell me when you need them.”

William smiled. They thanked the receptionist and went back out. A group of people surrounded their truck, looking at it from various angles. One of them accidentally touched it and hopped back from the shock. Once they saw the three approaching, they turned toward them and started launching various questions. William answered as vaguely as he could, trying to stop the onslaught of questions. Eventually, they managed to board the truck, before making their way out of the city.

* ••

He parked the truck next to the walls, not too far from where they entered. William had confirmed to the knights that they wanted to sleep there, stating that he didn’t have enough money to afford an inn. The knight, the same one that inspected him earlier, was kind enough to let them park there, helping watch over the truck as they slept.

He turned off the vehicle and lowered the windows, allowing fresh air into the vehicle. The cold air removed any need for air conditioning for the night. The truck did run with water and had self-repair functions, but he didn’t know to what extent or effects he would face if he kept it on the entire night. With Feodora’s and Lily’s approval, he turned the truck off.

“Are you sure you’re alright with sleeping next to me?” he asked.

“I have no problems with it.”

“You’re not asking me?”

“Lily, you have Feodora between us. Still, Feodora, Are you sure? What if I tried something weird?”

“... Is it not normal for superiors to do something like that?”

Her words made his stomach churn. If he could, he would take this truck to her previous world and obliterate whoever her superiors were. He would take over the military, become the new ruler, and punish whoever wronged her in her previous life. Alas, he came here with a mission to stop the demons. He doubted the Goddess would let him go universe-hopping, at least not until the issue here was solved.

“You need to say no when you dislike it, okay? Don’t follow someone’s orders because they’re your superiors.” Lily scolded her.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Besides, we’re your adventuring partner. We stood on equal grounds.”

“I appreciate that. Still, that does not change my initial assessment of you. I trust you will not do anything that will harm me.”

“Feel free to smack his head if he ever does something like that.”

“I will,” Feodora turned to Lily and answered with a smile. Her smile captivated William, but he quickly looked away. He just said he wouldn’t do anything weird, after all. He doubted his head could withstand multiple hits.

“Good night, Feodora, Lily.”

“Good night, everyone.”

* ••

“HMMPH!” William stretched his limbs. Beyond the front windshield of his truck was a clear morning sky, the sun shining in the distance. He turned toward the passenger seat. The window was a quarter opened, with Feodora and Lily nowhere to be found.

Where did those two go?

He searched the area around him, but there were no signs of her. He got off, heading toward the rear of the truck. Opening the rear cargo doors, he examined the metal box, not finding her in there. He closed the door shut and returned to the driver’s cab. Now that he thought of it, it would be troublesome if they needed to operate the railgun while driving. There was no door connecting the driver’s cab with the metal box, meaning that if they wanted to operate the gun, they needed to go around the outside.

“Goddess, can you hear me?”

“Heya.” Her sudden appearance in the passenger seat shocked him.

“Ah, when did you come?”

“Didn’t you just call me?” She winked.

“Umm, yeah, I did. Sorry.”

“So, what do you want?”

“Can you make it so that the metal box is connected to the passenger’s cabin?” William pointed toward the rear of the cab.

“... You call me just for that?”

“I don’t want to risk damaging the truck, so… umm… please?”

“Sigh, fine. You’re lucky I’m currently not doing anything.” She shrugged. She flicked her fingers, and a corridor appeared behind the cab, connecting the cargo box with the passenger’s cabin. Previously, the passenger seat was one large piece going from the passenger’s side to the center, with the handbrake dividing it from the driver’s seat. Now, there were three seats instead of two. Behind the center seat was a door.

“If you pull this lever here, you’ll lower the backrest.” The Goddess demonstrated. She pulled a little lever under the seat, and the backrest on the center seat fell forward, revealing an opening. She crawled above it and pushed a little lever on that door, the door swung open. It was held in place by a little hinge on the left side of the seat, opening away from the gunner’s position.

“Convenient, right?”

“It sure is.”

If they needed to fire their railgun quickly, one of them could just leap straight to the gunner’s seat.

“You better be grateful to me,” the Goddess said, closing the door.

“Thank you very much!” William clasped his hands together, bowing his head down.

“By the way, can I ask you about something else?”

“Hm?” the Goddess responded while pushing the backrest back up.

“Ah, before that, what should I call you?”

“My angels call me ‘my Lord’, but my name is Kami. Call me Goddess Kami, or my Lord is fine too. Whatever you're comfortable with.”

“I see. About my other question, my Lord. This is a bit uncomfortable but… do you know about Feodora’s past?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m a Goddess, after all.”

“... And you’re not going to do anything about it?”

The Goddess sighed.

“Humans are always evil, tainted by their sin. The thing is, I usually deal with demons. The people in Feodora’s previous world are humans. It’s like, as a hunter my job is to take out monsters, not police human interaction… Let me guess, you want to do something about it?”

William nodded in response.

“I’m not a strong person… but, it just made me uncomfortable thinking about what she went through.”

“Ooo… Well, for now focus on the demons. If you can help me handle them, then I’ll help you handle Feodora’s enemies.”

“Deal.”

The two shook hands. It was weird to think about, shaking hands with a literal Goddess, but he needed to do his best. He needed to please the Goddess. He needed her strength if he wanted to help Feodora.

“You have nothing else to talk about? I’m dying on watching a new series, so make it quick.”

“I don’t. Still, thanks a lot.”

“See you later then. I’ll look into that issue while I’m at it. You focus on killing demons.”

“I will.”

Goddess Kami disappeared into thin air, just like how she first appeared. William leaned back in the driver's seat, letting out a sigh.

Two figures appeared from behind the trees that surrounded the city. William squinted his eyes, directing his attention toward the people. Feodora saw him and began lightly jogging toward him, Lily followed after her.

Did my eyesight improve as well?

He didn’t have bad eyesight, not here nor in his past life, but he felt that the image he received was clearer.

Or is it because I believe my senses improve?

Some said that if a person believes in something, they might feel that thing came true. Did his senses improve because they actually improved, or was it because he believed they improved?

“Good morning,” she greeted after opening the door. She stepped up to the cabin, immediately noticing the changes in the truck.

“Goddess Kami came. I asked her to add that.”

“I see.”

“By the way, can I ask you something?”

Feodora redirected her attention toward him. She sat down on the brand new seat, the same old one but sliced into two, and let Lily climb on.

“Am I not supposed to go out on my own?” she cocked her head.

She’s cute

This was definitely not a sight someone like him deserved to see first thing in the morning, but he shook his head, both to tell her that it wasn’t the case and to shoo the thoughts out of his head.

“It’s fine…”

He looked down at the truck’s key on the dashboard, above the air conditioning.

“... How did it get there?”

“I wanted to get some morning training, so I locked the door from outside, then used wind magic to return the key.”

“If that’s the case, then you can go out whenever you want. Just make sure to lock the truck before you go.”

“No need to worry. I will make sure you are safe at all times. I did not go that far either.”

“You can go far if you want. Oh, you can even stop partnering with me if you want.”

“Man… You really went all out to capture her heart, didn’t you?” Lily quipped.

“I have no such intentions!” William retorted, but Feodora simply shook her head.

“There is no need to worry. I have no reason to leave you.”

“I’m glad you trust me that much. Should we head inside?”

“Sure.”

William turned on the truck and the three headed into town.