Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. Cleaning up afterwards is unexpectedly troublesome. Simply tidying up is easy, but when you try to embody the spirit of “leave no trace behind,” you end up paying a lot more attention than you’d expect.

◇

“Phew, looking at it like this, it’s huge…”

I muttered while looking up at the corpse of the Land King half-submerged in the Sand Sea.

The Land King had once set foot in the Royal Capital, but during his battle with me, he was pushed back onto the Sand Sea.

“Master, I have retrieved the demon core.”

“Good work.”

Liza came back carrying a demon core larger than herself.

The crimson demon core looked like a high-grade one, and it seemed worth a fortune just on its own. Its size rivaled that of the great monster fish Tovkezera.

“Master, I report the retrieval of the head’s crystal.”

Nana reported while carrying an amber-colored gem.

We hadn’t planned to recover that, but since we rescued Haifa through special means, we had to retrieve it to keep that a secret.

“Thanks—I'll store it right away.”

Using the arcane magic called “Magic Hand,” a psychokinesis principle power, I extended it to the huge gem and stored it in the storage.

“Alright, both of you, let’s make a triumphant return to the Royal Capital.”

Tama and Pochi had already returned to the Royal Capital after the battle, so only the three of us remained here.

Leading Liza and Nana, who gave affirmative responses, I walked across the sand back toward the harbor.

The Land King's crushed feet and the wounds on his belly had reduced the harbor facilities to a pile of rubble.

It would take a considerable amount of time and money to rebuild.

“‘The hero’s return!’”

From the harbor came the soldiers’ loud cheers.

“‘Pendragon! Pendragon! Pendragon!’”

Someone must have been spreading my name, because unlike the beginning, the number of people mispronouncing it had drastically dropped.

That was good, but not only did they call my name, they kept coming up to shake my hand or hug me while offering their congratulations.

I’d appreciate that from a beautiful young lady, but being hugged by burly men? Please spare me.

I waved at those calling my name and headed toward the Royal Castle when a horse-drawn carriage slid up in front of me.

“Sorry for the carriage, but get in! I’ll take you to the square in front of the castle!”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

This would help me avoid the handshakes and hugs from the macho men.

I thanked the soldier and boarded the carriage with Liza and Nana.

Because the Land King’s demon core was huge, the carriage creaked loudly when loading it.

From about halfway to the Royal Castle, crowds lined the roads. People who had evacuated from shelters overflowed onto the streets, shouting praises filled with joy for the “God Heralon” and chanting the family name “Pendragon.”

Since it was a special occasion, I responded by raising the golden sword to the sky, making it glow with a golden light as a performance.

“Heralon! Pendragon! Heralon!”

Perhaps because the golden sword looked so impressive, the people’s reactions were vivid.

With so many voices praising me, clearing the “Trial of the Gods” seemed almost certain.

However, not all the words from the people were positive.

Here and there, I heard voices criticizing the “Clan of the Sword” or saying things like, “As long as we have Pendragon, the true master of Heralsauf, that’s enough,” or “The ‘Clan of the Sword’ and ‘Clan of the Staff’ are no longer necessary.”

Among the crowd, some men who looked like members of the “Clan of the Sword” stared at me with confused or hateful expressions as I held the golden sword.

I didn’t intend to sow seeds of discord in this country, so I decided to deny those comments at the right moment.

I continued the performance of making the sword glow golden until we reached the square in front of the Royal Castle.

◇

“Sir Pendragon! You have done well to defeat the Land King!”

Upon arrival at the Royal Castle, King of Sania himself welcomed me at the gate, accompanied by his ministers.