Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

July 2, 2018: Typo corrected.

I’m Satou. When you unravel the myths found on Earth, it’s not uncommon for gods who were worshiped from ancient times to later be demonized as evil entities or transformed into subordinate deities through the spread of new religions.

And I wonder, wouldn’t the same apply in other worlds where gods truly exist?

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“Picking someone up? Are you seriously trying to pick someone up? Wow, I’m so flattered! This growing up into my teenage years was totally worth it!”

“Shut up, you’re 116 years old—”

The cute girl, speaking in a junior tone and blushing with high energy, was pushed back carelessly by her companion, a handsome young man.

“—I don’t recognize you, but you don’t look like an inquisitor either. If you’re really trying to hit on her, I won’t stop you. But if you want to avoid turning pale after entering the bedroom, I advise against it.”

The handsome young man cut in between me and the girl, admonishing me with a cruel expression.

“That’s harsh, Rakero! I’m telling Juhi-chan about this!”

“Go ahead and do as you please. You’re the one who’ll get scolded by the master. Also, please refrain from calling our master, the ‘Witch of the Frost Forest,’ by any strange nickname.”

“Then you have to call me ‘Witch of the Icefield,’ not ‘you’!”

“You’re fine as ‘you.’”

“That’s awful~. I’m actually a great witch who controls the ‘Source of the Icefield,’ you know?”

According to the AR display, the junior-talking girl’s title and name were “Witch of the Icefield.”

If she was telling the truth, she must be a witch who controls at least one source.

I’m a bit curious about how she manages to control a source without a City Core.

“When does this skit end?”

“I don’t think it will.”

I answered Arisa’s exasperated voice like that. Then I called over one of the waitresses and ordered more food and drinks for them, before interrupting their skit.

Everyone except Arisa and Ms. Zena continued eating at their own pace.

“—Excuse me. Standing around chatting is nice, but would you like to join us?”

I raised the cup of liquor the waitress brought and invited the two to the empty seats.

“Hehe, I’m blushing.”

For some reason, the junior-talking girl—the witch—sat on my lap.

“Hmm…”

“Guilty!”

“That’s Tama’s spot~!”

Before I could protest, Mia, Arisa, and Tama all voiced their objections.

“Misunderstanding about picking someone up—”

Before the witch could confuse things further, I moved her to the adjacent seat and quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.

If I delayed, even Sera and Princess Sistina might join and make things uncontrollable.

“Is that so?”

The witch looked disappointed somehow.

“Yes. I wanted to hear more about what you were saying earlier—that ‘the demon god is the ancestor of modern magic.’”

“You’re interested? I can tell you all about it! But please, address the demon god with respect and add ‘-sama’!”

The witch got high-spirited again, happily pounding my back. Despite looking like a fragile young girl, her behavior somehow felt like an old man’s.

The handsome young man sitting beyond the witch muttered, “What a peculiar fellow,” before quietly sipping his drink.

“If I tell everything, one night won’t be enough. So, what do you want to hear first?”

“Could you tell me the basis for calling the demon god the ancestor of modern magic?”

“Hmm, there are many reasons, but the most famous one is about an ancient sage who discovered a stone tablet in ruins from the ancient Larakie dynasty in the Tokisork Kingdom long ago. It said the demon god taught modern magic to humans.”

“Hmph. Isn’t that denied by the Larkelia stele and the Golden Tower of Tro-Crow, which are relics from ancient civilizations after the Age of the Gods of Larakie?”

The handsome young man denied the witch’s explanation.

“How is it denied?”

“The Larkelia stele says that in the late dynasty period, the demon god controlled his subordinate ‘dog-headed demon king’ to massacre magicians worldwide, wiping out the old magical lineage. Then, he gave magic skills and spellbooks to his followers. The Tro-Crow records say he tried the same against priests but incurred the gods’ wrath and was sealed deep in the Demon World.”