Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, Vol. 7

by Hiro Ainana

  “All right, first I’ll try to make a knife-size Magic Sword.”

  I selected Magic Mold and Forge from the magic menu and began casting a bronze short sword.

  Of course, I’d already blanked out my name in the networking tab.

  Once the blade started to take shape, I used Liquid Control to carve a magic circuit into the short sword before it hardened.

  For this part, I used See Through to observe the inside of the sword as I worked.

  The circuit I was making this time was the same one I’d used to make a wooden Magic Sword before.

  Once I’d finished carving, I took the premade magic liquid out of Storage and used Liquid Control and Magic Hand to pour the liquid into the crevices.

  Maybe thanks to my experience using 120 Magic Hands at once, I was able to finish this work pretty easily.

  I kept using Liquid Control and Magic Hand to make sure the circuits didn’t warp before they cooled.

  In a way, this was the hardest part of the process.

  The density of the magic circuits caused an inevitable difference in temperature, so the magic I was using couldn’t completely maintain its shape.

  I gave up at first, but then I discovered I could prevent the warping by circulating a tiny amount of magic power in the circuit.

  I later discovered that doing things this way also made the bronze blade itself better at conducting magic.

  After about thirty minutes of cooling time, my first knife-size Magic Sword was complete.

  “It holds magic pretty well.”

  The flow was so smooth that it was comparable to my fairy sword.

  It wasn’t nearly as strong as that, of course, but its power was roughly on par with the mithril short swords that Tama and Pochi used, so I thought it was pretty good for a first attempt.

  Though it was fairly easy with the help of magic, it had taken a long time to get to this point.

  After I’d gotten Forge and Magic Mold in the dwarf village, I tried forging swords in secret quite a few times, but every attempt was a total failure.

  The heat from forging the sword always either destroyed or warped the essential magic circuits, rendering the blade useless.

  “Now I can finally move on to the next step.”

  Muttering to myself, I pulled up in Storage the materials for making Magic Swords and Holy Swords.

  Adding complicated functions would probably be pretty difficult, so I decided to start by trying for a Magic Sword that conducted magic well. Spears and polearms might be good, too.

  There were a lot of failures in the process, but by dawn, I’d made a respectable pile of Magic Swords.

  Unfortunately, since most of the more complex attempts failed, most of the completed pieces were simple magic-conducting types or swords with a protective aura around them.

  The yield rate was pretty bad, but I did manage to make a few Magic Swords with an electrification function thanks to Carving Magic.

  Since I didn’t have many lightning stones, I couldn’t make any strong enough to produce bolts of lightning like a Thunder Rod or anything, but they should be able to send a shock through an opponent’s sword or paralyze someone.

  I used a similar mechanism to make a Magic Sword that would produce a shock wave when touched. However, the only way to control the degree of shock was the physical strength of the user, so I made only the one.

  Just as I’d thought, using Carving Magic to add functions was limited compared to using magic circuits.

  It was a lot easier, however, so until I learned to make more-complicated magic circuits, I could at least use Carving Magic to test things out.

  As usual, I made a few weapons besides Magic Swords, including Magic Axes, Spears, and Polearms.

  Using ordinary wood limited the power because of the handle’s degree of magic conduction, so I had to either use special wood or divide the handle and carve magic circuits into it.

  As it happened, I had a lot of extra wood from branches of the Mountain-Tree, so I used one of those to make some handles.

  Now, as for the power of these weapons…

  They were much stronger than the high-quality swords on the market, and some could even perform better than the mithril-alloy swords of the dwarves.

  However, their only advantage over the fairy sword I’d made with Elder Dohal was their magic conduction, and they paled in comparison to the Magic Swords and Holy Swords in my spoils from the Valley of Dragons.

  Plating the surface of the blade with a few of the mithril ingots I had on hand noticeably improved its power, so I believed using bronze for the blades was what was holding them back from being stronger.

  If I could get some legendary-grade materials like orichalcum, I might even be able to outdo the weapons I got from the Valley of Dragons.

  Even mithril was difficult to purchase in raw form, so my best bet was probably to look for a vein of it on my travels.

  Then I could get more serious about my Magic Sword–making.

  I also tried crafting a few Holy Swords but stopped at three, since I didn’t want to waste so much of the valuable blue.

  One was a magic-circulating broadsword, while the other two were a similar concept modeled after Claidheamh Soluis.

  If you’re wondering why I made two, it was because I acquired the skills “Forgery” and “Counterfeit” after making the first one, so I activated those and made another.

  It turned out to be worth it. The second fake Claidheamh Soluis was visually indistinguishable from the real thing.

  In order to replicate the original’s texture, I used a steel-based alloy for the blade, which meant that it couldn’t hold magic power at all.

  However, the evaporating magic would give off a faint blue light, so it looked just like a real Holy Sword that was rejecting its user.

  I made this fake to give to the king’s body double.

  I didn’t want him to get in trouble with the nobles in the royal capital for giving me the Holy Sword, after all.

  So I left the fake Claidheamh Soluis and a letter explaining that it was a forgery on the body double’s pillow in the duke’s castle. The real king could decide how to use it.

  Though I was completely exhausted, as I used Return to go back to the mansion, I felt thoroughly satisfied that I’d finally succeeded in making Magic and Holy Swords.

  The next day, I went with my party and Miss Karina to visit the Tenion Temple in the noble district.

  “Sir Pendragon, what brings you to the temple?”

  For some reason, Karina’s younger brother, Orion, came too. Maybe he had a sister obsession or something.

  “My attendants here have never been baptized at a temple, so I thought I would make a contribution and ask one of the priests to baptize us.”

  “…Baptism? Really?”

  Orion looked more surprised than I expected.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “N-no… Not a problem at all. Not at all…”

  It certainly sounded like there was, indeed, a problem, but my real goal was to make sure my friends met the conditions of the Treasure of Resurrection just in case, so I didn’t intend to back down even if there was.

  When I explained my business to the young priest who greeted us at the door, he ushered us into a waiting room. It was probably for nobles, because the sofa was very plush, and the rest of the furniture was quite luxurious.

  “What a pleasure to have you visit us today, Mr. Satou.”

  “It’s good to see you again, Lady Sara.”

  Sara appeared in her shrine-maiden clothes.

  Behind her was a middle-aged priestess. According to the AR label, she was in charge of handling contributions.

  We exchanged greetings, and I explained why I’d come and handed her some contribution money.

  I’d already explained the situation to Sara in a letter, so we were able to undergo the ceremony easily enough.

  “This way, Mr. Satou.”

  Sara guided us
farther into the temple.

  The windows of the corridor bathed everything in a pale-blue light.

  “My, what a mysterious atmosphere.”

  “Mm. Pure.”

  Mia and Arisa seemed a little uneasy in the holiness.

  Tama and Pochi, on the other hand, looked ready to fall asleep in Liza’s arms.

  “Oh? So you’re Sir Satou, are you?”

  The head priestess of the Tenion Temple greeted me in a soft voice.

  Her complexion looked much better than when I last saw her as Nanashi.

  It seemed that baptisms took place here in the sanctuary.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I am Satou Pendragon, a hereditary knight and vassal of the Muno Barony.”

  I’d met her a few times before as Nanashi the Hero, but this was her first time meeting me as Satou, so I introduced myself politely.

  For some reason, though, she simply stared at me, unmoving.

  “…Mr. Nanashi?” she murmured under her breath.

  Huh? She knows?

  I used my “Poker Face” skill to hide my inner distress.

  “Erm, Priestess?” Sara prompted.

  “…Hmm? I’m sorry—my mind must have been wandering.”

  The priestess hurriedly pulled herself together.

  She must have muttered it without thinking. I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated the high-level priestess with her “Oracle” skill.

  “Mr. Nanashi is the hero who saved the old capital recently, correct?”

  “Yes, that’s right. He’s a very strong, humble, wonderful person.” The mature head priestess blushed a little, like a young maiden.

  “And apparently, the priestess is in love with him.”

  “Pardon? A woman never loses her penchant for the romantic, you know.” The priestess’s even response only made Sara giggle more. “…And who might you be in love with, Sara?”

  “Wh-why, I’m not…”

  Sara looked to me frantically, as if pleading for help.

  I would have been happy to assist her, but given the timing of the glance, it would just make everyone think she was in love with me.

  “Hee-hee. I suppose I shouldn’t tease you too much.”

  The smiling priestess turned her gaze from Sara to me.

  “Now then, Sir Satou. I’ve been feeling much better lately thanks to the delicious soup you sent along. So I would like to perform the ceremony for you as a show of my gratitude.”

  I was happy that she would be performing the baptism, of course, but even happier to know that her health was improving when she had previously seemed so frail.

  I would have to convince Mia to help me make the consommé soup at least one more time while we were in the old capital.

  After this conversation, I introduced my companions, and we began the baptism ritual.

  “I’m terribly sorry, but as I am a future lord, I cannot be baptized at any temple.”

  With that explanation, Orion moved away from the area where the ceremony was being conducted.

  Thinking back, I remembered that Arisa had told me that people who made contracts with City Cores, like kings and lords, couldn’t be baptized.

  But since this didn’t affect people like viceroys and constables, who were put in charge of cities and towns by their lords, people like Karina and me should be able to receive it just fine.

  Perhaps Orion had been surprised at the temple entrance because I was planning on getting baptized, too.

  “Now please kneel and clear your minds.”

  The head priestess looked at all of us and spoke in a gentle voice.

  “Now let us begin! … Baptism Senrei.”

  When the priestess invoked the spell, beads of blue light fell over us softly from the temple ceiling.

  The others’ AR displays changed to show Baptism: Tenion Faith in their hidden titles.

  For some reason, though, Arisa and I didn’t gain the title. My level was one thing, but at Arisa’s low level, there was no way she could have resisted the high-level priestess’s spell.

  The only common feature Arisa and I shared was that we both had Unique Skills.

  When I checked the information of the other Unique Skill holder I had marked, Hayato, I saw that he had a hidden title, but it wasn’t Baptism: Parion Faith. Instead, it was Blessing: Goddess Parion.

  I wasn’t sure what caused it, but for whatever reason, that meant Arisa and I couldn’t meet the Treasure of Resurrection requirements. I’d have to make Arisa’s survival my top priority from now on.

  Not that I intended to let anyone die at all, of course.

  “Priestess, I’m terribly sorry to trouble you with something else, but…”

  Now that I was able to meet the head priestess as Satou, I decided to ask her if there was any way to break the Geis on Arisa and Lulu.

  “That’s quite a predicament… Geis is a very dangerous gift, you know. It’s said that it was given to man by the god Urion to punish sinners.”

  The priestess explained this as if putting together a long-forgotten memory.

  There were three ways to remove it: have it canceled or overwritten by someone with the Geis gift, use a treasure passed down in the Urion Temple, or have a high-level priest erase it using Prayer Magic.

  The only known user of Geis was the dark sage who controlled various countries in the west.

  The royal mage who had placed the Geis on Arisa and Lulu was killed when the Kuvork Kingdom was invaded.

  Unfortunately, the head priestess didn’t know where in the world the Urion Temple was that held the secret treasure.

  The only priest on this continent who was publicly known to use Prayer Magic was Zarzaris in Parion Province. The head priestess herself had been able to use it long ago, but it required summoning the goddess herself into the user, a process that would take too high a toll on her aged and weakened body.

  “I’m sorry. If only I were a bit younger…”

  Maybe she would be able to do it if I gathered a bunch of rejuvenating potions in some labyrinths for her?

  As I was contemplating that, Sara stood up firmly.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Satou! I shall train until I can use Prayer Magic myself!”

  “Thank you, Lady Sara.”

  Sara grasped my hand in both of hers and looked at me intently.

  What a kind girl.

  “Oh my. Nothing can stop a maiden in love, eh?”

  “P-Priestess!”

  Sara’s cheeks turned bright red as she protested the additional teasing.

  The head priestess chuckled. “Why, the first time I used Prayer Magic, it was out of love for the previous hero. I’m sure Goddess Tenion is rooting for you, too.”

  I wasn’t sure how serious she was, but Sara nodded, red-faced at her encouragement.

  As we were leaving the sanctuary, my “Keen Hearing” skill caught the priestess murmuring to herself.

  “The demon lord, the giant monster fish… An uprising is surely coming, just as it did in the time of the ancestral king or the first emperor of the Saga Empire. I hope you’ll save the world, just as you saved the old capital from destruction, Mr. Nanashi…”

  Miss Priestess, please don’t raise such dangerous-sounding flags.

  The next day, I went downtown with my group to the old capital’s orphanage.

  We were helping Sara pay a sympathy call.

  “All right, kids, gather round! We’re gonna play shadow tag.”

  “Arisa, what’s shadow tag?”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Tama, too?”

  “I’ve never heard of it, either, sir.”

  “Quiet down—I’m going to explain it now! Shadow tag is…”

  Arisa, Tama, and Pochi played with the young children in the garden, with Liza watching over them.

  Nana and Lulu cared for the babies, while Mia helped them by playing a lullaby.

  “Mr. Knight, ah these bwicks
?”

  “That’s right. You stack them up, see?”

  “Wow! It’s a house!”

  “Wemme twy, too!”

  Sara and I were playing with the babies.

  Though it was officially a “sympathy call,” the real purpose for her visit was to help heal sick children and locals for free.

  Receiving Holy Magic treatment at the temples was too expensive for many of the residents of the downtown area, so the priests and priestesses often went out to them instead.

  As Sara and I were chatting about this and tending to the children, a fuss suddenly broke out outside.

  What happened? An emergency?

  “Hey, Satou. You helping out at the orphanage, too?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  Hayato the Hero and his follower Ringrande had arrived, and they were already surrounded by the staff. They were here for a sympathy call, too.

  A young female staff member was staring at Hayato with a fiery gaze that practically emanated cartoon hearts.

  “Satou! And Sara, too!”

  “Sister Rin…!”

  “…You’re scaring the children, you two.”

  Concerned that a sisterly quarrel was about to begin, I politely reminded the two young women of their surroundings.

  For some reason, the frightened children were all clinging to me.

  “Satou, the spirit of ‘Yes, Lolita! No touching!’ must always…”

  The hero started to lecture me with a disturbingly serious expression. Luckily, most of it was in Japanese, so no one else seemed to understand.

  “““Sir Hero, let us join you!”””

  A gaggle of nobles’ wives and merchants’ daughters gathered around, somehow already knowing that the hero was here.

  They had their attendants with them, too, so the orphanage was getting pretty packed.

  In the end, the hero decided that he was doing the orphanage more harm than good and went off with his fans following close behind.

  Guess it’s pretty tough to be the hero.

  The Japanese People of the Parallel World

  Satou here. Once, I was talking to my middle-school-age cousin, and she didn’t understand the phrase parallel worlds. I was so shocked that I ended up gazing at the spines of the SF masterpieces on my bookshelf and wallowing in nostalgia.