Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. When programming in an integrated development environment, I sometimes find myself nostalgically gazing at the mnemonic binary conversion table, recalling my student days when I was cutting down on speed and storage.

That said, I don’t wish to go back to those days. After all, technology has to progress.

◇

A hooked nose, furrowed brow, well-groomed mustache, and slicked-back dark blonde hair. His eyes radiate a strong willpower that commands respect.

Is he really Tolma’s brother?

Standing side by side, he looks more like Tolma’s father—somewhat aged, and it’s hard to believe he’s only 34.

“Thank you for saving Tolma,” he said.

It was strange—I felt scolded by a superior despite being thanked.

That was because he was Tolma’s older brother, Viscount Horsalis Seemen.

“Sorry, Satou-dono, my brother can only talk like this,” Tolma said.

“That’s rude. Tolma, what’s wrong with how I speak?” Horsalis retorted.

His words were normal, but Horsalis’s tone was like a strict teacher reprimanding a poor student. Nearby, Arisa looked like she was about to drool, emanating a strangely glossy aura.

The biggest concern—the workshop tour—was approved without issue.

Regarding the promised magic scroll in exchange for Tolma’s dagger, while it wasn’t top priority, they agreed to allocate one line on the production queue for it.

“So, you had a spat with His Highness Sharolik, Lord Pendragon. Be very careful. The prince has a tendency to resolve conflicts with violence rather easily,” Horsalis warned.

Apparently, the prince was considered a troublemaker even in the Royal Capital. About ten years ago, he nearly sparked a rebellion in a Count’s Domain after making advances on the daughter of a local lord he was supposed to marry. Lady Ringlande canceled her engagement to the prince because of this incident.

Normally, the prince would be confined in a remote abbey or summer residence under the guise of medical treatment, but thanks to his exceptional swordsmanship, he was allowed to serve as a Holy Knight. Though rumors persisted, he avoided scandals on the scale of his days as a local lord.

It’s amazing anyone would entrust him with the Holy Sword.

◇

“So, the ink uses dew from the lily of the valley—”

“True, that ink allows precise manipulation on the enchantment pedestal, but do you have any idea how expensive that is?”

“Even the Dragon Scale Powder or Drill Powder that Jang-san mentioned isn’t cost-effective!”

Voices came from beyond the door leading to the hallway.

These must be the scroll craftsmen Horsalis had summoned.

“Welcome back, sir.”

“Viscount Horsalis, welcome back!”

A middle-aged, corpulent man who seemed to scoff at the word ‘metabolic’ and a small girl with ash blonde short hair, freckles, and glasses entered the room. The girl was a gnome woman with an ordinary face—not pretty but not ugly either.

“That’s Factory Manager Jang. He may look like that, but he’s the top scroll technician in the Shiga Kingdom. The girl is Natalina. She’s the most creative in the workshop. They’ll surely meet Lord Pendragon’s expectations.”

Creative? So that means they probably make weird scrolls or use up the budget under the guise of innovation. Definitely the kind of people I’d get along with.

After introductions, Horsalis left with Tolma. Since he only intended to greet them before leaving, there was no problem.

◇

I showed Jang the desired scroll list to confirm which could be made, but as expected, higher-level magic was impossible.

Also, magic used for crime or espionage, like “disguise information (fake patch)” and “unlock,” was refused.

So combat magic is okay, but criminal uses are not?

However, “clairvoyance (through eye)” and “mana string,” which can be applied to unlocking depending on use, were allowed.

I learned that to create a scroll, the finisher must have the magic skill, so spells involving “gravity,” “shadow,” “mind,” or “undead” magic couldn’t be made.