Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

※Corrected typos on 8/16.

※Added some revisions on 8/16.

This is Satou. Back in elementary and middle school, I loved science experiments. Among them, the experiment separating hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis really thrilled me. I feel that creating magical artifacts now gives me that same excitement.

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Less than half a day after passing through the remotest village of about 200 people, the highway disappeared, buried under weeds.

“Just as I heard. Are we really going to take this path?”

“Yeah, for now, let’s try cutting through it.”

“Leave it to me~” “We’ll do our best!”

As I said this and got off the wagon, Pochi and Tama chased after me, each carrying a sickle from the wagon’s tool compartment. Posing as if ready to shout “Shakiin!” they started hacking away at the weeds with a “shaka shaka shaka” sound.

Wait, shouldn't you guys be using magic here?

But they were so eager and having so much fun that I couldn’t bring myself to stop them. I decided to wait until they got bored.

“Master, requesting permission to join the operation. I propose switching to grass-cutting equipment.”

I’m not sure what about Pochi and Tama’s grass-cutting caught Nana’s interest, but she handed over a long-handled sickle taken from the Treasure Vault (Item Box).

“Master, the three seem motivated, but if we keep cutting with sickles, I don’t know how long it’ll take to reach the mountain foothills. We could hire the villagers we met earlier to clear the way or burn the weeds with oil.”

“Burning is out; a forest fire would be a disaster. If Pochi and the others get tired, we’ll cut through with magic.”

Speaking of which, when we came to Muno City, I heard Mia had made a path through the forest, so I asked her about it. She just said “impossible.” Probably only short distances are doable.

There seemed to be materials useful for medicine and cooking hidden among the weeds, so I had Arisa and Mia gather them. I asked Lulu and Liza to prepare lunch.

“What’s that?”

“Hmm? It’s a kiln.”

I saw a manga a long time ago where they baked pizza with a kiln, so I tried making one using earth magic and fire magic. Considering it was improvised, I think it turned out well. Though simple in construction, it’s even faster than making cup noodles, which is fantastic.

Glancing at Arisa sitting on the ground with a dry smile, I took out the pizza dough we had stored in the Treasure Vault (Item Box).

I spread the tomato sauce I had made during our stay in Puta Town over the dough. For toppings, I prepared two types of pizza: a standard one with cheese, bacon, and salami, and another loaded with sliced tomatoes, asparagus, eggplant, and bell peppers.

Since the dough was thin, it might not be enough for the hungry kids. I also planned to prepare side dishes like diced steak and fries.

“It’s stretching~!” “It’s hot!”

“Ha ha, so delicious~”

“Mm, tasty.”

The younger kids were unusually hyped and seemed to love the pizza. Pochi and Tama ended up covered in melted cheese, so I’ll have to make them wash their faces later.

Lulu and Nana liked it too, but not everyone did. After finishing her first slice, Liza immediately went for the unmarked diced steak. She really is consistent.

I was happy they were enjoying the food, but I stopped Arisa midway because she was eating too much. She gave me a resentful look, but after I explained the dangers of rebound weight gain, she seemed to understand. Her previous diet had been tough.

So, Arisa, please stop giving those looks to Pochi and the others while they’re eating pizza.

◇

Since Pochi and the others were satisfied, we decided to clear the path with magic after lunch.

First, I released the wind magic “wind blade (Air Blade)” just above the ground along the highway.

The wind blade, launched from the tip of my short staff, cut the weeds down, leaving about 10 centimeters above the ground. It sliced through slightly raised ground and bushes alongside the road as it advanced. It finally stopped upon hitting a small cliff about five meters high, roughly 200 meters ahead.