Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. Have you ever felt like you were being manipulated, dancing on someone else's palm?

Somehow, I feel like Sun Wukong from Journey to the West...

◇

"What’s wrong? Master, your back is all sooty~"

Breaking off my looping thoughts, Arisa stood there carrying a large load on her back.

"My stomach hurts~?"

"Does it hurt?"

I looked down as the hem of my robe was tugged, and there crouched Pochi and Tama, looking up at me with concern.

Liza was just quietly standing nearby, but somehow I could feel she was worried too.

"I'm okay. Maybe I just got tired from being busy the past few days."

I patted Pochi and Tama on the heads.

If even these little ones worry about me, that’s a failure as an adult. Just thinking that made the guilt and disgust that had weighed on my heart moments ago ebb away like a receding tide.

...I checked the logs just in case, but no new messages were recorded.

I’ll definitely consult Arisa tonight. I whispered to her, asking, "Could you spare some time after Lulu goes to bed tonight?"

She replied with a misunderstanding-filled, "Eh~ Isn’t that a bit soon to get all lovey-dovey?"

I'll just take that as an okay for now.

When I asked how the shopping went, Pochi and Tama happily started pulling clothes out of their bags, but I stopped them. I decided to look at them after we got back to the inn.

Only Liza apologized for overspending, but I told her not to worry since it was necessary.

At this rate, even just using Shiga Kingdom’s currency, we would last two to three years, so there's no need to worry for the time being.

On our way back to the inn, Arisa and the others told me about their shopping trip. Pochi and Tama seemed to have been shopping for the first time and were excitedly talking about how fun it was.

I suggested helping Liza carry half of the miscellaneous goods and Lulu’s clothes she was holding in both hands, but she gently declined.

◇

On the way home, I spotted a familiar figure from behind. Their footsteps seemed unsteady.

Martha and a young maid from the inn were carrying bundles of firewood.

"Martha, are you coming back from an errand?"

"Ah, Satou. Is your date already over?"

"Unfortunately, Zena had work starting this afternoon."

As we talked, I took a bundle of firewood from Martha and the maid. It might have been their job, but since we were headed the same way, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to carry about half.

Liza tried to help carry, but her hands were full, so I let her off.

Pochi and Tama also said, "We’ll carry it~," but I refused since leaving a little girl’s load to another little girl wouldn’t help.

The bundles weren’t very heavy but probably weighed two or three kilograms. It was too much for such young girls to carry two bundles on their own. Usually, they had deliveries made, but today they had to buy some firewood for cooking prep, which was short.

We entered the courtyard from the stable’s side service entrance and placed the bundles in the firewood storage area.

] "Transport skill acquired."

"Thanks, Satou! You really saved us~"

"Thank you, sir!"

"Don’t mention it."

Martha took her bundle and headed into the kitchen. The maid, whose name was Yuni, was going to take care of the horses entrusted to her by guests, so I asked if I could watch.

I had seen the horses yesterday but had never seen their care before, so I was interested. Definitely not avoiding anything.

Yuni stood on a stool, stretching her small body as best as she could to brush the horses. I offered to help, but she said the landlady would scold her if guests helped.

Pochi and Tama, who had hidden their loads under their own bundle of straw, returned and went to help Yuni. According to Liza, they had helped in the morning as well. Is it really okay for them to be helping?

Watching these three little girls working hard to care for the horses made me feel like a parent cheering at a sports day — strangely soothing.

Before I knew it, a fourth little girl had returned, but Arisa didn’t seem interested in helping.

"But my brand-new clothes will get dirty~," she said, showing off the town girl-like outfit under her cloak.