Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

※2016/10/15 Typo corrections made.

This is Satou. Humans find it hard to keep going without goals or purposes. If the goal is too grand, it can break your spirit, so maybe it’s better to have both long-term and short-term goals.

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“Well, what a wonderful gift! The Barony of Muno must be quite prosperous.”

The Marquise Ashinen, sitting before me, looked pleased as she admired the “silk cloth,” “sapphire necklace,” and “coral handicraft” I had gifted her. Originally, I planned to give only the necklace, but Arisa suggested that increasing the number of gifts would make a better impression, so I added a bit more. The coral handicraft, especially, was rare inland and came in various designs. The secretary of Viscount Seemen advised me that it would be convenient for the Marquise to give them to her servants as presents.

I had already packaged the Golden Nude Statue intended for Marquis Ashinen and handed it to the steward. If I gave it directly to the Marquise, she might just sell it off to a visiting merchant.

The Marquise Ashinen is a plump woman in her late 30s. Though not present now, I learned she has four daughters and three sons. The children are aged between 10 and 18. Two daughters have married into noble families in the Royal Capital, and the eldest son works at the royal castle. The second son trades on the sugar route in the southern seas.

Thanks to the Marquise’s rapid-fire talk, I gathered plenty of information about the marquis family, the nobles, and wealthy people in the labyrinth city. Being a good listener didn’t tire me much since I was used to tea parties in the Duke’s Capital.

“Mother, are you calling?”

“Oh, you’re late. How is His Highness?”

“Madam! What do you want from me, a concubine?”

“Allow me to introduce His Highness. This is—”

Entering the room were the Marquis’s third son, a chubby fifteen-year-old boy, and a princess of a small country whom I had seen when we arrived in the labyrinth city. Unlike before, her hair was neatly curled into short drill twin tails. The silver hair accessory suited her brown hair well. Following her was a plain-faced maid who seemed to be her attendant. Perhaps she was the fiancé of the Marquis’s third son?

Upon hearing my noble rank from the Marquise’s introduction, the Marquis’s third son snorted disdainfully.

“Hmph, an honorary knight, huh? It’s ridiculous to bother greeting a fake noble trying to curry favor with my mother. Can I just go back to my room now?”

The Marquis I saw in the trade city was bad enough, but this third son was equally unpleasant. Even when looking down on a lower-ranking noble, one would usually use more subtle insults—but he was blunt.

“Lord Gelitz, isn’t that rude? In our country, even when dealing with lower-ranking nobles, we show a little more respect.”

The princess sounded strange but surprisingly reasonable.

The third son muttered under his breath to the princess, “How arrogant for a girl,” then left the room with the Marquise’s permission.

His mother apologized on his behalf. Overprotective, perhaps?

The Marquis’s third and fourth daughters then entered. The third daughter, Gona, was slightly overweight, while the fourth daughter, Sheena, was extremely thin, unlike her mother and sister. Their faces also seemed a bit different. The eldest daughter, though only 12 years old, was already promised to a trusted viscount’s family. The 10-year-old youngest daughter was sickly and had no marriage prospects yet.

“Excuse me.”

A maid entered, pushing a wagon carrying Castella and black tea I had brought as souvenirs.

“Oh, such rare sweets!”

“Soft.”

“Oh my, it melts delicately in your mouth... what an elegant taste.”

“These sweets are called Castella, said to have been eaten by the queen in a distant fairy country.”

I wasn’t lying—the High Elf had happily eaten them. Hmm, I should bring Castella when I go to visit later.

“As expected from the great Shiga Kingdom. The ‘hotcakes’ from the other day were delicious, but I’ve never tasted sweets this wonderful. I wish my country could soon be a place where such sweets are casually enjoyed.”