Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Warning for those who dislike puns!

Correction made on 2015/10/31.

This is Satou. Since becoming a working adult, I've often enjoyed convenience store sweets as the perfect sugar boost for my brain. Back when I was a student, influenced by seniors in the research lab, I mostly ate traditional Japanese sweets.

◇

"When you get to Grylian City, you absolutely have to try the Grylian Specialty Confection! It costs one Large Copper Coin each, so you can't just gobble them up easily. But if you're a merchant like me, you have to eat one at least once, or your business partners will laugh at you."

"What kind of sweets are they?"

"Well... it's got a white grainy base covered with a black and sweet grainy skin."

The sisters I met at a campsite just before Grylian City started talking about the city's famous confection. Their strange explanation was both misleading and somehow easy to imagine.

"You haven't eaten it either, have you? Merchants who came to the village bragged about it so much that this one pretends to have eaten it too."

"Hmph. Once I start getting paid at my service job, I'll be the first to eat one!"

"Getting paid? That's still years away."

Apparently, these sisters are from a nearby village and are going to serve in a merchant household in Grylian City. Until they become fully competent, their food, clothing, and lodging are guaranteed, but they won't receive a salary. Sounds like the Edo period, doesn't it?

Surprisingly, such servants might be cheaper labor than slaves.

"Master, the merchants are about to depart."

"Alright, let's get going too."

Liza came to call me while I was slacking off.

The merchants we camped with were about to leave. There were about three groups of traveling merchants, and last night, by providing ale and snacks, we heard many stories.

The most troubling tale was a ghost story about seeing a red light deep in the remote mountains and hearing hammering sounds all night. I was all too familiar with that.

Thanks to the night work behind that ghost story, we managed to refine tin and zinc and do various casting work. Although we tried to prevent noise from leaking through the earthen walls, it seems it wasn't enough.

By carriage, we'd arrive in Grylian City before noon, so I invited the sisters to ride with us.

"Yay!"

"Thank you! Is that really okay?"

"Of course, our destinations are the same."

These sisters had been foolishly traveling on foot toward Grylian City. It takes about two days on foot from their home village, but it's amazing they weren't attacked by wild beasts. Last night, they had slept in our tent, but if we hadn’t been there, their virtue might have been at risk.

We joined the caravan of traveling merchants in the carriage.

At a square outside Grylian City, we saw a suspicious group that looked like noble youths, so we decided not to go ahead and stuck with the other merchants.

◇

"Merchants visiting Grylian City! We seek Demonic Swords. Those who provide us with Demonic Swords will be guaranteed promotion as our official merchants in the future!"

A man in his twenties dressed like a knight called out to the merchants waiting to enter the city. Of course, no one responded. There were similar nobles in the Dwarf Village; this must be their kind.

Liza's Demonic Spear, which might attract trouble, was safely stored in her magical bag "Holding Bag." We had already secured it before entering the city in the Count's Domain near Muno City, where we had some trouble entering. Now she wore a normal sword at her waist.

"Hey, hey, if you provide that noble lord with a Demonic Sword, they'll make you an official merchant! That's amazing, right, big sister?"

"Really. But we don't have anything expensive like a Demonic Sword, so it doesn't matter."

"Don't get tricked in town like that, you two."

Arisa worriedly meddled with the carefree sisters.

"That's just a convenient tall tale from them saying, 'We don't have money, but we want Demonic Swords. Give them for free. If we make it big in the future, we'll favor you. If not, don't complain.'"