Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 11 Read online

  Copyright

  Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 11

  Hiro Ainana

  Translation by Jenny McKeon

  Cover art by shri

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  DEATH MARCH KARA HAJIMARU ISEKAI KYOSOKYOKU Vol. 11

  © Hiro Ainana, shri 2017

  First published in Japan in 2017 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.

  English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo, through Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., Tokyo.

  English translation © 2020 by Yen Press, LLC

  Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Ainana, Hiro, author. | Shri, illustrator. | McKeon, Jenny, translator.

  Title: Death march to the parallel world rhapsody / Hiro Ainana ; illustrations by shri ; translation by Jenny McKeon.

  Other titles: Desu machi kara hajimaru isekai kyosokyoku. English

  Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen ON, 2017–

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016050512 | ISBN 9780316504638 (v. 1 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316507974 (v. 2 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316556088 (v. 3 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316556095 (v. 4 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316556101 (v. 5 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316556125 (v. 6 : pbk.) | ISBN 9781975301552 (v. 7 : pbk.) | ISBN 9781975301576 (v. 8 : pbk.) | ISBN 9781975301590 (v. 9 : pbk.) | ISBN 9781975301613 (v. 10 : pbk.) | ISBN 9781975301637 (v. 11 : pbk.)

  Subjects: GSAFD: Fantasy fiction.

  Classification: LCC PL867.5.I56 D413 2017 | DDC 895.6/36d—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016050512

  ISBNs: 978-1-9753-0163-7 (paperback)

  978-1-9753-0164-4 (ebook)

  E3-20200415-JV-NF-ORI

  Ominous Footsteps

  Satou here. Long ago, there were no fireproof buildings, so fires frequently broke out in towns and cities. There’s a famous saying in Japan, “A single match can cause a fire,” but since there are no matches in this parallel world…

  “Those of you who are here for food, form three lines and wait your turn!”

  Arisa’s energetic shouting filled the air, the sunlight bouncing off the blond wig she wore to hide her ill-omened lilac hair.

  We were in the plaza near the west explorers’ guild in Labyrinth City Celivera, where the soup kitchen we’d set up had drawn a far bigger crowd than anticipated.

  My target audience had been the starving children who couldn’t find work, as well as the elderly, but young novice explorers who couldn’t earn enough to feed themselves had also shown up.

  “Line uuup?”

  Weaving her way through the crowd to herd them into lines was Tama, with her cat ears, tail, and short white hair.

  “No cutting, sirs! Newcomers to the back of the line, sirs!”

  Pochi, who sported dog ears, a tail, and a short brown bob, seemed to have caught someone trying to cut ahead.

  “Young larvae, if you wish to fill your bellies, the back of the line is here, I declare.”

  Like a cosplayer at a certain comic convention, the homunculus Nana was holding up a sign that read BACK OF THE LINE, her long blond ponytail swaying.

  She was wearing a breezy summer dress instead of her usual armor, so I was a bit concerned about all her exposed skin.

  “Master, the prep team is ready to distribute food at your command.”

  This was the ever-serious Liza from the orangescale tribe. Small bony plates of skin decorated her neck, wrists, and so on.

  Liza had been fighting remarkably well on the front lines of late, but wearing an apron over her civilian clothes like this gave her the added charm of a newlywed wife, which actually suited her quite well.

  She was the one who had taught Lulu and me the basics of cooking, for one thing.

  “My part of the cooking is finished, so I’ll help with the distribution, too.”

  The beautiful Lulu’s sparkling smile would’ve sent any idol running for the hills.

  When she turned around, her silky black hair fanned out like something from a shampoo commercial.

  Honestly, the people of this world have no taste whatsoever. How could such an incredible beauty be considered homely by anyone’s standards?

  “Ready.”

  Decked out in the white coverall apron, mask, and kerchief of a Japanese elementary school child on lunch duty, Mia the elf looked considerably fired up.

  Her pale blue-green hair was worn in two long pigtails as usual, with her slightly pointed elf ears peeking out below.

  To her left and right, the young girls we had employed as maids back at the mansion were on standby wearing similar outfits.

  Miss Miteruna, the head maid, was keeping an eye on the younger maids while maintaining the cooking fire for the soup.

  “Let’s get started, then.”

  Because I didn’t want to give a whole speech, I simply used my “Amplification” skill to announce to the entire plaza the beginning of the food handout.

  The crowd gave a cheer as they stood ready to receive their food.

  Today’s meal consisted of sweet dumplings served in a folded leaf and soup in bowls made from palm fruit halves.

  Both vessels had been sold cheaply as throwaway items in Labyrinth City.

  There weren’t any palm trees growing around here, so I was a little curious as to where they’d gotten their stock from.

  “Whoa, looks good…”

  “The soup smells great, too!”

  “What’re these black things?”

  “Ooh, dumplings!”

  The kids waiting in line chatted excitedly.

  Incidentally, the food we were giving out was relatively plain: The dumplings were made from beans and potatoes, while the soup’s ingredients were dried octopus bits and edible brown seaweed.

  I had wanted to prepare something a bit more lavish, but Arisa and Miss Miteruna stopped me.

  They said if the meal was any fancier, people who could provide for themselves would end up coming just to try it, which would inconvenience the folks who ran food carts for a living.

  For the same reason, we had scheduled the handouts for a time that wouldn’t overlap with morning shift hours.

  “You there! If you’ve already received your share, step to the side before you start eating, please!”

  Arisa shouted at some children who’d started eating their food the second they’d received it.

  “It’s yummy.”
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  “Yeah, the potatoes aren’t even bitter.”

  “And the beans don’t make my mouth tingle!”

  The kids gave rave reviews as they munched away.

  Beans and potatoes, the staple foods of the less fortunate in Labyrinth City, were actually the remains of monsters called “hopping potatoes” and “walking beans.” If they weren’t prepared properly before cooking, they had a gross, bitter taste, and their dark-red sinews even had a light paralyzing effect.

  We’d carefully removed the parts that caused the numbness, then chopped and mashed the beans and potatoes into round dumplings before frying them in beast fat.

  “Ow-ow, that’s hot!”

  “The soup is tasty, too.”

  “Mm-hmm! The blackish-green stuff’s hard to scoop up, but it’s yummy.”

  “The white stuff is nice and chewy, too.”

  The octopus and seaweed soup seemed to be a hit as well.

  I’d acquired the octopus meat in the labyrinth.

  Normally, I would’ve used the dried cubes of meat from the huge number of octopus monsters we had encountered on the sugar route, but I held back due to the risk of someone analyzing it and growing suspicious.

  At some point, I’d have to disguise myself as the mysterious merchant Akindoh and sell off some of the octopus monster and giant monster fish Tobkezerra meat to a Labyrinth City company so that I could use it without a problem.

  Incidentally, I’d acquired the brown seaweed on the sugar route, too, but this was a much less suspicious product.

  …Hmm?

  Sensing someone’s eyes on me, I looked around and saw Counselor Poputema—who I’d privately nicknamed the “green-clad noble” due to his penchant for wearing all green—standing on the other side of the plaza and watching the goings-on of the soup kitchen.

  For some reason, he wore a displeased frown instead of his usual mild-mannered smile.

  “Young master?”

  As I was debating whether to call out to the green-clad noble, the head maid, Miss Miteruna, quietly approached and whispered in my ear, pointing at an extravagant carriage that had stopped on the road across from the crowd—directly opposite where the green-clad noble was standing.

  The window of the carriage opened, and the plump face of the viceroy’s wife peered out and smiled at us.

  She had given us permission, and even financial support, to run this soup kitchen. I smiled back at her, giving her a noble-style bow of gratitude.

  Though I was now on friendly terms with the woman at the top of Labyrinth City’s noble pecking order, I’d nearly run afoul of her before.

  This outcome could be attributed to a young nobleman named Sokell, who’d decided I was his worst enemy. But he’d already met his downfall when he was exposed for producing and distributing an illegal drug called “demonic potion.”

  I was actually the one who had discovered and reported that information, but that’s neither here nor there.

  Now that all that drama had been dealt with, I’d received permission to start the soup kitchen and build a private orphanage, so I was well on my way to solving the problem of the hungry orphans in Labyrinth City so that I could finally enjoy some sightseeing.

  My group’s level grinding was progressing nicely as well. Soon I might even have time to devote to my hobbies of invention and development.

  By the time I finished thinking back on our experiences in Labyrinth City thus far and looked up again, the carriage transporting the viceroy’s wife was already gone.

  She must have stopped by just to check on things while on her way to some other business.

  “…He’s gone?”

  Turning away from the road, I found that the green-clad noble was gone, too.

  Looking at the dot on my map, I found that he was now heading toward the downtown area.

  Nobles normally used carriages to travel, but this one seemed to be fairly light on his feet, as he was strolling around quite a bit.

  Oh well.

  I was a little curious about his inscrutable actions, but since I now had the nobles, the army, and the explorers’ guild of Labyrinth City on my side, there was probably nothing to worry about.

  “’Mfull.”

  “That was tasty.”

  “Ahhh, so haaappy…”

  The children sighed contentedly as they finished their food.

  I didn’t think the helpings had been enough to satisfy a growing young child, but many of them didn’t seem to get enough food normally, so maybe it took less to fill their stomachs.

  That said, some of them had turned their soup bowls upside down to get the last drops. There were even some licking the empty leaf wrappings for dumpling crumbs.

  “I still think that instead of just one meal a day, we should—”

  “You mustn’t, master.”

  I started to suggest three meals a day, but Arisa interrupted me with a scolding tone.

  “If you give them excessive aid, they won’t be able to support themselves.”

  Arisa insisted that while people would appreciate the free food at first, they might start to take it for granted, and eventually they would begin to expect even more.

  I didn’t think it was that big a deal, but once the orphanage opened, there would be fewer starving children on the streets, and as for the elderly and the broke newbie explorers… Well, I’d just have to come up with some other way to help them.

  It wasn’t like me to meddle too much in the affairs of others anyway.

  “Please dispose of your trash in the trash cans, I insist.”

  Nana scolded the kids who had started to throw their bowls or leaves on the ground.

  A few of them ignored her, but when Liza shot them a threatening glare, they were quick to pick up their trash.

  In my old world, it went without saying that you threw trash away only in a trash receptacle, but apparently, that wasn’t so common here.

  “Oh, looks like most of them are done eating now.”

  With an old-fashioned “upsy-daisy,” Arisa clambered to stand on the empty box she’d been sitting on and shouted at the kids using an amplification magic tool.

  “Those of you who are done eating, there’s volunteer work to be done if you have the time! Those who participate will be rewarded with a little treat!”

  It had been her idea to have the kids help out and get some practice working, instead of just giving them food.

  “Volunteer?”

  “What’s that?”

  “A job?”

  The children gathered around curiously.

  “It’s not a job. It’s voluntary, sort of a goodwill… Ah, I guess you don’t really have those terms here.” Arisa furrowed her brow. “Let’s see… Basically, I’m asking you to help clean up the plaza and the roads and stuff as thanks for the food.”

  The children looked confused, but many of them seemed willing to participate anyway.

  Some of the elderly had kept their distance. About half of them stayed to help.

  Most of the young explorer types wandered off to the area near the labyrinth entrance.

  “Looks like they’re only interested in cash.”

  “That’s fine.”

  We didn’t really need many people anyway.

  Looking at the children who’d gathered around to volunteer, I stretched out contentedly.

  Yep, nothing beat peace and tranquility.

  “…Mew?”

  Sitting nearby, Tama suddenly flattened her ears and started looking around, quivering.

  Next to her, Pochi opened her eyes and started sniffing the air quizzically.

  Intrigued, I looked at my radar and found that a huge crowd of people was flocking away from the downtown area.

  “So noisyyyy?”

  “I smell something burning, sir.”

  Tama and Pochi ran over to one side of the plaza, where a fence overlooked a somewhat-steep slope.

  Beyond the slope, in the middle of the slightly lower down
town area, I could see black smoke rising.

  “Uh-oh, is that a fire?”

  “Mia, can you put it out with magic?”

  “Mrrr, too far.”

  It was some six hundred feet away from us, so her magic probably wouldn’t reach.

  “I’ll head over and check it out.”

  “Allow me to accompany you, master.”

  Liza hiked up her long skirt, revealing her bare feet, ready to run.

  The kids looked eager to help, too.

  They weren’t wearing their normal armor, but between Arisa’s Enchant: Resist Fire and my Enchant: Physical Protection, we would probably be fine.

  Just to be safe, I gave everyone damp cloths with which to cover their mouths.

  “All right, let’s go!”

  Leaving Miss Miteruna to take care of things in the plaza, we set off at a run.

  In such a short span of time, the black smoke from downtown had already spread across a wide area.

  It seemed to be moving far too quickly for a natural fire—there might be arson involved here.

  “We’re taking a shortcut!”

  Scooping up Mia and Arisa in my arms, I dashed directly down the steep slope instead of taking the long way down.

  “Tallyhooo…”

  “Lallyhooo, sir!”

  “Easy, you two. You’ll bite your tongues if you try to talk.”

  Since the vanguard team was accustomed to an acrobatic fighting style, they could talk through this sliding descent easily enough, but Arisa and Mia didn’t seem nearly as calm.

  Lulu, who was hopping down with light steps alongside Nana, kept giving little shrieks of “eek!” in a tone that suggested she was almost enjoying herself.

  Her self-defense training in the elf village and the physical enhancements of leveling up probably had something to do with that.

  “Master, the black cloud is moving, I report.”

  “Master! The fires are being caused by burning slimes.”

  Investigating Nana’s report, Arisa discovered the cause using a chant-less Space Magic spell, Clairvoyance.

  According to my map information, thirty or so oil slimes were rampaging through the city, their levels all in the single digits.

  And their numbers were gradually decreasing.

  I was going to use my Practical Magic spell Remote Arrow to wipe them out, but that didn’t appear to be necessary.