Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

※This time is a surprise interlude update.

“Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this!”

After the lessons at the knight academy ended and it was time to go home, the young noble girl China Kelten suddenly declared this and stood up.

Her close friends, the winged sisters Shiro and Crow, looked up at China.

“China, where is the evil?”

“Wait, Shiro. Lady China just wants to go out and play.”

Crow, with a face of exasperation, held back Shiro who had stood up with sharp eyes.

“I don’t want to go out and play! We’re going to the town—to find the great evil lurking in the town!”

Crow murmured to herself, “Like Lady Arisa.”

Clenching her fists as she declared this, Crow applauded with a light clap.

Most evils are swiftly defeated by their master’s master, Satou, so no great evil remains in the Royal Capital of the Shiga Kingdom.

What’s left are just minor villains and punks that Satou takes no interest in.

“Now then! Justice respects swift action!”

Saying some words she didn’t quite understand, China walked toward the classroom exit.

Pulling along Shiro and Crow, the three of them set off from the knight academy toward the town.

On the way out of the academy, as usual, they lost the servants of the Kelten family.

However, since the servants of a great noble family with military influence wouldn’t be so incompetent, secret guards disguised as passersby quietly watched over China and the others instead of the servants who pretended to lose track.

“Achoo!”

“—Hey! Don’t spit your dirty saliva on me!”

A man passing by someone who sneezed suddenly punched the person.

“China, is that evil?”

“Hmm... no.”

Though she looked slightly troubled at Crow’s question, China quickly crossed her hands in an X and continued walking down the street.

“Aren’t you going to stop the fight?”

“No need. The guards or nearby adults will do that. We’re looking for great evil.”

It’s hard to believe they would encounter great evil just by strolling through the lower town, but China declared it seriously and pressed on.

“There seem to be a lot of irritated people.”

“Crow, there are also many people with colds.”

Just after walking a short distance, they saw many people sneezing or hitting out at others in irritation over trivial things.

“China, what’s that?”

“A fortune teller!”

Shiro spotted a fortune teller and China charged over.

“Please tell my fortune!”

“Yes, milady. Is it a love fortune?”

“No! I have a bad feeling. Tell me if something is happening in the Royal Capital!”

“Ah, a bad feeling?”

The fortune teller was taken aback but, since strange customers were common in this lower town fortune shop, she said, “I shall perform a reading,” and began.

The fortune fee was properly paid by Crow from the wallet entrusted by China’s servants.

“There is a presence of evil in your future, milady.”

“Just as I thought!”

Pleased with the result she wanted, China cried out in joy.

Though it was surely nonsense, Crow didn’t point it out.

She was also enjoying wandering the town with China and the others on such a ridiculous quest.

“Where? Where is the evil?”

“That I could not see. If you proceed along the street carrying a guiding item, the clue will appear before you.”

“Guiding item?”

The fortune teller glanced meaningfully at a neighboring stall.

Drawn in, China looked at the stall.

It appeared to be a stall dealing in junk and antiques.

“Oh?”

China picked up a bell made of crystal.

It was obviously a foreign item with a mysterious aura.

“Well spotted. That is called the ‘Bell of Justice.’ It is said to ring ‘leen-leen’ when it senses a crisis in the world and inform its owner.”

The old stall owner, sensing a customer, spoke coaxingly.

“This bell doesn’t ring because it’s hollow inside, right?”

“...That is—spirits! The spirits inform you. So if the owner is not loved by the spirits, it might not ring even if a crisis is near.”

At Crow’s comment, the old stall owner hesitated and then offered a vague excuse.