"Indeed, it does resemble the royal palace of the Mismede Kingdom."
"Right? I thought the same when I first went to Mismede."
I nodded in agreement to Leen’s words.
Before us stood the Taj Mahal, bathed in the light of the morning sun.
We arrived in India early in the morning just to see this. According to the travel guide we had at home, it recommended coming early to fully appreciate the beauty of the Taj Mahal.
There’s a time difference between Japan and India, but I was able to adjust it using [Dimensional Transfer]. Normally, the time difference is about 3.5 hours, so if we woke up early enough, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But waking the kids up in the middle of the night seemed a bit much...
The Taj Mahal, shimmering in the morning glow, exuded breathtaking beauty. Since it was early, there weren’t many people around, and we were able to take our time admiring it.
"The Taj Mahal was built by the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire as a mausoleum for his beloved wife who passed away."
"A mausoleum? What’s that?"
"Uh, it’s like a tomb, I guess?"
Linze answered uncertainly to Linne. Well, in a broad sense, it’s not wrong, but a mausoleum doesn’t necessarily have the remains of the deceased like a tomb does.
However, since this Taj Mahal does contain a tomb, it’s probably safe to refer to it as a grave.
It’s said that the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, Shah Jahan, planned to build his own tomb across the river, made of black marble, to mirror the Taj Mahal.
Well, he spent so much money on the Taj Mahal that he couldn’t make that happen, though.
"I wonder if we could have a grand mausoleum built for us like this."
"Don’t talk about such ominous things..."
"Hehe, sorry."
I gently admonished Leen for her joke. Though, honestly, I don’t think you’ll die of old age anytime soon, you’re becoming more like the divine, like angels...
According to Sister Karen, you may eventually become a subordinate god, and even a lower god one day.
So, the wives are goddesses, huh. In a sense, that’s not entirely wrong, I guess. Nine goddesses.
The kids are half-gods too, so I think they’ll live for an exceptionally long time. We plan to retreat to Babylon once we age a bit, but even Kuon and the others might have to do the same in about a hundred years.
Quun and Yoshino have some long-lived species blood in them, so they have an excuse for living long...
Once we retire in Babylon, we’ll stop interfering with our home country and focus on managing that world. Well, I’ll be fine as long as I’m with the wives.
"What’s wrong, Touya?"
"...Nothing. I was just thinking I want to stay with everyone forever."
"Of course, that’s obvious. We’ll always be together, forever and ever."
I felt my chest warm as Yumina spoke those words while I continued to gaze at the white mausoleum, bathed in the morning sun.
◇ ◇ ◇
After India, we moved to Paris, France for breakfast.
We entered a café in the city and had the classic breakfast: croissants, buttered baguette, café au lait, orange juice, and fruit yogurt — a simple breakfast.
As I looked at the Parisian streets from our terrace seat, I heard Sakura humming beside me.
I immediately recognized the song. It was a song inspired by Paris’s Champs-Élysées... though we weren’t on the Champs-Élysées.
The original song was set on Waterloo Street in London, but when it was translated into French, it became about the Champs-Élysées.
This kind of thing happens often when songs from other countries are translated into the local language... In Japan, they just sing about the Champs-Élysées directly.
By the way, "Champs-Élysées" means "Elysian Fields," the eternal paradise.
Once we finished breakfast, we thought we’d take a stroll along the Champs-Élysées.
After our light meal, we walked together along the Champs-Élysées.
We took a leisurely walk to the Arc de Triomphe. The rows of chestnut trees lining the street really gave it the feel of the Champs-Élysées.
Along the way, there were several luxury brand boutiques, but I politely asked the wives to refrain from going inside.
The prices are high, and they may not even let us in since it’s the top-tier stores. Plus, we can’t afford to deplete our funds in just a few days.
Fortunately, it seems the wives aren’t particularly interested in brand-name goods, so we avoided any trouble. Phew.
Before they change their minds, let’s move on to the next place.
After walking to the Arc de Triomphe, we used [Dimensional Transfer] to jump from Paris to London.
We arrived at the British Museum.
It’s the perfect place to learn about the history, art, and culture of Earth.
But it’s such a vast museum that you’d need half a day to thoroughly explore it.
So, we decided to go with the two-hour course, picking out just the famous exhibits from the website.
"Let’s hold hands so we don’t get lost."
Well, even if we do get lost, I can use [Search] to find everyone. Each of us took our respective children’s hands, and Kuon ended up holding Alice’s hand, so I was left holding Yumina’s hand. From an outsider’s perspective, I probably looked like a younger brother being led by my older sister...
I set my phone to silent mode and we entered the museum.
Upon entering, we were greeted by a large hall with beautiful light streaming through the glass ceiling. We grabbed a map of the museum and started heading toward our destination.
Unlike the aquarium we visited before, the British Museum doesn’t have a specific route to follow. You can’t just go through a set path and see everything. The floors span from the fifth floor to the basement, and you need to use stairs or an elevator to move around. So, the map is very important.
First, of course, we went to see the "Rosetta Stone," the most famous exhibit in the British Museum and the greatest discovery in the history of Egyptology.
The Rosetta Stone contains the same text in three scripts: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek. This discovery made it possible to decipher the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt.
The text on the stone records a royal decree by the priests regarding the royal ceremonies of Ptolemy V... or so I’m told.
"I can read it... I don’t understand the meaning, though."
Thanks to the translation ring from the World God, I could read all three scripts. It’s full of complicated phrasing, and I can’t really make out what it says. Plus, it’s cut off halfway.
Oh, I’ve been here too long, I’ll be in the way of other people if I stay. Time to move on.
I quickly glanced at other exhibits on the first floor, including statues of Ramses II, the Geier-Anderson Cat, sculptures from the Parthenon, mosaics from the Aztecs and Turquoise, and the Moai from Easter Island.
Since I saw the real Moai during our honeymoon, this replica didn’t feel all that new. Well, it is a real one, but still.
As I moved up to the next floor, I noticed there were a lot of mummies. After looking it up, I found out that the British Museum houses over 6,000 human remains...
"I’ve fought mummies a few times... but this is the first time I’m seeing them up close like this."
As we looked at the mummies wrapped tightly in cloth, Hilda murmured quietly. Yeah, in the other world, monsters like that would show up in dungeons... But we shouldn’t confuse the two. Those aren’t mummies that were wrapped up to preserve the body, they’re just zombies that died with bandages from big injuries... I think...
As I also gazed at the mummies, I thought to myself, this person probably never imagined they’d be put on display like this thousands of years after their death... I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity.
As expected from the largest museum in the world, just seeing the real things I’ve read about in textbooks and seen on TV made my excitement rise.
Oh, so this is one of the oldest board games in the world... It looks a lot like Sugoroku.
We climbed the stairs and began exploring the exhibits on the upper floors. One of the sections was dedicated to Japan.
There were collections of netsuke, Buddhist statues, swords, armor, and Noh masks.
There were folding screens, hanging scrolls, haniwa, pottery, and bronze bells too...
I don’t know, maybe because it’s from my own country? I’m not really wowed by it... I’ve seen similar things in local museums...
Anyway, having seen what I wanted, we decided to head back to the first floor.
In the Great Hall on the first floor, we decided to buy some souvenirs from the shop.
There’s a lot of different stuff. Of course, there are many mini replicas of the exhibits. Cufflinks shaped like the Rosetta Stone, a model of Da Vinci’s helicopter...
A mummy magnet...? That’s quite a unique souvenir...
Oh, this plushie of Bastet is cute. I wonder if I should buy it for our Bastet.
I’m not sure if the cat Golem would be happy with a cat plushie... Hmm, I suppose I’ll have to get something for his partner, Anubis, too. If I don’t get him a souvenir, he’ll definitely sulk.
How about a figurine of Anubis with the same name? Oh, this one’s more handsome than him. Yeah, I’ll go with this one.
But why are there so many rubber duck toys for the bath?
There are versions of ducks as sphinxes, samurais, vikings... Do the British like ducks...?
I thought British people liked bears... No, wait, horses? Or maybe rabbits? I’m not sure.
After buying the souvenirs, we left the British Museum. It was really fun. It was good to see that everyone could feel the culture and history of Earth.
Now, with the sun high in the sky, what should we do for lunch?
"Touya-sama, would you like to go to Italy for lunch?"
"Huh? Italy? Wait, we ate so much pasta yesterday..."
I showed reluctance to Lu’s suggestion. After yesterday’s pasta feast, I thought I’d had enough for a while.
"Italy isn’t just about pasta! There’s pizza, carpaccio, minestrone, risotto, focaccia, tiramisu, and gelato... So many delicious things!"
Oh, I see. I was still thinking about the pasta from yesterday, and I had associated Italy with just pasta...
"Pizza, huh. I’d love to try authentic pizza."
When we went to Italy on our honeymoon, we had gelato. But we didn’t have pizza.
I think pizza and "pizzas" are different, right? The Italian "pizza" is from Italy, and the American one is "pizza". There are differences in size, dough thickness, and the type of ovens used, but I’m not sure about the details.
"Um, where should we go in Italy for pizza..."
"Rome and Naples are famous for pizza... It’s a tough choice."
Rome and Naples, huh. Those are names I’ve heard often. I don’t really know the difference, though.
"Naples pizza has a thick crust with simple toppings and a chewy texture, while Roman pizza has a thin crust, a variety of toppings, and a crisp texture."
They sound pretty much like opposites. I prefer the simpler Naples pizza... We took a vote, and the Naples pizza won by 11 to 9.
Alright, let’s go to Naples for authentic pizza for lunch.
◇ ◇ ◇
"It was delicious!"
"Yeah. It was different from the pizza we had on the first day, but still so tasty."
Alice and Kuon were happily smiling after eating their pizza at a pizzeria in Naples.
I also ordered a Margherita pizza, and it was simple yet delicious. Naples pizza isn’t shared by slicing it up like normal pizza. Instead, each person gets their own, and it’s eaten with a knife and fork.
I looked it up and learned that Naples pizza has specific regulations and laws. If it doesn’t meet these, it’s not allowed to be called "Naples pizza."
The dough is made by hand, without using a rolling pin or machine. It’s probably the one where you spin the dough around.
The centrifugal force allows it to be stretched evenly and quickly. This technique is even registered as an intangible cultural heritage.
It seems that Lu and Arcia have been spinning their handkerchiefs around, too... I knew they’d want to try it.
Now that we’re full, let’s do a little sightseeing in Naples. The famous writer Goethe said, "You must see Naples before you die."
We walked from the Plebsicito Square to see the Church of San Francesco di Paola, and then we used [Dimensional Transfer] to go to Santa Lucia, a famous Neapolitan song, and then to the Egg Castle.
Along the way, we almost got pickpocketed a few times, but we neutralized them immediately. The security here doesn’t seem too good.
"Egg Castle, huh. That’s a strange name."
"I don’t think it really looks like an egg..."
Yaé and Elze commented as they looked at the large stone fortress built out into the sea along the Santa Lucia coastline.
What kind of "egg-like" castle would that be... It looks like it could topple over.
Meanwhile, Leen, who had been looking at her smartphone, explained.
"When the castle was built, a magician buried an egg in the foundation and cast a spell that said, 'When this egg breaks, both the castle and Naples will fall.' That’s the origin of the name."
"Magicians existed in this world too?"
"I’m not sure. But since we can use magic ourselves, I can’t rule it out."
I answered vaguely to Linze’s question. Maybe, long ago, there were people who could use magic, especially since there was more magical essence in the air than there is now.
After enjoying Naples, we jumped to our next destination, Greece.
We arrived on the island of Santorini, in the Aegean Sea.
It’s a resort island with dazzling blue seas and white buildings.
"This island looks a lot like Refreese."
"There are quite a few similarities with Earth, huh."
Hilda and Sue remarked as they gazed at the blue-roofed buildings.
Santorini is part of a caldera created by a volcanic eruption. The five islands that make up the Santorini Archipelago, including the crescent-shaped main island, were once one large island. Around 1600 BC, the underwater volcanic eruption caused magma to erupt and created a hollow that eventually collapsed, forming the current islands.
It’s also said that this volcanic explosion was the origin of the mythical lost continent of Atlantis from Plato’s Timaeus.
Atlantis... I remember reading about it in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in my grandpa’s room. I always wanted to ride the Nautilus.
Santorini is known for its delicious wine, so I decided to buy a few bottles as souvenirs for Yuka and Uncle Burū.
Since it’s not great to be seen buying wine in my current form, I had Hilda buy it for me. In Greece, it seems you can buy alcohol at 18, so there’s no problem.
We wandered around Santorini, buying souvenirs, and eventually, the sun began to set.
"Wow..."
"This is a breathtaking view..."
The sky at twilight divided into blue, orange, and red, with the deep blue sea supporting it.
The white town on the slopes glowed warmly from the windows, creating a magical scene.
It’s the "magic hour." Santorini’s sunset is famous worldwide. That’s why we came here.
Other tourists were also staring in awe at this unreal scene.
We all silently watched the view, feeling like we were in another world.
As the twilight magic hour ended, the surroundings were enveloped in evening darkness.
"Shall we head back?"
At my suggestion, everyone silently nodded, still savoring the afterglow.
We left Santorini, where the night had fully settled, and finished our final world tour.
◇ ◇ ◇
"We’re home!"
"Welcome back. Did you have fun?"
"It was fun! We saw mummies at a place called Daie!"
"Huh?"
Father blinked in confusion at Linne’s explanation. He probably has no idea what that means... Please say British Museum properly.
"I also helped with dinner, Mother!"
"I bought a very nice olive oil, and we’ll make ajillo!"
Lu and Arcia immediately headed to the kitchen to help Mom. Ah, ajillo. That’s Spanish cuisine, right? Looks like they’re planning to use the olive oil from Santorini right away.
"Here, Fuyuka-chan, this is a souvenir for you!"
"Ahiu!"
Frei gave Fuyuka a rubber duck toy from the British Museum. Fuyuka is delighted, holding the sphinx-shaped duck. She seems to love it.
"I got a pencil case and pencils with the Tutankhamun design for Dad. I thought something practical would be good."
"Uh, thank you..."
Dad received the gift with a strained smile.
I understand his discomfort about the taste. It’s definitely a coffin-shaped pencil case. Well, it’s fine for use at home where no one will see it.
I bought a Bastet tote bag for Mom. She can use it for casual shopping.
Tomorrow is the last day. It’ll be the final day spent with my parents. And with the kids...
Perhaps one day, in the future, we’ll all gather again like this.
It feels so far away, but once we’re there, it might pass by quickly.
Our future is bright. Let’s believe that.
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