Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku

◇

Here, here, the little girl inside the painting is beckoning.

As if led by that gesture, my hand approaches.

The painting where she is in has a lone door drawn on a field, it’s a mysterious oil painting. The girl opens that door and enters, then she beckons from beyond that door.

I stretch my hand toward the frame of that painting--

◇

"Morning~?""Nano desu!"

Something made a little impact on my stomach along with cheerful voices.

When I slightly open my eyes, there are Pochi and Tama who have dived beside my stomach. The impact on my stomach seem to be from their arms that have ridden on it.

What a strange dream.

Last night, since I’ve got myself a book that can help decipher the explanation on magic tools, I’ve sorted the magic tools until dawn, I wonder that’s the reason I see that dream?

"Good Morning."

I greet the two and pat their heads while messing with it a bit. Maybe it’s a bit too rough, the two hold my palms with both their hands and feet, and escape. I pretend to feel painful since they’re play-biting.

"Mwuu."

Mia who’s lying down rustles my head. Does she want to be cared, or is this a revenge for waking her up, it’s a vague line.

Even though we’re this noisy, Arisa is still sleeping beside me with anguished face. I wonder what kind of dream she’s having.

Nana has come to tell us that the breakfast is ready, I wake Arisa up and go toward the dining room. It seems she’s still sleepy, Arisa acts spoiled and says, "Carry me", so I take her on my shoulder to the dining room. Since Pochi and Tama are looking so enviously, I decide to carry the two on my shoulders after this.

◇

"Chevalier-sama, about the schedules for visiting the workshops--"

Yesterday, on the way to the duke’s castle, I hear from Shelna-san that visiting workshops aren’t something that can be done immediately, I have to make prior appointments beforehand. Therefore, Shelna-san has got the reservations for us.

Excluding the visit to the scroll workshop of viscount Shimen, Toruma’s parent house, that’ll be in 10 days, we can visit other workshops in 2-5 days time. The visit to the scroll workshop is so late because we have to wait for viscount Shimen to return from the royal capital first.

"Well then, is it alright for Chevalier-sama and Karina-sama to attend the dinner tonight?"

"Of course, it’s alright desuwa."

Lady Karina answered Shelna-san’s question faster than me.

The dinner she’s talking about is about the invitation from the previous earl Walgock couple. Moreover, I’ve also been invited to a party organized by the duke three days later. I feel like some kind of disturbances will happen, am I just being paranoid I wonder?

I’m fine with Nana as my partner for the dinner, but since she’s less accustomed on the etiquette than lady Karina--there are also some pushes from lady Karina’s maids--it’s become lady Karina instead. I’m more comfortable with taking Lulu, but since Lulu doesn’t look like she has resistance for those kind of things, I abandon the thought.

"Are you really not going to participate in the martial art tournament? If a noble appear in the second qualifier of the tournament, his social status will get considerably high..."

"I have no such intention."

"I understand. The arena for the tournament is in the town, and we’ve reserved a private room for noble visitor that Chevalier-sama can use anytime during the second qualifier. However, unfortunately, we aren’t able to secure the private room for the main match, so we’ve reserved the seats in the shared room for nobles."

It seems it’s fine to be be noisy in the private room, but it’s NG to have the slaves and demi-humans make noise in the shared room. It’d be impossible for Pochi and Tama to not make noise when they see the tournament, so I’ll go watch the main match alone in secret. Looks like the second qualifier will be held in five days.

◇

By borrowing two four-seater carriages, I go to the downtown together with everyone. Of course, I leave lady Karina behind.

We get off in the parking lot before the great wall, and walk from there.

"So many."

"That’s right, due to the opening of the big tournament, this has become the melting pot of races."

"Melting pot~?"

"Is it delicious?"

"Ufufu, Pochi-chan is a glutton-san."

There are also a lot of people in the main street of the noble district, but it’s jam packed in the downtown. There’s a strange heat like you normally see in the Southeast Asia marketplace. Seemingly stirred by that, everyone is in high spirit more than usual.

First, let’s buy thin clothes in the second-hand clothes store. Everyone beside Lulu and me is wearing an overcoat, it looks to be hot just seeing them. Liza reaches for a full metal armor. I tell her that lighter equipment is better, but since she insists, "It’s the full dress of a guard", so I buy it as it is.

"Nice smell nano desu."

"Mumumu, this is! It’s the smell of burnt soy sauce. This is, squid teriyaki, private Pochi, private Tama. Let’s secure the urgent suspects at once~."

"Secure~."

"Aye, nano desu."

It does smell nice. Arisa leads Tama and Pochi running to the stall. Mia is tempted to run with the three, but she probably wouldn’t be able to eat it. Liza and Lulu follow the children behind them while walking.

"Master, it’s a state of emergency."

Nana murmurs so while taking my arm and leads me to the different direction than everyone’s. I tell Lulu who has noticed us, "I’ll come back soon". I have the map so I could join them back immediately.

There are ratmen children at the place where Nana pressingly pulls me. No wait, it seems to be different, their skins are glossy and their necks inverts when they’re walking. According to the AR indication, they’re Sea Lion kin.

"I cannot calculate the movement of that young organism. Even though it’s not efficient, I cannot take my eyes off them."

It seems Nana has wanted to see these children. Certainly, one could say that their way of walking is cute. After she’s admired them for some time, I’ll take her back to everyone. My arm is happy, but it’ll be bad if we leave everyone too long and make them worry.

The moment of happiness suddenly ends.

◇

The instant Nana sees a big tigerkin man kicks the sea lionkin child, her atmosphere changed. Nana releases my arm, and jumps over the crowd of people and cut between the children and the big man.

It seems she’s used body strengthening nature magic, but her activation time has become quite a bit faster. Wonder if it’s because of her training with Liza and the others every day.

"What? A human huh? Get away woman."

"I refuse. I inform that excessive violence against young organism is dangerous, and is prohibited."

The big tigerkin man flaunts his arm--

"You bastard, when did you appear?"

I catch and stop his arm before he could swing it.

The big man scowls with sharp glint on his eyes at me who’s caught his arm from behind.

From what I saw, the sea lionkin child who didn’t see where he was going hit the big tigerkin man, and the cause of this quarrel was because the man’s trousers got stained.

Although, the man’s trousers are already dirty enough you can’t even tell if it has been stained further.

"You must not use violence."

"Is that so."

The big man kicks me while answering. I jump to avoid it and land before the man. Of course, I’m still holding his arm.

Making use of abduction skill, I pin the big man down.

Right at that time, someone’s great sword is swinging toward me.

"Master, it’s a reinforcement."

Due to space grasp and crisis perception skills, I’ve noticed it even if I don’t hear Nana’s warning, so I ward off the great sword with the fairy sword on my waist while still pining the big man down.

"Hou? You’ve eluded the sword of this great me while pining Geri huh."

A pure white tigerkin man appears from the darkness of the alley. However, swinging sword in the downtown like this, he’s not sane huh. I’ve done it myself, but this is an act of self-defense, so please overlook it.

The spectators around us are clamoring. It seems this guy is a participant of the second qualifier.

"You’d be wasting your turn in the second qualifier if you cause bloodshed in the town you know?"

"Fuhn, you’re showing composure after receiving surprise attack in the downtown. You’re also a participant of the second qualifier huh. Come to the final, we’ll settle it there."

I feel like it’d be complicated if I answer, "I’m not" here. I’ll reply it vaguely to lead him.

"I’m looking forward to it. Please do your best to win through it."

"Fuhn, your show is only for now."

I release the man that I’ve pinned down and step back once. I want them to leave while they’re still misunderstanding. I don’t want to attract more attention in this kind of place.

I show my composure while the white man takes the big man until they’re gone.

The spectators seem to be dissatisfied for the non-fight, but I don’t care.

"Master, master! The young organism is vomiting out fluid from his mouth. I appeal for the emergency treatment."

Since Nana appeals monotonously behind, I take out a magic potion from my pocket and make the sea lionkin child drinks it. He seems to have recovered immediately, I’m relieved. Shouts of joy break out from the spectators somehow.

The sea lionkin is really popular huh. Nana must be attracted.

That popular person keeps licking the bottle even after it’s been emptied. It’s probably because I’ve put sweet flavor in the magic potion.

Nana holds the sea lion children up on her hands.

"Master, requesting to make these children become ours."

"No."

"Master, please reconsider."

"Rejected."

It’s unusual for Nana to get depressed, but I can’t compromise here.

When the sounds of some kind of bell is resounding, the children becomes flustered on Nana’s arms, I instruct Nana to release them. She hesitates for a bit, but then she resigns herself and release them.

Somehow the children are going toward where Arisa and the others are, so we follow them along. It is not because Nana is leading me by hands, not at all. I’d like us to link arms if possible, but since Arisa and Mia would protest if they see it, it’s fine like this.

There’s an unexpected person at the destination of the children.