《Heat the Pig Liver》


 Volume 1 - CH 1

    Through this story, this is the only thing I wish to convey to everyone: heat the pig liver.  Seriously, don¡¯t even think about eating it raw.


    ¡­You still want to eat it raw?  You sure are stubborn.  I guess it can¡¯t be helped.  For those who refuse to listen, let me briefly explain my situation.  I¡¯m currently covered in mud and curled up on the floor of some dimly lit shed.  Why am I covered in mud, you ask?  Well that¡¯s because the floor is actually dirt, and all around me are pigs.  In fact, this place looks like a pigpen.


    If I remember correctly, I curled up into the fetal position at the train station platform because a sudden sharp pain in my abdomen left me unable to stand.  As for what caused the pain, it¡¯s probably because¡­


    I ate raw pig liver.


    At the suggestion of a terrible friend, I dipped it in sesame sauce and ate it raw.  The soft texture was surprisingly not bad.  It was like pudding, liver pudding.  Looking back, I was an idiot for thinking such.  My stomach felt like it was being chewed apart, and I vowed to god then and there to never eat pig liver raw.


    Are you able to follow the story so far?  Good.


    In a situation like this, normally you¡¯d wake up in the hospital, right?  However, I found myself in a pigpen.  It looks like god didn¡¯t let me off the hook with just a stomach ache and decided to also throw this pathetic sinner into a pigsty.  If you don¡¯t want this happening to you, don¡¯t even think about eating raw pig liver.


    My body felt heavy, I couldn¡¯t even move my limbs.  Although the pain in my stomach was gone, I felt a sense of incongruity and could only lay in the mud alongside the pigs.


    Even my eyesight felt off.  I could chalk the blurry vision up to not having my glasses on, but the things I could still see in this dimly lit place ¨C the dirt floor, the pigs, the animal feed, and the light shining through the broken part of a wall, all seemingly lacked color.  The stench of the pigpen, a mixture of mud, feces, grass, and rust overwhelmed my nose.


    I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll make sure to cook the pig liver before eating it.  Honest to god, so please forgive me and save me from this hell.


    Just as I made this prayer, the pigpen suddenly brightened up.


    The pigs nearby squealed like otakus and got up.  Hey, stop it!  Don¡¯t step on me!


    They gave me a sniff before running towards the light.


    I heard a girl¡¯s voice, and a person¡¯s figure appeared over the light.


    I¡¯m saved!


    Except she didn¡¯t pay any attention to me.  It looks like she was busy feeding the pigs and couldn¡¯t care less about this pitiful college student.


    I tried saying something, but my mouth refused to work.  That¡¯s strange¡­ was my nose ever this¡­


    Just as I was about to discover the truth regarding my misfortunes, she walked towards me.


    ¡° ©¤©¤£¬©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤£¿¡±


    She knelt down and said something I couldn¡¯t understand.


    Please help me.  I don¡¯t know how to explain myself, but I¡¯m stuck here and can¡¯t move.


    I tried to convey these words through my gaze, and right as I voiced those thoughts, what came out of my mouth was¡­


    ¡°Oink!¡±


    Oink.  I may be your average boring otaku, but I¡¯ve never responded like this before.  There were several times where I ended my sentence with an oink, but those were intentional.  This is the first time I unconsciously made such a disgusting sound.  It¡¯s a moment worth celebrating, oink.


    >TL Note: ¥ó¥´ is used here.  It¡¯s a slang that¡¯s used either as a means of self-deprecation, or to ridicule someone for making a mistake.


    ©¤Oh no, you¡¯re not a pig!


    Yeah, not everyone in this pigpen is a pig.  That was a close one, because of that mistake, a precious life could¡¯ve been¡ª


    Wait.  I stopped and focused on listening.  Did she even talk?


    ©¤Please wait a moment, I will get you out of this shed.


    I didn¡¯t hear any voices.  It was more like information was being sent through my skull and directly into my brain.  All I can say is that I could understand her thoughts.


    Soon after, she brought over what looked to be a wooden board, rolled me onto it, and pulled it along like a sled.


    It was here that I realized the unfortunate truth.  My body shouldn¡¯t be this round.  I¡¯m 174cm tall, and weigh 53kg ¨C your typical skinny guy with a STEM background.  Nevertheless, the feeling I got when she pushed me and I rolled onto the board was akin to having been rolled up in a gym mat.  It felt like I was a pig.


    And as someone with the makings of an excellent researcher, I was able to objectively look at my own body and accept reality.


    I became a pig.


    I see, I see.  So I¡¯m a pig.  Then that makes this a dream.  Once I wake up, I¡¯ll probably be lying on a hospital bed.  That¡¯s that.


    Well, this is pretty interesting, and since it¡¯s just a dream anyway, might as well test out just how capable my brain is.


    What I meant by this is that pigs only have dichromatic vision, whereas humans can see three colors: red, blue, and green.  Therefore, pigs are less capable at distinguishing colors compared to humans.  So if I¡¯m still able to see the outside world in its usual color, it means my subconscious wasn¡¯t strictly responsible for creating this scenario.  I¡¯m betting on my conscious mind.  Even for my subconscious, it won¡¯t be able to win against my conscious.


    With a smug grin on my pig face, I watched the exit.


    I lost the gamble.  The view before me was lacking in color.  The blue sky seemed strangely dim, and the green grass looked as if it¡¯s been bleached.  That being said, this is good.  Since my subconscious is capable of even recreating a pig¡¯s vision, it must mean the owner of this brain, I, am also quite outstanding.


    I was pushed onto the grass, but I still couldn¡¯t move a muscle, so I simply laid there like a piece of meat.  The girl moved in front of me, probably to observe my nose from a frontal view.


    Is that blonde hair¡­?  I think so.  I haven¡¯t gotten used to the feeling of being a pig, so I couldn¡¯t comprehend what I was looking at and could only stare as her brightly colored hair flowed in the wind.


    It would be nice if she were cute.  Even better if she could groom me and help scrub off the mud on my body.  Also a skirt would be nice, since from a pig¡¯s perspective, I could peek underneath whenever I want to.  I wonder how old is she?  Is she a high schooler?  She¡¯s a schoolgirl, right?  If it¡¯s my incredible brain, it should be able to recreate a blonde high school girl in a miniskirt.


    ©¤Excuse me, um¡­


    The high school girl with clear blue eyes transmitted her confusion through the voice in my mind.


    Was it because I wasn¡¯t accustomed to this strange feeling?  I was hit by a wave of exhaustion.


    Unaware of the trials that awaited me, I fell asleep.


    When I woke up, I found myself curled up on a bed.


    I gradually recalled the strange dream I had where I became a pig and was rescued from the pigpen by a cute European high school girl.  Seems like if you eat raw pig liver, you¡¯ll dream about becoming a pig.


    Hm?


    I didn¡¯t recognize this bed, with its canopy decorated in simple but elegantly colored laces.


    Looks like my color vision came back.  Did I turn back into a human?  However, there seems to be a problem ¨C this isn¡¯t a hospital.


    I tried getting up but my shoulders didn¡¯t feel right.  Why didn¡¯t my arms extend out sideways?  Did I break some bones¡­?


    ¡°Have you woken up?¡±


    I turned my head towards the voice, and saw the girl standing there.


    ¡°Um¡­ how are you feeling?¡±


    She was a slender girl who looked to be around six or seventeen years old.  Her silky blonde hair reached her shoulders, and she wore a white blouse and navy blue skirt.  Though she looked European, her nose was fairly small, which vaguely resembled that of a Japanese.  Lastly, her thick, blackened silver collar gave off a strange feeling.


    Although I had no concerns of pain or discomfort, I found it difficult to move about.  I planned to ask where I was¡­


    ¡°Snoink!¡±


    This kind of otaku sound came out.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to talk.  I can¡­ understand what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡­Huh?  I haven¡¯t turned back into a human yet?  Is this the continuation of that dream?


    In response to my confusion, she gave me a troubled smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I did everything I could, but I couldn¡¯t turn you back into a human.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on anymore.  For the time being, let¡¯s get up and confirm the situation.


    I rolled over to stand up, and the next moment I was on all four.  My body moved forward naturally and jumped off the edge of the bed.


    There was a silver-framed mirror nearby, so I hurried over towards it.


    Looking into the mirror, I saw a remarkably clean pig that was about the size of a rolled up futon.  Its plump meat was covered in pale pink fur, its pair of black eyes stared back, and its wet and pinkish-red nose moved as I breathed.


    I raised my right hand, and it raised its foreleg.  I tilted my head, and it tilted its head.  I stared at the pig, and it stared back.  That¡¯s me.


    What¡¯s going on here?


    I tried calming down and slowly turned towards the girl.


    Why am I a pig?  Could you explain the situation?


    ¡°The reason why you became a pig¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know either.  You just happened to wander into the farm shed that I am in charge of.¡±


    I see.  In that case, how was she able to figure out I was a (former) human being when I look just like a pig¡­?  I tried recalling before her voice interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Have you not seen this?¡±


    Bashfully, she lifted her hair to show me her collar.


    The silver collar had blackened, possibly due to having been worn for a long time, and it had various engravings that gave off a sense of gravity.  Either way, it didn¡¯t suit a kind-looking girl like her.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me¡­ does it?¡±


    One thing I was certain of was that this cute girl can read my thoughts.


    ¡°Um¡­ I am a Iesuma.  I apologize for my late introduction.  I am the Iesuma serving the house of Quiltlin, my name is Jess.¡±


    Ok.  I don¡¯t quite follow, but¡­ I¡¯m a pig, nice to meet you.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig, where are you from?¡±


    She asked, in a confused tone.


    I am from Tokyo, Japan.  Nice to meet you, Jess!


    >TL Note: This was in English


    ¡°Erm¡­ Toh-ki-yo¡­ Forgive me, I¡¯m not well educated so I¡¯m not familiar with things outside of this country.  But since you don¡¯t know about Iesumas, you are probably not from Mestria.¡±


    I think so too.


    Or rather, what¡¯s a Mestria?  Where are we?  I walked around looking for a window.  There¡¯s one next to me, but I¡¯m not tall enough to look through it due to my pig height.


    She helpfully brought over a large chair and placed it next to the window.  Thankful, I climbed onto it and looked outside.


    Grass plains.  Beyond that are red houses scattered across the area.  In the distance, I could barely make out mountains with snow covering their peaks.  This picturesque scenery before me resembled that of a summer resort in southern Europe.


    ¡°If I may explain¡­ Mestria refers to all of the land around here, and a great king rules over it.  We are in Quiltli, the outskirts of southern Mestria, and it¡¯s governed by the Quiltlins, the owners of this mansion.¡±


    Alright¡­?  So about Iesumas¡­


    ¡°Ah, Iesumas are a race of maids who can be recognized by their silver collars¡­ and, how should I explain it¡­ We can communicate using our inner thoughts without the need to use our ears or mouth.  I am the Iesuma that serves the Quiltlins.¡±


    You don¡¯t use your voice, and communicate via thoughts¡­ That would explain why she could answer all my questions that were being monologued.


    ¡°Um¡­ would you like something to eat?  I¡¯m not sure if they will suit your tastes, but I prepared some fruits.¡±


    Various colorful fruits were placed on top of a plain wooden table.


    Well¡­ I¡¯m not feeling that hungry.  Rather, I¡¯m feeling the urge to be petted.


    She began stroking the pig¡¯s- no, my head, and I couldn¡¯t help but wag my tail.


    Just by wishing for it, I can get what I want.


    I finally got it.  My dream created a fantasy otherworld scenario where the protagonist was a pig, and the heroine has the ability to read people¡¯s minds.  This is the tale of a boy¡¯s struggles in a world of swords and magic as he attempts to regain his humanity after being reincarnated into another world!


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤£¿


    Nn?  Hold on.  Wait a moment.  Let¡¯s calm down for a second, everyone.  Before setting out on this lovey-dovey fantasy story, I want to confirm something first.  This girl, Jess, can read my thoughts, right?  That¡¯s how she realized I was not a pig, but instead a human being.  So far so good.


    Then what if¡­ what if I looked at her luscious skin and imagined ¡°Oink Oink!  I want to assault her!  I want to make her sticky with pig saliva!  Oink!¡±  Would she be able to hear those thoughts as well?


    She suddenly stopped stroking me.


    ¡°¡­Well, yes.  That would be correct.¡±


    Oh no!  Wouldn¡¯t all my pig-like desires be exposed then?!


    She revealed an apologetic look.


    ¡°Um¡­ It seemed like you wanted to be brushed, so I washed you while you were asleep.  The same goes for my clothes¡­ I just so happened to have a shorter skirt, so I changed into it.  I beg your pardon for reading your thoughts without permission¡­ It must have made you feel uncomfortable as a foreigner.  Please accept my sincerest apology.¡±


    I was apologized to; and so I thought ¨C Isn¡¯t she way too kind?  The chair.  The food.  The petting.  If I considered it, she would probably even willingly undress for me.


    She shyly held her hands in front of her chest.


    ¡°My body is small and thin, so I doubt there¡¯s anything worth looking at, but¡­ if you so desire.¡±


    Stop right there!


    In a panic, I got off the chair, placed some distance between us, and faced her.  It must be strange to be face-to-face with a pig.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case at all¡­¡±


    I have three things I want to say, so listen carefully, girl.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    First, your chest is by no means lacking, I can tell even with your clothes on.  In fact, there are a lot otakus who prefer it at that size, so don¡¯t worry about it.


    ¡°Um¡­ thank you very much?¡±


    (Second, I want you to ignore my thoughts except for those in parentheses, like this.)


    ¡°Parentheses¡­ you say.¡±


    (Yeah.  Any thoughts that I want to convey to you, I¡¯ll put them inside parentheses.  As for my other thought, even if you can hear them, please pretend like you couldn¡¯t.)


    If we don¡¯t do this, I¡¯ll end up mixing in sexual harassment remarks mid-conversation like a dirty old man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ really mind.¡±


    (That was me monologuing, so it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t respond.)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!  Sorry.¡±


    She covered her mouth and quickly apologized.  No, no, I should be the one apologizing.  Sorry ^_^;


    The girl and pig stared at each other quietly inside the room.  Tonight¡¯s dinner is, without a doubt, going to be Schweinshaxe.


    (Third and finally¡­  I¡¯m going to sound arrogant for saying this since I¡¯m just a pig, is that alright?)


    ¡°Erm¡­ That¡¯s fine.¡±


    (Everything you¡¯ve done for me has been very considerate and incredible.  I¡¯m happy that you cleaned me up, and that skirt really suits you, even the hemline is perfect.  I won¡¯t say what I¡¯m referring to, but the pure white colored cloth is just your style that I think it¡¯s the best.  And since you already know about it, I¡¯ll be honest and confess that the first thing I wished for after becoming a pig is to be groomed by a cute, blonde, miniskirt-wearing girl.  You¡¯ve already treated me to the greatest hospitality I could ever imagine.)


    After all, it doesn¡¯t seem like this world has the concept of a high school girl.


    ¡°High sch-¡­ I mean, it¡¯s an honor.¡±


    (Yeah, you were wonderful.  However, if you keep fulfilling each and every one of my wishes, then, how should I put it¡­?  It stops feeling real, you know?  It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a fairy meant to grant my desires, you don¡¯t have any reason to be at my beck and call.)


    ¡°Even so¡­ As long as it¡¯s something I can do, I want to provide my help.¡±


    Did she not understand what I was trying to say?  My tail drooped in response.


    (Then I¡¯ll be frank.)


    Seeing her place her left hand on the window sill and her right to her chest made it more difficult, but this is an order for my dream.


    Those of you who are wise probably already see where I¡¯m going with this.  Between a gentle younger sister who gives it her all to prepare a bento for you every day, and a younger sister who normally treats you like a pig but hands you a bento after saying ¡°Just this once, okay? ¡­As thanks for helping me with homework yesterday.¡±  Which one tastes better?  Of course both are delicious, but I definitely prefer the latter!  And I won¡¯t accept any arguments!


    ¡­ I should translate this into something more proper before adding the parentheses.


    (Sorry to say, but it¡¯s in my own interest to not one-sidedly accept help from others.  As a pig, there¡¯s not much I can do to repay your favors, and the more you shower me with kindness, the more indebted to you I become.  It doesn¡¯t sit well with me to be in those kinds of situations, so if you really wish to look out for me, I would prefer if you only act when I make a request towards you; and I¡¯ll do my best as a pig to repay these favors.  I don¡¯t want you overly caring for me.  After all, you¡¯re not my servant.)


    In response to my fast-talking, she gave me an uneasy look.


    ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    (Yeah.  On the contrary, it gets me more fired up to be treated as a pig normally, but receive help when I¡¯m truly in need of it.)


    Same goes for seeing you naked.  I¡¯d prefer waiting until the time is right.


    ¡°Ah¡­ So it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t wish to see it.¡±


    Uh, that was a monologue.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling tired, would you like to go outside?¡± ¡ª I accepted her invitation and we went for a stroll.  The place I was sleeping at was at the third floor.  We descended the stone stairs, and exited the first floor into the backyard.  It looks like the stairs on the second floor connect to the kitchen, and the first floor leads to the dimly lit barn.


    ¡°We are currently at the south part of the Quiltlin mansion, this is where I usually live.  Over there is the farm.¡±


    Jess gently explained while we walked side-by-side.  As we walked across the vast meadow, a few stone sheds appeared on the horizon.  It looks like it¡¯s just past noon.  The feeling of the sun shining on my back, along with the refreshing breeze, felt comforting.  The wind made her skirt flutter, and performed its job perfectly.  As the sunlight permeated through the navy blue cloth and mixed with the light reflecting off of the grass, creating a faint glow, I caught a glimpse of what looked to be white-


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s alright to walk a bit closer.¡±


    (Don¡¯t mind me, I was just describing the scenery.  I didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives.)


    There¡¯s no way a 50cm or so tall pig would have a hidden agenda for looking up while standing next to a girl in a skirt.


    ¡°I see.  It was so descriptive, I thought you might have liked it.¡±  She beamed.


    What a kind-hearted girl.


    (So¡­ I have a few questions I wanted to ask you, is that alright?)


    At my question, she turned and looked at me.


    ¡°Of course.  Also, my name is Jess.  Please feel free to call me Jess.¡±


    Oink.  Jess-tasso!


    >TL Note: An internet slang, similar to using -chan.  ¤Á¤ã¤ó¡ú¤¿¤ó¡ú¥¿¥ó¡ú¥¿¥½


    (Alright.  Nice to meet you, Jess.)


    ¡°Pleased to meet you too, Mister Pig.¡±


    Oink Oink!  This is quite the reward.  Have any of you ever had the experience of calling a cute blonde girl by her name, and then have her call you a pig?  I doubt it, sucks to be you.  Anyway, since my innermost thoughts such as these will be heard, I stopped worrying about it.  This guy over here tried to sound cool by saying ¡°Nice to meet you, Jess¡± while squealing like a pig on the inside.  You see, Jess-tasso?  This is the paradoxical nature of a man!  Observe!


    (¡­ Please ignore that.)


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it.¡±


    (Great.  So could you explain to me various things?)


    ¡°Of course.  Please.¡±


    (Where to begin¡­ To start with, is it common for people to turn into pigs here?)


    Jess had a serious look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very knowledgeable, but¡­ I don¡¯t believe that is the case.  There¡¯s just some races that can turn into a beast-like state, and I¡¯ve heard of some historical tales where some people could completely transform into animals.¡±


    (Has there been any instances of a person becoming a pig?)


    ¡°No, there has not.  However, it¡¯s said that hundreds of years ago during the Dark Ages when mages were still fighting, they would use their power to turn people into vultures for spying purposes, or fat seals and punish them.¡±


    Mages and transformation magic¡­  Hearing her say such outlandish things with a serious tone cemented my belief that this was a fantasy world.  That said, be it a vulture or a seal, their choices of animals are pretty out there.  In that case, surely there¡¯s been a great mage that transformed himself into a pig to be stepped on by a cute girl.


    (Are there no longer any mages around?)


    ¡°No, there are.  However, their numbers have dwindled significantly since the Dark Ages.  It¡¯s said that in Mestria, the royal family is the only bloodline of mages left after having won the war of the Dark Ages.¡±


    (Then the way to change me back¡­)


    ¡°Forgive me, but I believe your only option is to travel to the capital and meet the king.¡±


    I was speechless.  Well, technically I was the one who decided not to carelessly make any noises since I¡¯m a pig, but still, I was flabbergasted.  Does that mean I have no choice but meet the king and go ¡°Oink. Oink oink oink oink!¡± (Could you please change me back to a human being?).


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Jess stopped and crouched down to meet my eyes.  There was a slight opening between her knees¡­


    ¡°I will accompany you.¡±


    She had a genuine and beautiful smile on her face.  But¡­


    (Come on now, don¡¯t you have your own life to live, Jess?)


    To my response, she shook her head.


    ¡°Actually, I will be on leave for a while as I plan to head to the capital.¡±


    What¡¯s this?  Just as I found myself in a pickle where I needed to find the king to resolve this, Jess just so happens to also have plans to go to the capital.  What kind of half-assed contrived plotline is this?  Do it properly, my fantasy.


    With a troubled look, Jess smiled and said ¡°¡­ it must be fate.¡±


    Oink.  Since it was all for the purpose of making this cute girl say that line, I¡¯ll let it slide.  As a matter of fact, I¡¯d like to apologize to my subconscious.


    (Let¡¯s put aside the talk of fate.  What are your plans for traveling to the capital?  Will it be alright to bring a pig along?)


    ¡°I think it will be fine.  It¡¯s just¡­ an errand of sorts.¡±


    (Is it at the capital?)


    ¡°Yes.  As the house of Quiltlin¡¯s maid, I am to appear at the capital for work.¡±


    (Won¡¯t it damage the household¡¯s name if you showed up with a pig?)


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told the king is great and benevolent.  I¡¯m sure after hearing your situation, he¡¯ll lend you a hand.¡±


    I think most kingdoms would describe their king as great and benevolent.


    (In that case, please take me along!)


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    For some reason, Jess was smiling joyfully.  It was a scene right out of a painting.  What a sight for sore eyes.


    In any case, even if the other person is just a pig, you should pay attention to the way you scooch down when wearing a skirt¡­


    She noticed where I was looking at, and blushed.


    ¡°I beg your pardon for showing you something so unsightly¡­¡±


    Alright.  If that¡¯s what you think, then show me something more interesting next time.


    We arrived at the farm where all the livestock are kept.  I noticed some chickens grazing about so I pretended to charge at them to scare them, and they scattered in reaction to my tactics.


    What a bunch of chickens.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t bully them too much.  We need to serve their eggs on the Quiltlin family¡¯s dining table¡­¡±  Jess admonished.


    I reflected on having acted on my primal instincts.


    (Sorry, my pig tendencies kicked in¡­)


    She smiled in response to my irresponsible comment.


    ¡°If you do that again, I¡¯ll bully you, Mister Pig.¡±


    Oink!  She¡¯s already grasped an otaku¡¯s weakness ¨C moe.


    We arrived at the pigpen.  The moment Jess opened the door, those oinking bunch came out.


    I greeted them as a fellow pig, and it looked like they were eyeing me out of curiosity.


    ¡°Please wait here for a bit.  Since finding Mister Pig, I haven¡¯t had a chance to take care of them¡­¡±  Jess explained while unlocking a small metal box located inside the pigpen.


    She then took out some kind of yellow crystal from her pouch and inserted it into the box.


    The pigpen immediately lit up.


    I was waiting amongst the pigs outside but decided to have a look.  Inside, I saw brooms and rakes that were chained to the wall begin moving on their own, and clean water began flowing into the buckets.


    Looking up towards the ceiling, I noticed the lanterns lined up against the walls were emitting a warm glow.  They didn¡¯t flicker like fire would, instead, they maintained a steady brightness like that of a light bulb.


    (What¡¯s the mechanism behind these tools moving and the lanterns glowing, Jess?)


    She walked towards me while holding a pouch that appeared to contain some form of grains.


    ¡°We use ristas to manage the animals here at this farm, since it would be difficult for me to take care of everything by myself.¡±


    (Ristas?)


    ¡°Oh, my apologies¡­ since you¡¯re a foreigner, you don¡¯t know about ristas.  Ristas are these types of stones.¡±


    She carefully took out various colored crystals that were the size of pebbles, each shaped like a hexagonal column.


    ¡°Every day, ristas are produced by a great mage and distributed to us citizens.  Magic power is stored inside of each one, and we can use them in various ways.  This red rista can be used for heating or fire magic, this yellow rista can used for transportation or light magic, and so forth.¡±


    So they¡¯re like magic batteries?  Seems like the civilization here developed differently from the civilization I came from.


    (How many different colored ristas are there?)


    ¡°Special ones appear from time to time, but there are five main types ¡ª red, yellow, green, blue, and black.¡±


    (Black?  Does it let you use dark magic or something?)  I half-jokingly inquired.


    As a result, Jess nervously lowered her voice and answered ¡°No, the black ones are for praying.  If one prays using a black rista, one can create a miracle that only mages could perform.  There¡¯s not many that can use it, so it¡¯s not very widely distributed¡­¡±


    (Why aren¡¯t there many users?)


    ¡°Erm¡­ that¡¯s because only Iesumas are able to use black ristas.  For the Quiltlin family, they are mainly used to heal wounds or sicknesses¡­ but their effectiveness depends on the strength of the Iesumas¡¯ prayer, so it¡¯s not uncommon for them to not work as effectively as people expect them to.¡±


    Is that so?  I guess it can be thought of as an item that was too OP and had to be nerfed.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig.  I will be done with the work here very soon, so could you¡­ go and play around like a pig for a bit.¡±


    Oink!  She¡¯s trying her best to treat me like a pig.  I¡¯m moved by her efforts!


    Jess made her rounds through the shed ¨C skillfully unlocking each box, inserting a rista, and relocking them.  Each time she slotted in a rista, some of the farm tools inside the shed would begin working, cleaning, and refilling the animal feed.  That¡¯s pretty cool.  I followed her around and watched as the shed¡¯s cleanup was automated.


    ¡°It will take some time for the automatic care to finish.  In the meantime, would you like to accompany me and go shopping?¡±


    (You got it.  I¡¯ll help carry your groceries and whatnot.)


    She smiled and replied, ¡°Please wait here for a moment, I¡¯ll go get the money,¡± and ran towards the room we had been in earlier.


    Ristas, huh?  Sounds interesting.


    Jess led us to the streets where people walked across the cobblestone road dressed in what looked like traditional Alpine clothes.  The neighing of horses, the barking of dogs, and the clomping of hooves resounded throughout.  Given that there¡¯s animals everywhere, I guess there was no reason to worry about whether it was ok for her to bring a pig along.  Even though this was another world, I was able to recognize all the animals and there weren¡¯t any strange beasts.


    I gaped in awe.  It was as if I had stumbled across a medieval Europe movie set.  To avoid getting separated, and I emphasize that it was just so I didn¡¯t get lost, I stuck close to Jess.


    She wore a corset with a giant crest embroidered on it.


    (Does that corset prevent thieves?) I jested, but she nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, so long as I wear the crest of the Quiltlins, I won¡¯t be targeted.¡±


    Just how powerful is the house of Quiltlin?  I pondered.


    (Are you worried about someone attacking you?)


    ¡°Normally I¡¯m not, no¡­ but today is-¡±


    She cut herself off and continued walking.


    (What do you plan to buy today?)


    ¡°Erm¡­ a number of things.¡±


    I feel like Jess is hiding something, I thought while following her.


    Is it lunch time right now?  The people dining on the terrace stood out, and the bright alleyways were brimming with energy.


    ¡°Hey, Jess!  Ain¡¯t it about time to stock up?¡±


    The voice belonged to a burly middle-aged man who stood in front of a particularly large store built from stones.  He had pale blonde hair that was combed back, a mustache, and looked to be in his forties.  A couple of young men armed with guns accompanied him as he opened a display case containing ristas.


    ¡°Good afternoon!  Thank you, I¡¯ll come by next time.¡±  Jess replied and continued walking.


    (Was that a store that sold ristas?)


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    (They¡¯re quite heavily armed.)


    ¡°Ristas are very expensive after all.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why the boxes in the shed had locks on them.


    Jess continued walking until we reached a shady back alleyway.  The narrow and winding road was dimly lit, contrasting the bright and bustling main streets, and with dangerous-looking men having set up shops, it gave off the impression of a black market.  The smell of rotten food drifted through the air, making it apparent that this was a dangerous place.


    (Are you sure this place is safe, Jess?)


    ©¤As long as I have this corset, it should be fine.


    She telepathically responded.


    Looking around, Jess proceeded into the dark alleyway.


    (Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to buy something from here.)


    ©¤There are various reasons for this¡­  Please stay close to me.


    She clenched her right hand and held it over her chest.


    ¡°Hey there, Miss Iesuma.¡±


    A thin man with a scar over his left eye called out.


    ¡°Are you looking for these?¡±


    He was holding some black ristas.  But what surprised me was that Jess responded with a slight nod after seeing the man.


    The scar-faced man grinned as if to reassure her and said ¡°Out for some secret shopping?  I can sell you three black ristas for 400 gold.¡±


    ¡°Eh, that price is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, a first-timer?  How about it, these should be enough to grant your wish.  You won¡¯t be able to buy these at a better price elsewhere.  It¡¯s a good deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have 400 gold.  I only need one, so how much will that cost?¡±


    The man was taken aback before squinting his eye at Jess¡¯ corset.


    I caught the slightly tense expression he made.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just one, it¡¯ll be 150 gold, Missy¡±


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s just 150¡­¡±


    The man smirked while quietly observing Jess.


    Wait, hold on.  Something¡¯s wrong here.  Do you all know what it is?  And no, I¡¯m not talking about how 400 divided by 3 gets you 133.3333 repeating¡­


    This guy called out to Jess and showed her the black ristas.  And based on him saying ¡°secret shopping,¡± that must mean this is generally where a Iesuma would go to secretly purchase their black ristas.  So here¡¯s the problem:


    Jess explained before that ristas are very expensive.  In that case, why did he try and sell three of them collectively?  Especially to a girl who¡¯s trying to buy them behind closed doors.  After all, Jess said she only needed one, so there¡¯s no reason to buy all three.  And for someone trying to buy it privately, is there any reason why they would buy it in bulk?  You might think that maybe it¡¯s because Jess is serving a wealthy family?  But it didn¡¯t look like he realized that until he saw the corset.  Thus¡­


    (I have something I need to tell you, Jess.  Come on.)


    ©¤Eh?


    I oinked and began sprinting.


    I heard her say ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll come back later!¡± from behind as I continued running through the back alley until I reached the open fields.


    Jess caught up to me, panting, and asked ¡°Um¡­ what was the problem?¡±


    (This your first time buying something from here, right Jess?)


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my first time.¡±


    (You need a black rista, correct?  And you¡¯ve said that they¡¯re exclusively used by Iesumas for praying.  I¡¯d like for you to tell me, how many ristas do you need for a single prayer?)


    While catching her breath, Jess answered earnestly with ¡°Just one.  The rista has plenty of magic power, so if one isn¡¯t enough to fulfill your wish, it won¡¯t come true no matter how many you use.¡±


    I see.


    (So then, after granting a wish, will there be any magic power left over?)


    ¡°Yes.  In most cases there will be some surplus.¡±


    We¡¯ve got our answer.


    (Jess, don¡¯t buy ristas from that guy.)


    ¡°Huh¡­?  Why not?¡±


    (I thought about it.  He tried to sell you three ristas at first, and you¡¯re someone who¡¯s trying to secretly purchase such an expensive item.)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­¡±


    (You said that one¡¯s enough for a wish, but isn¡¯t that because you¡¯ve been using genuine ristas?)


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    (Remember what that guy said?  ¡°three black ristas for 400¡­ these should be enough to grant your wish.¡±)


    ¡°Right.  If you have three, then you can grant a wish and then some.¡±


    (You shouldn¡¯t be so trusting when interpreting his words.  What he meant was that with three of them, they might be able to grant your wish.  Those ristas have all been used and are what¡¯s left afterwards.)


    ¡°Eh¡­?  Is that true?¡±


    (Think about it.  There¡¯s no way a poor Iesuma, especially a Iesuma that is trying to stealthily buy a black rista, would be able to purchase one at a proper shop.)


    ¡°I believe you¡¯re right.  Not to mention the Quiltlin family are the only ones in this town who would entrust a Iesuma to handle ristas.¡±


    (As such, most Iesumas shouldn¡¯t know how much magic power is in a black rista.  They might even think three is barely enough to make a wish.)


    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡±


    (Since that guy usually sells them in bulks of three, he tried to do the same when he saw you.  His reaction said it all when you told him you only needed one.  He was surprised, then noticed the crest on your corset and had an ¡°oh shit¡± look on his face.)


    ¡°Come to think of it, I did sense something was up from him, but¡­ he quickly covered it up.¡±


    (I figured as much, since he realized he was dealing with a Iesuma who¡¯s used a genuine black rista, it would¡¯ve been dangerous if word got out to the lord that he had been making money off of used goods.)


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­ No wonder it was so cheap.¡±


    (How much is one normally?)


    ¡°At the store I usually purchase from, they¡¯re 600 gold each.¡±


    Uh, I would have preferred if you realized something was wrong by that point¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I didn¡¯t want to doubt him since he went through the trouble of calling out to me.¡±


    (Oops, er¡­ that wasn¡¯t in parentheses, I was just thinking to myself there.  Ignore that.)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.  Sorry¡­¡±


    A breeze swept across the remote farm road.  I knew Jess was kind, but not to this extent.  If there was no one to look after her, she¡¯d be taken advantage of in the blink of an eye.  Or is it precisely because of her actions that lead to her being exploited?  The Iesuma maidservant race, perhaps they¡¯re¡­


    Nah, that can¡¯t be it.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mister Pig.¡±


    (Don¡¯t worry about it.)


    ¡°If Mister Pig wasn¡¯t around, I would have spent all my money buying used goods.¡±


    (Yeah.  If someone claims it¡¯s a good deal, you better be extra careful.  Their goal isn¡¯t to look out for your interests, but to make money.)


    ¡°I have learned a valuable lesson.¡±


    Jess crouched down and stroke my head.  That feels nice.


    It was during this time that a fundamental question came to mind.  I felt like I already half-knew the answer to it, but it seemed off and I didn''t like that, so I decided to ask.


    (¡­ By the way, can I ask you something?)


    "Of course.  Please."


    (In the first place, why do you need to secretly buy a black rista?)


    She stopped petting me and met my gaze.


    ¡°Um¡­ can I not keep it a secret?¡±


    Even if I wasn¡¯t a Iesuma, I could tell what she was thinking.


    (I thought it was strange.  When I was in the pigpen, I couldn¡¯t grasp what you were saying, my vision was weird, and I wasn¡¯t capable of moving at all.  I couldn¡¯t adapt to a pig¡¯s body.  But it¡¯s completely different now.  I can understand your words, my eyesight seems normal, and I¡¯m able to properly walk on all four.  You mentioned you did everything you could, but I¡¯ve been wondering what exactly you did.)


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for troubling you¡­¡±


    (It doesn¡¯t bother me at all, there¡¯s no reason for me to be.  So in order to heal me, Jess, you secretly used the Quiltlin family¡¯s black rista.)


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s correct.¡±


    (And that¡¯s why you¡¯re forced to replace it using your own money.)


    ¡°Yes¡­ especially since I was just scolded for using the mansion¡¯s elevator without permission ¨C the ristas get used up very quickly, I couldn¡¯t tell them that I also used a black rista on a whim¡­ Having said that, I don¡¯t have enough money left to buy a genuine rista¡­¡±


    That answered another question of mine.


    (Elevator¡­ you mean the type of device that can help you move stuff in a house by going up and down?)


    Sensing my enlightenment, Jess lowered her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for acting so selfishly¡­¡±


    At the time, I chose not to ask because I didn¡¯t want to drive Jess into a corner, but I¡¯ve been wondering how she managed to carry me over from the pigpen to the third floor.  Her body didn¡¯t seem strong enough to lift something as heavy as a pig, so what method did she use to get me onto that bed?  It was by using an elevator to transport me to the third floor while I was asleep.


    And that¡¯s why she got yelled at.


    (Thank you, Jess.)


    Jess looked at me with teary eyes.  What a compassionate girl.  Her gentle and caring nature led her to treat me with enough kindness that I, as a pig, wouldn¡¯t be able to repay.


    I couldn¡¯t even pat her head due to my pig hooves.  All I could do was watch her cry.


    Why are you crying?  Is it because you feel apologetic towards me for needing to do something bad for my sake?  Don¡¯t be silly.


    (You know, Jess, ever since I woke up in the pigpen and we met, I haven¡¯t seen a single fault in your actions.  You¡¯re brave, kind, and pure.  If there had to be a mistake, it would have to be getting involved with this troublesome pig that was once a human.)


    ¡°You¡¯re not troublesome at all¡­¡±


    Jess looked straight at me with her lovely brown eyes.


    (You haven¡¯t done anything wrong, and I¡¯m not dissatisfied at all.  So there¡¯s no reason for you to cry.  For my sake too, please don¡¯t look so sad.)


    Hearing those words, Jess wiped her tears with her sleeves and smiled.


    She finally smiled, I thought to myself, before realizing that wasn¡¯t quite right.  Jess was simply carrying out my request.


    She smiled because I asked her to.


    I can¡¯t let it stay like this.  I have to return her favors.


    (So you just need a single black rista, right Jess?)


    She nodded.


    (Do you need it soon?)


    ¡°Yes.  If I don¡¯t prepare it before leaving for the capital¡­ I will be branded a thief and chased down.¡±


    So that¡¯s why you chose to go to the back alleyway today.


    (When are you departing to the capital?)


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s tomorrow.  I¡¯m scheduled to leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    (Tomorrow?)


    That¡¯s¡­ I can only say the timing is awful.


    (In that case, it¡¯s all or nothing.  We can only go to that store you normally buy ristas from and figure out a way to get our hands on a genuine rista.)


    ¡°But¡­ if we purchase it from that store, we will need 600 gold.  That much money is¡­¡±


    (How much do you have right now?)


    ¡°200 gold and a small amount of change.¡±


    (How much is the missing 400 gold worth?)


    ¡°What¡¯s the best way to explain it to a foreigner¡­?  If I were to give an example, then it would be about the same as most people would earn in 20 days.¡±


    Yeah, that¡¯s hopeless.  Our target is 600, and we only have 200.  There¡¯s two ways to go about this ¨C either we increase our number, or lower their number.


    (That guy with the scar in the back alley, he tried to sell them for 400 gold, right?  That means the other Iesumas managed to earn 400 gold somehow.  Do you have any idea how they did it?)


    She looked away.


    ¡°Um, they sold¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t catch that.


    (What are they selling?)


    ©¤Their genitals.


    Jess conveyed it telepathically.


    She was too embarrassed to say it out loud.  How cute.


    (In other words, selling their body.)


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ you could say that.¡±


    I looked at Jess¡¯ embarrassed face.  This country¡¯s language expression is surprisingly direct.


    (No, no.  I absolutely will not let Jess do that.)


    I wandered around on the grass while pondering.


    (The rista you used to heal me with, was that used up?)


    ¡°Yes, sorry¡­ it was when I was trying out various methods to¡­¡±


    (No need to apologize.  Let¡¯s think of a solution together.  Do you have anything of value on you?)


    She anxiously held her right hand to her chest.


    ¡°Sorr- ¡­No, other than money, I don¡¯t think so.  I have a bit over 200, and¡­ just my body.¡±


    I guess there¡¯s no choice but to steel our resolve.


    (Jess, have you ever tried haggling before?)


    ¡°Haggi¡­?¡±


    I suppose not.  After all, she¡¯s more like a charity that provides free haggis to anyone that asks.


    >TL Note: He¡¯s saying Jess is the type of person that would be consider easy prey, or a sucker, and is unlikely to have ever tried haggling.  See the following for better context: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/70699


    (You always buy ristas from that store, right?)


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    (And it¡¯s always been at their labeled price?)


    ¡°Yes, since the prices are fixed, that is the case¡­¡±


    (In short, Jess is a loyal customer of that store, which means they might be willing to give us some kind of discount.)


    Under the assumption that that man is a nice person, of course.


    ¡°But if I ask them to lower their prices, the store which has been helpfully providing ristas will lose money.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s the case.


    ¡°I can¡¯t impose something like this upon them¡­¡±


    (But if you look at it from their perspective, they should have earned a lot of money just by Jess being their customer.  So they might consider giving you some preferential treatment.)


    ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is.  For the time being, let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    Jess slowly nodded.


    We started walking back to the main street.  And as I followed the kind girl who believed in me, I began plotting while making sure she didn¡¯t notice it.


    As you all know, there isn¡¯t a single person who would consider lowering their price from 600 gold to 200 gold, so we¡¯ll have to negotiate.  Besides her money and her body, Jess has one more thing she can use.


    ¡°Jess!  Are you heading back already?¡±


    The burly man from the large store greeted her again.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s almost time¡­¡±


    Jess nervously walked towards the display cases.  I followed beside her and looked up towards the items on display.  Red, blue, yellow, green¡­ various colored ristas were lined up, and at the very end was a black rista.


    (Hey, Jess, I¡¯m here for you.  It¡¯ll be alright, just do as I say.)


    She looked over to me and gave a slight nod, anxiety plastered all over her face.


    The shopkeeper couldn¡¯t hear the words I directed towards Jess, so he lost interest in me after a quick glance.


    (Start by telling him you want a black rista.)


    ©¤Okay.


    ¡°Excuse me, I would like to buy a black rista for myself.¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s reaction was outside of my expectations.


    ¡°Again?  I thought I sold you one not too long ago.¡±


    What?  I wasn¡¯t informed about this.


    ¡°Um, I need another one.  Could you please sell it to me?¡±


    His expression became somber.


    ¡°Well, alright.  But it¡¯s 600 gold, can you afford it?¡±


    There¡¯s no time to worry about the details, I need to advise Jess.


    (Be honest about how much you have.)


    ¡°To be honest, I only have 200 gold¡­¡±


    ¡°200 gold?  What about the remaining 400?¡±


    Well, that¡¯s about what I expected.


    (Tell him you really need it, no matter what.  Could he please lower the price?)


    ¡°I really need it, no matter what.  Could you please lower the price?¡±


    He appeared stunned.


    ¡°Well, this is troubling.  You¡¯re not shopping on behalf of the Quiltlins, yeah?  So why should I sell it for cheaper to a Iesuma?¡±


    I was dumbfounded.  This was an obvious case of discrimination.  Even this seemingly kind middle-aged man was disgustingly tainted with prejudice.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Jess winced and seemed like she would cry at any moment.  To be honest, the discrimination aspect was unexpected, but her reaction was all part of the plan.


    Sorry guys.  Jess might¡¯ve caught on if I monologued about it, so I hid it from everyone and vaguely hashed out the plan in the corners of my mind.


    (Don¡¯t worry Jess, just tell him you want to sell him this pig.)


    ©¤Eh?


    (Sell me, and in exchange for me plus the 200 gold, buy the rista.)


    ©¤But¡­


    (It¡¯ll be alright.  I¡¯m not just your average pig.  Believe in me.  No matter what happens, I¡¯ll figure out a way to escape.  So tell him.  Please, for me?)


    Those words stopped her objections.


    ¡°Um¡­ In addition to the 200 gold, I¡¯ll give you this pig.  So could you please sell me the black rista?¡±


    The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and looked at me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it one of the Quiltlin family¡¯s livestock?  I can¡¯t buy that.¡±


    (Tell him it¡¯s a pig that can perform tricks.)


    ¡°Um¡­ this pig can perform tricks.¡±


    ¡°Tricks?¡±


    (You didn¡¯t steal him.  You secretly rescued him from being culled as a piglet and raised him, that¡¯s why he can do tricks.  Tell him you can show him.)


    ¡°This was a piglet that was supposed to be culled, but I rescued and raised him¡­ I didn¡¯t steal him.  That¡¯s also why he can perform tricks.  Would you like to see them?¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at me again, and I stared back at him.  He must think I¡¯m a courageous pig, as his gaze changed.


    ¡°Hm, tricks you say?  Show me one.¡±


    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±


    (I dunno what to show him, so ask the shopkeeper what he wants me to perform.)


    ¡°Um¡­ is there anything you would like to see?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ how about a dance?¡±


    Oh boy, a tall order to start with.  Fine, I¡¯ll dance.


    (Act like you¡¯re ordering me.)


    ¡°Mister Pig, a dance please.¡±


    Mm.  As a scrawny four-eyes who has avoided the sun and lived for nineteen years, I¡¯ve stayed away from doing flashy things such as dancing, but for this occasion, I¡¯ll let you watch my magnificent performance.


    Let the show begin!


    I flexed my limbs repeatedly and bobbed up and down, establishing a rhythm.  Jumping to the beat, I spun like I was chasing my tail and swayed from side to side.


    ¡°Pf¡­¡±


    Maybe it was because my dancing was too stellar, when I glanced at the shopkeeper, his face was flush and he looked like was about to burst into laughter at any moment.  As for Jess, she had her hand over her mouth and her shoulders were quivering.


    Guess it was so spectacular that they were left speechless.  It feels nice to be able to make others happy.


    I spiritedly performed an original choreography while playing anime songs in my head.


    ¡°Stop¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Please stop there¡­ I can¡¯t breathe.¡±  The shopkeeper said with tears in his eyes.


    It appears my dance was so moving it took his breath away.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ that¡¯s enough¡­¡±


    I finished off with a jump, and posed with my left rear leg in the air.


    ¡°Pfffft©¤!¡±


    The shopkeeper made a strange sound before guffawing.


    After laughing for a while, he remarked while gasping for air, ¡°That was great!  Simply too good!  And you said you¡¯re selling me this guy, Jess?¡±


    Oh?  Looks like this¡¯ll work.


    (Tell him yes.)


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Did his mood improve?  He turned to his guards and said ¡°Hey, didja see that move just now?  It was like a wounded hecklepon!¡±


    The young men laughed in agreement.  What¡¯s going on?  I¡¯ve never heard of that word before, but it sure sounds like I¡¯m being made fun of.


    ¡°Man, that was something.  Jess, does he listen to people other than you?¡±


    (Definitely.)


    ¡°Yes.  I think¡­ it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then jump, pig.¡±


    I bent my knees and jumped, to which he reacted to with another laugh.


    ¡°Well ain¡¯t he a clever pig.¡±


    Ahem.  Thank you for your compliments.


    ¡°Jess, I don¡¯t need the money, I¡¯ll take him in exchange for this black rista.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


    Well isn¡¯t he a generous guy.


    ¡°It¡¯s an exchange.  To be honest, I have a performance for tonight¡¯s festival.  If I use this pig, I have a feeling I¡¯ll make it big time.¡±


    Tonight, huh.  With that in mind, it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll have a chance to escape before midnight.  Since he¡¯s willing to trade for me without any additional money that must mean he¡¯s got very high expectations of me.  I¡¯ll likely be under strict surveillance until the festival, and on the off chance I escape before then, he¡¯ll likely direct his anger towards Jess as a result of him not making his money back.


    ¡°Um, may I participate in that festival as well?¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤!


    (Hey, wait!  If you do that, then¡­)


    ¡°I raised Mister Pig, so I would like to see him in action.  I¡¯ll even work for free.¡±


    Great, she just had to say it.  If she¡¯s nearby when I slip away, she¡¯ll be the first to fall under suspicion.  Ugh¡­ I really didn¡¯t want her acting on her own.


    ¡­ But it¡¯s also true that I moved the conversation forward without Jess¡¯ consent, so I suppose we can call it even.  After all, I was the one who deliberately pushed her into this difficult situation, as I figured she would have no choice but to follow my advice when cornered.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have sold me.


    The shopkeeper responded.  ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine, but will your work at the Quiltlins be alright?  If I cause any trouble for them, even I wouldn¡¯t be able to do business any longer.¡±


    ¡°It will be fine¡­  Starting tonight, another Iesuma will be replacing me.¡±


    He revealed a shocked expression.


    ¡°¡­ I see, it¡¯s already time¡­¡±


    It sounded somewhat lonely.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re selling this pig.  Alright, I get it.  You can come then.  We¡¯ll start right after sunset.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a table job for you to do so you can see the stage.  Do you know how to serve alcohol?¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Great, then come to the square in front of the temple before sunset.¡±


    Using the key hanging from his belt, the shopkeeper unlocked the display case.


    ©¤Mister Pig, I¡¯m sorry¡­ for acting on my selfishness¡­


    (That¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it.  Just don¡¯t help me escape.  I¡¯ll make it out on my own when night comes.  There¡¯ll be trouble if you fall under suspicion.)


    ©¤Will you be alright?


    (Of course.  Who do you think I am?)


    I¡¯m a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin, so don¡¯t look down on me.


    ©¤Then let¡¯s meet again at the festival.


    (You said it.)


    ¡°Here¡¯s your farewell gift,¡± the shopkeeper said while handing over the black rista to Jess.


    ¡°Thank you very much for your help¡­  I will return once I finish up my tasks.¡±


    She gave me a worried glance before departing to the mansion.


    ¡°Well then, Mister Pig, sorry but I¡¯m gonna have to have you wear this collar.¡±


    Before I knew it, the shopkeeper had one of his guards retrieve a leather collar and put it on me.  A chain was attached to the collar, and a young guard was assigned to holding the other end of it.


    Yeah, not good.


    I won¡¯t be able to run away with this collar on.


    After the store closed up, I was led down the cobblestone road and brought to a large town square while still chained up.  Simple wooden benches and tables were set up in front of a large dome-roof building.  No doubt this was the ¡°square in front of the temple¡± the shopkeeper was talking about.  I was then taken to a corner where large barrels were lined up, and chained to what looked like a handrail.  The chain was firmly placed where my hands, or more accurately my legs couldn¡¯t reach.  Plus, both ends were connected to bangle-like locks, so even if I struggled, it probably wouldn¡¯t come loose.


    There was nothing else I could do, so I decided to think.


    I get the feeling Jess told me a really big lie.


    First off, she hid the fact that she just recently purchased a black rista.


    ©¤Excuse me, I would like to buy a black rista for myself.


    ©¤Again?  I thought I sold you one not too long ago.


    Thinking back to those words from before, the rista shopkeeper must have been referencing something Jess bought not for the Quiltlin family, but for herself.  If it was irrelevant to the subject at hand, then that¡¯s that, but since we were discussing how to procure the money necessary to buy the rista, why didn¡¯t she mention anything about her previous purchase?


    ©¤Having said that, I don¡¯t have enough money left to buy a genuine rista.


    Looking back carefully at what she said, this could also be interpreted as her having already purchased it once with her own money¡­  Hm, something just doesn¡¯t seem right.


    And then there¡¯s the conversation Jess had with the shopkeeper.  Didn¡¯t it seem unnatural?  He interpreted her saying ¡°another Iesuma will be replacing me¡± as some kind of eternal farewell and said stuff like ¡°it¡¯s already time,¡± ¡°that¡¯s why you¡¯re selling this pig,¡± and ¡°farewell gift¡±¡­


    Isn¡¯t she just going to the capital to run an errand?  She told me she would just be on leave for a while to take care of things, so why did he react that way?


    A hazy and disconcerting feeling welled up inside of me.


    Have you ever met an otaku who studied in a STEM field, especially the scrawny type that wears glasses?  They¡¯re the type of person that would watch moe anime and chuckle to themselves, but the moment they encounter something that bothers them or when something that doesn¡¯t make sense, they¡¯ll suddenly become very talkative and ramble about complicated stuff.  Some of you might even be self-aware of being one.  If so, let¡¯s shake on it.  I¡¯m also one.


    >TL Note: ¥Ç¥å¥Õ¥Ç¥å¥Õ is used here to describe chuckling.  It¡¯s a 2ch¡¯s term for what an otaku sounds like when laughing.


    It might seem nonsensical to be worrying about the talk of money and the shopkeeper¡¯s reactions when I¡¯ve arrived at another world with a cute girl attending me, but I can¡¯t help it if it bothers me.  That¡¯s just the type of person I am.


    I heard the gonging sound of a bell.  It sounded like it came from the tower across from the temple.  Soon, the sun had nearly set and people began setting up torches in the square.  If I am to escape, I need to observe my surroundings carefully, so I moved within my feasible range as my chain jingled.


    The large barrels nearby seemed to contain alcohol, and when I got near them, they gave off a strong yeast smell, so they were probably beer barrels.  Each one had a metal faucet attached to it, likely so the beer could be poured out directly.  I also noticed the guards near the shopkeeper were carrying mugs arounds, so this appears to be his stall.


    His guards then started stacking crates of glass bottles near me.  I spotted one of them licking their lips as they took a bottle out and noticed the bottle contained a dark brown liquid substance.  Those were probably distilled liquor, and the crates contained wood shavings to cushion them.


    To escape, there¡¯s two obstacles that I¡¯ll need to get rid of.  First, there¡¯s the physical one ¨C I can¡¯t be free without taking off the chain around my neck; and second, the people here ¨C if I run away with this many people around, I¡¯ll no doubt be caught immediately.


    Every step I took made the chain jingle, which drew a lot of attention, so I did my best to stay calm and figure a way out.  All the while, other places began setting up shop, lighting their fire, and preparing plates.  It was shaping up to becoming a fairly sizable festival.


    When the sun finally set, Jess arrived at the square.  She didn¡¯t have her corset on and was instead in a frilly waitress getup.  She seemed accustomed to wearing it and it suited her slender figure very well.  If she were to say ¡°master¡± right now, even the most rational of guys would squeal like a pig.  As I made my observations, I noticed the area around her abdomen was bulging out in an odd way.


    The second Jess spotted me, she quickly ran up to me and petted my head.


    ©¤Ah, I was thinking what if they had turned you into skewers by accident, so I was really worried¡­


    (What are you talking about?  I¡¯m just fine, don¡¯t worry.)


    Just as I said that, a nice smell drifted over.  I looked towards where it came from and saw people roasting a pig over a large bonfire.  I see, I¡¯m hungry.


    ©¤I figured that might happen, so I brought some fruits.  Please enjoy, m-master.


    Oink oink!!!


    Er, you don¡¯t have to act in the spirit of service each time and tear down every flag I raise¡­


    While I was thinking that, Jess scanned her surroundings before sticking her hand into her neckline and pulled out two small apples, which she then placed in front of me.


    Why did you put them there?


    ©¤I¡¯m terribly sorry.  I was in a rush and I couldn¡¯t find a basket, so¡­ I hurriedly put them inside my clothes¡­


    (No, that¡¯s fine.  Thanks.)


    Two small and tender fruits emerged from underneath the girl¡¯s clothes, and when the pig sticks out his dirty tongue¡­!


    ©¤Um¡­ How is it?


    (Oh, this is pretty tasty.  Thank you.)


    I finished eating in no time.  And I don¡¯t know if it was because I became a pig, but I ended up also eating the apple cores.


    Jess continued stroking me nervously.


    (No need to worry, just leave the escaping up to me.  I¡¯d rather you stay away from here to create an alibi for yourself.)


    ©¤Will you be fine?


    (Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out, so let¡¯s decide on where to meet up.)


    ©¤Where to meet up?


    (Jess, do you plan on returning to the Quiltlin mansion after the festival?)


    ©¤Yes.  I still have to prepare for the travel.


    (Then, how about the farm?)


    ©¤Sure.  I don¡¯t mind, but do you know the way?


    (Roughly.  Besides, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s another mansion that big around here.)


    ©¤That¡¯s true.  There¡¯s a big tree around the farm, how about we meet under there?


    (A big tree, got it.)


    ©¤What time should we meet up?


    (I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯ll probably take until midnight.  Maybe the next morning if my luck is bad.  You have to depart tomorrow morning, right?  You can just go to bed.  I plan on getting there before sunrise, but if you don¡¯t see me by then¡­ drop by the shop and check on me.  We can talk about a new plan there.)


    ©¤Understood.  You¡¯ll be fine, right?


    (Of course.  Who do you think I am?)


    ©¤Mister scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin, right?


    ¡­¡­ That¡¯s not my name, but¡­


    (That¡¯s right, so don¡¯t underestimate me.  I¡¯ll make sure to escape in the middle of the night.)


    ©¤Okay.  I trust you.


    (That¡¯s more like it.)


    After saying that, a couple questions came to mind.


    (Hey Jess, just for future reference, could you tell me how long this festival will last?)


    ©¤Hm¡­  Perhaps until midnight.  Depending on the circumstances, it could last until the morning after.  As long as people are around, the festival will continue.  Cleanup is usually done on the following morning.


    Got it, that¡¯s fine.


    (And another thing, it looks like alcohol is served here, but are all the participants going to-)


    ¡°Hey Jess, it¡¯s almost time to get to work!¡±


    The rista shopkeeper interrupted my question.  I turned around and saw him waving cheerfully in a white shirt and leather shorts with suspenders.  Judging by this guy¡¯s physique, he should be fairly strong, but given that he had a noticeable beer gut, he must be quite the beer lover.


    ¡°Go ask the youngins¡¯ for details.  I need a moment with the pig.¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t get to ask my other question.


    He unlocked the chain and pulled me away while Jess was held back by a young man seemingly giving some sort of explanation.


    The wooden deck, which I suspect was the stage, was not far from the shopkeeper¡¯s beer barrels.  A group of men with bagpipe-like and chordophone-like instruments were waiting on the side, and as I was led up to the stage, they began their performance.  What merry music.


    ¡°Hey pig, can you rehearse your dance?¡±  The shopkeeper asked while taking my collar off.


    Looking around, I saw several middle-aged men and women gathered around the stage.  They seemed to be acquainted with the shopkeeper.


    ¡°Watch carefully, it¡¯s a masterpiece after all.¡±


    He released me, and returned to the back of the stage.


    The tempo of the music sped up.


    ¡°Go on, dance!¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s voice urged me on, and I danced with all my might.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the audience found themselves having difficulty breathing from laughter.


    The problem was that after I finished dancing, I was collared and tied to the handrail near the barrels again.


    After dark, the torches were lit and the square took on the atmosphere of a festival.  Some sat around the long tables chatting away, while others gathered around the stage with their instruments.  Meanwhile, I remained tied up near the barrels with no choice but to watch middle-aged men with beer bellies come and buy beer.


    Just as I was wondering if Jess was busy taking orders and serving the tables, she stopped by to pour a beer before quickly leaving.  She seemed quite busy.  On the other hand, the youngins¡¯ weren¡¯t doing much as they were sitting behind the barrels and playing some sort of card game.  And when someone would come by to buy beer, they would get up with an annoyed look, collect the money, and hand over the beer.


    Really?  No matter how you look at it the front of the house is crazy busy, go get to work.  This is ridiculous, how could you be playing cards while making a frail girl run around taking care of everything?


    Although I still had a question I didn¡¯t get to ask, Jess seemed busy, and so I¡¯ll just have to answer it myself via careful observations.


    Question: For the youngsters looking after this stall, can they openly drink on the job?


    In other words, are they allowed to get drunk?


    It¡¯s easy to see that these slackers love to drink, judging by how they stared at the alcohol.  However, based on their appearance, they seemed to be around the same age as Jess.  So I¡¯m wondering if the laws and morals of this country allows them to get so drunk that they¡¯ll let a pig get away.


    As the sky darkened and the crowd grew, Jess became increasingly overwhelmed by the number of tables needed to be served.  The square¡¯s excitement heightened as performers took their turns on stage.  Each time, those on stage would put up a banner that said something like ¡°omega lol¡¯s hunting gear shop¡± or ¡°go google it for sightseeing info,¡± and after their performance, they would promote something.  The audience would then get up here and there to check out the stalls with the same banners.


    I wonder if it¡¯s a system where if you put on a good show on stage, those who liked it would support you by visiting your stall.


    ¡°Maaan, I wonder when it¡¯ll be that pig¡¯s turn,¡± said one of the young men tending the stall.


    ¡°Mr. Killings said it¡¯s gonna be the grand finale.¡±


    ¡°You serious?  Won¡¯t that mean the delicious treats will have to wait until much later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get something to eat before then¡­¡±


    While they were playing cards and having their idle talk, the shopkeeper brought a tray over.  I expected the young men to get up in a hurry and try to hide their cards, but none of the sort happened, and they continued playing without any concern.


    ¡°Alright everyone, good job looking after the stall.  I bought some meat, so eat up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Killings!¡±


    Their eyes lit up as they gaped at the tray of delicious-looking roast chicken that he brought over.


    The shopkeeper ruffled one of the young men¡¯s hair, and announced ¡°You better work hard today!  I expect a lot of customers to be coming, so I prepared twice the amount of liquor than usual.¡±


    ¡°Twice?¡±


    ¡°I have high hopes for the Iesuma¡¯s pig, so I prepared them in a hurry.¡±


    I heard what I needed to hear.  That shopkeeper, Killings, seems like a skilled manager, and also quite capable of taking care of people.  But then why does he make Jess work to death out there while treating these guys here that are playing cards in the back to chicken?  And even though he knows her name, he refers to Jess as ¡°the Iesuma.¡±  This is just discrimination.


    Whatever.  I plan to say farewell to you all tonight anyway.


    Killings said he expects a lot of customers, likely because he has high expectations of my dance.  If my dancing is a big hit, the stall will attract a lot of customers.  Under those circumstances, these guys will have no choice but to work.  Also, one of them mentioned that there¡¯ll be ¡°delicious treats¡± afterwards.  Since another guy said they¡¯d ¡°like to get something to eat before then,¡± that means it¡¯s not food-related.  If so, what else could it be but alcohol?  It¡¯ll be a problem if they got drunk before serving customers after all.


    I had a plan in place now.  Observe, everyone.  I¡¯ll be escaping tonight and making my way to Jess.  I¡¯ll be going back to the cute girl that you¡¯ll only be able to witness through these pages.


    Stepping onto the stage, I realized something that I had forgotten about.  There were a thousand something people in the audiences.  This was the first time in my life that I had to perform in front of such a large crowd.  As I stood on the large stage that was prepared for me, two thousand plus eyes stared at me.


    (I can even clearly see the people in the back!)


    I tried to embody the idol spirit, but my heart wouldn¡¯t stop racing.


    Eh, isn¡¯t this pretty bad?


    Likely due to the novelty of a pig performing on stage, there were a lot of curious and piercing gazes on me.


    Uh, no way, nu-uh, impossible.  I can¡¯t even do a self-introduction in class without flubbing it out of nervousness, so why do I have to dance in front of a thousand people on my first day in another world?


    The shopkeeper moved next to me and placed a megaphone looking object with a green rista attached to it in front of his mouth.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!  It¡¯s the Killings Gem Shop¡¯s turn next.¡±


    His voice was magnified a couple dozen times, and it echoed across the square.


    ¡°Up until yesterday, we advertised that we would be arranging a music performance.  However, we decided to invite this pig on stage on top of that.¡±


    There were murmurs of confusion along with laughter.


    ¡°I have no doubt that this¡¯ll be a show that you have never seen before!  Please enjoy.¡±


    It was at this moment I spotted Jess watching me from the middle of the square.


    She was clenching both her hands in front of her chest, as if to say ¡°do your best!¡±  That¡¯s cute.  Aah, after this is over, I want her to give me a lap pillow!  I want to lick her face like a dog and make it sticky with saliva.  Her small-


    ©¤Um, I can hear you¡­


    Eh, is that so?


    Then you should¡¯ve just cheered me on telepathically in the first place.


    And thus, the show began.


    ¡°Dance!  I¡¯m countin¡¯ on ya!¡±  The shopkeeper said while giving me a smile.


    I unintentionally reacted with a nod, surprising him.  He followed up by walking off stage while clapping his hands.


    Uh oh, not good.  How should I dance?


    I guess I should start with a jump.


    After a moment of silence, the venue was filled with laughter.


    Whatever, I don¡¯t care anymore.


    I then decided to do a loop around the stage, but my foot got caught and I fell over.  Another round of laughter.


    ©¤Mister Pig, do your best!


    Jess encouraged me with her voice that only I could hear.  However, what this innocent girl doesn¡¯t know is that the creature known as otaku becomes incapable of doing anything properly the second they realize a girl is watching them.


    I tried to do the zig zag step, but ended up stepping on my own hooves.


    ¡°Screeoink!¡±


    My cry of pain invited further howling.  The old man sitting in the front row was even crying out of laughter.


    ©¤Don¡¯t worry!  I¡¯m not watching, so keep it up!  Pff.


    Hm?  Did I hear a giggle just now?  Well, that¡¯s fine.  I¡¯ll do my best for the sake of Jess¡¯ smile.  I¡¯ll show you all the scene of a pig doing the windmill for the first time in history!


    Though the act was well received by the audience, for me, it was an absolute disaster.  While I was desperately dancing, I unknowingly moved towards the edge of the stage and ended up falling off.


    Ow, ow, ow!


    This is what happens when an otaku gets carried away trying to show off.


    With the collar attached once again, I was whisked back to the handrail and tied to it.


    It looks like I sprained my right hind leg, or possibly even broke it.  Every step sent a jolt of pain through me.


    ¡°Hey pig, you were the best!  They loved it.  Just look at them!¡±


    After tying the chain, the shopkeeper pointed at the queue in front of the liquor stall.  Seems like the young men were now busy with selling beer.  Those bottles of distilled liquor, which from the sound of the orders were whiskey, also began to sell.  These guys were dripping with sweat from the sultry environment.  Serves you right.


    Enduring the pain in my leg, I waited for my chance.


    After about 30 minutes, the line cleared up and a bunch of flushed face adults started surrounding me to watch.  Just as planned.  Bearing the pain, I jumped and danced, garnering round after round of applauses.  One after another, drunkards holding mugs and bottles gathered.


    The young men tending the stall impatiently opened their bottles of whiskey and downed them happily while watching me.


    Alright, time to act.


    I moved close to the handrail while dancing to give the chain as much slack as possible, so when I shake my body and jerk my head around, the chain would make an unpleasant jangling sound.  Come on, ring some more.


    With enough vigor to feel like I would get a whiplash from this, I shook my head to repeatedly slam the chain on the ground.


    ¡°Hey buddy, can you remove this loud and annoying chain?¡±


    An old man finally spoke up.


    ¡°A bottle of whiskey¡¯s 10 gold.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, I¡¯ll buy one.¡±


    After the old man paid, one of the young men took off my collar.  All according to plan.


    >TL Note: Keikaku doori.


    On to step two.  I slowly led the crowd towards the crates of whiskey, then fake charged at them as to startle them.  Since they¡¯re drunk, they reacted as I had expected and jump backwards.


    Just a little more to the right.


    I pretended to rush at them again, and one of the drunkards fell perfectly onto the crates.


    CRASH!


    The crates fell over and the glass bottles were scattered.  The keen-eyed young men pretended to clean up the mess while swiping the undamaged bottles, and the people around me apologetically purchased another glass of whiskey.


    All that¡¯s left now is to wait.  I just have to act funny and keep them here.


    In less than an hour, everyone present was extremely drunk, and I took the opportunity to slip away.


    This pig was furious.


    Actually, I lied.  Sorry.  I just wanted to let you all know that my injured leg hurt so much, I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯ll be able to make it to the Quiltlin mansion.


    I felt like Melos, and in order to fulfill my promise with this cute girl, I had to make it back before sunrise no matter what.  But the pain.


    >TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run,_Melos!


    Since I¡¯m a pig, it¡¯s not possible for me to physically touch my hind legs and check.  I laid down on the ground and twisted my neck to look.  There were no visible injury.  The pain came from the joint.  Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s nothing serious.


    The streets at night were empty and dark, the only thing I could rely on was the moonlight.  Tonight was a full moon.  It was so bright, my shadow was casted onto the stone pavement.


    I haven¡¯t felt this much pain since I sprained my ankle at a ball game tournament during high school.  I made a questionable move and fell, so while the popular boys were playing under the cheers of the girls, I was quietly nursing my ankle with ice in the corner of the gym.


    Urk.  I remembered something I didn¡¯t want to.


    That said, I¡¯m at a loss here.  If Jess finds out about my injury, she might end up using another black rista on me.  And it¡¯s not like she can sell me again when I¡¯m an escaped pig, so I¡¯ll just have to do my best to hide it.


    But she¡¯s someone who can read thoughts.  I¡¯ll need to think of a countermeasure before I go back to the farm.


    No, no.  Let¡¯s put that aside and focus on getting to the farm safely first.  I drew a lot of attention at the festival, so it¡¯ll be bad if I get spotted.  It¡¯s probably best if I take the back roads when possible.


    I roughly knew the direction towards the mansion, it¡¯s hard to miss it since it was a large building built over a spacious plot of land.  I decided to get there through the back alleyways.


    As I limped towards my destination, I reached a familiar location.  It was the shady back alleyway where that guy with the scar was selling ristas.  The place had a foul odor like that of a dirty public bathroom.  I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s doing business here right now, so I should be able to pass through here and get out of town to reach the meadows.


    I heard a voice coming from ahead and stopped.


    ¡°Clean up after your own mistakes.  You know what¡¯ll happen if you cause trouble for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but there was nothing I could¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°You can probably take care of it and make it look like an accident happened.¡±


    ¡°Not that, I¡¯m not talking about the corset situation.  The pig just ran off all of a sudden and disappeared.¡±


    That voice must¡¯ve been from the guy who tried to sell used ristas.  I quietly hid behind a wooden crate, held my breath, and listened in on the conversation.


    ¡°Then find her.  You know where the mansion is, follow and kill her.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.  I¡¯m sorry for before, but isn¡¯t this going too far?  If I kill the Quiltlin family¡¯s Iesuma, it¡¯ll be over for me.¡±


    My legs trembled.  Hang on a second, what did they just say?


    ¡°She¡¯s your responsibility.  If you don¡¯t want to, you can always ask one of the Iesuma hunters to take care of it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll kill a Iesuma that¡¯s currently employed.¡±


    ¡°Give em¡¯ more money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of money.¡±


    A loud bang could be heard, and I saw the scarred man pressed against a wall.  A two meter tall muscular guy with short blonde hair towered over him.


    ¡°Listen up.  Either you kill the Iesuma, or you die.  If you don¡¯t have her corpse by tomorrow night, we¡¯ll kill you alongside the Iesuma, and put the blame on you.¡±


    The brawny guy quickly released the scarred man and walked menacingly towards my direction.  But perhaps because I was hidden and holding my breath desperately, he didn¡¯t spot me and left.


    ¡°Guess I gotta do it¡­¡±


    The scarred man also walked in my direction while fixing his clothes.


    Eh?  What do I do if I¡¯m spotted?  Am I going to die?


    I quivered in fear, waiting for him to pass.  He turned on the corner, and walked in the direction towards the Quiltlin mansion.


    Huh?  Waitwaitwaitwaitwait¡­  Why were they talking about killing Jess?  Or rather, why won¡¯t my legs move?  Hang on, just give me some time to think.  Is that guy going to where Jess is?  If so, I have to do whatever it takes to stop him.  But what can I do?  What exactly can a livestock that¡¯s trembling in fear in this dumpster-like back alley do?


    Shit.  Shitshitshitshitshit!


    ¡­ Stop, calm down.  Aren¡¯t you in a fantasy world of sword and magic?  Is it ok for you to be frozen in place, letting the pitiful heroine die?  Is it fine for that innocent girl waiting for me to be murdered by that filthy man?


    Move, Melos.  For the sake of saving Jess, you have to act.


    Even though they¡¯ve been domesticated, the ancestors of pigs are wild boars.  They¡¯re ferocious beasts.


    So what if I¡¯m hurt?  It¡¯s not like I need to kill that guy immediately anyway.  Yeah, I just have to chase after him for now.  I can figure out a strategy while keeping an eye on the situation.


    I returned to the main street once again and spotted the guy¡¯s hunched figure.  He seemed to also have problems with his legs, as he was limping.  Looks like I shouldn¡¯t have any issues tailing him.


    I followed him while observing my surroundings.  I¡¯m a pig after all, an animal with eyes facing to the side, therefore I had a wider field of view.  You got that?


    That said, it wasn¡¯t until I remembered that fact before I was able to see everything around me all at once.  It was probably because I was used to a human being¡¯s perspective, so I was only paying attention to the center of my field of view.  Once I stop focusing there, I should be able to see more things at the same time.


    I was reminded of another thing: pigs are used to find truffles because their noses are as sensitive as dogs¡¯.  I tried to be conscious of it as I breathed in.  The headwind carried the breath of someone who smoked tobacco, the stench of unwashed hair, and above all else, the smell of menthol.


    Although there weren¡¯t any new scents that I haven¡¯t smelled before, the distance from things at which I could smell them was absurdly farther away.  I tried smelling the ground.  Stone, dust, and a bit of that scarred man¡¯s smell seemed to come from it.


    Pigs have their own talents.  Being able to draw people¡¯s attention just by dancing is only one of many.


    Think.  How can I protect Jess?


    I decided to observe the guy.  His steps were uneven but casual, and he was carrying a leather bag over his shoulder.  The bag was bulging from something inside, it was probably the used ristas.  Because of his legs and belongings, I was certain he wouldn¡¯t be able to move quickly.  However, I was also wounded, and it¡¯s risky to attack a human without knowing what kind of weapons they had.


    Not to mention, I was a former four-eyed shitty virgin, so I don¡¯t have the guts to kill someone.


    Taking these factors into consideration, it¡¯s probably best to let someone else fight this guy.  But the only person I can communicate with is Jess, and I don¡¯t think an angel like her would be able to go against him and win.


    I guess there¡¯s no other choice but to inform Jess beforehand and run away.


    But what about those ¡°Iesuma hunters¡± that that brawny man mentioned?  Even if we managed to get away, will we be able to survive while being targeted by them?


    Think.  What can I do to make them give up killing Jess?  What are those bad guys worried about?


    We had reached the outskirts of town while I was pondering.  The Quiltlin mansion could be seen in the distance, and it was a straight road to it from here.


    The guy stopped for a moment and pulled something out from his waist.  The blade glistened under the moonlight.  It was a dagger.


    If that sharp blade cut through Jess¡¯ dainty neck, pierced her fair skin, punctured her organs, and splattered her blood¡­  No, I hate the thought of that.  I won¡¯t let it happen.


    The guy put away his dagger and resumed walking slowly.


    Time¡¯s running out.  It¡¯s frustrating, but I¡¯ve got no choice other than to go and meet Jess before him.


    Run pig, only you can save Jess.


    I deviated from the road and ran straight through the meadow towards the Quiltlin mansion.  Perhaps due to the adrenaline rush from hearing about the assassination, the pain was just barely bearable.  I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret running this much with an injured leg later, but for now, I have to save my benefactor, Jess.


    We agreed to meet under the big tree at the farm, but that¡¯s tomorrow morning.  I told her to go to bed, so she should be in that room on the third floor.


    I arrived at the mansion¡¯s back entrance, but the wooden door¡¯s handle was too high for me to reach, and it was likely locked.  Fuck.  If I was a human, I¡¯d forcefully break in, but¡­


    While contemplating how to open the door, something else came to mind.


    ©¤You can probably take care of it and make it look like an accident happened.


    ©¤You know where the mansion is, follow and kill her.


    ©¤If I kill the Quiltlin family¡¯s Iesuma, it¡¯ll be over for me.


    That¡¯s right.  I was too distressed to think properly, but there¡¯s no way that guy can kill Jess while she¡¯s inside the mansion.  Even though they knew the location of the mansion, ¡°follow and kill¡± implies that they can¡¯t brazenly kill her inside the mansion.  Yeah, since the bad guys are afraid of the Quiltlins, if it was discovered that Jess was killed, the culprit will be investigated, captured, and probably executed by the Quiltlins.


    ©¤So long as I wear the crest of the Quiltlins, I won¡¯t be targeted.


    That corset that Jess wore, does it imply that she belongs to the Quiltlins and that no one is allowed to put a hand on her?


    If so, that guy¡¯s actions can be predicted.  Option one, lie in ambush, wait for Jess to come out, and kill her after she leaves.  Option two, pretend to be in need of help, lure her out, and kill her.


    But Jess should recognize his face, and she¡¯s also from a race that can read people¡¯s minds to some extent.  With those in mind, it would be more likely for him to prepare an ambush and attack that way.


    Next is figuring out what he¡¯ll do after killing Jess.  He can¡¯t leave the body there as is, since it¡¯ll be obvious that it was a murder.  But it¡¯ll also be difficult for him to carry Jess around, since his legs have problems.


    Wait, hold on.  Is he actually going to kill Jess with that dagger?  If he¡¯s trying to make it look like an accident, a stab wound will cause issues.  If it was noticed that she was murdered and an investigation into the culprit was launched, it¡¯s possible that this guy, who seems to have a bad standing, would be betrayed by his colleagues because they don¡¯t want to deal with the scrutiny, and be handed over to the Quiltlins.  He¡¯ll definitely want to play it safe and make it look like an accidental death.


    His target is a weak and obedient girl, so he¡¯ll surely take her somewhere else before finishing her off.  The only problem then becomes the fact that she recognizes him and that she can read his thoughts.  Hence the dagger.  He¡¯ll surprise and threaten her with it, drag her away, and finally throw her in a river.


    If that¡¯s going to be the case, it¡¯ll be bad once he witnesses Jess leaving the mansion.  Not to mention she¡¯ll be heading to the farm before sunrise.  If he attacks there, there¡¯s nothing I can do.  Dammit.


    I looped around the back of the mansion and stared at the room on the third floor.  The lights were off, so it must be pitch black inside.  When preparing to head out, she¡¯ll need to turn it on, so I should be able to know her timing.  Is there something I can do to signal her¡­?


    It was at this moment, I realized another possibility.


    I¡¯m a failure of a human being, and given that I¡¯ve never gone out with a girl before I¡¯m not too sure on this, but how early does a girl arrive after you¡¯ve agreed on a place and time to meet?


    For a girl like Jess, would she be waiting there for me already?


    There¡¯s still plenty of time until sunrise.  While keeping an eye on the third floor window and area surrounding the back door, I decided to check our meeting place.


    Under the cover of darkness, I headed towards the farm.  I was reminded of my walk with Jess in the morning.  Even though it felt like a long time ago, I remembered our conversation.


    ©¤My name is Jess.  Please feel free to call me Jess.


    ©¤Pleased to meet you too, Mister Pig.


    ©¤I will accompany you.


    Her gentle voice resonated through my mind.  Those innocent eyes, and her angel-like smile.


    Where else in my lifetime would I be able to find such kindness?  The kindness to lend me a hand when I suddenly appeared in the pigpen covered in mud.  The kindness to use an expensive rista on someone like me¡­


    Not so fast.  Get a hold of yourself.  Good grief, otakus sure fall head over heels easily.


    Now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about such thoughts.


    I shook my head and hurried to the farm.  You understand, right, readers?  No matter what kind of cute girl we might meet, we can¡¯t fall in love.  It¡¯s our duty as otakus to quietly support them from afar.  I felt my heart being squeezed.


    In the middle of the vast meadow laid a single large tree.  The ground around it was slightly raised, making it look like it was outstretched towards the sky.  Underneath the starry night skies, its leaves swayed and flickered from the breeze and moonlight.


    A girl was sitting at the base of the tree, leaned against the trunk, sleeping.  There she was, waiting.


    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s so early¡­  Hey hey, it¡¯s still in the middle of the night.  Did she come here this early just to wait for me?


    I completely forgot about the pain in my leg and bolted towards her.  Even as I approached, she remained fast asleep.  She was in the same white blouse and navy blue skirt from when we first met.  Her look of serenity while slumbering briefly entranced me.


    ¡­ No, that¡¯s not right.  What are you doing, pig?  This is not a viewing party for cute girls sleeping.  You should be thinking about how to stop that guy from killing her.  Let¡¯s start by waking Jess up.


    (Jess, can you get up?)


    No response.  I guess that¡¯s to be expected.  It would be too noisy to fall asleep if even a pig¡¯s thoughts were transmitted into your brain even while unconscious.


    I nudged Jess¡¯ shoulder with the tip of my nose.  She didn¡¯t wake up, but she stirred slightly.  Her pretty face was next to me.  Her long blonde eyelashes glistened in the moonlight.  Her small nose and thin lips.  The skin on her neck gently curved along under the silver collar and connected to the bumps along the surface of her slender collarbone.  Her delicate arms and fingers looked like they might break if they held something heavy, but if you looked carefully, you would see that her hands were covered in small wounds, and were chapped and red.


    To think someone would consider killing a girl like her, that person¡¯s not a human being.


    Anger welled up within me.  I won¡¯t let Jess die for the sake of that guy¡¯s self-preservation.  Just try and point your dagger at Jess, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t be able to hold a knife ever again.


    I nudged her again, this time more forcefully.


    Jess slowly opened her eyes.  She noticed me and her eyes widened without a word.  Her brown eyes took me in and were damp in no time.  She burst into tears.


    ¡°¡­ I was really worried about you.¡±


    Jess hugged my head after those words, and my mind went blank.


    Time seemed to stop.  But I remembered I had something I needed to do.


    (Jess, listen to me.)


    She didn¡¯t let go of me.  Even though I was just a stranger and a pig that she picked up today.


    Sadly, I have to put a stop to this moment of happiness.


    (There¡¯s a guy coming to kill you, Jess.)


    ¡°Me¡­?  Eh?¡±


    Jess finally released me, and held her right hand against her chest.


    (It¡¯s the scarred face guy who you tried to buy a rista from this afternoon.  He¡¯s already near the mansion with the intention of killing you.)


    ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    (I don¡¯t know for sure, but I suspect they want to kill you to keep your mouth shut.  That¡¯s because, if Jess ever figures out that they¡¯re running a shady business that deals in used ristas, their business will be over.)


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t going to tell¡­¡±


    (Yeah, but bad guys are people who will kill just to shut a person up if he or she discovers something that they didn¡¯t want leaking out.)


    Why did I explain it like this?  What am I, her father?


    ¡°What should I do¡­?  If I¡¯m killed¡­ Mister Pig might not be able to return to being a human.¡±


    Why are you worried about me right now?  What are you, my mother?!


    (I won¡¯t let you die.  I¡¯m here with you, so let¡¯s figure out a counterplan together.)


    Jess looked at me with her teary eyes.


    ¡°Then¡­ how about sneaking away?¡±


    (That won¡¯t do as a good countermeasure.  They might follow us wherever we go, and when you return, they could attack you again.)


    She seemed to want to say something, but then closed her mouth and looked down.


    (I think the best course of action is to let the Quiltlins arrest him.  There¡¯ll be no need for us to fight, and is therefore least dangerous.  More importantly, as long as the Quiltlins are on our side and help spread word about their dirty laundry, there¡¯ll be no point in sealing your mouth.  It¡¯ll also make it harder for them to target you.)


    ¡°But¡­ will the Quiltlins go so far as to do that for me¡­?¡±


    (Haven¡¯t you been serving them for a long time?)


    ¡°Yes¡­ but I¡¯m a Iesuma.¡±


    (So?)


    ¡°My status compared to the Quiltlin family is night and day.  I¡¯m¡­ not in any position to be asking for anything.¡±


    (But if you¡¯re killed, the Quiltlins will be troubled as well, no?  Don¡¯t you still work there?)


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Jess pressed her hand nervously against her chest.


    I got the feeling that she was keeping quiet about something.


    (Tell me.  I won¡¯t get mad.)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I actually won¡¯t be returning to the mansion anymore.¡±


    I figured that might have been the case.  It wasn¡¯t just my imagination when that shopkeeper said something along the lines of a farewell gift, as if Jess was going away.


    (Alright, you can tell me why next time.  For now, let¡¯s think about what we can do right now.)


    If we can¡¯t ask the Quiltlins to make a move, let¡¯s think of a way to create a situation where they¡¯re left with no choice but to act.  The question is, how to do that?


    (Is there a place where you keep the tools locked up on the farm, and can we trap someone inside of it?)


    ¡°Um¡­ There¡¯s a stone warehouse.  If it¡¯s locked from the outside, you won¡¯t be able to get out.¡±


    (Do you have the keys to it?)


    ¡°Yes, the key is hung at an easy to spot location right after entering the back door of the mansion.¡±


    That would mean there¡¯s a chance Jess might get spotted by that guy on her way to picking up the key.


    (Even if you¡¯re just a servant, you should still be allowed to leave a note behind where someone from the Quiltlin family can find it, right?)


    ¡°Yes¡­ I believe so.¡±


    (I¡¯ll be telling you the plan then, make sure follow my instructions.)


    I overruled Jess¡¯ objections and got to work.


    I scouted the area around the mansion on my own.  The wind carried the smell of menthol, which allowed me to locate the scarred man hiding inside a bush, secretly monitoring the back door.  It was just as I had deduced, he plans to ambush Jess, threaten her with the dagger, then drag her away.


    I returned to the place Jess was hiding at and said, (Let¡¯s go.  And don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m not his target, you are, so don¡¯t come and try to help me no matter what.  Worst case scenario, you can escape alone since he has problems with his legs.)


    She nodded vaguely.  Well, nothing I can do if that happens, I just have to make sure I don¡¯t screw it up.


    After guiding Jess to hide near the mansion, I steeled myself and pretended to wander around in front of the back door.  Naturally, I expect that guy to have noticed me.


    ¡°Snort.¡±


    Oops, I meant to sound more like a pig, but it came out more like a sneer.


    However, that was quite effective, as the guy shifted his attention onto me and changed postures.


    ¡°Snoink.¡±


    I made another squeal before trotting towards the farm.  There was some hay burning on the farm which emitted a flickering light.


    With my pig¡¯s field of view, I was able to spot the guy stalking me.  It seems like the fire on the farm caught his attention, as he was staring at it.  Based on the information available to him, he¡¯s probably thinking that the campfire on the farm is being tended by his target, since this pig was with her this afternoon and it¡¯s currently walking towards it.


    ¡­ He might even be hoping to take her out at the campfire itself.


    As we neared the farm, I hastened my steps and hid inside the pigpen.


    He lost sight of me, but because his target is Jess, he¡¯ll be carefully searching around the campfire for her.  The warehouse is quite a ways away from the campfire, so it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll check there.


    I waited for a while inside the pigpen before exiting in search of that guy.  I spotted him right away.  He was stood next to the campfire, glancing everywhere.  Perfect, keep your eyes on the fire.  It¡¯s bright, so your pupils will constrict, and the rhodopsin in your rod cells gradually get photobleached.  The human eye is able to adapt to bright light quickly, but it takes time for it to adjust to the dark.  Right now, he shouldn¡¯t be able to spot Jess, who has already retrieved the key from the back door and is on her way to the warehouse under the cover of the night.


    Suddenly, a light lit up elsewhere.  It was the warehouse.  Ok, let¡¯s move.


    I moved near the guy once again.


    ¡°Snooink.¡±


    I snorted as hard as I could to draw his attention.  I might have overdone it, but it seems like he wasn¡¯t aware of my intentions and simply stared at me intently as I headed towards the warehouse.


    As soon as he noticed the warehouse was lit up, he stopped wandering around the campfire and followed me to there.  It¡¯s been going just as planned, the rest is up to me.


    I slowly entered the warehouse, making sure he saw me.  The lantern on the ceiling was lit, and looking around, there was only fodder and fertilizer, nothing that could be used to escape.  The hay did its job and worked as a blind spot.  I was relieved.


    I continued making noises, snorting from beyond the entrance.


    My heart was pounding.  If everything goes according to plan, he should enter the warehouse with his dagger out.  I reminded myself of Jess¡¯ petting to calm myself.


    (Are you ready, Jess?)


    ©¤Yes, I¡¯m hiding¡­ just at the back of the warehouse.


    Good.  Unlike that time during the festival, Jess wasn¡¯t watching right now.  This introvert is going to break out and do his best to fight for this girl who is trembling nearby!


    As expected, the smell of tobacco, dirty hair, and menthol grew stronger, and the guy entered the warehouse.  I slipped by him with a nonchalant look and exited the warehouse.


    The guy glanced at me-


    Now!


    I stomped on my injured hind leg.  I pictured Jess¡¯ face when she cheered me on onstage.  I must protect her.  I aimed at the guy¡¯s back knee, and¡­ Charge!


    A pig¡¯s skull is pretty hard, so the impact was not a big deal for me, but for him, he lost his balance and fell over.


    ¡°This fucking pig¡­!¡±


    I backed up, and charged towards his flank again as he tried to get back up.


    But it looks like I activated my scrawny four-eyed skill.  The guy was more agile than expected, and he swung his leather bag at me, which I failed to dodge.  It was a direct hit to my flank and the stones inside the bag shook my guts.


    Oof!


    I thought of Jess¡¯ smile.  This guy in front of me was going to harm that smile.


    I twisted my body to minimize the momentum loss of my sprint and crashed into his body with my nose.  It worked, and he released his grip on the bag.  Without missing a beat, I took a step back, opened my mouth wide, and bit hard on his Achilles tendon.  I could hear a cracking sound.


    ¡°Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±  The guy cried.


    Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain run down my spine and my body stiffened.


    What¡¯s this?  This might be bad.  I thought, as I retreated out the warehouse.


    (Now, Jess!  Close the door!)


    Jess immediately came over when I called.  She closed and locked the heavy warehouse door at a speed that was unimaginable coming from a girl like her.  I could hear the cries of pain from that guy from inside.


    Awesome, it worked.


    (Good job, Jess!  It¡¯s alright now!)


    I tried to walk towards her, but my hind legs wouldn¡¯t listen.  I fell on the ground with a thud.  My body instinctively curled up.  What¡¯s going on?


    Jess was frozen in place, staring at me in shock, while I tried to pinpoint the source of this pain.


    Something warm was pouring out of me.  A dagger was lodged deep into my back.


    It¡¯s ironic that I failed to realize this world wasn¡¯t just a dream until I was about to die.


    It¡¯s impossible to not wake up after experiencing pain that was as realistic as this.  I once had a dream of being stabbed in the back, but that time I bent over like a shrimp and was immediately jolted awake.  I guess I really was reincarnated into another world.


    It wasn¡¯t just a dream.


    I laid on my side with my legs twitching, and I looked at her face which was tilted at a right angle.  It hurts.  It¡¯s cold.  Am I¡­ going to die?


    ©¤Don¡¯t¡­ Mister Pig¡­ Please don¡¯t die.


    She transmitted her thoughts to me while lightly touching my neck.  That tickles.


    ©¤I¡¯m sorry¡­  Um, what¡­ what can I do?


    There¡¯s nothing you can do.  There¡¯s no way to avoid death unless you¡¯re in a world with magic.


    Jess¡¯ head shot up.  I knew what she was thinking.  She was probably planning to steal a black rista from the Quiltlins again.


    (You can¡¯t, Jess.  Don¡¯t trouble yourself any further for my sake.)


    ©¤But at this rate, you¡¯ll die.


    (Yeah.  It was only for a short while, but I had a lot of fun.)


    ©¤How can this be!  Weren¡¯t you going to the capital with me?!


    (Forget it.  You should just take care of your errands.  No need to worry about mine.)


    ©¤That¡¯s not¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant at all.


    What is she trying to say?


    ©¤Um¡­ I still haven¡¯t shown Mister Pig my naked body.  Even though you told me to save it until the time was right¡­


    (That¡¯s just some nonsense from a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.  Forgive me.)


    I¡¯m getting sleepy.  It must be from the lack of oxygen in my brain due to the loss of blood.  As my consciousness faded, I thought to myself: Isn¡¯t this peak bliss, to die while being cared for by a cute girl?


    ©¤Please¡­  Don¡¯t leave me alone¡­


    My sight and hearing became foggy.  Only Jess¡¯ mournful wish made its way into my consciousness.


    However, even that wish soon unraveled like a silk thread.


    In my dreams, I recalled how that guy hit me with his bag.  Those hard rocks inside that bag¡­


    What am I doing, thinking about pointless things?


    To get one last look at Jess, I closed my eyes and focused all of my attention to them.  Dying here sure beats dying of food poisoning a hell of a lot more.  Isn¡¯t it great that I get to have a cute girl see me off?


    I opened my eyes to behold my final scene.


    All I saw was the dark meadow.

 Volume 1 - CH 2

    Sunlight shone through the gaps between the trees in the dusky forest.  Judging by the angle it was coming from, it must still be early morning.  I woke up in a place that looked like a secret hideout as I was surrounded by dense shrubberies.


    Something was on top of my abdomen.  A blonde girl was using me as a pillow to sleep.


    I steadily got up on all fours.  Jess¡¯ head slipped from my stomach and landed on the wooden board.  Perhaps it was because she will be traveling a while that she wore an aqua blue one-piece dress, but it gave the impression of being more lighthearted than before.


    ¡°Nyafuuun¡­¡±


    She made a strange noise and placed a hand over her head.


    (Oops, my bad¡­)


    At the same time, I recalled what had happened up until now.  I became a pig, danced at the festival, reunited with Jess under the beautifully moonlit night, locked that guy into the warehouse¡­


    Jess looked at me and petted me on my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you woke up, Mister Pig.¡±


    She had a bright smile on her face, but she looked terrible.  Her complexion was pale, her hair was disheveled, and several strands of hair were stuck to her face from sweat.  What happened?


    I looked at Jess carefully ¨C she didn¡¯t have a corset on, her one-piece dress was wrinkled, and her hands were red from chafing.  I then checked my bed ¨C it was just a large wooden board with simple wheels underneath that were made by wrapping metal around a piece of wood.  A long and durable-looking rope hung from it.  We¡¯re in the middle of the forest, so you¡¯re telling me that she pulled me all the way to here?


    (Jess, are you doing alright?)


    ¡°I¡¯m okay because Mister Pig is with me.¡±


    No matter how you look at it, she didn¡¯t seem fine¡­


    That¡¯s right, now I remember, I was stabbed.


    (Did you use those black ristas?)


    ¡°Yes.  The bag was dropped outside of the warehouse.  Although there weren¡¯t that many, when I used them together, they worked properly.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a part of my plan, so I can only call myself lucky that the guy used his bag of ristas as a weapon.


    (Thank you, Jess.  You saved my life.)


    ¡°No problem.  I did it because I wanted to,¡± she beamed while stroking my head.


    Feeling embarrassed, I looked down at the ground before asking: (Did you leave the note about capturing that guy?)


    ¡°I did.  I also left the rest of the ristas at the mansion, I figured they could be used as evidence.¡±


    That¡¯s being a bit too honest¡­  We could have kept a few for ourselves, since they could come in handy.


    Well, the fact that she didn¡¯t do that is one of her charms as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    Jess averted her eyes and spoke.  That was a monologue, let¡¯s try and be aware of that.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    (It¡¯s fine.  Just be careful next time.)


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She really is an honest and nice girl.  I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a lot of girls like her out there that are apt to be called an angel or goddess.  She¡¯s not self-centered at all, she¡¯s always kind, and she¡¯s full of virtue.  All of her inner beauty seems to exude from her adorable face and slender hands.


    I looked at Jess and saw her staring down with her cheeks flushed.  She¡¯s doing her best to ignore my monologues.  I guess I should stop teasing her.


    (At any rate, you really helped me out there.  Thanks to your prayer, even my leg seems to fine now.)


    I tried moving a bit and confirmed that the injury I sustained from falling off the festival stage was


    Ugh, I was reminded of my dark history.


    Still blushing, Jess covered her mouth to hold back from laughing.


    (What?  I did my best to dance there.  It¡¯s rude to laugh at that.)


    ¡°Sorry, but it was so funny¡­¡±


    I much prefer seeing her smile than seeing her haggard, so I¡¯ll forgive her.


    (So where are we?)


    ¡°In the middle of the woods.¡±


    (I mean, I know that much¡­)


    She laughed, appearing amused.


    ¡°Sorry, we are located near the Dark Woods¡¯ road, which is north of Quiltli.  If we follow this road, we should be able to find a few small villages, I think.¡±


    (The way you said that doesn¡¯t bring a lot of confidence¡­  Are you sure we¡¯ll be able to reach the capital?)


    ¡°Yes.  As long as you keep heading north, you should be able to see the capital eventually.  It¡¯s said that the capital is located on a conspicuously high mountain, so you¡¯ll be able to tell with just a glance.¡±


    (¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never been there before.)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll reach it!¡±


    Those words can also be taken as saying there¡¯s a chance we won¡¯t make it there¡­


    (Well then, I¡¯m starting to get hungry as well, so let¡¯s go.  Did you get enough rest?)


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jess clenched her fists and showed me her guts pose, but her face clearly revealed her exhaustion.


    (Just for reference sake, how long will it take to reach the village?  And how far are we from Quiltli?)


    ¡°I think it will take another two or three o¡¯clocks, since we¡¯re more than half way there.¡±


    (How long is an o¡¯clock?)


    ¡°Ah, let me see¡­  Divide one day into twenty four parts, each part is an o¡¯clock.¡±


    So it¡¯s the same as an hour?  It¡¯s nice to hear the answer being what I expected.  Some simple arithmetic is enough to figure out the truth.  After Jess moved me onto the cart, she definitely walked for more than three hours.  She¡¯s been lugging around a very heavy baggage, so it¡¯s probably been a lot longer.  It¡¯s only been about an hour since the sun rose, and I was stabbed at around midnight.  That means she¡¯s been walking the whole time and barely slept at all.


    I tried to visualize my physique.  My eye level reach Jess¡¯ thighs, so my back should be a bit taller.


    (Jess, do you want to try riding on my back?)


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    She¡¯s kind, so if I asked her normally, she would insist on walking on her own.  However, I already knew very well how to deal with this overly gentle girl.


    (It¡¯s been a dream of mine since childhood to have a cute girl ride me with her bare legs.)


    (Just follow along this road, right?)


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ that¡¯s¡­ probably¡­ fine¡­¡±


    It¡¯s only been three minutes since Jess got on my back, but she sounded somewhat distressed.


    (What¡¯s wrong?  Are you not feeling well?)


    ¡°No¡­ um¡­ it¡¯s my first time¡­ riding Mister Pig, so¡­ when you rub against me¡­ it tickles¡­¡±


    I wondered what I was rubbing up against before it dawned upon me and I panicked.


    (Stop!  Hold it!  What are you doing?!  You¡¯re not riding properly!)


    I hastily got into a sitting posture and lowered Jess to the ground.


    ¡°Riding¡­ properly?¡±


    (Yeah.  Ugh¡­ that¡¯s on me for not putting enough care into my ideas.)


    I turned around to face Jess.  This innocent girl was holding her hands between her crotch and adjusting her breathing.  Aah, I¡¯m really sorry for what I¡¯ve done.


    I¡¯m just saying this as a hypothetical ¡°what if¡± situation, but if you ever get the chance to let a girl, especially one wearing a skirt, straddle you, you better act with discretion.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, it¡¯s not unbearable¡­  It just feels a bit weird¡­¡±


    Stoooop!  I beg you, no more!  Don¡¯t sully my blissful moments with you by using such ero doujin-like lines!


    (How about you try shifting your weight towards your hands when you ride me?  Pigs are digging animals, so they have a pretty sturdy back, as you can see.  Don¡¯t worry about your hands putting too much pressure on me.)


    I let Jess back on and tried walking again.


    (How¡¯s that?)


    ¡°Um¡­ your spine is still¡­ Nn¡­¡±


    I frantically stopped.  A pig¡¯s backbone should not be teaching this innocent girl about her first time.  If a mage found out about this, I¡¯ll surely get turned into gamjatang instead of back into a human being.


    (How about you sit further back?  Around where my thighs are, and squeeze against me with your legs.)


    Jess followed my instructions and carefully moved back.  I then resumed walking.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right¡­ I should be fine now.¡±


    That was a close one.  Just when I thought it was finally over, I froze up and couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    (Uh¡­  What¡¯s that?)


    Standing to our right, in the middle of the grove, was a strange looking two meter tall beast.  Its body was covered in black fur, and it had long, thin limbs.  It had a bald neck, like that of a condor, and its head was disproportionately small.  Its pair of black eyes were staring right at us.  The thing had bat ears and a pig nose, but what¡¯s even stranger is the fact that it swayed its body left and right in an exaggerated motion at a constant rhythm, all while its head stayed stationary, watching us.


    This mysterious beast oscillated its body like a broken clock pendulum.  It was terrifying, and I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve seen it before, Mister Pig.¡±


    (Of course not¡­  What is that thing?  Are we being targeted by it?)


    Seemingly sensing the tension in my muscles, Jess stroke my back.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.  That¡¯s a hecklepon.¡±


    I thought it sounded familiar, and then I remembered ¨C when the rista shopkeeper, Killings, saw my dance, he described it ¡°like a wounded hecklepon.¡±


    ¡°You can walk by it no problem.  It won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Really?  Well, to be fair, Jess had no reason to lie here.  I followed her instructions and walked past, ignoring it.  Although the hecklepon kept its eyes on us, it didn¡¯t do anything else and remained where it stood.


    After moving forward intently for a while, I tried inquiring about it.


    (From where I came from, I¡¯ve never seen that kind of animal before¡­)


    ¡°Is that so?  It¡¯s very commonly found in Mestria.¡±


    (You mean that thing?)


    Since I was familiar with most of the animals and plants here, I assumed all the creatures in this world would be the same as those in my world, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    ¡°Hecklepons seem to be an animal that suddenly appeared around the end of the Dark Ages.  They¡¯re gentle creatures that only eat plants and corpses; they would never attack other animals.  They have a weird habit of swaying, so there¡¯s always been strange rumors about them¡­  But I¡¯ve never heard anyone claim to have seen a hecklepon attack something before.¡±


    (Huh, okay.  Also, what do you mean by strange rumors?)


    ¡°There are various legends about them depending on the region.  Some say that hecklepons are messengers of peace, while others claim that they¡¯re harbingers of bad harvest; in some places, hecklepons are said to bring good fortunes, but in others, encountering one is supposed to cause bad luck.  In the end, it doesn¡¯t look like hecklepons do anything.¡±


    (From the way you talk, it sounds like you enjoy these sorts of things.)


    ¡°I do, I love history and folklore!¡±


    (Well, that¡¯s surprising.)


    ¡°It¡¯s considered discourteous to be uneducated when receiving guests, so I borrowed a thick book regarding the history of Mestria from the head of the Quiltlin family.  As I read through it, I got interested.¡±


    (Isn¡¯t that a good thing?)


    ¡°Really?  I haven¡¯t told anyone about this before, but¡­ it makes me happy to be praised for my interests.¡±


    What a strange girl.  She was happy just from me saying her hobby was nice.


    ¡°Do you have any hobbies, Mister Pig?¡±


    Watching anime and fanboying over cute girls every day¡­ is something I shouldn¡¯t say.


    (Reading, I guess.  I¡¯ve been particularly fond of the edibleness of grass weeds lately.)


    ¡°Do you like stories that have cute girls in them?¡±


    Urk, didn¡¯t I say not to read into my monologues.


    (Do you know what mystery novels are?  I like reading about solving them.  They¡¯re the type of story where the unexpected truth is deduced through the minor evidences scattered throughout the narrative.)


    ¡°So there are books like that?  I would like to read them too!¡±


    (There probably aren¡¯t any in Mestria though.  It looks like the road ahead will take some time, so I¡¯ll tell you about them along the way.)


    ¡°Really?  I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±


    Talking like this made me realize Jess was also just a normal girl.  Although she serves a prestigious family, has to deal with very hard work, can read minds, and is kind, she¡¯s not that different from the high school girls that I know of.


    ¡­ I lied.  I went to an all-boys high school, so I¡¯ve never had contact with anyone that could be considered a high school girl.  My apologies, I will make the appropriate corrections.


    ¡°Is it possible that the reason Mister Pig is able to notice a lot of details is due to reading those mystery novels?¡±


    (Maybe.  Although it¡¯s probably also caused by my bad habit of worrying about the little things.)


    I pushed up my imaginary glasses.


    ¡°That means I can¡¯t hide anything from Mister Pig¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ tone of voice dropped.


    (If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to say, it¡¯s fine to keep it a secret.  Just like how you ignore my monologues, I won¡¯t pry into things that you don¡¯t want me to know about.  Everyone deserves some privacy after all.)


    Stuff like, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you bought a black rista just before you met me?  Or, why did you lie and claim this was ¡°just an errand of sorts¡± when you won¡¯t be returning to the Quiltlins after departing on this journey?  I have various other questions as well, but it¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t receive answers to them.


    ¡°Um¡­  I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    (About?)


    Jess¡¯ hand moved slightly on my back.


    ¡°About why this is a one-way trip.¡±


    (When you say one-way trip, do you mean why you won¡¯t be returning to the Quiltlins after going to the capital?)


    ¡°Yes, you could put it that way¡­¡±


    (Are you going to serve a different family?)


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    What are you trying to say?  Jess seemed to be gathering her thoughts, so I pondered on my end too.  Since it¡¯s been confirmed that the ¡°errand¡± was a lie, I¡¯m wondering if the capital is even her destination goal.  It could be that she knew I had to go to the capital to turn back into a human, so she lied in order to make me not worry about her.  Knowing her, it¡¯s possible.  I dismissed it as fate at the time, but of course it was too good to be true.  If that¡¯s the case¡­  Hm¡­  There¡¯s too many things about this world that I don¡¯t know about.  As of right now, it¡¯s impossible for me to deduce the purpose of her journey.


    ¡°I have to go to the capital.  That wasn¡¯t a lie.¡±


    She seemed to be doing her best in figuring out what she should and shouldn¡¯t say.  Let¡¯s believe her.


    If Jess didn¡¯t lie about needing to travel to the capital, then it could only be considered a fateful meeting with this kind of timing.  Let¡¯s leave it at that.  I¡¯m satisfied as well.  Oink.


    Then what about the purpose of her trip?  If it¡¯s not to serve another family, what is she going there for?


    I was then reminded of something that had felt off.  Some of you may have also thought this was strange, but last night after Jess had healed me, she didn¡¯t wait for me to wake up.  She instead decided to put me, a heavy pig, onto a cart and pulled me along through the woods for 3+ hours.


    Is this something urgent?  No, Jess mentioned that she was supposed to depart in the morning.  There¡¯s no reason to rush out in the middle of the night.  Then is she running away from someone?  If so, who?  The guy locked inside the warehouse?  Nah, that¡¯s highly unlikely.


    She has to go to the capital.  Her purpose isn¡¯t to serve another family.  And she¡¯s running away from someone.


    Running away¡­  That reminded me of the phrase ¡°Yesma hunters¡± which I heard back in the back alley.


    ©¤There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll kill a Yesma that¡¯s currently employed.


    Employed.  Which means an unemployed Yesma could be killed.


    Hang on a minute.  Isn¡¯t Jess unemployed right now?  She¡¯s currently in a potentially dangerous forest, and without the corset that had the Quiltlin crest embroidered to it.


    ¡­¡­


    Wait, Jess has her reasons for not wanting to tell me about it.  I shouldn¡¯t pry.  Although I¡¯ll have some foreboding thoughts, verbalizing them is even more terrifying.  Let¡¯s put a lid on it.


    Jess¡¯ fingers gripped my back a little tighter.


    ¡°Mister Pig, um¡­ can you promise me that you¡¯ll accompany me to the capital, even after hearing what I have to say?¡±


    (Of course I will.  If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have no choice but to live the rest of my life as a pig.)


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­  I¡¯ve made up my mind.  I will tell you why.¡±


    (Right, then I¡¯ll prepare myself as well.  I won¡¯t be intimidated by anything you say, so don¡¯t worry.)


    Jess breathed in and out several times.


    ¡°I am to offer my body to the royal family, and should I fail to do so, I shall die during the journey.¡±


    What?


    ¡°This is the fate of all Yesmas.  In Mestria, when a Yesma turns 16, it is mandated that she leaves the house she serves and journeys to the capital on their own.  Most die along the way, and those that do reach the capital will never return.¡±


    What?


    Jess¡¯ voice was lacking its usual soft tone.  Calm down, me.


    (¡­ What awaits you at the capital?)


    ¡°No one knows.  The capital is completely isolated from the rest of the world, so no one knows what goes on inside.  There¡¯s just¡­ various rumors, and they say one thing in common: the Yesmas who overcome the ordeal are treated courteously.  Personally, I think the theory that they end up serving in the capital until their death is the most likely.¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Mister Pig, you were wondering why I left the mansion as if I was running away.  Let me answer that question.  This silver collar that I¡¯m wearing¡­ it holds a tremendous amount of magic power and sells for a very high price.  However, it¡¯s protected by magic and cannot be removed without cutting the person¡¯s head off.¡±


    I glanced at the girl sitting on my back.  The thick, blackened collar glowed faintly around her neck.  It had no seams, and it didn¡¯t look like it could be removed without forcibly deforming it.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of bones and the likes¡­  A Yesma''s body can be sold at a hefty price.  That means, once the royal family pays the Quiltlin family the severance gold and I cease being their servant, I become a prey for the Yesma hunters to hunt down.¡±


    I was dumbfounded as Jess took a deep breath.


    ¡°Of course, the Quiltlin family are kind people so they won¡¯t consider selling me out for money, but I ended up revealing to Mr. Killings that today is the day I leave.  He¡¯s also a nice person, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll sell me out, but¡­ I don¡¯t know how that information will spread.  That¡¯s why I stayed away from the mansion as much as possible and hid in the forest.¡±


    What is wrong with this world?


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­  Is it no good after all?¡±  Her voice trembled.  I could feel her hands shaking as well.


    You¡¯re a man, so get it together!


    (¡­ There¡¯s no way I¡¯d say no.)


    Jess¡¯ quivering stopped.


    (Who¡¯d leave a girl like you alone?  There¡¯s no chance I¡¯d sit by idly and let a kind girl get hurt in this twisted world.  Let¡¯s go to the capital together.  I¡¯m just an ordinary pig that can¡¯t wield a sword or use magic, but I¡¯ll use all of my knowledge to protect you and be by your side, Jess.  I¡¯ll stick under your crotch like so until we reached the capital.)


    I tried to say something cool, but maybe it came out all wrong.  I wondered while waiting for her response.


    ¡°¡­ Please keep your distance when I go to the bathroom, okay?¡±  Jess said with a giggle.


    What a strong girl.  Even in the face of such cruel fate, she managed to smile while I was with her yesterday.  She kept it a secret from me because she was worried I would run away, worried that I would flee in fear of her fate.


    No, that¡¯s not it.


    (I think I know why¡­ I appeared inside the pigpen yesterday.)


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±  Jess said with unease.


    (Yeah.  This is not just your destiny, but mine as well.  I have to reach the capital with Jess to be able to turn back into a human, that¡¯s why, in order to fulfil this destiny of mine, I appeared in the pigpen the day before you left.)


    Jess relaxed her hands.


    ¡°¡­ Right.¡±


    (We share the same destiny, so at least until we reach the capital, we¡¯ll be together.)


    ¡°¡­ Right!¡±


    She responded in a nasally voice as she sniffed her nose.


    I made up my mind to continue being Jess¡¯ reliable companion, at least until we arrived at the capital.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ was something I couldn¡¯t let Jess know about.


    I was told the Yesma hunters don¡¯t enter this forest, so I let Jess lie down on my back to get some rest.  Her cheek and chest clung to me like a futon being aired out in the sun, and I carried on walking along the road as she had informed me to.


    She seemed fairly exhausted as she didn¡¯t wake up even as my back swayed.


    While she was asleep, my mind regained its freedom.  Although it was the perfect chance to have vulgar delusions, I wasn¡¯t in the mood for any of it.  I had to come up with countermeasures against those Yesma hunters that we¡¯ll eventually have to face.


    They must be experts at hunting Yesmas who have reached 16 years old and traveled towards the capital, since they have that title.  Naturally then, their hunting ground will be near the outskirts of the capital.  Yesmas may come from various locations, but they¡¯re all bound to pass through places near the capital, so it¡¯s easier for the hunters to be waiting somewhere there.  That must be why Jess surmised that this forest, located far from the capital, was relatively safe.  This was a journey that became more and more dangerous the closer we got to our goal.


    The Yesma hunters are definitely going to check the places that Yesmas are likely to pass by, so we¡¯ll need to take the routes that Yesmas probably won¡¯t use.  Not to mention there¡¯s the problem of the silver collar, which acts as proof that a person is a Yesma since it¡¯s protected by magic and can¡¯t be removed without lopping their head off.  We¡¯re going to need to cover up Jess¡¯ collar as soon as possible.


    However, if our countermeasures are only to this extent, any other slightly cleverer Yesma would have been able to come up with them as well, and the same goes for Yesma hunters.  I felt that deciding on how to deal with this problem in further detail was what was going to determine our fate.


    The tools Jess has at her disposal are her knowledge of history, and a pig that can think.  Maybe a bit of money on hand as well.  That¡¯s about it.


    We¡¯ll need to make the most of it to face our unreasonable destiny.  And once we¡¯ve arrived safely at the capital, let¡¯s interrogate this oh so great king for an hour or so with questions such as: Why are you forcing Yesmas like Jess to go through such a cruel ordeal?  Why don¡¯t you let them to live peaceful lives?  Are you satisfied with creating this kind of society?  Don¡¯t you feel guilty?


    My blood was boiling with a sense of duty like never before, to the extent that my liver must¡¯ve been cooked thoroughly as well, I¡¯m sure.  I¡¯ll do everything I can for the sake of the girl sleeping on my back.


    We still have time, so think, pig.


    It took about two hours of walking before we arrived at a small village.  Though small log cabins were neatly built along the narrow road, there were only a few them, and people were sparse.  The village appears to have been built over the forest, as coniferous trees loomed over its buildings from behind.  Perhaps it was for that reason that the village gave off a gloomy impression.  Even though it was noon, it was still quite dark thanks to the cloudy weather.


    I woke Jess up and we entered the village.


    (Jess, do you have a scarf, or something like one?)


    She rummaged through her leather bag after hearing my question.


    ¡°Erm¡­ no.  Why do you ask?¡±


    (That silver collar is the identity of a Yesma, right?  If you cover it up, you won¡¯t be seen as one, which should make you less of a target.)


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly¡­ true.¡±


    Uh, is this actually going to be alright?


    (You should still have some money, right?  You didn¡¯t end up buying the rista, so you should have at least 200 gold.)


    ¡°Yes, thanks to your help.¡±


    (A scarf shouldn¡¯t be too expensive, yeah?)


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll cost three or four gold at most.¡±


    (How about we buy one then?)


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She seemed quite happy as she looked around.


    ¡°Ah, over there!  That¡¯s a clothing shop.  Let¡¯s go.¡±  Jess said as she began walking towards it.


    I walked up to the storefront before stopping.


    (Are you sure it¡¯s fine for me to enter the store?)


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.  See?¡±


    Just as she reassured me, a group of dirt-stained men entered the store, along with a large white dog.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    Why did she look like she¡¯s having fun?  I wondered, as I followed her in.


    The store interiors were made of light-colored wood, and its lanterns emitted a pleasant warm light.  Although their selections didn¡¯t have the vibrant colors found in modern Japanese stores, they had a wide variety of clothes with their natural tones on display.


    ©¤Look, they have scarfs!


    Jess pointed at the shelf located by the window.  Even someone as bad at fashion as I could tell that was the scarf section, a coarsely made wooden bust with a scarf around its neck was placed there.


    ©¤Which one do you think suits me the most?


    She looked at selection with sparkling eyes.  It gave me the impression that she really was just a sixteen year old girl.


    (If it looks like you¡¯re wearing something around your neck at a distance, it might end up broadcasting to everyone that you¡¯re a Yesma that¡¯s trying to hide her collar.  So I think it¡¯s better if you chose the one that¡¯s closest to your skin tone.)


    ©¤Oh, yeah, you¡¯re right.  Sorry¡­


    She appeared to have come back to her senses and started comparing her skin color with the fabric.


    ¡­¡­


    Ugh, unbelievable, this is why otakus are so¡­  Even though Jess was enjoying herself, you just had to ruin the mood.  What would you do if this happened to you¡­?


    (Actually, wait.)


    Let¡¯s stop her first, then come up with a justification.


    (If you wear a scarf that¡¯s similar to your skin tone, then it¡¯ll seem rather suspicious up close.  I take back what I said earlier.  Pick the one that suits you the most, Jess.)


    ©¤Is that so?  Then please chose one for me, Mister Pig!


    Hmph.  Is it finally time to reveal my true worth as a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin who¡¯s never had a girlfriend in his life before?  It¡¯s time to use my extensive knowledge of chino pants and plaid shirts to pick the most suitable scarf for this sixteen year old blonde maiden.


    (¡­¡­)


    ©¤¡­¡­


    No matter which one I imagined Jess in, they all seemed to suit her.  Her current outfit was an aqua blue dress.  A blue scarf wouldn¡¯t stand out, even at a distance, but choosing the same color is pretty tasteless.  So that leaves¡­


    (How about that light green one?  The one that has a bluish tint to it.)


    ©¤This one?  The one that has colors like a beautiful, shallow lake?


    Never in my life would I have been able to describe a color like that.


    (Yeah.)


    ©¤How does it look?  Does it suit me?


    Jess brought the scarf to her neck.  Hm.  I think it¡¯s pretty nice.


    (I think it looks good on you.)


    ©¤Really?  Thank you!  Then I¡¯ll go purchase it.


    She cheerfully went to the back of the store.  After finishing the checkout and returning, she led us back out the store.  I got the feeling that the blonde lad with a dog was looking at us.


    Once outside, she immediately wore her scarf.


    It¡¯s good that we got her a scarf, but we were both hungry now, so we decided to stop by a traveler¡¯s inn during broad daylight.  The inn appeared to be the only one in this village.  It was a splendid looking building made of white stucco and dark wood.  It even had a pub attached to it.


    ¡°Um, excuse me.¡±


    In response to Jess¡¯ call, a fat lady around her fifties came out from the back of the inn.  The lady had curly red hair and plump cheeks that were just a bit flushed, giving us a cheerful impression.


    ¡°Oh my, good afternoon missy.  It must have been a lengthy trip, you look tired.  Oh, and you must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°Celes!  Prepare a steamed towel and a simple meal!¡±


    ¡°Okay, understood!¡±


    The owner of that high-pitched voice was a skinny blonde girl around the age of 12 or 13 who exited the back.  She was a Yesma with short hair, large eyes, and thin lips, appearing even more vulnerable and delicate than Jess.


    Jess smiled and bowed towards Celes, to which Celes lowered her head deeply before swiftly disappearing inside.


    ¡°Missy, whether you¡¯re planning to cross the valley or get to Quiltli from here, it¡¯ll be dark by the time you reach the next town, so why don¡¯t you stay the night?  A meal¡¯s 3 gold, and if you want to rest here, that¡¯ll be an additional 10 gold.  I can also provide food for your pig for 2 gold.¡±


    ¡°Then I will be in your care.  That adds up to 15 gold, right?¡±


    Jess rummaged through her bag and paid the bill.


    In the meantime, Celes had brought over a steaming hot brown towel.


    ¡°Here, please use this.¡±


    Celes held the towel towards Jess.


    ¡°You should wipe your face, missy.  The dirt¡¯s ruining your pretty face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very kind of you, thank you very much.¡±


    Jess accepted the towel and wiped her face while the innkeeper lady stared at her intently.


    I observed the innkeeper¡¯s gaze as her actions seemed strange to me, but I failed to realize why until it was too late.


    Jess¡¯ silver collar was slightly visible from underneath the scarf while she wiped her neck.  The innkeeper raised her eyebrows, as if to say ¡°good grief.¡±


    ¡°Did you come from Quiltli, Yesma missy?¡±


    (Jess-)


    I was about to warn her, but Jess unguardedly responded ¡°yes¡± while nodding.


    A smile appeared on the innkeeper¡¯s face.


    ¡°I see, I see.  Are you heading to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    I felt Jess was acting too carelessly, before being struck by a sudden realization.  That¡¯s right, she can read people¡¯s minds.  If the innkeeper held any ill will towards her, she would¡¯ve been anxious.


    With that said, I shouldn¡¯t overestimate Jess¡¯ ability.  She¡¯s an unbelievably good-natured person, so it¡¯s possible that she wasn¡¯t able to grasp the other person¡¯s motives.  As a matter of fact, when this otaku stood close to her and oinked while saying ¡°Jess-tasso!¡± she accepted it with a smile.  I kept my guard up and surveyed our surroundings.


    For exits, there¡¯s the entrance we came from, and the door that acts as the entryway to the pub.  We should be able to get out using either of them if anything were to happen.  Judging by the innkeeper¡¯s physique, she shouldn¡¯t be able to catch us.  As for things we could use as weapons or obstacles¡­  My eyes suddenly landed on something outrageous.


    It was a Yesma collar.  Two swords were adorned on the wall in a cross shape, and the silver collar hung at the intersection as if it were maintaining their positions.


    If a silver collar can¡¯t be removed without decapitating the Yesma, that means¡­


    (Jess, let¡¯s get out of here.  Those swords on the wall have a Yesma collar on it.)


    Noticing my words, Jess looked at my face and turned her gaze towards the direction I was facing.


    She then caught her eyes on the two swords and silver collar.


    I expected her to turn pale and immediately prepare to escape, but¡­


    ©¤It¡¯s okay.


    She assured me, before turning back to the innkeeper with a solemn expression.


    ¡°Whose¡­ collar is that over there?¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s eyes were tinged with sadness.


    ¡°That collar belonged to a Yesma named Ys.  She¡­ used to work here, and is the predecessor of the girl from earlier, Celes.¡±


    Woah, what¡¯s going on?


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate¡­  When did she pass away?¡±


    The innkeeper beckoned to Jess, and led her to a seat at the bar.  Not able to follow the situation at hand, I slowly followed suit.


    After sitting Jess down, the innkeeper took a seat from across and gazed at Jess before continuing.


    ¡°Truth be told, Ys never set out on her journey.  That was five years ago.  We used to hide any Yesmas that turned sixteen at a monastery.¡±


    ¡°Might it be the Bapsas monastery?¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°So you know about it.  Yes, this is the Bapsas village.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­  Actually, I used to serve the Quiltlin family¡­ so when I heard that it happened not too far away from me, I remember being shocked even though I was young at the time.


    ¡°Oh my, so you¡¯re lord Quiltlin¡¯s Yesma?  That¡¯s quite something¡­¡±


    Celes brought over a plate of rye bread, vegetables, and cheese, and a separate bowl filled with various vegetables.  The plate with the bread was set in front of Jess, while the bowl that had vegetables only was placed in front of me.  When Jess smiled and thanked her, Celes smiled awkwardly and bowed in return.


    ¡°Celes, this is lord Quiltlin¡¯s Yesma.  Come have a seat.¡±


    At the innkeeper¡¯s request, Celes sat down next to me.  A pair of fair and slender legs settled in in front of me.  Their beautiful curves extended from their thin Achilles heels to their soft-looking calves, and the back of their knees were slightly pinkish.  Oink oink.


    I noticed Celes was looking at me in surprise, and realized I shouldn¡¯t be doing this, so I set about meditating.  Jess wasn¡¯t the only person able to read minds, it¡¯s a trait of all Yesmas.


    I¡¯m just a pig, I¡¯m just a pig, I¡¯m just a pig¡­


    Jess took a small bite of the bread and inquired, ¡°Speaking of Bapsas, did Ms. Ys die due to the fire?¡±


    ¡°No, she was captured by Yesma hunters.  I¡¯m sure they must have done terrible things to her before killing her¡­¡±


    ¡°Then that collar is¡­?¡±


    ¡°It was retrieved from the Yesma hunters by one of our huntsmen.  He¡¯s the pride of this village, which is why we decorated it with a silver coat of arms like so.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    The conversation proceeded in a direction I didn¡¯t understand, but even if I couldn¡¯t follow what they were talking about, I knew for sure that that collar wasn¡¯t something bad, but instead helped put Jess at ease.


    I¡¯ve got nothing to do, so I can only eat vegetables and wait.  It smells of dirt, but it¡¯s not unpleasant.  I wonder if my tastes are assimilating to those of a pig?


    I noticed Celes looking at me strangely again and resumed meditating.


    Grass is tasty, grass is tasty, grass is tasty¡­


    Their conversation continued on for a while.  Jess then brought up that she would like to visit the monastery, as it was a rare opportunity and she wanted to see it in person.


    The innkeeper mentioned that there was a clear spring around that area, and asked that I be washed there.  In addition, since it was still during the day, there wasn¡¯t much work that needed to be taken care of, so she lent us Celes as our guide.  Once Jess finished her meal, we left the inn and walked towards the monastery.


    It seemed like the monastery was located on the village outskirts, just up on a mountain.  Jess, Celes, and a pig ¨C this strange group weaved its way up through the terrace.


    ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Jess, is this pig your friend?¡±


    Celes, who was leading us from the front, turned around and asked in a mystified tone.


    ¡°Yes.  He¡¯s actually a nineteen year old man.¡±


    I¡¯m a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.  Nice to meet you.


    ¡°Erm, a human¡­?¡±


    ¡°Right, it seems like he was turned into a pig for some reason¡­  We were planning to ask a mage to change him back once we arrive at the capital.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?  He was looking at my legs and thinking about various things, so I thought he was just a weird pig.¡±


    Hearing that, Jess puffed out her cheeks slightly and look at me.


    ¡°Jeez, Mister Pig sure is fickle.¡±


    I¡¯m so sorry.  From now on, I¡¯ll live the rest of my life only looking at Jess¡¯ legs.


    Jess chuckled.  In her hands, she held a bouquet of wildflowers that were picked from nearby.


    As we made our way through the terrace, Jess informed me about the Bapsas monastery.


    It was said that the monastery secretly housing the Yesmas that turned sixteen had suddenly burst into flames one night, with the cause still unknown.  The fire was so sudden that many Yesmas were burned to death, and those that managed to escape ended up disappearing as they were also attacked by Yesma hunters who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.  That was what happened five years ago.


    When the situation came to light, it was an open rumor that people believed this was divine punishment for the Yesmas who tried to escape their duty of journeying to the capital.  On the other hand, the villagers who hid those Yesmas were spared from such condemnations.  The reason seems to be that people naturally sympathized with the Yesma''s ordeal, even if they were just servants¡­


    Jess said she wished to witness the place where such a major incident occurred with her own eyes, and to pay her respects.


    Once we arrived at the entrance to the mountain¡¯s forest trail, Celes explained that although it¡¯s not visible from here, the ruins of the monastery was just up ahead.


    That¡¯s when a clattering noise came from behind and we turned around.


    A tall young man with short blonde hair was standing there.  He looked around my age, maybe a little younger.  He was an eye-poppingly handsome guy with double lidded eyes and a straight nose.  He wore a pair of leather boots, a light beige trouser, an open collar white shirt, and a celadon waistcoat.  A wide belt was fastened around his waist, from which two daggers hanged from.


    ¡°Where are you headed, Celes?  It¡¯s dangerous for two girls to be going out alone.¡±


    I immediately recognized him as the lad that was staring at us when we bought the scarf at that store.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Nott.¡±


    Celes bowed politely.


    The unsociable-looking handsome guy called Nott pointed his finger at Jess.


    ¡°Celes, isn¡¯t she the Yesma girl headed to the capital?  Are you taking her to the monastery for sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°Well, rather than sightseeing, it¡¯s more like¡­ going there to pay my respects¡­¡±


    Hearing Jess interject from the side, the handsome lad eyed the bouquet she was holding.  He then shifted his gaze up towards her face and froze.  His eyes widened slightly, and his face turned red.


    What are you, a pubescent kid¡­?  I know Jess is cute and all, but to fall in love at first sight is pretty pathetic.  Right, everyone?  It¡¯s impossible for someone to falling in love with a girl that they¡¯ve just met, isn¡¯t it?


    When Jess looked back at the handsome pubescent lad, he furrowed his brows and turned away.


    ¡°So you¡¯re planning to pay your respects.  That¡¯s fine, but it¡¯s too obvious that your scarf is hiding your collar.  Take it off.¡±  Asserted the annoying handsome lad.


    ¡°Um¡­ but what else could I do¡­?¡±


    He approached the bewildered Jess and took out a cream-colored cloth.


    ¡°Put this on.  It¡¯ll be difficult to tell apart from your skin color from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ wouldn¡¯t that make it obvious when seen up close¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more important that it¡¯s not noticeable at a glance from far away.  I¡¯m not doing this for your sake.  It¡¯s because you could put Celes in danger as well, so do as I say and wear this instead.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think are you?¡± is what I¡¯d like to say to him, but I was just a pig.  All I could do was watch Jess take off her scarf, and let this Nott guy brazenly wrap the piece of cloth around her collar with his own hands.


    How nice of him to have prepared a cloth for wrapping around the collar, is what I thought at first, but then I realized another possibility.  Right, there¡¯s no reason for someone to be carrying that kind of cloth around at all times.  Besides, what¡¯s this guy¡¯s purpose for coming all the way over here?  Did he follow us all the way here after seeing Jess buy a scarf at the clothing store?


    Evidently having understood my thoughts, Jess silently asked.


    ©¤Mister Pig, what should I do¡­?


    (This guy¡¯s armed, if we fight him head-on, we won¡¯t win.  In that case¡­)


    I stared at Celes.  She seemed to have realized my intentions and trembled.


    ©¤Um, Mr. Nott is alright!  He¡¯s a very nice person, please trust me.


    ©¤Okay, I understand!


    (Wait a second there, Jess.  How can you be so quick to trust him?)


    I retorted as I peeped at Nott as he struggled to wrap the cloth around the collar.  I couldn¡¯t tell what this obnoxious and overly familiar guy was thinking, but he didn¡¯t seem dangerous.


    (¡­ To be fair, it¡¯s not nice to be suspicious of others.  Let¡¯s keep my existence a secret, and I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.  If it looks like he might put Jess in danger, I¡¯ll let you know immediately.  How¡¯s that sound?)


    ©¤Good idea, please do so.


    (Could you please cooperate with us, Celes-tasso?)


    ©¤ ¡­¡­ tasso.


    (If he seems trustworthy, I¡¯ll reveal my true identity right away, so can you please treat me like an ordinary pig for now, Celes?)


    ©¤If that¡¯s the case, I understand.


    After responding, Celes turned to face Nott, but when she saw him bring his face closer to Jess¡¯ neck, Celes stiffly averted her eyes.  Jess saw this and her eyes widened.  Hm.


    ¡°That should be fine.  You¡¯re headed towards the monastery, right?  I¡¯ll escort you.  Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After saying that, Nott led the way with his daggers rattling.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s continue on.¡±


    At Celes¡¯ words, Jess and I followed along.  I was in charge of the rear, and I climbed the forest trail while ogling at Jess¡¯ legs.  Although they were covered in dust, unlike Celes¡¯, I still thought her skin was beautiful.  Perhaps it was because she had gone through puberty, but Jess¡¯ legs had softer outlines to them compared to Celes¡¯ slender legs.  Both are great, but frankly, I prefer Jess¡¯.  With every step, her calf muscles periodically change shapes.  Her soft-looking skin expanded and contracted according to her muscles.  Nice.  Very nice.  However, looking at it from the perspective of dynamic and functional beauty, observing Celes¡¯ legs would be fun too.  It might be easier to make out her muscle movements compared to Jess¡¯.


    ©¤Um, Mister Pig, all your thoughts will be leaked to Ms. Celes, so¡­


    I reflected on it after being told by Jess.  If two people are listening in on my monologues, it¡¯ll become like I really am a pervert.  It¡¯s pretty difficult to live in another world.


    We arrived at the Bapsas monastery.  It seems like it was built on the side of the mountain beside a steep cliff, like a wall-mounted shelf.  I used ¡°seems like¡± because the monastery was so badly damaged that only the floor and some parts of the wall remained.  It looked to have been built from stones, is a fire enough to destroy it this badly?


    ¡°We¡¯re here.  You¡­  Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t heard your name yet.¡±


    Jess bowed in response to Nott¡¯s discourteousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jess.  Pleased to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Sure.  What¡¯s your plan for coming here?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­  I would like to see the structure first.  May I go inside?¡±


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s in a state where there¡¯s no walls left to collapse.  There¡¯s nothing much to see, but suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I followed Jess into the ruins of the monastery.  I didn¡¯t notice it earlier because I was focused on her legs, but she tied the scarf that was taken off by that guy on her left wrist.  It seemed like it might get in the way, but as a fashion item, it was good.  Having said that, it¡¯s unfortunate that the collar wrapped in cream-colored fabric looked so bad.  That guy sure lacks fashion sense.  Then again, I don¡¯t have the right to say that.  It annoys me to say this, but he has a handsome face, so he¡¯ll look good no matter what he wears.


    With her left hand on the collapsed stone wall, Jess held the bouquet in her right hand to her chest and walked slowly in silence.  There was nothing left of the monastery¡¯s ceiling.  The walls were so destroyed that I couldn¡¯t tell what they were meant to look like.  Char marks and scratches remained from what must have been a fierce fire, but I had to wonder, did this monastery have that many flammable objects to result in such a fire?  Thinking about the fact that Jess¡¯ kindreds were burned here five years ago, I felt a crushing feeling in my chest.


    Jess placed her bouquet on the corner of the wall, knelt down, and prayed about something.


    When we left the monastery, we found Celes and Nott waiting for us.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    At Nott¡¯s question, Jess looked around.


    ¡°Um, I was told there was a spring nearby¡­¡±


    ¡°What, are you going to take a bath?¡±


    What are you hoping for, you lecherous pig?!


    ¡°No, I was thinking about washing Mister Pig¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so?  It¡¯s just over there.  Come on.¡±


    That¡¯s when¡­


    Nott stopped walking and pulled out two small red ristas from his waistcoat pocket.  Jess and Celes also halted their steps.  He inserted a rista into each of his daggers¡¯ hilt, then unfastened and gripped them.


    What¡¯s he doing?  Is he intending to kill Jess¡­?  No, if that was the case, he would have done so after making sure Celes isn¡¯t with us¡­ but just in case¡­


    Right as I dashed to in-between Jess and Celes, Nott asserted, ¡°Celes, don¡¯t let Jess and her pig move away from here.¡±


    He drew his daggers in the blink of an eye, thrusting his left dagger into the ground and quickly swinging the dagger on his right.


    A banging sound could be heard as fire and dust clouds appeared in the distance.  I focused my eyes on there and spotted a hecklepon leaping back, nimbly avoiding the flames.  Just as it touched the ground, a crescent-shaped flame shot out of Nott¡¯s right dagger like an arrow.


    Did he anticipate the direction of its jump?


    The hecklepon followed up by leaping into the air like a cricket, dodging the incoming flame.  Nott, in the meantime, drew his left dagger out from the ground and dashed forward.  He swung his left hand towards a cliff and chased after the hecklepon.


    The flames from his left dagger shattered the cliff and rained down rocks and gravel on the hecklepon where it landed.  Nott ran into the dust cloud and caught up to the hecklepon in no time.


    The last thing I could make out were two red blade glints.


    When the dust settled, I saw the hecklepon lying down beside Nott.  Its bald-looking head was sliced off, and its black torso was slashed wide open.


    This happened in the span of about 10 seconds.


    Nott lowered his hands and casually walked back.  His daggers glowed like flames and the hecklepon blood dripping from the blades instantly evaporated.  After the light subsided, the blades returned to its original metallic luster and were sheathed.


    With her eyes wide and hands over her mouth, Jess stared at Nott.


    ¡°Sorry for startling you, I always kill a hecklepon when I see one.¡±


    Nott explained to Jess with a somber smile.


    This guy is bad news, I thought to myself.  According to Jess, hecklepons may look scary, but they¡¯re actually harmless; yet he seemingly took his anger out on them and expertly killed one in an instant.


    I had a friend that would undoubtedly kill a mosquito if he spotted one.  Come to think of it, he said something along the lines of ¡°first you stun the flying mosquito using the wind pressure from a karate chop, then you stomp on it to make sure it¡¯s dead.  Only an amateur would consider squashing them by clapping their hands.¡±  He was able to sense the moment he got stung and would flatten the mosquito clinging onto his skin the very next second.  I believe he was prone to mosquito bites.  Hatred makes a person stronger.  I wonder if Nott also has some sort of grudge against those harmless hecklepons.


    Nott led us to the spring with a nonchalant look on his face.  It was about the size of a ryokan¡¯s large public bath.  Clear blue spring water welled up from below, constantly forming ripples on the surface.


    Jess took out a small brush with stiff bristles from her bag, walked barefoot into the spring, and brushed me with the clean water.  The current climate was like summer in Japan, and the cool water was at just the right temperature, so it felt very comfortable.  Her brushing techniques were also superb.  Have any of you ever had the experience of being buck naked and letting a sixteen year old girl wash your body?  I doubt it.  That¡¯s too bad.  I mean, you¡¯re not even on the level of a pig.


    ©¤I have to thank you, Mister Pig, for carrying me the entire time I was asleep.


    Jess conveyed her thoughts and petted me.


    (After all, we¡¯re in this together.)


    ©¤I had to run away, so I needed to pull Mister Pig along, but it¡¯s different for Mister Pig because it was so I could get some sleep¡­


    (You¡¯re wrong about that.)


    ©¤Is that so?


    (I just wanted to be sandwiched between your soft thighs, Jess.)


    Jess giggled.


    ©¤Then I¡¯ll treat that as the reason.


    Sensing a gaze, I looked at Nott.  He was leaning against a tree and staring absentmindedly at Jess.  Wow, he¡¯s being real obvious with that.


    While I was at it, I also took a glance at Celes.  She appeared lonely as she stood a short distance away from Nott and stared at him with a complicated look from the side.  Once she noticed my gaze, she immediately lowered her sights towards the ground.


    Hm.  I hope this doesn¡¯t cause any trouble for later.


    By the time we returned to the inn, it was already evening.  In the end, Nott didn¡¯t do anything strange outside of killing a hecklepon.  Celes rushed inside towards the inn¡¯s kitchen for work.


    ¡°Hey Jess, why don¡¯t we have dinner together?  You probably don¡¯t have money anyway.  It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±


    Nott asked casually while still outside the inn.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very kind of you, but won¡¯t Celes be mad about it¡­?¡±


    At Jess¡¯ question, Nott frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Why would she be mad about us eating a meal together?  Come on, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    Nott pushed open the pub door and entered.  Jess lightly bowed her head and followed.


    Sigh.  If only I could invite a girl out for dinner as naturally as this.  Unfortunately, my odds against this handsome lad are zero.  As much as I¡¯d like to get in the way of this meal, I didn¡¯t have that kind of right.  So instead, I decided to dutifully act as a pig and accompany them during their meal.


    We entered the pub, and they sat down near the back in a semi-private area facing each other.  I laid down next to Jess with my ears pricked up.


    ¡°Oh Nott, you came today?¡±


    The innkeeper lady came by.


    ¡°Hey auntie, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°How did your hunt go?  Hope it went well.¡±


    ¡°It was good.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to deliver the bear meat tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see.  As expected of you.  How about I treat you to some hot pot then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.  Oh, and auntie, do you think you can treat Jess as well?¡±


    In front of me, the innkeeper¡¯s legs stretched outwards in dissatisfaction.


    ¡°You know we can let a Yesma that¡¯s headed to the capital stay here for long.  I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m going to need Jess to leave tomorrow morning¡­  Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes.  I was already planning on departing for the capital tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°I see.  In that case, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Nott, you should stick to hunting beasts.  Even I can tell what you¡¯re thinking about.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they look similar, don¡¯t they?  I had the same feeling when I first met her too.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yeah yeah, drop it.  Gimme some beer.¡±


    ¡°For two?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hm, yeah make it for two.¡±


    The innkeeper¡¯s legs left, and after a while, Celes¡¯ legs showed up.  I heard the sound of two mugs being placed, but before I had a chance to admire those pair of slender legs, Celes left without a word.


    ¡°Ah, um¡­ this is¡­?¡±  Jess asked in confusion.


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve never had this before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this will be my first time trying alcohol¡­¡±


    ¡°The beer here is tasty.  I¡¯ll finish it for you if you don¡¯t like it, so give it a sip.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡±


    Clink, I heard the sound of their toast.  Aw, I haven¡¯t had a chance to drink before¡­  A twenty plus year old ronin friend of mine once told me that beer tasted bitter, but I wonder what beer in this world tastes like.  It wouldn¡¯t be chilled, that¡¯s for sure, and the brewing process is likely different.  I¡¯m very interested in the taste, but would it be okay for a pig to drink?  Although their livers aren¡¯t functionally too different from those of humans¡­ I¡¯ll need to also consider the metabolic enzymes present.  Asians are more susceptible to getting drunk than Europeans because of their genetics, and onions are toxic to some animals even though they can be eaten by humans.  Thinking about it like that, it would be dangerous to gamble my life away just for the sake of trying some beer¡­


    >TL Note: A ronin is someone who failed their entrance exam to their university of choice and have to wait (and study) another year to try again.


    If I didn¡¯t occupy myself with such frivolous thoughts, I felt that my heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.


    Jess seemed to enjoy the taste of beer, and after a while, their conversation steered towards the topic of hecklepons.


    ¡°Why do you kill hecklepons, Mr. Nott?¡±


    ¡°They bring misfortune, that¡¯s why I kill them.¡±


    ¡°You mean the people around here view hecklepons as bringers of misfortune, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.  Although that¡¯s only been the case as of recent years.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    When Celes came by to serve food on the table, she brought some for me as well.  There were well-washed vegetables, small apples, and some kind of steamed grains.  She clearly put care into making it acceptable enough for a human to eat.


    (Much appreciated.)


    After I conveyed my thoughts, Celes-tasso crouched down and met my gaze.  She was a girl of ephemeral beauty ¨C she had large eyes, thin lips, a childlike appearance, short blonde hair that was smooth and fine, and smooth but delicate skin.


    ©¤That¡¯s okay, it¡¯s no problem.


    After petting me briefly, she returned to the kitchen.  I had a much harder time being able to tell what she was thinking about as compared to Jess.


    ¡°Right.  Jess, is that pig your pet?¡± Nott asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ he¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°I see.  You seem to cherish him.  Did you raise him for a long time?¡±


    ¡°No, not really, but¡­ Mister Pig and I share the same destiny.¡±


    ¡°Destiny¡­?  Well, that kind of stuff does happen to you Yesmas.¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯m Jess¡¯ partner, in other words, someone who shares the same destiny as her.  That¡¯s why I should focus on my duties and not encroach any further than that.


    After that, I suppressed my heart and continued eating.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m feeling a bit sleepy¡­¡±


    Jess commented.  It looks like they finished their meal.


    Nott stood up.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll send you off to your room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  Thank you.¡±


    Jess got up and stumbled briefly.  Nott immediately supported her shoulders without a word.


    (Hey Jess, are you alright?)


    When I asked her that question, she looked at me and smiled.


    ©¤I¡¯m fine.  I¡¯m feeling great.


    (That¡¯s not my point.  This guy is-)


    ©¤Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Nott won¡¯t attack me.


    Jess allowed her shoulders be lightly supported by Nott and walked towards the lodging.  Since she said not to worry, I¡¯ll trust her and do just that.


    I maintained a bit of distance and followed them from behind.  After arriving in front of the room, Nott entered directly and laid Jess on the bed.  The room was tiny and plain, with the only source of light coming from the moon outside the window.  I decided to wait outside until Nott had left.


    ¡°Jess, can you keep me company for a bit?¡±  He asked while standing.


    But he didn¡¯t receive a reply.


    ¡°¡­ Did you fall asleep?¡±


    ¡°Huh?  ¡­ Um, I wasn¡¯t sleeping, I just dozed off slightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking as he stood motionlessly just inside the doorway.


    Hey, you better not be getting any strange ideas.


    Right as I was about to snort to hurry him along, Nott closed the door in my face from the inside.  Gathunk.  It sounded like the door latch locking into place, and I was left out in the hallway.


    ¡­¡­?


    I tried pushing the door open with my nose, but the door was latched and wouldn¡¯t open from the outside.  I attempted it again, this time by charging at the door, but it only made a loud noise.  I whimpered.  Since the door wouldn¡¯t open, I listened carefully.  It was quiet.


    (Je-)


    As I was about to contact her, Nott¡¯s voice came from inside.


    ¡°-ss, lend me your chest.¡±


    Followed by a creaking sound from the bed.


    Eh?  ¡­ Hah?


    My thoughts froze.  Never before have I felt such an unpleasant feeling from the pit of my stomach.  It trembled and burned as if it had caught a fever.


    Not knowing what to do, I backed away from the door.  Right, I don¡¯t need to do anything.  Jess is safe because she made it clear that Nott wouldn¡¯t attack her.  Let¡¯s believe in her.  It¡¯s better if I don¡¯t stay here.


    I dashed out the inn.


    It was during the middle of the night that the sound of a door opening woke me up.


    After I got locked out, I hid inside the bushes in front of the inn to keep an eye out for suspicious individuals that entered.


    About 30 minutes later, Nott left the inn and disappeared into the darkness of the night, so I returned to Jess¡¯ room.  Jess was sleeping peacefully inside.  I had no way of knowing what he did, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to think about what that bastard did to her chest.  As soon as I entered the room, I curled up into the small crevice next to the bed and fell asleep.


    My eyes regained focus, and in the darkness, I quietly turned my head in the direction of the door, from which the noise came from.  Although it was half open, no one entered.  I heighted my vigilance and wondered who opened the door.


    ©¤Sorry for waking you up, Mister Pig.


    It was Celes.  I spotted her small face and slender neck on the other side of the door as she peered at me.


    (It¡¯s pretty late, is something up?)


    ©¤I have something to discuss with you.  Do you have some time to spare?


    (Sure.  Where do you want to go?)


    ©¤How about outside?


    (I don¡¯t really want to leave this place though¡­)


    ©¤It¡¯s okay, we won¡¯t be far.


    Celes brought me outside the inn.  Countless stars adorned the sky.  The forest surrounding the village, in contrast, was enveloped in darkness that seemingly absorbed all light.


    She sat down on the grassy field, which seemed like a suitable place to talk, so I also laid down on the ground next to her.


    (What¡¯s the discussion about?  Is it something I can help with as a pig?)


    She looked at me with an inexplicable expression.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    (Tell me.  I¡¯ll do what I can to help.)


    ¡°¡­ I want Mister Pig to reveal his identity to Mr. Nott first thing in the morning tomorrow.¡±


    That¡¯s it?  I thought.


    (No problem, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be returning to the village anyway.  But is there any reason why we¡¯ll be paying him a visit tomorrow morning?)


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t have to visit Mr. Nott.  He will definitely come and meet Ms. Jess in the morning.¡±


    I was wondering why while thinking back to what happened not too long ago.  Nott closed the door in my face and was alone with Jess.  He asked Jess to lend him her chest and got on the bed.  I thought he was a sensible guy, but he might have forced himself onto Jess while I wasn¡¯t looking¡­


    Celes gave me a blank stare for a while.  I looked back at her.  Her large eyes seemed to reflect the stars above.  On closer inspection, I saw a small bead forming in the corner of her right eye.  The tear glistened under the moonlight.


    Before I knew it, tears flowed from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.


    (Hey¡­ what¡¯s wrong?)


    I was at a loss, seeing this twelve or thirteen year old girl tear up.


    ¡°Sure enough¡­ Mr. Nott sees Ms. Jess¡­¡±


    And then Celes began crying.  She hugged me from above while I was under confusion.  Her thin breast bone pressed against my back, and her sobbing continued ceaselessly.


    Ah, I see.  The contents of my imagination were broadcasted to Celes.  Maybe I should¡¯ve hid them from this love-struck young girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m already thirteen.¡±  Celes informed me while crying.


    (Celes, do you like Nott?)


    I felt her nodding on my back in response to my question.


    ¡°I know that as a Yesma, and as a child, I don¡¯t have those rights.  But¡­¡±


    She finally pulled herself away from me.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want Mr. Nott to go.¡±


    (What do you mean by not wanting him to go?)


    ¡°Mr. Nott intends to go to the capital with Ms. Jess.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nott intends to become Ms. Jess¡¯ chavillon.¡±


    ¡°Chavillon?  Wait a minute, what are you talking about?¡±


    Celes explained with tears streaming down her eyes and nose, ¡°Legend has it that Yesmas who were able to enter the capital safely all met a certain condition.  That condition is having a brave and wise companion known as a chavillon¡­  But it¡¯s said that the chavillon will always disappear alongside the Yesma¡­ forever.¡±


    Now I get it.  Has Nott made up his mind about abandoning his current life and traveling to the capital with Jess?  The capital that¡¯s isolated from the rest of the world with no way out.  Celes doesn¡¯t want that, so she wants me to reveal my true identity and tell him that we don¡¯t need another companion.


    ¡°You also don¡¯t want Mr. Nott to become her chavillon, right?  Because Mister Pig-¡±


    Don¡¯t say it.


    ¡°Because Mister Pig, you like Ms. Jess.¡±


    Her words stabbed at this otaku pig¡¯s heart.


    (¡­ Even if I like her, the world of adults is very complicated.  The innkeeper lady said you¡¯ve been working here since around five years ago, right?  It must have taken quite some time for you to fall in love with Nott.  In that case, isn¡¯t that fine?  I think it¡¯s something wonderful, it¡¯s a love that deserves to be fulfilled.)


    ¡°Is Mister Pig¡¯s wish not worth fulfilling?¡±


    (It¡¯s not.)


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    (Jess and I just met yesterday.  She was kind to me, so I egotistically developed feelings for her.  That¡¯s all there is to it.  I¡¯m just a pig, so it¡¯s too selfish of me to claim Jess is mine.  She¡¯s nice to everyone.  She¡¯s someone that¡¯s willing to do her best for others.  She¡¯s not someone that belongs to me.  That¡¯s only natural, of course.)


    It¡¯s also because of Jess¡¯s compassion towards everyone that I forgave Nott.  Her warmth wasn¡¯t something only directed at me.  Regarding this matter, there wasn¡¯t anything for me to say at this point.  It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been a virgin for nineteen years for nothing.


    I heard a snorting sound nearby and realized it was from my own rough breathing.  What am I getting so agitated for?  Settle down.


    While I regulated my breathing, Celes looked at me in the eyes.


    ¡°But Mister Pig would hate it if Mr. Nott became her chavillon, right?¡±


    (Maybe so.  But I can¡¯t let my feelings get in the way of her travels.)


    ¡°Eh?  But then¡­¡±


    Her large eyes began to water again.


    (Calm down, don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯ll reveal my identity tomorrow for Celes¡¯ sake.)


    ¡°I see¡­  Thank you.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes with her hands and stared at the starry sky.


    ¡°But even if I do my best for however many years, I feel like I won¡¯t beat Ms. Jess.  After all, they¡¯ve only met for less than a day and¡­¡±


    (That¡¯s not true at all.  Celes is also a very attractive woman.  So charming in fact, that if I was a human, I might have pushed you down right now.)


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    She was put off by what I said.  It¡¯s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding I tell you!


    ¡°¡­ Are you into younger girls, Mister Pig?¡±


    (No, that was just a slip of the tongue.  Please disregard it.)


    Celes laughed modestly.  It was my first time seeing it, and it was very cute.


    ¡°But I know I¡¯m no match for Ms. Jess, because she resembles her.¡±


    Resemble who?  I was about to ask, before a memory resurfaced.


    ©¤I mean, they look similar, don¡¯t they?  I had the same feeling when I first met her too.


    The innkeeper lady said something similar back then as well.  Who does Jess look like?  In this context, it would have to be a woman who was close to Nott.  Was she someone he yearned for, or perhaps an ex-lover?


    It finally clicked for me.  Does everyone know the answer to this?


    ©¤Sorry for startling you, I always kill a hecklepon when I see one.


    Nott¡¯s persistent killing intent towards heckpons.


    ©¤You mean the people around here view hecklepons as bringers of misfortune, right?


    ©¤Yeah.  Although that¡¯s only been the case as of recent years.


    Based on that conversation, it could be understood that Nott¡¯s hatred towards hecklepons began a few years ago.


    What happened a few years ago?


    ©¤That was five years ago.  We used to hide any Yesmas that turned sixteen at a monastery.


    ©¤Might it be the Bapsas monastery?


    The tragedy of the Bapsas monastery.  Because of the fire and hunters, many Yesmas lost their lives.


    One of their collars was adorned at the inn.


    ©¤It was retrieved from the Yesma hunters by one of our huntsmen.  He¡¯s the pride of this village.


    From the conversations with the innkeeper and Nott, we can infer that the huntsman is Nott.  He was quite skilled in killing the hecklepon.  He should be considered an excellent huntsman, even in this world.  It stands to reason that he would therefore be the pride of the village.  Everything lines up too well to be a coincidence.


    In other words¡­


    Was Nott in love with Ys, the Yesma who died five years ago?


    I think that¡¯s the case.


    Nott fell in love with Ys, the Yesma who worked at the inn, when he was younger.  When she turned 16, she chose not to depart for the capital and instead lived at the Bapsas monastery.  However, when the monastery burned down, she was killed by the Yesma hunters.  Hecklepons must have gathered there or something, which led to them being regarded as a sign of misfortune to the village, and why Nott began harboring murderous intent towards them.  Eventually, he would take back Ys¡¯ collar from the hunters¡­


    Looking at it this way, the information I¡¯ve gleaned thus far fits perfectly.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡¯s intuition is very sharp.  That¡¯s correct, Mr. Nott was in love with the person called Ms. Ys.  Although in the end, that love didn¡¯t come true¡­¡±


    (Have you ever met Ys?)


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve only seen a picture of her.  Mr. Nott always wears a glass pendant with her on it.¡±


    (He sure is devoted.)


    Even though he crawled into Jess¡¯ bed.


    ¡°Yes.  And a part of Mr. Nott¡¯s dagger hilts are made from Ms. Ys¡¯ bones.  As long as his will persists, their flames will continue to burn ristas and cut down foes.¡±


    Instead of devotion, perhaps it¡¯s more akin to obsession.  Was it the flames of hatred that killed that hecklepon?


    (I see.)


    ¡°There¡¯s no place in Mr. Nott¡¯s heart for me.¡±


    Celes stared at the ground, and I decided to change the subject.


    (Hey, do you know why hecklepons started being called bringers of misfortune?)


    ¡°¡­ I think it¡¯s just as you guessed.  I heard that hecklepons started appearing frequently near the monastery not long before the fire incident.  They don¡¯t seem to have caused any harm, but¡­ the villagers have since come to view them as bringers of disaster.¡±


    (Ah.  Thanks.)


    ¡°¡­ Now then, shall we head back?¡±


    (Yeah.)


    While I stared at Celes¡¯ legs, we returned inn.  Just before the entrance, I stopped her.


    (Celes, just one more thing.)


    She turned around and crouched down to look at me.


    ¡°Okay, please go ahead.¡±


    (Can you wait for us at the pub tomorrow morning?  I¡¯d like your help in persuading him.)


    ¡°Understood.  Of course I¡¯ll help.¡±


    (I¡¯m counting on you.)


    ¡°Let me take you back to your room.¡±


    Just like that, Celes saw me off at Jess¡¯ room.


    Now that I was alone, I could finally formulate a plan.


    Although we¡¯ve only been together for a short period of time, I feel like I have an adequate understanding of Jess¡¯ thought process.  Given that she¡¯s aware of Celes¡¯ love, I expect she would firmly refuse Nott¡¯s accompaniment, even if I wasn¡¯t in the picture.


    What I need to be thinking about is how to convince Jess.


    I woke up to the sound of a bed creaking, and with bleary-eyes noticed the light of dawn streaming through the window.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig, it¡¯s morning already.¡±


    Jess lightly tapped my back.


    (Mm¡­ it¡¯s morning already?)


    ¡°About last night¡­ um¡­ sorry.¡±


    (Sorry for what?)


    My choice of words were a little spiteful.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ After dinner, I fell asleep as soon as I got back to our room¡­ and I think I left Mister Pig alone.  Even though you were willing to accompany me, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    (Don¡¯t let it bother you.  You were tired, so it couldn''t be helped.)


    ¡°Are you mad after all?¡±


    Jess got out of bed and faced me.  Although her dress was wrinkled, they weren¡¯t particularly disorderly.


    (Why should I be angry?  As long as Jess gets a good night¡¯s sleep, I¡¯ll be satisfied.  How are you feeling?  Does your head¡­ or body hurt anywhere?)


    She had a puzzled look on her face, but soon smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m good.  I¡¯m in tip-top shape.¡±  She replied while performing a guts pose.


    (Is that so¡­  Then let¡¯s have breakfast and head out.)


    We entered the pub and saw one other customer there.  It was Nott.  The handsome blonde bastard with bed-hair was asleep while sitting cross-legged, his head was against the window and his mouth was wide open.


    When Jess received her breakfast from the kitchen, she sat a distance away from him as to not disturb him.  I noticed Celes glancing at me from the kitchen from time to time.


    If I don¡¯t wake Nott up here¡­  The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I resolved myself and sneezed on purpose.


    ¡°Puhgachoo!¡±


    An indescribably unpleasant sound shook through my nose.  There was a rattling sound as Nott was jolted awake.


    He rubbed his eyes and looked in our direction.  Jess turned her head, and their eyes met.


    ¡°Ah¡­ good morning Mr. Nott.¡±


    Without responding, Nott got up slowly and walked over here.


    He then sat down in the seat next to Jess.


    ¡°Hey, Jess.¡±


    Nott cleared his throat.


    ¡°I thought about it for a bit, but how about, um, I join-¡±


    ¡°Um!¡±


    Celes ran over here and interrupted Nott.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Celes¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°Mister Pig is a human.¡±


    Nott was left stupefied.  Celes, that was a terrible attempt at persuasion.


    ¡°What did you say about the pig?¡±


    ¡°The pig that is with Ms. Jess is actually a human on the inside.  Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    I heard Celes¡¯ voice say ¡°Please speak¡± inside my head.


    (Uh, morning.)


    I looked at Nott and conveyed those thoughts, to which he stared at me in bewilderment.


    ¡°Was that you?¡±


    It seems like the Yesma''s ability can also be used like a router.


    (That is correct.  I am the pig.)


    ¡°That seems suspicious.  How about you do a jump.¡±


    I immediately jumped, which led to Nott¡¯s face instantly reddening.


    (How¡¯s that?  Do you believe me now?)


    ¡°You¡­  Since when¡­?¡±


    (I¡¯ve been watching you ever since we first met yesterday.  Even after you gave Jess a drink.)


    He looked at me dumbfounded with his ears bright red.


    Celes then said desperately, ¡°Ms. Jess already has a chavillon, so-¡±


    (So that¡¯s why I have a request for you, Nott.)


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    (Could you come with us to the capital?)


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Both Celes and Jess raised their voice at the same time.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big idea?¡±


    I answered Nott¡¯s question while trotting about.


    (Your swordsmanship and achievement in retrieving the collar from the Yesma hunters.  In order for Jess to reach the capital safely, I believe you¡¯re necessary.  So please, can you accompany us just up until we reach the capital?  You came here intending to do just that anyway, right?)


    He seemed to be trying to figure out what¡¯s going on and kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ this is different from what you promised.¡±


    Celes looked at me, terribly confused.


    Jess then spoke, ¡°Um, I¡¯ll be fine without Mr. Nott because Mister Pig is with me.¡±


    (Do you really think so?  I know the both of us combined were able to handle that scar-faced man, but he had difficulty walking and had no weapons or skills to speak of.  Not to mention I was badly wounded.  If we continue our journey as is, there¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll be fine if we get attacked again.)


    Jess became silent.


    ©¤But Ms. Celes will be¡­


    She conveyed those words to me without saying them.


    I looked at Celes.


    (Celes, there aren¡¯t any other customers around, so how about you tell him your true feelings?)


    ¡°Eh?  But¡­¡±


    (What¡¯s the matter?  If you don¡¯t tell Nott right now, he¡¯ll be gone.)


    ©¤Mister Pig, Ms. Celes also has her own reasons.


    (I know.  After all, I heard it from her directly last night.)


    Nott frowned and watched our exchange.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Celes?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­  I¡­¡±


    Give it your all, Celes.  There¡¯s no other way out of this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Mr. Nott to go, because¡­ I like you¡±


    She revealed a girly expression that Nott had not seen before.


    Ah, how enviable.  I also want to live a life where I get confessed to by a cute girl like this.


    I doubt I¡¯ll ever get that kind of chance in my lifetime.


    ¡°Celes, you¡­¡±


    Nott blushed.  Five years ago, he was probably around the same age as Celes.


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t have the rights to say this.  I know Mr. Nott doesn¡¯t think much of me.  But even so, I don¡¯t want you to leave.  My heart aches when I think about you leaving with Ms. Jess and never being able to see you again¡­¡±


    (I won¡¯t let that happen.)


    Sorry for interrupting you two, but I have to say this first.


    (I¡¯ll make sure to send Nott back to this village before we enter the capital.  After all, he needs to be Celes¡¯ chavillon when she turns sixteen.  The only one who¡¯ll disappear with Jess is me.)


    Celes looked in my direction.


    ¡°Can you promise me?¡±


    (Yeah, of course.)


    ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t have any reason to keep Mr. Nott here.¡±


    (So she says.  What about you, Jess?)


    ¡°If¡­ Mister Pig says it¡¯s necessary, then I would like for Mr. Nott to accompany us.¡±


    (Well Nott, all that¡¯s left is your decision.)


    ¡°¡­ What, so are you asking me to escort you two for free?¡±


    He was furious.  This huntsman glared at me as if he was fed up.


    (Were you expecting something in return?  It¡¯s to protect Jess.  There¡¯s no other reason.)


    Nott clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Why should I have that kind of obligation?¡±


    (Are you okay with Jess being killed by those Yesma hunters?  Do you plan on retrieving her collar and making another blade with her bones?)


    His eyes widened.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    (A man doesn¡¯t go back on his words.  You came all the way here intending to accompany Jess, didn¡¯t you?  Even with a pig in the way, I hope that you¡¯ll act on what you set out to do.  Please.  I beg you, don¡¯t let Jess die.)


    Nott kept silent for some time.  He frowned as he stared at the ceiling, then at the collar on the wall, before finally at me.


    ¡°Alright.  You better not regret it, stupid pig.¡±


    After we paid the innkeeper for our breakfast, Jess, Nott, and I departed from the village.


    Celes saw us off at the front of the inn.


    When parting, Jess told her, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to return Mr. Nott.  Goodbye.¡±


    (Celes, you¡¯ve helped me out a lot.  Take care.)  I said to Celes as she petted me.


    ¡°I hope your wish comes true as well, Mister Pig.¡±


    She whispered to me with a smile.


    We left the inn with Celes exaggeratedly waving her small hand.

 Volume 1 - CH 3

    Nott had his dog by his side as if it was par for the course.  Its name was Rossi.  He was a large white dog and had a demeanor that if you told me he was a wolf, I¡¯d have believed you.  His left leg also had a silver anklet tightly fastened to it.  He was extremely friendly, and kept sniffing Jess¡¯ bare legs.  ¡°Let me smell them too¡± is a thought that I kept to myself.


    Based on Nott¡¯s advice, the best route to take after leaving the village was to first cross the Valley of Oil and spend the night at a major city known as Munires.  We¡¯ll procure some food there, and spend the next night at the Cross Rocklands.  After traversing the rocky area, we¡¯ll apparently arrive at a hilly terrain where we can head straight towards the center where the capital will be located at.  The capital is surrounded by a dense forest called the Forest of Needles.  Not only is that place a hotbed for Yesma hunters, it¡¯s also inhabited by many hecklepons.  Thus, Nott proclaimed that he¡¯ll burn it all down in the future.


    A cute girl, a handsome guy, a pig, and a dog.  This strange party embarked on its journey.


    During our trek, Nott was basically silent.  He walked briskly and indifferently while letting Rossi roam about.  I asked Jess to act as a router so that my thoughts in parentheses could be heard by Nott, but he seemed upset or something as he wouldn¡¯t even look at me, let alone talk to me.  He was treating me like a domesticated animal.


    On the other hand, Jess would smile and talk to me about inconsequential things such as ¡°Oh, look at that beautiful butterfly,¡± or ¡°The water here is delicious.¡±  If you¡¯re an otaku, you¡¯ll likely develop some kind of misunderstanding, but because I¡¯m a pig, I wouldn¡¯t do something that dumb.  At most, I stuck to answers befitting of a college engineer student, such as (This is a species of milkweed butterflies.  They¡¯ll cross mountains and can fly very long distances) and (It¡¯s soft because the water here has a low calcium concentration.  There¡¯s a lot of volcanic rocks around the area, so the minerals that make the water hard don¡¯t dissolve as easily.)  Jess was full of curiosity and asked a lot of questions.  Had she been born elsewhere, she might¡¯ve become a brilliant scholar ¨C I thought idly.


    As for Rossi, it was easy to get along with him.  Just hanging around Jess and sniffing her didn¡¯t seem to satisfy him, so he came to me looking to play as well.  He would entertain himself by placing his chin on my butt.  It was cute, so I couldn¡¯t help but tease him.  Watching him come up with different ways to play made me think he must be a very clever dog.


    We arrived at the Valley of Oil.  Clear water flowed smoothly through the valley, and a large bridge was suspended across.  Instead of crossing, however, Nott walked away from it.


    ¡°Are we not going to cross the bridge, Mr. Nott?¡±


    Nott bluntly answered Jess¡¯ question.


    ¡°If we pass through an obvious spot like this bridge, we¡¯re more likely to be noticed by troublesome people.  We just have to head downstream and cross over some stones down the river.  Bear with it.¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll do my best and walk!¡±


    As we pushed our way through the grass on our way down the steep slope, Jess explained to me, ¡°The name of this place comes from a battle during the Dark Ages.  I heard it had a cute name in the past, but after thousands of people died in the battle that took place here, the valley was dyed in their blood and looked as if oil was flowing through it.  That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Valley of Oil now.¡±


    She spoke as if it was a trivia that might come in handy someday, but the contents were gruesome.


    (The Dark Ages refers to the period of time when mages fought each other, right?)


    ¡°Right.  It was said to be an era where a lot of mages led armies of other races to fight for supremacy.  The mages¡¯ powers were so tremendous that most battles were determined by a mage¡¯s death.  When both sides are formidable and a drawn out battle occurs, that¡¯s when many lives are lost and rivers become stained with their blood.¡±


    (So are all those powerful mages dead, and there¡¯s only one bloodline left now?  Were there none that survived or have gone into hiding?)


    ¡°Well¡­ the mages that survived were probably either massacred by the king¡¯s ancestors or fled from Mestria¡­  Almost all records regarding the times before the Dark Ages have been burned, so documentations are scarce.  The current mainstream history books, no matter which one, seem to be based on the king¡¯s ancestors¡¯ retelling of them.  It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re too familiar with ancient history.¡±


    History is written by the victors.  Feels like that remains true no matter the world.


    ¡°They obviously decided to kill ¡®em all.¡±


    With his back still facing us, Nott continued spitting out his opinions.


    ¡°Those with power will always pose a threat as long as they¡¯re still alive.  If you want to protect yourself, the best thing to do is to eliminate your enemies.¡±


    But if you kill your own kind, doesn¡¯t that raise the possibility of the mages race completely perishing?  If they continued fighting each other while understanding that, it could be said that the mages are a race that was born destined to fall.


    We continued onwards and finally arrived at Munires in the evening.  It was a bustling commercial city.  Tons of carriages came and went through the wide cobbled main street, and the shops along the road were crowded with people of all ages.  Jess wrapped the scarf that was originally tied to her wrist around her neck as to avoid suspicion even when seen up close.  Nott entered a weapons shop and returned after purchasing various small items.


    At the square where a small fountain with a nude female statue was, Nott organized his luggage and said, ¡°Munires has soldiers from the royal family stationed here, so it¡¯s a relatively safe city.  I¡¯ll search for an inn for us to spend the night.  We still have a long ways to go, so give your legs some rest.¡±


    I had a suggestion to which I proposed to Nott through Jess.


    (Hey Nott, this city seems to have plenty of means of transportation.  Wouldn¡¯t it be safer and faster to arrange a carriage or something?)


    He sneered.


    ¡°Are you a foreigner?   In Mestria, the law strictly prohibits Yesmas from using any form of transportation.  Not only will the Yesma be punished with death, those who let her on board are also killed.¡±


    Death penalty just for riding a vehicle?  I didn¡¯t know that¡­  I hope a pig doesn¡¯t count as one.


    (Okay, but why?)


    ¡°How should I know?  The royal family said so, so their citizens have to obey.¡±


    (¡­ I see.)


    I¡¯m ashamed at not having attempted to learn about something as basic as this.


    (It seems like there¡¯s other laws that I don¡¯t know about.  Could you take this opportunity to tell me about them?)


    Nott didn¡¯t answer, so I turned to Jess and she explained.


    ¡°There are two laws related to Yesmas.  The first one is that they are not allowed to ride any vehicles, in other words, transportation is banned.  As for the other one¡­¡±


    She hesitated before speaking again.


    ¡°You are not allowed to violate a Yesma, meaning rape is prohibited.¡±


    Nott seemed to be examining a small metal sphere and was unresponsive.


    (If you break that law, is it also a death penalty?)


    ¡°¡­ Correct.¡±


    Good news everyone, it looks like our Jess-tasso is still pure, just like me.  With that said¡­


    (Erm¡­ How should I say this¡­? Where¡¯s the exact line drawn for the death penalty?)


    After saying that, I reprimanded myself for asking a sixteen year old girl this and hastily clarified.


    (I mean, there are cases where the Yesma is a guy after all.)


    Nott interjected with a stern tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, you stupid pig.  There¡¯s no such thing as a male Yesma.¡±


    (Huh?  You mean Yesmas can only be females?)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I was perplexed by Jess¡¯ response.  Does the Yesma race reproduce asexually?  Or do they continue on by mating with humans?  ¡­Forget it.


    (Putting those things aside¡­  Nott, I trust that what you did last night didn¡¯t violate those laws?)


    I knew this was unsightly of me, but I couldn¡¯t help it.  I figured this was my chance to find out about what he did to Jess last night behind the closed door.


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    Nott stopped fiddling with his tools and glared at me.  His ears were red.


    ¡°¡­ Are you making fun of me?¡±


    (¡­ No, I wasn¡¯t really making fun of you¡­)


    ¡°For the record, I respect the rights of Yesmas.  We huntsmen are free people, and we treat Yesmas equally.  So even if there were no laws, I wouldn¡¯t unfairly exploit a Yesma.  Even if you meant to be sarcastic, there are things you should and shouldn¡¯t say.¡±


    Huh?  Sarcastic?  What¡¯s he talking about¡­?


    ¡°If you want to crack jokes about what happened last night, then go ahead.  I laid bare that kind of miserable voice because I didn¡¯t know you were listening in outside the door.  But even men have a couple of things that they¡¯d want to cry about.  I only cried because I was drunk.  Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have shed a single tear.¡±


    Although I accomplished my goal, Nott appears to have mistakenly assumed that I had heard everything he said to Jess last night from beyond the door.  And it sounds like the scene which I should have overheard was far different from what I was worried about.


    So that¡¯s what he meant by ¡°lend me your chest.¡±  Did he just want someone to lament to?


    It looks like I missed my chance to tell Nott I didn¡¯t hear anything.  His face turned bright red and he looked away while Jess pressed her hands against her chest and nervously watched us.


    Immediately, a strong sense of self-loathing washed over me.  I soured the mood thanks to my dumb conjectures.  Ugh, this is why the creature known as otakus are so terrible.  You should all take care to not make the same mistake.  When it comes to topics between men and women, if you can avoid doing so, it¡¯s best to not pry.


    Nott was too pitiful, so I came clean and told him I didn¡¯t hear anything from last night, which was why I suspected he might have done something bad to Jess.


    He simply responded ¡°Is that so?¡± and after that, he didn¡¯t look at me once during our search for an inn.  The only thing I saw was that his ears, protruding from underneath his short blonde hair, were red as apples.


    He really didn¡¯t seem like a bad guy.  He was likely reminded of Ys and impulsively wanted to be pampered by Jess.  As for why he cried, it must''ve been because he couldn¡¯t forget about Ys.  That¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not about forgetting.  It was probably his murderous intent towards the hecklepons which resulted in his intense emotions bursting out.


    I wanted Nott as our companion precisely because of his unwavering passion.  If we were attacked by a Yesma hunter, he would eliminate them even if he didn¡¯t owe us.  My job is to get Jess to the capital safely, and in order to do so, I¡¯m prepared to use whatever means necessary.  Even if it means exploiting a thirteen year old girl¡¯s love or playing with a faithful huntsman¡¯s feelings, I need to brazenly pursue Jess¡¯ safety because that¡¯s my role.


    ©¤So that¡¯s what Mister Pig has been thinking about all this time.


    Jess transmitted her thoughts to me in order to not let Nott hear it.


    (Those were all monologues.  It¡¯s embarrassing, so if you keep listening in on this, I¡¯ll do as I please and peek at your panties.)


    ©¤I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do to prevent myself from hearing it, so¡­ it¡¯s okay to look if you want to, Mister Pig.


    (¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant.  And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m Oolong, so I have no interest in some ordinary cloth.)


    ©¤Ulron?


    (Don¡¯t mind that, it¡¯s a story from where I¡¯m from.)


    >TL Note: Dragon Ball reference


    While we were having these kinds of frivolous exchanges, the sun had completely set and Nott found a suitable inn.  Its light brown exterior stucco had glowing lanterns hanging from it, and the orange glow faintly illuminated the decorative flowers.  The rooms were small but tidy, and according to Nott, the owner of this place is an acquaintance of the innkeeper lady ¨C Celes¡¯ master, so she seemed trustworthy enough.


    We settled on having dinner at the inn¡¯s dining area.  Nott was mostly reserved, but after drinking a beer, he gradually chatted with Jess and me more.  Perhaps due to what happened yesterday, Jess declined the beer.  It doesn¡¯t look like Nott understands the concept of restraint or prudence.


    I was eating a plate of root vegetables on the floor when I decided to look up at Jess and spotted her thig-, a Yesma''s silver collar adorned on the wall.  Two swords were crossed with the collar in the center, just like the one we saw at Celes¡¯ inn.


    (Hey Jess, there¡¯s a collar on display here as well¡­  Is it some kind of good luck charm?)


    ¡°That¡¯s a silver coat of arms.  Displaying that is proof that you are a Yesma guardian.¡±  She explained with a smile.


    (You mean that thing¡­?  Wouldn¡¯t the people who usurp silver collars be able to imitate it easily?)


    ¡°When the collar is removed from a Yesma''s body, it will release an enormous amount of magic power, and at the same time self-destruct.  Normally, the silver blackens immediately, but when handled by someone adored by that Yesma, the collar will act as if it has a will of its own and not lose its luster.¡±


    Nott looked at me under the table while feeding Rossi a piece of meat on a bone.


    ¡°Conversely, when someone that lays their hands on Yesmas approaches, the collar will turn black and eventually break down.  So as long as it¡¯s still shiny, this inn is safe.¡±


    (But it could be a fake collar.)


    Hearing me say that, he raised his eyebrows in annoyance.


    ¡°What a fussy pig you are.  A Yesma can tell if it¡¯s real just by looking at it.¡±


    (Is that how it is?)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.  I can see a peculiar light and hear faint noises like singing from them.¡±


    Nott appeared a little surprised.


    ¡°Huh, so you can even hear noises.  That¡¯s rare to see.¡±


    I don¡¯t quite get it, but it sounds like Jess is considered fairly outstanding even amongst Yesmas.  Nott speculated that that was likely why she was taken in by as powerful of a family as the Quiltlins.


    While we, two animals and two humans, ate, I learned from Jess and Nott that the coat of arms is protected by a special magic, and as long as its self-destruction can be controlled, it can become a powerful source of magic power.  From this, I raised a fundamental question.


    (So when did Yesmas started wearing those collars?  ¡­In fact, why are there only female Yesmas?  How are they born?)


    Nott displayed a sullen smile.


    ¡°Stupid pig, even without knowing anything, you wanted to become a chavillon?¡±


    He gulped down his beer and wiped away the foam on his upper lip with his hand.


    ¡°Then let me tell you.  When a Yesma reaches 8 years old, she¡¯ll be trained and sold by the royal family as a maid.  After a rich and powerful family purchases her, she¡¯ll be sent to them already wearing the collar.  No one knows anything prior to that.  Who their parents are, when the collar was placed on them, where they were trained, all of it remains a mystery.  Not even the person in question has any memories prior to serving their family.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t following the conversation and simply blanked out.  Sold at the age of 8, and working as a maid while wearing a collar¡­?  Isn¡¯t that just¡­


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig, there¡¯s no need to be concerned.  Life as a maid isn¡¯t all that bad.  Only wealthy families can afford to purchase a Yesma, and everyone from those families is very kind.  I served the Quiltlin family for a long time, and they¡¯ve provided me with wages and free time.  They even allowed me to study, so I think it¡¯s a very enjoyable life.¡±


    Nott looked at Jess with pity, but kept quiet.  I also didn¡¯t feel like trying to correct Jess¡¯ way of thinking either.  Rossi, meanwhile, unreservedly crunched on some kind of animal bone.


    ¡°Time for bed.  Tomorrow¡¯s gonna be a long day as well.¡±


    After that, Nott emptied his mug.


    It was a narrow room with two beds in parallel, spaced some distance apart.  As soon as Nott entered, he dove into one of the beds without hesitation and soon started snoring.  Rossi was curled up on the floor nearby.  Jess lightly sat down on the other bed and smiled at me.


    (¡­ What¡¯s up?  You should go to sleep soon.)


    ©¤Mister Pig, do you mind talking for a while?


    Jess communicated to me without speaking.


    (Well, if it¡¯s just for a while¡­)


    ©¤Please come over here.


    Jess patted the empty seat next to her on the bed.


    My brain was easily short-circuited by the unprecedented event of being invited to bed by a cute girl.  Without thinking, I climbed up next to Jess and laid down.  She shifted her waist slightly and moved closer to me.  Her hips were touching my flank.  Perhaps due to the tension, my pork belly tightened up.


    Jess¡¯ hands gently caressed the back of my ears.  Oink¡­


    (So what did you want to talk about?)


    When I asked, Jess smiled shyly.


    ©¤There wasn¡¯t anything in particular that I had in mind¡­  I just wanted to chat.


    (Okay, then¡­ let¡¯s chat about something.)


    I responded idiotically.


    ©¤¡­ Is there anything that Mister Pig wants to talk to me about?


    I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything, so when she asked, I was at a loss for how to respond.


    (No, not really¡­  I can¡¯t think of anything at this moment.)


    ©¤Is that so?  In that case, I¡­


    She seemed to be thinking about something as she lowered her head slightly.  Even though this should be a casual conversation, my heart was shaken for no reason.  She then turned her eyes towards me.


    ©¤Um, Mister Pig.  I have to apologize to you.


    (¡­ For what?)


    ©¤For what happened last night.  After drinking alcohol, I was feeling comfortable¡­  As a result, I left you aside and let Mr. Nott into our room.  I felt that that probably wasn¡¯t right¡­


    As soon as I was reminded of that time I was locked out, my stomach was bombarded with a burning sensation.  It felt like my liver was being half-baked.  What¡¯s this unpleasant feeling?


    (I don¡¯t mind, you were probably just listening to him whining.  You can read his thoughts, so you knew you were safe.  In that case, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for.  Although you should probably stop drinking alcohol from now on if it makes you sleepy.)


    ©¤Erm, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­  How should I put it?  Mr. Nott is a man, right?


    (¡­?  Yeah, and?)


    ©¤Mister Pig promised me that we would share our destiny together¡­ Even though that was the case, I allowed Mr. Nott to enter the room¡­


    At this point, I finally realized what Jess was trying to say, so I hastily said, (D-don¡¯t misunderstand me, idiot.  I wasn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not asking you to be that conscientious, alright?)


    ©¤Is that so¡­?


    (Of course.  As long as you¡¯re safe, it¡¯s none of my business what you do with anyone.  Even if you were French kissing Nott that night, I wouldn¡¯t be jealous or anything-)


    Jealous¡­?  Me?  Impossible.


    (Anyway, don¡¯t worry too much about me.  It¡¯s rather annoying.)


    I realized what I said was harsher than it needed to be.  When I looked at Jess, she was pressing her fingertips against her chin in a flustered manner.


    ©¤I-I¡¯m sorry¡­  You¡¯re right, I¡­ got ahead of myself there¡­  I said something unnecessary.  Excuse me¡­


    Seeing Jess apologize profusely instantly cooled me down.  What have I done?


    (¡­ No, sorry.  I was also too harsh.  All I wanted to say is, um¡­ look, you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, Jess.  That¡¯s all¡­  I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re concerned about my feelings, but I think it¡¯s better if we have a more, you know, frank relationship¡­)


    ©¤Frank, you say¡­?


    (Yeah.  To give an example, it would be like a brother and sister.)


    Jess gave a troubled look.


    ©¤But I¡¯m not Mister Pig¡¯s sister.


    (You never know.  It¡¯s not like you know who your parents are, right?  In that case, we could be long-lost siblings.)


    ©¤I suppose¡­?


    I started thinking that kind of setting could be nice too.


    (It¡¯s only natural that a big brother protects his younger sister, and it¡¯s only right for a little sister to rely on her older brother.  What do you think?  Being siblings is nice.)


    ©¤That¡¯s true.  That in it of itself could be a nice relationship to have.


    Yeah, it¡¯s a nice relationship where the sister doesn¡¯t mind her brother¡¯s appearance, and the brother doesn¡¯t get jealous over his sister.


    (Alright, let¡¯s end matters here.  In conclusion, sibling love is wonderful.  It¡¯s late, so let¡¯s go to sleep.)


    I forcefully summed up our discussion and ended it there.  Jess tilted her head slightly.


    ©¤That¡¯s strange¡­  What were we originally talking about again?


    (Don¡¯t think too much about it.  It was just some small talk.)


    ©¤Was that so¡­?


    I got off the bed and curled up on the floor next to Rossi.


    (Go get some sleep, the journey ahead will be difficult.  Alright, good night.)


    There was no response for the time being.  I heard the sound of Jess slowly crawling into bed before she then whispered.


    ¡°Good night, Onii-san.¡±


    Even though it wasn¡¯t quite what I expected it to feel like, I still oinked to it honestly.


    I heard a noise.  It was late at night, dawn was probably approaching.  I raised my head, and in the darkness, I saw a pair of eyes glisten in front of me.  I broke out in cold sweat believing that I was about to be eaten before soon realizing they belonged to Rossi.  It seems like he also just woke up and was looking around the room with his ears pricked up.  Soon after, we both looked at the same location.


    Jess was sat up on the edge of her bed, looking out the window anxiously.  It was still pitch black outside.


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    When I asked, Jess glanced at Nott, who was sleeping in the bed next to her, before answering.


    ©¤I heard a voice.


    (A voice?)


    ©¤Yes.  Someone called Brace is trying to talk to me.


    I tried paying attention for a while, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything resembling a voice.


    (But I can¡¯t hear anything¡­)


    ©¤It might be that only Yesmas can hear it.  Would you like to listen in as well, Mister Pig?


    After I nodded, a girl¡¯s voice that wasn¡¯t Jess¡¯ started echoing in my mind.


    ©¤ness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying©¤


    (Time out, wait, please stop for a moment.)


    I immediately sobered up and shuddered.  The sound of the same words being rapidly repeated over and over again was almost something out of a horror flick.


    ©¤Um, I have to help her.


    (Huh?)


    ©¤I have to save the owner of this voice, Ms. Brace.


    I almost agreed in my half-awake state, but I caught myself and collectedly reconsidered.


    (Hold on, don¡¯t be too hasty.  To begin with, you don¡¯t know what kind of person is asking for help.  Not to mention the dangers.  So even if we are to save her, you can¡¯t go alone, Jess.)


    I swiftly woke Nott up and explained the situation.  He scowled at having been woken up, but after hearing the voice through Jess, his expression turned grave.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a Yesma.  Do you know where it came from?¡±


    Nott asked Jess while equipping his gear.


    ¡°Yes, to some extent.  It¡¯s coming from that direction, from far away.¡±


    She pointed out the window ¨C it was on the outskirts of the city where there were lush trees and few buildings.


    (What¡¯s over there?)


    Nott squinted his eyes and looked outside.  After a while, he replied, ¡°If you¡¯re asking about other than the forest, then there should be a few farmhouses and a chapel.  I can¡¯t see anything right now¡­ but we don¡¯t have much time.  Let¡¯s figure things out as we move.¡±


    We, two humans and two animals, soon left the inn.  There was little light to be of use along the cobblestone streets.  The lanterns were all extinguished, so the only thing we could rely on was the moonlight shining through the thin clouds.  It was a little windy, and the temperature was just a couple degrees below the comfortable level.


    While walking briskly, Nott asked in a low voice, ¡°You said the owner of the voice is located far away, right?  Only a Yesma, who has the power of heart, can convey her thoughts that far.  That voice also had a northern accent.  That person named Brace, she¡¯s definitely a Yesma that was kidnapped here from afar for whatever reason.¡±


    (But don¡¯t you find it strange?)


    He looked at me in annoyance after I interrupted him.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    (A Yesma has the ability to choose who they wish to convey their thoughts to, right?)


    Both Jess and Celes have communicated with me before without letting Nott know the contents.


    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±


    (How come we can¡¯t hear her voice then?  If you¡¯re going to call for help, isn¡¯t it better to ask multiple people instead of just Jess?)


    ¡°How should I know?  Maybe she¡¯s thinking that if she reaches out to people indiscriminately, she¡¯ll be caught by her enemies.  There¡¯s plenty of plausible reasons.  Besides, if she was in a position to make sane judgements, she would¡¯ve told Jess her situation and whereabouts.  All that matters right now is that a Yesma is calling for help.¡±


    (Jess, have you tried communicating back yet?)


    ¡°¡­ I have, but she hasn¡¯t reacted to them at all¡­  I wonder if it¡¯s even possible to convey my thoughts to someone that I can¡¯t see or don¡¯t know of in the first place¡­  At least, I don¡¯t have any experience with doing that sort of thing.¡±


    (Then how is she able to reach you with her thoughts?  It¡¯s not like you know each other.)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  I think there¡¯s probably some way to do it.¡±


    Jess and Nott continued onwards.  Uh, are you sure it¡¯s alright to run into the forest at night based on such a heedless verdict?  That¡¯s being too na?ve.  What are you, little red riding hood?  If Lovely My Angel was endangered because of such carelessness, I¡¯ll never forgive you, alright?


    >TL Note: Lovely My Angel (¥é¥Ö¥ê©`¥Þ¥¤¥¨¥ó¥¸¥§¥ë) is an Oreimo Ayase-tan reference.


    Jess looked at me, bewildered.  Not good, I ended up using a phrase that a light novel protagonist who is obsessed with younger girls would use.  I¡¯m not like that, so I need to watch myself.


    Perhaps he sensed something foreboding, Rossi was looking around restlessly.  An animal¡¯s intuition isn¡¯t something you should rely on, but it shouldn¡¯t be ignored either.


    It¡¯s a cry for help that only Yesmas can hear, and the only words endlessly repeated are ¡°Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.¡±  It seems like the person broadcasting the message is a Yesma, but we¡¯re not able to respond.  So, how should we be interpreting this?


    (Jess, can you still hear her voice?)


    ¡°Yes.  It hasn¡¯t stopped.¡±


    (Listen, both of you.  If you were trapped in the dark and could call someone from outside for help, what would you tell them?)


    ¡°¡­ If it were me, I would tell them my location and situation.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say, stupid pig?¡±


    (Something¡¯s not right.  As Nott said earlier, even though Brace didn¡¯t provide the specifics regarding her situation, she included a ton of unnecessary information such as her name, that it¡¯s ¡°terrifying¡±, and ¡°please.¡±  Furthermore, she didn¡¯t leave any time for a response.  For example, let¡¯s say you fell down a well, Nott, would you keep yelling ¡°Please save me, Nott, from this terrifying darkness.¡±?  No, right?  You would shout ¡°I¡¯ve fallen down a well, someone help me!¡± and wait some time for a response.)


    ¡°¡­ If it were me, yeah.  But there might be those who wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    Their pace didn¡¯t slow down.  Dense trees populated the dark path ahead of us, and beyond that, I spotted a small roof dome.  The only sounds breaking the silence were the rustling of branches and leaves from the window, and our footsteps.


    (From here on out, let¡¯s communicate through our thoughts.  Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking regarding the worst possible scenario.)


    ©¤Worst possible scenario?


    Jess looked at me anxiously.


    (What you¡¯re hearing right now is not a cry for help.  It¡¯s a prayer.)


    ©¤What?


    Nott, who had only been looking ahead this entire time, finally turned around.


    (It¡¯s an emotional and abstract plead, and she repeats it over and over again without waiting for a response.  This can¡¯t be a cry for help.  It¡¯s her prayer.)


    If it¡¯s a prayer, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to state your own name and say things like ¡°terrifying¡± or ¡°please.¡±  It would also explain why she didn¡¯t wait for anyone to answer her.


    ©¤Certainly, that could be the case.  However, whether it¡¯s a cry for help or a prayer, it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference, does it?


    (It does.  Big time.  You cry for help when you¡¯re asking for someone, whereas you pray when you¡¯re at your wit¡¯s end and everything is hopeless, but you still want to cling onto something.  Brace isn¡¯t calling for someone in particular.)


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling us to abandon her?¡±


    Nott stopped and said that out loud.  I shook my head.


    (That¡¯s not it.  What I¡¯m saying is that this could be a trap someone has set up.)


    Both Jess and Nott stared at me with puzzled expressions.  Oops, I skipped past the logical reasoning.


    (Her voice has a northern accent, right?  As I recall, this is the southern part of Mestria.  Assuming Brace is a Yesma, what¡¯s she doing here?  And the other thing is, why is her prayer only able to reach Yesmas?)


    I snorted like a pig through my nose.


    (I don¡¯t have the answer to everything yet, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that someone¡¯s maliciousness is behind this sense of incongruity.  Since she¡¯s not trying to call for help, it can be interpreted as someone is trying to use Brace¡¯s prayer to lure in Yesmas.)


    ©¤I see.  Thanks for the warning.  Just in case, I¡¯ll have Rossi be on guard.


    After thanking me, Nott resumed walking.  And Rossi, after seeing Nott¡¯s quick hand gesture, began circling our surroundings.


    Nott glanced at Jess.


    ©¤Hey Jess, are you sure it''s straight ahead?


    ©¤Yes.  She¡¯s probably inside the chapel in front of us.


    ©¤Inside the chapel?  That¡¯s strange¡­


    ©¤It really is strange¡­


    (Hold on a second, what¡¯s strange about that?  If you¡¯re going to pray, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a more suitable place to do it than at a chapel.)


    ©¤Mister Pig, Yesmas are a race that are supposed to pray to the stars.  Unlike others, we generally don¡¯t enter churches.


    (Is that how it is?)


    ©¤Of course not.  Churches are a place for people to offer their prayers to the progenitor of the royal dynasty, Vatis.  It¡¯s not just some place a Yesma can enter.  To put it simply, Yesmas don¡¯t have the right to pray to an existence that the other citizens worship.


    ¡­¡­ I see.


    (In that case, I now know what danger lies ahead of us, so please listen to my instructions.)


    Nott slowly knocked on the chapel door.  After a while, the seemingly heavy bronze door opened with a creaking sound.  Behind the door stood a hunched priest holding a candle.  He raised his eyebrows at the duo comprised of an armed young man and a tense girl.


    ¡°To be visiting at this time of day, is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, this girl here said she heard a voice coming from the chapel.¡±


    Nott placed his hand on Jess¡¯ shoulder.  She was wearing her scarf like a hood to hide her eyes.


    ¡°I-I came from a neighboring town to purchase goods, I am the Yesma called Celes.  And um¡­ I heard the voice of someone named Brace calling for help¡­¡±


    The priest carefully observed Jess before turning his gaze back towards Nott.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd.  I¡¯ve never heard that kind of name before¡­  And I¡¯m the only person at this chapel right now.¡±


    ¡°She might¡¯ve fallen into a hole somewhere.  I want to help her out as soon as possible, may I please come in to search for her?¡±


    The priest briefly pondered before responding in a plain tone of voice.


    ¡°Ah¡­ this chapel has a basement that we normally do not enter.  Perhaps someone could have accidentally wandered in there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, could you guide me there?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The priest opened the door further and invited Nott in, but silently stopped Jess, who was stumped as to whether she should enter as well.  Jess then bowed her head in a hurry and stepped back.


    The door closed with a heavy thud, leaving Jess alone outside the chapel.  Everything so far has been going according to plan, and the other party must be thinking the same thing.


    I, who had been watching the entrance from the bushes, turned my eyes towards the back door of the chapel.  Rossi and I sniffed the area earlier and only found a hecklepon.  There were no signs of a person hiding, which meant that if someone were to attack the Yesma that was left alone outside the chapel, they would have to come from inside the chapel.


    (Don¡¯t worry, Jess.  As long as you follow my plan, you¡¯ll be absolutely safe.)


    She overlapped her hands over her chest and looked over here.


    ©¤Thank you.  I¡¯m fine, because I also believe in Mister Pig.


    Oink.


    As expected, the back door soon opened and a tall man quietly stepped out.  He was holding some kind of cloth.  Although he had a sword hanging from his waist, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he wasn¡¯t a heavily armed tough guy.


    He was upwind.  When I tried sniffing the scent that drifted over, I did a double take.


    It smelled of halogenated ether.  As for how I recognized it, I once anesthetized a mouse for an experiment at my university, and the smell was similar to the isoflurane I used then.  It¡¯s an inhalation anesthetic that can quickly anesthetize an animal.  I¡¯m not sure how they synthesized it, but Mestria¡¯s pharmacology seems quite advanced.  Now, as for why these scoundrels of this world would use such high quality anesthetic¡­


    They think Jess is a Yesma that is still under employment, and killing an employed Yesma constitutes as a crime against her owner, meaning it¡¯s not allowed.  That¡¯s why they¡¯re avoiding killing her right away until after they¡¯ve interrogated her.  Are they going to subdue Jess, then do this and that to her?  Unforgivable.


    (Jess.  Nott.  Looks like someone came out.  He¡¯s holding some kind of anesthetic, so if you attack him immediately, he shouldn¡¯t be able to counterattack.)


    ©¤Understood.  I¡¯ve taken care of my end.  I¡¯ll be coming out soon.


    A tall, thin shadow quietly approached Jess, who clasped her hands in unease.  Even though I said not to worry, when the time came, I was also on edge.


    (It¡¯ll be alright, Jess.  I¡¯m watching, and everyone is close by.)


    ©¤Okay.


    Rossi was hidden inside a bush near Jess, ready to jump out at any time.


    The front door of the chapel opened slightly without a sound.  A face appeared.  It was Nott.


    ¡°Snoink!¡±


    Hearing my cry, the white mass that was Rossi flashed through the darkness and leapt at the man.  Though he was knocked aside, he was able to throw away the bottle and cloth in his hands, roll backwards, and quickly recover back onto his feet.  He placed a hand on his hilt.  Rossi snarled and pulled back.  The man¡¯s eyes were glued to Rossi.


    The next moment, a red flame flashed in front of the door.  The huntsman followed up the slash by leaping over the crouched Jess, forming a clean arc as his legs landed squarely into the man¡¯s chest.  Immediately after the strong kick, flames cut through the darkness again and stabbed into the man¡¯s back.


    With a dull thud, the man fell face down.  I rushed over.


    (Did we do it?)


    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Judging by Nott¡¯s posture, it looks like he used the flames to propel the hilt of his dagger into hitting the back of the man¡¯s head.  With a rope, Nott then tied the man¡¯s hands behind his back.


    Jess remained crouched down on the ground with her arms folded.  I moved closer.


    (It¡¯s alright now.  There¡¯s nothing to be scared of.)


    ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    (It must have been scary.)


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Jess petted me with trembling hands.  To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to use Jess as a decoy, but it was necessary in order to make our opponents, who could have been armed, loosen their guard by making them think we had fallen into their trap.  If Nott and Rossi charged in head-on, there was a chance that they would fight back and Brace could have been taken hostage.


    And above all else, Jess was the one to insist on being the decoy.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find the person in captivity.¡±


    Nott said calmly, to which Jess nodded.


    Two humans and two animals stepped into the pitch-black chapel.  Jess was hesitant about taking her first step, but Nott brusquely grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside.  Hm?  Are you trying to act like her boyfriend?


    I figured it would be immature of me to complain here, so I obediently followed behind Jess.


    Nott lit his left dagger like a torch, illuminating the chapel.  Marble pillars and wooden benches.  At the front is a gorgeous altar with an enshrined statue of a young woman holding her left hand to her chest, and her right hand towards the sky.  That must be Vatis, the founder of Mestria.  Jess was staring blankly at the statue for a while.  It must have been her first time seeing it.


    Just near the entrance, leaning against the wall, was the tied up unconscious priest.  Seeing as he was still awake at this time of day and made sure to leave Jess outside, it¡¯s safe to say that he¡¯s with that anesthetist.  I couldn¡¯t help but admire Nott¡¯s ability to deal with this one so quickly.


    ¡°Ok, where¡¯s her voice coming from?¡±


    Jess pointed downwards in response to Nott¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming from underneath the floor.¡±


    Rossi and I sniffed the floor and found two trapdoors leading underground from beneath the carpet.  One contained the smell of rodent-like animals, while the other emitted a weird fishy odor.  While we were searching for the trapdoors, Nott had deftly tied the priest and anesthetic guy to a pillar.


    The underground area was completely dark.  The trapdoor that smelled of animals only contained a nest filled with rats, it was a bust.  The priest probably intended to guide Nott here.  We left Rossi behind to keep watch and entered the other trapdoor, walking down the creaky wooden stairs.


    The light from Nott¡¯s blade dimly illuminated the space between the stone walls.  Beyond the stairs was a narrow corridor that stretched ahead.  There was only a wall along the right side, but there looked to be a few rooms without doors on the left.  The closest room was an almost cubical area with a large stone pedestal in the center covered in black stains.  The fishy stench wafting over here was unmistakably that of blood.


    The thought of having put Jess through that kind of danger made my stomach drop.


    The next room had a shelf with rows of glass bottles the size of those used to make fruit wine.  They were each filled with a clear liquid, and some also contained a whitish mass that was shaped like a distorted light bulb.  Is it an animal¡¯s organ of some sort?  After glancing at them, Nott immediately proceeded towards the next room.  I couldn¡¯t see his face due to the shadows, but I could hear the sound of him gritting his teeth.


    The two rooms at the end were fitted with iron bars.  The first one was empty.  We peeked into the depths of the second.


    The first thing that caught my eyes was the glowing statue on a pedestal.  It was of a young girl kneeling in prayer with silver metal wrapped around her neck.  Knelt before the statue was a girl in the exact same posture, looking at it with bloodshot eyes.  She didn¡¯t seem to notice us.  She was dressed in rags, appearing almost naked, and stared at the statue unblinkingly.  Her silver collar confirmed she was a Yesma.


    So that¡¯s how they did it.  By having the Yesma pray to the statue of a Yesma, her thoughts are directed towards the concept of Yesmas, which results in only Yesmas receiving them.  That¡¯s how they intended to lure in Yesmas and capture them.


    Nott shook the iron bars, making a sound.


    No response.


    ¡°Hey, get a hold of yourself.¡±


    She didn¡¯t react to his voice either.  Nott then kicked the bars with all his might.


    The sound of the powerful impact echoed through the narrow space.  The praying girl finally came to her senses and jumped back before looking at us.  Even though she was illuminated by the flames, her face was terrifyingly pale.  She had long curly blonde hair and a lovely face.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help.  You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    Nott said, and tried several keys hanging nearby to unlock the metal gate.  Once inside, he immediately embraced the girl.


    With her chin resting on Nott¡¯s shoulder, she finally blinked with her doll-like expressionless face.


    ¡°These guys have committed enough crimes to get the death penalty,¡± Nott remarked, and thoroughly handled the cleanup.  He broke the priest¡¯s and anesthetist¡¯s legs, tied them up, locked them in the prison where Brace was, buried the keys to the cell in the woods, and sent a report letter to the royal family¡¯s trade hub of sorts.  The hecklepon that was left alive during the decoy operation due to us not wanting to draw attention had disappeared without us noticing.  Nott was annoyed the entire time because he failed to kill it.  At sunrise, three humans and two animals departed from Munires.


    It seems like Brace was given the bare minimum food and freedom, so she was able to walk without any issues.  However, she didn¡¯t open her mouth at all and would rarely communicate using her power of heart.  ¡°Thank you.¡± and ¡°Understood.¡± accounted for 90% of those, with the remaining 10% being her self-introduction.


    ©¤I am the Yesma who once served the Ace family, gravekeepers of Luboli, my name is Brace.


    Like Jess, that meant she was a Yesma whose employment had concluded.


    Brace had a pair of blue eyes, fair skin, and a high nose bridge, which gave a dignified impression.  And although she was thin, unlike Jess and Celes, her breasts were big.  They were pretty large, so Jess¡¯ clothes didn¡¯t fit her, and we had to procure a plain linen robe from the innkeeper.  I was under the impression that Yesmas were more modest in this regard, but it appears that this was just an assumption based on a small sample size.


    ©¤Um, Ms. Brace and I can hear you very clearly¡­


    Jess placed her left hand over her chest, evidently bothered by her size, while warning me telepathically.  Brace seemed to have accepted the fact that I was a human as a matter-of-factly, perhaps even indifferently about it.  She simply kept following Nott.  Even from behind, I could see it jiggl- No, I shouldn¡¯t.


    (Sorry, I should be more considerate.  I¡¯ll reflect on it.)


    ©¤That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind.  Please feel free to look at what you like.


    Jess¡¯ tone was gentle, but it felt like there were some thorns to it.


    (That¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s a misunderstanding.  I¡¯m your chavillon.  I swear from now on that I¡¯ll only look at Jess¡¯ breasts!)


    Wait, that doesn¡¯t sound right either.  That made me look like a pervert, didn¡¯t it?  Even though I¡¯m by no means a pervert.


    Jess chuckled.


    ©¤Please don¡¯t take it to heart.  It¡¯s common knowledge in Mestria that men prefer bigger ones.  Just look at Mr. Nott¡­


    I observed Nott.  The easy-to-understand, pure-hearted huntsman would sometimes look back as if in concern of Brace¡¯s health, but before turning around to face the front again, his gaze would always go just below her face.  Really, this pervert is worse than a pig.


    That being said, what does she mean by ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge in Mestria that men prefer bigger ones¡±?


    (Jess, don¡¯t get me wrong.  I inadvertently look at big ones the same way a person is drawn to look at a tall sunflower when it blooms.  It¡¯s a very natural reaction.  Among the guys that look, there are definitely those that actually prefer smaller violets.  In fact, from where I¡¯m from, the majority of people actually prefer violets.)


    ©¤That¡¯s¡­ good to know¡­?


    I might have lied a little.  But you all get it, right?  The beauty of a violet silently blossoming by the roadside!


    This world¡¯s views were pretty distorted.  Perhaps the only one who can change Mestria is me, someone who has an understanding of modern Japan where modesty is a virtue.


    Like a doll that learned to walk, Brace was a girl that didn¡¯t express any emotions.  She pulled the hood on her robe over her eyes, lowered her gaze slightly, and walked indifferently behind Nott.  Jess and I kept a bit of distance and followed behind them.  Rossi acted like a free electron, running between all of us.


    Why was she confined in that chapel, and what did they do to her?  I had my concerns, but it wasn¡¯t the right mood to ask, nor could I point out the unidentifiable unpleasant smell that drifted from her body.  Our traveling companions solemnly marched towards the capital.


    Side note, after we left Munires, Jess removed her scarf to reveal Nott¡¯s cream-colored cloth and wrapped it back around her left wrist.  I wonder why she didn¡¯t put it away even though she carried a bag.  Was she worried about it wrinkling?


    While I mused about that, Jess smiled shyly and stroked my head.


    As dusk approached, we reached the Cross Rocklands.  It¡¯s an eerie terrain filled with sharp rocks that range from one meter to several meters tall.  According to Jess, the name of this place was also derived from something that happened during the Dark Ages.  A certain mage imitated the way a shrike would impale its preys on thorns for feeding and spiked many humans on the rocks here, hence the name Cross Rocklands.  Nott explained that there were two reasons for leaving the bodies out like this.  The first was to make the enemy lose their will to fight in this rocky area where it was easy to hide and ambush; the second is to attract crows that would come and eat the corpses.  As long as the crows would get frightened and fly away when someone moved near them, it became easier to spot ambushes.  Mages wouldn¡¯t lose a head-on fight, but they were terrified of surprise attacks.  That¡¯s why they built this forest of corpses in order to conquer this land.  ¡°Don¡¯t be shocked if a human bone falls and lands here,¡± Nott noted.


    ¡­To put it bluntly, weren¡¯t mages mass murderers?  They had no chivalry or bushido to speak of.


    Probably because Nott chose an appropriate route, we didn¡¯t run into any dangerous situations.  When night fell, we found a decent cave and had grilled meat for dinner.  Although my meal was comprised of only grass and roots, it was tasty.  Rossi went to sleep while we ate, which Nott explained was so that he could keep watch while we slept.  I don¡¯t know what kind of experiences Nott had as a huntsman, but he gave me the impression of being very careful.  Even during the chapel incident, he demonstrated his incredible physical abilities and dependable leadership skills.  Believing that there was no role left for me to play, I felt both reassured and a little sad.


    It was night time, and Jess soon fell asleep.  Even though she was in the middle of a death facing trial, she looked very at ease in her sleep.  I looked at Nott with mixed feelings as he himself watched Jess sleep with a complicated expression.


    Brace was praying to the stars near the entrance of the cave.  Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be smiling slightly.  She merely nodded lightly after Nott advised her to get some sleep while she still can.


    Just as I was lying down and dozing off, someone pinched my ear.  As I wondered who it was, my eyes focused onto Nott.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head outside.¡±  He whispered, before quickly leaving the cave.


    I had no reason to refuse, so I followed.  Brace was asleep with her back against the rock face and Nott¡¯s waistcoat covering her stomach.  Though the hazy clouds covered the night sky, the moonlight was still bright outside the cave.  However, the moon seemed to have shrunk considerably compared to the first night ¨C the night where Jess waited for me under the tree.


    I sat down in front of Nott, who sat on a random rock.


    I stared at his face, as if to say ¡°What is it?¡±  Since Jess and Brace were asleep, I could only communicate with Nott using simple, non-verbal actions.


    ¡°Are you prepared to die?¡±


    Nott opened with that, but I couldn¡¯t grasp what he was talking about, so I continued staring without nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re prepared to die for Jess.  Once a Yesma arrives at the capital, she can no longer leave.  The same goes for her chavillon.  Any companions that enters the capital with the Yesma will disappear alongside her.  The capital is a secluded place, no one knows what goes on in there.  It¡¯s possible that you¡¯ll just get killed and be used for some purpose.  Even then, do you plan on going to the capital together?¡±


    I nodded strongly.


    ¡°That so?  Then you¡¯ve got guts.  You¡¯ll have to forgive me, but once we cut through the Forest of Needles and get close to the capital, I¡¯ll be heading back as promised.  I don¡¯t trust the royal family, and I don¡¯t want to make Celes cry.¡±


    Still looking directly at Nott¡¯s eyes, I nodded again.


    ¡°You said you were prepared to die, right?  Then for your resolve, I¡¯ll give this to you.¡±


    Nott took out two anklets with a small blue rista attached to each them from a nearby bag.


    ¡°This is the same thing Rossi puts on during our hunts.  You can manipulate water, create ice, and change the shape of the ground.  It can be used to create flat ice for preys to slip on, blocks of ice for them to trip over, and even footholds for yourself out of rough, non-slippery ice.  As long as there¡¯s plenty of water, it¡¯s also possible to create a difficult to traverse swamp.¡±


    I signaled my attentiveness.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m not used to killing people.  Even though I hate Yesma hunters so much that I want to kill them, I¡¯ve never actually killed one.  Things went well last night, but that was thanks to the surprise attack you proposed.¡±


    He smirked, revealing his sharp canine teeth, and continued.


    ¡°When I went to retrieve her collar, I fought with a few people.  In the end, I only managed to attack their weakest¡¯s leg, and blind one of his eyes.  I was outnumbered, so all I could do was run away afterwards.¡±


    Nott laughed self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°The most intelligent creature I¡¯ve killed is probably a hecklepon.  I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m capable of getting you all out safely when we¡¯re confronted with a Yesma hunter since they murder for a living.  You¡¯re smart, so I want you to use this tool alongside Rossi to support me.¡±


    I was distracted for a moment by something, but nodded twice to indicate my consent.


    He helped me put on the anklet, and then hid it with a cloth similar to the one he had used on Jess to make it inconspicuous.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about feeling for how to use it.  Practice it along the way.¡±


    Nott said, and stroked Rossi¡¯s chin as the dog came over here.


    ¡°Any questions, or whatever you want to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Snort.¡±


    That¡¯s all I can say, please be more understanding.


    Nott let out a slight chuckle, then looked straight at me.


    ¡°Lastly, when the time comes to fight, follow what I say.  Alright?¡±


    I gave him another nod.


    ¡°Rossi always listens to what I say.  That¡¯s why we¡¯re able to work together.  The moment you go against my orders, our coordination will break down, leaving gaps.  If you don¡¯t want Jess to die, follow my instructions.¡±


    He sighed, then resumed.


    ¡°But in a worst case scenario, I might end up using you as a pawn.  When the time comes, you should decide for yourself what to do.  I¡¯ll only abandon you if the situation leaves me with no choice.  You can choose whether to sacrifice yourself, or Jess.¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, Nott returned to the cave.  Rossi came up to me and grinned while panting with his tongue out.


    Upon closer inspection, this brave hound¡¯s legs were covered in countless scars.


    The next morning, after a light meal, we set off.  After passing through the rocky area, a smooth hilly terrain greeted us.  We trekked on for another day and was able to spot a taupe brown rocky mountain ahead.  That was the capital.  It¡¯s a single peak mountain like Mt. Fuji, but with a sharper outline and a height of about 1,000 meters at most.


    As we got closer, I realized that the bottom of the mountain was not just an ordinary rock land.  The foothill plains that normally should exist weren¡¯t there.  Instead, the mountain was surrounded by sheer cliffs.  They weren¡¯t just any ordinary cliffs either.  They were gigantic walls that each looked to be the size of a skyscraper.  The mountain was surrounded by layers of these walls, each with increasing height as they moved inwards.  As if they were haphazardly developed, the irregularly shaped walls overlapped each other, obscuring what lies behind them.  It looked like an armed bamboo shoot.  According to Nott, the mountain itself was like an impenetrable castle, and the capital¡¯s mountain was surrounded by a dark coniferous forest ¨C the Forest of Needles.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally able to see it.¡±  Jess commented.


    (Yeah, we¡¯ve made it this far, all that¡¯s left is to pass through the Forest of Needles.)


    Nott, who was leading us, turned around.


    ¡°Have you guys heard this before?¡±


    Nott smiled nihilistically and fiddled with the dagger in his right hand while glancing sideways at Brace.


    ¡°The mushrooms found in the Forest of Needles are said to have a faint glow at night.  I¡¯ve seen it before, and it¡¯s a fantasy-like scenery.¡±


    Jess turned towards Nott¡¯s direction.


    ¡°If it¡¯s about that, I¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯m not really sure why they would glow.¡±


    ¡°Nah, a local hunter told me the reason.  Not all mushrooms glow the same, some glow strongly while others barely glow at all.  It varies from location to location.¡±


    (¡­Which means?)


    Nott¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°It means the mushrooms only glow after absorbing a Yesma''s blood.¡±


    Not long after sunset, we decided to stay the night at a small inn just before the Forest of Needles.  It was a solid-looking western-style building built out of grey stones.  Despite its simplistic interiors, it gave the impression of being neat and tidy.  The dining area was decorated with a silver coat of arms ¨C the proof of a Yesma guardian, which used a Yesma''s collar.  However, the collar on this one was quite blackened and dull.


    (Hey, that collar is quite black.)


    When I informed us, Jess looked at it apprehensively.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­  I¡¯ve never seen a coat of arms that blackened before.¡±


    When handled by someone that protects Yesmas, the collar will shine brightly; when malice approaches, the collar will darken.  As I recall, that should be the case.


    Nott coldly explained, ¡°The Forest of Needles is a hotbed of Yesma hunters.  These hungry thugs run amok, and nearly a hundred Yesmas die here every year.  This place is full of evil, so if it¡¯s only darkened to this level, that person should still be pretty good.¡±


    He walked towards the innermost table and sat down.  Jess, with her scarf on, and Brace, with her hood over her head, both sat across from him.  Rossi and I sat next to the table.  Through the small window, I watched as the dark blue night sky slowly invaded the bright red sunset.


    ¡°You two-, you three.  We¡¯ll probably have to say our goodbyes tomorrow.  Once you enter the capital, we won¡¯t be able to see each other ever again.  Of course, if you die, that¡¯s the end of that.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m gonna drink.  You guys, order what you want.  This is that kind of inn.¡±


    The man displaying his culinary skills in the kitchen was a quiet old man with a somewhat sad look on his face, but the food was certainly rich and sumptuous.  When Nott said ¡°that kind of inn,¡± he really meant it was that kind of inn.


    The final gathering place for those who are prepared to bid their eternal farewells.


    The somewhat lavish dishes were laid out on the table, and Nott held up his mug containing beer.


    ¡°Alright, tomorrow-¡±


    ©¤Sorry¡­ I will be heading to bed early.


    I heard Brace¡¯s voice in my head.  I turned around and saw her pursing her pale lips under her hood.


    Nott cut off his words and asked, ¡°Why?  Eat something.  You¡¯ll need the energy for tomorrow-¡±


    ©¤I¡¯m tired, and I don¡¯t have any appetite.  Please let me rest.


    After silently thinking for a while, Nott picked up a piece of bone with meat on it next to him and tossed it at Rossi.  The dog turned his head and opened his mouth to deftly catch the food.


    ¡°Go ahead and return to the room to sleep.  Rossi will keep watch nearby.¡±


    Brace lowered her head slightly and hurried towards the bedroom.  Rossi followed closely with the meat and bone still in his mouth.


    Nott sighed and placed his mug on the table.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry up and eat.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    (Yeah.  Let¡¯s finish eating early, and go to bed early.)


    We had our final dinner together in this vigil-like atmosphere.  But even so, Jess savoured every bite and shared with me a bit of each dish.


    ¡°Look Mister Pig, I wonder if this is quail meat.  It¡¯s seasoned very well with salt and herbs.  I can only feed you a little bit¡­ here.¡±


    I gratefully accepted the piece of meat on Jess¡¯ palm.  A pig¡¯s mouth is clumsy, so my lips touched her hand.  Jess smiled like it tickled her.


    Even during this extremely special situation where I tickled a cute girl¡¯s palm, my heart didn¡¯t flutter.  But what I did do was give my impressions after tasting a meat dish from another world.


    (It¡¯s delicious, like a high-end yakitori.)


    ¡°Yakitori?¡±


    (Right, it¡¯s a dish where you put chicken on a skewer and grill it over fire ¨C it¡¯s something from my country.)


    ¡°So that kind of dish exists.  I see, Mister Pig¡¯s country also has¡­¡±


    Jess stared at the herb-roasted quail meat before taking another bite with relish.  What a resilient girl, I thought.  Most people under these circumstances would end up acting more like Brace.


    Nott, who drank his beer while blankly watching Jess, spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you two, but I have something I¡¯d like to discuss.¡±


    (What is it?)


    Jess and I shifted our attention towards him.


    ¡°It¡¯s about priorities.¡±


    Did he have a stomach ache?  Nott frowned and his expressions tensed up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put a value on each person¡¯s life.  Whether it be human or Yesmas, life is equal for everyone with a heart.  But¡­ but come tomorrow, if our lives are in danger¡­ if we¡¯re put in a situation where we can only save either Jess or Brace¡­  Let¡¯s pick Jess without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment, Mr. Nott, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, okay?  You¡¯ve seen her, her heart is sick.  I can barely feel her will to live.  But Jess isn¡¯t like that.  If you were to die because of her, she wouldn¡¯t want that either.  Of course, saving everyone¡¯s lives is our top priority, but if things get out of hand, we need to agree on prioritizing Jess¡¯ life first.  If Jess was killed because I hesitated on letting Brace die when every second counts, I¡­¡±


    Nott didn¡¯t finish his words and resumed drinking his beer.


    (Yeah, Nott¡¯s right.  We should put Jess¡¯ life above all else.)


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Mister Pig.  That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s too pitiful for Ms. Brace.¡±


    A mug was violently slammed onto the table with a bang.


    ¡°This is the problem with Yesmas ¨C they always jump to worrying about others first.¡±


    Nott seemed to touch his mug with his right hand out of frustration.


    ¡°Let me start by saying your stupid pig is your chavillon, not Brace¡¯s.  He exists to protect your life first and foremost no matter what, not the person who was imprisoned that we rescued along the way.¡±


    Jess couldn¡¯t refute his words, and didn¡¯t seem to know what to say.


    (It¡¯s exactly as Nott said.  I¡¯ve been with you since the beginning for no reason other than to protect you, Jess.)


    Jess looked at me with tears in her eyes.  I couldn¡¯t tell if they were out of happiness or sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ um, sorry.  I¡¯ve never been told those words before, so I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±


    (From my standpoint, I would be most happy if you were honestly glad about it.)


    ¡°Then I¡¯m glad.¡±


    What are you, an android that just learned emotions or something?  It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re happy at all.


    Jess clumsily forced herself to smile as if she had read my mind.  I thought it was cute, so I let it slide.


    Nott had been watching Jess for a while, seemingly having something on his mind, and suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Listen, Jess.  I once had a dream.¡±


    He became more talkative than he¡¯s ever been.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dream that hasn¡¯t come true ¨C a dream that won¡¯t ever come true.  It¡¯s a dream where I would go to the capital with her as her chavillon and stay with her until death.  Her bones were used to make this pair of daggers.¡±


    Nott placed his daggers on the table.  Excluding the metal on the plain handles, the rest was made of an ivory-like material that was polished smooth.  Those were the bones of Ys.  Someone that was kidnapped and killed after the monastery burned down.


    ¡°If it sounds stupid, just treat me like a fool.  But you really do resemble her.  I¡¯m hoping I can at least send you to the capital and make you happy.  I want you to live for that person who couldn¡¯t live even if she wanted to.¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Jess spoke.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you very much.  Let¡¯s all survive to welcome the day after tomorrow.¡±


    In Jess¡¯ mind, the direction of her distorted inequality sign didn¡¯t seem to budge in the slightest.


    Something touched my back and startled me awake.  It was a quiet night.


    ©¤Mr. Pig, could you please come over here?


    For a moment there I was wondering who that was, but it looks like it was Brace reaching her hand out and calling for me.  Since there wasn¡¯t a room that could fit a large party of three people and two animals, we slept on the carpeted floor with blankets.  Rossi laid near the window with his ears pricked up.


    Jess and Nott seemed to be asleep.  I got up quietly and moved closer to Brace.  I could see Rossi¡¯s ears twitch before returning to their original positions after a while.


    ©¤Could you please come closer?


    As she requested, I moved even closer.  I was about 30 centimeters away from Brace, who laid there with her hood on.


    ©¤Just a little more.


    I got as close to Brace as my virgin body would allow.


    ©¤Could you please lie down?


    I laid down as she asked, and her thin arms wrapped around my neck.


    I was being hugged while lying down.  By a girl.


    (Eh, ah, um¡­  Err?)


    Brace¡¯s lovely face entered the corner of my vision.  I could feel her plump breasts against my pig flank.  And then there was this strange stench like rotten meat that drifted in from somewhere.


    ©¤Please forgive me, I was a bit cold.


    I see, it¡¯s fine if you were cold¡­  As I was thinking such stupid things, I felt her arms tremble.  It was probably not just because of the cold.


    (Did you want to talk about something?)


    ©¤¡­Yes.


    (In that case, feel free to say anything.)


    Brace swallowed, and I could hear a cry that seemed to be from pain.


    ©¤Mr. Pig came from another world, right?


    I was a bit surprised.  Both Jess and Nott didn¡¯t really ask about where I came from, and they seemed to treat me like a strange pig that came from another country, so I figured Mestrians didn¡¯t care about this sort of thing.  But Brace clearly used the words ¡°another world¡± just now, which means from her point of view, there exists a world other than this one.


    (Well¡­ yeah.  I came from another world that is completely different from Mestria.)


    ©¤Please, could you tell me about your world?


    Oh, so that¡¯s what you wanted to talk about.


    (Got it.  What kind of stories would you like to hear about?)


    ©¤I understand it was rude of me to eavesdrop, but I accidentally overheard that in Mr. Pig¡¯s world, men prefer women with smaller breasts.  Is that true?


    Her question was completely out of my expectations, making my thoughts grind to a halt.  I didn¡¯t know what she was asking of me, or how I should reply to her.


    (Sorry, I um¡­ like smaller ones, but¡­ it¡¯s not-)


    ©¤In Mr. Pig¡¯s world, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no such thing as men accidentally being seduced by big breasts, right?


    It sounded more like a wish than a question.  I sensed Brace¡¯s intentions.  It must have been difficult for her.


    (¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right.  It doesn¡¯t happen.  I doubt anyone would even look at someone like you.)


    ©¤I see.  So there¡¯s a world out there like that¡­


    After exhaling slowly, Brace continued.


    ©¤It would be nice if, when I die tomorrow, I was reborn in your world.


    Her tone sounded indifferent, but there was a clear sense of deep and serious pain engraved in it.


    (Come now, it¡¯s bad luck to be talking as if you¡¯ll die.)


    ©¤No, I¡¯m going to die.


    (That¡¯s not true.  Don¡¯t give up hope so easily.)


    Brace¡¯s arms kept trembling around my neck.


    ©¤¡­Can I tell you a secret, Mr. Pig?


    (¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll keep it to myself¡­)


    But why me?


    ©¤Because Mr. Pig is from another world.  Ever since I served the gravekeeper family, I¡¯ve continued to pray, believing that there¡¯s another world beyond the stars.  Therefore, I believe Mr. Pig is the right person to hear my final prayer.


    She naturally read my monologues, but that¡¯s fine.


    (¡­ Alright.  I¡¯m listening.)


    ©¤Please look.


    Brace moved slightly away from me and undid the front of her robe.  I immediately closed my eyes, but a strong putrid smell drifted through the air, forcing me to open my eyes and turn to look.  Even in the dark room, I could see a large blackened scar below Brace¡¯s navel, on top of her lower abdomen.


    ©¤It has a very strong smell, doesn¡¯t it.  It¡¯s already festering.  My skin and flesh have begun to rot.  It seems like poison is circulating through my blood, so my whole body hurts.  I can feel my death approaching.


    (¡­Were you stabbed?)


    ©¤Yes.  I was stabbed by a lot of things underneath that chapel.  I lost a lot blood.


    Brace pulled her robe back in place and wrapped her arms around me again.  Her arm tremors were weak.


    (That¡¯s terrible¡­)


    I could only use such clumsy words.


    ©¤There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.  By the time you all came to rescue me, my wound had already started to rupture.


    (It must be very painful.)


    ©¤Yes, very much so.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say for a while, but I finally found some words to tell her.


    (Let¡¯s consult with Nott and Jess about this.  There should be a way to heal this.)


    Brace shook her head lightly.


    ©¤Please don¡¯t tell those two.  This is an extremely dangerous place.  Mr. Nott is a very kind person, he might push himself too hard and risk his own life in an attempt to save mine.  I don¡¯t wish to endanger everyone¡¯s lives for the sake of that.


    It felt like my guts were being put under a death grip.


    (But in order for you to reach the capital¡­)


    ©¤I don¡¯t need to make it.  I will dedicate my life to you and Ms. Jess.


    (You can¡¯t, that¡¯s¡­)


    As I said that, I felt my words were only superficial.


    ©¤Death is a form of salvation.  Please let me die.  It¡¯s my fault for being born this way.  It¡¯s my fault for being born a Yesma.  It¡¯s my fault for seducing everyone with this body, this appearance, this voice.


    (That¡¯s not true.  It¡¯s obviously those bastards that selfishly exploit Yesmas that are the ones to blame.)


    ©¤Is that how everyone sees it in Mr. Pig¡¯s world?


    (Of course.)


    ©¤¡­That makes me want to go there even more.  When I die, Mr. Pig, please take me to your world.  This is my final wish.


    ¡°To request that of me is-¡±, I won¡¯t respond like that.  I already knew what the correct answer was.


    (I got here even without praying.  There¡¯s no reason why you can¡¯t go over there because you¡¯ve been praying all this time.  Brace will definitely be able to reincarnate into the world that I came from.)


    ©¤Is that so?  Thank you very much.


    Underneath the darkness and shadow of her hood, I noticed something gleamed.  They were tears flowing from her beautiful blue eyes.  Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I felt like this was the first time I¡¯ve seen Brace smile.


    (Sorry, but¡­ is that all?  If Jess saw us, she might misunderstand.)


    ©¤Ah, okay¡­


    Her arms loosened.  But when I tried to get up, those arms tightly wrapped around me again.


    ©¤Please wait.  Please let me say just one more thing.


    When this line is used, what comes next is going to be super important information.  Even your language textbooks say so.  I returned to lying down and asked.


    (What is it?)


    ©¤There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to tell you, no matter what.


    Brace gripped the fat on my back.


    ©¤Because I helped with the gravekeeping work, I had many opportunities to talk with bereaved families, and have heard various stories from all kinds of people.  During that time, I¡¯ve been told a strange story multiple times.


    (¡­A strange story?)


    ©¤It¡¯s been said that there¡¯s no entrance to the capital.


    (What?)


    ©¤There¡¯s no entrance to the capital.  Some even say that that¡¯s why all Yesmas die at the Forest of Needles.


    I felt a chill run down my spine.  This was like a classic zombie movie plot where you¡¯d journey to a safe zone only to find out that there was actually nothing there.  Are you kidding me?


    (Then what was the point of us braving the risks to get to the capital¡­)


    ©¤Don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯ve been told that there have been Yesmas that disappeared with their chavillons, so there must be a way to enter.  Of course, those that successfully entered the capital won¡¯t appear outside ever again, but¡­ at some point, I started hearing these words about how to enter the capital.


    (Could you tell me what they were?)


    ©¤¡°Appeal to the king.¡±


    I waited, but it didn¡¯t seem like Brace had any intention of telling me anything else.


    (That¡¯s it?)


    ©¤Yes.  Such rumors circulated in some parts of the north.  They say the only way for a Yesma to enter the capital is to appeal to the king.


    (Are they telling us to scream at the capital?)


    ©¤I don¡¯t know.  However, don¡¯t you find it strange that such a vague rumor was able to spread around like this?  The rumors that people usually talk about are more specific and surprising in content.


    It¡¯s certainly rare for a rumor like ¡°©–©– has a younger sister¡± to spread.  But it¡¯s possible if the rumor was along the lines of ¡°©–©– has a younger sister that¡¯s good at sports, excels in her classes, and is a brocon.¡±


    >TL Note: Brocon (brother complex)


    (That¡¯s true.  Because it¡¯s so ambiguous, it lends itself an eerie sort of persuasiveness to it.  Did you hear of anything else?)


    ©¤I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all that I¡¯ve heard¡­


    (I see.  ¡°Appeal to the king,¡± huh¡­)


    ©¤I know this probably won¡¯t be of use, but I absolutely want my benefactors, Mr. Pig and Ms. Jess, to enter the capital.  As long as I can be of help, be it even slightly¡­


    Two streaks of light shone brightly underneath her hood.


    ©¤Please, you two.  Please make sure to live on and find happiness.


    Her final wish ended up being for someone else¡¯s sake, didn¡¯t it?  I thought.


    I felt empty.  Even though I was sad, tears wouldn¡¯t come out.

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    It was the next morning.  The day has finally come to enter the Forest of Needles; the capital wasn¡¯t that far away.  Our fates will probably be decided today.


    With that in mind, my heart inexplicably asserted its presence.  Jess seemed nervous too as she kept biting her lower lip.  Brace remained silent as before, like a doll.  It was as if nothing had happened at all last night.


    ©¤Did something happen last night?


    Jess inquired with keen ears.  Uh oops.


    (I had a short conversation with Brace, that¡¯s all.)


    No matter how she asks, I won¡¯t tell her that we were secretly watching and smiling about Jess¡¯ sleeping face.


    ©¤Eh, my sleeping face¡­?  How embarrassing¡­


    (I was just messing with you.  I fabricated a monologue.  If you don¡¯t want to be fooled, don¡¯t read my mind without permission.)


    Jess covered her mouth in surprise before looking at me and puffing her cheeks out.


    ©¤Then please don¡¯t look at my underwear without permission either.  Even though what I¡¯m wearing today is one that I particularly like.


    Eh, really¡­?


    I panickingly wanted to take back what I said, but the smart me notices that the premise of being able to look at her underwear without permission was abnormal in the first place.


    And the even smarter me realizes that we were having such a silly conversation because we were desperately trying to avert our eyes from the fear of death.


    The weather was cloudy.  As soon as we opened the window, I could feel the damp wind, but it wasn¡¯t humid to the extent of being hot.  Nott mentioned that it should be pretty dark inside the forest.


    We packed our bags and went to the dining area.


    Jess was in her usual one-piece dress and wore the scarf we bought around her neck.  Brace was just wearing her robe.  Nott was geared up in light armor made of leather and metal around his arms and legs.  There were some small metal objects that I¡¯ve never seen before hanging from his waist.  In addition to the anklet on his front leg, Rossi was equipped with some kind of leather haramaki to protect his abdomen.  As for me, ignoring my anklet, I was basically naked.


    ¡°It¡¯s important that they think you¡¯re just a pig when they spot you, and let their guards down.  If you do get hurt, you¡¯ll just have to pray that they heal you at the capital.¡±


    Even though Nott was bantering as such, he would frequently wipe away the sweat from his palms on his clothes.


    Was he unable to steel himself?  Even after our simple breakfast, Nott kept staring at the bulletin board and didn¡¯t attempt to leave.  It seems like he noticed something from all this staring and called us over to the board.


    ¡°Hey, it says here that a rista trafficker was caught at the Quiltlin¡¯s mansion.¡±


    Looking at it, it appears to be a text-only report written on parchment-like paper.


    ¡°The date lines up.  Did you two do this?¡±


    Jess turned to me, and when I nodded, she replied ¡°Yes.  I¡­ trapped the person who tried to assassinate me in a warehouse.¡±


    Nott scowled as I told him everything except for the physical appearances of the two men I witnessed in the back alleyway.


    ¡°When it comes to large trafficking organizations that can operate as far as Quiltli, there aren¡¯t that many¡­  It¡¯s possible one of those bastards that harmed Ys is among that group.¡±


    I casually moved away from that subject and suggested that we depart soon as to avoid Nott potentially changing his mind.


    I mean, the guy we trapped had a knife wound on his left eye, and his legs had problems.  When Nott went to retrieve Ys¡¯ collar, he told us he ¡°attacked their weakest¡¯s leg and blinded one of his eyes.¡±


    I¡¯d like to believe this was all just a coincidence, since things would get messy if Nott¡¯s rage for revenge was rekindled and he ran back to Quiltli.


    Less than an hour after entering the forest, we were paid a sudden visit.  In the dark coniferous forest, I was just about to wonder what the rustling sound from above was coming from when a shadow hanging from a long rope swung towards us like a pendulum.


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    Nott screamed as he instantly drew his daggers.


    The two fire shockwaves that flew out from Nott¡¯s hands were sure to land, but because the shadow let go of the rope and was launched upwards, the flames ended up only cutting the rope.  The shadow flying in the air then used a branch to immediately change directions and throw something at us.


    The spinning object was headed towards Jess, who was trying to hide under the cover of a bush.  She wasn¡¯t going to make it.  I made the decision to jump in front of Jess and shield her.


    Thunk.


    I squealed loudly as I was prepared to die.  It didn¡¯t hurt, but warm liquid splashed over my face.


    Time had stopped.


    A string was wrapped around Brace.  Three large caltrop shaped objects were attached to the string, and they all pierced deeply into her body.  I watched as her white linen robe was dyed in blood.


    She staggered a few steps away from us before collapsing.  Her hood slipped off, and I could see a resigned smile on her pale face.  Why¡­


    ©¤Everyone, thank you so much.


    Her voice that felt like it was extinguishing resonated through my mind.  Nott carried on scanning our vicinity as he rushed to our side.  Jess was unharmed and managed to hide herself in the bushes.  Nott, Rossi, and I guarded her surroundings.


    A short distance away, Brace turned her body to face the sky and splayed her limbs out over the fluffy fir leaves.  Her lower abdomen was uncovered, revealing her bloody wound.  I didn¡¯t seem to have a choice at all, because Brace took it upon herself to take Jess¡¯ and my place.


    The shadow disappeared into one of the trees above.  Nott gave Rossi a hand signal and released him.  We needed to be constantly vigilant of above.


    From the depths of the forest, the sound of hooves clopping approached us at a relatively fast speed.


    ¡°I thought I told you not to kill her.  Now there¡¯s no fun left to be had.¡±


    He was a large man riding on a big black horse.  His voice sounded familiar.  Before I knew it, we were surrounded by four men on horsebacks.


    Nott and I both stared at the guy in astonishment.


    I made the quick decision to rush over to Brace.


    I clung to the dying body of Brace, wailing as I continued nudging her arm with my nose.


    That big guy must¡¯ve been the one who ordered Jess to be killed back in Quiltli.  He¡¯s probably aiming for Jess ¨C or more specifically, a Yesma with a pig.  However, since he¡¯s never seen Jess in person, he shouldn¡¯t know what she looks like.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pig!¡±


    One of the men on horseback pointed out to the muscular guy.  That statement, which was as pointless as saying ¡°I have a pen,¡± only makes sense in the context of their target having a pig.  My choice of actions were correct.


    ¡°I can see that.  It looks like we got the right one.¡±


    The muscular guy rode closer.  Both he and his horse were clad in eerily glowing steel armor.  I was terrified, but I continued acting.  As long as they believed Jess died, their danger levels should be reduced a bit.


    ¡°What?  Not only did she die, her insides have already been cleaned out too.¡±


    He spat in a cold voice after looking at Brace.


    ¡°You son of a bitch, don¡¯t you dare take another step closer.¡±


    Nott raised his daggers high and threatened in a low voice.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this?  We¡¯ve got quite the lively guy over here.¡±


    ¡°Take one more step towards her and you¡¯re dead.  I know I¡¯ve got no chance at winning against all of you, but you¡­¡±


    Nott pointed the dagger in his left at the big guy¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely taking you down with me.¡±


    The guy placed his right hand over his broadsword¡¯s blade in vigilance and creepily smiled at Nott.


    ¡°Oh?  Do you have a grudge against me?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the kid that took the collar from you five years ago?¡±


    The guy pondered for a bit before revealing his yellowed teeth in a smug grin.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the boy from back then.  You¡¯ve grown up into a fine man.¡±


    ©¤Go create chaos, pig.  I¡¯ll protect Jess.  Break through this situation, then circle behind this big guy and trip up his footing.  Rossi will handle the right side of the frontline, we¡¯ll go through the left.


    I could hear Nott¡¯s instructions beneath the muscular guy¡¯s words.  The three of us were connected through Jess.


    ¡°That Yesma was quite the quality goods, kiddo.  It would¡¯ve been a shame to kill her, so we toyed with her for three days or so before chopping her head off.  Even after all that violence, she seemed to have kept her sanity until she died.  Even though she¡¯s just a Yesma, she cried and dared to beg for her life.¡±


    It was such a cruel story that I felt like throwing up just from listening to it.  But I had a job to do.  I wandered around Brace while concentrating on my anklet.  Luckily, there¡¯s a river flowing nearby, so there should be plenty of water here.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Nott seemed to be suppressing his anger, and the big guy followed up the taunts.


    ¡°That reminds me, you¡¯ve got some pretty nasty tastes.  You even took the bones that we had just taken out.  I still remember that.  Are you still taking good care of them?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    (Nott, I¡¯m going to knock down a tree.)


    ©¤You said a tree?


    This was the only thing I could come up with when given the difficult task of disrupting the field as a pig.  It may come as a surprise to all of you, but tree roots generally grow laterally.  In terms of depth, for trees growing in this type of coniferous forest, most of their roots should be at around 50cm deep.  That¡¯s because, even if they root themselves deeper, they won¡¯t be able to absorb any useful substances.  As long as I freeze some of the tree¡¯s roots and liquefy the soil underneath, it should be easy to knock the tree down ¨C or so I hypothesized.


    I¡¯m ready.  I poured my thoughts into the anklet, and from under the roots of the tree opposite of the muscular guy, icicles of frozen groundwater rose up.


    The tree creaked and tilted towards the big guy.  He glanced at it, while his surrounding men all shouted in surprise as they were distracted by above.  I used that opportunity to loop behind the big guy.  Rossi arrived before I did and helped create footholds out of ice for me.  Besides the spots where I stepped on, everywhere else became like quagmire.


    As I had predicted, the ninja that killed Brace was lurking on top of the tree I knocked down.  That person frantically tried to jump to a nearby tree, but a fire shockwave from below amputated a leg.  The main body reached another tree, but the leg continued falling.


    Nott shot another flame blast at the leg of the muscular guy¡¯s horse, and it landed.  Though the horse¡¯s legs were protected by armor, it was enough to startle the horse as it neighed and reared.  The large tree trunk, with gravity accelerating it, fast approached the big guy.


    The muscular guy unsheathed his sword.  He drew a large arc with the tip of his sword and the falling tree was blown to bits.  Wood dust flew everywhere, obscuring everyone¡¯s vision.


    During this time, Nott advanced through the left side while protecting Jess.  I froze the ground behind the big guy and filled the solid surface with potholes, each large enough to fit a horse¡¯s hoof.


    Nott swung his two daggers like he was dancing, shooting fire shockwaves indiscriminately.  The big guy used his sword as a shield and deftly evaded the attacks.  The other three cavalrymen retreated in fear.


    One of the retreating horses was caught in the marsh Rossi created and was struggling desperately.  Rossi pounced at the neck of the cavalry who was about to be shaken off, and in an instant, the dog¡¯s head was stained with blood.  Just like that, the cavalry fell off his horse and splashed into the muddy water.  It was a brilliant move.  One down.


    The bloodied Rossi retreated behind the ground I created.  Another cavalryman circled around the marshy ground and pointed his crossbow at Rossi, but the next moment, the horse¡¯s hind leg stuck right into one of the potholes I made.  The horse was thrown heavily off balance and a crisp crack could be heard.  It likely must have broken its leg.  I felt sorry for it.


    Its rider was thrown to the ground.  Nott leapt over the fallen tree and cut the rider¡¯s head off in an instant.


    Nott¡¯s hair was disheveled, and his well-groomed face now looked like that of a demon¡¯s.


    (Where¡¯s Jess?)


    ©¤Inside a rock.  Can you knock down another tree from our side?


    Nn?  Inside a rock?


    ©¤I¡¯m okay, Mister Pig.  I¡¯m using Mr. Nott¡¯s tool to hide myself.


    I felt relieved after hearing Jess¡¯ voice.  Warm blood resumed circulating through my body.


    I started work on knocking down a nearby tree.  In the meantime, Nott and Rossi hid behind the fallen tree and ran towards the tree that the one-legged ninja was at.


    As far as I can tell, there¡¯s only the big guy, a cavalryman, and the ninja left.


    The muscular guy swung his sword, and the shockwave blasted apart the fallen tree we were hiding behind.  What crazy power.  I moved as though I was running away, and while hiding in the shades of another tree, I focused on the anklet and knocked the tree down over to where Nott was.


    I could see the flames on Nott¡¯s twin daggers.  He used them to cut down his tree, and it looked as if his tree was leaning against the tree I just knocked over as they both fell over.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The muscular guy¡¯s voice could be heard as the two trees overlapped and fell on top of him.


    The two trees crackled as they snapped off the surrounding tree branches and fell to the ground.  Nott ran on top of one of them and headed straight towards the muscular guy.


    Suddenly, Nott fell forward.  It seems like the ninja had clung to the tree this entire time and grabbed Nott¡¯s ankle.  Nott slammed his head against the tree trunk and fell to the ground.  Rossi, who was supposed to be support Nott, was nowhere to be seen.


    (Watch out!)


    That being said, there was nothing I could do at this moment.


    ©¤Don¡¯t underestimate me.


    I heard Nott¡¯s voice.


    Clang.  There was a metallic clashing sound, followed by an arc of flames.  Nott staggered to his feet, and the ninja died after having his torso slashed.  Nott continued to swing his sword, sending shockwaves of fire at the muscular guy and cavalryman.  However, both of them blocked the shockwaves with their swords.  The flames became sparks before fizzling out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?  Are you done already?¡±


    The big guy taunted in a gruff voice while raising his sword.  The other cavalry took out his crossbow with quick movements.


    It was at that moment an explosion occurred behind the two men, and another tree fell on top of them.  Rossi, who had disappeared, had moved behind enemy lines before I knew it and initiated a pincer attack with us.  The crossbow arrow flew in the wrong direction, and the forest was plunged into chaos from the roaring sounds and dust clouds.


    Since a tree fell over here, I avoided the escape route that Nott designated.


    ©¤Now go.  Jess is near you.  She¡¯s hiding inside a rock mimicking shelter.


    Nott transmitted his voice.


    (But aren¡¯t we close to defeating them all?)


    ©¤An amateur shouldn¡¯t be talking like a know-it-all.  Killing the big guy''s going to take some time.  Besides, you¡¯re not needed anymore.


    An invisible shockwave blasted over here, smashing the standing trees nearby into pieces.


    Certainly, if I stick around for too long, it feels like I might get turned into minced meat at any moment.


    ©¤The capital should be close.  Don¡¯t worry about me, you two go on ahead.


    It¡¯s a clich¨¦ line, but when Nott says it, it sounded awfully cool.


    (You better not die.)


    ©¤You too.


    I could see the flames from Nott¡¯s blades from farther away than I thought.  Before I knew it, the low growling from Rossi sounded quite distant as well.  In the blink of an eye, silence returned to my surroundings.


    A rock nearby turned to sand and crumbled, revealing Jess covered by a linen cloth.


    Jess looked straight at me.


    ¡°Mr. Nott already said so, Mister Pig, so let¡¯s go.¡±


    If Jess agrees, then there¡¯s no objections.


    (There might be some people left, so let¡¯s escape with caution.)


    And so we left the battlefield.


    The sounds of blades striking each other were barely audible.


    We tried our best to be as inconspicuous as possible whilst aiming straight towards the rocky mountain that we could see just beyond the trees.  Jess kept touching me with her hands.


    (Are you feeling anxious?)


    ©¤Yeah¡­  I hope Mr. Nott is alright.


    (It¡¯s him we¡¯re talking, he¡¯s probably defeated the enemies already and is currently preparing to return to the village where Celes is waiting.)


    ©¤That¡¯s true¡­  It¡¯s Mr. Nott after all¡­


    Jess seemed frightened by the series of shocking events that occurred in such a short period of time.


    (I¡¯m really sorry about what happened to Brace.  But thanks to her, even if one of those guys managed to escape, they¡¯ll report back that you died.  We shouldn¡¯t have any more pursuers.  All we have to do now is stay as hidden as possible and pray that we won¡¯t encounter any Yesma hunters.)


    ©¤You¡¯re right.  I will pray.


    (Even if we do encounter them, they¡¯ll take us lightly.  Jess is cute after all, so there¡¯ll be a bunch of people that will only think about killing you after doing various things.  In those cases, I should have a chance to let you escape.)


    ©¤I¡¯m not cute at all¡­


    (No need to be humble.  Even a virgin like me is saying you¡¯re cute, so you¡¯re definitely cute.)


    ©¤¡­Thank you.


    (Alright.  Now let¡¯s see what we can do in the unlikely event that a Yesma hunter finds us.  I have the magic anklet that Nott gave me.  Its offensive power is low, but I should be able to use it to run some interference.  Jess, weren¡¯t you using some kind of rock mimicking shelter?  Did Nott give you any other tools?)


    ©¤Yes, I still have a bomb and a shelter left.


    Jess took out two metal spheres from her bag while saying that.  They were intricately engraved silver spheres the size of golf balls, and each had a small rista embedded in them.  One was red, the other was yellow.


    ©¤There¡¯s also one more¡­ which Mr. Nott said to ¡°only use it in the worst case scenario¡±¡­


    She then showed me another similar metal sphere.  It was decorated with carvings of wolves, and inlaid with a green rista.


    (What does it do?)


    ©¤I was told it¡¯s a tool used by huntsmen called wolf summoning.  It seems to emit an inaudible sound that summons wolves, but¡­ they¡¯ll also attack us, so it¡¯s very dangerous.  However, he said that if I¡¯m spotted by Yesma hunters, summoning the wolves and hiding inside the shelter might save my life¡­


    I see.  It¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯ll take time for the wolves to arrive.  If the Yesma hunters find her during that time, it¡¯ll be meaningless.  Figuring out how and when to use the other tools will be important in buying us time.


    (Well, with these tools we should be able to figure something out.  Trust me, I¡¯ll definitely get you to the capital, Jess.)


    Jess looked uneasy as she returned the three metal spheres back into her bag.


    ©¤Thank you.  Let¡¯s make sure the two of us make it inside the capital together.


    Yeah ¨C is what I¡¯d like to say, but there¡¯s one thing I need to tell her beforehand.


    (Hey Jess, there¡¯s one thing I want you to promise me.)


    ©¤What is it?


    (Without your help, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to enter the capital.  I¡¯m a pig after all.  But Jess, you can.  Even if you¡¯re by yourself, you should be able to enter the capital.  So, even if something were to happen to me, you should go straight to the capital.  Okay?)


    As expected, Jess revealed an expression that said she couldn¡¯t accept this.


    ©¤But if Mister Pig isn¡¯t around¡­


    (Nott and I put our lives on the line to get you there safely.  You have an obligation, Jess.  Even if you¡¯re the only one left, I hope you don¡¯t let our efforts go to waste.)


    ©¤You¡¯re right.  I understand.


    Sweat trickled down the contours of her chin.  The sweat was soaked up by the scarf that had colors ¡°like a beautiful, shallow lake.¡±


    She looked at me with sorrowful eyes.


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    ©¤Um, I¡­


    Jess averted her eyes.


    ©¤Erm¡­ It¡¯s nothing after all.


    I decided not to pry into what she was trying to say.


    There are no roads in this dark forest, we simply kept progressing towards hope.


    What awaited us was a sheer cliff.  Since our goal was the mountain, we should have arrived at our destination.  However, we couldn¡¯t find an entrance, or at the very least, we couldn¡¯t enter the capital from where we were.  ¡°There¡¯s no entrance, the only way to enter is to ¡®appeal to the king¡¯¡± ¨C Brace¡¯s words came to mind, but I didn¡¯t know how to do that.


    (Jess, this might not work, but try shouting at the capital.  Something like ¡°Please let me in.¡±  We¡¯ll need to move immediately afterwards to avoid being caught by the Yesma hunters.)


    ©¤Understood.


    Jess took a deep breath.


    ¡°Please let me in!¡±


    Jess¡¯ voice echoed, and several crows nearby flew away in fright.  But other than that, there was no sign of anything happening.  I guess that didn¡¯t work.


    All we can do now is walk around and look for clues.  The sun¡¯s about to set, and I can hear crows cawing here and there.


    (Looks like I was wrong.  It can¡¯t be helped, we¡¯ve got no choice but to walk alongside the cliff.  Let¡¯s go.)


    To avoid being conspicuous, we ventured slightly into the woods and began our never-ending hike.  Treading along in the evening forest while connected to a cute girl¡¯s thoughts, I could only hear the quiet rustling of trees, and the sound of insects and crows.  I thought about how happy Jess might¡¯ve been if she wasn¡¯t in a position where her life was being targeted.


    After the sun had set, the sky darkened, and the moonlight began to illuminate the forest.  What Nott said was true.  I spotted colonies of mushrooms in the dark forest grounds that glowed here and there.  When I thought about how a Yesma had died in each of those spots like Brace did, my heart couldn¡¯t stand it.


    No matter how many hours passed, we weren¡¯t able to find the entrance.  Jess¡¯ gait became unsteady after walking for so long, so I ordered her to ride on my back.


    (Don¡¯t fall asleep.)


    ©¤I won¡¯t sleep, so let¡¯s keep chatting.


    Jess and I exchanged trivial words.  I think Jess and I were both conscious of the fact that this might be the last time we¡¯ll be able to talk like this.


    How far have we walked?  I think it¡¯s already midnight by now.  I stopped when I thought I heard footsteps coming from the thicket in the distance.


    Fwoom ¨C A low-pitched sound whizzed by before I heard the sound of something striking a nearby tree.  Without a word, Jess lost her balance and slipped off my back.


    (What happened?!)


    Jess frowned and looked up at me from the ground.


    ©¤There seems to be someone there.


    The right shoulder on her aqua blue dress was dyed black.  I looked at the tree that made the noise with my left eye and saw a short arrow protruding from it.  I looked 180 degrees the opposite way with my right eye and in the darkness, I spotted a man dressed in black looking at us with a crossbow about 10 meters away behind a bush.  The arrow he shot appears to have grazed Jess¡¯ shoulder and pierced the tree.  I laid down to hide myself.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding, girlie.  Obediently give yourself up.¡±


    I could hear the disgusting man¡¯s wheedling tone of voice.


    (Don¡¯t move Jess.  Is your wound deep?)


    ©¤No, it¡¯s fine.


    Jess gently moved her left hand to hold her right shoulder.  The black stain spread from underneath her hand.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe calmly.  Jess was hurt.  She might say she¡¯s fine, but she¡¯s also someone that would always insist she¡¯s fine no matter what.  She could be badly wounded.  Our opponent is an armed man.  What should I do?  What can I do to get Jess out of here?


    ©¤Um¡­ I¡¯ll be fine, so¡­ Mister Pig, please escape.


    (Don¡¯t be stupid.  If I escaped here, what was the point of this journey?)


    ©¤I had a lot of fun, so-


    (We didn¡¯t come here to enjoy an excursion, alright?  There¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll abandon you, Jess, not even in a million years.  I¡¯m begging you, please at least understand that much.)


    She looked at me and shed a single tear.  Her face was smiling.


    ¡°Is anyone else there?  There¡¯s no point in quietly discussing amongst yourselves.  That arrow¡¯s been poisoned, you can¡¯t save her life.  But if you have companions, I can at least let them go.¡±


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.  Don¡¯t tell me¡­  I almost fell into a panic, but I calmly sniffed Jess¡¯ shoulder.  Other than the smell of a cute girl¡¯s blood and the scent of a cute girl¡¯s armpit, there wasn¡¯t any particular smell.  It wasn¡¯t poisoned.


    (He¡¯s bluffing.  He¡¯s just trying to figure out if you have companions lurking.  Don¡¯t answer him.)


    Jess, who was about to say something, hastily closed her mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, girlie?  I¡¯m only after the girl.  I¡¯ll be heading over there, alright?¡±


    The man continued calling out to her, but he seemed wary of his surroundings and didn¡¯t attempt to move yet.  However, he could come here at any moment, and there¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯s alone.


    I quickly reassessed what we had.  First, the anklet that can manipulate the water underground ¨C it¡¯s too slow for an attack from this distance, and since there¡¯s not much water nearby, it¡¯ll be difficult to knock down trees.  Next is the body of a pig controlled by this otaku ¨C if I faced against his crossbow, I¡¯ll just get fatally wounded.  Lastly there¡¯s Jess ¨C not happening, it¡¯s too dangerous to even use her as a decoy in this situation.


    In that case, we have no choice but to use the three tools that Nott gave us, even though I haven¡¯t used them before.


    Jess probably read my monologue, as she quietly moved her bloodied right hand and took out the three metal spheres from her bag while still lying on the ground.  The red, yellow, and green rista embedded in them were bomb, shelter, and wolf summoning respectively.


    ¡°Oh?  You seem to be doing something.  That¡¯s no good.  I¡¯m also all alone, so it¡¯ll be troublesome if you resisted.¡±


    He looked around and pretended to take a cautious step towards us before returning back to his original position.  ¡­ I get it now, he¡¯s not in a rush to kill Jess.  Yesmas are a race that resemble ducks carrying green onions on their backs and holding hot pot ingredients in their mouths.  He doesn¡¯t have to worry about Jess running away because she¡¯s injured.  She¡¯s not the one that poses a threat to him, it¡¯s those that might have accompanied her.  He wants to deal with her companions first if she has any, once he¡¯s confirmed Jess is alone, he¡¯ll lay his hands on her.  If he doesn¡¯t kill her right now and instead let her live, he¡¯ll get to have some fun.


    >TL Note: See this again for context on the duck comment. https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/70699


    A cool breeze rustled the trees in the dark forest.  I smelled the wind.  There weren¡¯t any human odors coming from the left, but in front of us, there seems to be a separate, sweaty person lurking in front of the wheedling man.  He lied about his numbers to make us lower our guards.  They appear to be a cautious opponent that operates methodically.


    But naturally, I can¡¯t let Jess die here.


    (Alright Jess, this¡¯ll be our final showdown.  Let¡¯s struggle till our last breath.)


    ¡°Mr. Nott, you mustn¡¯t.  Don¡¯t come over here.¡±


    Jess said out loud.  In the midst of speaking, her right hand activated the wolf summoning.


    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!


    Immediately, a super high-pitched noise drilled into the back of my skull.  Although it was expected, it still hurt.  Wolves, dogs, and of course pigs can hear much higher frequencies than humans can.  The wolf summoning is a tool that takes advantage of that to produce explosive noises in a frequency that humans can¡¯t hear while also attracting wolves ¨C or should I say, drawing the ire of wolves.


    The man with the crossbow reacted to Jess¡¯ voice and turned his body towards the direction she shouted at ¨C in other words, behind where I was.  Underneath the ringing of the wolf summoning, I could intermittently hear the wheedling man¡¯s words.


    ¡°I knew ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ there.  Did you think you were sneaky ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?  But you¡¯re too late ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ this Yesma.  The poison¡¯s ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤, Nott or whatever.  Why don¡¯t you give up and ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ I¡¯m by myself, so I don¡¯t want to deal with you ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤¡±


    He raised his crossbow to his eye level as he spoke and took a step towards ¡°Nott.¡±  The crossbow flashed like a flashlight, illuminating in front of the man and revealing the unkempt stubbles on his cheeks.  There was a thunk as his arrow flew into the void.  He quickly reloaded the next arrow and I used this opening to run to the left front side.


    Crackle.


    I accidentally stepped on a branch while moving, and immediately after, I felt a searing pain run through my hind leg.  Looks like I got shot by an arrow.  I wanted to squeal in pain, but I held it in.  That¡¯s because I absolutely must not drop the metal sphere in my mouth.  I aimed for the left front area and continued running with my remaining three legs.


    ¡°What was that, a boar or something?¡±


    I heard the wheedling man say to himself.


    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!


    The wolf summoning was still ringing.  I ran full speed ahead and reached the left front area where there were no enemies.  I lined myself up so that I, the person in hiding, and the wheedling man would roughly form a straight line.  There was a suitable tree nearby, so I carefully placed the sphere at its roots.  Jess had pulled out the metal claw which looked like a folding knife from the sphere, if I snap this¡­


    I stomped on it with my foreleg and bent the claws.  I heard a click.  Alright, time to run.


    In order to support Jess, I moved to a higher location upwind.  The two men were in a downwind area.  I could spot Jess half crawling away from them, trying to meet up with me.


    (It¡¯s coming, get ready.)


    Immediately after informing her, an orange flash and a shockwave-like explosion sound tore through the darkness.  Then, a dreadful creaking could be heard as the thick trunk of a conifer fell towards the men.


    I could see the wheedling man¡¯s crossbow flashing everywhere.  The other man hastily got up and appeared to have retreated in the direction of the explosion.  It looked like he was saying something, but it was mixed in with the sound of the wolf summoning, so I wasn¡¯t able to catch it.  We need to take this time and maintain as much distance as possible.  Once Jess escapes, she can hide inside a shelter.  It¡¯s only a matter of time before they¡¯ll find the shelter, but as long as the wolves arrive, the Yesma hunters will probably give up.


    I stopped and concentrated on my anklet.  Water could be seen seeping out of the ground.  While I was doing this, the tree that broke its branches and fell down helped obscure us from the surrounding view.


    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!


    The unpleasant noise that seemed to be trying to burrow its way into my stomach now felt like it was inspiring me.


    (Jess, leave the rest to me.  I¡¯ll stop them.  Stay as far away as possible and hide in an inconspicuous place with the shelter.)


    ©¤Okay.  Understood.


    A submissive voice resounded in my mind, reassuring me.  This should save Jess.  I concentrated harder and created a quagmire around the area.  Furthermore, I froze various places to try and make it as difficult to traverse through as possible.  Don¡¯t look down on us introverts, we know all there is to harassments.


    With the fallen tree and quagmire all set up, I retreated in the direction Jess was headed.  While being wary of the two men, I used my anklet again.  Then¡­


    ©¤Mister Pig, please help me!


    Jess¡¯ voice made my brain rattle.  I hurriedly sniffed the wind and rushed towards her scent.  She was collapsed on the ground.  Her body, dressed in the aqua blue one-piece, was laying in the dirt.


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.  What happened?


    When I darted over, Jess suddenly clung to me with unimaginable agility coming from an injured girl.


    ©¤Please lie down.


    I did as she asked, and then I heard a click near my ears as a linen cloth was spread out over us.  What¡­ I was tricked by Jess.


    The linen barely covered us both.  There was a rustling sound, and the light shining through the cloth disappeared.  In the darkness of the shelter, Jess and I were squeezed together.  You know the phrase ¡°packed in like sardines¡±?  It¡¯s exactly like that.  Jess and I were glued together with basically no space to move as we were encased inside the rock mimicking shelter.


    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!


    A short distance away, the wolf summoning continued to screech the human-inaudible noise.  I couldn¡¯t tell what the situation was currently like with the Yesma hunters.


    (You idiot, if you do this, I won¡¯t be able to divert the enemy¡¯s attention.  What do we do if we¡¯re caught?)


    When I conveyed that in a hurry, Jess hugged me so tightly that it hurt.


    ©¤Mister Pig is the idiot here.  If I was the only one in the shelter, what will Mister Pig do when the wolves arrive?


    What will I do? ¡­ I¡¯ll just have to handle it as I go, I guess.


    As I was searching for words to refute her, I could hear multiple cries and the sound of many feet stomping on the ground near us.  The sound stopped nearby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pack of wolves!  Retreat!¡±


    A man¡¯s scream could be heard.  The sound of barking and growling came from nearby.  The animal smell of carnivorous beasts drifted in slightly from the gap between the shelter and the ground.  The wolf summoning was in effect, and a pack of wolves had gathered.  All that¡¯s left for us to do is to pray.


    At the very least, I used the anklet¡¯s power to turn the ground around the shelter into as much of a marsh as possible.


    There were no signs of the wolves leaving yet.


    ©¤See, if Mister Pig was still outside, who knows what would¡¯ve happened.


    Even though Jess¡¯ arm should¡¯ve be injured, she kept tightly hugging me.


    (That¡¯s true, I owe you one.)


    But I couldn¡¯t let go of the knot in my heart after conveying that, so I added.


    (However, this is in hindsight.  The wolves won¡¯t necessarily come right away.  I¡¯m pretty sure I told you to hide by yourself.  If you do that, I would¡¯ve been able to divert the attention of the hunters and wolves to ensure that at least you¡¯re safe.  Jess, your decision just now ruined that plan.  You¡¯re putting your own life, the life that Nott and I tried so hard to protect, in jeopardy.)


    ©¤I don¡¯t care what happens to me as long as Mister Pig survives¡­


    No matter how many times I tell her, she doesn¡¯t get it.  That¡¯s it, I was a bit mad.


    (Look, Jess.  Be honest.  You don¡¯t actually want to die, and you want to reach the capital.  If so, just say it.  You should care about yourself more.)


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    (I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so self-sacrificial, Jess, but you can¡¯t live like this.  You should and can be more willful.)


    Jess shook her head as if she was trembling.


    ©¤I¡¯ve been plenty willful.


    (How can that be?  What kind of willful things have you said so far?)


    ©¤I¡¯ve been willful about not wanting Mister Pig to die.


    Jess pushed her body closer to me than necessary.  Her soft breasts pressed against my belly.  Her wet cheeks pressed against my neck.  We were covered in blood, trembling, and curled up inside a rock.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say.  I wanted to pat her head, but a pig¡¯s joints aren¡¯t designed for that.


    ©¤I¡¯m happy enough with just your feelings.


    Jess¡¯ voice echoed in my mind.  Don¡¯t read my monologues, I thought to myself.


    Before I knew it, the loud ringing of the wolf summoning had stopped.  A familiar howl came from somewhere far away, letting me know that the wolves were leaving.


    Jess and I got out of the shelter and left the scene.  I¡¯m hoping we don¡¯t run into any more trouble.


    (Did you stop the bleeding?)


    ©¤Yes.  I¡¯ll manage somehow.


    Jess wrapped a cloth around her right arm.  Fresh blood oozed out here and there from the folds of the cloth.


    She also helped pull out the arrow on my hind leg and wrap a cloth around it.  Every time I moved that leg, the blood stained cloth made a squelching noise.


    The next time we¡¯re spotted, it¡¯ll probably be the end of us.  No, even if we don¡¯t get caught, we don¡¯t have enough stamina to last more than half a day.  There¡¯s also the possibility of being hunted by wolves at night.


    ©¤Um, Mister Pig.


    (What¡¯s up?)


    ©¤This was my first time being so close to someone.


    My heart tensed up like the feeling you get when going down a roller coaster.


    (Stop that, don¡¯t raise a death flag.)


    ©¤I just wanted to tell you that I felt really happy.


    My field of view suddenly broadened up.  Jess, who was walking next to me, had tripped over a tree root.  I stopped in a panic.


    (¡­ There¡¯s no end to the road ahead.  Let¡¯s take a break for now.)


    I conveyed that to Jess and made her sit at the base of a nearby tree.  I laid down next to her.  I felt blood dripping from the cloth wrapped around my hind leg.  The wind was cold, and I had difficulty breathing.


    ©¤How do you feel, Mister Pig?


    (About?)


    ©¤Is Mister Pig happy right now?


    Her beautiful brown eyes were fixed on me.  They were already looking at the end.


    (No, I¡¯m not happy.)


    Jess¡¯ seemingly sad expression froze with her mouth half-open.


    (I haven¡¯t given up yet.  When I think about how there¡¯s an even greater happiness waiting for me just up ahead, I can¡¯t really feel that the me right now can be considered happy.)


    ©¤I see¡­  That¡¯s just like you to say that, Mister Pig.


    (Though, even if I were to die here, I don¡¯t have any regrets.  If I had lived a normal life, I would have never had the experience of a cute girl pressing her breasts against me.)


    Jess placed her left hand on her chest.  Her scarred fingers gripped the fabric-


    (Hold it.  It¡¯s a virgin¡¯s joke.  Don¡¯t take it so seriously.)


    I looked away from Jess.  At that moment, there was a rustling sound in front of us.


    (Something¡¯s over there.)


    While conveying that, I stared intently into the darkness.  Something black was swaying exaggeratingly.


    It was a hecklepon.


    Its black fur was illuminated by the white moonlight, highlighting its outlines.  Its torso constantly swayed from side to side.  Its bat-like bald head didn¡¯t move, as if it was pinned to the air.  It had a large pair of black eyes.


    It¡¯s a monster that, even after being told that it doesn¡¯t do anything, I can¡¯t help but find physically terrifying.


    The hecklepon continued to stare at us while swinging its body like an exaggerated pendulum.


    (You¡¯re sure they¡¯re harmless, right?)


    I tried to confirm it with Jess, and she placed her hand on my back.


    ©¤Yes, hecklepons won¡¯t do anything.


    It¡¯s a beast that could seemingly leap towards us in an instant, but continues to shake its body eerily while watching us.  It¡¯s an animal that Nott views as an enemy.  It¡¯s a monster that I¡¯ve never seen before in my world.


    ¡­ Hm?


    I could hear the sound of all the puzzle pieces clicking into place inside my head.  I get it.  I get it now.  That¡¯s it.  That has to be the case.  It was like a puzzle specifically prepared for the person who has come here from another world, me.


    (Hey Jess, you believe hecklepons don¡¯t do anything, right?)


    ©¤Yes, that¡¯s right.


    (But in reality, hecklepons do actually do something.)


    ©¤They shake.


    (That¡¯s not all.  Everyone notices the swaying, but they don¡¯t realize their true purpose.  Look, isn¡¯t that hecklepon watching us?)


    ©¤Indeed it is.


    (And you said that hecklepons suddenly started appearing after the end of the Dark Ages, right?)


    ©¤Yes.


    (You know, Jess, where I come from, the same animals that inhabit Mestria can be found there as well.  All except hecklepons.)


    Do you all understand what this means?


    (Living creatures operate under the complex interaction of eat or be eaten, deceive or be deceived.  This is what we call an ecosystem.  Therefore, an ecosystem in which hecklepons can naturally exist in can¡¯t be the same as the ecosystem that I know of.)


    ©¤Now that you mention it¡­  It is a bit strange that only hecklepons can¡¯t be found where Mister Pig comes from.


    (A certain conclusion can be drawn from this.  Hecklepons are creatures introduced from outside of the ecosystem during the Dark Ages.  In other words, they were created by mages.  They¡¯re the only ones capable of creating such a creature.)


    ©¤If that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s their purpose¡­?


    (Think about what hecklepons do.  They watch us.  Let me put it this way, they¡¯re for monitoring us.  Think back to the Bapsas monastery.  It would be odd for a stone building to be burned that severely.  But what if instead, a mage, using hecklepons as surveillance, discovered that people were hiding Yesmas and used magic to set the building on fire?)


    Jess¡¯ hands trembled on my shoulder loin.


    (Didn¡¯t Celes say that hecklepons began frequently appearing near the monastery before the fire broke out?)


    ©¤Was it to strengthen their surveillance?


    (Likely so.  Wasn¡¯t there a law regarding the treatment of Yesmas that said ¡°Yesmas are prohibited from riding any form of transportation,¡± which was set by the royal family?  Doesn¡¯t that sound like the royal family is worried about the Yesmas escaping surveillance?  Once a Yesma reaches the age of 16, if she doesn¡¯t arrive at the capital or die off, it¡¯ll spell trouble for the royal family.  That¡¯s why the royal family punished those Yesmas by burning down their monastery.  It would also be problematic if they decided on their own to travel far away, so the royal family forbade them from riding any vehicles.)


    She seemed convinced as she didn¡¯t move at all.


    ©¤But we haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­


    I know that, but this is just how this world works.  For whatever reason.


    And then there¡¯s the clue that Brace gave me last night:


    Appeal to the king.


    Brace¡¯s words replayed in my mind.


    ©¤Such rumors circulated in some parts of the north.  They say the only way for a Yesma to enter the capital is to appeal to the king.


    How do we appeal to the king?  Since we couldn¡¯t reach him even after shouting, what can we do?


    Although this method felt like something out of an escape game, I¡¯m afraid this is probably the right answer.  We went through so much trouble to get here, so while we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s not just appeal to him, let¡¯s threaten him.  Time to end this journey with an overkill.


    (Jess, say this to the hecklepon ¨C ¡°Please let me into the capital.  I would like to talk about the true identity of Yesmas.¡±)


    She looked at me and nodded slowly.  I nodded back.


    She took a deep breath, and repeated those words in a trembling voice.  Whether it was hearing her through my ears or through my mind, I thought her voice sounded wonderful and beautiful.


    The hecklepon continued to sway and stare at us unchangingly.  Were my expectations incorrect¡­?


    The moment after I thought that, the rumbling of a cliff collapsing nearby could be heard.


    Jess and I stared at each other.


    (Let¡¯s go.)


    ¡°Right!¡±


    The two of us managed to get up and frantically walk towards the direction of the sound.  I noticed the sky had brightened a little.  Underneath the twilight sky, I spotted a large hole in the rock wall that previously stood steadfastly.  We continued walking.  As we got closer, it became clear that there was a staircase heading up inside the cave.  I glanced at Jess.  She was single-mindedly aiming for the entrance.  Even without needing to exchange our thoughts, our hearts were as one.  We stumbled our way towards our destination.


    After entering the cave, we fixed our eyes at the top of the stairs.


    A woman with long blonde hair came down from inside.  She wore a white gown that looked like something a Hollywood actress would wear.  She appeared to be in her thirties with her mature and tidy looks.


    She stopped a few steps away from us, smiled, and spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Jess.  Please come in, along with the clever Mister Pig, of course.¡±


    After hearing that gentle voice, the sense of relief I got left me unable to stand.  Finally.


    Like a film being rewound, the surrounding rocks gathered near the entrance¡¯s opening and sealed it back up.  The narrow stone steps leading up were lit by the warm glow of lanterns.


    As if she had suddenly remembered something, the woman gently touched Jess¡¯ shoulder.  The cloth bound to Jess¡¯ shoulder disappeared in the light, and her wound was instantly healed.  The woman then touched my butt.  Naturally, she wasn¡¯t a molester.  I felt the pain from my hind leg melt away.


    We¡¯re saved.  That alone was enough to overwhelm me with emotions.


    We were brought to a luxurious room built inside the cliff.  There was no one else here.


    The woman left after informing us that she will come pick us up after we¡¯ve slept.


    Covered in mud and blood, we were left alone in a luxurious and spacious private room.  It had a first-class castle hotel atmosphere to it, which was completely different from the inns that we¡¯ve stayed in up until this point.


    Jess staggered into a leather chair.


    ¡°That was exhausting¡­¡±


    (Yeah, I¡¯m dead tired.)


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get the bedding dirty.  Shall we wash ourselves before going to bed?¡±


    (Right.  We look terrible.)


    ¡°I¡¯ll help brush you, so please come when I call.¡±


    (¡­ Okay, thanks for that.)


    I answered without thinking much of it.


    Jess entered the bathroom first.  After a while, I could hear the sound of running water.  This is the mountain where mages live, so it should have hot water.


    ¡°Mister Pig, please come in.¡±


    Hearing her call, I headed towards her voice.  There was proper dressing room set up, and behind it was a large door that was open.  That was the bathroom.  It was filled with warm steam and tiled in bright pastel colors.  It had a large bathtub, and hot water kept flowing out of something that looked like a waterfall.


    Jess was standing there naked.


    I instinctively closed my eyes.


    (Sorry¡­ I only saw it for a very brief moment¡­)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.  Weren¡¯t you the one that said to save my naked body until the time was right, Mister Pig?  Open your eyes, please take a good look.¡±


    Prompted by her gentle voice, I slowly raised my eyelids.


    The only word I could think of was ¡°beautiful.¡±  Her subtle and artistic curves.  Her soft white skin that seemed to melt in the steam.


    Jess beckoned to me.


    ¡°In order to not be disrespectful to the king, I will properly wash us both.  During this time, you¡¯re not allowed to look away.¡±


    My brain stopped working.  I absentmindedly let myself be subjected to her brushing.  Being able to look at a girl¡¯s body from up close felt like an illusion, it was unreal.


    I felt Jess¡¯ hand caress my back.  I deliberately diverted my attention away from the two small swaying objects in front of my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good if you don¡¯t look properly.  This is all I can give to you as thanks after all.¡±


    She read my mind.  There was nowhere left to escape.


    (Don¡¯t say that.  That just makes it sound like I¡¯m a perverted pig.  Let me be straight with you, petting, chatting, and other wholesome things of the likes are more of a reward for me.)


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we doing those things already?  This is the reward I came up with after thinking long and hard.  Please accept it.¡±


    (Is that so¡­ In that case, I have no choice but to accept it then.)


    Jess smiled.  In fact, her smile might be the best reward of all to me.


    She looked at me and raised the corners of her mouth further.


    (No need to force yourself to smile.  You¡¯re most charming when you smile naturally.)


    ¡°I see.  Naturally¡­¡±


    She loosened the facial muscles that were raising the corners of her mouth and looked me in the eyes.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    (Yeah, it¡¯s quite natural.)


    ¡°Is that so?  I¡¯m glad.  To be honest, I still don¡¯t really understand how to smile naturally.¡±


    (¡­What do you mean by that?)


    She rubbed my belly.


    ¡°Serving as a maid is a very lonely job.  Smiles are meant to be seen by others.  So it doesn¡¯t really come out naturally.¡±


    I was taken aback as I thought back to those times Jess smiled up until now.


    ¡°But that was before I met you, Mister Pig, because you¡¯ve made me smile a lot.¡±


    (¡­ Phew, in that case I¡¯m glad.)


    ¡°Like when Mister Pig performed a dance for Mr. Killings, I felt like I was about to laugh out loud and had to hold my breath in a panic.¡±


    (Give me a break, that¡¯s my dark history.)


    She smiled again.


    ¡°If you would like, I can train Mister Pig and teach you how to dance.¡±


    Eh?  You¡¯re going to train me?  Oink!


    (Once I return to being a human, how about we dance together and you teach me as we go.)


    I tried responding coolly, but it was ruined because my monologue laid bare my true feelings.


    Jess¡¯ hands suddenly stopped and she looked straight at me.


    ¡°Then how about I train you when you¡¯re in your human state?¡±


    ¡­¡­?


    ¡°U-um, that was a joke¡­¡±


    (Oh, you surprised me there.)


    For a second there, I was made to imagine that kind of scene.


    I¡¯m looking forward to becoming a human again.  But can I actually change back?  And what does the king intend to do to us?  There was no end to my uneasiness.


    I wonder if it¡¯s the same for Jess.  She continued brushing me with a slightly tense expression over her face.


    ¡°Mister Pig.¡±


    She whispered into my ear while washing under my chin.


    ¡°No matter what happens tomorrow, I¡¯m happy that I was able to travel with you.¡±


    (That¡¯s¡­)


    While I was at a loss not knowing what to say, Jess¡¯ lips gently touched the side of my nose.


    ¡°Thank you, Mister Pig.¡±


    We were sleeping soundly in the fluffy bed when the woman who welcomed us from before had woken us up.  Based on the position of the sun, I could tell it was around noon.  She helped Jess freshen up before guiding us up.


    The instant we entered a large box-shaped room, it moved like an elevator, carrying us in the direction opposite of gravity.


    (Uh, excuse me.  The pretty lady over there.)


    When I thought about those words, our guide turned around and smiled.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I checked her neck, and unlike Jess, she wasn¡¯t wearing a silver collar.


    (You seem to be able to read my thoughts, and your atmosphere feels familiar.  Are you a Yesma?)


    There seemed to be a deeper meaning behind her smiling further.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re on the right track.¡±


    After hearing that, Jess and I looked at each other.  She should know what this means.  If the woman was a Yesma, then there¡¯s a high probability that Jess will live a long and wonderful life like her.  It looks like they¡¯ll remove the collar too.


    The box-shaped room arrived at an overly spacious hall.  The ceiling was dozens of meters high, and up above is a large arch.  A large number of people were frescoed on the ceiling, and large white sculptures were lined up against the walls with poses that emphasized the physical beauty of men and the curvaceous beauty of women.  At the center of the hall was a grand-looking round table surrounded by a dozen or so armchairs.  An old man in a purple robe, and a plainly dressed young man sat in the twelve o¡¯clock and three o¡¯clock seats respectively.  We were brought over to the round table.  As we approached, I noticed that there was an extremely large chair with a very tall seat.


    ¡°Have a seat.  You too, Wies.¡±


    It was the old man¡¯s voice.  Because of the round table, I could only see the legs of the two people sitting there.  My body suddenly floated up and I was softly placed on the large chair.


    Bread, ham, vegetables, fruits, and various foods were piled on top of the round table.  It looks like the two were currently having their meal.


    Our guide, the woman called Wies, sat in the nine o¡¯clock seat.  Jess and I were in the seven and six o¡¯clock seat respectively.


    ¡°Help yourselves, you two must be hungry.  Jess can help set aside the pig¡¯s portion too.¡±


    The old man encouraged us with bread still stuffed in his right cheek.  He had elegantly curled white hair and a strikingly long beard; he seemed like a clever old man.  As for the young man, he had quite the curly blonde hair, thick eyebrows, and a sculpture-like chiseled face; he was silently eating vegetables.


    After thanking the old man in a voice that seemed to lack confidence, Jess modestly set aside some food on the plates that were prepared for us.


    I was prepared to meet the great king and expected I would have to prostrate myself on a rug in front of a man who wore a crown full of jewels, held a long staff, and sat arrogantly on the throne, but instead, we were apparently invited for a meal.


    ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied, I¡¯m fine with sitting arrogantly on the throne, but it¡¯s easier to talk this way.¡±  The old man said.


    My monologuing!  He could hear it!


    (I¡¯m terribly sorry for that.  I¡¯ve been rude.)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, young man.  After all, not a lot of people know that mages can read minds.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does that mean you¡¯re a mage?¡±


    The old man nodded when asked by Jess, who hadn¡¯t touched her food yet.


    ¡°Indeed, I am the king.  My name is Evis.  And this is my grandson, Shulavis.  He can be a bit abrasive, my apologizes for that.¡±


    Still eating grass, Shulavis looked at me and lightly shook his head.  It was probably a greeting, so I nodded back.


    ¡°Now then, it appears Jess has something to ask of us.  Feel free to say what¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    Jess, who was reservedly drinking her juice, hastily put down her glass.


    ¡°Yes!  Erm, I¡­ would like for you to turn Mister Pig back into a human.¡±


    Instead of thinking about her own treatment, she prioritized my wellbeing.  She really is a kind girl.


    Evis grinned with his mouth full of bread before swallowing.


    ¡°Sure.  That won¡¯t be difficult at all.  But I do have a condition for you.¡±


    Jess nervously nodded.  Not knowing what kind of condition he was going to propose, my heart was also pounding.


    ¡°Now and here, I want you to promise me this.  I want Jess to promise me that no matter what means is used to change this pig back into a young man, you will make sure to see it through.¡±


    That¡¯s it?  The tension in my shoulder loins were released.  However, I was a bit suspicious as to why he went as far as to treat this like a contract, so let¡¯s first-


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jess enthusiastically replied.


    ¡°Right.  Then that¡¯s fine.  A promise is a promise.  Let¡¯s make sure to abide by it accordingly.¡±


    She already agreed to the promise.  Well, it probably won¡¯t be anything bad anyway.


    Wies casted a complicated look at me and Jess.  It somehow felt like it was out of pity.


    ¡°So you can change him back, right?¡±


    Jess¡¯ eyes shone.


    Evis nodded.


    ¡°I can change him back immediately, but¡­  How about we take care of this matter before sunset today.¡±


    Why did he set a deadline?  Does he think that Jess will hesitate¡­?


    Evis looked at me and gave me a meaningful smile.


    Jess leaned forward.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to change him back with magic, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡±


    A moment of silence followed.  Shulavis continued eating grass as usual.


    ¡°Then¡­ how will you turn Mister Pig back into a human?¡±


    Evis stared straight at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, Jess.  If you want your loved one to return to being a human, you just have to kill that pig.¡±


    Jess¡¯ expression froze.  I also froze.


    ¡°¡­ Um, will that really turn Mister Pig back into a human being?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it.  Once you kill the pig, this young man¡¯s consciousness will return to his original world.¡±


    ¡°Original¡­ world¡­¡±


    ¡°As for how this happened, I think it¡¯s best if you took the initiative to explain that, Jess¡­ While the consciousness of this young man was wandering in the crevice between worlds, he was pulled by a powerful magic and forced to inhabit a pig of this world.  His body is still asleep in his original world.  If you kill this pig, his consciousness will return to its original body.¡±


    ¡°Then Mister Pig¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct, he can¡¯t stay in this world anymore.¡±


    It felt like a gaping hole opened up in my brain, and the only thing occupying it was the thought of our parting drawing near as the sunset approaches.


    ¡°A promise is a promise.  It may sound cruel, but this is the only right choice.  If we allow a person from another world to stay in this world, who knows when he¡¯ll become a threat to this country that we¡¯ve built.  Not to mention, if his consciousness is kept here, his body will eventually die.  This young man will no longer be able to return to his world.¡±


    Jess¡¯ eyes were filled with tears.


    Looking straight at Jess, Evis continued, ¡°Besides, as long as your loved one continues to exist in this world, it¡¯ll be impossible for Shulavis over here to marry such an excellent mage.¡±


    In the midst of despair, I heard all the pieces click into place, forming a complete picture.


    ¡°Mage¡­?¡±


    Jess looked surprised at being called a mage, but I was more than convinced.  Even I knew that the existence of Yesmas was something extraordinary.  I had this in mind when I told Jess what to say to the hecklepon in front of the capital.


    The true identity of Yesmas is that they¡¯re mages.


    If you think along those lines, various matters can be reasonably explained.


    Evis spoke.


    ¡°Exactly.  You appear to be a gifted and extremely talented mage.  Although, of course, the you as of now will still be called a Yesma.¡±


    Evis straightened his right hand towards Jess.  The lake-colored scarf was untied before being folded by invisible hands and placed on the table.  He raised his hand slightly.  Click, the silver collar was split into two halves.  The broken collar then flew through the air and landed in his hands.


    ¡°How¡¯s that?  With this, Jess is no longer a Yesma.¡±


    With tears still in her eyes, Jess remained stiff as if unable to understand everything that happened.


    (Excuse me, but I have a request.)


    Hearing my call, Evis nodded.


    ¡°I do feel sorry for you.  Go ahead and speak.¡±


    (Thank you for telling us how I can return to being a human again.  I am prepared and will resign myself to obeying your order.)


    Jess looked at me in shock.  Sorry, but even I¡­


    (However, there¡¯s still something that I can¡¯t understand.  If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to explain it to me and Jess.  Why does this country need the existence known as Yesmas?)


    Shulavis stopped eating grass and looked at me in surprise.


    Evis crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.


    ¡°¡­Regarding this matter, there aren¡¯t many that know why.  However, as far as I can tell from looking into your mind, I think you¡¯ve almost reached the right answer.  If so, then it¡¯s only a matter of time before Jess learns of it as well.  Alright.  As your farewell, and as a token of trust to Jess, let me tell you the truth.¡±


    (Much appreciated.)


    He sat back down with an air of dignity.  He placed his hands on the table, and the plates he used were neatly piled together and pushed aside.


    ¡°Jess, would you prefer something sweet?  You haven¡¯t eaten at all.  How about a cup of tea as well?  You have to eat properly.¡±


    From the center of the table, a plate of sweet-looking rye bread was sent to Jess.  Steam blew out of the teapot, and its fragrant, clear amber liquid was poured into four teacups.  Various herbs mixed together to create a fragrance that drifted over to us.  Is it herbal tea?  The teacups were then served.  All of this was done by Evis¡¯ invisible hands.  I truly felt that I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist against his tremendous power.


    ¡°Now, young man.  Go ahead.  What would you like to start with?¡±


    (My knowledge regarding the Yesma ¡°race¡± is based on what I¡¯ve heard over the last few days ¨C They wear a silver collar; they serve as maids; they can communicate using their thoughts instead of relying on their eyes and ears; they¡¯re able to create miracles using a black rista; once they reach the working age, they¡¯ll arrive from somewhere, and once they turn 16, they have to risk their lives going to the capital; there are only female Yesmas; and lastly, there are laws such as ¡°no transportation allowed,¡± and ¡°they are not allowed to be violated.¡±)


    ¡°You seem to get the gist of it.¡±


    (All of this must have a reason.  They¡¯re meaningful to you, right?)


    ¡°To say it¡¯s meaningful to us is a bit misleading, but¡­ you¡¯re correct in that there are reasons behind this.¡±


    (Weren¡¯t Yesmas created as a system to maintain the mages race?)


    Evis gazed at me with a stern expression.


    ¡°Please allow me to ask you this question in order to clarify things.  What do you think is the reason for the decline of mages?¡±


    With Jess, Wies, and Shulavis watching, I answered, (I believe it¡¯s because they had too much power and were aggressive.)


    ¡°It seems like we more or less share the same view.  Extreme magic power that doesn¡¯t match the flesh, and excessively egotistic.  These two aspects caused mages to endlessly kill each other, resulting in the Dark Ages.  This is what I believe.  And the silver collar that Yesmas wear is what seals those two things.¡±


    Evis showed me the broken collar in his hands.


    (The silver collars are made by mages, right?  In order to seal a mage¡¯s magic power, it needs to be imbued with enough magic power to rival that.  That¡¯s why Yesma collars are sold at a high price.)


    Jess covered her mouth with her hands.


    Evis nodded.


    ¡°Correct.  There were too many mages.  As a result, they started killing each other, and only the most aggressive ones remained.  That¡¯s why our great ancestor, Queen Vatis, attached these collars to the surviving mages besides herself to seal their magic power.  They were incapacitated and left with only their power of heart and power of prayer.  Thus, the Dark Ages came to an end.¡±


    This means the Yesmas¡¯ unique ability to communicate with their thoughts and use black ristas is evidence that they¡¯re mages.


    (Then how did the collared mages end up at the point where they¡¯re being treated as slaves?)


    ¡°There were unexpected consequences.¡±


    (Unexpected¡­ consequences?)


    ¡°Yes.  Those who wore the collar had their magic power, as well as ego, sealed away.  Even if they¡¯re treated like slaves or discriminated against, they won¡¯t resist at all.¡±


    (Even so, do you think it¡¯s right to let them be subjected to such unjust treatments?)


    They¡¯re subjected to discrimination; they¡¯re forced to work like slaves; they never receive gratitude; and in the end, they¡¯re killed and even their bones get sold.  Thinking about what happened to these admirable and innocent girls made me tremble with anger.


    Evis closed his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them again, he responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the same is true of your society.  Provided that humans continue to exist, there will always be someone that is oppressed.  The collared mages, the obedient people that have had their magic sealed.  As long as we regard them as the Yesma race, turn them into slaves and use them as outlets for people¡¯s unjust acts, society will remain stable.  This was the truth that we came to as we pushed for the enslavement of Yesmas.¡±


    He held up the split collar.


    ¡°The silver collar uses the Yesma¡¯s own magic power to maintain its effect.  In other words, it has no effect on those that do not possess magic power.  The only ones that can permanently seal their own egos are mages.  This is truly a revolutionary device that secretly allows the various bloodlines of mages to live on while harnessing their latent values to help maintain society.¡±


    (Nevertheless, don¡¯t you think the current system is going too far?  Why must Yesmas journey out and risk death once they turn sixteen?)


    ¡°This is to limit the population.  The number of Yesmas needed to maintain society far exceeds the number of mages that can be allowed.  Therefore, we¡¯ve decided to only allow outstanding Yesmas that are able to reach the capital to survive.  Then, they¡¯ll either become a mother of Yesmas, or be welcomed into our bloodline.¡±


    (Is the fact that there are only female Yesmas also to limit the population?)


    ¡°It is as you said.  Even with their magic power sealed, if they conceive, a mage will be born.  As a result, males are aborted due to not knowing when they might have children, and females are each given a collar.  The girls are thoroughly managed so that they do not give birth to a child with magic power in some place we don¡¯t know about.  While managing them like so, we nurture them, send them out to society, and only allow the best to return.  This kind of life cycle is crucial to maintaining the mages race and the stability of society that Queen Vatis desired.¡±


    Relentless surveillance by hecklepons.  A law that prohibits them from transportations.  A law that disallows violating them ¨C in other words, banning procreation.  All of this was done in order to leave behind the mages¡¯ bloodline while also stabilizing society.  It¡¯s cruel, but it makes rational sense.  If you ignore those girls¡¯ tears, you could probably argue that it¡¯s also the right decision to make.


    (This is my last question.  Do you think this society, established through the distribution of Yesmas and ristas, will last forever?)


    Wies and Shulavis gaped at me.


    Evis laughed heartily.  His majestic laugh had an irresistible ring to it.


    ¡°This goes without saying, society will collapse someday.  But I¡¯m convinced that we are in a much better era than we were in the Dark Ages.  I have no intention of changing this world, at least during my reign, and I will do everything in my power to resist those who try to bring about change.¡±


    Hearing those words, I knew that there was no room for me to change this society.


    There¡¯s only one way for Jess to be happy in this society.


    And I¡¯ll have to keep my feelings hidden until the end.


    We were told we could move freely until sunset.  In order to make my return on time for the sunset, I was ordered to go to the Golden Sanctuary half an hour before.


    Evis must have known that I wouldn¡¯t run away as he handed Jess a detailed map of the capital in a generous manner.


    In response to Jess¡¯ request to see Mestria from a high place, we decided to head to the square at the top of the capital.


    Jess had a depressed expression and spoke very little.  I didn¡¯t know what to say- or rather, convey to her, so I kept silent like a pig.


    We arrived at the square.  It was like the world of Greek mythology as huge stone pillars were lined up, and a spacious empty cobbled floor was installed in the middle of it all.  It was just like a heliport.  Of course, it can¡¯t be denied that there might be dragons landing and taking off from here.


    Jess walked to the edge of the square and sat down on a bench located near the fence connecting the stone pillars.  I sat next to her.  From the bench, I could see far into the distance.  The weather was nice, so view was good.  I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s in the direction of Quiltli, but I spotted mountains in the distance.


    The wind blew strongly.  With her left hand, Jess gently held her scarf so that it wouldn¡¯t fly away.


    (You¡¯re no longer wearing a collar, it should be fine to take off that scarf now.)


    She shook her head at my suggestion.


    ¡°I want to wear this scarf because Mister Pig chose it for me.¡±


    I felt my heart being squeezed.  Come to think of it, when Nott forced her to remove the scarf, she wrapped it around her wrist instead.  I realized something that I didn¡¯t want to notice.


    I mean, I also¡­


    (Hey Jess, is that Quiltli?)


    I changed the subject.


    ¡°I think so, since I recognize the shape of the mountain¡­  It¡¯s very far away, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    (Although it was a short journey, we¡¯ve come a long way, haven¡¯t we.)


    ¡°Yes.  It¡¯s thanks to Mister Pig that I was able to make it this far.¡±


    (That¡¯s not true.  I merely gave you some basic advice.)


    ¡°No, because if it wasn¡¯t for Mister Pig, I would have been killed near the Quiltlin mansion.¡±


    (If I didn¡¯t exist, you wouldn¡¯t have had to go and buy a rista.  So there wouldn¡¯t have been a reason for you to be killed.)


    As if to say ¡°it¡¯s not like that,¡± Jess looked at me with a troubled expression.


    ¡°¡­ Then if Mister Pig wasn¡¯t with me, I likely would have rejected Mr. Nott accompanying me, and the journey wouldn¡¯t have been so easy then.¡±


    (It¡¯s hard to say.  If I wasn¡¯t there, Nott might¡¯ve chased after you persistently.)


    ¡°But he might not have either.  It was Mister Pig who noticed someone was using Ms. Brace as a trap.  And it was because Mister Pig realized the true identity of hecklepons that I was able to enter the capital.  Please admit it.  If it weren¡¯t for Mister Pig, I surely would have died.¡±


    Jess¡¯s voice became stern.  This might¡¯ve been her first time doing so.


    (You¡¯re right.  It sounds like I managed to be a good traveling companion.)


    Jess seemed to want to thank me, but really, I should be the one thanking her.  After all, she was the one who saved me and tried so hard to turn me back into a human.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not like that.¡±


    Jess spoke in a weak voice that seemed like it would be blown away by the wind.


    (What do you mean?)


    ¡°It¡¯s your monologue.  I didn¡¯t accompany Mister Pig because I wanted to turn you back into a human.¡±


    (¡­ What do you mean?)


    ¡°Mister Pig was wondering about this, right?  How, before I met you, I bought a black rista, and the reason why I kept this a secret.¡±


    (Certainly, yes.)


    ¡°I bought and used the rista to fulfill my selfish wish.  ¡®I¡¯m scared of traveling to the capital alone.  I wish to meet someone who will help me.¡¯  This is what I prayed for alone at night.  And the next morning, you showed up in the pigpen.¡±


    So that¡¯s what happened.


    I recalled the words of the king.  While my consciousness was wandering in the crevice between worlds, I was pulled by a powerful magic, and I ended up inhabiting a pig¡¯s body in this world.  The source of the magic was from Jess¡¯ power of prayer.


    ¡°At the time, Mister Pig had no choice but to go to the capital with me in order to turn back into a human, right?  I¡¯m not smart, so I didn¡¯t think much about it when I was praying, but I realized it after we decided to go to the capital together.  If Mister Pig was a human, you would have had the option of not accompanying me.  But you weren¡¯t.  The reason why you became a pig instead of a human was because my wish came true.  Even after I realized this, I kept quiet this whole time.  I¡¯ve been deceiving Mister Pig.¡±


    Even though I didn¡¯t think much of it, when I looked at Jess, she was shedding large tear drops.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.  Because of me, Mister Pig had to go through such a terrible experience¡­¡±


    Her overly pure heart and tears left me temporarily speechless.


    When I finally managed to squeeze out some words, I told her, (Even if you were being selfish, so what?  Everyone has the right to pray to the stars.  Besides, I¡¯m personally glad to have met you, Jess.)


    She brought her face close to my nose.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Tears fell onto my face.


    (Isn¡¯t it obvious?  I¡¯m really happy I got to meet you.)


    Jess closed her eyes briefly before looking at me with her face full of tears.


    ¡°Then, could you listen to my wish, just one more time?¡±


    (Tell me.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Mister Pig to leave.  Please don¡¯t go back to your original world.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.  I made a promise with the king.)


    ¡°Why?  Is Mister Pig fine with that?¡±


    This is something I¡¯ve already decided on.  Even if I have to lie about my feelings, there are things that I have to protect.


    (Weren¡¯t you listening?  Once I¡¯m gone, you¡¯ll join the royal family¡¯s bloodline.  You¡¯ve been blessed, even amongst all the Yesmas that have arrived to the capital, so a happy future awaits you.  Plus, I even get to return to my world.  There¡¯s no happier ending than this.)


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want this.¡±


    Why do you have to make this so difficult for me?


    (You probably don¡¯t know this, Jess, but I have a life there too.  I studied hard and got accepted into a place called university.  This is at a time where I started to learn a lot of things, and I have good friends there too.  Not to mention I have a super cute girlfriend.)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mister Pig say he¡¯s a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin who¡¯s never had a girlfriend in his life before?  Please don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    (¡­Yeah, it was a self-serving lie.  But even so, do you really want to be with this kind of shitty virgin?)


    ¡°I do.  I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way to turn Mister Pig back into a human if we look for it.¡±


    (Even if I were to stay in this world, it¡¯ll just upset the king and the end result will be the same.  Plus, even if I could turn back into a human, I¡¯d just be an unremarkable scrawny guy with glasses.  Nott and Shulavis are way more handsome.  You¡¯ll be disappointed.)


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    (Why do you have to be so willful in the end?)


    ¡°You were the one who taught me to be more willful, Mister Pig.  I don¡¯t want this.  I don¡¯t want to be separated from Mister Pig.¡±


    ¡­¡­ Please don¡¯t say that, I¡¯m begging you.  I don¡¯t want to leave you either, Jess.  Since¡­ since I like you so much.


    Jess¡¯ swollen eyes suddenly shifted to meet mine.


    ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡±


    Crap.  I ended up monologuing it.  I really wanted to hide it until the end.


    (What do you mean by ¡°true¡±?)


    I played dumb.


    ¡°Mister Pig, do you also¡­ like me?¡±


    (¡­ Please pretend like you didn¡¯t hear that.)


    ¡°Why?  If Mister Pig feels the same way, then please, stay with me.¡±


    Jess¡¯ voice was higher pitched than usual because she was trembling with tears.  Even though I¡¯m just a pig, I could feel tears running down my cheeks.


    (I can¡¯t.  I¡¯ll only get in the way of your life, Jess.)


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all.  Mister Pig has always helped me.  And I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll be the case in the future as well.¡±


    (It¡¯s only natural that I helped you.  Jess was kind but underprivileged and weak.  In my world, no one would abandon that kind of person.  But it¡¯s different from now on.  You¡¯ll become a mage, you¡¯ll join the royal bloodline, and you¡¯ll be able to live by your own strength.)


    ¡°No.  Without Mister Pig, I¡­¡±


    I shut my eyes to squeeze out the tears that accumulated in my pig eyes.


    (You simply clung to the first person you met that was willing to help you; and I simply enjoyed the attention of being needed by you.  This isn¡¯t a matter of like or dislike.)


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.  I like Mister Pig.  I want to be with you forever¡­¡±


    My chest hurt so badly it felt like I was going to die.  Just follow your heart and¡­


    No.


    (If I could, I would have liked to be with you.  But more than that, I want you to live a happy life.  And for that life to happen, it¡¯s better if I¡¯m not around.)


    I knew this would be unfair, but I uttered these words that she wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse.


    (This is my last wish.  Listen, Jess.  The king¡¯s invitation is an opportunity that you and I have managed to seize.  Please don¡¯t waste it.  From now on, please use your own strength to find happiness.)


    A strong gust of wind blew between us.


    ¡°Is that what Mister Pig truly wishes for?¡±


    (¡­Yeah.)


    She was still crying, but I sensed that the currents had changed.


    After a brief silence, Jess opened her mouth.


    ¡°Understood.  This time, it¡¯s my turn to grant Mister Pig¡¯s wish.¡±


    Jess descended from her bench and knelt on the ground before tightly hugging me.


    Jess and I changed gears and enjoyed sightseeing around the capital.  The cityscape, with its large stone buildings lined up and carved into the mountain, was spectacular.  The people walking along the streets were dressed nicely and appeared happy.  They were likely the Yesmas and chavillons that managed to reach the capital safely.  There were young couples walking together, and there were many pregnant women.  It¡¯s a pity when I think about what will happen to the children that will be born, but I do think that this environment is much better than the world outside.


    Because of her insistence, Jess and I sat side by side at a store and took a photo of some sort.  She had the image printed onto a small piece of glass and made it into a necklace.  She seemed to treasure it dearly as she wore it.


    A girl and a pig.  What a strange photo, I thought.


    The time came, and I took the reluctant Jess with me to the Golden Sanctuary.


    The hall there was more than twice the size of the room we had dined in.  Evis, in a white robe, sat in the center where there was an enormous golden throne.  The last rays of sunlight shone through the stained glass windows, illuminating the dim sanctuary interiors.  Smoke that smelled of flowers faintly filled the hall.


    ¡°Welcome, honest and brave young man.¡±


    Jess and I proceeded under the dome ceiling.


    ¡°The pig¡¯s last moments will be swift and peaceful.  Your soul will then immediately return to its world.  I will use my magic to take care of this.  There will be no pain at all.  Think of this as a short trip.¡±


    As expected, Jess couldn¡¯t help but cry.  Her sobs echoed in vain through the quiet sanctuary.


    (Can we be together in my last moments?)


    ¡°Of course.  Jess, go stay by his side.¡±


    She hugged me around my neck as if she¡¯ll never let go.  Just like a little kid.


    ©¤Mister Pig, you were my very first friend.


    Her voice was transmitted directly into my head.  I was saddened by the fact that I¡¯ll never be able to enjoy this feeling again.  I thought I would be able to hold back my tears, but they still flowed out.  My vision clouded with tears.


    ©¤I¡¯ll never ever forget you, Mister Pig, so please-


    (I know.  I¡¯ll never forget Jess either, for the rest of my life.)


    ©¤Truly¡­?


    (Truly.  How could I forget?)


    Jess¡¯ cries echoed past the sanctuary.  The light from the stained glass windows gradually grew weaker and weaker, probably because the sun was setting behind the mountain.


    (¡­Be sure to find happiness.)


    ©¤I will.


    The sun waits for no one.


    (Farewell, Jess.  Take care.)


    ©¤You too, Mister Pig.  Take care.


    The peaceful times had passed, and Evis slowly stood up.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    I heard Jess¡¯ trembling voice in my ear.


    Gong, gong ¨C the bell rang.  I tried to see Jess¡¯ face one last time.


    Because she was hugging me, I couldn¡¯t see her.  I could only see her strands of blonde hair.


    I closed my eyes and felt her warmth.  Her arms around me.  Her soft cheeks.


    And then all my senses suddenly flew into space.

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    I guess you could say the third time¡¯s the charm as I finally woke up in a hospital bed.  It was snowing outside the window.  It didn¡¯t seem like much time had passed since I ate the raw pig liver.


    The hustle and bustle around me passed through my brain, and I kept staring at the ceiling like I had lost my soul.  After a while, my mother came into the ward and said something to the effect of ¡°How long are you planning on sleeping?  Get a hold of yourself.¡± before quickly finishing her formalities and headed home.


    When I finally got up, I looked at the IV tube and air conditioning equipment, and noticed that this world just has a lot of things.  On a small desk nearby were gifts from some friends.  I picked up a box of sweets and glanced at the Japanese written in fine print.


    How many days have I slept like this?  No other period in my life will ever be able to surpass what I¡¯ve felt over these past few days.


    Only the sense of loss remained in the hospital bed.


    After my examination, I was told I could go home.


    I was alone on the way back.  The world appeared to be celebrating Christmas, but it didn¡¯t matter to a non-normie like me.  As soon as I heard the train departure melody, it felt like my entire being was crushed by the reality that I had returned to my everyday life.  When I came to my senses, I was already wiping the tears with my sleeves.


    My life had changed.


    Due to being hospitalized, I was unable to take the required exams and was definitely going to be forced to repeat a year.


    But it wasn¡¯t all bad.  When I tweeted about the fact that I was hospitalized and forced to repeat a year because I ate raw pig liver, I was able to satisfy my desire for recognition by earning around 3,000 retweets and 5,000 likes.


    Still, the pain of loss didn¡¯t heal.  I felt like my heart remained trapped in that world, Mestria, to the extent that I would look for traces of Jess in shops and newspaper corners during my travels.


    Also, whenever I watch a romance drama now, I immediately start crying.  My otaku friends really liked that, and my circle of friends gradually expanded.  A video of me crying at a friend¡¯s house while watching an anime movie instantly got 50,000 retweets on Twitter.  It received a storm of replies with comments praising me, such as ¡°He laughed normally,¡± ¡°An unhateable otaku,¡± ¡°It must be fun to have this kind of person as a friend,¡± and ¡°Seems like someone who could become an Olympics announcer.¡±


    Sure enough, otakus are not creatures that should fall in love.  While I was doing otaku activities, I started believing that it was just a wonderful dream and ended matters there.  There¡¯s no way a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin would ever get together with a cute, blonde, and younger girl, even as a mistake.


    However, I would like to say that at least as a memorial, I wrote a novel about my adventures in Mestria and uploaded it to Kakuyomu, an online novel posting site.


    >TL Note: Kakuyomu is actually made by Kadokawa, the parent company of this novel¡¯s publishing company (Dengeki Bunko / ASCII Media Works)


    It seems like a decent number of people read the work which described my oinking days with Jess-tasso in a dignified and elegant style, and it received some recognition.  You can even receive comments for each story, huh.  I really appreciate everyone that read my story.


    Well, in conclusion, this is the last thing I wish to convey to you all.


    ©¤Heat the pig liver.


    Otherwise it¡¯ll hurt, you¡¯ll end up in the hospital, and you¡¯ll have a strange dream that turns your world upside down.  It¡¯s a painful experience, so be sure to cook it before eating.  You got that, everyone?


    I¡¯ve said this many times before, but I¡¯m not kidding.  Heat the pig liver.


    Even now, there are times where I feel like my stomach is going to be torn apart.  Even though I won¡¯t ever know if she really existed, when I think about the girl that I¡¯ll never be able to see again, I can¡¯t stop crying.


    If you don¡¯t ever want this kind of experience, heat the pig liver.


    Promise me.


    One day, when March was approaching and the smell of spring was in the air¡­


    My Twitter account received a message.


    ©¤I¡¯ve read your novel.  If you don¡¯t mind, may I DM you?  I would like to talk about the contents of the story.


    Looking at his profile, he appeared to be living a stoic otaku life as a working man.  I wondered why he specifically wanted it to be DMs, but I figured I would be able to hear his thoughts on my novel and started exchanging DMs.


    However, it was not what I had expected.  He briefly mentioned the novel¡¯s story, and started asking if we could meet in person.  He told me that it was important, and that he would treat me to a parfait.


    Perhaps it was due to my usual otaku activities, but I wasn¡¯t particularly against meeting people from the internet.  He sent me a photo of a luxurious parfait that costed nearly 2,000 yen and invited me by writing ¡°be faithful to your desires.¡±  So I ended up going to meet that person.


    On the day of the meeting, three people showed up at the caf¨¦.  The man I was in contact with had a long face, a beard, and wore a pair of black glasses ¨C he seemed to be a very kind-hearted otaku.  He said he was a mechanical engineer.  Next was a female college student ¨C she was an otaku that had a short bob hairstyle, wore red glasses, and appeared to smile a lot.  Lastly, we had a high school boy ¨C he was light-skinned, wore thick glasses, and seemed like a person that excelled at studying.


    There were only glasses wearing otakus.


    Well, that¡¯s fine.  Talking to them while I ate my large parfait, I learned that the three of them were very familiar with the contents of my novel.  No, it wasn¡¯t just that.  They started adding to the story on their own and were talking about things that even I didn¡¯t know about.


    ¡°The north declared independence and are rebelling against the royal family-¡±


    ¡°The strength of the Yesma hunters have grown considerably-¡±


    ¡°Nott was captured and sent to an arena-¡±


    I was thrown into confusion, and it became a scene where I had to stop eating the parfait partway through.


    I then finally realized that these three otakus were claiming to be people that have returned from Mestria.  And for some reason, during this conversation, Nott seemed to have become a super celebrity.


    The bearded man told me that in order to protect the Yesmas, they needed the pig¡¯s strength.  The revolutionist, Nott, needed the pig.  I was in a daze, unable to tell whether this was a dream, reality, or even just a joke.


    But his words made me nod involuntarily.  His explanations made my upper body lean forward.  At his shocking invitation, my hands clenched tightly.  Hot blood circulated through my body, heating my liver.


    With a serious expression on his face, he said.


    ¡°How about we return to Mestria together?¡±

 Volume 2 - CH 1

    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more pointless than writing about an otaku offline meeting, so I¡¯ll just summarize the situation up to this point.


    I became a pig when I arrived in Mestria, a country of sword and magic, and embarked on a grand oinking adventure to reach its capital with a cute, angelic blonde girl called Jess.  But after our journey, I reluctantly parted from her and went back to modern-day Japan.


    When I returned, I resumed being an ordinary otaku and even started to believe that the matters regarding Mestria and Jess were but simply a dream.


    However, it was by no means a dream.


    Because I met three glasses otakus that claimed to have also experienced being transported to Mestria as pigs.


    It¡¯s a bad habit of otakus that we call each other by our handle names instead of our actual names.


    Let me introduce them to you.


    The first guy is Sanon, he¡¯s a mechanical engineer.  He¡¯s bearded man in his thirties, and is particularly fond of animes that feature young girls.  He¡¯s a kind but perverted otaku.


    Next is Kento, he attends a prestigious private boys¡¯ high school.  His original handle name is ?The Dark Knight Who Dances Till His Demise? keNto, but let¡¯s not delve into that.  Putting aside the uniqueness of his handle name, he¡¯s just an ordinary, proper otaku.


    Lastly, there¡¯s Hiropon, a female medical student.  I won¡¯t get into her dangerous-sounding name, but she¡¯s someone that likes social games, tends to laugh a lot, and is a princess-like otaku.


    >TL Note: Hiropon (Philopon) is the brand name for methamphetamine in Japan¡­


    By the way, my handle name is Loli Pork.  To avoid any kind of misunderstanding, I¡¯d like to clarify how I got this name.  I¡¯m neither a young girl, nor pork chops.  I¡¯m just an insignificant science college student.  When I wrote my oinking adventures in Mestria into a slightly naughty, flirtatious, fantasy in another world novel and posted it online, I changed my Twitter handle to ¡°Scrawny Pork,¡± but it got shortened at some point and became ¡°Loli Pork.¡±  Lately, that got condensed further into ¡°Lolipo,¡± and this strange abbreviation seems to have slowly been adopted by my readers.


    >TL Note: ¥Ò¥ç¥í¥¬¥ê¥Ý©`¥¯ (hyorogari pork) ¡ú ¥í¥ê¥Ý©`¥¯ (rori pork) ¡ú ¥í¥ê¥Ý (roripo)


    Also, regarding the slightly naughty, flirtatious, fantasy in another world story, now that I know Mestria is real, I privated the novel online to protect the royal dynasty¡¯s secrets.  As a final tribute, I sent it in to a certain newcomer award contest, but its title is quite strange, so I doubt it¡¯ll win anything.


    >TL Note: Fourth wall break.  Heat the Pig Liver won the 26th Dengeki Novel Prize ¡°Gold Award¡± and didn¡¯t get its title changed when it was published.


    But I digress.


    Sanon couldn¡¯t forget about his experience in Mestria, so he used his extraordinary searching skills and the power of parfaits to call upon his kindreds, which led to us four glasses otakus gathering.  After several meetings, we drafted a plan to be transferred back to Mestria.


    And today is the day we execute that plan.


    ¡­You¡¯re wondering how we¡¯re going to be transferred?  Well everyone, no need to rush me.


    We glasses otakus put our heads together, combined our knowledge, deduced the principle behind transferring to Mestria, and crafted a plan based on it.


    Fundamentally, we believe that the transferring of otakus began because of me.  When my consciousness was brought to Mestria, it seems like some kind of magic trace was left behind.  Ever since then, if a nerdy glasses-wearing otaku lost consciousness at the station where I collapsed from a stomach ache, the unusual incident of that person¡¯s consciousness possessing a pig from Mestria would occur.  The result is that Hiropon, Sanon, and Kento were transferred there.  And when their pigs died, they returned to modern Japan.


    To put it simply, if we pass out somewhere near the station again, our consciousness might be brought over to Mestria!


    Here¡¯s the plan:


    Hiropon¡¯s father actually owns the large hospital near the station in question.  We were all taken to that hospital the last time we each were transferred, so we¡¯re going to take advantage of that fact.


    We¡¯ll be doing whatever it takes.  Hiropon will threaten her father to re-examine his patients, who, like her, have been unconscious for an abnormally prolonged period of time.  Under that pretext, the three of us, excluding her, will be each provided a bed.  Hiropon will then use a genuine stun gun that Sanon procured via suspicious means to make sure we faint.  If we¡¯re able to arrive in Mestria without any problems and not wake up, her father will be held responsible for taking care of us.  This is the strategy we came up with.


    As a side note, it seems like Hiropon was transferred to Mestria soon after I got food poisoning, but because she didn¡¯t have fond memories of there and didn¡¯t want to leave her younger sister, who had an uncertain future due to her incurable disease, she won¡¯t be participating in this re-transfer.  However, she¡¯s a key person, as she agreed to and willingly became the cornerstone of our unreasonable plan.


    ¡°Are you ready, Mr. Lolipo?¡±


    While wearing a pair of rubber gloves and holding the stun gun, Hiropon looked down at me lying on the bed.  She had a gentle expression on her short bob hairstyle and red-glasses-wearing face; it didn¡¯t suit what she was about to do.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut, pressed the side of my head against the pillow, and only thought about one thing.


    ©¤Jess.


    Will I be able to see you?


    None of the three who have transferred to Mestria after me have seen, nor heard of any news regarding Jess.  That¡¯s not surprising since she¡¯s at the closed off capital.  Her happy life as a relative of the king should be just starting.


    Darkness enveloped my eyelids, darkening my vision further.  I felt something press against the back of my neck.


    Jess.


    Is it alright for me to meet you?


    Is it okay for a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin like me to step back into such a wonderful girl¡¯s life again¡­?


    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡±


    I heard the voice of a girl speaking Mestria¡¯s language.


    I woke up.  The pain was only momentarily.  As I wondered where I was, I looked at my surroundings.


    It was a dim place.  I felt mud on my cheeks.  When I inhaled, the pigpen¡¯s mixture of scents stroked my olfactory epithelium.  This means¡­


    ¡°Stop, if you lick that much, I¡¯m going to be all sticky¡­¡±


    I listened to the voice that came from beyond the haystack and stood up.  Looking at my feet, I saw two split pink hooves.  It was a nostalgic feeling.


    Although it¡¯s weird to be able to say this, I turned into a pig without a hitch.  After three months, I¡¯ve succeeded in becoming a pig in Mestria again.  Be it my color vision or body senses, everything seems to be as perfectly adapted as they were back when Jess healed me.  Her magic appears to still be in effect.


    I trotted on all fours towards the direction of the voice, and the first thing I saw was a large black pig.  A slender girl in a dark brown one-piece dress was sitting on some hay, and the black pig was licking her cheeks like a dog.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it tickles¡­ not the neck¡­ hya¡­¡±


    ¡°Oink oink¡­¡±


    That pig and girl¡¯s playful voices resounded through the pigpen.


    Uh, what¡¯s going on here?  What am I looking at right now?


    The girl that was being preyed on by the black pig suddenly looked at me.  She had short blonde hair, a slender neck, a small face, and large eyes.  On the corner of her right eye was a tear mole, and around her neck was a dimly glowing silver collar.


    ¡°Snort.¡±


    I tried to speak and ended up making an otaku noise.  Right, I forgot.


    (¡­You¡¯re Celes, right?)


    I used parentheses to indicate that this was my dialogue and silently conveyed it to her.  The other party is the same race as Jess, a Yesma ¨C it¡¯s a race that can communicate via their thoughts without using their mouths or ears.  She serves the innkeeper lady who ran the inn at the first village Jess and I had stopped by during our journey.


    Celes, who gave the impression of being a timid girl, and whose cheeks were wet from pig saliva, appeared a little surprised.  The black pig immediately settled down dejectedly.


    Celes finally opens her mouth.


    ¡°Erm¡­ you¡¯re from back then¡­¡±


    (Yeah.)


    ¡°Mr. Shitty Virgin, right?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Well, she¡¯s not wrong, so I¡¯ll let it go.


    (That¡¯s right.  I¡¯m the scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin that was with Jess.  Long time no see.)


    The black pig that was observing the situation turned his head towards Celes.  She nodded at him.


    ¡°Yes.  The Mister Pig over there is also¡­  Right, that seems to be the case.¡±


    The black pig¡¯s mouth was half open, making an obvious ¡°oh fuck¡± expression.  Ah, I see.


    (Sorry for asking you a favor so soon after my greetings, Celes, but do you mind relaying our thoughts?  I have something I want to say to that black pig.)


    Yesmas can relay other people¡¯s thoughts like a router.  That¡¯s why, as long as a Yesma is around, even people who have turned into pigs that can only oink are able to communicate with each other.


    ¡°Erm¡­ Understood.¡±


    Celes nodded at me.  I stared straight at the black pig that had stopped moving and bluntly asked him a question.


    (Why were you so eagerly licking a thirteen-year-old girl, Mr. Sanon?)


    ¡­¡­


    The black pig didn¡¯t respond.


    (Admit it, Mr. Sanon.  I can tell it¡¯s you even if you¡¯re pretending to be a pig.)


    ©¤Y-you¡¯re wrong, oink¡­


    I heard the guy¡¯s voice in my head.  His verdict: Guilty.


    (How could I be wrong, oink?)


    ©¤No, um, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.  It was an accident.


    The black pig acted suspiciously while pleading with me.


    (Mind explaining to me how any of that was an accident?)


    ©¤I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.  My tongue just accidentally touched her a little, I definitely wasn¡¯t licking her eagerly¡­


    Do you really think it¡¯s possible to accidentally lick a girl until her face is all sticky and wet?


    (No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s no way this was on the level of just an accident.)


    I looked at Celes.  Her fine strands of short hair were clinging to her face due to pig saliva.  She had a troubled expression as she smiled with an ¡°Ehe.¡±


    ©¤It¡¯s that thing.  You know, a pig¡¯s habits¡­


    It¡¯s an excuse that I heard from somewhere else before, and it left me dumbfounded, so I gave up arguing.


    (There¡¯s a lot I want to say, but¡­ for the time being, it looks like we managed to arrive in Mestria without any issues.)


    As I conveyed that, the black pig¡¯s ears twitched.


    ©¤That¡¯s true¡­  Although I was certain that Mr. Lolipo would¡¯ve been transferred to where Jess-taso was¡­


    This incoherently speaking black pig was Sanon.


    I was told that this lolicon bastard was previously transferred near Celes.  Since she was here this time around as well when he was transferred, it¡¯s reasonable for him to assume that I, who was transferred near Jess last time, would also be where Jess is this time too.  For some reason, the situation where I also arrived close to Celes was outside of his expectations.


    Of course, this was unexpected for me as well.


    I wasn¡¯t transferred to Jess¡¯ side.  I won¡¯t be able to meet her just yet¡­


    Well, it can¡¯t be helped.  It¡¯s not like my purpose for coming back was so I could wholeheartedly lick Jess-taso.  And of course, it¡¯s also not so I could lick Celes-taso.  I returned to Mestria because I had left behind some unfinished business.


    According to Sanon and the others when I was eating my parfait during the offline meeting in Japan, the situation in Mestria had completely changed after I left, and it was thrown into an unprecedented chaos.  It was during this time that a hero stepped forward to save the Yesmas who have been forced to bear such cruel fates.


    It was none other than the handsome huntsman, Nott.


    We came back to help Nott and save the Yesma girls.


    So I didn¡¯t return for the sake of enjoying a flirtatious fantasy story with Jess.  Honestly.  You all believe me, right?  Who¡¯d want to get all lovey-dovey again with a cute blonde girl whom they had a tearful goodbye with?  It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an otaku that has fallen in love.  It would be nice if we were to meet ¨C that¡¯s the extent I¡¯m willing to admit.  Well, with any luck, we¡¯ll probably meet each other again somewhere in this country.


    I felt a gaze on me and turned around before realizing Celes was watching me.  The air in the dim pigpen felt suffocatingly stagnant.


    At this time, I still didn¡¯t know how many twists and turns were on the path to being reunited with Jess.


    We checked the other pigs one by one, but Kento, who should have arrived with us, was nowhere to be found.  Although I was concerned about where he could have gone, we had to worry about ourselves first.  It¡¯s good that a familiar face found us, but the place we woke up in was Bapsas, the village where I met Celes for the first time.  It¡¯s a peaceful village nestled in the southern forest, far from the frontstage of Mestria.  Let alone Jess, even Nott was no longer here.


    Our first objective was to borrow Celes¡¯ strength and reunite with Nott.  That was the plan.


    ¡­But before that, we had something else to take care of.  We pigs were covered in mud.  And even though we¡¯re pigs, as the bare minimum etiquette for receiving skinship with a cute girl, we had to keep our bodies as clean as possible.


    Therefore, we decided to have Celes lead us to a stream to take a bath.  It was autumn season in Mestria ¨C the grass had withered and turned golden yellow, glistening under the afternoon sun.


    Jess and I had arrived at the capital three months ago during the summer when the greenery was still lush.


    I was told that on that day, after Nott separated from us at the Forest of Needles surrounding the capital, he successfully killed the muscular guy whom he held a grudge against.


    ¡°But Mr. Nott didn¡¯t immediately return.¡±


    Celes dipped just her feet into the stream as she scooped up some water with her hands and carefully washed her nape while explaining.


    ¡°I heard he was attacked by assassins on the way back¡­¡±


    We discussed Mestria¡¯s current state of affairs while washing ourselves.


    (It sounds like the big guy that Nott killed was an important figure in the underworld.)


    ¡°Yes.  It seems like even the royal dynasty kept tabs on him as he was the leader of the underworld.  He was known as En the Dismemberer and was very influential.  That¡¯s why Mr. Nott ended up being chased by those from the underworld.¡±


    >TL Note: King of Hell (En) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_(Buddhism)


    You¡¯re quite familiar with this, I thought.


    While bathing in the water, Sanon the black pig conveyed this to us.


    ©¤No-kun continued to flee while avoiding the ruffians¡¯ relentless pursuit, but running away wasn¡¯t all he did.  During his escape travels, he gathered companions that also hated the Yesma hunters and would sometimes fight against his pursuers¡­  After overcoming many deadly battles, he became a household name as a hero in less than a month.


    The battles between Nott and his assassins would engulf their surroundings and end up rapidly escalating the situation.


    While I was doing my otaku activities when I returned to Japan, that handsome guy was accomplishing an unbelievable feat behind the scenes.  Why was there such a wide gap between us?  Complacency and difference in environment¡­


    (Nott formed the Liberation Army after that, right?)


    When I confirmed it with Celes, she nodded.


    ¡°After the battles became evenly matched and the situation stabilized, Mr. Nott finally returned here.  But during this time, the underworld¡¯s actions became more and more radical¡­ so to push back against it, he founded the Liberation Army.¡±


    A single attack from a young man can lead to a massive conflict that involves the entire country.


    Perhaps the gathering of the underworld¡¯s forces was brought about in an attempt to kill Nott.  In the northern region, which was already a hotbed of ruffians, a gem merchant by the name of Arogan proclaimed himself to be the new king and declared independence from the royal dynasty¡¯s ruling.  The northern region is now under the control of the Northern Forces, which is comprised of underworld ruffians.


    And Nott, being who he is, formed the Liberation Army to fight for the Yesmas with the support of his comrades and the populace.  As a result, the three forces in Mestria ¨C the royal dynasty, the Northern Forces, and the Liberation Army, were in a deadlock, creating a three-way standoff situation.


    (That¡¯s when Mr. Sanon arrived.)


    The black pig turned to face us.


    ©¤Yeah.  I collapsed from overwork, and when I woke up, I met an angelic lo-¡­ girl, and discovered I became a pig.  That¡¯s how we met, Cele-tan, right?


    When the black pig snuggled up against Celes, she shyly petted him.  His tail danced with joy.


    ¡°Yes.  Mr. Sanon listened to my selfish wish and came with me to where Mr. Nott-, no, where the Liberation Army was.  After that, we acted as members of the Liberation Army for a while.¡±


    I often heard Sanon talk about those times, and how he made full use of his little grey cells to support Nott as a member of the Liberation Army.  Of course, judging by his unusual expression of affection towards Celes, his mind wasn¡¯t the only thing that was active.  I had no doubts about him having thoroughly enjoyed his life in another world with a girl that was less than half his age¡­


    >TL Note: ¡°Little grey cells¡± is a phrase from the fictional detective Hercule Poirot.


    However, his activities ended in under a month.


    (During this time, there was the battle at the Rocklands, right?)


    Celes hung her head with a gloomy expression.


    ¡°Yes.  The Liberation Army lost the battle against the Northern Forces and everyone was scattered.¡±


    Her eyes slowly shifted towards the black pig.


    ¡°I thought for sure Mr. Sanon died in the battle at the Rocklands, but¡­¡±


    ©¤The pig certainly died, but my consciousness was able to return to Mestria.  No matter how many times this body may die, my soul will forever follow Cele-tan, so everything¡¯s alright!


    The black pig shook his body to fling off the water.  It didn¡¯t seem like he was alright to me.


    Well, whatever.  Let¡¯s return to the subject at hand.


    (Hey, Celes.  Nott was captured during the battle at the Rocklands, right?)


    She slowly nodded at my question.


    ¡°Yes.  Mr. Nott is currently being held captive by the Northern Forces¡­  I heard he¡¯s been forced to become an arena gladiator.¡±


    It¡¯s the same as what the Dark Knight Who Dances-, correction, what Kento explained before.


    After Sanon returned to Japan, Kento appeared to have inhabited the body of a pig being raised by a Yesma called Nuris near the Northern royal castle.  While Nott became a slave for the people¡¯s entertainment and his life was being toyed with, the Northern royal castle attempted to enlist Nuris.  But when the Dark Knight Who Dances Till His Demise stood up against them, he was killed and sent back to Japan.


    He then met Sanon and me, and informed us about the situation in the north.  Though his current whereabouts are unknown, since he tried transferring here with us, he¡¯s probably somewhere in Mestria.


    After bathing, our previously mud-covered bodies came out of the stream all cleaned up, and we dried ourselves in the autumn breeze which faintly carried the sweet fragrance of the forest.


    Celes gently sat on a rock by the riverbank and gazed at the northern sky.  Her eyes moistened in the wind.  I approached her while glancing at the black pig who was innocently chasing a butterfly ¨C he was probably overjoyed at being freed from being a corporate slave.


    (Celes¡­ I¡¯m sorry.  This all happened because I took Nott with us¡­)


    In response to my apology, she lightly shook her head as if she had already given up.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Mister Pig¡¯s fault.  Mr. Nott has always dreamed of changing Mestria in this way.  He was destined to leave, sooner or later.¡±


    Celes looked at me attentively.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    ¡°How is Ms. Jess doing?¡±


    (Ah.  With Nott¡¯s help, we managed to make it to the capital safely.  Jess should be living happily over there.)


    For whatever reason, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to say much.  I-It¡¯s not like I was shocked about not being able to meet Jess or anything like that, you got it?


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry!  Um, you don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She read my monologue!  Speaking of which, this was that kind of world, wasn¡¯t it?


    (Don¡¯t worry about it¡­  Oh right, I know the trick to getting into the capital, so once you turn sixteen, I¡¯ll help you enter it.)


    ¡°To the capital¡­  Yeah, it¡¯ll be reassuring with Mr. Shitty Virgin around.¡±


    Is that way of addressing me already set in stone¡­?  While I was thinking about that, the black pig suddenly approached me and snorted loudly.


    ©¤No, Cele-tan has plans to live together with No-kun and me.  Ok???


    (Okay¡­ Well, that works too¡­)


    Although Sanon in many ways is kind of, you know¡­ he¡¯s still a kind guy with integrity, and quite smart too.  Since he said that, it might not be a bad idea to leave Celes up to him.


    After all, I have someone el-


    ©¤There¡¯s only one thing left for us to do now.  Mr. Lolipo, you should know what it is as well.


    Sanon¡¯s voice resounded in my head, snapping me out of it.  Did he notice the uneasiness in my heart?


    I nodded firmly and dispelled those dark thoughts.


    Just as there was a good reason for why I was transferred to Jess last time, there must be a reason why I was transferred to Celes instead of Jess this time.  The one who needs help the most right now isn¡¯t Jess.  It¡¯s Nott ¨C the guy who became a gladiator in the north and whose life is being toyed with, and Celes ¨C whose loved one was pulled away because of a shitty pig, resulting in them being separated.


    (Of course.  Let¡¯s go rescue Nott alongside Celes.)


    £ª£ª£ª


    As soon as I raised my eyelids, the midday sunlight scorched my eyes.


    The sandy arena was extremely large.  Thousands of ruthless spectators sat in the stone-built audience seats that formed a slope.  Today was a clear blue sky.  In front of me were ¨C that¡¯s good, it¡¯s not humans this time ¨C three lions, baring their fangs and roaring, chained up and waiting.


    Though the arena is kept clean and tidy, people die here every day.  The dry sand on this wooden stage is replaced after the performance is over, and they discard the sand that¡¯s been soaked in blood.


    I came face-to-face with the lions inside the dry arena.  A low-pitched bell rang, and I could hear the sound of their chains becoming undone.  A deafening cry echoed through the arena.  Were they bellows, or perhaps cheers?


    My left hand didn¡¯t move.  I held one of my twin daggers with my right hand and took a fighting stance.


    Beasts are but lumps of meat before a huntsman.


    ¡°Sure enough, that was amazing!  You were so cool, Master!¡±


    A cheerful fourteen-year-old boy beamed from the other side of the gold-plated cage.  His name¡¯s Bart.  He happily brought over the fodder for this prisoner that could die at any moment.  Today¡¯s a clump of husk-filled grains.  I silently grabbed it and sank my teeth into it.  I haven¡¯t eaten in a day.


    ¡°When you were being trampled on, I thought, even for Master, it was all over.  However!  I couldn¡¯t have imagined that the blade you tucked underneath your arm would pierce the lion¡¯s foot!  That must¡¯ve meant you read your opponent¡¯s movements, right?  I must say, that move made me feel pretty disgusting.¡±


    He¡¯s a chatty guy, almost like a puppy.  I was told his job was to feed the prisoners in the basement of the arena.  He seemed to like me a lot and would often talk to me.  It¡¯s not like I had anyone else to talk to, so it didn¡¯t bother me.  As I swallowed the grains, the husks scratched against my esophagus.


    ¡°A huntsman¡¯s skill is defined by how far he can predict a beast¡¯s movements.  For that reason, it¡¯s important to accumulate a lot of experience to be able to go up against any number of different animals.  Keep at least this in mind if you want to be able to stand on your own.¡±


    Bart¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°I see!  Master sure is amazing.¡±


    His response remained unchanged.  It made me wonder how well he actually understood my advice.  He seemed to be around the same age as Celes, but at that age, I think girls are more thoughtful than this.


    ¡°Hurry up and get back to work.  If you keep dawdling around this cage, you¡¯ll end up rousing unwarranted suspicions.¡±


    ¡°Got it!  I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Master!¡±


    Bart grinned and skipped like a rabbit as he disappeared into the darkness.  I was pulled back into the pitch-black solitude again.


    This was the arena basement.  Slaves like me are confined here until death.  The sun doesn¡¯t reach here, and rats scurry across the cold damp floor.  The only light around here comes from lanterns; the only way to tell time is by sensing the presence of the prison guards who bring the slaves to the stage, and by hearing the commotion caused by the audiences above.  It¡¯s a dark and damp place made of wood, stone, and iron.  My cage alone is ironically decorated with gold.  For some reason, I appear to be given special treatment.


    Since Bart left and I finished the fodder, there was nothing left for me to do as my eyelids drooped down.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    As I laid on the floor about to doze off, I heard a low female voice.  I plucked the pebble stuck on my arm and peered into the darkness outside the cage.


    She was a girl with long blonde hair.  She looked to be fifteen or sixteen, and was dressed in dirty rags.  She had thin limbs, freckled cheeks, and emotionless eyes.  She wore a silver collar.  She¡¯s a Yesma.


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to take you with me.¡±


    ¡°On whose order?¡±


    ¡°The new king¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°King?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?  Why is Arogan asking for me?¡±


    ¡°I am Nuris.  I am one of the Yesmas working in this arena.  I just happened to be ordered, so I don¡¯t know the new king¡¯s intentions.¡±


    She coldly spoke in an emotionless and indifferent tone.  She didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    Nuris inserted a yellow rista into a rusty and heavy-looking chain and shackles before dropping it over here through the cage¡¯s gaps.  The shackles slid across the floor and restrained my hands and feet from where I sat.


    ¡°I will guide you to the castle,¡± she said while unlocking the cage with the key that was linked to the shackles.


    I dragged my chains across the dark path and was forced into a carriage just like that.  The Northern streets had few pedestrians and gave off a gloomy feel.  Through the iron-barred window, I spotted a house whose plaster, which must have been a soft color, had peeled off, revealing the earthy color walls underneath.  Nuris sat opposite of me and maintained her expressionless freckled face as she wordlessly gazed at the scenery outside.  I doubt this was a pleasant job.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Northern royal castle to come into view.  The Ground Spider Castle.  It¡¯s a sturdy stone castle built atop a barren mountain with deformed towers haphazardly built from wood and clay.  After climbing the barren mountain, the carriage passed through a black gate and entered the castle.  I was dragged off the carriage and led through the corridor by Nuris before stopping in front of a large iron door.


    ¡°My job here is done.¡±


    Nuris said formally and stepped aside.


    The door opened, and two prison guards with leather masks covering their faces led me inside.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    I heard a hoarse voice and turned to look at its owner.


    An emaciated man sat on a stone throne.  He had dry and grey skin, eyes so sunken that they could hardly be seen, and wore a silver crown that looked like it was stuck to his temple.  It was like a mummy being forced to dress up.


    ¡°You should have died in agony.  But you¡¯re tougher than I expected.  You¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.  You¡¯ll only prolong your suffering before death.¡±


    The shoulders of the new king Arogan shook as he laughed unpleasantly.  It was like he was having a convulsion and a coughing fit at the same time.


    ¡°However, it won¡¯t do to keep this as is.  It¡¯s been exactly a month since you arrived here.  I can¡¯t have you becoming the arena¡¯s hero, now can I?¡±


    ¡°What are you planning?¡±


    As I said that, Arogan pointed to the side using the long staff in his hand.


    The door opened, and I could see into the next room.  There was a strangely reclined chair full of protrusions.  It was a torture chair.  It¡¯s something that holds a person in place with restraints and continues to inflict pain on the target through its physical shape and via rista magic without injuring them.


    I could feel my arms convulse like they were having a seizure as they were being held by the guards.


    Standing next to the chair was a tall old man in a grey robe and hood that covered his eyes.  He gave the impression of being a shadow.  A piercing gaze came from the pair of golden eyes glowing beyond this shadow.


    I was carried into the next room and tied to the torture chair.  The shadowy old man peered at my face, but all I could see was his long nose and golden eyes.


    A low and terrifying voice came from underneath the hood.


    ¡°Now then, Nott, leader of the Liberation Army, just how much pain can you endure?¡±


    £ª£ª£ª


    ©¤That being said, I¡¯m quite envious of you.


    Sanon directed that at me while we were en route towards the mountain behind the village.  We had accepted Celes¡¯ request to help her find something.


    (Er, envious of what?)


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo¡¯s nickname, you know, ¡°scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.¡±


    (It¡¯s a pretty degrading nickname that I accidentally established when I called myself that¡­  What¡¯s there worth envying?)


    ©¤Wrong.  Isn¡¯t it quite rare to have an innocent girl call you a shitty virgin?


    Celes, who was relaying the otakus¡¯ pointless conversation, suddenly tilted her head.


    ¡°Um, is it good thing to be called a shitty virgin by a girl¡­?¡±


    An awkward silence followed after an innocent thirteen-year-old girl asked us that.


    (There are some otakus in the world that would enjoy being scolded by girls.)


    Confused, Celes tilted her head further at my explanation.


    ¡°Eh¡­?  Scolded¡­?  Is ¡®shitty virgin¡¯ a bad word?¡±


    I seemed to have dug my own grave.  I turned to Sanon for help, and he nodded confidently.


    ©¤Cele-tan, it doesn¡¯t mean something bad, but there are times where it can come across as bad.  There¡¯s nothing wrong with calling this guy a shitty virgin, so there¡¯s no problem for you to worry about.


    ¡­?  Forget it.  Since I do call myself that, I¡¯ll have to accept his point.


    Just when I figured the topic would end here, another question came up in Celes¡¯ mind and she asked, ¡°By the way, what exactly makes someone happy when they¡¯re scolded by a girl?¡±


    Urk.  This girl is a lot trickier than I expected.  Would you be able to provide a specific and logical explanation as to why you would enjoy being scolded by a girl?


    ¡°Specifically what¡­ huh.¡±


    I handed off the onus of explaining things to Sanon again.


    ©¤To scold someone, Cele-tan, is to establish an asymmetrical relationship where there¡¯s a scolder and a scolded.  There¡¯s a clear hierarchy in this relationship, which, in other words, makes it a domination relationship.  As long as they are dominated, they are free from all expectations and responsibilities.  And by being dominated by someone that they long for ¨C a girl ¨C a guy can bask in the fundamental desire of a man being cared for by a girl, while also reveling in the feeling of being liberated from the stress that they endure every day.  That¡¯s why they enjoy it.


    After hearing an otaku¡¯s fast-talk explanation, Celes pondered for a bit.


    ¡°Then¡­ should I also be scolding Mr. Sanon as well?¡±


    ©¤I agree with that.  I¡¯d happily-


    (Nonono, let¡¯s forget about that.  After all, it¡¯s not in Celes¡¯ character to be scolding people, right?)


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Celes smiled and agreed whereas the black pig snorted in dissatisfaction.


    That being said, his explanation was quite incisive.  Is Sanon the type of person that¡¯s into this sort of thing?  Well, it¡¯s not like I have the right to say anything since I oinked from excitement when Jess called me a pig¡­


    While we were having this conversation, we arrived at the monastery ruins.  This was once the Bapsas monastery, but after the fire, only the stone foundation and parts of the destroyed walls remained.


    (So what are you looking for, Celes?)


    At my question, she averted her eyes briefly before responding.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Hm?


    ¡°It¡¯s something that Mr. Nott hid when he first returned to Bapsas.  He said it was something important, and that I should dig it up if he were to disappear¡­¡±


    ©¤So this was before I even met Cele-tan.  Do you know where it¡¯s roughly located at?


    With a lack of confidence, Celes pointed at the grassland next to the monastery in response to Sanon¡¯s question.


    ¡°It should be somewhere there.¡±


    ©¤Any markers?


    ¡°Um¡­ I forgot.  There probably isn¡¯t one.  That¡¯s why I wanted to ask Mister Pigs to help me find it.¡±


    She forgot?


    (Without any clues, it¡¯ll be hard to find it in a meadow like this.  Can you remember anything?)


    ¡°Mr. Nott¡¯s hands were smeared in dirt¡­ so I believe he must have buried it in the ground with his hands¡­¡±


    That¡¯s a pretty weird clue.  I guess it¡¯s fine, it might serve to help us find it.


    (Okay, so Nott must¡¯ve buried it.  As for when he first came back¡­)


    ¡°It was about two months ago.¡±


    ¡­Then it might be difficult to find via burying traces or Nott¡¯s scent.


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo, let¡¯s start by performing a pig wave attack and sweep across the meadow.


    >TL Note: Human wave attack, except they¡¯re pigs, so it¡¯s a pig wave attack.


    I nodded at Sanon¡¯s suggestion.  It was evening already, so it won¡¯t be long before it gets dark.


    Doubts arose while I was searching.  Isn¡¯t it odd that Nott told Celes to dig it up if he were to disappear, but she forgot about the most crucial marker?  Yet she appears to remember it was located around the meadow next to the monastery ruins.  What kind of half-baked memory is this?


    Not to mention, Celes doesn¡¯t even know what the important treasure is.  Why didn¡¯t he tell her what is it?


    Something didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    I should put that aside and stop nitpicking.  I owe Celes, so let¡¯s focus on figuring out its burial spot.


    Nott came to the monastery ruins in order to hide ¡°something important.¡±  This place burned down five years ago, and as a result, his loved one ¨C Ys, was kidnapped and murdered¡­


    I get it now.  He chose this location which held a special meaning to him as his hiding spot.  The monastery ruins is quite far from the village hub.  Since he came all the way here, wouldn¡¯t it be more fitting for him to choose a symbolic place rather than some random grass patch as the spot for burying something?


    I tried looking around us.  This meadow was facing the monastery ruins.


    (Hey, Celes.  Is there anything left of the monastery ruins that carries traces from the past?)


    She came over to me and replied, ¡°Hm¡­ it hasn¡¯t been used in a long time, but there¡¯s an underground passageway that leads to the village.¡±


    (No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­  I¡¯m asking if there¡¯s something that could act as a marker for hiding things.  Even a trace will do.)


    ¡°In that case, it could be¡­¡±


    Celes trotted towards the monastery ruins.  Sanon and I followed suit.


    ¡°I was told nothing survived the fire from five years ago.  It was as if everything had been burned down by magic¡­ but this tile-¡±


    As she said that, Celes pointed at a square stone tile that was about 50 centimeters wide.  There were similar tiles strewn elsewhere, but this was the only one with a circular mark left on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that someone¡¯s collar fell here and wasn¡¯t burned away, so only the spot where the collar covered remained unscorched.  Other than that, there¡¯s not much worth mentioning¡­¡±


    I see.  Although it doesn¡¯t meet the condition of Nott having buried it in the ground with his hands, it¡¯s worth a shot.


    (Mr. Sanon, would you be capable of removing this tile?)


    The black pig nodded.


    ©¤The tile next to it is gone, so it should be possible to move it to the side with No-kun¡¯s or a pig¡¯s strength.


    Sanon pushed against the tile with his big nose.


    Pigs are animals that dig up dirt with their snouts.  They carry enough strength to easily create holes in even the hardest soil.


    The tile rumbled as it loosened.  It grinded against the fine gravel and was smoothly moved aside.  Then-


    (Celes, look!  There¡¯s something there!)


    The dirt that should have been underneath the tile was instead a deep hole, and in it contained a jar of some sort.


    Celes¡¯ eyes widened and approached the hole before carefully taking the jar out with her slender arms.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    The white porcelain jar had a lid on it.  The container was stout shaped, but the upper part was slightly shrunken and had a pitch-black loop around it.


    I had a bad feeling about this.


    (Is this¡­?)


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a collar.  It¡¯s someone¡¯s¡­  It¡¯s a Yesma¡¯s silver collar.¡±


    ©¤Cele-tan, I think it¡¯s best not to open that lid.


    However, Celes still placed the jar on the ground and opened its lid.


    We peeked inside.  It contained white ashes and some obvious bone fragments.


    Looking unnerved, Celes placed the lid back on.  The porcelain rubbed against each other, creating a whinny-like noise.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry.  I was curious, so I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­¡±


    Is this cremation urn the thing Nott hid?  Judging by this blackened collar¡­ the bones belonged to a Yesma.


    (May I take a closer look at it?)


    I informed them before moving my face close to the collar.


    Suddenly-


    As if it had been submerged in a reducing agent, the blackened collar instantly regained its silvery luster.


    I took a step back in surprise.


    (Sorry, what did I¡­?)


    Celes looked at me with her large eyes.


    ¡°This collar¡­  It was probably worn by someone that Mr. Shitty Virgin knew of.¡±


    (How can you tell?)


    ¡°Once a collar has lost its bearer, it will only regain its luster if someone adored by the Yesma who wore that collar comes near it¡­¡±


    I shuddered.  Don¡¯t tell me Jess¡­  No, that¡¯s impossible.  That¡¯s because her collar was split in half in front of me¡­


    In other words, by process of elimination, this silver collar-


    (I believe this belonged to a girl named Brace.  She¡¯s a Yesma whom we met during our travels, and just before arriving at the capital, she lost her life at the Forest of Needles.)


    She was a taciturn girl that liked to pray and had big breasts.


    (Nott likely brought her collar and ashes back, and buried them here.)


    Celes remained silent for some time, possibly out of shock, before muttering ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nott likes women with big breasts.¡±


    She lowered her head and her gaze traced her upper body that lacked curves down to the tips of her feet.


    I didn¡¯t understand what she meant until I realized, she read my monologue!


    (T-that¡¯s not it, Celes!  Nothing happened between Nott and Brace¡­)


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ Um, I get it.  Sorry for¡­ saying something so strange.¡±


    While Celes apologized to me with her ears red, Sanon asked.


    ©¤What do we do with this, Cele-tan?  Do we take it back to the inn?


    Hearing this, she vaguely shook her head while appearing a bit troubled.


    Now I understand.


    Judging by her confusion, it doesn¡¯t look like this urn needed to be dug up.  I had something I needed to confirm with her.


    (Hey Celes, I was wondering about this, but¡­ Nott never actually told you to dig it up if he were to disappear, did he?)


    ©¤Um, Mr. Lolipo.


    Sanon tried to stop me, but I persisted regardless.


    (We¡¯re your companions, Celes.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be sharing many secrets with you from now on as well, so let¡¯s not lie to each other.  I won¡¯t be mad, so can you tell me the truth?  You spied on Nott hiding something around here and you got curious, so you wanted to find it, right?)


    After a while, she nodded.


    ¡°¡­Yes.  After Mr. Nott left with Jess and Mister Pig, things got very serious, and when he was finally able to return to Bapsas¡­ he was furtively carrying something, so I asked him what it was.  He then told me ¡®It¡¯s something important, but it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t know about it.¡¯  ¡­ It bothered me, so¡­ I secretly followed him.  I spotted him standing near the grass over there, but I was worried Mr. Rossi would notice me¡­ so I¡­¡±


    Nott had his dog partner, Rossi, with him.  Celes must¡¯ve ran back in a panic because it seemed like Rossi was going to notice her.  When Nott returned, his hands were dirty from soil, so she tried searching the meadow.  However, she couldn¡¯t find anything because it was hidden under a tile.


    ©¤I get it.  If the person you love is hiding something, you¡¯ll naturally worry about it.


    Sanon tried to smooth things over.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not because of love or anything!  It¡¯s just that, when I think about how I might never see Mr. Nott again, I get scared¡­  I wanted something connected to him, even if it was ever so slightly, so I¡­  I¡¯m so sorry, I¡­ lied so Mister Pigs would help out¡­¡±


    Celes¡¯ eyes filled with tears.


    (You don¡¯t have to apologize.  I understand how you feel.)


    When I found out Jess was hiding something from me, how restless was my heart?  When Jess and Nott were alone at the inn where Celes worked at, how did I feel?


    Celes kept denying it, but I know the truth behind those helpless emotions.  Even if you tell yourself not to worry about it, there are just some things that you can¡¯t do.


    That¡¯s why I must help Celes.


    We placed the urn and collar back under the tile.


    When we returned to the inn that had no guests, Celes¡¯ mistress was there to greet us.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Sanon to return ¨C and with Jess¡¯ pig, no less.¡±


    She was a plump redhead lady called Martha.  She was also the mastermind behind hiding the Yesmas in the monastery five years ago.  She appears to know Sanon very well, but I don¡¯t believe we spoke to each other at all when we last met, so I carefully avoided the words ¡°shitty virgin¡± and introduced myself.


    Despite her gentle demeanor, Martha clearly denied our request to take Celes to Nott.


    ¡°It¡¯s not happening.  I understand how you feel, but I can¡¯t leave Celes with you again.¡±


    Celes¡¯ shoulders dropped in dismay in front of Martha, who had crossed her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because I have a problem with it¡­  Of course, I also don¡¯t want to put Celes in danger again, but at the end of the day, a Yesma is supposed to be bound to the ¡®house¡¯ that she serves until she¡¯s sixteen.  This is part of the contract with the royal dynasty.  As long as this house still stands, it¡¯s normally not possible for Celes to leave her job and travel far away.  I lost to Sanon¡¯s enthusiasm last time and ended up agreeing, but¡­ there won¡¯t be a second time.¡±


    Celes hung her head and was more withdrawn than usual.  We weren¡¯t able to come up with anything persuasive enough to convince Martha either.


    ©¤Thank you.  Let¡¯s head back to my room.


    Celes conveyed that to us and guided us two pigs to her room.


    Her bedroom was the corner room of the inn, and it was much cleaner than the guest room that Jess had stayed in before.  Although it didn¡¯t contain much, there were some neatly arranged girlish and fashionable furnishings.


    The moment she entered her room, Celes walked straight towards her bed and dove head first onto it with a thwump.


    The pig and black pig silently exchanged glances.


    Even without Celes¡¯ help, we knew what each other wanted to say.  She couldn¡¯t leave Bapsas.  In which case, why did we arrive here?  To become a thirteen-year-old girl¡¯s baby-sitter?


    ¡°Uu¡­¡±


    A muffled voice broke the quiet atmosphere in the room.


    It felt really awkward, but leaving the room wouldn¡¯t do either.  I would¡¯ve liked for us two to have a conversation to mask Celes¡¯ voice, but unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°Oink?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oink.¡±


    As expected, it was no good.  We couldn¡¯t have a conversation.


    I then noticed Celes sit up and turn towards us.  Her tears appeared to have been absorbed by the pillow, but her large eyes were red from hyperaemia.


    ¡°It might be a boring story, but¡­ would you two be willing to listen to it¡­?¡±


    (Sure, tell us.)


    ©¤Of course I¡¯ll listen.


    We responded.


    Celes slowly opened her trembling lips.


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s something that happened five years ago, when I just came here.  At the time, I was only eight years old.  I was in an unfamiliar place, I wasn¡¯t good at work, I was always nervous, and I kept causing trouble for everyone.¡±


    (That¡¯s only natural.  Or rather, it¡¯s abnormal for someone to be working at the age of eight.)


    Celes lightly turned her head before continuing.


    ¡°I was a nuisance.  Everyone laughed at me and called me a skeleton or tree branch because I was thin and bony.  I was¡­ really sad.¡±


    She suddenly started monologuing, and I could only listen fixedly.


    ¡°Then one day, a man returned to the village.  He brought back the abducted Ms. Ys¡¯ collar, and gifted it to Martha-sama.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to ask who he was.  He¡¯s the pride of this village, and currently the revolution¡¯s hero ¨C Nott.


    ¡°When we first met, Mr. Nott told me, ¡®Your eyes remind me of the person I liked¡¯ before roasting some delicious rabbit meat for me.  ¡®But you¡¯re too skinny, your boobs won¡¯t grow like that.¡¯ He said after.¡±


    Don¡¯t you think you like boobs way too much, young man?


    ¡°Ever since I met Mr. Nott, the people in the village looked at me differently.  Everyone began doting on me.  Mr. Nott is a hero.  He¡¯s the subject of conversations, and someone that determines the atmosphere.  I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because he cared for me that everyone else did the same.¡±


    Celes¡¯ voice began to tremble again after finally managing to calm down.


    ¡°Ever since then, I¡¯ve always admired Mr. Nott.  I know that as a Yesma, and as a child, I don¡¯t have the right to fall in love.  But I can¡¯t forget about Mr. Nott¡­  Even though he¡¯s somewhere far away and could die at any moment, there¡¯s nothing I can do here¡­¡±


    She looked straight into my eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand this.¡±


    Celes abruptly ended her monologue, and after a wave of tears, she fell asleep from the exhaustion of crying.

 Volume 2 - CH 2

    The barking sound of a dog woke me up.  On the other end of the bed, which Celes was sleeping on, a dim red light poured in from the window.  It was probably the sunrise.


    As I snorted drowsily, I could hear the barking gradually coming closer.  What¡¯s this all about?


    The bedroom door made a loud banging noise, and woofing could be heard from the other side.  Sanon and I jumped, and we watched the door knob clatter.  Celes sleepily murmured ¡°Nn¡­?¡±


    Click.  The door opened.  What flew inside was a white-


    A large dog leapt into Celes¡¯ bed and began mercilessly licking her half-asleep face.  The intensity of it was unmatched, even when up against Sanon¡¯s.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Rossi¡­ I get it, I get it already¡­¡±


    Celes raised her upper body and hugged Rossi.  Rossi is Nott¡¯s partner, and is a large dog.


    (Did Nott return¡­?)


    As I asked that, Celes answered while trying to escape the rampaging dog.


    ¡°No.  When Mr. Nott was captured, only Mr. Rossi escaped and returned to Bapsas¡­  Ah, stop¡­ that¡¯s too much¡­¡±


    I see.  Then why did Rossi suddenly come and attack Celes¡­?


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo.


    Sanon conveyed to me in a serious tone through Celes.  Prompted to look outside, I realized that the red light was definitely not from the sunrise ¨C the forest was on fire.


    There was a whistling sound, followed by an explosion nearby.  The red glow intensified.  This is¡­


    (Celes, let¡¯s get out of here!)


    We rushed out into the pub and spotted Martha removing the silver coat of arms ¨C a magic-like item made from a silver collar and two swords ¨C from the wall.


    ¡°The village is being attacked!  I¡¯ll use a horse, so you should run away first, Celes!¡±


    ¡°But, Martha-sama¡­¡±


    Celes¡¯ eyes wandered in confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s meet at Munires.  Go visit Cloyt from the Sleeping Foal Inn.¡±


    Martha disassembled the silver coat of arms and placed it in a leather bag.  Outside the window, something fell and exploded from across the road.  There was a loud noise as the pub¡¯s glass windows shattered.


    I immediately went to protect Celes, but Sanon and Rossi were already shielding her.


    Martha, who had been thrown onto her bottom, waved her hand as if to drive us away.


    ¡°Hurry up and leave!  I¡¯ll be out soon as well!¡±


    We two pigs nodded, and Rossi dashed out as if he had understood her words.


    ©¤Let¡¯s go.  Follow after Ro-kun.


    Sanon conveyed that towards me while nudging the crouched Celes¡¯ back with his snout.


    Celes stood up as if she was being dragged by us.  Rossi was waiting for us at the turn corner, and we followed him out the inn through the backdoor.


    The inn wasn¡¯t burning yet, but the trees surrounding it were already ablaze.  Even if there was some distance between them, depending on the direction of the wind, it could prove dangerous to be in this building.  The black pig saw the fire and stopped as if he had a flash of inspiration.


    (What are you doing Mr. Sanon?  We need to hurry up and get away from here.)


    The black pig slowly turned towards us.


    ©¤Sorry, I just remembered there¡¯s something I need to take care of.  Please take Cele-tan to a safe place, Mr. Lolipo.


    (Eh¡­?  Why are you saying something that¡¯s like a death flag from a mystery novel?  You need to escape with us, Mr. Sanon.  I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to meet again if we get separated.)


    ©¤Then please wait for me at the stream a little further ahead.


    After conveying those thoughts, Sanon turned around and ran towards the flames.


    What¡¯s going on?  At a time like this, what¡¯s worth prioritizing over escaping¡­?  Did he suddenly want to become a roast pig¡­?


    However, I can¡¯t dawdle here and let Celes become a roasted loli.


    (Celes, do you know the direction of the stream that Sanon mentioned?)


    ¡°Yes.  The stream, right?  Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Rossi, who was looking at me, started running in reaction to Celes¡¯ words.  Celes and I followed.


    ¡­Hm?


    I suddenly realized a certain possibility and stopped.  Don¡¯t tell me Sanon is-


    Turning my head around and squinting, I saw the scene I was expecting.


    The black pig was using his mouth to drag along a tree branch, full of burning leaves, that was twice the size of himself.


    And the direction he was moving towards was Martha¡¯s inn, which hadn¡¯t caught fire yet.


    The stream water flowed between the rocks without any disturbance.  Due to its rocky surroundings, the fire hadn¡¯t spread near the stream.  As we patiently waited, the black pig came running back from the inn.


    ©¤Thanks for waiting.  Let¡¯s head out.


    (You didn¡¯t get burned, did you?)


    In response to my discreet questioning, Sanon carefully nodded.


    ©¤I didn¡¯t get burned.  I accomplished what needed to be done.


    We stared at each other.  This was for Celes¡¯ sake.  If it were me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have done that, but¡­ I could sense Sanon¡¯s level of commitment through the black pig¡¯s gaze.


    The entire forest was ablaze.  The roaring gusts of wind and the crackling of the trees were unbearably loud.  If we¡¯re not careful, the smoke will get into our eyes.  I don¡¯t know what¡¯s attacking the village, but we better escape quickly.  I have a bad feeling about this.


    Rossi pricked up his ears and looked around nervously.  Unlike before, he didn¡¯t immediately dash ahead.  His nose was constantly twitching.


    (What¡¯s up with Rossi?)


    When I asked that, Celes placed a trembling hand on Rossi¡¯s back and answered.


    ¡°He appears to be on guard¡­ it looks like it¡¯s something bad¡­¡±


    I also tried sniffing the wind.  A pig¡¯s sense of smell is as keen as a dog¡¯s.  Since Rossi can smell something, I might be able to figure something out as well.


    ¡­I could smell the sea.  It smelled like a fish market, and like a beach.  There was an unpleasant, sweaty odor, and the smell of alcohol.  There were many slightly varying odors mixed together, so I would imagine that there are many sources to those smells.


    I felt like I could hear clattering noises from beyond the roar of the burning forest.


    (There¡¯s a group coming from upwind.)


    ©¤This place is under the rule of the royal dynasty.  If it¡¯s their army, they would never carry out this kind of scorched earth tactic.  I can only imagine that the Northern Forces¡¯ army has arrived.


    (But why would they suddenly choose to target this southern village?)


    Is it a coincidence that Bapsas was attacked after we had arrived?


    ©¤We can figure out their motives later.  This is war, Mr. Lolipo.  Let¡¯s get out of here first.


    As the black pig conveyed that to me, he nudged Rossi and urged the dog forward.  However, Rossi didn¡¯t move.


    ©¤What¡¯s happened to him¡­?  He¡¯s normally quite eager to find the way, but now¡­


    Seemingly on edge, Rossi turned and looked everywhere.  It¡¯s not that he won¡¯t move, he probably can¡¯t move.  Under the dawnlight, no matter where we look across the 360 degrees, the sky was covered in black smoke.


    (We¡¯re practically surrounded by flames.  If we want to avoid the fire, I¡¯m afraid the only way out of the village is in the direction of the group approaching us.  No matter where we go, danger awaits us.)


    ¡°How can that be¡­?¡±


    Celes let out a sad and feeble voice.


    Think, pig.  There¡¯s no way you can let a delicate girl like her die here.  And it¡¯s not like you have time to obediently become a roasted pig here.  There¡¯s still the capital¡­


    I shook my head and collected my thoughts.


    If we¡¯re surrounded on all sides, the only escape routes I can think of are¡­ above or below.  But it¡¯s not like we can fly out of here.  If it¡¯s below, however¡­


    (Celes, you mentioned that the monastery has an entrance to the underground passageway that leads to the village, right?)


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    (Do you know where that underground passage¡¯s exit is?)


    Celes suddenly raised her head.


    ¡°Erm¡­  It¡¯s near Martha-sama¡¯s inn, but it¡¯s no longer in use, so I don¡¯t know what the situation inside is like¡­¡±


    (The monastery is located outside the village on the mountainside, so it¡¯s unlikely for the fire to spread that far.  If we take the underground passage to there, we might be able to avoid the flames.)


    ¡°I see!¡±


    The black pig also nodded.


    ©¤Since it¡¯s decided, let¡¯s get going.  It looks like the army is just around the corner.


    A girl, a dog, and two pigs.  This strange group rushed back towards the inn.  Along the way, I turned my head towards the approaching noise and spotted something terrifying beyond the trees.


    A giant humanoid monster that looked to be three meters tall was walking along the village¡¯s main street.  It was extremely muscular, its entire body was covered in a thick, rhinoceros-like grey skin, and it held a log-like spear.


    ©¤That monster is called an Org.


    Sanon informed me that they¡¯re said to be powerful soldiers used by the Northern Forces.  It didn¡¯t look like an opponent that a pig or an ordinary person could contend with.  Its hands and feet were unusually large, and had a webbing-like structure to them.


    We lowered ourselves and ran through the woods to avoid being detected by the army.


    Martha¡¯s inn was completely engulfed in flames.  Seeing that, Celes¡¯ eyes widened slightly.


    ©¤Cele-tan, where¡¯s the entrance to the passageway?


    Sanon asked as if to draw her attention away, and Celes pointed at the cliff behind her.  Several battered planks were blocking the hole in the rock face.


    This was not the time to be hesitating.  I charged forward and smashed the planks into pieces.


    £ª£ª£ª


    I was surprised to find that it didn¡¯t hurt very much.  The hopeless exhaustion was the only thing that pressed me against the ground inside this prison cell.


    The torturer was an unusually tall old man.  His bony hands were adorned with several rings, and his fierce, gleaming, golden eyes made me shudder.  I felt an unusual aura from him, and wondered why this person was a torturer.  However, I only had those first ten seconds to think about such superfluous thoughts.


    I was tied to the torture chair with my body arched backwards and forced to endure an unbearable amount of pain for a long time without involving any interrogation.  The torturer stood nearby and silently observed as I groaned.


    ¡°How unsightly.¡±


    I heard a female voice.  I shifted my head and looked up to find a skinny Yesma with emotionless eyes standing just outside the golden cell ¨C it was Nuris, who had taken me to the castle.  Her tattered underwear was visible from the hems of her dirty clothes.


    ¡°Are you pent up?¡±


    I¡¯m inside a prison.  I would prefer if she could at least overlook these vulgar thoughts that won¡¯t ever happen.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I squeezed out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want some water after being tortured?  Or do you prefer raping a Yesma?¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize it until I was told, but Nuris was holding a leather mug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.  What do you take yourself for?¡±


    ¡°A slave.  An obedient slave that was born for the convenience of others.¡±


    Nuris¡¯ indifferent assertion without any changes in her facial expression angered me, and I raised my upper body.


    ¡°That¡¯s why-¡±


    I pressed against the ground with my elbows and lifted my head with my right hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you people will be like that for the rest of your lives.  Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Wrong.¡±


    Nuris responded apathetically.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s for this or that, the role of Yesmas does not change.  Just like how livestock exist to be eaten.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of an immediate rebuttal.


    ¡°¡­Since you brought it over, could you please hand me the water?¡±


    Nuris didn¡¯t move in the slightest.


    ¡°I am a slave.  If you want to ask a slave for something, try ordering me in a befitting way.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with her?  I thought.  It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to distort my convictions.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m also a slave ¨C a death row prisoner whose life is being toyed with.  Why don¡¯t you try giving me water in a manner that¡¯s suitable towards slaves?¡±


    She quickly walked over towards the cell and slipped a bony leg through the gap.  She then pressed the leather mug against her thigh.


    ¡°Then drink the water from my leg.¡±


    As she said that, she tilted the mug and started pouring water down her leg.  Without hesitation, I placed my face against Nuris¡¯ inner thigh and let the water pour into my mouth.  It relieved my parched throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any shame?¡±


    Nuris asked after the cup was emptied.


    ¡°I have my hands full just from trying to survive.  There¡¯s no point in acting cool when you¡¯re the only one watching.¡±


    There was a brief silence.


    ¡°Why do you go to such lengths to survive?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because I have something I want to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to annihilate those bastards that earn money off of killing Yesmas, and then destroy the very system that brought about the Yesmas¡¯ misfortune.¡±


    Ys¡¯ smile involuntarily came to mind.  The clever, mischievous, and kind Ys.  Ys, who was kidnapped, raped, and then beheaded.


    ¡°Ys.  In the end, it¡¯s still a matter of personal obsession.¡±


    ¡°So what?  Isn¡¯t it because a lot of people respond to this kind of obsession that I received this type of special treatment?¡±


    Nuris stepped back slightly and looked at the gold cage.


    ¡°You certainly seem to be under an extra strict confinement.  The interrogation must have been rough.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing like that.  I was just being tortured in silence.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t ask you anything?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you released from being tortured and sent back to this underground prison?¡±


    Hearing that, I recalled something.  It¡¯s a fragmentary memory, but¡­


    ©¤The escapee from the govern camp¡­


    ©¤A wild boar rampaged¡­


    ©¤Bring that captured Yesma over here¡­


    I heard this voice come from the throne room adjacent to me, interrupting the torturing.  I couldn¡¯t remember anything after that.  I probably fainted.


    ¡°I see.  So the Yesma I passed by while carrying you was an escapee from the govern camp.¡±


    Nuris muttered while reading my thoughts without my permission.


    I was probably brought back to the arena¡¯s basement by Nuris after I had lost consciousness.


    ¡°She had bruises all over her face and her back had welts.  She looked wretched.  That one doesn¡¯t have long to live.¡±


    Nuris took a few steps back while talking like it was someone else¡¯s problem.


    ¡°Excuse me, I shall take my leave.¡±


    She left the scene.  Even though all I did was drink some water, for some reason, I felt a little less tired.


    £ª£ª£ª


    The underground passageway had cave-ins here and there, but we managed to pass through thanks to the two pigs¡¯ digging abilities.  After reaching the monastery, we had Rossi guide us north along the mountain paths and arrived at the Valley of Oil, just north of Bapsas.  The sun was high in the sky now.


    The Valley of Oil is a white rock canyon that¡¯s nearly 100 meters deep.  Although there was a large suspension bridge built over the canyon, Rossi walked in the opposite direction from it without any hesitation and descended a steep slope down to the bottom of the valley.


    ©¤The name of this place comes from a battle during the Dark Ages.  I heard it had a cute name in the past, but after thousands of people died in the battle that took place here, the valley was dyed in their blood and looked as if oil was flowing through it.  That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Valley of Oil now.


    A nostalgic voice resurrected in my mind.


    Sensing Celes¡¯ gaze, I shook my head and appended parentheses.


    (We should be fine now that we¡¯ve walked this far.)


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let our guard down, but I think so too.¡±


    (We¡¯ve been walking non-stop for a while, so let¡¯s take a quick break.)


    At my suggestion, we stopped between some bushes in the middle of the slope to rest our feet.


    ©¤It sure helps to have Ro-kun around.  His escape routes are solid.  What a clever boy.


    The black pig drew near Rossi, and his snout was licked by Rossi.


    (Did Rossi stay in Bapsas the entire time?  Even after Nott was gone?)


    When I asked that, Celes, who was wiping her muddy face with her hands, dutifully explained.


    ¡°Yes.  He appeared to have been captured alongside Mr. Nott, and they were taken quite far north.  But along the way, Mr. Rossi managed to escape¡­  He¡¯s always been around to protect me since then.¡±


    ©¤Ro-kun was standing guard outside earlier, right?


    ¡°Yes.  He¡¯s a little dirty and isn¡¯t wearing any visible equipment so that in case a bad guy spots him, they¡¯ll think he¡¯s just a wild dog.¡±


    That certainly seems to be the case, but then¡­


    (What about the metal bracelet on Rossi¡¯s foreleg?)


    I have a bad habit of worrying about the details.  I feel like Rossi also wore that back when we were traveling with Jess.  It¡¯s a metal ring that¡¯s tightly wrapped around the end of his left foreleg.  It isn¡¯t rusted black, so I wonder if it¡¯s made of silver.


    ¡°That, I¡¯m not sure about.  From what I was told, he had it even before he met Mr. Nott.¡±


    (Met?  He wasn¡¯t raised as a puppy?)


    I figured he was raised by Nott because he was so well disciplined and trained.


    ¡°I heard they met five years ago while Mr. Nott was journeying to rescue Ms. Ys.  It¡¯s a bit of a strange story, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ©¤The fact that No-kun is so reliable and good at hunting must means his previous owner was likely a skilled hunter as well.


    I see, that sounds reasonable.


    (Oh, just one more thing.)


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    (You said Rossi ¡°isn¡¯t wearing any visible equipment.¡±  Does that mean he has something that¡¯s not obviously visible?)


    ¡°Yes.  Please take a look at this.¡±


    Celes opened Rossi¡¯s mouth to reveal his teeth.  His sharp canine teeth glistened in the moonlight, and I spotted a metal dental-appliance-looking thing attached to them.


    ¡°Three small ristas are stored on the roof of his mouth.  When Mr. Rossi bites something, the rista¡¯s magic will provide it with an additional effect.  Fire fang, which burns; ice fang, which freezes-¡±


    Hm?  Where have I¡­?


    ¡°And thunder fang, which shocks and paralyzes.¡±


    I see.  It¡¯s devised to be effective against various opponents.


    With that said, it¡¯s quite an amazing invention.  If you¡¯re able to pour the magic power onto your tongue instead of your fangs, wouldn¡¯t you be able to numb your opponent via some no-good licking?!  I want one too!


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡±


    Celes was taken aback and placed her hand on the back of the black pig who was sniffing her like mad.  Personally, I think it¡¯s better to be more wary of the pig over there¡­


    Anyway, now¡¯s probably not the time to be idly talking.


    The black pig wagged his tail and looked at me.


    ©¤Now then, Mr. Lolipo, let¡¯s figure out what our next move is.  After all, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen as soon as we got here.


    (Yeah.  In order to save Nott, we¡¯ll have to head north and find his comrades.  Martha said to meet up at the Sleeping Foal Inn at Munires, but¡­)


    Munires is a large commercial city that¡¯s about a day¡¯s walk north of Bapsas.  Jess and I also stopped by it the night after Nott joined us as a traveling companion in Bapsas.


    Celes explained while stroking Rossi, who was sniffing her legs.  ¡°Munires is a key location in the south, so it should be well protected by the royal army.  I think it¡¯ll be safe.  I also heard that a considerable number of the remaining Liberation Army members that were led by Mr. Nott are hiding there.¡±


    ©¤Hang on, Cele-tan.  Then where did the soldiers that just attacked Bapsas come from?


    Sanon points out.


    That¡¯s true.


    (Assuming the army came from the north¡­  There¡¯s no guarantee that the area north of here will have remained the same.  We don¡¯t know what might¡¯ve happened to Munires.)


    ©¤Right.  It doesn¡¯t make sense for them to suddenly attack Bapsas only.  It¡¯s just a small village.  I think it¡¯s best to assume the places north of here have been invaded.


    Celes appeared uneasy, but she spoke firmly.


    ¡°But¡­ Munires is a large city.  If it was attacked, there should have been some kind of news, and I¡¯m sure people would have fled past here.  Yet, up until Bapsas was attacked, it¡¯s been very peaceful around here¡­¡±


    ©¤Yeah¡­  Something just doesn¡¯t add up.


    It¡¯s certainly hair-raising, but it¡¯s not like we can keep oinking around here either.  So I conveyed to these two, (For the time being, let¡¯s head north while keeping an eye on the situation.  If we don¡¯t rendezvous with Martha or the Liberation Army members, Celes won¡¯t have anyone to rely on.)


    ©¤You¡¯re right.  No-kun is also located somewhere north, so I¡¯d like to avoid moving south.  Let¡¯s take a short break before we cross the river and head towards Munires.


    Sanon earnestly conveyed that while copying Rossi¡¯s actions and sniffed Celes¡¯ legs.


    ¡°Um¡­ do my legs smell that much?¡±


    Celes asked curiously, to which the black pig snorted and panicked at.


    ©¤No, that¡¯s not it, Cele-tan.  Rather than saying it smells, it¡¯s more apt to say it¡¯s fragrant¡­


    Officer!  This guy right here!


    Celes tilted her head.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Mr. Shitty Virgin used to stare at my legs as well¡­  Is there something wrong with them?¡±


    On second thought, give us a moment, Officer!


    (No, uh, there¡¯s nothing wrong with them¡­  I just happened to look at them¡­)


    At my inarticulation, Celes, with her face full of innocent curiosity, drove another nail in my coffin.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing wrong, then why were you interested in my legs¡­?¡±


    Does this girl specialize in pressing guys to explain things that are difficult for them to do so, or what?  Do you think you¡¯d be able to spell out why you¡¯re interested in a girl¡¯s legs?


    In a panic, I turned towards Sanon for help.


    The black pig¡¯s sparkling eyes looked up at Celes.


    ©¤You know, Cele-tan, a person¡¯s skin is an important indicator of health.  If it¡¯s pale, it means their blood circulation is poor; if it¡¯s flushed, it means their blood is circulating more than usual.  How much they sweat is also a good point of reference.  That¡¯s why it¡¯s very important to pay attention to the parts of your leg where your skin is exposed in order to understand your physical condition.


    Celes lightly placed a finger over her lips and responded, ¡°Then¡­ couldn¡¯t you just look at my face?¡±


    Sanon was left speechless.  We had no excuses left to hide behind.  It¡¯s our loss.


    Even while Sanon was make excuses towards Celes, Rossi mercilessly sniffed her bare legs.  Please don¡¯t misunderstand me, everyone.  It¡¯s not like I¡¯m jealous of that dog or anything.


    I averted my eyes and gazed down at the river at the bottom of the valley.  Now¡¯s not the time for me to be sniffing Celes¡¯ legs.


    ©¤Mister Pig sure is fickle.


    ©¤That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind.  Please feel free to look at what you like.


    Just remembering her voice made my heart ache.


    Nott¡¯s plight, Celes¡¯ dearest wish, and this twisted world ¨C it¡¯s obvious that these are the problems I need to be concerned about, but there¡¯s someone I can¡¯t forget about above all else.


    Jess.


    If we can meet again, how should I face her?  After parting like that, would a simple ¡°I¡¯m back¡± resolve everything?  To begin with, am I even in a position where I¡¯m allowed to see her¡­?  In fact, is it even possible for me to meet her?


    Someone suddenly touched my back, startling me.  It was Celes, who had escaped from the perverted dog¡¯s attacks and came right next to me.


    ¡°It seems like there are various circumstances around this, but¡­ I hope Mr. Shitty Virgin¡¯s wish comes true.¡±


    She smiled an awkward but gentle smile.


    I should probably tell her what ¡°shitty virgin¡± means.


    £ª£ª£ª


    ¡°¡­ter ¡­aster ¡­Master!  Don¡¯t tell me¡­  Master didn¡¯t kick the bucket, did he?¡±


    I slept on the prison floor like a dead man and was woken up by Bart¡¯s voice.  It was dark, as usual, so I didn¡¯t know what time it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna die.¡±


    When I turned to face him, I spotted the innocent kid laughing in relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!  You¡¯re the indomitable hero that stands back up no matter how many times it takes.¡±


    Bart handed me a rotten apple through the gaps between the bars.  This seems to be today¡¯s meal.


    I thanked him and accepted it.  I leaned against the cage and bit into the apple.  I felt like I was being revived.


    ¡°Hey, Bart.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How are Yesmas treated in the govern camps around this region?¡±


    Bart¡¯s face tightened.


    Govern camps.  The secret to the north¡¯s ability to expand its power lies in this scheme.  By confining the vulnerable people, such as women, children, and elderlies, in these places called govern camps, they become hostages and turn the remaining people into puppets.  Naturally, if anyone resists, cruel death awaits the hostages related to them.


    Maintaining control of the govern camps is essential for the Northern Forces.  However, managing a large number of hostages requires a lot of effort, and if the hostages die, it will inevitably lead to those who have lost their loved ones rebelling.  As a result, they use the slave-class Yesmas to maintain the camps.  Since they¡¯re of a lower status than the hostages, Yesmas also seem to help keep the hostages¡¯ mind at ease.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s terrible.  The govern camp here is very big, so there¡¯s naturally going to be a lot of male hostages.  Therefore¡­ yeah, you know.¡±


    The pain in my chest was unbearable.  Nuris said that a Yesma escaped from a govern camp and was then caught.  I recall her saying the girl was whipped and bruised.  What did that girl do wrong?


    ¡°¡­Hey, Bart.  Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rotten?¡±


    ¡°Huh?  The apple?  Sorry, that¡¯s all I got¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I meant this world.  Don¡¯t you want to tear it all down?¡±


    ¡°O-oh.  Well, yeah, but¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem opposed to it.  While he may act cheerful in front of me, Bart must have family members held hostage as well.  That¡¯s why he¡¯s been working to feed the prisoners in the basement of this arena.


    ¡°Hey, if I disappear¡­ can you promise me this?  You don¡¯t have to act on it, but I want you to never throw away your feelings of unrighteousness in this world¡­  Can you do that?¡±


    This boy¡¯s the only person I can entrust my wishes to while I¡¯m in this prison.  He¡¯s the only person I¡¯m able to relay to that this world should be destroyed.


    While deep in thought, I turned towards Bart and saw him standing still in the darkness as if he was terrified.


    ¡°Whether he can fulfill that promise will be up to you.¡±


    A hoarse voice that was like a ghost came from the darkness.


    Bart appeared to be grabbed by the scruff of his neck.


    That torturer ¨C the shadowy old man, was approaching this golden cage.


    ¡°How are you doing, young man?  You seem awfully fine even after going through that torturing.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?  Let go of that kid.¡±


    ¡°That I cannot do.  This one¡¯s an important stage prop after all.¡±


    What is he saying?


    ¡°What business does the king¡¯s torturer have for him to come to such a bloody place?¡±


    ¡°No need to rush, I¡¯ll tell you.  After all, I came all the way here to make you despair.¡±


    It was a chilling voice.  The torturer¡¯s golden eyes, as if they were the only things emitting light, shot at me from underneath the darkness of his hood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the good news.  This morning, we burned down the village that you used to visit often when you were a hunter.¡±


    I felt the blood drain from my face.  Bapsas was¡­?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it was Bapsas.  However, it seems the Yesma that you cared for managed to escape.¡±


    I was thrown into disarray.  Was he talking about Celes?  How does this guy know about Celes?  ¡­No, wait, calm down.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t lie.  Bapsas is a village south of Munires.  The territory you control hasn¡¯t reached that far yet.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not near any territory we control, there are ways to dispatch soldiers there.  But rest assured, that Celes whatever should still be alive.  Naturally, we¡¯ll kill her as soon as we find her.¡±


    The old man appeared to be laughing as his shoulders shook.  Bart was stiff and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°¡­What the hell are you trying to do?  Why did you attack Bapsas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for the best way to kill you.  Swordfights and torturing won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just feed me to some beasts?¡±


    ¡°That would be too lenient.  Even if you perish, your heart won¡¯t have died.  I want you to die amidst despair.  You¡¯ve killed someone important to me in the Forest of Needles.  I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten¡­ the man called En.  Do you know how it feels to have something precious stolen from you?¡±


    Who do you think you¡¯re asking?  I thought.  On the other hand, there was something that puzzled me.  Wasn¡¯t I going to be executed as the head of the Liberation Army?  Why does my execution involve a torturer¡¯s personal grudge against me?


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a good intuition, kid.  It¡¯s probably not a good idea to say too much, so I¡¯ll keep it concise and tell you the bad news next.¡±


    I was wondering where the clacking noise was coming from before noticing Bart¡¯s teeth were chattering.


    ¡°I thought of something interesting, so we¡¯re going to have a special performance this afternoon.¡±


    I had such a bad feeling about this that I couldn¡¯t even open my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you and this Bart kid have a swordfight.  Only one of you will survive.  If you delay it until there¡¯s a tie, you¡¯ll both be publicly executed.¡±


    I had goosebumps.  How can this be¡­?


    ¡°Why, isn¡¯t that a nice reaction?  Worry your heart out.  If you want to live, you¡¯ll have to kill this kid.  If you want the kid to live, then you¡¯ll have to die.  How¡¯s that for suffering?¡±


    Even if I wanted to retort, I had no words to say.


    The old man took the helpless Bart away and disappeared into the darkness.


    The feeling of despair enveloped my body.  I still wanted to live a little longer.  I still had a lot I wanted to do.


    But I can¡¯t let the boy die.  I have no choice but to take my own life first.


    As I thought about the person I once loved, I felt my tears flow silently.


    £ª£ª£ª


    ©¤Something¡­ just doesn¡¯t seem right.


    Sanon relayed to me while eating grass from the roadside.


    (Yeah.  It doesn¡¯t look like it was attacked, but the tense atmosphere is probably due to Bapsas going up in flames.)


    It was evening.  After a careful reconnaissance, we entered the city of Munires.  It¡¯s a large-scale commercial city with pastel-colored buildings lining the large cobbled main street.  However, it didn¡¯t carry the same unrestrained liveliness as when I came here before.  Instead, soldiers in red leather armor and armed with sharp, polished spears roamed the streets.  According to Celes, they¡¯re the royal army.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried that so many soldiers are out and about, because the members of the Liberation Army who are in hiding will find it difficult to stay here¡­¡±


    Celes looked around anxiously, and Rossi stuck to her bare legs while he walked.  Sanon and I watched the rear and followed while pretending to be pigs ¨C or rather, we were already pigs.


    Celes mentioned she visited the Sleeping Foal Inn once before, so she led us there.  After arriving, it dawned upon me that this was the inn in which Jess, Nott, and I stayed at in the past.  It was a tidy building with decorative flowers on its light brown exterior walls, and it had a pub just like Martha¡¯s inn.


    Upon entering the pub, I spotted a silver coat of arms on the wall ¨C a Yesma collar decorated with two swords crossing the center of it.  It¡¯s protected by a special magic and serves as proof the owner is a Yesma guardian.


    ¡°Ah, thank goodness!  You¡¯re Celes, right?¡±


    The one who spoke and walked towards us was a countryside-looking old man with a grey beard.  His hair was covered by some cloth, and his glittering eyes carried smiling wrinkles as they spotted Celes¡¯ figure.


    As I was wondering who was barking, Rossi pounced onto the old man and started licking his face after he kneeled down.  It looks like this old man is quite close to Rossi.  Although, three months ago when we stayed here with Jess, they didn¡¯t seem that close¡­


    Celes bowed and greeted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Cloyt, right?  Good evening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe.  Phew, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Cloyt smiled at Celes while wiping his saliva-covered face with his sleeves.


    ¡°Yes¡­ we somehow managed to escape.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see.  That¡¯s good.¡±


    He breathed a sigh of relief before tightening his expression.


    ¡°Celes, it¡¯s about Martha¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Cloyt invited Celes to the back as he spoke.  Rossi accompanied them, and Sanon and I followed suit.  Whatever was waiting for us ahead wasn¡¯t going to be something good.


    We were led in front of a guest room.  When Cloyt knocked, a hoarse voice came from inside saying ¡°Come in.¡±


    When the door was opened, I spotted someone lying down in bed.  There was a burnt smell coming from somewhere.


    ¡°Martha-sama!  Are you alright?!¡±


    Celes exclaimed as she ran towards the bed.


    ¡°I managed to save my life and the collar.¡±


    The person in bed was Martha.  Her gaze was directed at the leather bag near her bedside.  It was the bag with Ys¡¯ collar.


    ¡°Your life, and¡­¡±


    Celes stiffened as she looked at Martha.  On closer inspection, Martha¡¯s hair was shorten to a hideous extent.  It was burnt.  And everywhere around her face was red and blistered.


    ¡°How foolish of me.  I tried to cross the flames with a horse and ended up getting severely burned.  I pushed on desperately and was somehow able to arrive at Munires.¡±


    ¡°How can this be¡­?¡±


    A weak voice spilled from Celes.


    Cloyt offered something to the crestfallen girl.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay for it.  Go ahead and use this.¡±


    Celes received a black rista ¨C it¡¯s a source of magic power for prayers, which only Yesmas can use.


    ¡°Hold it.  Cloyt, we can¡¯t accept this.  Give it back to him, Celes.¡±


    Celes handed the rista back as instructed by Martha, but Cloyt crossed his arms behind his back.


    ¡°I happened to be given that rista for free today.  I don¡¯t have a Yesma in my house, and even if I did, there¡¯s nothing to use it on.  Go ahead, take it and treat Martha quickly.¡±


    For free?  Ristas should be fairly expensive, so is that even possible?  That said, if he doesn¡¯t have a Yesma, he has no reason to keep a black rista that only Yesmas can use.  Hm.


    Celes turned towards Martha.  Martha smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s accept his kind gesture.  I¡¯ll repay the favor someday.¡±


    As soon as she heard that, Celes approached the bedside and kneeled on the floor.  She wrapped her hands around the rista and pressed it against her forehead.  Her large eyes slowly closed.


    Silence.


    After a while, Celes¡¯ eyes opened and Martha lifted her upper body.  While Martha¡¯s hair remained burnt, before we knew it, the burn traces on her face were nearly gone.  Only a bit of redness remained, but since Martha originally had a red face anyway, it wasn¡¯t very noticeable.


    Martha stroked Celes¡¯ head.


    ¡°Thank you.  That was really well done.  Thanks to you, I¡¯m all good now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.  It¡¯s because Martha-sama has been kind to me¡­¡±


    Celes looked back at Cloyt, who was leaning against the entrance.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Cloyt.  Thanks to you, I was able to heal Martha-sama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.  The rista¡¯s yours, Celes, so use the remaining magic power however you want.¡±


    Cloyt responded while grinning and prepared to leave the room.  However, as if he had just remembered something, he turned back around to face Celes.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I have some good news.  Have you hear about it, Celes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Erm?¡±


    ¡°You already knew Nott was captured, right?  Well, it sounds like he managed to escape from the arena this noon.¡±


    ¡°Eeeeeh?!  Mr. Nott escaped?!¡±


    Celes¡¯ voice squeaked in surprise.  Sanon and I glanced at each other.  This was shocking news.


    ¡°I just heard about it from the streets.  Although people don¡¯t dare say it out loud, it¡¯s made a big commotion behind the scenes.  After all, the Munires merchants favor the Liberation Army.¡±


    Is that so?  Our transmigration, the attack on Bapsas, and Nott¡¯s escape ¨C it¡¯s hard to imagine this series of events all being coincidences.  I¡¯m not able to wrap my head around everything, but this is definitely good news.


    I truly think he¡¯s a tenacious guy.  His flames are still burning.


    ¡°Um, where is Mr. Nott right now?¡±


    Celes leaned forward and asked.  To which Cloyt, seemingly bewildered, responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure¡­  Rumor has it that Nott suddenly disappeared from the arena, and no one knows his whereabouts.  It makes me wonder what he¡¯ll do in the future.¡±


    Celes could be seen clenching her small fists.


    Cloyt continued, ¡°Even so, we citizens can only continue on with our normal lives here.  But this is definitely a joyous event.  Now then, time to get back to work.  I still have to clean up the basement too.  Celes, please stay here and take care of Martha.¡±


    The old man glanced at the three docile animals and readied himself to leave.


    Hold on a minute ¨C I thought.


    ¡°Oink oink oink oink!¡±


    When I cried out loudly, Cloyt looked back in surprise.


    ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s the matter Mr. Pig?¡±


    (Celes, I want to talk to this old man.  Can you help with the relaying?)


    ©¤Erm¡­ Understood.


    After Celes revealed us pigs¡¯ true identities, I got straight to the point.


    (Can you please tell us where the remnants of the Liberation Army are headed towards?)


    Cloyt look at me with an expression that was a mixture of surprise and bafflement.


    ¡°Wait, wait.  What are you talking about?¡±


    (Mr. Cloyt, you were hiding people from the Liberation Army in your basement, weren¡¯t you?)


    He stared at me suspiciously.


    He seemed to be wondering how I knew, but it¡¯s something that could be inferred just by piecing together a few bits of information.  According to Celes, it seems certain that the remnants of the Liberation Army are ¨C or perhaps were ¨C hiding in this city.  And Rossi, who wasn¡¯t so familiar with Cloyt when he last came with me here, was very attached to Cloyt when they met today.  This implies that during the three months after I left Mestria up till my return, Rossi, or more specifically his owner, Nott, had met Cloyt many times.


    And then there¡¯s what Cloyt said.


    ©¤I happened to be given that rista for free today.


    First of all, it¡¯s not possible for an expensive rista to just fall from the sky.  And since he doesn¡¯t have a Yesma, there was no reason for him to buy one.  In that case, it¡¯s possible that he received it as compensation for something.  So who could have given it to him?  What happened today?


    ©¤Now then, time to get back to work.  I still have to clean up the basement too.


    Think about why he has to ¡°clean up the basement¡± at this time.  What if he was hiding people from the Liberation Army in his basement, and they set off in a hurry after hearing the news about Nott¡¯s escape?  The royal dynasty has their eyes set on the Liberation Army, so in order to destroy the evidence, he needs to clean up the basement as soon as possible.


    Sanon oinked with his nose.


    ©¤Please.  Celes-chan wishes to meet with Nott-kun.  We¡¯ll take any leads you got that could let us get in contact with the people from the Liberation Army.


    Appearing troubled, Cloyt bit his lips under his grey beard.  My instincts told me we just needed another push to make it work.


    Then, the bed creaked and Martha turned to face us.


    ¡°Sanon, shouldn¡¯t you be asking me, Celes¡¯ master, about this first before requesting that?¡±


    It was a gentle, reproachful tone that was difficult to tell whether it was supportive or opposing.


    ©¤You¡¯re right.  Ms. Martha, by all means, please agree to this.


    ¡°I believe I¡¯ve said that I can¡¯t allow Celes to travel far away.¡±


    Celes casted her eyes down.  Beside her, the black pig resolutely stared at Martha.


    ©¤That was when Celes still had her workplace, the inn.  However, due to the recent attack, the inn has burned down.


    Sanon¡¯s brazen and proud assertion carried such intensity that it was hard to imagine he was a pig.


    ¡°Indeed, that is correct.  But I hope you didn¡¯t forget what happened last time after I allowed you to take Celes to join the Liberation Army¡¯s battles.  Not only did Celes not provide much help, she was almost killed during the battle at the Rocklands.¡±


    ©¤No, Celes-chan was helpful.  The Yesma girls, who are able to relay thoughts remotely and heal people through prayers, are very important existences as logistical support in battles.  In order to be able to work closely together, it can be said that no many how many Yesmas there are, it¡¯s never enough.  And when it comes to the ability to heal Nott-kun, Celes-chan is by far the best at it.  She¡¯s a necessary existence for the Liberation Army.


    Hm?  What does he mean by Celes having by far the best ability to heal Nott?


    I looked at Celes and noticed her cheeks were dyed pink for some reason.


    Martha kept silent for some time, but eventually called out, ¡°Celes.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to go?¡±


    Celes looked at Martha and nodded affirmatively.


    ¡°You might die, you know?  And based on the current situation, if you¡¯re caught by the Northerners, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if you were raped to the point of losing your mind, or if your stomach was sliced open without anesthesia.  Even so, do you wish to go?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.  It¡¯s much better than sitting here waiting.¡±


    Martha raised her eyebrows in resignation.


    ¡°Is that so?  ¡­The house seems to have burned down anyway, and I can¡¯t let you stay with a homeless person like this forever.  Nott and the others are doing something very noble.  If Celes can become their strength, then that¡¯s something worth being proud of.¡±


    ¡°Then, Martha-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead.  Cloyt, tell these kids where to go.¡±


    Cloyt¡¯s grey brows furrowed, seemingly troubled.


    ¡°Well in that case, I¡¯d love to help¡­  It¡¯s true that I hid them in my basement.  But even though I support those children, I¡¯m just like Martha ¨C an ordinary citizen who lives a quiet life under the rule of the royal dynasty.  I may have secretly taken care of them¡­ but I know next to nothing about their activities.  I haven¡¯t heard where they¡¯re headed either.¡±


    Sanon enthusiastically appealed.


    ©¤But you¡¯ve been in contact with them, no?  It¡¯s clear that the people of the Liberation Army have left to rendezvous with Nott-kun.  Do you have any ideas as to which direction they might be headed towards?


    Cloyt shook his head.


    ¡°Those children have gotten very cautious these days.  It seems like their information is shared only to a small group of people.  I was only told ¡®Thank you for taking care of us.¡¯  After they left in a hurry, I heard rumors of Nott¡¯s escape a little later before finally realizing what was going on.  If it¡¯s them, I suspect they¡¯re already quite far away by now.¡±


    It sounded like he was admonishing us and saying: just give up and live your life peacefully here.


    Celes dejectedly dropped her shoulders.


    ¡°Is that so? ¡­I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do then.¡±


    Well, it¡¯s clear as day that Celes would be safer here.


    However¡­


    I recalled when I visited Martha¡¯s inn with Jess.  Celes wanted Nott to stay, but for the sake of Jess, I half-tricked Celes into letting Nott accompany us.  At the time, she accepted my proposal and saw us off with a smile.


    ©¤I hope your wish comes true as well, Mister Pig.


    I thought back to Celes¡¯ words.


    Now it¡¯s my turn to grant Celes¡¯ wish.


    (Mr. Cloyt, could you please show us where the people from the Liberation Army were staying?)


    ¡°It¡¯s already empty,¡± Cloyt remarked as he guided us to the back door leading to the basement.


    The spacious area had long since been vacated.  Six wooden triple-bunk beds were tucked against the wall side by side, and a few tattered sofas were strewn across the place.  In the center was a large square table.


    Leaving the party of a girl and three animals behind, Cloyt went back to work.


    (Alright, it¡¯s time to solve this mystery.)


    I motivated myself.


    ¡°Mystery¡­  Are you saying you¡¯re going to figure out where the members of the Liberation Army have gone?¡±


    (That¡¯s right, Celes.  And I¡¯m absolutely confident about this.)


    When I said that, Sanon looked at me.


    ©¤Why¡­ do you claim that?


    (It¡¯s the smell.  We just need to roughly guess their location, and the rest can be handled by the smell of their beddings.)


    ©¤I see!


    Sanon caught on, but Celes was drawing a blank, so let me explain.


    (Celes, dogs and pigs have a very sharp sense of smell.  A human¡¯s nose can¡¯t compare to it.  They can perceive odors that are infinitesimal faint, and are good at differentiating varying scents.  For example, if Celes were to leave here, even if you were to walk for a whole day, we would still be able to get to you by following the faint smell left on the ground.  We¡¯re also able to tell where and what you ate, and know exactly where you picked flowers.)


    >TL Note: Some Japanese girls use ¡°picking flowers¡± as a metaphor for going to the toilet.


    Celes¡¯ expression hardened.  Oops, I let that accidentally slip from my mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Sanon, at that time, you really were¡­¡±


    ©¤N-no, Cele-tan.  I just happened to sniff it¡­


    The black pig started panicking.  I don¡¯t know what had happened, but once we return to Japan, the first thing I need to do is turn this lolicon in to the police.


    (Anyway, what we need to do here is get a rough idea of where the Liberation Army is headed, and collect as many things that carry their smell as possible.  Should be simple.)


    As I conveyed that, I walked around the room.


    (Hm, this string was cut¡­)


    I found a piece of cut-off linen string on the ground that was knotted and had traces of having been used, so I tried sniffing it.


    (Celes, do you use birds for communicating in Mestria?)


    ¡°¡­Yes.  Especially if it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    (This string smells of a bird.  It was probably used to tie the paper that delivered the news of Nott¡¯s escape to the bird¡¯s feet.)


    ©¤Really?


    The black pig approached and sniffed the string I had smelled.


    ©¤It really does smell of a bird.


    Celes smiled wryly while pressing her hands between her legs.  Seriously, what happened?


    Rossi came towards us while wagging his tail and mimicked us sniffing the string.  He left soon after and began sniffing around the room.


    I was astonished, because this was exactly what I was planning to do.  If we look for same smell as this, we might find a clue.  If Rossi acted knowing this, his thinking abilities are far beyond that of normal dog.


    ¡°Ruff!¡±


    Rossi barked and brought over a small scrap of paper with his mouth.  I looked at it as he placed on the ground.  It was a piece of paper that was slightly larger than a postage stamp, and had creases from having been rolled up.  Only a double circle was drawn on the center.


    I quickly sniffed the paper.  Was it parchment?  It had a strong animal odor to it.  But beyond that, I could definitely smell a burnt scent, and the smell of something like a birdhouse.


    (Celes!  Mr. Sanon!  Look at this!)


    I called the two over, and Celes picked up the piece of paper.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    As Celes said that, Rossi brought over another similar piece of paper.  A double circle was also drawn on it.


    ©¤This is a code that No-kun and the others use a lot.  It means ¡°convene.¡±


    I thought about it.


    (There seems to be a lot of the same piece of paper.  They probably used several birds at the same time to send them to multiple people.  Whether it was because it¡¯s an urgent matter, or because they wanted to make sure it was delivered, we can assume both.  Considering the remnants of the Liberation Army left in a hurry on the same day Nott escaped, we can speculate that this means ¡°convene where Nott is ASAP.¡±)


    ©¤It looks like they purposefully charred the parchment instead of using ink.


    Sanon noticed.


    Is that what the burnt smell was?


    ¡°Mr. Nott probably scorched it with the flames from his twin daggers.¡±


    We two pigs nodded in agreement at Celes¡¯ remark.  Sanon then pondered.


    ©¤So now we need to figure out where this place is, and we only have the double circle to work with.


    (Let¡¯s look at it from the other way around.  The remnants of the Liberation Army determined their destination based on the double circle only.  It¡¯s extremely risky to transmit the destination via birds, so where¡¯s the most reasonable place the scattered remnants from various places will gather at based on this message? ¨C It should be fine to think along these lines.)


    ©¤I see.  Then let¡¯s think about it rationally.


    I nodded.


    (First of all, Nott should be wanting to get out of the area controlled by the north as soon as possible.  Naturally, he¡¯ll prefer to flee to a place with more Liberation Army members and supporters.)


    ¡°With regards to the capital, which is located at the center of Mestria, the people supporting the Liberation Army are concentrated southeast of there.  Since there¡¯s no reason for them to head west, they should be headed somewhere further east from the Forest of Needles which surrounds the royal dynasty.  How does that sound?¡±


    (Nice one, Celes.  Speaking of which, what¡¯s the current situation regarding the borders between the areas controlled by the Northern Forces, and the areas controlled by the royal dynasty?)


    ¡°I heard the royal army recaptured a large port city in the east called Niabel very recently.  When it was captured, I was told it was a geographically isolated place, so¡­  I believe the frontlines are located near Matto, a mountain village located a little further north of Niabel.¡±


    I was impressed by how informed Celes was.  It means she was just that concerned about the world outside.


    (For the Liberation Army, their priority should be meeting up with Nott as soon as they can outside the areas under the Northern Forces¡¯ control.  However, the frontlines is dangerous because the royal army is concentrated there.)


    That was my hunch.  Sanon seemed to agree with me and nodded in my direction.


    ©¤For a ¡°convene¡± message¡­  If a lot of people are going to appear, it would be better to choose a big city, right?


    ¡°In other words¡­¡±


    Celes¡¯ large eyes looked over here.


    (Yeah.  We should head towards Niabel.)


    Martha sat on her bed with a serious gaze.


    ¡°Celes, are you really going?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Celes frowned apologetically.


    After a brief moment of silence, Martha spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I won¡¯t be able to accompany you with this body.¡±


    ¡°Martha-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Take care of your life.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°As for the Mister Pigs over there.¡±


    At Martha¡¯s beckoning, the black pig and I trotted to her side.


    ¡°Pork dishes are my specialty.  If Celes doesn¡¯t come back safely, you know what¡¯ll happen, right?¡±


    Eek.


    (I will risk my life to protect her.)


    Following my lead, Sanon also conveyed.


    ©¤Me too.  I won¡¯t take my eyes off Celes-chan for even a second.


    Is that alright¡­?


    ¡°Please.¡±


    It was OK¡¯d?!


    Since the sun had already set, we decided to set off for Niabel tomorrow at sunrise.  If Celes rode on the pigs¡¯ back, we should be able to arrive in about three days.


    On the day of departure, dark ominous clouds loomed over the clear blue sky.


    £ª£ª£ª


    It was Nuris who came to pick me up.  She held a pair of daggers ¨C the set of daggers made from Ys¡¯ bones.  I will use Ys¡¯ burning flames to return to her side.


    ©¤There¡¯s no time, so I¡¯ll make it simple.  Don¡¯t look at me.


    I could hear Nuris¡¯ indifferent voice in my mind.


    ©¤These two daggers are equipped with special ristas.  Just one is enough to release a large amount of magic power at once.


    Nuris expressionlessly restrained me.  I looked at the daggers.  The ristas were red in the center, and clear around the peripherals.


    ©¤By swinging either dagger towards the ground, you¡¯ll be able to fly high into the sky.  It should have just enough magic power to be able to handle taking that boy named Bart as well.  When you land, swing the other dagger towards the ground.  It should cancel out the speed from falling and allow you to land without dying.


    We headed towards the lift that led to the stage.  I couldn¡¯t believe it.  I was going to escape.


    ©¤Thanks, I owe you.


    ©¤Failure is not allowed.


    ©¤Understood.


    We arrived in front of the lift.  A prison guard was holding a small knife.  I wondered why.


    Nuris, who had removed my shackles, reacted with a twitch and looked at the guard.  The guard grinned underneath the helmet covering his face, threw Nuris and me together into the elevator, and tossed the knife he was holding next to Nuris.


    The chains rang, and the lift raised the two of us onto the stage.


    Their message was clear.  They won¡¯t let me take the easy way out and have it end with just me committing suicide.  Only one person will be allowed to survive.  Even if I die, either Bart or Nuris will have to die.  Perhaps it was for this cruel act that they were stationed around me.


    However, that¡¯s not the problem.  It¡¯s that this rista only has enough power to barely allow me and Bart to fly.


    That means one person will be left behind in this arena.


    The lift inevitably neared the sand-covered stage, and I squinted.


    It¡¯s sunny.  The wind was strong.  Dust clouds were being kicked up.  The sunlight from above was reflecting off of the sand.


    The circular arena was filled with thousands of spectators.  The audience seats surrounding the elliptical stage were like rising walls, towering over us.


    These faceless citizens ¨C were they forced to watch, or did they come here seeking bloodshed?  Do they wish for my death, or do they wish for my cruel victory?  No one was speaking towards me ¨C all that entered my ears were unintelligible yelling, cursing, and cheering.


    When the lift stopped, Nuris emotionlessly picked up the knife and walked away from me.  She spoke with her back turned.


    ©¤Leave me.


    I bit my lips.  There¡¯s no way I could do such a thing.  What should I do?  How can I save everyone?


    Sanon¡¯s figure appeared in my mind.  That guy never gave up, no matter how unfavorable the situation was.  He saved me.  In the end, he staked his life so that Celes and the others could escape.


    Think.  Think!


    ©¤You should stop that boy first.


    Nuris¡¯ voice resounded in my mind.


    The arena was wrapped in cruel cheers.  On the other side of the dust cloud, the opposing elevator gradually rose, and Bart, standing in a daze, appeared on stage.  The blade he held in his small hands glowed faintly.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to interpret Nuris¡¯ message.  Under the enthusiastic gaze of the audience, I ran straight towards Bart.  He slowly raised his thin arms, and thrusted the blade against his neck.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    I screamed as I neared him.  I grabbed Bart¡¯s blade by the hilt and twisted, pulling it away from his neck.  I then thrusted the blade towards the ground, and Bart fell forward as his posture broke.  With my elbow on his shoulder, I picked up the blade.  Bart then fell on the ground.


    I threw Bart¡¯s blade far away.  Though the stage is covered in sand, there are wooden boards underneath, and the blade stabbed beautifully into the ground.


    I could hear jeering.  They probably wanted me to kill him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bart.  We¡¯re escaping from here.¡±


    I tried informing him without moving my mouth as much as possible.  Bart¡¯s eyes, which were filled with tears, widened.  I raised the corner of my mouth and smiled at Bart, who had fallen unsightly onto the ground.  I¡¯ve told him that it¡¯s alright now, and that I¡¯ll save him.


    All that¡¯s left is to figure out what to do so the three of us can escape.


    No, wrong.


    I realized then ¨C when it was too late ¨C just what kind of race the Yesmas are.


    I quickly turned around and spotted Nuris¡¯ body suddenly collapsing.  A knife was stuck in her abdomen.  Even from a distance, I could see the blood spread across her ragged clothes.  She had stabbed herself.  On the other end of the dust cloud, a Yesma had lost her life.  The cheering and cursing faded away, and it felt like time had stopped.


    The girl¡¯s body fell face down, and after that, she stopped moving.


    The arena was enveloped in a storm of jeers.  As I suppressed my anger and despair, tears began flowing.  Are you watching, you senile old torturer?  This is what you wanted to see.


    But there was no time for me to grieve.  Unsheathing a dagger, I held it in my right and looked up at the sky.  It was a blue sky.  The gateway to the future.


    ¡­Hm?


    For a moment there, a strange shadow appeared in the blue sky.  It had large wings and a long tail.  Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    The next second, the sound of stone masonry collapsing could be heard from the outer parts of the arena.  Something roared.  Its body color, which was the color of the sky, gradually returned to jet black, revealing its true identity.  Its gigantic appearance was unmistakable.


    It¡¯s a legendary creature that I have only seen in book illustrations.  It¡¯s a dragon, a tyrannical monster that breathes fire.


    Its huge mouth, which looked like it could swallow a human whole, was densely lined with sharp fangs.  It had a large, narrow body that was covered in hard scales.  It had broad wings, and a long tail covered in spikes.


    The jeers in the arena turned into screams.


    The dragon stopped at the edge of the arena and opened its mouth wide.


    Shit!


    I immediately pulled Bart to my side and tried to dodge.  No, it¡¯s too late.  At this rate, we¡¯re going to be hit by the flames directly.  We had no choice but to escape to the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna fly, hold tight.¡±


    Saying that, I hugged Bart tightly.


    Bart, who had a dumbstruck look on his face, also hurriedly wrapped his hands around my neck.  I held Bart with my crippled left hand and swung the dagger in my right.


    Along with hearing the sound of the wooden floor being ripped apart, I felt as if my internal organs were being pulled against.  Bart and I cut through the wind at an incredible speed and began rising towards the sky.  Suddenly, my field of vision was dyed black.  What happened?


    The black stuff disappeared.  Looking down, I saw the entire arena shrouded in black smoke.  The dragon must have spewed out black smoke instead of flames.  But why wasn¡¯t it flames?  Only the mages from the royal dynasty are capable of controlling a legendary creature such as a dragon.  The royal dynasty should be trying to kill me, yet the dragon spat out smoke that was incapable of killing.  Why was that?  In fact, why did a dragon come here?


    We flew diagonally, tracing an arc and crossing the outer edge of the arena.  It was more than enough height.  With this, I might have even been able to take Nuris with us¡­


    But it was too late now.  We started descending.  I returned the dagger in my right hand into its scabbard and pulled out the other dagger.  We were going to land in the forest.  The direction was calculated.  The trees were approaching.


    I swung my dagger before hitting the branches.  My body was wrapped in a strong repulsive force.  I squinted at the pain that followed.


    I writhed in a whirlpool of shock that resulted in me being unable to tell up from down.


    We rolled on the ground and seemed to have hit a tree trunk.  I opened my eyes and saw that we were inside the forest.


    ¡°Bart, are you alright?¡±


    I tore away my arm that was clutching his neck and got up, only to see the boy on the ground rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°That was crazy.  What was that just now?¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I used a special rista to escape from the arena through the sky.  Is your body fine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.  I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡±


    As Bart got up, he looked at me in the eyes with a strange expression.


    ¡°Why is Master crying?¡±

 Volume 2 - CH 3

    Niabel is a black stone city.  Stone fortresses lined its coast, and during the evening, sailboats of all sizes crowded the dark sea.  The port houses, mottled by the sea breeze, were built using dark grey stones.  A labyrinth of stone-paved roads ran between these houses, and the lanterns hanging from their eaves began glowing a warm color.  The cool sea breeze stung our bodies, which were exhausted from the journey.


    It was a large city, but there weren¡¯t many people relative to its size.


    A strange party comprised of a loli, a pig, a black pig, and a dog finally arrived at their destination ¨C Niabel, after a three-day journey.  Celes let the black pig smell the black panties that she was holding.


    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±


    ©¤Smells ni-, I mean, the street has the same smell, but it¡¯s not a straight path, so it¡¯s difficult to narrow down.


    Sanon conveyed while sniffing the pair of panties.  No matter how you look at it, he¡¯s being a pervert, but there¡¯s a good reason for this.  We found several clues in the basement of the Sleeping Foal Inn.  From those, Sanon identified the possessions of Nott¡¯s most trusted allies.  They were a pair of socks and panties that belonged to a woman named Itsune, and a pillowcase which belonged to her younger brother Josh.  I¡¯m not a shameless pig, so when we decided that the three of us should divide the smell-searching task, I chose the young man¡¯s pillowcase first.  Sanon then said ¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice,¡± and chose the panties.  Leaving Rossi in charge of the remaining socks.  No one asked why Sanon chose the panties instead of the socks.


    Next to the perverted panties-sniffing black pig and perverted socks-sniffing dog, I sniffed the pillowcase.  It smelled like a high school boy¡¯s pillow with an added citrus scent to it.  It was just as Sanon had said, the scent could be found on the streets here, but the smell would sometimes break off or diverge ¨C it wasn¡¯t a straight line, so it¡¯s difficult to determine where the owner of the smell is.


    If they had a place they used as their base, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for their scent to gather near the surroundings of that location, but for some reason, there wasn¡¯t such a place.


    The sun was setting.  As we racked our brains and wandered the streets, the black pig suddenly began sniffing a restaurant¡¯s terrace seats.  The smell of seafood wafting in the air made my stomach tighten.


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo, come over here.


    I headed over there after being requested.


    (Did you find something?)


    After sniffing the chair again, the black pig looked at me.


    ©¤I can smell Tsune-tan¡¯s butt from the seat of this chair.


    (Oh, okay¡­)


    ©¤I was right to have chosen the smell of her panties.  Tsune-tan seems to have visited this store.


    That makes sense.  Because one would sit on a chair with their butt, it¡¯s not a bad idea to use the panties¡¯ smell as a clue for pinpointing the places they¡¯ve stayed at for a lengthy period of time.  I felt like he was trying to justify his peculiar tastes after the fact, but the stakes are high right now, so I should give it some serious thought.  For the time being, I brought my nose to the foot of the chair.


    This is¡­


    (It¡¯s the smell of tar.  And it¡¯s quite strong.)


    There was also that citrusy smell.  The strong tar smell seemed to overlap with it.


    ¡°Tar¡­?¡±


    Celes doesn¡¯t appear to be familiar with it, so I explained.


    (I¡¯m referring to a viscous liquid that is produced when wood is isolated from air and heated.  It¡¯s often used as an antiseptic or as an insect repellant¡­ but for this city, I suspect it¡¯s used for waterproofing.)


    This would also explain why we couldn¡¯t find the location that was their base in this city.


    Large quantities of tar is used to waterproof ships.  The Liberation Army officers, the siblings Itsune and Josh, have a high probability of using a ship as their base.


    The Broken Collar is a large wood sailing ship.  Its black hull swayed gently on the calm waves, and the folded white sails reflected the bewitching reddish purple hue of the post-sunset sky.  The faint smell of gunpowder drifted over from beyond the smell of the sea and tar.  On the hull were the words ¡°Broken Collar¡± in Mestria¡¯s language ¨C it was in white and appears to have been painted recently.


    Finding the ship was easy.  We went to the most guarded pier, found a swordsmith who was acquainted with Celes and Sanon, and were soon able to meet the officers.  As we had speculated, the core members of the Liberation Army were in the Broken Collar.  There were around 30 warriors on board, and about 10 times as many comrades were said to be lurking around the streets of Niabel.


    When we were guided to board the ship, Celes appeared hesitant.


    (What¡¯s wrong, Celes?)


    At my question, Celes looked up at the ship nervously.


    ¡°Nothing, um, it¡¯s just my first time boarding a ship¡­¡±


    Hearing that reminded me that, according to the royal dynasty¡¯s laws, Yesmas are punishable by death for riding any form of transportation, and those who allow them to ride it are sentenced similarly.


    As Celes wavered, the black pig used his snout to push Celes¡¯ small buttocks forward, urging her to board the ship.


    ©¤If the royal dynasty enforced their laws, everyone in the Liberation Army would¡¯ve been sentenced to death by now.  They understand that if they forcibly punish us, there¡¯ll be strong backlash from their citizens, so they won¡¯t carelessly interfere.  We¡¯ve come this far already, there¡¯s no other choice but to get on.


    I was a bit reluctant to listen to a guy who was burying his nose in a loli¡¯s ass, but in the end, we trusted Sanon and boarded the Broken Collar.


    We were immediately welcomed into the captain¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°Ah hah, so you¡¯re that sleazy pig Nott talked about.¡±


    The interim captain, Itsune, was a tall woman around the same age as me, with black hair tied in a ponytail.  She¡¯s characterized by her tanned skin and sharp, aggressive eyes.  She also carried a greataxe on her back that could chop a pig in half.  She was sitting boldly on a wooden crate with her legs open, leaning forward slightly, and resting her hands on her knees.  Her chest was slovenly bare, revealing a sight that, had Nott been around, he would¡¯ve been happy to see.


    Celes gave me a discontented look.  Why''s that?


    A girl with long braided hair placed a plate of water in front of me, Sanon, and Rossi.  She wore a simple green dress, and because she had a silver collar, I could tell she was a Yesma.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Litis.  You don¡¯t need to care about those animals.¡±


    Itsune asserted before beckoning to the girl called Litis.  ¡°Ehehe,¡± Litis smiled with her freckled cheeks and sat down between Itsune¡¯s legs.  A pair of tanned arms wrapped around Litis¡¯ belly from behind.


    ¡­Nn?


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m surprised you found us, Sanon.  For future reference, tell me how you figured it out.¡±


    Itsune asked after placing her chin on Litis¡¯ shoulder.


    With Celes¡¯ help in relaying, Sanon answered.


    ©¤It was through smell.  We asked Mr. Cloyt from the Sleeping Foal Inn to let us search the room in his basement.


    ¡°The Foal Inn?¡±


    Itsune¡¯s black eyes turned towards Celes before focusing on the black panties Celes was holding.  Celes quickly hid it behind her back, but it was too late.


    ¡°Pa¡­n¡­¡±


    Itsune¡¯s face flushed bright red.  And seemingly sensing something, Litis quickly got up.


    ¡°Oy, Sanon.  It seems I better lop off that nose of yours which smelled a lady¡¯s panties.¡±


    Itsune took out a yellow rista from her waist pouch and clicked it into the greataxe on her back.


    ©¤I-It¡¯s a misunderstand, Tsune-tan.  Ro-kun was the one who smelled your panties¡­


    The black pig panicked.


    But when Itsune glared at Rossi, the dog slowly shook his head.


    The lie was exposed.  Guilty.


    Itsune stood up and readied her large axe.  Electricity crackled around the axe, and the peculiar smell of ozone drifted towards here.  Is this woman¡¯s axe an electric-type weapon?  Upon closer inspection, I noticed that a part of the handle seem to be made of bone, just like Nott¡¯s twin daggers.


    It was then that the captain¡¯s cabin door, which had been left open, was knocked on.


    ¡°Calm down, sis.  You¡¯re the one who forgot to collect your belongings.  It¡¯s your fault for being so messy.¡±


    A black-haired and fair-skinned young man walked in while commenting.  He appeared to be the same age as Nott.  Though his long bangs covered his eyes, his well-defined nose and narrow chin implied he had a good-looking face.  He was carrying a very long crossbow on his back, and as if to reinforce the wooden frame, two bones were set on it perpendicular to each other.


    ¡°Quit your nagging.  We had to leave in a rush, so there was nothing I could¡¯ve done.¡±


    Despite grumbling, Itsune put away her axe and sat back down on the crate.


    As the bangs-covered guy passed by, a citrusy scent entered my nose, and it dawned on me.  Judging by the fact that he called Itsune ¡°sis,¡± no doubt this young man was Josh.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.  How have you been, Celes?¡±


    Celes bowed politely in response to Josh¡¯s smile.


    ¡°Um¡­ Yes, I¡¯ve been doing well.  Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Good.  By the way, I heard something about Sanon¡­¡±


    As he said that, Josh looked down at the two pigs.


    ¡°Huh?  Just when I thought you had disappeared; did you split into two, Sanon?¡±


    (No, no, you¡¯re mistaken.  I¡¯m the scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.)


    When I introduced myself as such, Josh raised his chin with an ¡°Ahh.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re that sleazy pig.  I¡¯ve heard about you from Nott.¡±


    I feel like they¡¯ve been calling me a sleazy pig for a while now.  What exactly did Nott say about me?  Why does it sound like the information they were told was extremely biased?  I¡¯m not sleazy at all, y¡¯know?


    ¡°¡­Are you familiar with the royal dynasty¡¯s internal situation?¡±


    His black sanpaku eyes emerged from underneath his bangs, and peered at me piercingly.


    (S-sorry, but¡­ I don¡¯t remember much about it.  My memories might¡¯ve been erased.)


    After I conveyed that to Josh, he turned towards Litis.  Litis, who was once again in Itsune¡¯s arms, nodded with a smile.


    ¡°I see.  Well, you probably have your own reasons, so I won¡¯t probe you any further.¡±


    Josh shook his head lightly and adjusted his bangs.


    ¡°Anyway, sis, it looks like we¡¯ll be able to arrange for the remaining ships.  We should be ready by tomorrow morning.  Let¡¯s depart at sunrise.¡±


    Itsune frowned while fiddling with Litis¡¯ braid.


    ¡°Morning?  Won¡¯t Nott be arriving soon?  He won¡¯t be happy about needing to wait.¡±


    Celes immediately looked at Itsune.


    ¡°Mr. Nott will be arriving soon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.  I¡¯m glad you rushed over here, Celes.  We were planning on leaving the port and setting off to the south as soon as Nott arrived.¡±


    Celes¡¯ large eyes appeared to be shining brightly.


    It seems the Liberation Army intended to leave via the sea immediately after joining up with Nott.  It felt like we just barely made it in time, so I could only consider us lucky.


    Josh sighed.


    ¡°You say that, but we haven¡¯t gotten all our supplies yet, sis.  Even if we were to mobilize everyone on the streets, we still wouldn¡¯t be leaving until late at night.  We don¡¯t want to cause a disturbance and draw people¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the middle of the night, then the middle of the night it is.  Don¡¯t say something as na?ve as leaving in the morning.  We need to get ready as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Go on then.  Litis, go help assign a hammock to Celes.¡±


    Itsune promptly gave out orders.  Josh looked at her, somewhat irked, when he heard the name ¡°Litis.¡±


    We walked down the stairs to the floor below, and Sanon spoke to the braided Yesma girl guiding us ahead.


    ©¤Is your name Litis?


    The freckled girl turned around and smiled.


    ¡°It is currently, yes.¡±


    Perplexed, the black pig tilted his head.


    ©¤Did you have another name before this?


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I lost my memories half a month ago, and when I was wandering around, Ms. Itsune and the others picked me up¡­  I don¡¯t remember my previous name.  That¡¯s why Ms. Itsune gave me this wonderful name ¨C Litis.¡±


    ©¤I see.  So that¡¯s what happened.  Thank you.


    The girl called Litis gave Celes a hammock with ample space in the corner so that us animals could sleep together, and trotted back towards the captain¡¯s cabin.


    (Mr. Sanon, why did you ask to confirm that girl¡¯s name?)


    When I asked that, the black pig gave me a strange look.


    ©¤The Yesma known as Litis is already dead.


    The hair on my pig skin stood on end.


    (¡­Eh?)


    ©¤You saw the bones on Tsune-tan and Josh-kun¡¯s weapons, right?  That¡¯s Litis.


    I thought back to their greataxe and crossbow.  They seemed heavy, but the two of them still kept it with them while on board the ship.  It was just like how Nott always carried his twin daggers made from Ys¡¯ bones.


    (The Yesma connected to those two, huh¡­)


    ©¤Yeah.  It seems the two of them came from a family of high-ranking members from the royal army.  That¡¯s why their martial arts abilities are so outstanding.  However, Litis, who served their family, was unreasonably executed¡­  At that moment, they defected from the royal dynasty and would later become No-kun¡¯s companions.


    Celes skillfully sat on the hammock and quietly watched us while swaying.  She would look around restlessly from time to time, perhaps because she couldn¡¯t wait for Nott to arrive.


    Despite seeing Celes blush from reading my monologue, I continued the conversation.


    (So Itsune decided to call the girl they picked up by another, already dead girl¡¯s name¡­?)


    This grotesque reality made my pig stomach churn.


    ©¤Yeah, it seems like it¡­  It¡¯s a little unsettling, but that just goes to show how strong Tsune-tan¡¯s feelings are.  If you watch her fight, you¡¯ll understand.


    (Watch her fight?)


    ©¤Tsune-tan¡¯s greataxe becomes wrapped in a fierce electric shock that will knock down an Org in one blow, no matter how heavily armored they are.  After that, the next swing is guaranteed to behead them.  As for Josh-kun, the arrows he use on his crossbow gain a special wind protection which lets him accurately pierce their hearts from hundreds of meters away.  Both display results that are beyond the magic power contained in their ristas.  If the soul of the wielder and the soul of the bones aren¡¯t completely in tune, it¡¯s impossible for this to be actualized.


    I recalled the flames from Nott¡¯s twin daggers.  Their shockwaves could be used to slash at enemies in the distance, or boost himself into the air with the recoil.  I always thought of them as very convenient weapons, but¡­


    (I see.  Does that mean the strength of a weapon made with a Yesma¡¯s bones is directly linked to the bond between the wielder and the deceased Yesma?)


    ©¤I believe so.  Only those who have lost a loved one are able to wield the most powerful weapons¡­  It¡¯s ironic really, but that¡¯s also the Liberation Army¡¯s strength.


    A memory was resurrected.


    ©¤Are you okay with Jess being killed by those Yesma hunters?  Do you plan on retrieving her collar and making another blade with her bones?


    It was something I said back in Bapsas to convince Nott to become our companion.  At the time, I provoked him with the intention of making him lose his cool so the negotiations would go well, but I definitely said something I shouldn¡¯t have ¨C I reflected on it.  One of the reasons why a countryside huntsman like him became a hero was because he held such strong feelings for Ys.


    I quickly turned to look at Celes.  The girl in love was looking down at the black wooden floor.  As soon as the black pig noticed her behavior, he fled to somewhere else while saying he suddenly remembered he had something to take care of.


    Even though we were finally able to meet Nott, I thought about some unnecessary things and ruined Celes¡¯ mood.  What should I say at a time like thi-


    ¡°Um, Mr. Shitty Virgin¡­  Please don¡¯t worry about me too much.  I¡¯m totally fine.¡±


    Celes smiled powerlessly.  Yesmas have a bad tendency to insist that things are okay, even when they aren¡¯t so.


    (Hey, Celes, there aren¡¯t many in this world who can read other people¡¯s minds.  If you don¡¯t properly speak up and say you¡¯re not okay when that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll only make it harder on yourself by keeping it all in.)


    Celes¡¯ large eyes looked at me.  As I returned her gaze, she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually¡­ a little scared.¡±


    (I see.  What are you scared of?)


    ¡°I¡¯m worried Mr. Nott¡¯s already forgotten me¡­¡±


    ¡­?


    (Why would he forget?  It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the heroine of an amnesia story.)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­  Mr. Nott is currently facing an adversity that I can¡¯t even imagine, and putting forth effort that I could never have dreamed of.  During all of this, how much of a presence do I hold to him?  Is it a nuisance that a little girl like me decided to meddle in his affairs?¡±


    Celes, who had come this far only to be hesitating now, has surpassed being pitiful and was now incomprehensible to me.


    (Even if Celes¡¯ presence isn¡¯t big, it definitely shouldn¡¯t be small.  I¡¯m sure Nott would be pleased to see an old familiar face coming all the way here.)


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    (Of course.  You haven¡¯t even met yet, so don¡¯t worry unnecessarily.  If you always shy away, you¡¯ll remain small for the rest of your life.  If you¡¯re afraid of being forgotten, then don¡¯t let him forget.  Just like how you gave it your all to find Nott and get here, do your best to be by his side.  I¡¯m sure over time, Celes will become a big presence in Nott¡¯s life.)


    Celes seemed conflicted as she pondered for some time before speaking.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t want to hinder Mr. Nott¡¯s actions.  I¡¯m scared of being forgotten, but I don¡¯t want to be too pushy either¡­  As long as I can support Mr. Nott from behind¡­¡±


    You didn¡¯t have to phrase it like what a conventional idol otaku would say¡­


    (It wasn¡¯t easy getting here, so don¡¯t say things like supporting him from behind.  Celes, you¡¯re able to use your power of heart and prayer to assist Nott, so just stick by his side and help him however you can.  In doing so, some day he¡¯ll definitely look your way.)


    Slowly, Celes nodded.


    ¡°Thank you¡­  You¡¯re right, what¡¯s important is that I do everything I can to help.¡±


    As I nodded in agreement, Celes smiled cheerfully.


    Some time later, Sanon returned.  And for some reason, he was carrying a glasses-like metal frame in his mouth.


    ©¤Cele-tan, I brought you an item that will cheer you up.


    Celes tilted her as she received the glasses-like object from the black pig¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ©¤It¡¯s a model of something we call glasses, which I requested from Al-kun a long time ago.  Without getting my hopes up, I asked him through the braided girl just now, and it seems he actually made it and kept it for me.  Here, open it and hook the curved part onto your ears.


    Celes did as Sanon asked and curiously put on the fake glasses.


    ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    The glasses-wearing Celes looked at us.


    Oink!  I oinked honestly!  This girl definitely looks good in glasses!


    I was just thinking about why it was so noisy, it turns out the black pig beside me was breathing heavily.  What an outrageously perverted pig.


    The fact that my own nose was snorting was probably just my imagination.


    ©¤That¡¯s great, Cele-tan!  It fits you perfectly!  Try facing us while slightly lifting it with your hands!


    Celes lightly lifted her glasses as Sanon requested.  Woah, this was definitely¡­


    The black pig stomped his feet beside me, expressing his emotions with his whole body.  Jeez, I can¡¯t take this pervert.  Good grief.


    ©¤Go on, Mr. Lolipo.  Don¡¯t you have any requests?


    I thought about it after Sanon¡¯s inquiry.  Yeah, alright, this is a rare opportunity after all, I might as well ask her to say a line.


    (Celes, try saying this to me¡­)


    After I conveyed the contents to her, Celes, despite her extreme embarrassment, spoke in a small voice.


    ¡°N-¡­ naughty Mister Pigs will be punished.¡±


    Oooiink!


    (Omega good job, Mr. Sanon.)


    ¡ªI know, right?  Ever since I first met her, I¡¯ve always thought that it would suit her.  The intellectual silver rim tightens the contours of her youthful round cheeks!  She¡¯s the ultimate glasses loli!


    ¡­¡­


    Seriously now, this pervert¡¯s a lost cause.  When I¡¯m next to him, I feel like I¡¯ll catch his perversion.


    (Oh right, Celes, how about this?)


    Celes was a bit puzzled by my suggestion, but she did it anyway.


    With her upturned eyes looking at me¡­


    ¡°O-onii-chan.¡±


    Buhyaaaaaa!


    Have any of you ever been called ¡°onii-chan¡± by a thirteen-year-old, glasses-wearing, blonde cute girl?  No?  What a pity!  Sucks to be you!  You didn¡¯t do enough good deeds in your past life!


    Seeing us oink excitedly, Celes shyly smiled.


    ¡°Um¡­  Is this metal accessory really that good?¡±


    ¡ªIt¡¯s the best!


    Due to his overexcitement, a disgusting otaku-like laugh spilled out from the black pig¡¯s mouth.


    >TL Note: ¥Õ¥©¥«¥Ì¥Ý¥¦ is an internet onomatopoeia for an otaku¡¯s disgusting laughter.


    ¡°But¡­ when I put this on, what good does it do specifically¡­?¡±


    The black pig stiffened.  Certainly, if someone asked what¡¯s good about glasses¡­  That¡¯s quite hard to explain.  Would you be able to describe the beauty of glasses with words?


    After pondering, Sanon carefully began his explanation.


    ¡ªGlasses, Cele-tan, are meant to correct your eyesight, and are often used when reading or studying, so they carry an air of intelligence.  Moreover, the glasses are located where your eyes are, and since eyes play a big role in the impression you give to others, not only do they append an intellectual image, they can also act as a tool for changing the atmosphere ¨C and even create a gap moe.  This is what I believe makes them good.


    ¡°Gap moe¡­?¡±


    Celes thought about it for a bit, and after seemingly regaining some of her spirit, she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep it on until Mr. Nott arrives!¡±


    We fell asleep from the exhaustion of the journey, but were woken up by Rossi¡¯s barking.  In my half-asleep, eyes-half-open state, I saw a white body zip up the stairs like a bullet.  The next second, I understood what had happened.


    I can only think of two things that would excite Rossi this much: Jess¡¯ bare legs, and his master.


    Either one is important to me, so I quickly followed Rossi.  The glasses-wearing Celes and black pig also came running from behind me.


    The sky had grown completely dark.  Rossi wagged his white tail forcefully on the deck, as if he was trying to smash it, and was on top of someone while licking their face.  Josh held a lantern, and next to him stood an unfamiliar, honest-looking boy that seemed to be near the same age as Celes.  The boy wore drab and loose clothes, and looked confused by the sudden appearance of a party of animals.


    ¡°Calm down, I get it¡­¡±


    I felt nostalgic when I heard a handsome-sounding-guy¡¯s voice.


    It was Nott.  But when he got up from underneath Rossi, I was shocked.


    Tattered clothes.  Sunken cheeks.  A limply dangling left arm.  A blackened bruise around his larynx.  A large cut wound that ran from his right cheek to the side of his head.  And long, wild blonde hair. ¨C How should I put this?  He¡¯s completely different from how I remember him.  His change was akin to a certain genius high school student¡¯s after having stumbled across a notebook.


    His gaze first turned towards Itsune, who ran here from the captain¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°You seem to be doing alright, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Itsune let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I really thought we wouldn¡¯t be able to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.  There¡¯s no way I¡¯d die.¡±


    As he said that, Nott patted Itsune¡¯s shoulder with his right hand.  Itsune then gestured with her head at the boy behind Nott.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the kid?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Bart.  He looked after me while I was in the arena.  A lot of things happened, so I brought him with me.¡±


    ¡°Hm, so his name¡¯s Bart.  That¡¯s a nice name.  Are you going to make him your apprentice?¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he looked up at Nott.


    ¡°Maybe someday.¡±


    After that, the wound-covered huntsman finally turned to face us.


    ¡°Celes, so you came.¡±


    Nott walked over.  Celes replied with an excited ¡°Yes!¡± but Nott¡¯s stern expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a dangerous journey.  If you ever want to go home, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Um¡­ Er¡­ Thank you.¡±


    This guy¡­  You have no idea what kind of feeling Celes held to make it this far.


    When I snorted in anger, Nott looked down at me.  I instinctively recoiled.  His eyes were no longer the eyes of the pure-hearted, breast-loving huntsman I knew of.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, you sleazy pig bastard.  I heard from Josh.¡±


    After a slight pause, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Is Jess alive?¡±


    I looked at Celes.  Despite the fact that her eyes were moist underneath her fake glasses, she nodded lightly.


    With Celes¡¯ help in relaying, I conveyed, (Yeah, she should be doing well ¨C inside the capital, of course.)


    Nott¡¯s expression still didn¡¯t change.  He appeared to be thinking about something for a while before responding.


    ¡°I see, good job.¡±


    Without asking anything further, Nott then crouched down in front of the black pig and started chatting with Sanon.


    From the dark deck, we entered the bright captain¡¯s cabin.  Inside, the girl called Litis was waiting nervously.


    Nott, who was discussing his plans with Sanon, immediately froze when he saw her face.  His expression finally changed as his eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°You¡­  Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead¡­?¡±


    The girl tilted her head with a smile that indicated her confusion.


    Nott acted.  With his right hand, he pulled out one of his twin daggers, and in that same breath, he approached Litis.  His blade flashed bright red and drew a beautiful arc right towards the girl¡¯s neck.


    Clang.


    A metallic sound echoed.  Everyone froze at that moment, but Nott calmly put away his dagger and used his arm to support the girl whose knees had buckled.  His handsome face moved near her neck.  It looks like he was scrutinizing the part of her collar that his dagger had hit.


    ¡°It¡¯s real?  ¡­Sorry, guess I made a mistake.¡±


    Nott shook his head and let the girl sit down.  If it¡¯s a real Yesma collar, it can¡¯t be damaged in any way.  From that, he must have determined that this girl was a real Yesma.


    Itsune hastily ran over there and pushed Nott away.


    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden?!¡±


    ¡°My bad.  She just looked kind of like the Yesma who helped me escape from the north¡­  So who is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Litis.¡±


    ¡°Litis¡­?¡±  Nott asked back doubtfully.


    Josh then clarified, ¡°She lost all her memories up until recently and was wandering around this area.  Although she has a northern-like accent, she¡¯s a genuine Yesma, so we took her in.  We didn¡¯t know her name, so sis called her Litis.¡±


    ¡°That so?  ¡­Man, it¡¯s just been one crazy thing after another.¡±


    Nott sat down on a nearby wooden crate before suddenly turning back towards Celes.


    ¡°Celes, is it true that Bapsas burned down?¡±


    Hearing Nott¡¯s question, Celes answered immediately.


    ¡°Yes.  We were attacked by the Northern army three days ago in the morning¡­¡±


    ¡°So there were Orgs?¡±


    Celes nodded.  Nott averted his eyes from Celes and sighed.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my fault Bapsas was burned down.  I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Silence.  Feeling concerned, I interjected.


    (What do you mean by ¡°it¡¯s my fault¡±?)


    His cloudy eyes looked over here.


    ¡°Remember that big guy we met at the Forest of Needles?¡±


    (I believe he was called En the Dismemberer?)


    ¡°Right.  It seems he had some kind of deep ties with the new Northern king¡¯s personal torturer, and since I killed him, that torturer held a bitter grudge against me.  I was tortured without being interrogated, and even Bapsas, which is related to me, was¡­  Those guys from the north are still after me.  I seem to be treated like a thorn in their side.¡±


    Torturer¡­?  Does he mean to say that the grudge of a mere torturer was able to mobilize the Northern army?


    While I was concerning myself with the details, Celes placed her hands on her chest and loudly asked, ¡°You were tortured?¡±


    Nott glanced at Celes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any long-term effects.  My torture was interrupted half-way because a wild boar was rampaging in a govern camp and a Yesma escaped or something.¡±


    ¡°But it must have been painful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.  Compared to the pain I suffered five years ago, physical pain doesn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ s-sorry¡­¡±


    Celes¡¯ voice instantly wilted.


    I contemplated.  We already know why Bapsas was singled out and targeted.  It¡¯s because the village is closely related to the Liberation Army¡¯s leader, Nott, and they deeply resent him.  However, how was it possible for the Northern Forces to only attack Bapsas with pinpoint accuracy without damaging any of the cities north of Bapsas?  And one other question remains.  Was it really a coincidence that Bapsas was attacked the morning after we were transferred to Mestria again?


    While I worried about that, Josh walked in-between us and handed something to Nott.


    ¡°Since Celes took the effort to come here, Nott, take this and use it.¡±


    In his hand was a black hexagonal column ¨C it¡¯s the source of magic power, a rista.


    Nott laid down on the wooden floor.  Celes knelt beside him, held the black rista with both hands, and pressed it firmly against her forehead.  She closed her eyes tightly.


    When a Yesma prays with a black rista, they are able to perform miracles that only mages can do.  The most notable example is healing injuries and illnesses.


    The cut on the side of Nott¡¯s head steadily disappeared in no time.


    We watched them from a distance.


    Josh whispered towards Sanon and me.


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous of Nott.  With Celes around, no matter how serious the injuries are, they¡¯ll be healed.¡±


    I had the girl Litis act as my relay and asked Josh.


    (What do you mean?  Is Celes good at healing?)


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­  What¡¯s the best way to put it?  Sanon, please explain.¡±


    ¡ªA Yesma¡¯s ability to heal a person through their prayer depends heavily on the intensity of their feelings.  It¡¯s not a matter of knowledge or skill.  If the person is a complete stranger, they might not even be able to heal a hangnail.  Only when they¡¯re healing someone important to them will the prayer have a great effect.  When it comes to No-kun, Cele-tan¡¯s feelings are strong enough to heal wounds as severe as those.


    I was reminded of what Sanon said to Martha back at the Sleeping Foal Inn.


    ¡ªWhen it comes to the ability to heal Nott-kun, Celes-chan is by far the best at it.  She¡¯s a necessary existence for the Liberation Army.


    I was then spontaneously reminded of the Yesma girl who healed me when I was stabbed at the Quiltlin family¡¯s farm.  The pig, which had been injured so badly that it almost died from blood loss, made a full recovery.  That was how much Jess cared for and needed me.


    And yet, I¡­


    Maybe that was why Brace had given up on her life.  I thought that, as long as we had a rista, Jess might¡¯ve been able to heal the wound on Brace¡¯s abdomen.  But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    I took it for granted and misunderstood the Yesmas¡¯ abilities.  I self-servingly assumed that, no matter the injury, it would be straightforward to heal.  However, that wasn¡¯t so.


    I shook my head and pushed aside these unnecessary thoughts.  Seriously, what am I thinking about over here?


    After a few minutes, the prayer was finished.  Nott got up and rotated both arms.  Though the bruise-like mark on his throat hasn¡¯t disappeared, everything else seems to have healed up.


    ¡°Thanks, Celes.  You must be tired.  Go and get some rest downstairs.¡±


    Celes stretched her hand out towards Nott, but then withdrew it after thinking about something.


    ¡°Um¡­ Can¡¯t I stay here with you?¡±


    Nott frowned, appearing puzzled.


    ¡°Well¡­ I appreciate the sentiment, Celes, but your help isn¡¯t really needed while we¡¯re preparing for departure.  You only need to come and help relay the conversation when I need to talk to Sanon or the sleazy pig about our plans.  You must¡¯ve had a long journey, so rest up until your next task.¡±


    ¡°R-right, I understand¡­¡±


    Whoa, whoa, whoa.  What are you, a fucking thickheaded light novel protagonist?  This definitely got on my nerves.


    Celes rushed over here and gave me and the black pig a smile.


    ¡°¡­That looks to be it, so let¡¯s get some rest downstairs for the time being.  Mr. Sanon and Mr. Shitty Virgin must be tired after walking all this time.¡±


    The fake glasses hanging above her clumsy smile, which were never mentioned in the end, gleamed in vain.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to like it very much,¡± Celes remarked with a forced smile.  And after taking off the fake glasses, she laid face down on the hammock.  However, she didn¡¯t sleep and helped relay the conversation between me and Sanon.


    ¡ªWhat happens from here on out is important, Mr. Lolipo.  We were able to safely reunite with No-kun and the others, but this is only the first step.  We must now do our best to lend them our knowledge and change this world.


    There was no trace of that happy lolicon otaku in the voice that reached my mind.


    ¡ªLet¡¯s focus on defeating those despicable bunches, the Northern Forces, first.  Though we don¡¯t share the royal dynasty¡¯s ideals, we may eventually need to fight alongside them in order to accomplish this.  When that time comes, Mr. Lolipo, as the only one who has had contact with the royal dynasty, you will become a key person-, or rather, a key pig.  You understand, right?


    (Of course.  Leave it to me.)


    ¡ªAfter defeating the Northern Forces, our next objective, naturally, will be liberating the Yesmas.  As of now, I have no idea how we¡¯ll tackle the root of the problem ¨C the royal dynasty; but even so, Mr. Lolipo remains a key pig for being close to the royal dynasty.  Worst case scenario, you might end up on the side of the royal dynasty, and I on the side of the Liberation Army; it¡¯s possible that we¡¯ll be pulled into their conflict.  But our goal remains the same ¨C it¡¯s to save those unfortunate girls.  Please let me confirm that with you again.


    (Right.  There¡¯s no doubt about that.  Let¡¯s do our best.)


    I then deliberated over things.  The liberation of Yesmas ¨C this goal, which is Nott¡¯s earnest wish, is of course mine as well.  There¡¯s no way I can just say ¡°it can¡¯t be helped¡± to those girls who are tormented and killed like Brace was.


    That being said, however¡­  The maintenance mechanism which uses Yesmas can also be said to be the linchpin of the royal dynasty¡¯s policies to prevent the return of the Dark Ages.  And Jess is now a member of the royal dynasty.  If I, by any chance, was forced to weigh the liberation of Yesmas against Jess¡¯ happiness, would I really be able to choose to free the Yesmas?


    I was the one to ask Jess to live as a member of the royal dynasty.  Do I really have the right to say something like ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy the royal dynasty after all¡±?  When Nott¡¯s wish is fulfilled, will I be able to make sure Jess can happy once we¡¯re on the other side of the world that I destroyed¡­?


    The black pig snorted.  Was my hesitation transmitted to him?


    ¡ªMr. Lolipo, can I ask you a question?


    In response to his serious tone, I replied earnestly.


    (Please.)


    ¡ªWhy do you think the Yesma girls wholeheartedly express their thoughts towards Mr. Lolipo and me?


    I was expecting to be admonished for my hesitation, so I was relieved.


    (That¡¯s¡­ probably because we¡¯re always snuggling up to them?)


    ¡ªNo, that¡¯s not why.


    (Erm¡­ then what do you think, Mr. Sanon?)


    ¡ªIt¡¯s because we¡¯re pigs.


    The black pig appeared surreal and somewhat terrifying as he stood still and stared at me.


    (Because we¡¯re pigs¡­?)


    ¡ªYes.  The reason why the Yesma girls open their hearts towards us absolute creeps is not because we¡¯re reliable nice guys.  It¡¯s because we¡¯re pigs.  We¡¯re the only ones that they, who are at the bottom, can trust, because we¡¯re existences that aren''t even qualified to be at the bottom.


    I was caught off guard.  Jess, Celes, and Brace¡­ they shared their sincerest feelings with me.  Even though we had just met, they would cry and hug me¡­  As if the floodgates had been opened, they would tell me about their sufferings and desires.  It wasn¡¯t because they concluded I was trustworthy.  It was because they had no one else to talk to ¨C no one but a pig.


    Because I was the first existence that was lesser than they were.


    I''m sure it''s the same for everyone.  Those girls who supported society without any complaints must have suffered to the extent of having given up, but they had no one to confide in, and lived only to be exploited and killed.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not true.¡±


    Celes raised her head and interjected.


    ¡°Mr. Sanon and Mr. Shitty Virgin are both wonderful people.  It definitely wasn¡¯t because you two are pigs.  I never thought of it like that¡­¡±


    The black pig¡¯s eyes remained bored into me.  His message was clear.


    Consider why we¡¯re pigs.  That¡¯s why we came to Mestria.  It¡¯s the worth of our existence, as well as our mission-


    Midnight.  Rocked by the gentle waves, I was sound asleep on the ship when Celes poked me awake.  I passed by the black pig that was curled up sleeping and followed her to the deck.  The cool sea breeze blew away the smell of tar, and the gentle sound of waves echoed rhythmically.


    Josh sat cross-legged and was dozing off on the lookout point at the main mast (crow¡¯s nest).  Looks like the preparations for the Broken Collar were pretty much done, and now they¡¯re just waiting for the other ships to be ready for departure.  Celes sat behind a temporarily placed wooden crate with her hands over her knees so that Josh wouldn¡¯t be able to see her, and invited me to sit beside her.


    ¡ªI¡¯m sorry for waking you up while you¡¯re resting.


    (It¡¯s fine.  Did you want to consult me about something?)


    ¡ªUm¡­ half so, half not so.


    (Anything is fine, go ahead.)


    ¡ªWhat Mr. Sanon said earlier¡­  It might have been true.  If Mr. Shitty Virgin wasn¡¯t a pig, I don¡¯t think I would have confided in you about Mr. Nott that night three months ago.


    (Yeah, I think so too.  I didn¡¯t misunderstand anything about that, so don¡¯t worry.)


    ¡ªBut Ms. Jess was different.


    Celes¡¯ large eyes locked onto me.


    ¡ªI didn¡¯t tell you at the time, but¡­ Ms. Jess likes you.  It¡¯s similar to the feelings I have for Mr. Nott.  It definitely wasn¡¯t because Mr. Shitty Virgin was a pig that she trusted you.  I just really needed to let you know this¡­


    Her large eyes watered, and she turned away from me.


    ¡ªTo be honest, I¡¯m really, really envious.  To think that there¡¯s two people who could reciprocate each other¡¯s love like that¡­  To think that there¡¯s someone who¡¯s willing to be by her side no matter what¡­  I¡¯m really jealous of Ms. Jess¡­  That¡¯s why, even though I don¡¯t know why you two separated, I hope that one day you¡¯ll be able to return to where Ms. Jess is.  Because I believe Mr. Shitty Virgin belongs by her side.


    Celes¡¯ small hands were tightly clenched in front of her shins.


    ¡ªUm¡­  Sorry I didn¡¯t say it very well¡­


    (Thank you.  I got what you wanted to say.)


    And I knew exactly what I needed to say to her.


    (The other half is consulting about Nott, right?)


    ¡ª¡­Yes.


    Celes didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of looking at me.


    (Mr. Sanon¡¯s a kind guy, but his vision¡¯s too grand, so it¡¯s probably hard to confide in him.)


    Celes shook her head vaguely.  Though that guy¡¯s a serious lolicon, at his core, he¡¯s still a person with a sense of responsibility.  Rather than Celes¡¯ feelings, he¡¯s someone that cares more about future of Nott and the Liberation Army.  So I doubt she can ask Sanon for any personal advice.


    (Nott¡­ that guy really is a bastard.  Even though such a cute and dedicated girl in glasses came to see him, how dare he treat her so coldly?)


    ¡ªUm, I¡¯m not cute at all¡­


    (Nonsense.  Your cuteness is only second to Jess.)


    Celes smiled a little and conveyed a thank you.


    ¡ªI¡¯m fine with this.  Mr. Nott is only looking ahead now¡­  I know he can¡¯t afford to look at me.  As long as I can stay by his side and be helpful to him, that¡¯s enough for me.


    Tears fell from Celes¡¯ eyes onto her knees.


    ¡ªBut, it¡¯s still really painful¡­  What can I do to get rid of this pain?


    (Who said Nott won¡¯t look at you, Celes?)


    As I conveyed that, Celes turned to me with a resigned look.


    ¡ªIt¡¯s obvious to anyone that looks at us.  We don¡¯t match at all.  Mr. Nott is a hero that¡¯s loved by everyone, whereas I¡¯m just a small countryside maid¡­  Besides, I don¡¯t have any breasts to speak of¡­


    (Come on now, what¡¯s a thirteen-year-old girl saying?  It could grow bigger in the future.)


    ¡ªDoes it look like it will¡­?


    Well, I certainly can¡¯t imagine a Celes with big boobs.


    ¡ªSee¡­?


    Um, that was my monologue¡­


    (But let me say this.  I don¡¯t think Nott likes women with big boobs, he just likes big boobs.)


    I felt like I just said a very philosophical sentence.


    ¡ªWhy do you believe that?


    (After all, the girl he liked ¨C Ys, her boobs weren¡¯t that big, right?)


    ¡ªErm¡­  How are you so sure of that¡­?


    (It¡¯s simple.  Martha and Nott both said that Jess and Ys look alike.)


    ¡ª¡­¡­


    Huh?  Did I say something weird?


    Celes giggled.


    ¡ªIf you say that, won¡¯t you be scolded by Ms. Jess?


    Though it took some sophistry, nothing beats having her laugh like this.


    (It¡¯ll be fine.  No one other than Celes is listening.)


    ¡ªReally now?


    Suddenly, a different voice resonated in my head.


    When I looked around in surprise, I spotted someone in a black robe crouched behind Celes.  The figure was wearing a hood, so I couldn¡¯t see its face.  It quickly covered Celes¡¯ mouth.  She jerked for a moment before she closed her eyes and her head went limp.  Her hands loosened around her knees.


    What.  Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¡°Snort!  Snoort!¡±


    I hurriedly cried, before the suspicious, robed individual jumped in front of me and held my nose with both hands.


    The face hidden beneath the hood was now visible.  It had a sculpture-like chiseled face, and curly blonde hair.


    It was the king¡¯s grandson, Shulavis.


    ¡ªPlease be quiet.  I don¡¯t want to be discovered.  The girl¡¯s fine.


    After letting go of me, Shulavis gently hugged Celes, who was about to lose her balance, and laid her down on the deck.  Confused, I couldn¡¯t move.


    That¡¯s when I heard a whistling sound before something hit Shulavis¡¯ back.  Did he have iron plates underneath his robe?  Because that ¡°something¡± bounced off with a clink.


    I looked at what fell on the floor.  It was a crossbow arrow.


    Shulavis quickly stood up, and without looking, he held his hand towards the direction the arrow came from.  A bluish white electricity shot out from the tip of his fingers and hit the crow¡¯s nest.  I watched as Josh collapsed on the spot.


    The next moment, a thunderbolt-like flash and explosion noise occurred, and part of the deck was torn apart.  Amidst the wood splinters, a figure jumped up from the floor below with a greataxe in hand.


    With the dark sky as the background, I could see the axe was enveloped in electricity.  The figure that leapt up into the air spun and used that momentum to line up the blade of the axe with Shulavis-


    Watch out!


    ¡ªGet back.


    Shulavis¡¯ voice echoed in my mind, and I took a step back to protect Celes.


    Clang!


    The greataxe¡¯s blade landed firmly onto Shulavis¡¯ arms, which were crossed in front of his face, but it was repelled as it gave off an intense spark explosion.


    Despite not being injured, Shulavis staggered and took a few steps back due to the impact.


    Flames flashed from the corner of my eyes, and a figure leapt behind Shulavis.


    It was Nott.  He was already behind Shulavis.  He had his arm around Shulavis¡¯ neck, and pointed a glowing red dagger at Shulavis¡¯ throat.


    ¡°Surrender now, and give us your name.¡±


    Threatened by Nott, Shulavis remained still.  Itsune regained her posture after her attack was repelled and pointed the tip of her greataxe at Shulavis.


    It was a perfectly executed teamwork of wave attack.  Josh diverts their attention, Itsune uses a big move to break their balance, and Nott slips in.  Naturally, any normal human being would¡¯ve died three times over by now.


    ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t be giving you my name, nor will I be surrendering.¡±


    It was a calm voice.


    ¡°To be able to knock aside a greataxe, you must not be human.  Are you a mage?¡±  Itsune questioned.


    ¡°And if I said yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±  Nott answered immediately.


    ¡°Can you kill me?  Think about the situation you¡¯re in.¡±


    Shulavis pushed aside the dagger at his throat and stepped away from Nott.  Nott was frozen in his posture from where he stood behind Shulavis.  He appeared immobile.


    Clad in his black robe, Shulavis controlled the scene with an overwhelming presence.


    ¡°Sorry for the disturbance.  I have no intentions of fighting you all.  The girl and the archer on the crow¡¯s nest are simply unconscious.  I don¡¯t intend to fault you for letting a Yesma on board your ship, nor do I intend to inform the royal army about this ship.  All I ask for is this pig.¡±


    Before I knew it, I was pulled by an invisible force and floated in the air.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll never be able to understand each other completely, but I hope that one day, we¡¯ll be able to make Mestria a better place together.¡±


    After plainly saying that, Shulavis walked over to the edge of the boat, and jumped over the railing into the sea.  My body also moved to follow suit.  About ten meters below, on the surface of the sea, Shulavis was waiting on a boat next to the ship as a matter-of-factly.


    During my float down to the surface of the sea, I honestly thought I was going to piss myself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After I boarded, the boat began to glide on the surface of the sea like a jet ski.


    Shulavis brought me to a coastal fort that was said to be managed by the royal dynasty.  A row of soldiers from the royal army stood lined up at the entrance gate with guns and spears.


    The stone-built fort was a rectangular, horizontal structure that was built as if to hug the Niabel coastline, which was a cliff.  Its interiors were also just exposed, rugged grey stones with torches dotted everywhere to light its long and dark corridors.  Through the corridors¡¯ barred windows, you could look down and see the pitch-black sea.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve been imagining things, but were you talking about the size of Jess¡¯ breasts earlier?¡±


    While speed walking through the empty corridor, Shulavis asked that as if he was suddenly reminded of the subject.


    (No, of course not¡­  I wouldn¡¯t dare talk about the future queen¡¯s boobs like that¡­)


    Shulavis shrugged as I tried to fool him.


    ¡°Forget it.  In exchange, answer me this: why did you return?¡±


    He asked without looking at me.


    ¡°Why,¡± you ask¡­


    ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t give up on Jess?¡±


    (Wrong.)


    I immediately denied that.


    ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t forgive Grandfather¡¯s policy ¨C the way the Yesmas are treated?¡±


    (¡­What would you do if I said yes?)


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who needs to think about that.¡±


    Shulavis stopped and opened the door to his right.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­, I thought, as I peeked into the other side only to find it was just an empty room.


    ¡°Jess isn¡¯t here.  She¡¯s on stand-by in another room.¡±


    Hearing that, my heart skipped a beat.  Blood rushed through my body, and I felt my liver beginning to heat up.  Jess is here in Niabel?


    ¡°The situation¡¯s a bit complicated.  If you accept my terms, I¡¯ll let you meet Jess.¡±


    Shulavis stated as he sat down in the chair placed near the wall.  And behind me, the door closed on its own.


    (Terms?)


    I asked while calming my breathing down.


    ¡°I have three conditions.  First, become my ally.¡±


    It was then that Shulavis finally removed his hood, revealing his fair skin and western-sculpturesque chiseled features.  His thick brows furrowed forcefully, further reinforcing his seriousness.


    (You want this kind of powerless pig as an ally?)


    Without nodding, Shulavis continued.


    ¡°There are times where even I want to rely on a pig for help.  The situation in the royal dynasty has changed.  Grandfather ¨C King Evis, was cursed by someone and is currently bedridden in the capital.  The next in line to command is my father, Markus.¡±


    (Wait, the king was cursed?  By who?)


    ¡°If we knew, we wouldn¡¯t be having such a hard time.  One thing I can say for certain is that Grandfather doesn¡¯t have long to live.¡±


    Shulavis spoke indifferently.


    ¡°Although Father is a man of conviction, he¡¯s also ruthless and not as thoughtful as Grandfather.  If the politics are left to him, Mestria will definitely change for the worse.  I can¡¯t ignore this, so I want you to cooperate with me.¡±


    (Is your father that unreasonable?)


    ¡°He¡¯s short-tempered and very extreme.  He was the one to burn down the entire Bapsas monastery.  Even now, after disobeying Grandfather¡¯s orders and burning down the Northern royal castle, he¡¯s currently flying around without any clues on the Northern army¡¯s location.  Grandfather clearly told him not to attack until after we¡¯ve figured out their chain of commands¡­¡±


    Hold on, hold on.  Shulavis¡¯ father was responsible for burning down the monastery?  And he also burned down the Northern royal castle?  What is he, an arson specialist performer?


    After organizing my thoughts, I conveyed, (I understand that you have some qualms about your father¡¯s reign.  I have no objections to your viewpoints so far, but what can I do as a pig?)


    ¡°That¡¯s the second condition.  I want you to act as our intermediary with the Liberation Army.¡±


    (Intermediary¡­  Couldn¡¯t you do that yourself?)


    ¡°You already saw what happened.  The Liberation Army hates us enough to want us dead, since the royal dynasty is the root cause of the Yesma system.  In fact, they almost succeeded in killing me¡­  I honestly thought I was going to die.¡±


    (Really¡­?  You seemed to have fended them off with ease.)


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this robe that Grandfather made, I would¡¯ve died for sure.  If that fire-wielding swordsman had stabbed my throat in one go, I would¡¯ve been finished there.  I¡¯m-, the royal dynasty is not in a position to negotiate directly with them.  That¡¯s why I want you to play that role.¡±


    (I see.  I should be able to do that if that¡¯s the case.  But I don¡¯t know what you plan on negotiating with the Liberation Army.  Do you think it¡¯ll go well, fighting alongside people who don¡¯t get along with you?)


    ¡°That¡­  To be honest, I don¡¯t know yet.  But one thing¡¯s for certain ¨C if things continue the way they are now, neither the royal dynasty, nor the Liberation Army will survive.  While we¡¯re confronting each other, the threat from the north looms.  They¡¯re an unidentified, powerful foe, and no matter how many times we defeat them, another military force springs up.  At this rate, we¡¯ll both be annihilated; even though we both share the same desire to make this country a better place¡­  For the future of Mestria, I believe there¡¯s a better path than the current situation.  I hope that you can find it with me.¡±


    On closer inspection, Shulavis¡¯ seemingly calm eyes were filled with anxiety.  Unforeseen events must¡¯ve happened one after another.  That¡¯s why he turned to this pig for help.


    (Understood.  So what¡¯s the third condition?)


    When I asked, Shulavis averted his eyes from me and pondered briefly before answering.


    ¡°This might be the hardest thing for you, but¡­¡±


    Shulavis¡¯ eyes were staring straight at me.


    ¡°Grandfather has completely sealed away Jess¡¯ memories ¨C from the time she left the house she served up to when you left.  Naturally, she doesn¡¯t remember you at all.  I want you to pretend that tonight is your first time meeting Jess, and that you¡¯ll never reveal your true identity.¡±


    What¡­?


    ¡°Grandfather seems to have his own plans, and even I¡¯ve been forbidden from touching upon the blank areas of Jess¡¯ memories.  I hope you¡¯re able to respect the king¡¯s wish.  If you can¡¯t abide by it, I can¡¯t let you meet Jess.¡±


    My mind went blank for a moment, but I calmed down and reconsidered.


    Isn¡¯t this convenient for me as well?


    I wanted to see Jess, but I¡¯m also someone that once withdrew from her life.  And since she¡¯s now a relative of the king, Jess is in a position where she¡¯s guaranteed a future.  To be frank, I didn¡¯t know what kind of face I should put on if I were to meet her.


    Isn¡¯t the perfect answer already prepared for me here?  Right?  Don¡¯t you all think so too?


    I¡¯ll be able to see Jess again without getting in the way of her life-


    (I¡¯m in.  Alright.  I just have to become your ally, act as the intermediary with the Liberation Army, and pretend to be meeting Jess for the first time, right?  It¡¯s more interesting than I expected, so let me help.)


    Perhaps my over-enthusiasm caused him to be suspicious, Shulavis cautiously spoke.


    ¡°Great.  But can I ask you one more thing?¡±


    (Sure.)


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s currently in name only, Jess is supposed to be my fianc¨¦.  And I know how you think of Jess.  That¡¯s why I want to ask: don¡¯t you hate me?¡±


    ¡­Hate?  Did he really think I would hold those kind of feelings?


    (Are you misunderstanding something?  I don¡¯t like Jess.  Jess is simply my oshi.  A good otaku is someone that silently supports their oshi.  By no means will they ever reach out to their oshi, nor will they ever become jealous over their oshi.  They simply root for their oshi from behind and wish for their oshi¡¯s happiness.)


    >TL Note: ÍƤ· is commonly used to describe an idol that someone actively supports.  A more suitable English equivalent here would be waifu, but that sounded too weird here.  For more context: https://japanoscope.com/oshi-meaning-%E6%8E%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF/


    You guys are like that too, right?  A virtuous otaku is someone that will never fall wholeheartedly in love with their oshi.


    Shulavis watched me for some time, but before long, he smiled as if he had understood something.


    ¡°¡­I see.  Then let¡¯s treat it like that¡¯s the case.  I can trust you, right?¡±


    (Of course.  If I break my promise, I don¡¯t mind if you boil me, grill me, or eat me raw.)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not stupid.  I won¡¯t eat a pig raw¡­¡±


    Oh, alright.


    (Then it¡¯s decided.  If you¡¯re convinced, let me meet my oshi.)


    I walked silently down the dark corridor.  My pig heart wouldn¡¯t stop thumping.  After all, I was about to meet my oshi.


    I looked out a window and spotted a large ship with its sails extended out, about to leave the port.  It was the Broken Collar.  Looks like they¡¯re finally ready.  Since they were discovered by someone from the royal dynasty, they were probably feeling uncomfortable and looking to leave Niabel as soon as possible.


    Niabel¡¯s port was between two promontories which protruded out like the jaws of a stag beetle.  The dark ocean extended beyond the promontories.  Where will the Broken Collar take Nott, Celes, and Sanon?


    ¡­Hm?


    What¡¯s this uneasiness?  Is it because I¡¯m about to meet a cute blonde girl?  No, this bad feeling is more like¡­


    I recalled Nott¡¯s words.


    ¡ªThose guys from the north are still after me.  I seem to be treated like a thorn in their side.


    And then there¡¯s what Shulavis said earlier.


    ¡ªEven now, after disobeying Grandfather¡¯s orders and burning down the Northern royal castle, he¡¯s currently flying around without any clues on the Northern army¡¯s location.


    Am I overthinking this?  It seems that the Northern army, which placed killing Nott as their top priority, is no longer near the capital, and is nowhere to be found.  I doubt that huntsman is accustomed to the sea.  I just hope they don¡¯t encounter the Northern army while they¡¯re at sea¡­


    I then remembered how, when the Northern army attacked Bapsas, there was the smell of the sea drifting from their direction, and the monsters called Orgs had webbed things on their limbs¡­


    Finally, there¡¯s the question I had while on the ship.


    ¡ªHow was it possible for the Northern Forces to only attack Bapsas with pinpoint accuracy without damaging any of the cities north of Bapsas?


    It can¡¯t be explained if they were advancing on land.  But what about from the sea?  Aren¡¯t those webbing-like structures on the Orgs¡¯ suitable for traversing through the sea?


    (You know what, hold on.)


    When I called out, Shulavis stopped.  He placed a finger against his lips and thought hard about something.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your conjectures.  I was reminded of something that Grandfather found mystifying.  Despite its size, the Northern army is rarely spotted by the hecklepons¡¯ surveillance network.  This is on top of the fact that the hecklepons are currently concentrated on the north side.  Why do you think that is?¡±


    (¡­Because there are no hecklepons in the sea?)


    ¡°Yeah, that possibility seems very likely.¡±


    Shulavis looked towards the sea.  The fleet led by the Broken Collar appeared ready for departure.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be bad if this continues.  If they¡¯re surrounded in the sea, the Liberation Army might even be annihilated.¡±


    (Then you should hurry up and warn them.  The ship might¡¯ve already set sail.)


    After thinking about it for a while, Shulavis spoke.


    ¡°¡­Understood.  I¡¯ll deliver the message to them quickly.  Jess is in the room at the end of this hallway.  Please wait there with her.¡±


    As he was about to leave, he turned around again.


    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t forget about your promise.¡±


    Shulavis put on his hood and ran back through the corridor he just came from.


    I looked at the end of the stone corridor where there was an old-looking wooden door.  The door was made from glossy amber-colored wood.  I averted my eyes.  On the black sea in the distance, the ship began slowly moving.


    Well, I can¡¯t just stand here.  Shulavis already left.  If I don¡¯t have someone I can communicate with, I¡¯m just an ordinary pig.  Yeah.  I have no choice but to open that door.


    The pig¡¯s heart ¨C my heart, wouldn¡¯t stop pounding.  I slowly walked forward.


    I reached the end.  The door handle was too high.  I can¡¯t reach it with my feet.


    The last time I was this nervous about opening a door was probably when my high school homeroom teacher told me to ¡°come to the staff room later.¡±  I was so worried at the time, because I thought they had caught on to the fact that I was reading an erotic light novel during class.


    No, no.  What am I thinking?  Hurry up already.


    Taking the plunge, I slammed the door with my snout.  Bam!  The door rattled.


    ¡°¡­Mr. Shulavis?¡±


    A nostalgic voice came from inside.  No, I can¡¯t.  I can¡¯t do this.  I¡¯m still not-


    The door opened.  An unbelievably cute girl was standing there.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Our eyes met.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong?  What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Did you get separated from your owner?¡±


    The girl crouched.  Her knees were defenselessly open, and a white¡­


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    This won¡¯t do.  She can see through all my monologues.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­¡±


    Her brown eyes peered at me.


    ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    Hearing that, I realized cold drops of water were running down my cheeks.  No, these are¡­


    ¡°Um¡­  By any chance, is Mister Pig able to understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    (T-that¡¯s right, oink!  I¡¯m actually a pig fairy, oink!)


    ¡°Eeeeeeh?!  You¡¯re a fairy?!¡±


    You really bought that?  What are you, an innocent light novel heroine?


    ¡°¡­Light novel?¡±


    Puzzled, the cute girl tilted her head.  Wait, no.  That¡¯s not what I wanted to talk about.


    (E-erm, to answer your question from earlier, pork!  The reason why I¡¯m shedding tears is not because I¡¯m happy or sad, pork!  If a foreign object gets into your eyes, tears will reflexively come out to try and wash it away, pork!)


    ¡°Your sentence ender changed¡­?¡±


    Oh no.  I was too shaken, so I messed up my character.


    ¡°Um, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.  Besides, real pigs don¡¯t make sounds such as oink or pork¡­¡±


    True.  I¡¯ll pursue realism from now on and end my lines by snorting.


    ¡°What a strange Mister Pig.¡±


    The cute girl giggled.


    ¡°Speaking of which, why did you come here?¡±


    That¡¯s right.  I didn¡¯t come here to admire a cute girl¡¯s panties.


    After an ¡°Ah,¡± Jess quickly stood up and lightly pressed against her skirt with her hands.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for showing you something so unsightly¡­¡±


    A white blouse and a navy blue skirt.  They were clothes I felt like I had seen before.


    (Shulavis brought me here.  He told me to wait here until he returns.)


    ¡°I see!  In that case, please come in.  It¡¯ll be difficult to talk here.¡±


    Jess led me inside the room.  It appeared to be a living room.  Two chairs were facing each other with papers spread across the small wooden table in-between them.


    She must have spent time with Shulavis here.  Probably just the two of them together.


    Jess sat down in one of the chairs and looked directly at me.


    ¡°Um¡­ do you happen to know me, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Eh?  No, I don¡¯t know you at all¡­)


    I¡¯m just your loosely acquainted person B.


    ¡°Oh, I see.  You seemed to know my name, so I thought¡­¡±


    (I heard it from Shulavis.  He said that his fianc¨¦, Jess, is in this room, and that we should wait here together.)


    ¡°Mr. Shulavis said that¡­?¡±


    Jess tilted her head.  Did I say something strange?


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.  It¡¯s just that, Mr. Shulavis never once asserted that I was his fianc¨¦ before¡­¡±


    (I see.  By the way, I would be glad if you could pretend to not hear my monologues, and only respond to those with parentheses in them.)


    ¡°Parentheses¡­  Okay, I understand.¡±


    Great.  Now I don¡¯t need to worry about being asked the subject regarding Shulavis mentioning Jess¡¯ breast size.


    Jess¡¯ cheeks instantly flushed red.  She placed her hand on her chest as if she minded, and turned away.  However, she didn¡¯t broach the subject of my monologue.  It really helps that she¡¯s so understanding.


    ¡°How¡­ how are you able to understand what I¡¯m saying, Mister Pig?  Were you originally a human?¡±


    Jess tried to steer the conversation away.


    (That¡¯s right.  I was born and raised in another country, but after eating raw pig liver, I fainted and somehow became a pig in Mestria.  Sounds kinda stupid, doesn¡¯t it?)


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­  I was taught that pork shouldn¡¯t be eaten raw.  I don¡¯t know how it was in the country you came from, Mister Pig, but it might be best to heat it up before eating from now on.¡±


    Jess turned to face me and smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t think this is something I should be saying to Mister Pig¡­¡±


    It can¡¯t be helped since Jess already said it.  Did everyone get that?  Heat the pig liver.


    If it was properly cooked, I wouldn¡¯t have had to experience these kinds of emotions.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig, if you have something in your eyes, would you like me to get some water for you to wash them?¡±


    (It¡¯s fine.  Don¡¯t worry about it.)


    I closed my eyes and shook my head to shake off the tears.  I¡¯m not good at dealing with amnesia.


    (¡­How are things lately?  Doing well?)


    ¡°Eh?  Are you asking me¡­?¡±


    (No, sorry, that¡¯s not what I meant.  Why would I care about you?  I¡¯m talking about Shulavis.)


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­ you were asking about Mr. Shulavis, right?  He seems quite healthy.¡±


    (I heard that the royal dynasty is having a rough time.  Including you, everyone must be very busy.)


    ¡°Yeah, erm¡­¡±


    Jess hesitated.  Well, that¡¯s no surprise.  It¡¯s not like she can just talk about the internal affairs of the royal dynasty with an unknown pig.


    (Well, I¡¯m sure there are some things you can¡¯t talk about, but I¡¯m on good terms with Shulavis, so I have a relatively good idea of the royal dynasty¡¯s internal affairs.  I even heard about Evis being cursed, and that Markus is searching everywhere for the Northern army.  You can tell me with confidence.  When Shulavis comes back, you can check with him, and if what I said was wrong, feel free to sashimi or grill me.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think eating you raw is a good idea, but¡­ what you said makes sense.¡±


    With a convinced look, Jess started speaking without any prompt.


    ¡°Everyone seems to be busy due to the war¡­  But I¡¯ve only been learning magic, so it hasn¡¯t been particularly hard on me.¡±


    (I see!  So you¡¯ve learned how to use magic?)


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    Jess responded questioningly.


    (Oops, sorry.  It¡¯s because I heard you were a Yesma up until three months ago, so I was surprised to see that you¡¯re already able to use magic so soon, that¡¯s all.)


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant.  Naturally, I still can¡¯t use any powerful magic.  It¡¯s only to the extent of being able to start a fire¡­  It¡¯s completely useless in battle, and I feel really sorry for letting everyone down.¡±


    (I see.  So you¡¯re not participating in battles, and are here instead to assist Shulavis?)


    ¡°You can say that.  But even if you call it assisting, it¡¯s more like being a burden¡­  I was interested in the outside world, so I asked them to let me leave the capital.¡±


    (You¡¯re interested in the outside world?  That¡¯s a good thing.)


    ¡°Is it¡­?¡±


    Towards Jess, who had lowered her head in disheartenment, I conveyed.


    (There are a lot of people in this world who are only interested in themselves.  It¡¯s commendable for a ruler to try and understand the world, even when it means putting themselves at risk.)


    ¡°Ah, no¡­  It¡¯s not for the sake of the world or anything like that¡­¡±


    (Oh, really?)


    ¡°Yes.  To be honest, my precious memories from when I left the house I was serving up until I entered the capital were sealed away by Evis-sama¡­  But I¡¯m still really curious about them¡­¡±


    Her pure eyes were directed at me.


    ¡°Mister Pig, do you know of a person called Mr. Nott?¡±


    Nott?


    (Yeah, I know him well.  He¡¯s a friend, and the Liberation Army¡¯s leader.)


    ¡°I see¡­  Um, I heard that Mr. Nott started coming into prominence around the same time I entered the capital¡­  I think that might not have been a coincidence, and I may have been helped by him¡­  Perhaps something happened while Mr. Nott was sending me to the capital, which led to him being pursued by the Northern Forces¡­  This matter bothered me, so¡­ I asked to be allowed to accompany Mr. Shulavis on this surveillance mission regarding Mr. Nott.¡±


    What incredible perceptiveness.  Are you a high school detective?


    (So that¡¯s how it is.  Well?  What did you think when you saw Nott?)


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t get a good look at him yet.  I¡®ve been waiting here in Niabel.  When Mr. Nott arrived, I approached the Liberation Army¡¯s ship with Mr. Shulavis, but Mr. Shulavis noticed something and brought me back here¡­  Then, while I was waiting here, Mister Pig showed up.¡±


    I see.  I got a grasp on the situation.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig.  You know Mr. Nott, right?  What kind of person is he like?  Could you please tell me?¡±


    Jess asked enthusiastically, and somewhat clingingly.  Are her past memories that important?


    (He¡¯s a good guy.  Strong, brave, handsome, and hates Yesma hunters more than anyone else¡­  He¡¯s also someone that likes big boobs.)


    ¡°Big¡­¡±


    Jess looked down.  I think I might¡¯ve included some unnecessary information out of personal feelings.


    ¡°Erm, what part was out of personal feelings?¡±


    Jess didn¡¯t let that escape her ears.


    (Never mind, it¡¯s nothing.  Speaking of which, you seem to care a great deal about your sealed memories.)


    ¡°Yes, well¡­  Um, I know what I¡¯m about to say is strange, but I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something very important¡­¡±


    (How can you tell?)


    ¡°By the bookmark.¡±


    (Bookmark?)


    ¡°If all my memories are like a book, my current state feels like the pages, from when I left the house to when I started living in the capital, are all wet and stuck together.  But there¡¯s a bookmark firmly placed inside, and only the feeling that I must revisit it remains¡­¡±


    Jess blushed suddenly and shook her head.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, I shouldn¡¯t keep blabbing about such personal matters¡­  I wonder why?  I feel like I can talk about anything if it¡¯s with Mister Pig.¡±


    (Perhaps you still have your habits from when you were still a Yesma.  You once lived as a human of the lowest class, so if the other party is a person, you aren¡¯t able to discard the impression that they¡¯re superior and probably didn¡¯t open up to them.  Because of this, it¡¯s understandable that you would confide in non-human beings.)


    ¡°I see¡­  That certainly makes sense.¡±


    After saying that with interest, Jess hurriedly corrected herself.


    ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t think Mister Pig is inferior in the slightest!  I just think that you¡¯re someone who¡¯s easy to become intimate with¡­¡±


    (I understand, don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯d be happy if you could just think of me as a pig fairy and get along with me easily.  Snort.)


    Jess giggled.


    Even though I intended on rendezvousing with Nott, the situation suddenly became like this.


    When it comes to fate, it really is hard to know what¡¯ll happen.


    As Jess and I started to worry about Shulavis, who never returned, a large explosion occurred at the sea.  The loud noise drew our attention towards the flames burning at the port.


    ¡°A ship¡¯s on fire¡­¡±


    Jess peered into the telescope and informed me.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ he didn¡¯t make it in time?


    No, they still have Sanon.  If Shulavis had properly informed them of the danger, the Liberation Army wouldn¡¯t have set off into the sea like that.  Something must¡¯ve happened.


    (Please explain the situation to me in more detail.)


    ¡°Okay¡­  A large ship is falling apart and burning¡­  It looks like some of their other ships are also being affected.  A lot of sailing ships are coming from the other side-.  Oh.¡±


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    Jess peered into the telescope so intently that I was worried it would dig into her eye socket.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t sailing ships coming from the other side¡­  They¡¯re strangely shaped¡­ and seem to be moving towards us at an incredible speed.¡±


    At that instant, rays of light burst all across the open sea, and in less than a second, explosions occurred all over the streets of Niabel.  Are we being bombarded from the sea?  Does that mean it¡¯s the Northern army?  Are they here already?  Does this mean Nott¡¯s location was already exposed¡­?


    Jess left the window, pressed her hand against her chest, and anxiously looked over here.


    ¡°W-what do we do¡­?¡±


    (It¡¯ll be alright.  They¡¯ve already been warned in advance.  The Liberation Army and Shulavis should have had some time to prepare for a counterattack.)


    By the time I conveyed that, the shelling from Niabel¡¯s side had begun.  Pillars of water rose up from the sea after the roars of cannon fires.


    (What¡¯s happening now?)


    Jess did her best to look through the telescope and inform me of the situation.


    ¡°Because the burning ships are blocking them, the oddly-shaped ships don¡¯t appear to have entered the port yet.¡±


    I see, so they intentionally set fire to their ships.  They likely blew up those ships with no one on board to purposefully entangle the enemies into it, and delay the enemies¡¯ invasion of the port.


    Once the battle gets to this stage, there¡¯s not much left that Jess and I can do.  It¡¯s best that we try and find a safe place to hide.


    (Is this place safe?)


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know.  Although it¡¯s not possible for people other than those from the royal dynasty or royal army to enter, I¡¯m not sure how many attacks from the sea it can withstand¡­¡±


    While we dawdled in worry, an explosion rang.  Nearby, the sound of structures collapsing reverberated.


    Not good.  It looks like this fort is also under attack.


    (Let¡¯s evacuate to somewhere that¡¯s least likely to be bombarded.  Jess, do you have something like that max defense robe?)


    ¡°Eh?¡±  After a brief confusion, Jess brought over the black robe hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Do you mean this?  Evis-sama¡¯s robe?¡±


    (Yeah.  Put it on, and let¡¯s get out of here.)


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Jess wore the max defense robe over her clothes.


    (Pull up your hood as well.  We don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be hit.)


    ¡°Right, but Mister Pig doesn''t¡­¡±


    (Don¡¯t worry about me.  Let¡¯s go, quickly now.)


    After urging Jess, I left the room and spotted the dark and long stone corridor was wrecked about 50 meters ahead.


    ¡°Mister Pig, this way.¡±


    Jess headed towards the stairs leading down.  If we head this way, won¡¯t we end up in the sea?  Are we going to be alright?


    ¡°There¡¯s a coastal cave ahead.  We shouldn¡¯t be hit there.¡±


    After reading my monologue without permission, Jess descended the stairs.  I frantically chased after her.


    We dug through some rocks and squeezed through a narrow passageway like moles before eventually reaching a large open space.  It was a wide cave.  The cave¡¯s wide mouth was open towards the sea, with even the pale moonlight reaching inside.  The innermost part where we stood consisted of a waterfront formed out of pebbles, and a stranded, battered boat facing us.


    Is it alright for the fort to have this kind of backdoor?  As I wondered that, Jess smiled and looked back.  To my surprise, I could no longer find the passageway exit we just came from.  Only a black rockface remained.


    ¡°Only those who know the method are able to enter from the outside.  It¡¯s a secret backdoor.¡±


    (I see.  Then we should be fine for now.)


    In the unlikely event that we¡¯re spotted from the outside, we just need to go back the way we came before they catch us.  Once we¡¯re in the passageway, they won¡¯t be able to pursue any further.


    This kind of thinking was too na?ve.


    As I noticed something was moving underneath the distant waters, it approached us at a terrifying speed and leapt into the air like a flying fish.  It was a huge body that was at least three meters tall-


    Without hesitation, Jess and I dove in the same direction to dodge the attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Org!¡±


    The same time Jess shouted, the Org collided into the place we were standing ¨C the rockface that was the fort¡¯s exit.  And shockingly, like a shounen manga, the rock collapsed.


    The Org slowly got up.  Its silhouette seemed to be twice the size of a body builder¡¯s.  Its dark grey skin was wet with seawater, and it had long fingers with sturdy-looking webbings on them.


    I was convinced after seeing its swimming speed.  By using these guys to pull their ships, the Northern army acquired mobility that can escape even the royal dynasty¡¯s pursuits.


    While I held these out-of-place thoughts, the Org turned to face us.  Though it had a male human¡¯s face, its entire body was terrifyingly swelled up.


    ¡°Ug¡­ Dah¡­?¡±


    A deep growl came from the gaps of its jagged teeth.


    I looked at Jess.  Her face was pale, and she was slowly backing up.  Shit, I¡¯m out of options.  But Jess has her max defense robe on.  Maybe I can act as bait and hope that she¡¯ll be willing to escape in the meantime?


    ¡ªDon¡¯t.  Please come over here.  I¡¯ll do everything that I can.


    Although Jess¡¯ eyes were filled with fear, she looked straight at the Org¡¯s face.


    I backed off and ran towards Jess¡¯ side.  She spread her arms out and quickly twisted her wrists in the direction of the Org.  Splash.  I heard a large amount of liquid being spilled.


    When I turned around, I saw the Org, which was about to attack us, had suddenly stopped.  A smell ¨C like the inside of a car when it¡¯s being refueled ¨C drifted here aggressively.


    I recalled.


    ¡ªNaturally, I still can¡¯t use any powerful magic.  It¡¯s only to the extent of being able to start a fire¡­


    Sensing what Jess was about to do, I immediately pushed her down and covered her petite body in an attempt to shield her.  The next moment, a bright light enveloped my vision, accompanied by a violent explosion.


    That smell just now was very much like gasoline.  It¡¯s a volatile fuel that, when ignited, not only burns where the liquid is located at, but its surrounding area as well.


    It¡¯s gonna be heated thoroughly for sure this time ¨C As I had this stupid thought, I noticed a pair of slender arms tightly hugging my head.  It wasn¡¯t hot.


    Jess had quickly covered me with her max defense robe.  The tip of my nose was stuck between her breasts.  I¡¯d love to describe the feeling in detail, but now¡¯s not the time for that.


    After the explosion subsided, I rolled off of Jess and stayed vigilant of where the Org was.


    The Org, still wrapped in flames, was thrashing around the water¡¯s edge until it stopped moving.


    (¡­Are you alright, Jess?)


    ¡°Yes.  And you, Mister Pig?¡±


    (I¡¯m fine.)


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s good¡­  Sorry, I¡¯m still inexperienced¡­¡±


    (No, that¡¯s fine¡­  But isn¡¯t your magic power strange?)


    Jess, sitting upright, was dumbfounded.


    ¡°¡­You mean it was too weak?¡±


    (Why are you saying something that a protagonist from another world would say?  What I meant was that it was too powerful.  It¡¯s dangerous if you don¡¯t control it.  In this scenario, there was no reason for you to use volatile fuel.  Not to mention in such an enclosed space.  We could¡¯ve ran out of oxygen, and I was almost turned into a roast pig.)


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    (Well, it¡¯s fine.  Thanks for protecting me.  This place has become dangerous, let¡¯s find an opportunity to use the boat and escape.)


    The boat appeared to be specially made as it moved forward just from Jess touching its rim.  We abandoned it at a nearby shore and fled into the pine forest that stretched across the coastline.


    Just as I figured we should be fine after making it this far, there was a clanging sound as something bounced off of Jess¡¯ robe.  I heard the sound of twigs being trampled on.  At a glance, there were three men looking at us.  One held a crossbow, and the other two each carried a spear.  They were wearing dirty leather armor, and didn¡¯t appear to be soldiers from the royal army.


    ¡°What are you doing in a place like this, missy?¡±


    ¡ªLet¡¯s run away.


    As Jess telepathically convey that to me, she turned her back on the three men and ran.  Another clang filled the air as the robe blocked another arrow from the crossbow.  I followed Jess into the dark pine forest.


    The three men laughed scornfully while chasing us, and Jess, panting, continued to desperately run away.


    I¡¯ll never forgive them for pointing their deadly weapons at Jess-taso.  And so, I made a suggestion to Jess.


    (This is an open space.  How about you use that move from earlier towards those guys behind us?)


    ¡ªBut they¡¯re humans¡­


    (You¡¯re not able to burn humans?)


    ¡ªSorry¡­


    (You don¡¯t have to apologize.  Not being able to kill people is a good thing.  I¡¯ll go disrupt them and make them stop so you can start a fire between yourself and them.  Make a wall of fire to block them.  It¡¯s a pine forest, so it should burn easily.)


    ¡ªBut-


    Without giving Jess a chance to stop me, I turned around.


    I locked onto the oncoming pursuers and charged with all my might.


    ¡°Snort, snort, snort!¡±


    I dashed forward while snorting loudly.  Our pursuers paused in surprise, and I used that opportunity to slip by them and disappear under the cover of darkness.  Mission complete.  I stopped them in their tracks.  All that¡¯s left now is to take a detour to avoid getting entangled, and return to my owner.  As I ran through the pine forest, I conveyed to Jess.


    (Don¡¯t look at the flames.  Your eyes take time to adjust to the darkness.)


    ¡ªOkay.  Here I go!


    Sploosh.  I heard the sound of a larger than expected amount of liquid being spilled.


    The next moment, I heard an ear-splitting explosion and instantly shut my eyes.  The hot air blew on my back, and when I opened my eyes, there was a huge mushroom cloud that rose up as if to pierce the heavens.


    I finally joined up with Jess again.


    (You know¡­)


    When I conveyed that, Jess, with sweat on her forehead, responded with a worried look.


    ¡°Um¡­ Did I do something wrong again?¡±


    Are you sure you¡¯re not the protagonist of an otherworldly story?


    (No, it¡¯s fine.  I just don¡¯t think it needed to be that extreme.  In fact, if you start a fire that big on a dark night like this, it¡¯ll end up drawing people¡¯s attention, even from far away.)


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    (Let¡¯s move quickly.  Nothing good will come from drawing people¡¯s attention.)


    It looks like we already lost our pursuers.  Or rather, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they were accidentally roasted.  Well, it¡¯s their punishment for attacking Jess-taso.


    ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s -taso?¡±


    Jess inquired while dripping with sweat.


    (It¡¯s like an honorific, don¡¯t worry about my monologues.  ¡­By the way, are you feeling alright?)


    ¡°Erm¡­ sorry, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    We continued running.  I looked at Jess ¨C she was running with her left hand on her chest and a desperate expression on her face.


    (Let¡¯s stop for now.)


    As soon as I suggested that, Jess immediately stopped and sat down at the root of a pine tree.  She didn¡¯t seem alright.


    (What¡¯s wrong?  Are you not feeling well?)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay¡­  I¡¯m doing fine!¡±


    Jess clenched her hands tightly and made a small guts pose as if to say ¡°I can do this!¡±  Her face was covered in sweat during this cool night ¨C she certainly didn¡¯t seem to be doing fine.


    (Hey, how about riding on my back?)


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    (You must be tired from not being accustomed to using magic.  Just sit on my back.  I can carry you.)


    ¡°But won¡¯t that¡­¡±


    (I¡¯ve carried someone on my back once before.  As long as you don¡¯t make a mistake with your riding posture, it¡¯ll be fine.  It won¡¯t be that much of a burden on me either.  C¡¯mon.)


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Jess obediently straddled my back.


    (Sit towards the back, and tightly squeeze against me with your legs.  Put your weight on your hands¡­  Just like that.)


    I tried walking.  I didn¡¯t hear any inappropriate sounds like ¡°Nn.¡±  Judging by that, it was probably fine, and I dashed through the pine forest in the direction opposite from the coast.


    (How is it?  Comfortable?)


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ vague reply made me glance at her.  She was frowning, seemingly in pain.


    (Are you not feeling well?)


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing of the sort¡­  I just have this strange feeling¡­¡±


    I panickingly stopped.  Did I rub against somewhere that I shouldn¡¯t have?


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.  It¡¯s just, why¡­?¡±


    I could feel Jess¡¯ hands faintly trembling on my back.


    ¡°¡­Why am I crying?¡±


    Jess cried silently.  You¡¯re asking me?  That¡¯s what I want to know.


    (Did something get in your eyes?)


    After casually making that joke, I regretted it and corrected myself.


    (You¡¯re probably feeling insecure.  Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here by your side.  Let¡¯s get through tonight and return to the capital.)


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I kept running.  I honestly didn¡¯t know where I should be headed towards.  My only mission was to get this girl to a safe place, no matter what kind of danger approaches-


    ¡°Oogh¡­ Aaauuugh.¡±


    I heard a low growl.  Not again.  I didn¡¯t even have time to think about it before an Org sprinted at us.  However, probably because they¡¯re adapted to the water, its steps were clunky in the pine forest.


    The Org¡¯s end was upwind.  Beyond its unpleasant stench also drifted the smell of multiple humans and gunpowder.  This is bad.


    I turned and ran away from the Org, towards the center of Niabel.


    (Jess, leave the front to me.  Can you aim at that Org?)


    ¡ªI¡¯ll try.


    Avoiding the pine trees, I ran in a zigzag pattern.  I heard the sound of several large masses of liquid bursting, and each time, my olfactory epithelium was stimulated by the strong smell of gasoline.


    ¡ªSorry, I¡¯m not able to hit it¡­


    (That¡¯s fine, don¡¯t be hasty.  And don¡¯t light the fire yet.)


    Crap.  We¡¯re downwind.  If we ignite it now, it might serve as a distraction to some extent, but we¡¯ll definitely be caught up in it as well.


    My center of balance suddenly shifted, and just as I was wondering what happened, Jess slipped off of my back.  You¡¯ve got to be kidding me right now.  I stopped to look at Jess, her pale face illuminated by the moonlight.  Although sweat was pouring out of her, Jess had peacefully closed her eyes.  She was still breathing, so she seemed to have just fainted.


    The Org was quickly closing the gap that we had worked hard to build.  This isn¡¯t good.  We¡¯re screwed.


    I lifted Jess with my snout and turned her over, laying her on her stomach.  She seemed to be having trouble breathing, so I turned her head slightly to the side and covered up her pretty face with her hood.  This might be my last chance to see Jess¡¯ face.  But that¡¯s okay.  Just being able to see her again and know that she¡¯s doing well is good enough for me.  Even if this pig disappears from the world tonight, I¡¯m sure Jess will be fine.  I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll grow up splendidly as an oblivious maxed-out cheat mage.


    Bring it on.


    I turned and rushed at the approaching Org.  I rammed into its right leg to kill its momentum, and spun around to bite its left Achilles tendon.  It was a lot tougher than I imagined.  It was like biting on lumber.


    Even if that didn¡¯t do much damage, I still managed to draw its attention.  I ran in the opposite direction of Jess while snorting, and the Org chased after me.  It helps that it¡¯s so simple-minded.


    Ahead, six armed men were running towards this direction.  As I had surmised from the smell of gunpowder, one of them had a gun.


    I was surrounded by the heavy smell of gasoline.  It looks like I reached the place where Jess was randomly throwing out fuel earlier.


    I would like to believe that in Mestria, the basic rules regarding fuel haven¡¯t permeated to the masses yet.  For example, you shouldn¡¯t light a fire in a place that smells of volatile fuel¡­


    ¡°Snort snort snooort!¡±


    Shouting as loudly as I could, I charged at them and crashed into a spear-wielding man who was running next to the person with the gun.  The man lost his balance and fell onto the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s with this pig?!¡±


    I heard someone curse.


    ¡°Snort heh.¡±


    I snorted at them like they were idiots and ran back towards the approaching Org.  I was sandwiched between the men and the Org.


    ¡°Snooort?¡±


    I turned towards the man with the gun and snorted provocatively.  To which he pointed his gun at me, as if he had had enough.


    ¡°Die, you fucking pig!¡±


    I darted away from the Org and the men.  Time to put the pedal to the metal.  Pigs are able to run as fast as athlete sprinters.  I can definitely escape from them.  I¡¯ll make a headlong dash!


    Bang.


    A gunshot rang.  At that moment, my vision turned white and I felt my body float in mid-air.  I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the sound or the wind pressure that made my eardrums feel like they had burst.  I was blown away by the blast and fell onto the ground.


    Thanks to the soft, needle-like pine leaves piled on the ground, my bones didn¡¯t seem to have taken any damage.  However, my butt was struck by a literal searing pain.  Looks like I got burned.


    I turned around and saw that the surrounding area had been burnt to crisps.  Neither the Org, nor the men¡¯s figures could be seen.  I mean, from where they were standing, I doubt they could¡¯ve survived.  That was more than just a barbeque.


    Thankful for still being alive, I rushed back to where I had left Jess.  Searching for a girl covered by a black robe in the woods was a daunting task, but in the end, my nose helped solve the problem.  There¡¯s no way I would miss such a nice scent.  I wonder what kind of soap she uses.


    The wind changed directions, so the fire wasn¡¯t blown towards us.  I flipped the cute girl¡¯s body over with my snout.


    (Are you alright?)


    No response.  I placed my ear close to her face.  She was still breathing.  What caused her to faint like this?  I hope she¡¯s not sick.


    Did she overuse her magic?  She did throw around a lot of fuel after all¡­


    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you a cute young lady?¡±


    When I came to my senses, I spotted a tall man in a dirt-colored robe walking towards us.  He was holding a billhook-like blade.  This was a battlefield.  Even if she isn¡¯t a Yesma, who knows what he¡¯ll do to such a cute girl who¡¯s collapsed on her own¡­


    Give me a break.  I¡¯ve ran out of cards to play here.


    ¡°Sorry piggy, but I¡¯ll be taking your owner.¡±


    I hurriedly lifted Jess up to try and put her on my back.  Despite her being a slender cute girl, it was too difficult to carry her lifeless body.  I could try throwing my body at him, but if he uses that dangerous-looking blade, I¡¯ll just end up as meat cubes.  I¡¯m not able to move my hind legs that well either.


    But I¡¯ve got to do this.  Even if I were to die, as long as there¡¯s a chance for Jess to survive-


    Just then, what looked like a giant raptor swooped down from the sky and slammed into the robed man.  He received a powerful blow to the head and was sent flying.  After landing, he stopped moving.  His head was twisted in a crazy angle.


    ¡°It appears I was late.  Welcome back, brave young man.  I shall acknowledge your courage.¡±


    I looked at the voice.  What I thought was a raptor was actually a man on his knees.  Large bird wings grew from his back.


    When he stretched his black hand towards me, I could feel the pain in my butt subside.  Is he a mage¡­?


    He wore a purple robe with gold embroidery.  I recognized that face which turned to look at me.  He was an old man with white hair, and a long beard.  His face may be covered in a mysterious black mesh pattern, but he was unmistakably the king of Mestria, Evis.


    ¡°Jess experienced ecydessa and fainted.  She won¡¯t be waking up for some time.¡±


    As I was overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, Evis directed his hand towards Jess.  What was he saying about ecdysone?  Is he going to heal Jess?


    ¡°No.  I¡¯m redoing the seal on Jess¡¯ memories.¡±


    Evis retracted his hand, but Jess didn¡¯t move.  Is it that important to be sealing her memories at a time like this?


    (Um, Evis-sama, what should I be¡­)


    ¡°Just because she won¡¯t wake up doesn¡¯t mean you can play around with her.  Wait here for a while.  If you run into any trouble, snort your nose.  I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    As he said that, Evis staggered to his feet, flapped against the air with his wings, and clumsily took off.


    I mean, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d play around with Jess-taso¡­


    Come to think of it¡­ wasn¡¯t Evis cursed and supposed to be bedridden?  Is that black pattern on his face what that¡¯s about?  Don¡¯t tell me he flew all the way here from the capital in that state.


    With everything happening so suddenly, I was thrown for a loop.  As I sniffed Jess¡¯ neck to calm down for the time being, I saw a nuclear-bomb-like bright flash as an explosion occurred in the direction of the port.  The incredibly bright light penetrated the pine forest, creating black and white stripes on the ground.


    After about ten seconds, the light faded, and shortly after that, a person fell in front of me.


    Thud.


    Rather than calling it a landing, it was more like a crash.  It was the figure of a weakened king covered in pine needles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯ve annihilated the Northern army¡¯s main force.  The Northern army, which has invaded Niabel, will now have no choice but to retreat.¡±


    In just that moment?  This isn¡¯t just on the level of you being overpowered now, is it?


    ¡°This is Mestria¡¯s greatest mage¡¯s, Evis¡¯, technique.  Let them tell tales of it.¡±


    Evis, still in his crashed posture, weakly laid there with his back to the ground.


    (Um, Evis-sama, are you¡­)


    ¡°Do I look fine?¡±


    Evis responded, still looking at the sky.  I moved close to his face.


    (Sorry.  Is¡­ is there anything I can do to help?)


    ¡°You saved Jess.  That alone is enough, but¡­ ah yes.  Brave young man, are you willing to send me off?¡±


    What¡­?


    (I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.)


    ¡°I¡¯ve already exhausted all my strength.  I no longer have the magic power to suppress this curse.  It¡¯s an irreversible, lethal curse to begin with, and it looks like it¡¯s progressed to the stage where it can finally fulfill its purpose.¡±


    Evis¡¯ face and hands were covered by a horrific black mesh pattern.


    (So you were cursed.  Who-)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  This mage hides a fairly strong obsession¡­  It¡¯s a curse from a surreptitious sorcerer ¨C someone not from the royal dynasty, and who we have no idea of.¡±


    Isn¡¯t the king¡¯s family the only mages whose magic powers aren¡¯t being restricted?  Isn¡¯t that why there¡¯s been no conflicts, and how the royal dynasty has been able to maintain its overwhelming dominance?


    ¡°Mestria is on the verge of facing its greatest turmoil since the end of the Dark Ages.  The surreptitious sorcerer, the Northern rebellion, the formation of the Liberation Army, and the appearance of you otherworlders ¨C the more I think about it, all of this is perhaps the royal dynasty paying the price for creating this unsightly hierarchy that is the Yesmas.¡±


    (I believe that¡¯s the case.)


    Evis¡¯ chest lightly rose and fell.  He seemed like he wanted to laugh.


    ¡°Brave young man, you certainly have the guts.  Can I put my faith in that spirit of yours?¡±


    (What do you mean by that?)


    ¡°I wish to change course in these last moments.¡±


    Evis took a deep breath, which sounded like wind blowing through a crevice, and spoke.


    ¡°You may have heard from Shulavis already, but my son, Markus, is an extreme man.  If he becomes the king like this, he might get out of control.  Even though I told him to only keep an eye on the Northern dynasty and not interfere, he broke his promise and burned down their castle.  He¡¯s wallowing in power and believes that power can solve everything.  But look at the results.  The Northern army still remains, and we don¡¯t know who their central figure is or where to attack.¡±


    (So how do you plan on changing course?)


    ¡°I¡¯ve given up on sending you back to your world.  I want you to remain with the royal dynasty to support Shulavis and Jess.  Please guide them in the direction you believe is right.¡±


    Me¡­?


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a reason for why you all have once again returned to Mestria at this point in time.  Surprisingly, it seems the power of that innocent girl¡¯s wish still persists.  I wish to believe in that power.¡±


    I pondered.  Jess¡¯ wish still persists, making it possible for glasses otakus to be transferred from modern-day Japan to Mestria.  It didn¡¯t just call upon me once.


    And then there¡¯s my transfer destination this time around.  Why did I transfer to Celes instead of Jess?  Now that I think about it, is it because that¡¯s the best way to save Mestria¡­?


    I tried thinking about what would¡¯ve happened if I was sent directly to Jess.  I would have never seen the Northern army in Bapsas, nor would I have heard about the Northern Forces¡¯ situation from Nott on the Broken Collar.  As a result, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to predict the Northern army¡¯s attack that just occurred and relay it to Shulavis.  Under those circumstances, the Liberation Army could have actually been wiped out from this battle.


    ¡ªAt the time, Mister Pig had no choice but to go to the capital with me in order to turn back into a human, right?  I¡¯m not smart, so I didn¡¯t think much about it when I was praying, but I realized it after we decided to go to the capital together.  If Mister Pig was a human, you would have had the option of not accompanying me.  But you weren¡¯t.  The reason why you became a pig instead of a human was because my wish came true.


    I recalled those words that were once spoken.


    Jess¡¯ wish was clearly beyond the scope of her understanding, and it worked out very well.  So it might not be that crazy of an idea to go along with it.


    (Understood.  From my standpoint, I¡¯d be happy to be able to protect Jess and her fianc¨¦.)


    It¡¯s just¡­


    (Can I ask you a question?)


    ¡°Ask anything you¡¯d like.  I¡¯ll answer them until I die.¡±


    (Evis-sama, you referred to the pigs as ¡°you all.¡±  That means you are aware of those besides me, correct?)


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  Analysis and prediction magic is my specialty, so I am able to observe substantial magic surges.  There have been a total of seven otherworldly transfers since yours, and there now seems to be three pigs in total that are able to think.¡±


    So it¡¯s as I had expected.


    (There¡¯s me, the black pig with the Liberation Army, and one more ¨C that last one, might it be the wild boar near the Northern ruler?)


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain to that extent, but I do know it¡¯s in the north.  Why do you think that?¡±


    (The three of us tried to transfer here again at the same time, but one of us was missing.  That guy was transferred to the north last time, so I figured that might¡¯ve happened this time as well.)


    I recalled something that was incomprehensible to me before.


    ¡ªAnd one other question remains.  Was it really a coincidence that Bapsas was attacked the morning after we were transferred to Mestria again?


    The attack was too well-timed, and there was something about Nott¡¯s words which caught my attention.


    ¡ªMy torture was interrupted half-way because a wild boar was rampaging in a govern camp and a Yesma escaped or something.


    Pigs are domesticated wild boars.  As you can tell from the fact that boar-pig hybrids exist, the two are capable of crossbreeding and are quite similar animals.  A wild boar rampaged and let a Yesma escape?  Could it be that the other glasses otaku, Kento, is that wild boar?


    Kento, who was transferred to the north the same time we were transferred, immediately caused a ruckus to let a Yesma escape.  But because of this, he was captured by the Northern leader and spilled the name of the village, which was connected to Nott and where the other pigs might have been transferred to.  The Northern Forces then hurriedly dispatched their army, which was in the open sea, towards Bapsas.  Since the other party halted the torturing of their hated Nott to devote all their attention to this matter, they must have been in quite the rush.  And then the day after our transfer, their troops arrived at Bapsas.


    ¡°That sounds quite right.  I believe your deduction is not far from the truth.¡±


    An ominous sound, like that of a frog¡¯s croaking, began mixing into Evis¡¯ breathing noise.


    ¡°It looks like my time is nearly up.  I¡¯ve already told the royal family everything that needs to be said.  You may interrogate me until my last breath.¡±


    (Don¡¯t say that¡­  Evis-sama, do you have anything you want to say to me?)


    ¡°If I had to say¡­ it would be about Jess.¡±


    (Jess¡­  Is it about her memories?)


    ¡°Yes.  The reason why I sealed Jess¡¯ memories was, of course, because your existence was a political hindrance.  She was so depressed that she became useless.  That¡¯s why I sealed those memories away. ¨C Although it¡¯s correct to say that, it¡¯s also quite a misleading explanation.¡±


    (Did you have another purpose?)


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  My primary goal was to develop Jess¡¯ magic power.¡±


    (Magic power?)


    ¡°Magic is an unfathomable thing, and its driving force, above all else, is one¡¯s desires.  Jess cares greatly for her sealed memories, and her desire to regain those memories is very strong.  Thus, in order for her to recover her memories, she must break through my magic.  What do you think will happen then?¡±


    (Her magic power will grow because of her desire to make her magic stronger.)


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  Jess was born with the potential to become the greatest mage since Vatis-sama.  Her efforts to regain her memories by her own strength will be the first step.  I would like for you to understand my intentions and to never reveal your secret until she regains her memories on her own.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Conversely, does that mean it¡¯s possible for Jess to recover her memories?)


    ¡°It¡¯s plenty possible.  And it may happen much sooner than I expected.¡±


    Evis turned his face towards me.  With his face covered by the repulsive patterns, he looked past the pig and gently gazed in Jess¡¯ direction.


    ¡°Even if I may be the greatest mage in Mestria, I have absolutely no idea what will become of this country in the future.  In such a situation, I wish to entrust the future to Jess¡¯ earnest prayer, and to you, whom the prayer has summoned.¡±


    (¡­Okay.)


    ¡°I have one last thing to tell you.¡±


    I held my breath and waited for him to continue.  Evis then said in a whisper-like voice, ¡°The bond between your world and Mestria is as unstable as a bubble.  If your pig dies, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be a next time.  Furthermore, should you stay here for too long, the two worlds will separate, and you will have no choice but to die here as a pig.¡±


    Evis looked at me.


    ¡°O brave young man, until that critical moment comes, cherish your life; and when that critical moment arrives, go back.¡±


    I see.


    (Understood.  I will engrave your words into my heart.)


    ¡ªGood.


    Evis finally stopped moving his mouth and conveyed his thoughts directly into my head.


    ¡ªHow ironic, young man, that I¡¯ll be parting from you using the same magic as when we parted the first time.


    Evis¡¯ eyes closed.  His right hand moved weakly to rest on his chest.


    ¡ªI leave this country in your hands.


    These were the last words of the man who was the source of those girls¡¯ misfortune.

 Volume 2 - CH 4

    The morning after the naval battle, we were contacted by Shulavis, who had gone missing.


    Inside the king¡¯s office with old-fashioned interior decorations, there were three people plus one gathered: King Markus, Queen Wies, Jess, and a pig.  At present, the center of the royal dynasty was just this group.


    Markus sat at the well-worn wooden desk, Jess and Wies sat on the sofa in front of it, and I sat on the rug on the floor.  I felt like a pet that was caught up in a serious family meeting.


    Last night, Markus arrived in Niabel after the battle was over to retrieve me, Jess, and the late Evis, sending us back to the capital using his dragon.


    However, Shulavis was nowhere to be seen.  For some reason, the location magic that Evis had casted on Shulavis was also dispelled.


    Perhaps due to his own failure, Markus was in a foul mood and didn¡¯t even go out to look for his only son, Shulavis.  He seemed to have sat in the office all night, waiting for Shulavis to contact him.  When he finally made clear of the news, he gathered us here.


    Markus was a slimmer man than I had expected.  I heard he was short-tempered, extreme, and liked to set things on fire, so I figured he must be a muscle head, but that wasn¡¯t the case.  He¡¯s a slim, middle-aged man with slicked-back hair.  He seemed like the kind of guy that would be playing money games on Wall Street.  His thin lips always appeared be smiling nervously, but his eyes, peeking out from underneath his thick eyebrows, were not smiling.  His grey eyes always shone fiercely.


    ¡°Shulavis¡­¡±


    Markus spoke in a low, indifferent tone.


    ¡°After he disobeyed Father¡¯s order and fought alongside the Liberation Army, Shulavis underwent ecydessa and appeared to have been taken prisoner by the Liberation Army.  The Liberation Army sent a letter addressed to me asking that I form an alliance with them in exchange for handing Shulavis back.¡±


    Markus threw the small piece of paper onto his desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that¡­ Mr. Shulavis became a prisoner of war.¡±


    Jess apologized while appearing shaken and overwhelmed.  Wies placed her hand on Jess¡¯ shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.  It¡¯s that child¡¯s fault for acting on his own.¡±


    ¡°To begin with, there¡¯s no way Father would entrust you, an inexperienced woman, with safeguarding Shulavis.¡±


    With his index finger, Markus went tap tap tap tap on the desk.  What are you, a woodpecker-type power harassment boss?


    ¡°Shulavis doesn¡¯t know that Father died, and yet he still sent the letter addressed to me.  In it, he asks that I proceed with the matter while keeping it a secret from Father.  How sly of him.  He probably knew that Father would never form an alliance with the Liberation Army.  He wants the Liberation Army and the royal dynasty to join hands.¡±


    Markus grinned.


    ¡°He also dispelled the location magic himself.  He wrote that it disappeared because of ecydessa, but Father wouldn¡¯t have set it on Shulavis himself, it would have been on his robe, so that was definitely a lie.  And most importantly, it¡¯s strange that he, who has gone through ecydessa four times now, has become a prisoner that can¡¯t act.  He just needs to reduce those non-mages into ashes.  In other words, he¡¯s deliberately not escaping.  He intends to use himself as hostage to take advantage of his father.¡±


    I see.  So that¡¯s what happened.  ¡­Excuse me for interjecting even though I¡¯m not part of the conversation.


    (Markus-sama, what are your opinions on the alliance?)


    A pair of cold eyes looked down at this pig.


    ¡°I am different from Father.  I¡¯ll use whatever means are available.  That includes the Liberation Army.  I plan to make full use of them as long as they¡¯re useful.  Therefore, even if I¡¯ll be annihilating them in the end, I have no qualms with establishing a mere superficial alliance.  ¡­Besides, I was the one to let Nott escape from the arena.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­!¡±


    Wies exclaimed in surprise.  I was also shocked.  I thought a Yesma girl allowed Nott to escape.


    Markus glanced at me and continued.


    ¡°Though I never asked Father about his strategy, I believe his plan was ¨C even if we are to ignore the Liberation Army because they have a strong influence on the people, we must not soften our attitude towards them; and we should make thorough preparations to wipe out the Northern Forces on our own.  He probably had no intention of joining hands with those who objected to the royal dynasty¡¯s system.  I, too, was severely restricted from interfering with those from the Liberation Army.  However, Father is no longer here.  I intend to take full advantage of the Liberation Army, and the enthusiasm of those who support them.¡±


    Hope was in sight thanks to Shulavis¡¯ actions.


    (Then, Markus-sama¡­)


    ¡°Yeah.  Putting aside how they¡¯ll be handled in the end¡­¡±


    Markus finally stopped moving his index finger.


    ¡°We will announce an alliance with the Liberation Army in order to wipe out the Northern Forces.¡±


    Jess and I entered the bathroom together.


    Sorry to those that were expecting something, but the purpose of this wasn¡¯t to have a lovey-dovey bath.  It was because, when I told her I wanted to talk in a place where no one could eavesdrop, Jess chose the bathroom.


    The bathroom was tiled in shades of blue and navy blue, and in the center was a large circular bathtub.  After taking off her socks, Jess entered the bathroom with her bare legs, sat on a small stool with the waist attached to her bare legs, and brushed me while her legs were still bare.


    ¡°Although this can¡¯t be considered a thank you gift for last night¡­  Um, this is all I can offer, so¡­ please let me do this while we talk.¡±


    While saying that, the barelegged Jess slowly poured hot water over me with a bucket.


    ¡°By the way, does Mister Pig like bare legs¡­?¡±


    How did she know¡­?


    (How could I have that kind of perverted interest?  I don¡¯t just like a girl¡¯s legs, I like their entire body.)


    Jess placed her hands over her chest with a shocked expression.


    ¡°Um¡­ my entire body is a bit¡­ embarrassing.¡±


    ? ? ?


    (I mean, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m telling you to show it to me?)


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right.  Sorry.¡±


    Is she an airhead?  Jess¡¯ defenselessness made me really worried.  It was to the extent where it seemed like she would take everything off if I requested her to.  I better do something about this danger as soon as possible.


    ¡°U-u-um, that¡¯s not the case at all!  I will only show my naked body to someone special to me!¡±


    I see.  So you¡¯ll only show it to someone that¡¯s special to you.


    (In that case, that¡¯s fine.  Thanks for brushing me.)


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Jess lightly smiled.


    When Jess finally woke up in the morning, she seemed to have a hard time accepting Evis¡¯ death and Shulavis¡¯ disappearance.  However, this idle talk appeared to have cheered her up a little, which is good.


    ¡°So what did you wish to talk about?¡±


    Jess asked while brushing behind my ears.


    (To start with¡­ what¡¯s ecydessa?)


    ¡°Ecydessa (magic depletion) is something like a mage molting.  When you use a large amount of magic, you¡¯ll temporarily lose consciousness and magic power¡­  Once you awaken, your magic powers will be strengthened further.¡±


    (I see, so it¡¯s kinda like leveling up.  That¡¯s neat.  Was yesterday your first time, Jess?)


    ¡°No, it was my third time.¡±


    Didn¡¯t Markus say that Shulavis underwent ecydessa four times?


    (Does this mean that the Jess today would be able to fight on the same level as yesterday¡¯s Shulavis?)


    ¡°Erm, I don¡¯t think so.  Because there¡¯s a large gap between the types of magic we can use and the experience that we have¡­  Mr. Shulavis has been trained in magic ever since he was born.¡±


    Is that so?  Anyway, let¡¯s put that aside.


    (Once ecydessa happens, you¡¯re left defenseless, right?  That¡¯s why Markus thinks Shulavis was captured during that time.)


    ¡°Yes.  After ecydessa occurs, your consciousness and magic defenses are gone temporarily¡­  I don¡¯t remember anything that happened after we were chased by that Org in the pine forest yesterday¡­¡±


    That¡¯s good.  It looks like the fact that I secretly sniffed her nape went unnoticed.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Oh.


    (¡­Anyway, let¡¯s move on to the main topic.  We¡¯re going to have a serious discussion now.)


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡±


    Jess blushed and combed through her hair as if to fix it.


    (I have one more question.  Even if you become defenseless temporarily, once you wake up, your magic powers will be restored, right?)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­¡±


    (I see.  Then what Markus said is a bit strange.)


    ¡°Huh?  E-erm, is that so¡­?¡±


    Right, I was the only one from the royal dynasty that saw Shulavis¡¯ encounter with the Liberation Army.


    (Shulavis was afraid of coming in contact with the Liberation Army.  When he grabbed me from the ship, he was nearly killed.  So even if he kept his distance and fought alongside them, it¡¯s hard to imagine that he¡¯d willingly become a prisoner of war.  The danger of being killed is too great.)


    ¡°I¡­ see.  Then it must have been because of ecydessa that he was unwillingly captured?¡±


    (That shouldn¡¯t be it either.  As Markus said earlier, even if he had become a prisoner unwillingly, since he¡¯s able to send a letter, he¡¯s able to use magic, which means he can escape at any time with his powers.  Looking at it this way, only one conclusion can be drawn.  Shulavis was never taken prisoner in the first place.)


    ¡°Eh?  Then why-¡±


    (He¡¯s been worrying about how to get the Liberation Army and the royal dynasty to work together.  He probably put on a show for that first step.  Perhaps he really did experience ecydessa.  By mixing in some truths with lies, its credibility rises.)


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­  But then, the fact that the Liberation Army wants to form an alliance is a lie¡­¡±


    As expected of Jess, it helps that she¡¯s able to catch on quickly.


    (That¡¯s right.  The problem lies there.  Far from seeking an alliance, the Liberation Army is filled with a burning desire to overthrow the royal dynasty.  Even if we were to announce the alliance, it won¡¯t be established so easily.  On the contrary, they might find it suspicious and think that it¡¯s a trap.)


    The royal dynasty, which kept their capital¡¯s affairs a secret, naturally treated Evis¡¯ death as a top secret too.  Therefore, the Liberation Army will definitely be suspicious of the royal dynasty¡¯s sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°Then what should we do¡­?¡±


    (A friend of mine ¨C or rather, a fellow pig of mine ¨C is in the Liberation Army.  He has a lot of influence there, and also believes that it may be necessary to form an alliance with the royal dynasty, depending on the situation.  The problem is, he doesn¡¯t know the inside situation here, so he probably won¡¯t agree to the alliance so easily.  That¡¯s why I want to tell that guy ¨C er, pig ¨C that the royal dynasty really intends to form an alliance.)


    ¡°I see, in that case¡­¡±


    (Think you can do that?)


    ¡°Markus-sama already set the location magic on Mr. Nott.  If it¡¯s just sending a letter there, I might be able to do it.¡±


    Jess stood up on her bare legs and rinsed my back.  That¡¯s nice.


    But¡­ I had to wonder, was it okay to service someone like me this much, even though I¡¯m not someone special?


    Jess wrote down everything I told her to on a piece of paper in Mestrian.  Thanks to the treatment I was given three months ago, I was also able to read the text here.  Jess¡¯ handwriting was very beautiful, and it gave a knowledgeable impression.


    After finishing writing the letter, Jess took us to the birdhouse.  I say birdhouse, but its interior was large enough to be the size of a zoo, with a bunch of different kinds of birds flying around freely.  It had large windows, was well ventilated, and all the birds chirped happily.


    As we walked to where the raptors were, Jess pulled out a map that Wies had given her.


    ¡°I was told that the dot on this map indicates where Mr. Nott is.¡±


    Jess showed me a solid black map that contained the red dot.  However-


    (Hey Jess, why are there two dots?)


    ¡°Eh?  Two?¡±


    Jess looked at the map again.  It¡¯s hard to tell, but there were two red dots next to each other.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.  I wonder why¡­?  This red dot is supposed to move according to the location magic set by Markus-sama.¡±


    (Maybe he split into two people.)


    ¡°I see!¡±


    After exclaiming, Jess followed up with a mutter, ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a starfish¡­¡±


    It looks like she didn¡¯t only learn about magic.  I¡¯m impressed she even learned how to play along with jokes, and what echinoderms are.


    That aside, why are there two dots?  Maybe he accidentally casted the magic twice or something¡­?  Forget it, it¡¯s not worth worrying too much about.  It¡¯s more important that we get this letter delivered quickly.


    (Looking at it seriously, if the two dots are next to each other, it shouldn¡¯t pose a problem.  It should be fine to tell the bird to aim for either one of them.)


    ¡°Right.  After all, Mr. Nott is going to be one of them¡­  Oh, over here.¡±


    There was a wire mesh to prevent the birds from coming and going, and beyond it were the large raptors.  Jess opened the simple door and invited me inside.


    ¡°There¡¯s Mr. Goshawk, Mr. Golden Eagle, Mr. Falcon, Mr. Buzzard¡­  There¡¯s also Mr. Owl.¡±


    Jess looked to be enjoying herself as she introduced them to me.  A white-tailed eagle that was so large I thought it would eat me was looking down at me from atop its perch.  I avoided eye contact and hugged Jess¡¯ leg while walking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t eat you.  Which bird should we use?¡±


    Jess asked like she was going shopping.  I looked around and spotted a snowy owl staring at me with its perfectly round eyes.


    (If we¡¯re talking about delivering letters in a world of magic, then it has to be owls.  How about that snowy owl over there?)


    ¡°Mr. Snowy Owl it is!¡±


    Jess headed over there and gently stroked its fluffy white feathers.  The snowy owl closed its eyes in rapture.  Hey, no fair!


    ¡°If Mister Pig wishes to be petted, you only have to tell me.¡±


    While giving me a mischievous-like laugh, Jess showed the owl the map.  The birds here are said to have been trained in magic, so they¡¯re able to understand location magic.  After talking to the owl a lot and completing the procedures, Jess rolled up the letter she wrote earlier and prepared to tie it to the owl¡¯s leg.


    (Actually, hang on a minute.  We have to make sure they know it¡¯s from us.)


    ¡°But it¡¯s already written on there that it¡¯s from Mister Pig.¡±


    (Anyone can make that sort of thing up.  We need to show them that this letter isn¡¯t fake.  I have a good idea.)


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I thought of an absolutely cunning idea.


    (Rub that letter on your thigh.)


    Jess raised her eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°Erm¡­ mine?¡±


    (That¡¯s right.  That¡¯s all you have to do.  Trust me.)


    ¡°Well, if Mister Pig says so¡­¡±


    Jess lifted her skirt slightly and let the letter touch her absolute territory.


    >TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zettai_ry%C5%8Diki


    ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    (Move it a little higher.)


    Without the slightest doubt in her mind, Jess obediently lifted her skirt further and placed the letter on the far top of her thigh.  I was focused on the letter.  The letter, okay?


    It went just as planned.  Stupid owl, you won¡¯t be able to see this kind of view from the top of your perch.  What a shame!


    ¡°Um, is this alright now¡­?¡±


    I came to my senses after hearing Jess ask that with a seemingly flushed face.


    (Sorry, I think that should be fine.  You can send it now.)


    After I conveyed that, Jess tied the letter to the owl, placed it on her shoulder, and we left the birdhouse.  The owl even cheekily bit Jess¡¯ ear a number of times.


    ¡°Stop¡­ Mr. Snowy Owl.  It tickles.¡±


    Hah!?  No fair!  I want a nibble too!


    Jess released the owl into the sky, and its white back immediately melted into the clouds.


    After we saw it off, Jess crouched down in front of me.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s just my ear.¡±


    Jess held out her ear as she said that.  Whuh?


    (No, that¡¯s no good.  Sorry, please ignore my monologues.)


    As I hastily conveyed that, Jess mischievously responded, ¡°But you like to smell my nape, and look at my legs, don¡¯t you, Mister Pig?¡±


    (That¡¯s not true, that¡¯s just a pig¡¯s force of habits¡­)


    ¡°Is that so?  Then please endure it because it¡¯s very bad manners.¡±


    Jess ended it curtly and got back up.


    Huh?  Wait a minute, how could this happen¡­


    I was flustered, and Jess gave me a blooming smile.


    ¡°I was kidding.  It can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s a pig¡¯s habits.  I can¡¯t thank you enough for last night, so¡­ please let me know if there¡¯s anything you want me to do for you.¡±


    Nn?  Well, if you insist.


    ¡°U-um, of course, there are limits as to what I can do, but¡­¡±


    Towards Jess, whose ears had turned red after muttering those words, I gentlemanly replied.


    (Don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯m not that kind of pervert.  As a pig, I think I like being petted the most.)


    ¡°I see.  In that case¡­¡±


    Jess quickly crouched and started stroking my head.  Ah, that¡¯s real nice.


    My neck, shoulders, loins, tenderloins, ribs, and thighs.  Jess¡¯ hands gently caressed my body.  I lost my strength and fell flat on my side.


    My chuck eye, heart, stomach, and liver.  All of a sudden, I lost my wildness and was rolling on the ground with my belly exposed.


    Have any of you ever been buck naked while having a cute blonde girl caress your entire body?  You haven¡¯t had that experience before, you say?  Sorry to say this, but I have.  Well, that¡¯s probably because of the difference between how I spend my day-to-day compared to you.


    I kept tumbling around, eventually throwing all four of my legs in the air.  Jess found it funny and laughed.


    ¡°To be so happy just from being petted, Mister Pig sure is strange.¡±


    (It¡¯s not like I¡¯m usually this happy.  It¡¯s only because Jess is petting me.)


    When I answered that, Jess quizzically tilted her head.


    ¡°Eh?  Because of¡­ me?¡±


    (Uh, no.  Rather than saying it¡¯s because of Jess, it¡¯s more correct to say it¡¯s because you''re a blonde girl.)


    As soon as I said that, Jess stopped her hands.


    ¡°Mister Pig likes blonde hair¡­?¡±


    (Yeah.  It¡¯s always been a dream of mine to have a blonde girl to rub my whole body like this.)


    Jess stood up with an expression that seemed both satisfied but also unconvinced, and her cheeks appeared to be puffing out slightly.


    ¡°I get the feeling that Mister Pig sure is fickle.¡±


    £ª£ª£ª


    ¡°Master!  Master!¡±


    Just when I thought I heard a jumping-like voice, Bart, who was playing outside, entered the tent.  We were having a quiet discussion while sitting around a shabby table when the outside sunlight shone inside and made us squint.


    ¡°What is it, Bart?  We¡¯re in the middle of a meeting.¡±


    At my question, Bart held up what looked to be a piece of paper.


    ¡°I was talking to Litis when a white owl flew towards us!  It had a letter tied to its leg, and I saw it was addressed to someone.  What was it again¡­?¡±


    Bart narrowed his eyes to look at the recipient¡¯s name, and a girl with braids suddenly peeked out from behind him.  She looked exactly like Nuris, someone who had helped me in the north, but unlike Nuris, this mysterious Yesma girl had a soft expression.  This girl is now called Litis by most of us.


    Bart looked up and grinned.


    ¡°It says, ¡®To the older-women-loving hecklepon killer, and¡­ the lolicon bastard?¡¯  I mean, doesn¡¯t hecklepon killer refer to you, Master?¡±


    Who¡¯s calling me an older-women lover?  Whatever.  It looks like it¡¯s addressed to me.


    ¡°Well, who¡¯s the sender?  How did the owl know about this place?¡±


    ¡°It says it¡¯s from ¡®The sleazy pig.¡¯¡±


    Next to me, Sanon snorted with his pig nose.


    ¡ªLet¡¯s read it.  It might a letter from the royal dynasty.  I don¡¯t quite know what lolicon bastard means, but it¡¯s probably referring to me.


    Celes stood across from Sanon and helped relay his conversation.  She seemed to be concerned about something, as she would occasionally glance at me ¨C As I thought that, Celes quickly averted her eyes and started petting the black pig.  The black pig¡¯s curled tail started swaying slightly.


    I walked over to Bart to receive the letter and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks.  Go play with Litis for a little while longer.  The meeting will be over soon.¡±


    After watching Bart leave, I immediately opened the letter and read it.


    ¡°What¡¯s on it?¡±


    Itsune asked from the other side of the table.  After I finished reading the letter, I showed it to Sanon while explaining.


    ¡°That frizzy hair guy¡¯s plan worked, and it seems the royal dynasty changed its attitude.  In order to fight off the threat from the north, they¡¯ll be announcing an alliance, and he wants us to accept it.  He says we won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°Alliance?¡±


    Josh¡¯s black brows were raised, and Itsune¡¯s face contorted in disgust.


    ¡°Of course we won¡¯t accept it.  Why do we need to work with the royal dynasty?¡±


    Naturally, that''s how they reacted.  Itsune and Josh hate the royal dynasty to death.  In fact, their resentment might even be worse than mine.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t want to agree to this either¡­¡±


    ¡°Right?  Just ignore them.¡±


    That¡¯s what Itsune says, but if that sleazy pig wrote that we won¡¯t regret it, it¡¯s worth considering.


    ¡°What do you think, Sanon?¡±


    Sanon conveyed his response after my question.


    ¡ªI think we should agree to this alliance.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Itsune glared at Sanon intensely.


    ¡ªBecause we won¡¯t survive at this rate.  No matter how much support the Liberation Army garners, there¡¯s only a limited number of people actually fighting.  In contrast, we still haven¡¯t seen the limits of the Northern Forces¡¯ power.  If we keep fighting like this, we¡¯ll eventually be worn down and suffer severe losses like the battle at the Rocklands.


    No one spoke for a while, but eventually, Josh opened his mouth.


    ¡°I understand what Sanon is saying, but it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have any other choice.  There are people who can fight, even among those that support us.  Shouldn¡¯t we be relying on those guys first, instead of teaming up with these fucking bastards?¡±


    Sanon shook his head.


    ¡ªDo you really think an ordinary person would¡¯ve helped had they joined yesterday¡¯s battle?  It¡¯s thanks to the support of the royal army and mages that the Liberation Army was able to survive with little to no losses.  The letter on the glowing arrow which informed us of the danger was also clearly sent via magic.  Even after what had happened on the ship, that frizzy-haired mage acted to save us.  Due to whatever reason, the powerful royal dynasty has offered to work with us.  We can¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    Itsune crossed her arms and rebutted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.  The fact that they¡¯re trying to borrow our strength means that the royal dynasty is also in trouble, right?  Then if we leave them alone, they may crumble on their own.  That way, we¡¯ll profit big.  Right, Nott?¡±


    I pondered after the question was thrown at me.  To be honest, I¡¯m not very good at thinking about the complicated power relations.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything as long as we win in the end.  If it¡¯s for the sake of winning, I¡¯m willing to eat dirt and even pretend to ally with the royal dynasty.  If Sanon thinks we should ally with them, I¡¯ll comply.¡±


    Around two months ago, Sanon showed up before us with Celes, gave us, who were young and inexperienced, a lot of strategic advice, and helped immensely to develop the Liberation Army.  Even that crushing defeat we suffered a month ago, he sacrificed himself to pave the way for our retreat, minimizing the damage done to the Liberation Army.


    That¡¯s why I put my full trust in Sanon.


    Sanon looked at me and slowly nodded.


    ¡ªAs Tsune-tan stated, it¡¯s very likely that the royal dynasty is weakening.  Now look at it this way.  What if they collapsed just like that?  Those who support us might end up falling under the control of the Northern Forces.  In that situation, we¡¯ll also be worse off.  Do you think the Yesma girls will be happy if the Northern Forces ruled over Mestria?


    Sanon snorted before continuing.


    ¡ªThere¡¯s an order to this.  First, we join forces with the royal dynasty.  After we destroy the Northern Forces, we can then find a way to take care of the weakened dynasty.  I think it would be wise to put aside the sentimentalism and cooperate for now.


    His reasoning was sound.  Itsune and Josh both reluctantly nodded in agreement.  It¡¯s decided.


    ¡ªIt¡¯s just¡­


    I questioned the seemingly uneasy Sanon.


    ¡°¡®It¡¯s just¡¯ what?¡±


    ¡ªThis only applies if that letter is the real deal.  I do think that the written contents, including the recipients¡¯ names, are very much like Mr. Sleazy Pig¡¯s style.  However, it¡¯s not out of the question that a mage could have forcefully extracted the information and pretended to act like him.  So if it really is him, I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve used a method that¡¯s just like him to let us know if the letter is genuine or not¡­


    Sanon suddenly noticed something and started sniffing the letter.


    ¡ªCan you call Ro-kun over for a bit?


    Without hesitation, I whistled to Rossi with my fingers.  Rossi, who was standing guard outside, immediately entered the tent.


    ¡°What is it, Sanon?  What do you want Rossi to do?¡±


    ¡ªI want Ro-kun to smell this letter.


    What is he talking about?  Despite my doubts, I handed the letter to Rossi, who was sitting in front of me, and let him smell it.


    Rossi then wagged his tail, barked, and started shaking his head vigorously while jumping.


    What kind of scent did this letter from the royal dynasty have to make Rossi this happy?


    ¡°Sanon, what did you smell from the letter?¡±


    ¡ªIt smelled of a young girl¡¯s legs.


    Why does this guy know what that smells like?


    But thanks that, the mystery was solved.  The fact that the smell of someone¡¯s legs would make Rossi this happy must mean¡­


    ¡°The smell of Jess¡¯ legs are on there.¡±


    The black pig nodded.  I see, it¡¯s like that sleazy pig to think of that.


    I glanced at the delighted Rossi and declared.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided.  We¡¯re accepting the alliance.¡±


    £ª£ª£ª


    The morning after we sent the letter, the royal dynasty put up notice boards all over the country acknowledging its alliance with the Liberation Army.  As a result, the Liberation Army was allowed to live in cities ruled by the royal dynasty, and they were able to openly purchase items distributed by the royal dynasty, such as ristas.  The Liberation Army immediately agreed to the alliance, and Nott came to visit the capital by himself in the evening.  Allowing an outsider to enter the capital seemed to be an unprecedented special treatment.


    Shulavis returned unharmed on the royal dynasty¡¯s dragon, but he had no time to be stricken by his grandfather¡¯s death, as Nott was coming to the capital.  Shulavis joined Markus and headed towards the meeting place, the Golden Sanctuary.


    Jess and I were allowed to observe in secrecy from behind a sarcophagus near a wall.  I was all too familiar with this place, where the setting sunlight shone through the stained glass windows.  I felt a little uneasy wondering what this sanctuary was meant for.


    Be it the height, width, or depth of this hall, they all looked to be over 100 meters.  The floor had a geometric pattern that used marbles of varying colors, and planted in the center of it was a single golden throne.  The last time I was here, I didn¡¯t really get the chance to observe this place, but now that I got a closer look, I saw that there were several altars along the walls, each with their own grand sarcophagus.  The altar opposite of the throne as seen from the entrance was especially large, with an eye-catching statue of a young woman placing her left hand on her chest and stretching her right hand upwards.  That¡¯s Vatis, the progenitor of the royal dynasty, and the female mage who ended the Dark Ages.


    Markus was sitting haughtily on the throne, and Shulavis was sitting on a wooden chair next to him, when Wies led Nott in front of them.  Nott appeared to be wearing basically the same clothes he wore yesterday.  He didn¡¯t have any injuries, and looked to be healthy, but he was wearing what looked like a black stole around his neck.  His twin daggers were held onto by Wies.


    Jess and I held our breath as we watched the situation unfold.


    ¡°Welcome.  No need to be polite, you can take it easy here.¡±


    Markus encouraged from the throne.  However, Nott still knelt on the ground and lowered his head slightly.  It seemed like a small defiance against the king¡¯s order to take it easy.


    ¡ªThat¡¯s Mr. Nott¡­  It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen him up close.


    Jess placed her hand on my back and told me telepathically.


    (Told you he¡¯s handsome.  Is he your type?)


    Jess¡¯ ears turned red in silence.  That wasn''t right, that was sexual harassment.


    ¡ªI-I don¡¯t know¡­  I¡¯ve only seen his appearance after all¡­


    That¡¯s true.  Jess isn¡¯t the type of person to judge a guy by his appearance.


    ¡°I know you resent us.  Do you truly intend to agree to this alliance?¡±


    Markus asked in a low tone of voice.


    ¡°Both my feelings of resentment and my intentions to form the alliance are real.¡±


    Nott also responded in a low voice.


    ¡°This is nothing more than a strategic alliance.  Compared to the Northern Forces, the Liberation Army has weaker war potential, lacks intel, and frankly speaking, we can¡¯t see a way to win.  The same goes for you, the royal dynasty.  Even though you could just annihilate them quickly, you¡¯re dragging your feet.  It looks like you¡¯re in trouble, so for the time being, let¡¯s put aside the sentimentalism and cooperate to eradicate the Northern Forces ¨C that¡¯s the offer.¡±


    ¡°Put aside the sentimentalism,¡± huh?  That sure sounds like something Sanon would say.


    Markus nodded with a cold look in his eyes.


    ¡°Understood.  We have no objections, so the alliance is established.  Let¡¯s shake on it.¡±


    Markus rose.  Nott appeared a little wary and quickly took a stance.


    ¡°What?  Did you think I was going to kill you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it looks like, deep down in my heart, I still can¡¯t let go of my caution.¡±


    Markus sneered.


    ¡°No need to worry.  If I really wanted to take your life, it would be easy enough to do it at this distance while sitting.  Like so.¡±


    Markus returned to his throne and crossed his legs.  Immediately, the marble around Nott exploded one after another, drawing a perfect circle with Nott in the center.  It looks like the floor was quite deeply dug into.


    Nott was frozen in place, unable to move.


    ¡°Well?  Actually, let¡¯s not shake hands.  The best way to deepen a relationship of trust is to have a heart-to-heart conversation.¡±


    Nott frowned, and he sat cross-legged on the spot with a sour expression.


    ¡°I agree.  By the way, you probably already know this, but if you kill me, a number of citizens will revolt, and a second or third leader will appear.  Your population, which was reduced because of you during the Dark Ages, will decrease even further.  Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re the only one with the upper hand here.¡±


    Nott glowered at Markus unyieldingly.


    ¡ªHe¡¯s a very brave man.


    Jess conveyed to me.


    (Did you fall for him?)


    ¡ªYeah, just a little.


    Even though I knew she didn¡¯t mean it in that way, I regretted making that joke.


    ¡°A man of unwavering principles, huh?  Fascinating.  Now, is there anything you wish to talk about?¡±


    Nott thought about it for a few seconds before answering Markus¡¯ question.


    ¡°Is Jess at the royal capital right now?¡±


    I could feel the hand on my back react with a twitch.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you anything related to the secrets of the royal dynasty.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be alright to tell me the fate of my travel companion?¡±  Nott said defiantly.


    Markus then chose his words carefully and spoke.


    ¡°Did you develop feelings for that Yesma?¡±


    Nott¡¯s ears turned red immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid.  Who would-¡±


    ¡°No need to be so agitated.  I know you¡¯re obsessed with another Yesma.  After all, I already heard your impassioned speech from across the gold cage.¡±


    Nott raised his head suddenly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡±


    Although I wasn¡¯t clear on what they were talking about, I was impressed by Markus¡¯ conversation skills.  If they were to delve into the matter of Jess, there was a chance that the connection between mages and Yesmas would be suspected.  He cleverly played his hand and diverted Nott¡¯s attention away from the problematic topic of Jess.


    ¡ªMister Pig, do you know the story behind Mr. Nott and me?


    Hearing Jess ask that, I remembered she could listen to my monologues.


    (¡­I¡¯ve heard about it, but I don¡¯t know the details.)


    ¡ªWhat did you hear?


    (¡­That Nott had some involvement with Jess¡¯ journey to the royal capital.  I don¡¯t know anything other than that.)


    ¡ªI see¡­  Please fill me in on the details later.


    While we were talking, their conversation had progressed onwards.


    ¡°That means, you must¡¯ve planted some kind of tracking magic on me during that time.¡±


    Nott pointed out.


    ¡°As soon as I arrived in Niabel, that frizzy hair guy found our ship, and even the Northern army attacked us.  I can¡¯t see this as being a coincidence at all.  You must¡¯ve used magic to know where I am, right?  That feels disgusting.  Can you remove it?¡±


    Markus switched leg positions in admiration.


    ¡°How perceptive.  That¡¯s right.  There''s two location magic casted on your body right now.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡±


    ¡°Yes.  One was set by me, and the other is from someone I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The space filled by the setting sunlight was wrapped in silence for a while.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time consuming to explain everything in detail¡­  Location magic is normally only able to be detected by the person who set it, and anyone who was taught the detection method by that person.  It¡¯s impossible for the Northern Forces to arbitrarily pinpoint your whereabouts using the location magic that I casted.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does that mean the Northern Forces have their own mage?¡±


    ¡°Correct.  And that person is likely the real mastermind.  That mage brought together the underworld, incited them to defy the royal dynasty, and created those monsters called Orgs.  We call that one the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Arogan the gem merchant the leader of the Northern Forces?¡±  Nott pointed out.


    Markus rubbed his chin in irritation.


    ¡°Arogan has already been dealt with by my own hands.  He¡¯s been reduced to ashes alongside the Ground Spider Castle.¡±


    The sanctuary fell silent.  Nott didn¡¯t seem to understand.


    ¡°You killed him?  Then why is the Northern army still able to act without any trouble when their king is dead?¡±


    ¡°I already told you.  The true mastermind behind the Northern Forces is the surreptitious sorcerer.  I was planning on killing Arogan after you escaped, but he was already dead some time ago.  Do you understand what this means?¡±


    ¡°He was being manipulated.  That explains why he looked so awful.¡±


    Markus responded with a monotone ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡°That looked to be the case.  My blunder was that I burned down the Ground Spider Castle without getting a hold of any clues regarding the surreptitious sorcerer.  That¡¯s why it¡¯s come to the point where I need to borrow your strength.¡±


    Nott lightly nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I see.  Then, Mr. Mage, can you please remove both of the location magic casted on me?¡±


    Markus faintly nodded.


    ¡°As proof of my trust, I shall remove the one I set on you.  However, can you wait on the other one?¡±


    ¡°What, you can¡¯t remove it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.  If I wanted to, I can erase as many of them as I wish.  It¡¯s a rather weak magic casted by some old coot.¡±


    ¡°Then why not remove it?¡±


    As if he were introducing an investment plan, Markus raised his index finger close to his face.


    ¡°Look at it this way.  We¡¯re up against an enemy who we have no idea on their whereabouts.  Wouldn¡¯t it be easier if they showed up on our doorsteps instead?¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean to use me as bait?¡±


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Hell no.  But when we come face-to-face with the surreptitious sorcerer, there might be times where we¡¯re not able to deal with him.  I¡¯m sure the great mages will take responsibility and show up to the battlefield in person, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.  That¡¯s the point of this alliance.  For our first joint effort, I¡¯ll have you participate in the frontline battle in the east.  There, you¡¯ll lure out and kill the surreptitious sorcerer.  How¡¯s that?¡±


    For the first time since coming here, Nott showed his teeth with a grin.


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get this party started.¡±


    Nott was led outside the sanctuary by Wies.  When Jess saw that, she told me, ¡°Please follow me,¡± slipped out the sanctuary¡¯s back door, and started running in Nott¡¯s direction.  Even though I thought this was a bad idea, I chased after her.


    Jess caught up to Nott beside the dark cemetery, where the sanctuary was blocking the evening sun.


    ¡°Mr. Nott!¡±


    Wies and Nott turned around towards us as I ran up to Jess¡¯ side.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jess?¡±


    Wies asked in surprise while stopping Nott with her hand.  Nott furrowed his brows as he looked at Jess¡¯ neck, which didn¡¯t have a collar.  Rather than her chest, he seemed more interested in that.


    ¡°Um, Ms. Wies, sorry¡­  There¡¯s something I want to ask Mr. Nott, no matter what.¡±


    After sprinting at nearly full speed, Jess¡¯ breath was ragged, but her voice still came across clearly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to be talking to an outsider here¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, just give me a moment.¡±


    Was it because she ran here?  Jess was asking with tears in her eyes, as we watched her solemnly.  It¡¯s rare to see Jess acting so willfully.


    ¡°I see.  Alright then.¡±


    Wies made eye contact with me and Nott.  The meaning of that was very clear.


    Jess looked at Nott and asked.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, did you travel with me before?¡±


    Silence.  Nott frowned and looked into the distance for some time.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t answer that.  This lady over here has forbidden me from talking about the past with you.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Nott, you said I was your travel companion back at the sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°You heard that?¡±


    It felt awkward, and the situation was not good, but I could only continue being an ordinary pig next to Jess.


    ¡°You know something after all.  Could you please tell me, even if it¡¯s only just a bit?¡±


    Jess stepped forward from my side and approached Nott.


    Nott lightly clicked his tongue, seemingly out of frustration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?  I can¡¯t talk about what I can¡¯t talk about.  Let me ask you this instead.  Why do you want to know about what happened in the past when we¡¯re all here thinking so hard about the present and future?¡±


    His unusual gaze led Jess to be briefly at a loss for words.


    However, she muttered back.


    ¡°¡­Because I care about it.¡±


    What are you, an insatiably curious heroine?


    >TL Note: Hyouka.


    (Jess, let¡¯s leave it at that.  I don¡¯t think Evis wished for you to recover your memories through a backdoor route like this.)


    As I said that, Jess abruptly covered her mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­  I¡­  I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Nott looked at me incomprehensibly.  Without anyone relaying, the voice in my mind won¡¯t be able to reach Nott.


    (Jess, I have a favor to ask.  I want to ask Nott something.  Can you convey my words in parentheses?)


    Still under Wies¡¯ watch, Jess nodded.


    (Hey Nott, for the sake of the future, I¡¯d like to confirm one thing about the past, okay?)


    ¡°¡­What is it?  Tell me.¡±


    Urged on by him, I quickly gathered my thoughts.  There was one thing that bothered me as well.


    ¡ªMy bad.  She just looked a bit like the Yesma who helped me escape from the north.


    This was what Nott said when we were at the Broken Collar.  He noted that a Yesma allowed him to escape from the north.


    ¡ªBesides, I was the one to let Nott escape from the arena.


    This was what Markus mentioned yesterday morning.  He stated that he enabled Nott to escape from the north.


    And there¡¯s the topic of location magic from earlier.  The conclusion that could be drawn from this¡­


    (The Yesma who helped you escape from the north¡¯s arena was actually the king disguised as a Yesma, wasn¡¯t it?)


    ¡°Yeah.  He called himself Nuris.  We can¡¯t be careless around mages.  If they can change their appearance at will, then there¡¯s no way to watch out for them.¡±


    Hearing an unexpected name made my heart beat rapidly.  Doubts became conviction.  Nuris should be the Yesma that Kento met in the past.  She should have been conscripted to work at the Northern royal castle.  That means-


    ¡°For your reference-¡±


    Wies interjected.


    ¡°Magic that transforms one¡¯s appearance is not something that can be used so easily.  Based on the royal dynasty¡¯s analysis of the quality of their location magic, the surreptitious sorcerer hasn¡¯t reached that level yet.  Please rest assured.¡±


    ¡°I see.  So that means we only have to be on the lookout for the royal dynasty¡¯s spies.¡±


    Whether he was being sarcastic or sincere, Nott¡¯s words carried thorns.  Wies looked down towards me and conveyed.


    ¡ªLet¡¯s end things here.


    She was telling me not to reveal to Nott the truth that I had arrived at.


    (Thanks Nott.  That helped a lot.)


    Nott sighed after I conveyed that to him through Jess.


    ¡°Couldn''t you have just asked the king directly?  Well, whatever.  I¡¯m leaving the matters there up to you, stupid pig.¡±


    After Wies signaled Nott with a nod, Nott obediently started walking alongside Wies.  We stayed behind and saw them off.


    ¡°Um¡­ Mister Pig.¡±


    Hearing Jess talk to me, I looked over to her.


    (What is it?)


    ¡°Did you realize something?¡±


    After a brief hesitation, I decided that it would be fine to discuss this with Jess.


    (Yeah.  I figured out why there were two location magic when we sent out that letter.)


    ¡°Why?  I¡¯m curious!¡±


    The way you said that is kinda¡­


    (When Markus infiltrated the north, he used magic to disguise himself as a Yesma.  He then let Nott escape, allowed the Liberation Army to be revived, and even formed an alliance with them.  So far so good?)


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    (Then there¡¯s what Nott told me ¨C Markus used to call himself ¡°Nuris.¡±  And lastly, based on the information I received from a certain source, I know that there really was a Yesma called Nuris who was conscripted to the Northern royal castle.  Therefore-)


    ¡°The question becomes: Where did the real Nuris go?¡±


    I¡¯m glad she caught on quickly.


    (Right.  And I know where she went.)


    ¡°Really?¡±


    (Yeah.  It was when I met the guys from the Liberation Army while on board the docked Broken Collar in Niabel.  Nott said there was a Yesma who looked just like the Yesma that helped him escaped.)


    ¡ªShe lost all her memories up until recently and was wandering around here.  She seems to have a northern accent, but she¡¯s a genuine Yesma, so we took her in.  We didn¡¯t know her name, so sis called her Litis.


    (According to the others, that Yesma had no memory of anything up until recently.  She didn¡¯t even know who she was.  Her memories had been erased.  Only a mage would be able to do that sort of thing.)


    ¡°That means Markus-sama erased the memories of the real Ms. Nuris and let her escape.¡±


    (Likely so.  If she was released into the wild while she was still aware of the fact that she¡¯s Nuris ¨C someone who was conscripted to the Northern royal castle ¨C there was a chance that he would be discovered as the fake Nuris.  That¡¯s why he wiped her memories.)


    ¡°And then, the people of the Liberation Army happened to pick up the real Ms. Nuris¡­¡±


    (It would be nice if that were the case.)


    ¡°Was I wrong?¡±


    (Yeah.  Let¡¯s return to the first mystery.  Why was Markus¡¯ location magic displayed twice on the map?)


    ¡°Ah¡­  So the real Ms. Nuris also had location magic set on her¡­?¡±


    (I¡¯m sure of it.  I believe Markus deliberately let the remnants of the Liberation Army pick up the real Nuris.  He casted location magic on her so he could track their whereabouts.)


    ¡°Then, when he said he¡¯ll remove the location magic on Mr. Nott¡­¡±


    (Although Markus said it was as proof of his trust in front of Shulavis, that wasn¡¯t true at all.  To begin with, since Nott and the others aren¡¯t able to detect magic, I don¡¯t think they would¡¯ve known whether it was removed or not.  It¡¯s because he had also set a location magic on the real Nuris that he could afford to do this.)


    Sure enough, Markus didn¡¯t trust Nott at all.  He must be intending to thoroughly use them before finally using his power to force them to submit.


    Sanon and I might have just steered us all in an outrageous direction.


    It was night time.  Nott returned to the Liberation Army¡¯s camp, and the three members of the royal family were busy with general affairs.  After dinner, Jess invited me to a square with a large fountain.  Rosebushes were planted in a designed manner, creating a garden-like atmosphere.  This place is managed by Wies, and appeared to be the most comfortable place inside the palace.  The night breeze was blocked by the brick buildings surrounding three of the sides, and the remaining side plus area above us had a beautiful starry sky pasted across it.


    Jess sat by the edge of the fountain pool and spoke while aimlessly swinging her non-bare legs.


    ¡°Mr. Nott¡­ knew me after all.¡±


    (Yeah.)


    I sat close to Jess, but not close enough as to be able to see her out zones.


    ¡°So the bookmark in my memories existed for Mr. Nott?¡±


    Jess questioned in vexation.


    ¡°Evis-sama told me that, inside my sealed memories, there was a certain someone who was with me.  Is Mr. Nott perhaps my bookmarked person?¡±


    Did Evis say something like that?  Despite my surprise, I agreed with her.


    (¡­Perhaps that¡¯s the case.)


    Jess showed a regretful expression.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I had a small thought.  I have no basis for this, but¡­ I was thinking that maybe Mister Pig is my bookmarked person.¡±


    Jess looked at me with her slightly tired eyes.  I quickly denied it.


    (No way.  How could I be?  On the contrary, I¡¯d like to know what made you think that.)


    ¡°Um, like I said¡­ I don¡¯t have any basis for it, but I just think so.¡±


    Jess had a lonely look on her face.


    ¡°If there was someone that stayed with me during my dangerous journey¡­  If there was someone I cared so dearly for as to place a bookmark so that I would never forget about that person¡­  I¡¯m sure that person would be by my side during this very difficult time.  This is what I believe.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°S-sorry.  This is just me being selfish and delusional, isn¡¯t it?  Please forget about it.¡±


    Jess, who denied it herself, was very strong, and very pitiful.


    (Maybe that guy thinks Jess can live on her own now.  Maybe there was something else even more important.  Or maybe he died.  Don¡¯t be mistaken.  I¡¯m by your side only because I happened to come here by chance.)


    ¡°You¡¯re right.  Sorry, I really thought¡­¡±


    Jess hesitated to speak.


    (I told you, didn¡¯t I?  I¡¯m a human from another country.  Over there, I still have a super cute, angelic girlfriend with boobs that aren¡¯t too big.  Although I can help Jess currently, I¡¯m a pig that will eventually disappear and return to my original country.)


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ legs moved a little further away from me.  This is how it should be.


    ¡°I-if¡­ she¡¯s Mister Pig¡¯s lover, then she must be a very wonderful person.¡±


    Jess looked at the ground some distance away from me, and spoke in a shrill-sounding voice.


    (What makes you think that?)


    ¡°Because Mister Pig is a very wonderful person.¡±


    That¡¯s not true at all.


    (How about I ask you this instead¡­  If the ¡°bookmarked person¡± Jess mentioned really exists, what kind of person would he be like?)


    Jess thought about it for a moment, before returning a sad-looking smile.


    ¡°Right¡­  I¡¯m sure he would also be a wonderful person.¡±


    ¡­?


    (Again, why do you think that?)


    ¡°Because he was willing to accompany someone as worthless as I am¡­ he must be a kind and wonderful person.¡±


    (Worthless?  Don¡¯t be silly.  Shouldn¡¯t it be more like flawless?)


    ¡°Is that really so¡­?  I think I have plenty of flaws¡­¡±


    As if my oshi was being insulted at, I got pissed off from Jess¡¯ doubtful head tilt.


    (Then what are they?  Go ahead and say them.)


    Jess swallowed.


    ¡°I¡­ only wish for things in my heart, and can never decide anything on my own.¡±


    (That just means you¡¯re patient, because you prioritize other people¡¯s judgements.  Not forcing yourself onto others is a form of kindness.)


    ¡°I¡¯m a hopelessly curious girl.¡±


    (Curiosity is the driving force behind learning.  It¡¯s only right for you to want to pursue the truth.  There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends.¡±


    (I think it¡¯s weirder to have friends in this kind of situation, but if you¡¯re dissatisfied, I¡¯ll be your friend.)


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at magic.¡±


    (It¡¯s only been two or three months, right?  If it was a baby, she wouldn¡¯t have even been able to crawl yet.)


    ¡°And¡­ I have small breasts!¡±


    (Well I prefer them at that size!)


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Oops.


    (Sorry¡­ you weren¡¯t asking for my preferences.)


    Jess blushed so hard I could see it even under the moonlight.


    ¡°No matter what it is, Mister Pig always finds a way to compliment me.¡±


    (I¡¯m a good match, aren''t I?)


    >TL Note: In a contender sense, not relationship sense.


    ¡°I wonder why?  Even though we¡¯ve only been together for a few days¡­ I feel like Mister Pig knows me very well.  It¡¯s as if we¡¯ve been together for a long time¡­¡±


    (Is it because I show up on the dinner table every night?)


    Jess looked at me and seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she closed her mouth and vaguely smiled.


    (Anyway, what happened in the past doesn¡¯t matter.  I¡¯m a pig with my own reasons, and I came here at the request of Jess¡¯ fianc¨¦.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I¡¯ll do my best to lend you my knowledge, so please lend me your strength as well, Jess ¨C as a friend, of course.)


    Jess nodded, seemingly convinced.


    ¡°Understood.  We¡¯re friends.¡±


    Then, with an angelic smile, she said.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you, Mister Pig.¡±


    The Crown Stone Castle is a sturdy mountain castle built around the mountain village of Matto.  It¡¯s said that its name came from the fact that it stands, surrounded by cliffs, like a crown atop the rocky mountain.  Masonry towers in the shape of chess rooks were situated some distance away, and a fortified wall like the winding Great Wall of China stood between them.


    Jess, Shulavis, and I departed from the capital and arrived at the tallest tower in the Crown Stone Castle.  I had an overlook of the vast, dried-grass-colored wetland at the bottom of the cliff.  This wetland marked the boundary between the territories controlled by the royal dynasty and the Northern Forces.


    The weather today was gloomy and cloudy.  Even though it was just before noon, it was too dark for shadows to be casted.


    A team of people from the Liberation Army, including Nott, were making preparations around the wall.  We were going to use Nott, who had the location magic attached on him, as bait to lure the Northern Forces out to fight at this castle.


    The basics of siege warfare dictates that the defending side holds the advantage.  The Crown Stone Castle is under the control of the royal dynasty, so if the Northern Forces were to recklessly send in their soldiers, they run the risk of being completely annihilated by the royal dynasty¡¯s mages.  This means, in order to attack Nott, they¡¯ll have to play a certain number of cards.  In other words, it¡¯s highly likely that the mastermind, the surreptitious sorcerer, will appear.  We plan to use that opportunity to crush him.


    But just in case, for this battle, Markus stayed behind at the capital.  If Markus were to be cursed like Evis was, it seems the royal dynasty might really be in danger of falling into ruins.  Shulavis was also dispatched, but he was essentially ordered to stay in the innermost part of the castle.


    Shulavis should only make his appearance after our opponent has played their trump card.  The surreptitious sorcerer is an old coot after all, so as long as Shulavis doesn¡¯t get cursed, a surprise attack should easily take care of things ¨C or so Markus instructed us.


    Jess and I were also sent to this castle to act as the intermediaries with the Liberation Army in case of an emergency so that Shulavis doesn¡¯t get killed.


    All that''s left now was wait for the enemy to arrive.  Despite being forbidden to do so by Markus, Shulavis took Jess and me to get in contact with Nott.  Nott was sitting on the steps of the stone courtyard on the castle wall, munching on an apple.  Itsune and Josh sat on both sides of him.  Nott was equipped with his twin daggers, Itsune was equipped with her greataxe, and Josh was equipped with his crossbow.  They were ready to fight at a moment¡¯s notice.  Nott still wore a black stole around his neck.


    Walking up to the three, Shulavis greeted, ¡°Thank you for your help on that occasion.¡±


    Shulavis and Jess wore their max defense robes from before, and I was still naked.


    The two siblings were surprised and drew back slightly, but Nott continued biting into his apple.


    ¡°I honestly didn''t expect a great mage to show up.¡±


    He then glanced at Jess and me.


    ¡°Why are these two here as well?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here as emergency food and the emergency food¡¯s caretaker.¡±


    Shulavis replied coolly.  Nn?  Who did you just call emergency food?


    Nott chuckled through his nose.


    ¡°Forget it.  What do you want?¡±


    Hearing the question, Shulavis placed the plastic-shopping-bag-sized cloth sack in his hand in front of Nott.


    ¡°Have a look.¡±


    Nott pulled open the drawstring cloth sack.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Josh, the reserved guy with bangs, peered into the bag and made that sound.


    The sack was filled with large, medium, and small colorful gems ¨C the crystallization of magic power, ristas.


    ¡°These are high quality ristas.  Use them liberally for this coming battle, and keep whatever¡¯s leftover after.¡±


    Itsune released her crossed arms, took out a yellow rista from the sack, and asked.


    ¡°Is this one with a lighter color around its sides defective?¡±


    It was a transparent rista.  The center was dark yellow, but its surrounding area was nearly colorless.


    ¡°That¡¯s-¡±


    The one to answer her question was not Shulavis, but Nott.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rista that releases a large amount of magic power in one go.  If you use that with your greataxe, you¡¯ll definitely send yourself flying.¡±


    Shulavis reacted in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew about it.  It shouldn¡¯t have been distributed outside the capital.¡±


    ¡°The king personally gave some to me.¡±


    Nott replied while earnestly collecting the red ristas.


    After an appeased sigh, Shulavis approached Josh, who was acting reserved.


    ¡°Are you good at shooting?¡±


    Hearing that, Josh looked at Shulavis from behind his bangs.  He pointed a slender finger straight at Shulavis¡¯ right eye.


    ¡°I won¡¯t miss next time.  I¡¯ll make sure to pierce your brainstem through your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I see.  Alright.  Lend me some arrows.  I¡¯ll put magic on them.¡±


    After a brief hesitation, Josh took out a single arrow from the quiver attached to his waist.


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using Nott as bait to lure out the bad guy, right?  Then I only need one shot to hit him.  I want to borrow a mage¡¯s power as little as possible.¡±


    Itsune smiled.


    ¡°What are you going to do if two bad guys show up?  It¡¯s better to have a few more handy.¡±


    Josh resolutely refused to yield.


    ¡°Just one.  So what are you going to do to it?¡±


    ¡°Freeze, shock, or explosion.  I can add one of these effects to it.¡±


    ¡°Then freeze.  These two can take care of the other two.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Shulavis held the arrow and closed his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°That should do it.  There¡¯s no point if you shoot something that doesn¡¯t have water, so don¡¯t miss.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I won¡¯t miss?¡±


    Josh casually returned the arrow he received back into his quiver.  Is he going to be able to distinguish it from the rest of the arrows?


    Like a statue, Shulavis¡¯ expression didn¡¯t change.  But whether it was because it was calculated, or out of goodwill, he showed a cooperative attitude towards the rebels.  He didn¡¯t intimidate them like his father did, nor did he give the impression that he was looking down on Nott and the others.  He¡¯s gruff, but he¡¯s also a straightforward and sincere guy with a strong will.  I honestly felt that he would make a surprisingly good husband.


    When I glanced to my side, I noticed Jess was looking at me discontentedly.  And from the corner of my eyes, a white mass flew towards us from almost directly behind me.


    Crap.  Before I could even think of the word, the white fluffy mass pushed Jess down.  It panted excitedly.


    ¡°Eh?  Um¡­  Stop.  Wait.  Ah¡­¡±


    It was Rossi.  After licking Jess from the neck up one whole round, the perverted dog stuck his nose into the hem of her robe and began sniffing at her absolute territory.


    I¡¯m so enviou- I won¡¯t forgive him!  Just because he¡¯s an animal doesn¡¯t mean he gets to do whatever he wants.


    When I approached them to try and push him away, his fluffy tail wagged and slapped my nose.


    ¡°Rossi, that¡¯s enough.  Come here.¡±


    After Nott¡¯s command, Rossi stuck his head out from between Jess¡¯ legs and sauntered towards his owner in a reluctant manner.


    ¡°Is he your dog?¡±


    When Shulavis asked that, Rossi showed an interest in that direction.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s my partner¡­  What are you doing?  C¡¯mere.¡±


    For some reason, Rossi was sniffing at Shulavis¡¯ legs extremely politely.  After a snort, Rossi then returned to Nott¡¯s side.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see him interested in a guy¡¯s legs.¡±  Nott noted while scratching his jaw.


    That dog definitely lacks discipline.  I¡¯ve never heard of an animal that¡¯s interested in female legs before.  What an unheard-of pervert.


    (Are you alright, Jess?)


    ¡ªYeah, I was a little surprised¡­  Is my face that tasty?


    (Well¡­ I won¡¯t know until I¡¯ve tried it.)


    ¡ªUm, I was joking¡­  You don¡¯t have to actually try¡­?


    Jess stood up, slightly put off, and wiped her drool-covered cheeks with her sleeves.


    At the same time, the sun of destiny had set.


    We were awaken, not by the sound of birds chirping, but by the alarm bell of an enemy attack.


    ¡°I¡¯ll support the frontlines from the shadows so that our soldiers don¡¯t get exhausted.  You two stay here and keep an eye on Nott.  If anything happens, smash that glass ball.¡±


    As he said that, Shulavis left behind a glass ball about the size of a wind chime before dashing out the room.  It was in the middle of the night.  Jess and I were the only ones left inside this room in the deepest part of the castle.  I should be able to see Nott from the window, but because of my height, I¡¯m not able to ¨C as I thought that, Jess, who had just woken up, moved a suitable desk over to the window.


    (Thanks.  Where Nott?)


    I asked while getting onto the desk, before spotting Nott standing still with his arms crossed at the courtyard where we went with Shulavis to see him during the day.  Itsune was sitting a little further away.  Josh and Rossi were nowhere to be seen.  They were likely hiding.  And on the other end, far below in the dark wetland, numerous torches flickered.  I could hear the clanking noise of countless armors approaching from afar.


    ¡°Mister Pig, what do we do¡­?¡±


    (For now, we should be fine as long as we remain here.  Stay calm.)


    I also felt this during the naval battle, but it didn¡¯t matter if I was with the main character of another world¡¯s story, I was essentially useless at times like these.  Celes and Sanon have also probably withdrawn to a safe place.


    Our job is not to fight on the frontlines, but to fight outside of the battlefield.


    (It¡¯s not a good idea to stay by the window for too long.  Let¡¯s retreat inside and use a mirror to observe the situation below.)


    I instructed Jess where to place to mirror so that we could observe Nott while sitting, and we sat still on the bed in the dark room.  Jess donned her max defense robe.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ um¡­ may I sit closer to you?¡±


    I eyed Jess.  Because of how she slept, she had a slight bed head- that¡¯s not the point.


    (Only to the extent where Shulavis won¡¯t get angry.)


    As I conveyed that, Jess moved close enough that her waist would be able to sink into my pork belly that was laying on the bed.  Her hands nervously caressed my back.


    (Don¡¯t worry.  It¡¯ll be fine, so you don¡¯t have to get so close to me.)


    ¡°Sorry¡­ but, um¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Jess replied in a weak voice that seemed to taper off.  Well, it¡¯s no surprise that she¡¯s scared.


    (Do you know what the suspension bridge effect is?)


    I changed the subject to divert her attention, and Jess rested a finger on her chin while thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read a book about how to use oscillation to effectively destroy a suspension bridge, but¡­¡±


    Wait, what are you planning on destroying a bridge for?


    (That¡¯s not what I meant.  I¡¯m talking about the effect where, if your heart is pounding from fear and someone else is nearby, you¡¯ll be under the impression that your excitement is caused by romantic feelings and end up actually falling in love with that person.)


    Like when you¡¯re on a swaying suspension bridge, or inside a castle that¡¯s under attack.  Those kinds of situations.


    ¡°Is Mister Pig¡¯s heart pounding right now?¡±


    Well, of course.  It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of virgin you are, if such a cute girl pushes her body against you, your heart is bound to be racing¡­


    (Stupid, I¡¯m talking about you, Jess.  Even if it was by mistake, don¡¯t go and fall in love with this kind of pig.)


    ¡°Eh?  Oh¡­ you mean me?  I-I won¡¯t.  Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    After staying quiet for some time, Jess murmured softly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a virgin¡­¡±


    That¡¯s right!  I¡¯m a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin who hasn¡¯t had any experience with a girlfriend the same amount of time equivalent to my age!  You got a problem with that?!


    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m not complaining or anything like that.  If you put it like that, then I¡¯m also-¡±


    The all-you-can-listen monologue happy hour is over now, okay?


    ¡°Ah, sorry¡­ but Mister Pig, I thought you said you had a super cute, angelic girlfriend with boobs that aren¡¯t too big¡­?¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    (I only got her recently.  Strictly speaking, they¡¯re certainly not equivalent, but my age, and how long I haven¡¯t had a girlfriend for, are both at nineteen years.  Don¡¯t sweat the details.)


    Not hearing a response, I checked on Jess and noticed her brown eyes studying me.


    (What?)


    ¡°No, um, I¡¯m not doubting you or anything, but¡­¡±


    Jess was still staring at me.


    ¡°I thought Mister Pig was someone that worried about the details.¡±


    (Why are you acting like a criminal investigator at a police station¡­?  Y¡¯know, I¡¯m surprisingly crass.)


    With an unconvinced look, Jess muttered ¡°Is that so?¡± before smiling.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a crass Mr. Virgin, huh?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Was it necessary to link those two things together there?


    While we were being preoccupied by our silly conversation, I saw two rays of red light reflected in the mirror.  After that, the light flashed.  That meant Nott took an evasive maneuver.


    Before I had a chance to figure out why, a fireball-looking thing flew towards us at a terrifying speed and hit the room we were in.


    There was a burst of light.  Stones fell, smoke and dust hovered, and our surroundings changed from heaven to chaotic hell in an instant.


    ¡°Mister Pig, are you alright?¡±


    I was relieved to hear Jess¡¯ voice.  My vision was pitch black.  I could feel something soft on my back.


    (Sorry, I think I¡¯m fine, but what happened¡­?)


    ¡°Evis-sama¡¯s robe protected us.¡±


    My sight was freed from the darkness.  Jess covered me, and we were protected by her robe.  Stone fragments tumbled off of Jess¡¯ back.  We should have been inside a room, but when I looked up, I could see the black clouds reflecting the crimson color of flames.  Broken bits of the bed was scattered around us.


    (No, you protected me, Jess.  Not the robe.)


    As I conveyed that, Jess raised her eyebrows in a frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Anyway.


    (Let¡¯s evacuate while figuring out the current situation.  Since the enemy has a weapon with that much firepower, it¡¯ll be dangerous to be high up.)


    Jess and I carefully treaded through the gaps in the rubble and moved towards the stairs which managed to keep its structure.  From there, we hurried downstairs.  There were no signs of pursuers.


    (I wonder what that attack was just now.)


    Jess glanced at me while we ran.


    ¡°I think it was probably an artillery strike that uses the magic power extracted from a Yesma¡¯s collar.  After all, ristas and gunpowder aren¡¯t able to exert that kind of power¡­  According to Evis-sama and Markus-sama¡¯s analysis, when it comes to offensive attacks, the surreptitious sorcerer is only able to use weak magic.¡±


    I was reminded of something I once heard.  The reason why Yesma collars are traded for such a high price. ¨C The reason why those Yesma girls are so mercilessly beheaded.


    It was bone chilling just thinking about how the Northern Forces had amassed their forces.


    (I see.  I¡¯ve learned something today.)


    We ran through the winding corridors of the crumbling castle and made haste towards the ground floor.  The surrounding masonry had collapsed, and bits of the fireball were burning here and there.


    I heard a footstep from behind a broken wall.


    (Someone¡¯s here.)


    I stopped and blocked Jess¡¯ direction.  From the sound of it, I knew our mysterious person had also stopped.  Who is it?


    ¡°Ms. Jess¡­!¡±


    I heard a whisper-like voice and dropped my guard.  It was Celes.


    A slender girl appeared from behind the wall.  She still wore the dark brown one-piece dress that I saw from before, albeit slightly wrinkled.  At her feet was a large black pig.


    The black pig snorted, to which Celes immediately covered her mouth.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    Jess approached Celes, who had just spoken softly to the black pig.


    ¡°Do you¡­ know me?¡±


    ¡°No, um, er, I-I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Just how bad are you at lying?


    (Jess, she¡¯s my acquaintance.  Meet Celes.)


    ¡°Ms. Celes¡­¡±


    I glanced at Jess muttering to herself, and asked Celes.


    (Hey Celes, what happened to Nott and the others?)


    ¡°I lost sight of them while evacuating with Mr. Sanon¡­  They should be at that courtyard with a good view¡­¡±


    They shouldn¡¯t be far from where they first took their positions then.


    It¡¯s good that we bumped into Celes and Sanon, but what do we do now?


    As I was contemplating, I noticed Sanon approaching Jess while snorting heavily.


    Oh shit!  I have to protect Jess from this perverted pig bastard!


    With Celes¡¯ help, I conveyed to Sanon.


    (Mr. Sanon, stop.  Don¡¯t you dare lay your hands on ¨C or rather, your nose on my Jess.)


    As I stood in his way and intimidated him with all my might, the black pig stopped and looked up at Jess.


    ¡ªOops, excuse me.  It¡¯s because she was such a cute girl that I unintentionally¡­  Oh, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a pig that knows how to restrain himself.


    ¡°My Jess¡­¡±


    Hearing Jess repeat that, I realized my slip of the tongue.


    (I meant it as in you¡¯re my precious pet owner.  There¡¯s no other meaning to it.)


    Jess, who had a bewildered look on her face, raised her chin in realization.


    ¡°I-I see.  Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡±


    During that exchange, Celes kept her gaze on me.


    (What?)


    When I turned to look at her, Celes¡¯ cheeks loosened into a light smile.


    ¡ªMr. Shitty Virgin is the same as me.


    What do you mean by that?  I snorted while thinking that, and then conveyed to the three.


    (I know we just met up, but there¡¯s no point in us sticking together.  Celes is going along with Sanon to support Nott and the others, right?  Sorry, but my job is to keep Jess away from any sort of danger, so let¡¯s part ways here for now.)


    The black pig seemed to agree as he nodded at me.


    ¡ªI hope everyone ends up safe and sound.


    (Yeah.  You better not die in a place like this.)


    The black pig nodded, nudged Celes, and started walking in the direction we came from.  Celes followed suit.


    (Since Celes and Sanon headed towards that direction, we should be safe to go this way.  Let¡¯s go.)


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Jess nodded while letting her discontentment bleed into her words.


    While we walked, I asked, (What¡¯s wrong?  Was there something that made you unhappy?)


    Jess angrily puffed out her cheeks and looked down at me.


    ¡°What did Ms. Celes mean when she said ¡®the same as me,¡¯ Mr. Shitty Virgin?  You¡¯re hiding something after all, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Please don¡¯t call me by that.  If the knowledgeable Jess says that, you¡¯ll be breaking your character¡­)


    ¡°Are you trying to dodge the question¡­?¡±


    It was too tricky to explain, so I chose to run away.


    (I¡¯ll tell you someday, so let¡¯s focus on the current situation.  Their soldiers haven¡¯t reached this far yet, but we can¡¯t let our guard down.)


    Just as I said that, we arrived near the courtyard before I knew it.  At the end of the corner, I spotted two red-glowing lights and stopped to hug the wall.


    (This isn¡¯t good.  It looks like we went the opposite direction.)


    I squinted.  On the dark stone-paved courtyard, a swordsman wielding a pair of shining red daggers was confronting someone.  The stole wrapped around the swordsman¡¯s neck fluttered in the night wind.


    ¡°It was you after all.  You¡¯re the mage controlling the Northern Forces from the shadows.¡±


    The figure that Nott was confronting was tall, and wore a grey robe that had several char and tear marks.   His opponent was carrying a long, thin staff made of a brass-colored metal.


    ¡°We meet again, youngster.  You¡¯re looking well.¡±


    A deep and icy voice that felt like it was mixed with the winter night chill transmitted clearly from afar.


    Still glaring at the figure, Nott removed the ristas from his twin daggers with his left hand and threw them on the ground.  Like that of a magician¡¯s fingers, he then slotted in the new ristas into his daggers in a smooth motion.


    ¡°Was it because you were manipulating the king that your personal feelings were involved in my treatment?  Too bad you didn¡¯t kill me, old man.  I still gotta pay you back for the torturing.¡±


    Does that mean the torturer who was close to Arogan that Nott mentioned before is the surreptitious sorcerer?


    They continued to glare at each other.  I was wondering why Nott didn¡¯t just attack, but when I looked at his opponent¡¯s robe, I figured out the reason.  Those scorch marks were probably caused by Nott¡¯s attacks.  They weren¡¯t effective at all.  I then quickly realized something.  Oh shit.


    (That¡¯s the surreptitious sorcerer, right?)


    ¡ªThat seems to be the case.


    (That mage might be able to hear our exchange.  Let¡¯s get out of here immediately.)


    ¡ªRight, let¡¯s go back and-


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s an ambusher.¡±


    His voice sent shivers down my spine.  For some reason, it felt like those words were directed at me.


    ¡°What if I told you those words were directed at you?¡±


    Jess placed her hand on the back of my neck.  Shit, we¡¯ve already been caught.


    (I¡¯ll handle this.  Jess, you escape.)


    ¡ªBut¡­


    (It¡¯ll be fine.  I¡¯m not the one who¡¯ll be fighting.)


    After conveying that, I ran out.  Jess¡¯ fingertips left my neck.


    Once I reached Nott¡¯s side, I could finally see the other person¡¯s face underneath his hood.


    He was an old man with an aquiline nose, deep wrinkles, and a terrifying face.  He had long white hair covering his face, and his skin was pale like it had been bleached.  For some reason, his outline was a bit blurry, making him seem like a shadow.  Illuminated by the fireball remains, only his golden eyes shone brightly.  He looked to be getting up there in age, yet also appeared to be full of vitality.  How old is he exactly?


    ¡°Let me give you a hint.  I¡¯m the same age as Vatis.¡±  The old man read my monologue without permission and answered.


    What?  You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­


    But it made sense.  Instead of assuming that a mage, unknown by the royal dynasty, came from somewhere, it¡¯s more reasonable to think a mage that Vatis failed to seal was still alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re that pig, aren¡¯t you?  The one I failed to kill back in Bapsas.  I suppose this is our first time meeting.  I¡¯d like to kill you too, but¡­¡±


    After thinking about it for a moment, the old man said.


    ¡°I guess I can kill some time.  Now die.¡±


    What do I do?  What kind of attack is coming?


    Due to the extreme tension, I watched the old man with all the hair on my body raised.  As he raised his staff, I immediately bolted to avoid the attack.  Through the corner of my pig¡¯s wide field of view, I saw the old man stick his staff into the ground.


    ¡°Snor-!¡±


    I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and fell to the ground.  When I turned to look, I saw the sharp tip of his long staff sticking out of the stone floor like a bamboo shoot.  My other eye spotted the old man¡¯s staff stuck inside the floor.  That kind of long-range attack is cheating.


    It was at this moment that Nott acted.  He must have aimed for the moment when the old man was in the middle of an attack.  Leaning forward, Nott swung the dagger in his left at the old man.


    A gigantic, crescent-shaped flame exploded from Nott¡¯s left hand.  The waterfall-like mass of fire engulfed the old man in an instant.  The flames tore through the stone floor and flashily destroyed the battlement behind the old man.


    ¡°Mister Pig, are you okay?¡±


    When I came to my senses, Jess was next to me.  I was lying on my side due to the pain, and I looked at her.


    (Don¡¯t come here, it¡¯s dangerous.)


    ¡°If it¡¯s that kind of attack, it¡¯ll be the same no matter where I am.¡±


    I had nothing to say in response to her legitimate objection.


    (Could you take a look at my abdomen?  I can¡¯t see it myself.)


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a stab wound.  Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll heal it.¡±


    When Jess placed her hand on my stomach, I could feel the pain fade away.


    ¡°But this black bruise¡­¡±


    I glanced sideways at the skeptical Jess and got up.  Some pain still remained, but I could handle it.


    The old man was engulfed in flames for some time, but he was still standing when the flames were extinguished.  His skin was charred black, and the whites of his bones were exposed.  How anticlimactic.  Was that all it took to defeat him?


    But things weren¡¯t that simple.


    Ashes flew around the old man and returned to where they belonged.  As I watched, his tall body regenerated.  The fine ash weaved together in the air to become strands, then cloth, and finally the shape of a robe, covering his body.


    We could only watch.  In less than thirty seconds, the old man was back to his original appearance.


    ¡°This body has taken in hundreds of fruits.  Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be destroyed this easily.¡±


    The old man spoke while turning his head.  Fruit?  Is he talking about Devil Fruits or something?


    Nott responded to the old man while switching out his ristas.


    ¡°You sure talk a lot of nonsense.  Are you trying to buy time for something?¡±


    Nott slowly crossed his arms in front of his face.  A moment later, he swung down his twin daggers and shot an X-shaped flame at the old man.  That was the signal.


    The old man blocked Nott¡¯s flames with his staff.  Rossi then leaped out from the darkness and bit the old man¡¯s neck from behind.  Sparks crackled from Rossi¡¯s mouth, and the old man lost his balance.  The same time Rossi kicked off of the old man and jumped back, there was a whistle, and before I knew it, an arrow was lodged deep in the old man¡¯s eye.  The old man¡¯s body fell to the ground.  His head was starting to be covered in frost.  The magic enchanted arrow seemed to have worked.


    The attacks didn¡¯t end there.  Just when I noticed the shadow of someone falling while holding a greataxe from the top of a tree, the axe was quickly swung down over the old man¡¯s head.  In an instant, a thunderbolt-like flash and impact caused the surrounding area to become completely white.


    When my eyes adjusted, I saw the ground, which was originally paved with stones, had caved in greatly, revealing the soil underneath; and the charred fragments of a person was scattered everywhere.  Nott then threw three walnut-sized metal balls into that hole.


    Boom.


    We peeked into the hole after the smoke dissipated.  Nothing retain its original shape except for the long staff.


    ¡°Was that it?¡±


    Itsune slung the greataxe over her shoulder and asked.


    Nott silently stared at the hole without putting away his twin daggers.


    It was then-


    Something moved inside the hole.  It made a creepy rustling noise.  Nott made his daggers glow red, illuminating the hole.  Something unbelievable was happening.  The charcoal and ash began gathering in one place as if they had a will of their own.


    ¡°Get back.¡±


    Everyone present obeyed Nott¡¯s order.


    Something stood up from the hole.  The cinders swirled and gathered to form the shape of a person.  It was as if a three-dimensional shadow was being projected into that space.


    The shadow looked at us for some time before flying outside the castle walls and finally disappearing.


    Inside the hole that Itsune¡¯s thunderbolt made, only the metal staff remained.


    ¡°I see you weren¡¯t able to kill him.¡±


    A voice came from behind, and I turned around to find Shulavis standing there unharmed.


    Nott clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Hey, why didn¡¯t you come and help?¡±


    Shulavis calmly approached the furious Nott.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand why he came here alone, didn¡¯t try to kill you, and fought so slowly?  You¡¯re no longer the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s target.  The blood of the royal dynasty are.  He was planning to lure me out and kill me.  That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t because you were scared?  If you were around to help, we might¡¯ve been able to finish him off.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?  My attacks are physical.  If even his brain can regenerate after being pierced and shattered by lightning, there¡¯s no point in me helping.  That old man must¡¯ve anticipated this already when he walked into our trap.¡±


    No one refuted.  Shulavis looked down at the wetlands from the ruined battlement.


    ¡°The Northern army appears to have retreated.  We¡¯ll be leaving the royal army¡¯s soldiers here, so let¡¯s withdraw.  After taking that much damage, I doubt the surreptitious sorcerer will return any time soon.¡±


    ¡°That so?  Then we¡¯ll be getting some rest.¡±


    Nott stated and withdrew with Itsune.  Rossi appeared to be concerned about us as he chased after Nott briskly.  Only Jess, Shulavis, and I were left in the crumbling courtyard.


    ¡°Um, Mr. Shulavis.¡±


    Jess called out in a shrill voice.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Mister Pig¡¯s¡­ stomach¡­¡±


    Shulavis swiftly walked towards me and crouched down to look at my abdomen.


    ¡°This bruise¡­¡±


    (What¡¯s this about a bruise?)


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it.  It¡¯s the same curse that killed Grandfather.  He died because the black bruise eroded his entire body.¡±


    Shulavis conjured up a metal disk in his hand and held it next to my eyes.  Reflected on it was the appearance of a black bruise shaped like a brittle star spread across this pig¡¯s flank.  The bruise was larger than the size of a person¡¯s palm, and continued spreading as I looked at it.  An unpleasant, chilling pain began permeating numbingly.


    (Is there¡­ no way to cure it?)


    ¡°¡­Grandfather was killed by this curse.¡±


    Shulavis repeated the same content.  I understood what he meant.  If this cursed defeated Mestria¡¯s greatest mage, then there¡¯s no one who could handle it.


    ¡°How can this be?  This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡±


    Jess sank to the floor, placed her hand on my back, and lamented with teary eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it either.  It didn¡¯t feel real to me.  Am I going to die?  In a place like this?


    (I can endure the pain.  Can you gouge out the bruise and regenerate it afterwards?)


    Right after my proposal, a burst of sharp pain shot through me before quickly disappearing.  However, the chilling pain remained.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Jess.  If it could be dealt with like that, Grandfather would have already cut off his right arm.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shulavis, please.  Please save Mister Pig.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d save him if I could.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    No one said a word.  As the night returned to tranquility, Jess¡¯ sobs began to fill the air.  It was painful just hearing them.


    (Jess, don¡¯t cry.  You don¡¯t have to go this far for this pig-)


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ Mister Pig was my first friend.¡±


    Jess responded with a tearful voice while sobbing.


    (For a girl like you, Jess, you¡¯ll be able to make as many friends as you want to.  Don¡¯t worry.)


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.  That¡¯s¡­ not why.  It¡¯s because Mister Pig was always by my side, always thinking for me¡­  That¡¯s why¡­¡­¡±


    It¡¯s only naturally.  Since you¡¯re my oshi.


    The pain continued to spread.  Evis seemed to have held on for a while, but my curse progressed rapidly.  Was it because of the difference in magic power?  The pain had already reached my neck.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mister Pig have a super cute, angelic girlfriend with boobs that aren¡¯t too big?  If you die, then she¡¯ll definitely be saddened.  So please¡­ you can¡¯t die.¡±


    A super cute, angelic girl with boobs that aren¡¯t too big is shedding her tears in front of me.  Yeah, I guess if I had a girlfriend like that, I¡¯m sure she would mourn my death.


    (Did I not tell you?  If I die in this world, I¡¯ll be able to return to my original world.  In fact, if I die here, I¡¯ll be able to see her sooner.)


    Jess¡¯ eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡±


    (That¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to feel sad for her.)


    ¡°But I¡¯m really sad.¡±


    (You¡¯re so kind.)


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.  I don¡¯t want you to die¡­  I don¡¯t want to see Mister Pig die, no matter what.¡±


    Standing became too painful, so I buckled and laid down on the ground.  Pain started invading my limbs.


    ¡°No!  Mister Pig!¡±


    Jess hugged me.  I saw Shulavis¡¯ feet turn away immediately.


    ¡°I beg of you, please don¡¯t take away another important person from me¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ voice didn¡¯t seem directed at me, but towards somewhere far away.  Perhaps at the starry sky stretched out beyond the thick clouds.


    When my senses returned, the sky had brightened.  The clouds were parting, and the red morning sun was shining from afar.


    The pain was gone.  Could it be¡­?


    Jess released me.  In front of me, Shulavis was still looking away.


    (Shulavis!  Can you lend me that mirror again?)


    As I got up and asked, Shulavis turned towards me.


    ¡°Jess!¡±


    Shulavis sharply yelled.  I quickly turned my head to find Jess lying on the floor as if she had threw herself onto the stone surface.  Her eyes were closed, she had her hands on her abdomen, and she seemed to be breathing in pain.


    With a sudden gasp, Shulavis lifted Jess¡¯ clothes to reveal her stomach.  And¡­


    A dense black mesh pattern was spread on there.


    Don¡¯t tell me Jess took the curse in my place¡­


    This time, it was my turn to panic.


    (Jess, get a hold of yourself!)


    ¡°Uu¡­ ugh¡­¡±


    Jess opened her eyes slightly and smiled only with her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ Mister Pig was cured¡­¡±


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.  Come on, come on, come on.  This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.  No matter how you look at it, that development should¡¯ve ended with me dying here.  How could Jess¡­  This can¡¯t be happening, right?


    (No, Jess, you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t die here.)


    ¡°You¡¯re so kind.¡±


    No.  That¡¯s not right.  What kind of stupid talk are you saying?


    (Don¡¯t you have someone important to you?  You wanted to remember that person, right?  It¡¯s not right for you to die before you remember who that is.)


    The cursed bruise rose to Jess¡¯ neck at the speed of paper being burned, and it extended its grasps towards her small chin.  Shulavis¡¯ eyes swam in a panic.  Not knowing what to do, I just stood there beside Jess.


    ¡°Just having someone close to me who¡¯s willing to mourn for me when I¡¯m dying makes me more than happy enough.¡±


    Jess shut her eyes, tears ran down her face and dripped onto the stone floor.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pretend that Mister Pig is my important person after all.¡±


    The black mesh pattern crossed Jess¡¯ jawline and consumed her face.  The curse continued to seep into her once-beautiful legs and slender arms.


    This can¡¯t be real.  If I knew this was going to happen, then at least once, I wanted to¡­


    (Jess, listen.  I¡¯m-)


    Just then, Jess opened her eyes.  They shone like she had realized something.


    ¡ªI finally understand why the key was so big.


    Her beautiful brown eyes simply stared at me.  What did she say?


    Jess¡¯ eyes closed seemingly happily, pushing more tears down her face.


    Without stopping, the cursed bruise spread all at once and covered Jess¡¯ entire body.


    There was nothing I could do.


    Her small, tightly gripped hands, still covered by the pitch-black mesh pattern, lost their strength and loosened up.

 Volume 2 - CH 5

    The atmosphere of the funeral was too heavy.


    A single coffin laid inside the vast Golden Sanctuary.  The people inside the sanctuary were Markus, Wies, and Shulavis ¨C the family of three; also a bothersome pig was mixed in as well.  I had no choice but to attend the funeral.  After all, this person was my benefactor.


    King Markus proceeded calmly without expressing any particular emotion, and the funeral ended quickly.  According to Shulavis, commanding the maintenance of Mestria alone is hard enough work, but now with the additional worries of the Northern Forces¡¯ invasion and the immortal mage¡¯s attacks, the king and queen couple are being strained to the extent that they¡¯ll go bald from all this stress.  That¡¯s why they kept the funeral as simple as possible.


    I was reminded of the evening on that beautiful sunny day when I first said my goodbyes here.  Just like that time, the dazzling sunset streamed through the stained glass windows, projecting colorful images onto the floor of the dim sanctuary.  I looked at them carefully, and for the first time, I realized they were depicting a kind-looking woman ascending to heaven.


    ¡°It seems like traces of the curse refuse to disappear no matter what, so the corpse will be burned until only the bones are left.¡±


    Shulavis spoke plainly while we were returning from the funeral.  Shulavis and I were climbing up the wide and long white marble steps that were decorated with sculptures.  The capital''s a stone city built on a mountain.  Looking behind us from the steps, I could see the dark green color of the Forest of Needles spreading out beyond the grey cityscape below.


    (¡­You normally don¡¯t burn them?)


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  Once, when I was a child, I saw Vatis-sama¡¯s corpse during a ceremony¡­  I still remember how it wasn¡¯t dried up or decayed, but instead retained her lifelike appearance with frightening vividness.¡±


    Shulavis was speaking faster than usual.  Possibly to avert his eyes from death.  I kept him company.


    (But isn¡¯t she someone from over 100 years ago?)


    ¡°Yeah.  However, powerful magic can sometimes transcend even death¡­  Though, of course, there haven¡¯t been any instances of dead people coming back to life, barring cases like yours.¡±


    Was it because it was just after the funeral?  Shulavis conscientiously supplemented those words.


    (There¡¯s magic that prevents you from dying, isn¡¯t there?  Like what that surreptitious sorcerer is doing.)


    ¡°That looks to be the case.  But what kind of magic it is, I have no idea.¡±


    After a sigh, Shulavis continued.


    ¡°Having said that, knowing the enemy¡¯s characteristics is a big deal.  That old man is protected by some kind of magic and can¡¯t be killed through physical destruction.  On top of that, his curse can only be applied at a relatively close range.  According to the analysis of the long staff that was left behind, I¡¯m told it only has physical strengthening and basic transformation magic applied to it.  There was a tunnel hole where the staff passed through in the Crown Stone Castle¡¯s stone pavement and underground.  That attack doesn¡¯t ignore distance, which means he needs to have direct contact through something to be able to land the curse.  In other words, you¡¯re dead if you get hit, but measures can be taken to prevent it from hitting.¡±


    Shulavis seemed to be talking to me, but he kept staring ahead while speaking.  It looked like he was organizing his thoughts on his own.  What a diligent guy.


    (At the end of the day, it looks like that old man¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to kill Nott, but to kill the mages of the royal dynasty.)


    ¡°That seems to be the case.  Since he can¡¯t die from physical attacks, from his point of view, Nott shouldn¡¯t pose a threat at all.  If he wanted to kill Nott, he could''ve done it at any time.  His goal must have been to steadily reduce the number of pawns available to the royal dynasty first.¡±


    Shulavis turned his head back towards the sanctuary.


    ¡°¡­And he¡¯s already succeeded.¡±


    (Right.)


    Silence.  Shulavis finally looked over towards me.


    ¡°Pig, how about we head to Jess¡¯ room for a bit?¡±


    (But she¡¯s-)


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  I have something to show you.¡±


    I was guided by Shulavis, and the two of us headed towards Jess¡¯ room.  The living room with a study desk was empty.  The window was open, and the breeze quietly blew into the room.  Further inside was a bedroom with a bed.


    Jess was there, slumbering peacefully.


    (She still hasn¡¯t woken up?)


    ¡°There¡¯s no precedence for this, so no one knows when she¡¯ll wake up.¡±


    Shulavis answered while glancing at Jess.  Her sleeping face no longer had the cursed bruise.


    To be honest, it was a miraculous coincidence.  Soon after Jess¡¯ body was covered by the curse, Jess triggered ecydessa.  Ecydessa is a phenomenon that can be considered a mage molting.  All magic, including that of the person in question, becomes a blank slate at that time.  The slow-acting death curse on Jess simply vanished as soon as her ecydessa happened.


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t think it was a coincidence.¡±  Shulavis commented.


    (Huh?)


    ¡°That was my internal monologue.  Ecydessa is something that suddenly occurs to young mages due to a rapid increase in magic power.  The reason for Jess¡¯ surge in magic power in the face of death was most likely because you were by her side.  She was convinced that the sealed memories were about you, and wished to regain them, even if it was only for a moment before she died; in order to break Grandfather¡¯s sealing magic, this resulted in a huge wave of magic power.  That¡¯s why ecydessa happened at that timing.¡±


    Is that so?


    (Don¡¯t tell me your grandpa predicted this¡­)


    ¡°Who knows?  The truth is already in the coffin.  It¡¯ll soon be turned to ashes.¡±


    Shulavis and I exited the bedroom, returning to the living room.  Shulavis then closed the bedroom door.


    ¡°¡­Though it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Grandfather predicted this a long time ago.¡±


    A king with outstanding foresight.  Because of his death, Mestria is once again plunged into an era of turmoil.


    However, this is also the first step towards rewriting this failed world with our own hands.


    (So what did you want to talk about?)


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Shulavis pointed at the floor while he sat down on Jess¡¯ study chair.  What are you, a super sadistic prince?


    After I obediently sat down on the floor, Shulavis took out a book from Jess¡¯ study desk.  It was bound in a dark brown leather cover, and was about the size of a paperback book.


    ¡°You¡¯re able to read our language, right?  Have a look.¡±


    Saying that, he opened the first page and placed the book in front of me.


    Thanks to Jess¡¯ magic, I had no trouble with Mestrian.


    Beautiful black pen lettering was adorned to the cream-colored pages.  It looked to be a diary.


    Year 129  Month of 7  Day 7  of the Royal Calendar


    Memory, is a very unreliable thing.  I felt that I should leave my memories at a definite place somewhere, so I started keeping this diary.


    It felt like I was waking up for the first time this morning.  A chain of surprises threw my mind into disarray.  What I can be certain of, is that I have arrived at the capital before I knew it, I¡¯m now able to use magic, and shockingly enough, I am being welcomed as the fianc¨¦ of the king¡¯s grandson.  I could have never imagined such a warm reception, and I am overjoyed by it.  But I get the feeling that I¡¯m forgetting something important.  Like there¡¯s a bookmark stuck in an unknown place in my mind.  It¡¯s a very frustrating feeling.


    The king informed me that, because of something he can¡¯t tell me, my memories were sealed.


    Without touching the pages, Shulavis used magic to turn them.


    Month of 7  Day 14


    Today, I learned how to move objects using magic for the first time.  It was easier than expected.


    As for my journey, I¡¯m still not able to recollect anything.  I can only recall that it¡¯s something I should never forget, yet I forgot what I should be able to remember.  It¡¯s very painful.  Why did Evis-sama do something so cruel, even though he¡¯s a thoughtful and kind person?


    He flipped through a few pages.


    Month of 8  Day 1


    Starting this month, I will be learning magic for creating things.  In order to do this, I will need to study the structure of things.  Thinking about how complex the world is made my head spin.


    During my self-study, I dozed off and had a strange dream.  It was a dream where I was in a dark forest, and someone by my side promised to be with me forever.  I was extremely happy, and just as I was thinking about how to thank that person, I woke up.  I was by myself, reading a book.


    A bunch of pages were flipped all at once.


    Month of 8  Day 28


    I managed to create dephlogisticated air today.  Just as I had learned, when I add a gust of it to the fire, it burns extremely brightly.  I feel like the way my body relies on it to survive is similar to how the fire relies on it to burn.  Could they be related?  I will look into this tomorrow.


    At night, when I looked at the beautiful starry sky, I started crying for some reason.  Why was that?  But I get the feeling that, no matter how much I looked into this, I won¡¯t be able to find an answer.


    Several pages were turned.


    Month of 9  Day 3


    Today, I continued practicing how to manipulate water.  It¡¯s quite hard to grasp, so I had a hard time.


    Just when I was troubled over this, Ms. Wies brought me to the top of the capital where I could see everything far off in the distance.  I was told that the dragon Mr. Markus created takes off and lands here.  It was a beautiful view.


    When I looked at the mountains in the direction of Quiltli, tears fell from my eyes again.  I¡¯ve been crying a lot lately.  It¡¯s time that I become stronger, I thought to myself.


    Dozens of pages were flipped in one go.


    Month of 10  Day 9


    I haven¡¯t been able to write because I traveled to Niabel, so it¡¯s been a while.  Really, a lot of things happened.  I can¡¯t write all of it down, so I¡¯ll only note one thing.


    Yesterday, a Mister Pig suddenly appeared in front of me.  Even though he¡¯s a man, he appeared to have been turned into a pig for some reason.  He¡¯s a strange person.  He seems to know a lot of things, and I get the impression that he also knows me.  Although he himself denies it.


    During the battle at Niabel, Mister Pig tried desperately to protect me.  And when Mister Pig let me sit on his back, for some reason, tears began welling out then and there.  It was the same strange feeling I got when I looked at the starry sky or mountains.


    It seems like Mister Pig will be by my side from now on.


    Shulavis picked up the diary and returned it to its place.


    ¡°Although there are a few pages that were only about her studies, most of what Jess wrote about is like this ¨C it¡¯s about you.  Isn¡¯t that touching?¡±


    A pair of long legs turned back to face me.


    ¡°¡­Who would want to marry this kind of girl?¡±


    His voice, with a sigh mixed in, made me raise my head.


    (Are you planning on breaking off the engagement?)


    Shulavis shook his head.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t formally engaged in the first place, but¡­ I don¡¯t intend to end this relationship right now, for the sake of Jess.  Now that Grandfather is dead, the only thing keeping her in the royal dynasty is the verbal promise to marry me.¡±


    (Then why did you show me her diary?)


    ¡°Just like Jess, I¡¯m a lonely person.  It¡¯s fine to keep me company with some small talk, right?¡±


    Underneath those bushy eyebrows of his, Shulavis¡¯ eyes didn¡¯t smile; though his mouth smiled awkwardly.  It felt to me like he was forcing himself to create a cheerful atmosphere.


    (You¡¯re worried about how to face Jess, right?)


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He paused for a while before resuming.


    ¡°To be honest, if I could, I¡¯d gladly be with a woman like Jess.  There aren¡¯t many who have such a serious, enthusiastic, and kind-hearted personality¡­  Plus, her breasts aren¡¯t too big either.¡±


    Eh¡­?  What did he just say?


    While I was being dumbfounded, Shulavis blushed.


    ¡°That was a joke.  You should¡¯ve laughed there.¡±


    Wow, what a terrible joke.  For a moment there, I honestly thought that I found a kindred spirit and got excited over nothing.


    Shulavis cleared his throat before speaking again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to being serious.  Regarding Jess¡¯ future, there¡¯s one thing I need to decide on.¡±


    (What is it?)


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about her memories.  The ecydessa triggered by Jess not only lifted the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s curse, it also dispelled the final sealing magic that Grandfather had placed on her.  So the next time she wakes up, I¡¯m afraid all her memories will have been returned.¡±


    I see¡­ that¡¯s certainly true.


    (So what¡¯s the problem?)


    ¡°When that happens, is it really alright for you and Jess to stay the way things are right now?  Do you think it¡¯s okay for Jess to remain as my fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Before he died, Evis told me to go back.  He wanted me to stay by Jess¡¯ side until the time is right, and to return to my world when that time arrives.  If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll never be able to go back.  I can¡¯t stay by Jess¡¯ side forever.)


    After a bit of hesitation, I firmly conveyed this to him.


    (When I¡¯m gone, I want you to take care of Jess.  So please keep this as is.)


    Shulavis¡¯ eyes looked like they were wavering.


    ¡°I see.  In that case, I have a proposal from Father.¡±


    Seemingly restless, he repositioned his legs again and exhaled heavily.


    ¡°The ability to seal memories is a very advanced magic that only Grandfather is able to use.  There¡¯s no one left that can do it.  However, if it¡¯s erasing memories, that¡¯s something done very often to Yesmas and the citizens of the capital.  Father, Mother, and even some special citizens of the capital can cast that kind of magic.¡±


    I got goosebumps.


    (¡­So you want to erase Jess¡¯ memories?)


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that as a possibility.  Jess¡¯ memories with you is too heavy for her to bear with for the rest of her life.  If you¡¯re going to disappear, then it¡¯s surely better for her to not remember them.  From the time you left until her memories were sealed, Jess was practically crippled.  If her memories are erased, Jess won¡¯t have to experience those feelings.¡±


    Shulavis let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°But it¡¯s different from the seal in that the erased memories will never return.  No matter how much you regret it, they won¡¯t come back.  And she won¡¯t recall that ¡®something happened,¡¯ like with the seal.¡±


    I recalled the conversation about the bookmark.


    ¡ªIf all my memories are like a book, my current state feels like the pages, from when I left the house to when I started living in the capital, are all wet and stuck together.  But there¡¯s a bookmark firmly placed inside, and only the feeling that I must revisit it remains¡­


    Erasing her memories would be like tearing out the pages and throwing them away.  The bookmark that¡¯s placed inside is also tossed out, so she won¡¯t be tormented by it.


    I thought back to Jess¡¯ diary.  I¡¯m happy she thought about me like that, but on the other hand, the bitterness of not being able to stay by her side stabbed at my heart like thorns.  And when I return to Japan, that pain will last until Jess dies.


    If I could pretend it never happened.


    If I could make it so that Jess and I never met.


    I never could have imagined that my life would be given a pure-love-novel-like option.


    However, the answer was already decided.  I didn¡¯t return to Mestria to flirt with Jess and then go home.  Isn¡¯t that right?  Of course I didn¡¯t.  I came back in order to make sure Jess achieves happiness, and to take care of my unfinished business.


    I made up my mind and conveyed it to Shulavis.


    (Erase it.  Erase all the memories that Evis sealed away.)


    ¡°I see,¡± Shulavis muttered, and raised the corners of his mouth even further.  This time it was a genuine smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear you say that.  I understand your determination and your feelings for Jess.  I¡¯ll advise Father to make sure he doesn¡¯t erase her memories.¡±


    That night, before the sky started to brighten from the sunrise, Jess woke up.  I was curled up asleep next to the bed when Jess stirred with an ¡°Nn¡­¡± and roused me.


    In the dimly lit room, Jess, in her nightgown, silently got up from her bed and returned with a small silver box and large gold key.  She stood in front of me with a serious expression.


    ¡°Um¡­ Mister Pig.¡±


    (What is it?)


    ¡°Could you take this key and insert it into the keyhole of this small box?¡±


    Jess knelt down on both knees, leaned forward slightly, and handed me the key.  She was wearing a thin, white negligee that would make anyone looking at her feel troubled.  If the room was lit, it would¡¯ve been a strikeout.


    (Erm¡­ I feel like I might see a lot of things, so can you get changed first?)


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer.  Please.¡±


    I figured it would be a bad idea if Jess leaned forward any further, so I quickly took the key with my mouth.  Compared to the front half, its handle was so large that even a pig¡¯s mouth could hold it easily ¨C or rather, it felt like the key was made so that even a pig could hold it.


    ¡ªI finally understand why the key was so big.


    The words Jess said when she took over my curse crossed my mind.  When she resigned to her death, she remembered this key.


    The girl with disheveled clothes and hair held the small box in front of herself and waited.  I walked over there and looked at her face.  Her clear brown eyes stared straight back at me.


    ¡°¡­Please, come here quickly.¡±


    Jess held the box further out towards me, pointing the keyhole at me.  I took a step forward and clumsily lined up the key with the keyhole.


    I felt strangely nervous.


    I gingerly inserted the key.  A soft click happened as the small box open.


    Jess carefully opened the lid and immediately took out its contents.  Inside was a folded, light green scarf, and a glass pendant.


    She looked through the pendant.  The image of a girl and a pig were reflected in her watery eyes.


    With trembling hands, Jess wore the pendant around her neck.  The memory on the glass touched the soft skin on her chest.


    ¡°I remember everything.¡±


    A soft voice said.


    ¡°This is the box and key that Evis-sama gave me the last time he spoke to me.  He said the box could only be opened by the one deeply related to my sealed memories.¡±


    (The seal has been lifted, huh.)


    While conveying that, I placed the key on the carpet.  It must be Evis¡¯ kindness to prepare a special key that even a pig can hold.


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say at a time like this¡­¡±


    Jess said in a mosquito-like voice while still clutching her scarf.


    I have to agree.  It would be nice to say something witty, but it also doesn¡¯t sound right to be saying something like ¡°Please don¡¯t eat me¡± here.


    I simply conveyed what I thought at that moment to Jess.


    (We meet again.)


    Jess¡¯ eyes moistened, and she silently nodded.


    ¡ªSorry, I feel like I¡¯m going to cry if I say anything.


    (Me too.  I feel like I¡¯m going to cry if I raise my voice.)


    >TL Note: Pun with shouting also meaning cry.


    My inappropriate joke made Jess smile, revealing her teeth.  However, what came out of her throat was not laughter, but sobbing.


    ¡°Mister¡­ Pig¡­¡±


    Jess touched my pork cheeks with both hands and pressed her forehead against mine.  Her slender eyelashes before my eyes were wet.  ¡°Uu¡­¡±  Her sobs were transmitted through my bones.


    ¡°¡­You were by my side after all.¡±


    Hearing her say that in a trembling voice, I held back my tears.


    (I figured it was too soon to say goodbye.)


    Drops of water fell from the tip of her lashes and shattered on my nose.


    ¡°¡­That was so mean of you.¡±


    Her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from the back of her throat.  And as if I was under a sleep paralysis, I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did you have to leave?¡±


    Her blunt question left me speechless.


    (Well¡­ it¡¯s as I had told you.  In front of Evis, I had no choice but to accept that.)


    My reply was anything but straightforward.


    ¡°No matter when, Mister Pig would always support me without giving up, so why¡­¡±


    I had nothing to say in response to Jess¡¯ sobbing.


    Jess rubbed her forehead against my hard skull.


    ¡°Do you understand how painful it was for me, thinking that I would never be able to see you again, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Sorry¡­)


    ¡°Furthermore, when we met again¡­ you pretended to not know me¡­  How could you do something so cruel?  You should have known what kind of feelings I was going through when I was trying to remember about you, Mister Pig¡­¡±


    There was a reason for that ¨C was not something I could say.  There¡¯s a reason for everywhere.  Her question was whether or not I was using it as an excuse.


    (It¡¯s my fault.  I prioritized my own convenience over Jess¡¯ feelings.)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mister Pig is the one to blame.  It¡¯s all Mister Pig¡¯s fault.  I¡¯ve been-¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear anything after that.


    Jess didn¡¯t let go of my cheeks, and simply kept her forehead pressed against mine as she started crying her heart out.  Surrounded by Jess¡¯ scent, I felt the reality of finally being reunited sink in, and all I could do was shed tears.


    After breakfast, Jess finally calmed down, and she guided me to the laboratory.  The laboratory was like a cave that was carved out from the rock, and was divided into a room with various things displayed on shelves, and a simple room with a stone desk and chairs.  The light from the small windows and magic lanterns hanging on the walls dimly illuminated its rough interior.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing magic here during the three months that Mister Pig was away.¡±


    Jess, who was touching the stone desk, had already changed into her daytime attire.  Her hair was fixed, and her clothes were straightened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mister Pig?  Do you prefer me in my sleepwear?¡±


    (Of course not.  I¡¯m not a pervert after all¡­  And don¡¯t read my monologues.)


    Giggling, Jess placed the glass cup in her hand onto the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to show off.  I wanted someone to see just how much I¡¯ve learned and become able to do¡­  Is it okay if I ask Mister Pig to be that person?¡±


    Hearing her say that so happily, I nodded.


    (Of course.  I¡¯d love to see you use magic, other than the one which involves spraying fuel and making it explode.)


    ¡°Erm¡­ but that¡¯s the magic I practiced the most¡­¡±


    I became concerned when she said that slightly sulkily.


    (Why did you practice that magic so much?)


    ¡°Because, I want to become strong.¡±


    You¡¯re sounding like the protagonist of a shounen manga¡­


    ¡°¡®Please use your own strength to find happiness.¡¯  It felt like someone had told me that before, so I practiced a lot of powerful magic that could protect myself.¡±


    (¡­So that¡¯s why.)


    Who¡¯s the person that told her to use her own strength to find happiness in this kind of unreasonable world?  Really now, what a totally irresponsible bastard.


    Jess happily placed her hand over the glass cup, and a clear, colorless liquid gushed out from the bottom of the cup.


    ¡°This is water.¡±


    Jess turned her hand in my direction, and the cup floated until it was directly over me.


    ¡°Like so, I learned how to move things without touching them.  It¡¯s not that difficult to manipulate objects with shapes.¡±


    I had a foreboding feeling.  Right after that, Jess tilted her hand slightly and flipped the cup over on me.  The water that filled the cup poured over me ¨C is what I expected, and pulled my ears back in anticipation, but the water swirled and floated just above my nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also learned a little on how to manipulate things that don¡¯t have shapes.¡±


    When Jess extended her arms out, the swirling water above me became a thin stream which began to spiral around her.  Wrapped in a veil of water, she stood on her toes and spun in place for one loop like a ballerina.  Her fine blonde hair danced in the air.  The water turned into fine droplets before disappearing without a trace.


    ¡°Mister Pig, your mouth has been open this entire time.  Were you entranced by that?¡±


    Hearing her say that mischievously, I closed my mouth.


    (That¡¯s amazing¡­  It was pretty.)


    ¡°Thank you very much.  I have other magic as well.  Please take a look.¡±


    With child-like excitement, Jess showed me a lot of her magic.  Magic that heats up water and boils it in the blink of an eye.  Magic that creates an orange flame by burning alcohol ¨C also known as ethanol.  Magic that creates a dark blue flame by burning a substance that is a mixture of alcohol and water ¨C probably methanol.


    ¡°For this dark flame, if you mix it with salt, it can produce various colors.¡±


    While explaining it like we were in an experiment classroom, Jess dyed the flames burning on the desk red, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  The varying colors of flames flickered in the dimly lit laboratory and made Jess¡¯ brown eyes sparkle.


    (How beautiful¡­  That¡¯s an amazing skill.  Do you enjoy studying magic?)


    Jess nodded emphatically.


    ¡°I do!  This world is incredible.  It¡¯s as if someone had decided on the rules, even the smallest of details have been meticulously determined.  The more I learn, the more I¡¯m able to utilize those rules for myself¡­¡±


    Seeing Jess speak so fervently convinced me.  She definitely isn¡¯t someone that is fine with just being a slave.  My expectation that she would become a brilliant scholar wasn¡¯t wrong.


    (If you continue working hard like this, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become a full-fledged mage in no time.)


    Despite her shy but joyful-looking face, Jess slowly shook her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still only at the doorway.  There are things in this world that can¡¯t be learned within a lifetime.  The library alone contains more magic books than I can finish reading¡­  Not to mention how there seems to be worlds that can¡¯t be explained through current theories alone¡­¡±


    It¡¯s probably been a long while since I¡¯ve seen Jess looking this happy.


    (That¡¯s great.  I¡¯m relieved to see you living such a fulfilling life.)


    ¡°Yeah.  I really enjoy studying.¡±


    After answering that cheerfully, Jess slightly lowered the tone of her voice.


    ¡°¡­Um, I know I said some unreasonable things earlier, but I know it clearly in my heart.  The happiness that I have right now, it¡¯s all thanks to Mister Pig¡­  I understand that it was necessary for Mister Pig to choose to leave Mestria so that I could stay here like this.¡±


    Jess extinguished the flames and looked at me.


    ¡°Please let me thank you once again.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much.¡±


    Jess bowed her head.


    ¡°¡­And, I¡¯m sorry¡­  I was a bit distraught earlier¡­¡±


    Suddenly receiving a thanks and apology left me bemused.


    (No¡­ that¡¯s alright.  For me, I¡¯m happy to hear that you¡¯re able to convey your feelings so straightforwardly.  If you don¡¯t say it outright, an otaku like me that hasn¡¯t taken any classes on a woman¡¯s heart won¡¯t get it.)


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Jess murmured before walking over to me, kneeling on the floor, and looking me in the eyes.


    ¡°Then, let me say one more thing.¡±


    (Ok¡­ go for it.)


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright from now on.  Just as Mister Pig told me, I¡¯ll use my own strength to find happiness.  I¡¯ll work hard to be able to live a proper life without relying on Mister Pig.¡±


    (¡­That¡¯s good.)


    My heart was pounding because I didn¡¯t know what she was going to say, but I was relieved to hear her say those words.  Now that I¡¯ve completed my mission, I won¡¯t have to worry when-


    Jess suddenly hugged me tightly.


    ¡°So, Mister Pig, please¡­ don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    The laboratory door opened, and the silence was broken.


    ¡°Oops¡­ excuse me.¡±


    Wies¡¯ gaze fell on Jess, who was embracing the pig.  Jess hurriedly let me go.


    ¡°S-sorry, um, this is¡­¡±


    Even though we didn¡¯t do anything bad, there was a strange sense of guilt.  The prince¡¯s mother turned towards me with a nuanced smile that seemed to say ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re a pig.¡±


    ¡°Jess, I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s because I suddenly wanted to practice a bit of magic¡­¡±


    Wies looked at me.


    (It¡¯s true.  We weren¡¯t doing anything shameful¡­)


    Wies placed her hand over her mouth and smiled elegantly.


    ¡°I understand.  I didn¡¯t come to reprimand you for being here.¡±


    With a serious expression, Wies looked at Jess.


    ¡°Evis-sama¡¯s body will be cremated tomorrow.  Since you weren¡¯t able to attend the funeral, Jess, why don¡¯t you go and say goodbye to him today?¡±


    Following her suggestion, Jess and I headed to the Golden Sanctuary.  The sacred building that enshrines the ancestors of the royal family is located at the bottom of a long flight of stairs from where Jess lives.  It¡¯s a huge sanctuary with gold decorations on black stones, so it¡¯s hard to miss.


    There was no one else in the sanctuary but us two.  I was told the citizens of the capital are normally not allowed to enter.  Underneath the large, domed ceiling, Jess folded her hands towards Evis¡¯ coffin.  Next to her, I also lowered my head.


    Jess closed her eyes and prayed for a long while.


    ¡°Shall we leave?¡±


    As Jess said that, she started walking towards the main entrance of the sanctuary.  The footsteps of Jess, and the clopping of the pig¡¯s four legs, echoed through the quiet hall.


    ¡°Evis-sama was an unfathomable person, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    (Yeah.)


    ¡°It felt like he had foreseen everything.¡±


    I looked up at Jess.


    (For example?)


    ¡°The most notable one is my memories.  Evis-sama didn¡¯t tell me why he sealed them, but¡­ when I was cursed and on the verge of death, you tried to reveal your true identity, Mister Pig, and the key that Evis-sama gave me acted as a hint which convinced me that Mister Pig was my bookmarked person.  As a result of struggling desperately to break the seal on my memories, ecydessa happened¡­  If all of this was within Evis-sama¡¯s expectations, then the fact that I¡¯m alive right now is thanks to him.¡±


    (That¡¯s certainly true.  And to be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s out of the ordinary for him to have planned everything to this step.)


    ¡°To think a person as incredible as him allowed the existence of the structure known as Yesmas.¡±


    Hearing that, I pondered.  Evis was by no means lacking in imagination, and he held substantial power.  But even with those in mind, he had assessed that the race of Yesmas must continue to exist in Mestria.  Is it because that¡¯s the foundation of this country?  Or, more terrifyingly, the foundation of this world itself?


    ¡ªI¡¯m sure the same is true of your society.  Provided that humans continue to exist, there will always be someone that is oppressed.


    I recalled what Evis once said.


    (Jess, what do you think of the structure of this country?)


    When asked, Jess slightly lowered her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it can continue on like this, but¡­¡±


    (You don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea to break the current system either, right?)


    ¡°Yeah.  Perhaps¡­ there isn¡¯t an answer to be found.¡±


    (Maybe so.  But that¡¯s all the more reason to question the status quo and continue to think of an answer.)


    We reached the entrance.  Jess placed her hand on the heavy metal door.


    After looking back at the coffin, Jess lowered her gaze to face me and smiled.


    ¡°Yes.  It would be nice if we could make the world a better place, even if only slightly.¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re here, there¡¯s something I want to show you,¡± said Jess, as she led me to the cemetery next to the sanctuary.


    It¡¯s still early morning, and no one was here.  The cool autumn wind caressed the ground underneath the invigorating sunlight.  White, black, and grey tombstones were neatly lined up on the grassy square that was a mixture of green and light brown color.


    ¡°Um¡­ Mister Pig, can I ask you a strange question?¡±


    Jess asked while slowly walking along the passageway that looked like stepping stones.  A strange question?


    (¡­What is it?)


    ¡°Erm¡­ Mister Pig, you said that you recently got a super cute, angelic girlfriend with boobs that aren¡¯t too big¡­ was that true?¡±


    So that¡¯s what you wanted to ask, I thought, and looked at Jess.


    (Of course that was a lie.  It¡¯s rare to meet that kind of girl to begin with, and even if I did meet one, there¡¯s not a single chance in hell that she would be with a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.)


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Did she notice me looking?  Jess quietly raised her left arm over her chest.


    ¡°Ah, over here.¡±


    Jess stopped and pointed at a pure white tombstone.  The epitaph was inscribed in golden letters.


    Here lies Yris


    84 ~ 124


    Wife of Casey, and Mother of Ys & Jess


    ¡°I found my mother¡¯s grave.¡±


    Hang on a second, you¡¯re-


    (Jess, you''re Ys¡¯ younger sister?)


    ¡°Eh, Ys¡­  Oh!¡±


    Right.  From the time she discovered the tomb up until today, her memory of Ys was sealed.  It¡¯s not surprising that she wasn¡¯t able to link the two memories together.


    Ys.  The woman who Nott continues to endlessly yearn for.  She was killed as a Yesma five years ago, and a lot of people regarded Jess and being somewhat similar to her.  I didn¡¯t think these were coincidences at all.


    (That explains why Nott almost seriously fell in love with you.  I didn¡¯t expect you to be her sister.)


    ¡°¡­That was surprising.¡±


    (Were you able to find Casey ¨C your father?)


    ¡°No¡­  I did some research, but I wasn¡¯t able to find anyone who met the criteria¡­¡±


    (I see.  That¡¯s a shame.)


    That means there was no way to strictly confirm whether or not the Ys mentioned in this grave was Nott¡¯s beloved who was killed five years ago.  It¡¯s possible another person had the same name.  That being said¡­


    (Hey Jess, this calendar is the so-called Royal Calendar, right?)


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  The Royal Calendar has been used in Mestria since the year Vatis-sama unified the land.¡±


    (It¡¯s currently the year 129, right?)


    Though I won¡¯t say where I learned that from.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    (Jess¡¯ mother, Yris, died in year 124, which was five years ago.  And Nott¡¯s beloved, Ys, also died five years ago.)


    ¡°You¡¯re saying my mother died the same year Ms. Ys was killed?¡±


    (Right.  Naturally, I can¡¯t rule out the possibility that this was all just a coincidence, but¡­)


    If it¡¯s true, it¡¯s a big deal.


    ¡ªHe¡¯s short-tempered and very extreme.  He was the one to burn down the entire Bapsas monastery.


    I remembered Shulavis¡¯ words.  Does Jess know?  The one who burned down the monastery was-


    ¡°Yeah, I heard Markus-sama was the one to burn down the monastery.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Are you okay?)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    (I mean¡­ if this is that Ys, then your sister died because of Markus.  And you might have lost your mother as well because of the impact that it had on her.)


    Jess gave me a troubled smile.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any memories of my family at all¡­  At this point, it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to be feeling angry.¡±


    (Is that how it is?)


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.  Of course, I doubt Mr. Nott will be able to forgive Markus-sama¡­¡±


    The alliance established through Shulavis and my quick wits, and a common formidable foe, the immortal mage ¨C even with these important factors, we can¡¯t forget the possibility of a fatal rupture between the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army.  The royal dynasty is fighting to maintain the mages¡¯ reign based on the Yesma system, and the Liberation Army is fighting for the Yesmas¡¯ freedom.


    And the cause of the leader of Liberation Army¡¯s beloved¡¯s death, can be attributed to the fact that the current king, Markus, burned down the monastery.  The current alliance that was formed like forcing two repelling magnets together will crumble in an instant.


    (If only there was a good solution to this.  I hope some kind arrangement can exist so that the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army are able to work together in the future.)


    While her hair swayed in the wind, Jess opened her mouth and blurted out an ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I heard Markus-sama has a younger brother named Mr. Hortis.¡±


    (Is that so?  Does it have something to do with the Liberation Army?)


    ¡°No.  I haven¡¯t heard the details, but¡­ it seems Mr. Hortis disappeared from the capital five years ago in opposition of Evis-sama¡¯s and Markus-sama¡¯s policies.  If he was around, he might be a reliable person who could connect the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army.¡±


    Five years ago?  Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s probably about the monastery.¡±


    (That guy called Hortis, is there any hope in finding him?)


    ¡°He might be dead already, or he might have changed his appearance¡­  I was told that he was never spotted by the hecklepons¡¯ surveillance network, so there¡¯s no news of his whereabouts at all.¡±


    Hang on a minute.


    There¡¯s two mysteries that both have a strange coincidence.


    Have you all noticed it yet?  It¡¯s a fact that fits too well to be dismissed as merely a coincidence.


    ¡ªIt¡¯s said that hundreds of years ago during the Dark Ages when mages were still fighting, they would use their power to turn people into vultures for spying purposes, or fat seals and punish them.


    There exists magic that can transform people into animals.


    ¡ªI heard they met five years ago while Mr. Nott was journeying to rescue Ms. Ys.  It¡¯s a bit of a strange story, isn¡¯t it?


    I thought back to Celes¡¯ words.  He had a miraculous encounter with Nott five years ago.  He¡¯s closer to Nott than anyone else.  He¡¯s incredibly smart, and very human-like.  He showed interest in Shulavis for some reason.


    Perhaps this was all just a coincidence.  Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t help but want to be sure.


    (Jess, it¡¯s been decided what we have to do next.)


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jess crouched down in front of me with great interest.


    While staring at those panties, I was filled with mysterious confidence.


    (We might be able to find Hortis.  Let¡¯s go meet him ¨C that perverted dog, Rossi.)

 Volume 3 - CH 1

    ¡°Mister Pig, have you heard the story about the three great treasures slumbering in Mestria?¡±


    I looked up from the carpeted floor, towards the cute blonde girl¡¯s face that peered at me from the bed.


    (No, I haven¡¯t heard of it before.)


    There¡¯s Jess¡¯ left and right breasts¡­ and what¡¯s the last one?


    ¡°Um, you don¡¯t have concern yourself over me that much¡­¡±


    Jess raised her body slightly, straightened her nightwear around her chest area, and laid back down on the bed.


    My automatic dirty way of thinking and Jess¡¯ mind-reading ability were really incompatible to the highest level.


    (You know you don¡¯t have to react to my monologues, right?)


    ¡°I understand, but¡­ I can¡¯t help being conscious of it¡­¡±


    How many dozen times have we had this conversation by now?  Anyway, I returned to the subject.


    ¡°So what are the three great treasures?¡±


    It felt like Jess¡¯ eyes were sparkling as she replied.


    ¡°The Spear of Destruction, the Cup of Salvation, and the Wedge of Contracts.¡±


    Those were some heavy names.


    (What kind of treasures are they?)


    Jess lightly tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°Well¡­ it seems only their names and the fact that they exist have been passed down.  No one knows what they¡¯re actually like.  They¡¯re believed to have been in Mestria since ages ago ¨C long before Vatis-sama founded the royal dynasty.¡±


    (I thought the history prior to Vatis was buried in darkness?)


    I remembered what Jess told me in the past.  The Dark Ages was a time where mages would continuously fight amongst each other, repaying bloodshed with further bloodshed.  The one to put an end to all that was Vatis, the founder of the current dynasty.  It¡¯s said that Vatis rewrote history prior to the Dark Ages to suit her needs.


    ¡°Yes, most of it was, but there are still some legends that have survived to this day through fairytales and bedtime stories.  The three great treasures often appear in these stories.¡±


    Hm.  Interesting.


    (The fact that they¡¯ve been regarded as treasures since the days where there were a lot of mages must mean they¡¯re extremely valuable items that even mages can¡¯t create.)


    ¡°I see¡­  It does make sense to view them that way.¡±


    Seeing Jess deliberate over this so seriously, I asked.


    (So why did you suddenly mention the topic of those great treasures?)


    ¡°Actually, I heard Markus-sama talking about the Spear of Destruction today.¡±


    (You mean that stupid, straight-laced, stubborn geezer?)


    Markus is the king of Mestria, and the father of Shulavis, who¡¯s Jess¡¯ fianc¨¦.  He¡¯s short-tempered, aggressive, and scheming ¨C very much not the type that enjoys fairytales.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a very nice thing to say, but¡­ yes, the fact that Markus-sama actually mentioned it makes me think perhaps those great treasures really do exist.¡±


    (Ah, I see.  Speaking of the Spear of Destruction, it sounds like a tool for attacking with¡­  Is his aim what I think it is?)


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably¡­ for dealing with the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    The surreptitious sorcerer ¨C an immortal mage who bared his fangs against the royal dynasty.  Markus appears to be searching for a way to kill the mage, but it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s found an answer yet.  Until the surreptitious sorcerer has been taken care of, the royal dynasty¡¯s citizens will have to live the rest of their lives in fear of death.  Naturally, this applies to Jess as well.


    (That means Markus thinks the Spear of Destruction could be the key to defeating the surreptitious sorcerer.)


    ¡°Yes.  It would be great if we could find it soon and end this war.¡±


    (Yeah.)


    My eyes accidentally met Jess¡¯, and I wordlessly looked away.


    (Putting that aside, we need to focus on tomorrow¡¯s task first.)


    As I conveyed this, Jess nodded.


    ¡°Right.  Tomorrow, we¡¯ll finally be meeting that person.¡±


    Her tone of voice was low, almost to the extent of being a whisper.


    At last, we were going to meet with Nott and the Liberation Army tomorrow.  A week has passed since the shocking deduction.  With the help of Prince Shulavis, we¡¯re finally ready to meet with the suspect.  The only people who know about this plan are me, Jess, and Shulavis.  It¡¯s a secret plan to reconcile the Liberation Army and the royal dynasty.


    I reassured the restless-looking Jess.


    (Don¡¯t worry.  We¡¯re merely going to see a cute doggy.  If I¡¯m wrong, you¡¯ll just have to put up with being licked and sniffed by that dog.  But if I¡¯m right-)


    Jess swallowed nervously.


    (I¡¯ll handle the necessary negotiations.  I hope you can mediate my conversation with him, Jess.)


    Jess breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­  I honestly thought Mister Pig was going to say you¡¯ll lick and sniff me instead if you were right¡­¡±


    She sure understands me well.  I certainly considered saying that.


    (We¡¯re having a serious discussion. There¡¯s no way I would make that sort of joke.)


    ¡°But your inner voice sure is honest.¡±


    Jess smiled with a half-resigned face.


    (¡­Can I lick and sniff you?)


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    Her prompt reply made my pig ears droop.


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s because there¡¯s a certain order to this sort of thing¡­¡±


    After saying that, Jess blushed and crawled into her bed.


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of order she¡¯s talking about, but since there was a black pig that relentlessly licked a thirteen-year-old girl right after returning to Mestria, I think this level of skinship should be allowed.


    I¡¯m a pig after all.


    The bedroom was silent.  With a brisk wave of her hand, Jess turned off the ceiling light with magic.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m feeling kind of nervous.¡±


    An uneasy voice came from the bed.


    ¡°The people of the Liberation Army ¨C Mr. Nott and Ms. Celes, their fates may depend on us.¡±


    Indeed, this wasn¡¯t a light-hearted event like going to a dog park to play.


    Though they¡¯re born mages, these girls are forced to wear collars and are distributed as slaves in order to stabilize society and maintain the race of mages.  These girls, in which nearly all of them are hunted and killed, are Yesmas.  Though the royal dynasty, which wants to protect the current system, and the Liberation Army, which wants to destroy this system, have currently formed an alliance to fend off their common enemy ¨C the Northern Forces, this alliance will eventually collapse in the foreseeable future.  We¡¯re going to persuade a neutral party, who could be a key person that can prevent this from happening, to assist us.


    (Yeah, but don¡¯t worry.  It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going out to fight an enemy.  We¡¯re simply proposing a strategy to our allies.  All you needs to care about, Jess, is what¡¯s underneath your skirt.)


    ¡°I should wear more protective clothes¡­¡±


    (That¡¯s good.)


    Tranquility.  The capital, protected by powerful magic from its successive rulers, is quiet and peaceful; it was almost as if the turbulences of this world were all a lie.  I could hear the rustling sound of Jess moving underneath her cover.


    A part of me couldn¡¯t help but wish this moment would last forever.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Yeah?)


    Well shoot.  Of course Jess can hear my monologues clearly.


    ¡°¡­Good night.¡±


    (Yeah, good night.)


    The moonlight gently illuminated the window.


    Little did we know at the time, our choices would escalate into a turmoil that would determine the fate of the royal dynasty.


    ¡°Hurry up and get on, Pig.¡±


    We were at the top of the capital, and a huge, terrifying dragon was lying down in the square.  With my four limbs, I walked up its wing bones that were positioned to form a slope and stuck myself in one of the seats that were affixed to its spiny back.  The seats looked like they were taken from a rollercoaster ride, and of course, there were no safety belts.


    Seeing that I was on board, Prince Shulavis made a ¡°Hup!¡± sound, and the dragon stood up.  To the left and right of my vision, its large wings flapped.  Jess also didn¡¯t appear accustomed to this kind of air travel, as she sat next to me, tightly gripping the seat cushion.  I looked at her hands, and her beautiful legs in thigh-high socks, which calmed me down.  Maybe I made a mistake in recommending that she wear protective clothes ¨C I regretted.


    The dragon soared high into the sky and headed for Munires, where Nott and the others were.  The ride was like a ship pushing through a stormy sea.  In other words, it was horrible.


    The seats on the dragon¡¯s back were protected by magic, as there was no wind even though we were exposed to the elements.  Shulavis sat in the front, and the fluffy blonde hair behind his head gently swayed along with the undulation of the dragon¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Do you like Jess¡¯ bare legs?¡±


    When I heard Shulavis¡¯ voice, I inadvertently asked back.


    ¡°Huh, what?¡±


    ¡°You were thinking ¡®Maybe I made a mistake in recommending that she wear protective clothes,¡¯ weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Even though Jess was kind enough to ignore it, why did you have to go out of your way to dig it back up?


    (Yeah, and?  All men like girls¡¯ bare legs, no?)


    ¡°Is that how it is¡­?¡±


    (That¡¯s how it is.)


    While we were having this conversation, Jess on the side was looking down with her face flushed.


    (Look at what you did.  Jess is embarrassed because you brought up some dirty talk.)


    You sexually harassing bastard, read the room before you speak.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it your fault for having those vulgar thoughts in the first place?¡±


    Damn¡­!  I have nothing to retort with!


    The royal family¡¯s mages seem to have perfectly mastered the sorcery for preventing their minds from being read, and I was told none of Shulavis¡¯ thoughts would be leaked to Jess.  Even though this taciturn handsome guy must have thought about things like this or that, the fact that I¡¯m the only one whose thoughts were revealed was unfair.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s possible that you and Uncle might get along very well.¡±


    Shulavis turned around and said.  His thick eyebrows and prominent facial features, combined with his fair skin, made him look like a sculpture.


    (You mean Hortis?  Why do you say that?)


    ¡°Uncle is, how should I put it¡­  He¡¯s someone that tends to be lecherous.¡±


    What?  To think that it matches up even in a spot like this.


    I thought back to Nott¡¯s partner, Rossi.  He¡¯s a dog that loves to lick and sniff girls.  Particularly when he was traveling with Jess, he kept sniffing at Jess¡¯ bare legs like it was par for the course.  If his true identity is that he¡¯s Shulavis¡¯ uncle, and he took advantage of being an animal to repeatedly perform those perverted acts, then those behaviors were unforgivable.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re any different¡­¡±


    I ignored Shulavis¡¯ retort after he read my monologue, and proceeded with the conversation.


    (Alright, let¡¯s review the relevant facts and our future plans.)


    Jess looked here and nodded.


    (We¡¯re going to meet with Nott.  Our objective is his dog, Rossi.  Rossi met him five years ago when he was embarking on his journey to pursue his beloved Ys, who was kidnapped from the Bapsas monastery that had burned down.)


    It was a fateful encounter.  But what if there was a reason behind the encounter?


    (At the same time, Markus¡¯ younger brother, Hortis, disappeared from the capital.  This was because he couldn¡¯t forgive Markus, for burning down the monastery and mercilessly killing the Yesmas there, and King Evis, for allowing that to happen.  From that, we can deduce Hortis may have transformed into Rossi.)


    Shulavis nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I have no objections.  Uncle¡¯s magic isn¡¯t particularly powerful, but he¡¯s a skilled mage, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to have mastered the sorcery for transforming into animals.  I think there¡¯s plenty of room for suspicion.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the testimony from the librarian, who said Hortis was interested in transformation.¡±  Jess supplemented.


    These were the results of our investigation over the past week.


    (Right.  Not to mention, both Rossi and Hortis are perverts.  This is quite suspicious.  We¡¯ll present these facts to Rossi and get him to confess his true identity.  Then, we¡¯ll ask him to negotiate with the royal dynasty as a member of the Liberation Army.)


    At present, the Liberation Army¡¯s position was overwhelmingly unfavorable.  They¡¯re only alive because the royal dynasty sees they have decent military power and the support of the people.  But if Markus deems them unnecessary, who knows what¡¯ll happen.  We need a card that the dynasty wants or fears.  And that¡¯s the king¡¯s brother.


    ¡°This plan needs to be kept a secret from Father, right?¡±


    (Yeah.  We¡¯ll play our trump card when the time is right.  Your dad should be busy with politics and the war, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to keep it a secret for now.)


    ¡°Understood.  You have my full cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best!¡±


    Jess gave us her specialty guts pose.


    Shulavis glanced at her, then faced forward and adjusted course with his reins.


    Journeys on foot are always long, but journeys by air are fleeting.


    After a while, I could see the large-scale streetscape of Munires.  It¡¯s a commercial city in the south, and is a safe place with solid defenses from the royal army.


    The dragon maintained its altitude as it arrived above Munires, and then slowly descended vertically, landing in the royal army¡¯s grounds.


    I was told Markus created this dragon from a lizard, and it emits light that matches the color of the sky from its underside, making it extremely difficult to spot from below when flying high up.  It probably utilizes some form of counter-illumination that some deep-sea fishes use to hide their presence in the sea.  In order to make full use of this characteristic, it maintained its altitude even when approaching the city until it entered the royal army¡¯s grounds.


    The Liberation Army¡¯s base was adjacent to the royal army¡¯s grounds.  Thanks to the king¡¯s generosity, the central members of the Liberation Army were given a splendid, stone-built house to live in.  We visited the mansion where the officers stayed.


    It was a three-story mansion with a light-blue painted outer wall.  The trees in the large garden were neatly trimmed, allowing the autumn wind to dye their leaves into beautiful colors.  Nott, who came to greet us at the entrance, was luxuriously dressed, and also wore a long brown coat.  Just like the last time I saw him, he wore a black stole around his neck, and his twin daggers glowed on his waist.


    ¡°What is it, frizzy-hair from the royal dynasty?  Did you take the trouble to come here and die?¡±


    Nott greeted bluntly, before shifting his gaze towards me and Jess.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys still seem to be doing well.¡±


    The last time we met was during the battle at Matto.  Nott seems to distrust Shulavis, who didn¡¯t show up to help when we were confronting the surreptitious sorcerer.


    Without showing any particular emotion, Shulavis handed over a large leather bag to Nott.


    ¡°Here¡¯s some money and ristas, as thanks for handling the fight last time.¡±


    Nott accepted it as a matter-of-factly.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite heavy.  As expected of the royal dynasty, you must''ve earned a lot of money just from selling Yesmas.¡±


    As Nott oozed with sarcasm, the mansion door opened, and a gloomy-looking figure came out into the garden.


    ¡°What¡¯s he here for?  I¡¯ve got plenty of target dummies already.¡±


    The large crossbow on his back glowed.  This was Josh, an officer of the Liberation Army, and a master of crossbows.


    ¡°Looks like resupplies.  Take it.¡±


    Nott handed the leather bag to Josh.  Josh looked at Nott¡¯s eyes, and obediently returned inside the mansion.


    ¡°You came to see me in person, so you must have something to say.  Hurry up and get to the point.¡±


    After Nott said that, Shulavis looked at me.  I conveyed to Nott through Jess.


    (I¡¯m the one who wanted to talk.  Sorry, but could you call Rossi here?)


    ¡°Rossi?  What do you need a dog for?¡±


    (I have something I want to ask him.)


    ¡°Although he can understand words quite a bit, he can¡¯t speak.¡±


    Nott frowned, seemingly baffled.


    Jess encouraged from the side, ¡°That¡¯s fine, please call him!¡±


    Nott appeared unconvinced, but he reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°Alright, got it.¡±


    Nott whistled.  A few seconds later, a white figure leapt out from the side of the mansion and rushed straight towards Jess.


    ¡°Eh, w-wait.  Mr. Rossi, ah¡­¡±


    Rossi approached Jess from behind and started by burying the tip of his nose into her soft buttocks.  Then, he seized the opportunity to press his face between her thighs and continuously sniff wildly.


    Must be ni-, what an undisciplined dog.


    (Sorry, but can you calm that perverted dog down?)


    Nott raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Rossi, wait.¡±


    The large dog that had been intently sniffing Jess¡¯ thighs sat down on the spot and poked his head out from Jess¡¯ crotch.  Jess stiffened with a forced smile.


    (Try talking to him, Shulavis.)


    It was a tense moment.  Shulavis crouched in front of Jess and faced Rossi.


    ¡°Uncle.¡±


    The dog that was panting and smiling with his tongue out froze in that state.


    ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡±


    Nott asked questioningly.


    ¡°This pig was the one to notice it.  The time when my uncle disappeared, and the time when this dog, who became your partner, appeared before you, matches up perfectly.¡±


    Jess awkwardly looked down at the dog sticking his head out from between her legs.  If Rossi really was Hortis, then this situation was far from encouraging to be having a touching reunion between uncle and nephew.  I doubt it¡¯s often that you see your uncle saying hello to you from beneath your fianc¨¦¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°You¡¯re Uncle, right?¡±


    With a serious face, Shulavis looked straight at the dog, and Rossi¡¯s eyes swam.  Looks like we got it right.  Shall I arrest you for your present crimes, you perverted bastard?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, how could¡­¡±


    Nott looked down at his partner with furrowed brows.  Three people and an animal¡¯s gazes were concentrated at Jess¡¯ crotch.  Silence.


    ¡°¡­Woof arf.¡±


    Rossi made an unheard of timid whimper.  Was that his desperate attempt at trying to make himself seem even just a little more dog-like?  Nott¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Rossi, you¡¯re¡­¡±


    A brief moment passed.  Rossi retracted his tongue, and a middle-aged man¡¯s magnetic voice resounded in my head.


    ©¤I knew you would come, my prided nephew, clever Pig-kun, and Jess.  I believed that the three of you would have been able to figure out the truth!


    The white dog raised the corners of his mouth and grinned.  This guy actually dared to claim that so brazenly!


    The one most confused presently was probably Nott, who didn¡¯t have a chance to mentally prepare for this.  He placed a hand on his forehead, revealing a rare, flustered look.


    ¡°Hold on.  Rossi¡¯s¡­ a human?¡±


    Nott rudely pushed Shulavis aside and confronted Jess¡¯ crotch.  His hand gripped Rossi¡¯s chin forcefully.


    ¡°This must be some kind of joke, right?¡±


    ©¤¡­Sorry, Nott-kun.  I¡¯ve been hiding my identity for the past five years.  However, I had my reasons for doing so.  I hope you¡¯ll allow me to explain everything here.


    Nott didn¡¯t loosen his stern expression.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re the frizzy-hair¡¯s uncle, in short, you¡¯re a mage from the royal dynasty.¡±


    Rossi moved his head awkwardly, and Jess, who was unable to move, let out an ¡°Nn!¡± sound.


    Stop.


    Despite the grim atmosphere, I approached Nott and Rossi.


    (I understand the situation to some extent, so the outcome shouldn¡¯t anything bad.  For starters, Mr. Hortis, please get out from underneath Jess.  That¡¯s my territory.)


    After a dog-like whine, the white dog lowered his head and slipped out from between Jess¡¯ legs.  Jess sighed in relief as she touched her chest.


    ©¤Sorry, it was because of a dog¡¯s habits¡­


    Although I really wanted to tell him not to blame everything on habits, there was no room to make a straight man¡¯s comment in this serious situation.  I¡¯ll decide on how to deal with this pervert later.  For now, let¡¯s proceed with the conversation.


    (Mr. Hortis, can you please turn back into a human first?  I know it¡¯s weird saying this as a pig, but it¡¯s difficult talking to a dog.)


    When I conveyed that through Jess, the dog gently shook his head.


    ©¤Sorry, but I can¡¯t change back on my own.


    ¡°You can¡¯t change back on your own?¡±


    Shulavis questioned back.


    ©¤Let me explain the circumstances leading up to this point first.  I want to clear up Nott-kun¡¯s misunderstanding as soon as possible.


    I glanced at Nott.  He had his hands on the hilts of his twin daggers as if he might cut off Rossi¡¯s head at any moment.


    (Calm down, Nott.  Even if he¡¯s from the royal dynasty-)


    ¡°Shut it, you stupid, perverted pig.  You¡¯re telling me, my partner that I¡¯ve been with for the past five years was actually a mage from the royal dynasty?  Who¡¯d stay calm after hearing that?¡±


    Despite uttering those words, Nott withdrew his hands from his daggers¡¯ hilts while under the gaze of the white dog¡¯s round eyes.


    ¡°¡­Alright, fine.  Even pigs can give lectures these days, so I won¡¯t be daunted by something of this caliber.  I¡¯ll listen to what Rossi has to say for now.¡±


    Nott frowned, and took a seat on the lawn.


    ¡°Tell me the whole story.¡±


    Rossi also sat down on the spot, resulting in an arrangement where three humans and a pig were listening to a dog¡¯s story.


    ©¤Let me start by introducing myself.  My name is Hortis.  I¡¯m King Markus¡¯ younger brother.  I¡¯ve been watching you all for some time, so you don¡¯t need to reintroduce yourselves.


    He spoke concisely and articulately.  Judging by his tone of voice, I expected him to be quite sharp.


    ©¤To put it simply, I couldn¡¯t stomach the royal dynasty¡¯s approach.  It¡¯s the same reason as Nott-kun and the others from the Liberation Army.  So I left.  I didn¡¯t want to be discovered by the dynasty, and I didn¡¯t want to remain as a mage, thus I turned into a dog using this anklet-


    The dog raised his left forepaw as he said that.  A silver anklet was snugly fit on there.


    ©¤I sealed my magic power and retired.  Then, I met a boy who was caught in an unreasonable situation.  I felt the young man had a bright future, so I decided to stay with him as a dog until my death.


    Hortis chose his words carefully, seemingly to avoid mentioning the fact that Markus was responsible for burning down the monastery.  It was a wise decision.  It¡¯s not yet time for Nott to know about this.


    Nott slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°In other words, even though you¡¯re of royal descent, you abandoned the royal dynasty, threw away your magic, and became a hunting dog, wagging your tail for this kind of wandering huntsman?¡±


    ©¤Correct.  And I have no regrets.  If the clever Pig-kun and the others didn¡¯t figure me out, I planned on staying like this for the rest of my life.  Ultimately, I hate bothersome things.


    It¡¯s said that mages are well versed in not allowing their minds to be read.  If he remained a dog, he certainly could have spent the rest of his life without being discovered.


    The dog was calm.  It was as if the fact that he had been sniffing Jess¡¯ lower half until just now was a lie.


    ¡°Interesting.  So, what?  Do I just cut off your left leg and you¡¯ll regain your magic power, then you¡¯ll join us in destroying the royal dynasty?¡±


    ©¤Hold it.  It¡¯s not that simple.


    The dog stopped his master with his front leg.


    ©¤This anklet has attribution magic applied to it.  Even if you forcibly remove it, it¡¯ll just wrap around my body again, making that pointless.  I devised it so that I definitely couldn¡¯t change back on my own.  You need to follow certain steps.


    ¡°Steps?¡±


    As Nott furrowed his brows, the dog turned my way.


    ©¤I need some things from the capital in order to change back.  Could you bring them to me?


    ¡°Why did he designate the locations in such a strange way?¡±


    (Who knows?  It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s a pervert.)


    The afternoon was sunny.  As soon as Jess and I returned to the capital, we immediately got to work searching for what were needed.  Shulavis had combat training to attend to.


    The capital city, built on the slopes of a rocky mountain, was intricate in various ways.  Narrow paths paved with whitish stone weaved through its stone buildings and would suddenly turn to stairs, occasionally even cutting through rock-cut caves.  With Jess leading us, we headed towards our first destination.


    This was that guy¡¯s instructions:


    ©¤I want you to obtain the Spring Water, and the Sealed History Book.  I¡¯ll tell you where to find them, so make sure to remember what I¡¯m about to say.


    As for the details regarding the Spring Water, Jess wrote it down on the piece of paper she was holding in her hand.


    The road to the spring passes through three locations.


    The first location is a blooming plaza, where its flowerbeds are decorated with flowers that never wither.


    From there, two large mountains can be spotted where the second location is.


    The third location is in front of your eyes, where two small fruits are borne.


    Using only the left wing, head towards the spring that unlocks the seal.


    From a metaphor professional¡¯s point of view, there was nothing but trouble in those words.  But for whatever reason, Jess¡¯ eyes were sparkling with joy, so I decided to accompany her.


    ¡°The first location is simple.  Ahead is the Flower Plaza that was created by Vatis-sama.  It¡¯s said that the flowers made from stone have continued to bloom for more than a hundred years.¡±


    Jess merrily rounded the corner and exited the narrow alley onto the main street.  Aside from the fact that there were no children, the people walking to and fro in the capital seemed like ordinary residents.  The rows of buildings made from white stones housed a number of neat storefronts.


    After walking along the main street for some time, my field of view suddenly opened up, and we arrived at a circular plaza.


    (Is this the Flower Plaza?)


    ¡°It looks like it!¡±


    The plaza was built in the middle of an incline, and half of it was facing outside the capital ¨C that is to say, it protruded towards the western sky like an observation deck, and from beyond, I could see the vast land of Mestria.  The other half of the plaza was on the incline, with terraced flowerbeds spread across it magnificently.  However, the flowers blooming there were not real flowers.  They were roses made of white marble, carefully crafted from stem to leaves.


    (It¡¯s as if actual roses were turned into stone.)


    When I conveyed that, Jess, who was looking at the stone flowers with great interest, turned her head in my direction.


    ¡°Perhaps that really was how they were created.¡±


    I see.  Since she had enough magic power to end the Dark Ages, doing something like this was probably a cakewalk.


    (The flowerbeds with flowers that never wither should be referring to this place.  Shall we look for the mountains next?)


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Although I confirmed it already when we had arrived, as expected, we weren¡¯t able to find a scenery that could be considered as having ¡°two large mountains¡± beyond the west side of the capital.


    The Flower Plaza appeared to be a traffic hub, with five roads leading from it.  Since we could see the roads from here, the mountains had to be at the end of one of them.


    Jess and I walked through the plaza to confirm what laid ahead of each road.  Two out of the five roads were large paths that softly curved away, and they had no landmarks in particular that we could see.  At the end of one of the remaining three roads, there was a small square with a trophy-shaped fountain.  Another road branched into two routes further down the path, with a nude statue of a woman standing at the crossroad.  And the last path became a descending stairway halfway through, with a grassy garden and a large tower visible at the end.


    ¡°This is quite difficult¡­¡±


    Jess pondered.


    ¡°The tower down there could conceivably be considered a mountain.  But there¡¯s only one, so it can¡¯t be called two mountains¡­  It would be too much of a stretch to call a statue or a fountain a mountain¡­  Maybe if we continue a bit further down the large paths, we¡¯ll be able to see the mountains?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Hey Jess, can I say the answer?)


    Jess looked downwards at me like she was taken by surprise.


    ¡°Eeeh?!  Mister Pig already figured it out?¡±


    You guys may have already figured it out as well.  The clue is that they¡¯re mountains invisible to those with pure hearts.


    (It¡¯s simple once you realize what that pervert was implying.  Let¡¯s go.)


    ¡°Eh?  But could you please wait a moment?!¡±


    Stopped by Jess, I turned around.


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­ I want to figure out the answer on my own.¡±


    Jess pursed her lips and made a slightly frustrated face.  Now that¡¯s a rare sight.  It¡¯s not often that I get to see this kind of innocent Jess.


    (Sure.  I¡¯ll wait a while so you can try figuring it out on your own.)


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Jess muttered ¡°two mountains, two mountains¡­¡± while walking around the plaza.  I also followed closely behind.  I felt sorry for her, but I doubt she would be able to arrive at the answer.


    After a few minutes, Jess stopped.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Anticipating what Jess was about to say, I looped around her feet and stood in front of her.


    ¡°Sorry, but I still can¡¯t figure it out.  Could you please give me a hint?¡±


    Alright.  While I was under Jess¡¯ watchful gaze, I conveyed to her.


    (Right now, you should be able to see two mountains in your current sight.)


    ¡°Um?¡±


    Jess looked around.


    (No, that¡¯s not what I meant.  Look at me.)


    I sat right in front of Jess.  Her gaze moved down.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I can only see Mister Pig and my feet¡­¡±


    (Are you able to see anything a bit closer?)


    Though the mountains aren¡¯t that big.


    My intentions seemed to have been conveyed, as Jess¡¯ face turned red.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I get it!  It¡¯s that kind of mountain!¡±


    Jess appeared to have finally figured it out, and she headed towards the road with the statue of a nude woman.  We stopped in front of the life-size marble statue.  There were no inscriptions or the likes.  It was simply a realistic carving of a woman with large breasts, wearing a loincloth and looking upwards.  The two large mountains was a dirty joke.  Looks like that guy hasn¡¯t changed since he became Rossi.  He¡¯s still the lowest perverted bastard of the low.


    (Okay, so now we¡¯re at the second location.  Next is the third.  ¡°In front of your eyes¡± refers to¡­)


    The female statue was looking quite far up.  I followed her line of sight.


    ¡°There seems to be another statue at the top of the stairs ahead.¡±


    At the very top of the steep slope where not even a house was built, there was a landing place with a white statue that shone in the sunlight.  I couldn¡¯t see it very clearly, but it looked to be a statue of a nude young girl.  Her arms were outstretched, as if she was about to fly away.


    (The meaning behind ¡°where two small fruits are borne¡± ¡­Do you get it?)


    As I confirmed it with Jess, she pressed her right hand against her chest and smiled wryly while appearing conscious of something.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine¡­  As I seem to remember someone thinking something similar during the night of the festival at Quiltli while he was eating the apples I gave him.¡±


    No, no.  You must be imagining things.


    (Then let¡¯s go.  It¡¯s a steep hill, do you think you can manage?)


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Despite our exhaustion, we managed to arrive at the statue of the girl.  On the landing, the nude girl had her arms extended like a ballerina, and was surrounded by a stylish stone fence.  Her rib protrusion, soft-looking skin, and other parts made the sculpture look extremely realistic.


    And she had small breasts.


    Looking at it up close reminded me of the time when, at the end of my journey, there was a girl who brushed me while being naked.  I can still vividly remember the sight I beheld that day.  As for boob size, I think those would win.  Since this boob sommelier said so, there¡¯s no doubt about it.


    ¡°¡­Erm, I believe he said to use ¡®only the left wing¡¯!¡±


    Even though her ears were red, Jess properly ignored my monologue and checked the paper in her hand.


    Maybe because this place was located on the outskirts, there wasn¡¯t anyone around the landing.  I walked around the front of the statue, and observed it alongside Jess.  It was the same for the statue of the nude woman from earlier, but all the statues in the capital were realistic down to the smallest of details.  Behind the girl with her arms spread were paths-


    ¡°Oh, I figured it out!¡±


    Jess happily spoke out.


    ¡°From the front, the stairs that split into two seem to spread out like wings.  The left wing means we should go up the right stairs from our perspective!¡±


    I was impressed.  She came to that conclusion at the same time ¨C or rather, a few seconds before I did.  Although she gave the impression that she¡¯s somewhat ditzy, Jess can be quite sharp when she wants to be, so she shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.


    (You¡¯re right, that looks to be the case.  Let¡¯s hang in there and work through this.)


    While bathing in the cool autumn wind, we proceeded up the narrow stairs.  I stayed one step behind Jess.


    ¡°The clues are a bit weird, but¡­ I¡¯m finding this kind of fun.¡±


    Hearing this, I stopped trying to peek underneath Jess¡¯ skirt.


    (Right.  It¡¯s interesting because it¡¯s like solving a crass mystery game.)


    I don¡¯t know what Hortis is thinking, but I find him quite amusing.  At the very least, he¡¯s more playful than Markus and Shulavis.


    ¡°Mystery game¡­  So that sort of thing exists?¡±


    Jess turned around with an expression full of excited interest.


    (Yeah.  From where I came from, people would come up with interesting questions for others to solve for fun.  Sometimes puzzles appear repeatedly, such as after solving several of them, a new one would show up.)


    ¡°Wow!  That sounds like a lot of fun!¡±


    Since she said that so excitedly, I proposed this.


    (Let¡¯s try playing it once things have settled down.  I haven¡¯t tried coming up with questions before, but I¡¯m sure I can figure something out.)


    ¡°Oh, really?!  I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    After reacting like that with her eyes sparkling, she look straight into my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise, okay?¡±


    I stiffened for a moment, before lightly nodding.  I¡¯m not very good at handling promises.


    Jess tilted her head slightly before smiling.


    ¡°But¡­ if you use my chest size as the question, I¡¯ll punish you, okay?¡±


    How did she know?  I didn¡¯t even say anything in my monologues!


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve come to understand Mister Pig¡¯s naughty train of thought fairly well lately¡­¡±


    (I see¡­  That¡¯s troubling.)


    Was the fact that I¡¯m a boob sommelier who made a name for himself thanks to his amazing chest measuring abilities exposed?


    Jess placed her index finger on her chin as she slowly climbed the stairs.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Mister Pig, you often think about the size of other women¡¯s breasts¡­¡±


    Her brown eyes, full of suspicion and curiosity, were directed at me.


    ¡°Have you seen another woman¡¯s breasts before?¡±


    The sweat from climbing the stairs instantly turned cold.


    (Uh¡­?)


    ¡°Mister Pig is a virgin, right¡­?¡±


    (I mean, I¡¯m most definitely a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin¡­)


    ¡°Then why are you so familiar with breast sizes?¡±


    Was she the type that pays attention to details?


    (¡­T-that was my first time seeing it firsthand, but the country I came from had stuff like naughty books¡­  There would be photos in them, which are images that replicate the real thing¡­)


    ¡°Does Mister Pig oink excitedly when looking at those photos of naked women?¡±


    Sensing Jess¡¯ surge of anger, I promptly came up with an excuse.


    (No, I was just interested in them from a biological and statistical standpoint¡­)


    ¡°Hmmm, whatever you say.¡±


    As I endured her somewhat contemptuous gaze, I responded.


    (I¡¯m sure even Jess has read at least one naughty book before, right?)


    Unexpectedly, Jess began to panic.


    ¡°Eeeeeh¡­!?  I-I-I haven¡¯t!  Mestria doesn¡¯t have anything as shameless as something like photos in the first place!  Everything is drawn only!¡±


    Nn¡­?


    Although there were some things that caught my attention, we already climbed to the top of the stairs while talking.


    Atop the cliff, there was a small area covered in lush grass; and spring water was gushing out where the white rocks were exposed.  I gave the water a sniff before having a taste.  It was cool and delicious.


    ¡°Mister Pig, it¡¯s amazing!  Look at the incredible view!¡±


    Hearing that, I approached the edge of the cliff.  There were no railings.  At the bottom of the sheer cliff, where instant death awaits if I were to fall, was the cityscape we had just walked through.  Jess placed a hand on my back.


    ¡°Please be careful not to fall.¡±


    (I won¡¯t, since I don¡¯t want to become a minced meat cutlet.)


    There was a small square with a lone statue below the cliff, and in the far distance from it, a large flower plaza could be seen.  With my eyes, I retraced the path to our right that passed by the large and small breasts.


    (That¡¯s our starting point, and that should be the statue we passed by¡­  It looks like we were given quite the detour.)


    ¡°Right.  I wonder why?¡±


    (It¡¯s probably because that perverted bastard is personally very fond of boobs.  What a hopeless guy.)


    I did a 180 and headed towards the spring.  Jess followed as well.


    ¡°We just need to collect the water here, and the first objective should be complete.¡±


    As she spoke, Jess took out a glass bottle, filled it with the spring water, and sealed it tight with a cork.  Incidentally, she used her hand to scoop up some water and taste it.  She muttered ¡°It¡¯s refreshing,¡± before wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.


    Her satisfied figure, enveloped by her sense of accomplishment, was beautiful under the evening sunlight.  When I came to my senses, I was alone with a cute girl in a secret place that had no one else around.


    If I wasn¡¯t a pig¡­


    (Next is the Sealed History Book.  We can leave that for tomorrow if you¡¯re tired.  What do you reckon?)


    I shook away my idle thoughts and asked Jess that, to which she returned a bright smile.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Mister Pig, how about we look for it after dinner?  This might not be the appropriate time to be saying this, but¡­ this is starting to be a little fun.¡±


    (That works.  Should we look for a shortcut for the way back?)


    Jess gently shook her head.


    ¡°Mr. Hortis said the sunset view from the Flower Plaza is one of the top five best sceneries in the capital.  Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to see it before heading back?¡±


    I had no objections.  It¡¯s wonderful that I get to take a detour with a cute girl.


    We returned through the way we came, and headed towards the Flower Plaza.  As we descended the stairs, my line of sight was above the hem of Jess¡¯ skirt, so I wasn¡¯t expecting anything there.  Instead, I looked ahead and saw a magnificent view of the dazzling afternoon sun setting on the mountains in the distance.  It was as if the entire misty sky was covered in fragments of the sun.  The white stone houses built on the western slope of the capital shone beautifully underneath the orange light.


    ¡°We might be right on time to see the sunset when we reach the Flower Plaza.¡±


    Jess said with a smile.


    The curving, stone-paved roads along the mountain were crowded with people rushing home.  Even though their born children were taken away, the citizens of the capital still seem to be living their lives relatively happily.


    There were no figures of parents with children.  However, there were many who seemed to be having a good time, whether it be chatting with friends on the terrace of a diner, or walking while holding hands with their spouse.  The fragrant smell of roasted meat, the pleasant sound of tableware clashing, and so on.  The evening capital was overflowing with everyday excitement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you long for it?¡±


    Hearing Jess¡¯ question, I looked up at her from the side.


    ¡°Long for what?¡±


    ¡°This kind of tranquil everyday life.  A peaceful life where your important person isn¡¯t taken away from you, your memories aren¡¯t forgotten, you aren¡¯t caught up in a war, and your life isn¡¯t being threatened¡­  Don¡¯t you long for that sort of life, Mister Pig?¡±


    I thought about it.


    (I¡¯m not sure.  Since the world I originally came from was that kind of peaceful place.)


    Though I never felt particularly happy about it.


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡±


    Jess lowered her head.


    (However, I can understand why you long for it, Jess.  After all, you¡¯ve lived your whole life in such a tough world.)


    Jess, who lived alone as a maid until she was sixteen, managed to arrive at the capital while having her life targeted.  She was then suddenly welcomed into the royal family, her memories were sealed by the king, and she had to survive to this point while under the pressure of war.


    We arrived back at the Flower Plaza, and headed straight towards the deck with a nice view.  The western part of Mestria could be seen through the gaps in the flower-decorated railings.  The Forest of Needles, where we once struggled for our lives, extended below us; and beyond it, I could see the rural lands and gently-sloped mountains.  The sun was about to hide behind the side of the mountain.  The blazing sky and darkness-immersed quiet lands created a wonderful contrast.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Jess responded while still looking at the scenery.


    To which I asked back, (What do you mean¡­?)


    ¡°I don¡¯t really hate living in a tough world, since I like adventures.¡±


    (Is that so?  Then the everyday life you longed for was referring to¡­?)


    ¡°I hate that I have to live while needing to worry about being pulled apart from someone important to me.¡±


    Jess turned towards me, and the side of her face that was illuminated by the sunset was dazzling.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to be saying this now, but¡­ I¡¯ve always thought that it might have been better to live as a citizen of the capital instead, as long as I could be with Mister Pig forever.¡±


    Like a heavy wedge, her words lodged deeply into my pig heart.


    (¡­Aren¡¯t we together right now?)


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m very happy right now.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    I was at a loss for words, and as if she was muttering to herself, Jess said to me.


    ¡°It would be nice if this happiness would last forever.¡±


    Perhaps due to us walking too slowly, on our way home, the sun had completely set and the city became dark.  The lights from homes and lanterns hanging from the eaves casted soft lights on the stone pavements, which were dyed purple from reflecting the sky.


    Jess and I returned home while leisurely touring the capital.


    And I became more than a little apprehensive about spending my daily life with Jess like this.


    The royal library was a jungle of wisdoms and taboos.  Shelves packed with historical books were lined up inside the sturdily-built building with only one entrance door.  Surrounded by the smell of old paper and the slightly bitter aroma of ink, I automatically felt as calm as a sage.  The passage was narrow, so I inevitably had to cling to Jess¡¯ legs to be able to walk.


    ©¤That doesn¡¯t mean you have to rub your cheek against my calf¡­


    Jess pointed out in silence with her mind¡¯s voice.


    Oh dear.  I was so busy trying not to bump into the books that I didn¡¯t realize my cheek was touching Jess¡¯ calf.  I¡¯m so sorry about that.


    The aisles between the shelves were dimly lit.  The reddish magic light that was floating on the ceiling created an eerie atmosphere.  Jess made the tip of her right hand glow white using magic, illuminating the aisle and our feet.


    (Jess, are you able to make it glow in places other than your fingertips?)


    When I asked, Jess proudly puffed her chest out.


    ©¤Yes, of course.  I can move it anywhere, like so-


    The light slid from Jess¡¯ fingertip to her palm, wrist, and then elbow.


    (So theoretically, any part of your body can be illuminated.)


    All of a sudden, the magic light went out.


    ©¤My boobs won¡¯t glow.


    She completely read my mind¡­?


    Jess lit the light at her fingertip again.


    ©¤Mister Pig sure is lecherous.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    After turning away, Jess conveyed to me earnestly.


    ©¤Let¡¯s find the Sealed History Book.  Since that¡¯s what we came here for.


    Right.  We came all the way to the library at night to find the history book needed to break Hortis¡¯ seal.


    The most repulsive history book sleeps amongst the purest books.


    The desecration of life, disguised as a hymn to life.


    Search for the forbidden twins with utmost respect.


    That pervert¡¯s instructions were as abstract as poetry.  I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right attitude to use when asking someone to find something for you, but this was the only hint he gave us, so we have no choice but to play along and solve this mystery.


    ©¤Um, Mister Pig¡­ I don¡¯t get it at all.


    After wandering between the bookshelves for a while, Jess sighed with a troubled face.  They seemed to be organized by categories, but there didn¡¯t appear to be a forbidden section, nor were there any shelves that seemed particularly pure.


    I gave it some thought as well, but I felt like this couldn¡¯t be solved just by using the three sentences given.  The best way to analyze a narrative that can¡¯t be interpreted based on its contents alone is to consider the context and speaker.


    (Only ¡°sleeps amongst the purest books¡± hints at which shelf it¡¯s at.  That perverted bastard thinks that¡¯s enough to convey his meaning to us, so we have no choice but to consider the context of the question and his personality to draw a reasonable conclusion.)


    ©¤Context and personality¡­


    (It¡¯s probably easier to understand if we look at it from his personality¡¯s perspective.  Jess, what do you think of that man?)


    ©¤I find him a bit strange¡­


    (Exactly.  As we can see from the fact that he kept sniffing you, Jess, he¡¯s clearly a pervert.  Next, let¡¯s look at the context.  Think back to the Spring Water.  At first glance, it sounded like a serious riddle, but its contents were actually extremely crass.)


    ©¤He¡¯s certainly someone that seems a bit lecherous.


    (In other words, we should be going about this library riddle in a bit of a lewd way.  Speaking of things that perverted bastard would consider pure¡­)


    As I conveyed that, things clicked for me.  ¡°The desecration of life¡± disguising as ¡°a hymn to life.¡±  This contrast should correspond to the structure of ¡°the most repulsive history book¡± sleeping among ¡°the purest books.¡±  It¡¯s the sentiment of life and sentiment of death.  Using the concepts from my world, they would be Eros and Thanatos.


    This otaku¡¯s rapid-fire thinking made Jess tilt her head quizzically, so I gently explained it to her.


    (The pure books he¡¯s talking about are those that celebrate life, in other words, they¡¯re naughty books.)


    ©¤N-n-n-naughty books?!?!


    Even inside the dimly-lit library, I could see Jess¡¯ face was bright red.


    (The history book that desecrates life, disguised as a hymn of life ¨C that¡¯s referring to it being disguised as a naughty book and tucked away in the lewd section.  We just have to go there and find the ¡°forbidden twins.¡±)


    ©¤Erm, when you say naughty books, do you mean sensual literature¡­?  I believe they¡¯re located here¡­


    Jess averted her eyes and walked ahead at a somewhat brisk pace.


    (What¡¯s sensual literature like?)


    ©¤Um, I haven¡¯t read that many, but¡­ my impression is that they¡¯re love stories with a lot of explicit details, and they often combine text with pictures.


    So they¡¯re lewd light novels?


    (But Jess, you seem to know where the shelf is.  Since you said you didn¡¯t read that many¡­ you must have read a couple, right?)


    ©¤O-o-o-of course not!


    An unnatural level of denial resounded in my mind.  Oh?  This¡­


    ©¤No, um, that wasn¡¯t my intention at all.  It was, um, just¡­ out of curiosity¡­


    Jess, blushing from her chin up, stopped in front of an old shelf.  Well, let¡¯s not delve too deep into it.  After all, she sixteen already.


    ©¤I believe this is the shelf we¡¯re looking for.


    Still averting her eyes, Jess pointed at the shelf in front of me.  The shelf was densely packed with books, from the ground up to a height that Jess couldn¡¯t reach even if she stretched her hands out.  However, it was covered in dust, with only a handful of traces that any books had been taken out.  It¡¯s no wonder, since I was told only members of the royal family and some authorized citizens were allowed to enter this library.  I doubt there¡¯s many that would bother coming here just to read naughty books.


    (Now, let¡¯s figure out what ¡°utmost respect¡± means.)


    As I suggested that, Jess crouched down without hesitation.


    (What are you doing?)


    Jess continued to stare at the shelf, not looking me in the eyes.


    ©¤I think, to show respect is to bow your head.  Should we try looking at the bottom row?


    That makes sense.


    (I wonder what he meant by forbidden twins.)


    I looked at the bottom row shelf using my pig¡¯s field of view while musing.  Barely any light reached there, and it was covered in a thick layer of dust.  Those books were completely forgotten.


    ¡°¡­Is it wrong to fall in love with my little sister?¡±


    Jess murmured while staring intently at the spine of a book.


    (Huh?  What did you say?)


    ©¤It¡¯s the title of this book.  It¡¯s a story about a brother and sister birth siblings that are¡­ I mean, um, I was told that they¡¯re infatuated with each other.  This was a famous book that was popular a long time ago.  Is this what ¡°forbidden¡± meant?


    The light-novelesque title made me want to lol.  Anyway, this solved another mystery.  It was about a taboo of blood relations.


    (But what does twins mean?  It¡¯s not like the brother and sister are twins, right?)


    ©¤Right¡­


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Jess made a tiny sound and held her breath.


    ©¤There¡¯s two books titled ¡°Is it Wrong to Fall in Love with My Little Sister¡± here, Mister Pig.


    Jess brought her illuminating finger closer to the shelf.  There were two ¡°Is it Wrong to Fall in Love with My Little Sister?¡± placed side by side.  One was a large book bound in leather; the other was a rectangular wooden box of similar size.  It was probably a case for storing a book in, which means-


    (Does that means the book originally belonged in that box, but was purposefully taken out to be shelved?)


    The perceptive Jess carefully pulled out the wooden box.


    ©¤So the question becomes, what¡¯s inside this box?


    Jess¡¯ small hands gently brushed off the dust, and took out the contents of the box.  What came out was a frighteningly black book.  Whether it be its binder or its pages, everything was jet black.  Nothing was written on the outside.


    (It¡¯s hard to say what it is, but it doesn¡¯t look like a naughty book.)


    Jess quietly returned the ¡°Is it Wrong to Fall in Love with My Little Sister?¡± box on to the shelf and looked at me.


    ©¤I agree.  Sensual literature tends to have a naughty picture on its cover after all¡­


    Jess quite easily dug her own grave, and got up.


    ©¤Why don¡¯t we take a look at its contents, Mister Pig?


    (Let¡¯s do that.)


    We left the bookshelves behind and moved to the reading corner.  Chairs with well-worn cushions surrounded an old wooden table.  At the center of the table was a small magic lantern, illuminating it with a warm glow.  We were surrounded by grey stone walls, and their darkness was as if black curtains had been pulled down.


    ¡°You came again?¡±


    A tall old woman suddenly emerged from the darkness.  She had long, straight silver hair that reached her waist, and wrinkles all across her skin.  She¡¯s Bibis, a citizen of the capital, and this library¡¯s librarian.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Bibis.¡±


    Jess hid the jet black book behind her back and greeted Bibis.


    ¡°That book you¡¯re holding sure brings back memories.  Young Master Hortis often used to read that here.¡±


    A soft smile appeared on Bibis¡¯ seemingly thoughtful face.  She didn¡¯t overlook the book.


    ¡°Do you know about this book?¡±


    Jess placed the pure black book on the table.  The old lady looked at it with her wrinkle-rimmed eyes.


    ¡°Yes, of course.  That¡¯s arguably the most dangerous book in this building ¨C it¡¯s a copy of the history book that recounts the genuine history.¡±


    The genuine history probably refers to history before the royal dynasty was established.  I climbed up on a chair and lightly snorted to get Bibis¡¯ attention before conveying to her.


    (What was Hortis trying to learn about?)


    The old lady slowly exhaled.


    ¡°Who knows?  I¡¯m not so uncouth as to disturb Young Master, who was fervently studying.¡±


    (Did he not consult you on anything?)


    Hortis seemed to have relied on Bibis a lot for finding books, and it was Bibis who informed us that he was studying transformation magic.  If it¡¯s her, she might be able to provide us with some hints about his past.


    ¡°There was one thing he asked about that book.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    Jess leaned forward and asked.  To which Bibis pointed at the history book.


    ¡°Try opening it and turn the pages.¡±


    Jess did as she was told and started turning the pages from the beginning.  The paper used for this book was completely black, with the text and drawings done in white ink.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ hands stopped.


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    ¡°The pages are stuck.¡±


    Looking at it, I saw dozens of pages stuck together, making it appear like a board.


    ¡°You see?  A part of that book has been sealed with magic and that section can¡¯t be read.  Young Master asked if I could break it, but since it was sealed by Evis-sama, I told him it wasn¡¯t something I could solve with my magic power.¡±


    A sealed history book.  This must be exactly what we were looking for.


    Pages of a book stuck together and sealed by Evis.  It might not be related, but I felt like I heard something similar before.


    ¡°I see¡­  Thank you very much.¡±


    Jess dropped her shoulders as though she was curious about it, and the corners of Bibis¡¯ mouth were raised at her.


    ¡°Please make sure to return that book to this library once you are done, Young Miss.¡±


    The very next morning, Shulavis took us to visit the Liberation Army¡¯s base.


    We were greeted by Celes, who was watering the flowers in the front garden.  A black pig was beside her, innocently frolicking while being sprayed with water.


    ¡°Ms. Jess!¡±


    Noticing us, Celes immediately brightened up.  With her large eyes and slender limbs, she still gave the impression of a fawn.  She rushed over with short steps and opened the gate.  A heavy silver collar was still attached around her neck.


    ¡°Ah, Ms. Celes¡­  Good morning.¡±


    Jess¡¯ greeting sounded somewhat subdued.  I looked up at her.  Her complexion hasn¡¯t seemed good since this morning.  She had dark circles under her eyes.


    ¡°Could you please call Mr. Nott?  We have some business regarding yesterday.¡±


    Celes nodded at Jess¡¯ quiet request and quickly ran towards the mansion.


    (Jess, you don¡¯t look so good¡­  Don¡¯t force yourself.)


    Jess turned to look at me after a few seconds.  I could sense the fatigue in her eyes.


    ©¤No, it¡¯s okay.  I¡¯m just a bit¡­ sleep deprived.


    (If you say so¡­)


    I suddenly noticed that the black pig was staring at me.  He was turning his head and flapping his ears as if he was trying to tell me something, but his inner voice wasn¡¯t reaching me.


    (Sorry Jess, but do you mind letting me talk to this black pig?)


    Pigs can¡¯t speak.  They require someone with the ability to hear and convey their thoughts like telepathy to be an intermediary, or else they can¡¯t communicate.


    Jess, who was looking down at the grass in a daze, was startled, and put her hands over her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Can you help relay my conversation with this black pig?)


    ¡°Oh, right!  Sorry¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was out of nervousness, but Shulavis, who stood next to Jess, was silently staring at her.  I wonder if he noticed something.


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo, I¡¯m very thankful for your hard work regarding the matters related to Mr. Hortis.


    Hearing Sanon¡¯s voice, I returned my attention back towards the black pig.


    (You heard about it from Nott?)


    The black pig slowly nodded in affirmation.


    ©¤I also talked quite a bit with Mr. Ho himself.  But wow, he really is a wonderful person.  I think he¡¯s the real deal.


    (The real deal pervert¡­?)


    ©¤No, I meant his potential as our trump card.  He has a great connection to the royal dynasty, he can use magic, and most importantly, he cares deeply about us, the Liberation Army.  He¡¯s the ultimate trump card.  I really can¡¯t thank you enough, Mr. Lolipo, for noticing Mr. Ho¡¯s existence.


    The black pig respectfully bowed in front of Jess¡¯ skirt.


    (Stop.  Please raise your head, because you¡¯ll be able to see underneath Jess¡¯ skirt at that angle.)


    ©¤Oops, please forgive me for that.


    The lolicon black pig turned his head regretfully and backed away.  Should I call the police?


    (How¡¯s Celes been?)


    At my question, the black pig paused briefly before nodding.


    ©¤She¡¯s the same as usual.  The sleepy look she has every morning when she just woke up is very cute.


    No one asked you about that¡­


    ©¤It¡¯s just¡­


    Just as Sanon was about to say something, the mansion door opened, and Celes, Nott, and Hortis ¨C in the form of Rossi, came out.  The moment Rossi spotted Jess, he ran directly towards her and pounced, pushing her on to the grass.  He then started aggressively licking her cheeks.


    ¡°U-um¡­ er¡­.¡±


    Shulavis, unable to stand watching Jess be at the dog¡¯s mercy, suddenly stepped forward.


    ¡°Uncle.  Your real identity has already been exposed, so it¡¯s best that you refrain from such behaviors.¡±


    The perverted dog lifted his dignified muzzle while still sticking his tongue out.


    ©¤Sorry, because of a dog¡¯s habits¡­


    Don¡¯t think you can blame everything on habits and they¡¯ll be forgiven, okay!?


    Nott caught up from behind.  Celes kept some slight distance, and would sneak glances at Nott.


    ¡°You found them already?  That was quick.¡±


    Nott held his hand out towards Jess.  She eyed it with a mystified look on her face.


    ¡°The water and history book.  I¡¯ll use them to change Hortis back.¡±


    Shulavis interjected from the side.


    ¡°Those two things are in my hands.  I don¡¯t mind handing you the water, but the history book isn¡¯t something for your eyes.  I¡¯ll give them to Uncle directly.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡±


    Nott voiced in annoyance before looking down at Rossi.


    ¡°Alright Hortis, now turn back into a human.¡±


    ©¤Understood.  Hand me the water and history book.


    Shulavis held a small bottle of water and a history book tied with a cloth string to Rossi¡¯s mouth.  Rossi opened his mouth wide, and deftly held them both in his mouth.


    (Mr. Hortis, you should be able to properly change back into a human, right?)


    When I asked that, Rossi nodded.


    ©¤As long as you brought the right things, I should be able to transform back smoothly.


    Rossi spun around and sauntered away from us.


    ¡°Where are you going, Uncle?¡±


    When Shulavis called out to stop him, Rossi turned his head to look at us.


    ©¤The instant I turn back into a human being, I¡¯m inevitably going to be naked.  Just to be safe, can you let me transform back there?


    A few minutes later.


    No matter how you slice it, the man returning from behind the mansion was a pervert.  He had curly blonde hair that reached his shoulders, and a dandy goatee of the same color.  He was a tall and handsome middle-aged guy, and though he was slim, he seemed to have trained his whole body, as he was muscular.  There¡¯s just one problem ¨C he wasn¡¯t wearing anything.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting.  Let me introduce myself again.  I am Hortis.  Pleased to meet you.¡±


    Celes averted her eyes while blushing.  Jess, after staring at Hortis for a while, made an ¡°Ah¡± noise, and hastily covered her face with both hands.


    (So what was the point of transforming back there?)


    When I unintentionally made a straight man retort, the handsome middle-aged man grinned brightly.


    ¡°It would be embarrassing if my body had atrophied.  But I¡¯m glad everything seems okay.  I exercised a lot as a dog, so it doesn¡¯t appear to have deteriorated much.¡±


    Hortis rolled his arms, cracking his shoulders.  Is that what you should be worrying about?


    Shulavis sighed in dismay.


    ¡°Uncle, the one covering her face here is my fianc¨¦.  Please hurry up and get dressed.¡±


    It helps to have a serious-minded guy respond here.  ¡°I see,¡± Hortis nodded, and spread his arms out.  A large white cloth appeared in the air and wrapped itself around his body.  It was like a toga.


    >TL Note: Togas are distinctive clothes from ancient Rome.


    ¡°Fianc¨¦¡­?¡±


    Nott muttered and looked at Jess.  The person in question dropped her hands that were covering her eyes, but she remained quiet, showing no intentions of opening her mouth.


    The perverted Roman walked gracefully towards me and petted me.  An indescribable scene unfurled between his knees.  Though if this was Jess, I would¡¯ve oinked excitedly.


    ¡°Let me express my gratitude to you once again, Virgin-kun.  Thanks to you, I didn¡¯t lose everything in my life.  Thank you, truly.¡±


    Even though something felt off with the way he worded things, I still responded.


    ¡°No, no need to thank me.  Let¡¯s work together to protect the Liberation Army.¡±


    Hortis patted my cheeks in satisfaction and stood up.  He then walked in front of Jess, and drew a spiral in the air with his finger.  A white, palm-sized conch shell sprang out from there.


    ¡°Rossi has done a lot of impolite things to you, Jess.  Let me apologize on his behalf.¡±


    There¡¯s no point in trying to shift responsibility, you got that¡­?


    As I snorted in protest from the side, Hortis offered the shell to Jess.


    ¡°This shell can be used to communicate with me.  Just call out my name towards its opening, and you¡¯ll be able to talk to me whenever, wherever.  Use it if you¡¯re ever in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­  I understand.¡±


    Hortis¡¯ hand, which handed over the shell, moved as if to caress the listless Jess¡¯ head; but in the end, it only touched the air and returned to his side.


    Hortis lightly clapped his hands.


    ¡°Now then, I should say hello to everyone else.  Let¡¯s head back to the mansion.¡±


    Hortis placed his veiny hand on his former owner¡¯s shoulder.


    Shulavis cleared his throat.


    ¡°Sorry Uncle, but if you¡¯re done with the history book, could you please return it?¡±


    Hortis shrugged apologetically.


    ¡°¡­I damaged it while undoing the magic, so I hope you can wait a while before I return it.  I can fix it, but it¡¯ll take some time.  I¡¯m pretty sure you have another one, so it shouldn¡¯t pose a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ if word got out that that book went missing from the library, things could get problematic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  Elder Brother has no interest in books to begin with, and this book has been hidden up until now, so I doubt it¡¯ll be exposed.  Besides, I¡¯ll make sure return it.  I promise.¡±


    Shulavis, whose thick eyebrows creased in suspicion, nodded with a serious expression.


    ¡°Is that so?  Then I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    In the end, we returned to the capital empty-handed.


    (Jess, are you not feeling well¡­?)


    Worried about Jess, who was lying in bed, I sat by her bedside.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not like that.  It¡¯s like I said earlier, I didn¡¯t sleep very well¡­¡±


    Jess pulled her bedsheet up to her chin, and looked in the opposite direction from me.  There was a window there, through which I could see the autumn noon¡¯s blue sky.


    (Then get some sleep.)


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fall sleep¡­¡±


    She should have had enough time to sleep last night to begin with.  Was there a reason as to why she couldn¡¯t sleep?  And if so, was it okay for me to ask about it?


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t sleep last night because I was reading the history book the entire time.¡±


    A faint and feeble voice responded.  It sounded like she was afraid of something.


    (So that¡¯s why.)


    Certainly.  Jess was like a curiosity-filled golem.  She wouldn¡¯t be biting her nails in envy after hearing about something like ¡°the genuine history.¡±  I was too focused on turning Hortis back into a human to have time to think about other things, but Jess must have been very curious about that history, and she was so absorbed in reading it that she even forgot to sleep.  And perhaps its contents weren¡¯t pleasant, so she felt uncomfortable and wasn¡¯t able to sleep because of it.


    The most repulsive history book; the desecration of life ¨C Hortis¡¯ words resurfaced.


    (Is it alright if I ask you what was written?)


    Jess rolled over and turned her face towards this direction.


    ¡°Yeah.  If I talk to Mister Pig about it¡­ maybe I¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Her thin eyebrows distorted in anguish.


    (Seems like it contained some very cruel history.)


    ¡°Right¡­  I was prepared for that, but the constant series of events where many people simply died was very¡­ terrifying.¡±


    The Dark Ages of Mestria.  It was an era where mages endlessly fought each other with their limitless power, dragging in all the other races and causing a massive number of deaths.


    ¡°I was told there were several hundred thousand people in Mestria when Vatis-sama founded the royal dynasty.  However, it was written in the book that the number of people exceeded ten million before the mages started the ¡®Final War.¡¯  Can you¡­ believe that¡­?¡±


    Compared to ten million, several hundred thousand was like a minor rounding error.  Since there were only that many survivors, the remaining ten million¡­


    (You read something quite disturbing.)


    Jess¡¯ brown eyes stared at me intently.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what shook me.¡±


    (Is that so?)


    Was there anything more terrifying than the massacre caused by the war?


    ¡°I believe I told Mister Pig this before.  The only way a Yesma is able to make a lot of money easily ¨C is to sell their genital.¡±


    I think that was not long after we just met, and Jess was going to buy a black rista.


    ©¤Um, they sold¡­


    ©¤What are they selling?


    ©¤Their genitals.


    ©¤In other words, selling their body.


    ©¤Y-yes¡­ you could say that.


    (Prostitution is certainly an uncomfortable subject.)


    After I said that, I noticed something strange.  There¡¯s two laws regarding Yesmas.  One is that Yesmas are not allowed to ride any form of transportation, and the other is that you¡¯re not allowed to violate Yesmas.


    In short, earning money via prostitution is banned.


    (Wait, then they¡¯re¡­)


    ¡°Right.  They cut open their abdomens, and sell their organs.  The organ that sells for an especially high price is the genital ¨C meaning the uterus.  It¡¯s long been believed that a Yesma¡¯s uterus has many uses.  They can be used as an ingredient for secret medicines.  Many Yesmas are willing to sell their uteruses, because unlike bones and collars, they can be sold without dying.  Naturally, there are many cases where they¡¯re forcibly taken out, or Yesmas die due to unsanitary handling¡­¡±


    That alone already made me nauseous.  And this made me understand one more thing.  Brace, who was trapped in the basement of that chapel.  The wound on her lower abdomen had festered, and she was weakened to the extent that she knew she was going to die.  She most likely had her stomach cut open at that chapel basement and her uterus taken.


    It was an extremely sickening story.  I shuddered at the thought of how cruel humans can be.


    (But¡­ shouldn¡¯t you have already known about that stuff regarding a Yesma¡¯s uterus?)


    ¡°Yes, but the true use of a Yesma¡¯s uterus ¨C or rather, a mage¡¯s uterus, I only learned about it after reading the history book.¡±


    (What is used for¡­?)


    Jess blinked slowly.


    ¡°It said that a mage¡¯s uterus holds a tremendous amount of magic power that can act as a source of life.  Although an ordinary person will be cursed if they consume a large amount of it, if a mage consumes a large amount of it¡­ they can obtain the magic of immortality.¡±


    I was left speechless.  Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ©¤This body has taken in hundreds of fruits.  Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be destroyed this easily.


    I recalled what the surreptitious sorcerer said.  He¡¯s a mage that survived the Dark Ages about 130 years ago.  He¡¯s an immortal mage who resurrected after being roasted, frozen, and shattered.  Did that mage ingest hundreds of Yesma uteruses to become immortal¡­?


    ¡°It was written that during the Dark Ages, all mages would target female mages, rip open their stomachs, and take away their uteruses.  In most cases, the mage would then kill the female out of fear of revenge.  And since it¡¯s harder to attack female mages after they¡¯ve grown stronger, it seems young females that haven¡¯t yet undergone ecydessa (magic depletion) many times were targeted¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ voice was trembling.


    (That¡¯s terrible.)


    That was all I could say.  I stretched my foreleg out to try and touch Jess¡¯ shoulder from the bedsheet, but I changed my mind and pulled it back.  Some time passed in silence.


    I suddenly had a thought.


    (Hey Jess, Vatis annihilated all the hostile mages, right?)


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    (I¡¯m sure some of her enemies would have acquired the magic of immortality¡­  In which case, how did she kill those immortal mages?)

 Volume 3 - CH 2

    After a nap, it was evening.  Jess and I waited for Shulavis to finish his training.  He came out of the large, solidly built training ground wearing a loose navy blue robe.  Despite the cool breeze, his fair face was drenched in sweat.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?  Is it something urgent?¡±


    Shulavis asked while walking briskly.


    ¡°Yes, we wish to talk to you about that history book for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Can it wait?  Father¡¯s calling for me.¡±


    (We want to ask that father of yours for something.)


    When I conveyed that, Shulavis stopped and looked down at me.


    ¡°You want to ask Father?  For what?¡±


    (The history book we gave Hortis this morning was a copy that was partially sealed by the previous king, Evis.  A copy means the original must exist somewhere.  Considering Evis was involved in sealing it, it¡¯s natural to assume that the original history book has been passed down from generation to generation by the king.  We want to read the passages that were sealed in the copy.)


    After some thought, Shulavis began walking again.  We followed after him.


    ¡°Mr. Shulavis?¡±


    Jess seemed to be looking at his expression while asking.  Did we say something that accidentally put him in a bad mood?


    ¡°Why do you want to read the sealed passages?¡±


    Shulavis questioned, still facing forward.


    (Because the method to killing the surreptitious sorcerer might be written there.)


    This was the conclusion we reached after Jess and I discussed things over.  Given the history book was written in chronological order, we speculated that the sealed pages recorded how Vatis unified Mestria.  If we can decipher that part, we might be able to find a way to kill the immortal mage.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After saying that, Shulavis turned just his face to look at us.


    ¡°Looks like you had the same idea as Father.  He had Mother decipher the history book he inherited from Grandfather, and they learned of the location of one of Mestria¡¯s great treasures ¨C the Spear of Destruction.  I¡¯m currently headed to witness the collection of that spear.¡±


    ¡°The Spear of Destruction?¡±


    Jess let out an astonished voice, then looked at her surroundings with concern.  She lowered her voice when continuing.


    ¡°That¡¯s the key to breaking the magic of immortality, right?  Where would it be?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.  Come with me.  Just¡­ be careful of your thoughts around Father.¡±


    Hearing that, I was reminded that the person we were hiding Hortis from was a mage who could hear my monologues.  But that won¡¯t be a problem, since I had a special countermeasure.


    Watch carefully, everyone.  There¡¯s a way to prevent Markus and Wies from hearing my monologues.


    The place Shulavis headed towards was the Golden Sanctuary.  It¡¯s a large sanctuary made from glossy black marble, with gold decorations everywhere.  The majestic building was also the resting place for past rulers, including Evis.


    With a heavy creak, the sanctuary door opened.  King Markus, in a formal robe, and Queen Wies, in a frilly white dress, stood far inside.


    Shulavis hurried towards them.


    ¡°You¡¯re late.  If you enjoy training that much, how about I personally teach you how to fight?¡±


    Markus looked at his son with his grey eyes that shone fiercely.  His slicked-back blonde hair and slim figure gave the impression that he was a powerful person you couldn¡¯t let your guard down against, like a successful stockbroker.  King Markus was the strongest mage in Mestria.  For Shulavis, who was still in training, Markus was probably the last person he would want as an opponent.


    ¡°Forgive me.  Despite having arrived on time, I would like to apologize.¡±


    This bit of sarcasm made Markus snort in disdain.


    ¡°Why¡¯s the girl and pig here?¡±


    His brusque words made Shulavis¡¯ cheeks stiffen.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t pose any problems to Father regardless of where I take my fianc¨¦.¡±


    Markus sighed as if he was tired of his son¡¯s back talking, and turned his head towards his wife.


    ¡°Wies, explain the process so that even an idiot can understand.¡±


    Wies smiled.  This person here is a beautiful lady with long, blonde hair and big boobs.  Do you all remember the story about sunflowers and violets?  Even guys who like small flowers like violets can¡¯t help but be drawn to large flowers like sunflowers.  Although she¡¯s married and had a child, Wies is a woman that can be likened to a sunflower that has fully extended its beautiful petals underneath the radiant sun.  She should be fairly old, but neither her elegant and intellectual looking face nor her brilliant sunflower body have lost their youthful charms.  She could probably be considered a Hollywood celebrity class woman.


    While I went on this long thought, Markus averted his eyes and Wies cleared her throat.


    Wies pointed at the large sarcophagus enshrined on the altar at the end of the sanctuary.  This was the coffin where the body of the royal dynasty¡¯s ancestor, Vatis, was kept.


    ¡°It can only be used once, but the Spear of Destruction, which can take any life without fail, is sealed here.¡±


    Jess gasped beside me.


    ¡°According to the history book, the spear seems to be hidden in the sarcophagus¡¯ lid, and only one person in Mestria can break the seal.  It¡¯s the rightful successor to the royal dynasty ¨C the youngest descendent of Vatis-sama¡¯s bloodline.  In other words, that person is you, Shulavis.¡±


    It was as if Shulavis¡¯ heartbeats were echoing across the quiet and spacious sanctuary.  A tense-looking Shulavis walked between his parents, and made his way towards the royal dynasty ancestor¡¯s sarcophagus.


    I also approached the sarcophagus, and looked at its lid.  Though it was inconspicuous, I noticed a thin arrow symbol etched on the lid.  Was it a mark to indicate that the spear was hidden here?


    Shulavis cautiously spoke.


    ¡°What¡­ should I do?¡±


    ¡°It seems you just need to touch the lid while wishing for the Spear of Destruction.¡±


    Shulavis looked at his father.  Markus urged Shulavis with his chin.


    After bowing towards the statue of Vatis on the altar, Shulavis slowly extended his right hand on to the sarcophagus.  All eyes in the sanctuary were focused on that hand.


    The hand with sturdy bones and thick blood vessels gently touched the lid.


    There was a faint creak, then the sound of the thick stone slab shaking.  But other than that, nothing happened.


    ¡°What are you doing?  Wish for the spear, and do it again.¡±


    Shulavis responded to Markus¡¯ annoyed voice by touching the lid again.


    The lid shook once again, but still, nothing happened.


    Silence.


    Markus strode forward and stood right in front of Wies.


    ¡°This is just to confirm things-¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is Shulavis my child?¡±


    The air froze.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking this to rule out the possibilities.  The child you gave birth to is the rightful heir to the royal dynasty; that is to say, he¡¯s my child, correct?¡±


    Wies pulled her head back in fear.


    ¡°Of course!  Don¡¯t tell me you think that someone other than yourself-¡±


    In that moment, Shulavis¡¯ body flew up as if he had been knocked into the air, and he was pinned there, his limbs spread wide in midair.  Markus raised his hand in that direction.


    ¡°What are you doing, Father-!¡±


    Shulavis¡¯ normally cool face was now twisted in pain.  Markus held his open hand out like a claw, and Shulavis¡¯ throat was squeezed by an invisible hand.  The fair skin on his face turned red in an instant.


    ¡°Dear, what are you doing?!¡±


    Wies tried to stop him, but she collided with an invisible barrier and was pushed away.


    ¡°If Shulavis is my son, then who are you, who is not my son?¡±


    Markus, with wrinkled brows, was not only powerful, he also exuded a fierce aura.  It was an overwhelming sense of intimidation, as if the surrounding walls were about to shatter and collapse.


    Shulavis remained dangling in the air with his limbs outstretched, and he groaned in pain.


    There was nothing I could do as I froze up like a tonkatsu shop¡¯s storefront decoration.


    >TL Note: Tonkatsu is fried pork cutlet.


    ¡°Markus-sama!¡±


    It was Jess who raised her voice.


    ¡°There might be some kind of mistake.  Please stop strangling him!¡±


    Those eyes, burning with anger, glared at Jess.  Jess took a step back beside me.


    ¡°A mistake, you say?  What are some possible examples?  Go ahead and say them.¡±


    Jess couldn¡¯t answer.  I steeled myself, took a step forward, and snorted loudly.


    (Perhaps the steps were incorrect.  Perhaps someone had already taken it.  I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of ways to confirm whether this is the real Shulavis without needing to strangle him.  Or is your magic only capable of this?)


    I took it one step further and snorted to provoke him.  Markus looked up in disgust, and promptly dropped his hand.  Shulavis, still floating with his limbs outstretched, coughed.


    ¡°What an impertinent pig.  How about I roast and eat you?¡±


    He won¡¯t eat me raw?


    ¡°That said, my magic is certainly not only capable of this.  Let¡¯s give this a try.¡±


    Markus clasped his hands and cracked his fingers.  The next instant, he swung his right hand violently, aiming straight at Shulavis.


    Boom!  A shockwave shook the air.  Shulavis¡¯ body leaned backwards, and fell straight onto the stone floor.


    ¡°Shulavis!¡±


    Wies rushed to Shulavis¡¯ side, only to see him sit up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    His voice was extremely hoarse.


    The domestically violent man looked at the two, and lightly sighed.


    ¡°I used magic that undoes transformation magic, but it appears to have been ineffective.  Something must have gone wrong.  Investigate the cause and report back to me.¡±


    Just like that, Markus walked away in displeasure and left the sanctuary without looking back even once.


    (Are you alright, Shulavis?)


    When I ran up to him, the frizzy-haired handsome guy smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t see my underwear.¡±


    The navy blue robe Shulavis wore was spread open like a skirt.


    (I mean, I¡¯m not interested in a guy¡¯s underwear¡­)


    When I conveyed that, Wies looked at me with cold eyes.  Oops.  That kind of phrasing would lead to people misunderstanding me as someone who¡¯s interested in girls¡¯ underwear.  The only underwear I¡¯m interested in are Jess¡¯.


    Wies wiped away the sweat sliding down her cheek and spoke.


    ¡°I will overlook the fact that you looked at my son¡¯s fianc¨¦ indecently this time.  Your courageous words helped us.  Thank you very much.¡±


    (No, no.  It wasn¡¯t a big deal.)


    Suddenly, an idea came to mind.


    (Speaking of which, you have the history book that¡¯s been passed down the royal family for generations, right ma¡¯am?)


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    (Did you finish reading it?)


    My inquiry made Wies tilt her head in confusion.


    ¡°No, only a part of it.  My husband was interested in the Spear of Destruction, and he asked me to decipher it¡­ so I used my spare time to figure out where it was hidden and how to retrieve it.  I didn¡¯t read the rest because I didn¡¯t have the time.¡±


    With the death of the previous king, Evis, those that remain were now busy with the royal dynasty¡¯s duties.  When you¡¯re preoccupied with work, the amount of resource your brain can allocate to other things is limited.


    (Would you consider letting me and Jess continue the deciphering?  There might still be hints on how to retrieve the Spear of Destruction hidden elsewhere.)


    Wies pondered.  The dark circles under her eyes stood out prominently on her beautiful, actress-like face.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.  But the contents of the history book are extremely cruel and unpleasant.  Even if you¡¯re fine with it, is Jess able to handle it?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jess asserted without hesitation.  Wies looked at her with admiration.


    ¡°Is that so?  I haven¡¯t been able to teach you magic at all lately either.  Jess, please try to decipher the history book with Mister Pig.  It should serve as a good opportunity for learning.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Wies handed the history book that was placed on the side of the altar over to Jess, who answered happily.


    ¡°Knowledge can sometimes be more powerful and dangerous than magic.  Please proceed carefully.¡±


    After kindly speaking to Jess, Wies looked down at me.


    ¡°Please be careful of your actions from now on as to not suddenly increase the number of dishes for dinner.  With my level of magic power, one can easily roast a whole pig.¡±


    It looks like the royal family won¡¯t eat pigs raw even if you provoke them.  Good for them.


    (Understood.  I won¡¯t lay a finger on Jess.)


    ¡°Well, pigs don¡¯t have fingers.¡±


    Shulavis, who had gotten up and was sitting on the floor, immediately responded seriously.  Damn, he ruined my plans to exploit that logic loophole.


    (Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lay a hand on Jess.)


    Although pigs don¡¯t have hands!


    ¡°¡­How about you be a little more careful so that your inner thoughts don¡¯t leak out?¡±


    Shulavis smiled in amazement.  Well, that¡¯s better than his pained look.


    I turned to face Wies again, and used my nose to point at the history book in Jess¡¯ hands.


    (Then we¡¯ll be borrowing this for some time.  Jess, let¡¯s go decipher it at once.)


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jess¡¯ hands seemed to be itching to open the history book.


    ¡°As expected, the procedure was correct.  Does that mean someone already took out the Spear of Destruction?¡±


    It was the middle of the night, and Jess, who was lying prone on the bed, said that with me next to her.


    It would be bad if someone were to misunderstand something, so let me make it clear that we¡¯re not doing anything shameful.  There¡¯s just not many positions that allow a pig and a human to read a book at the same time.  It¡¯s just, the chest view of a girl lying on her stomach is, how should I put this, superb.  The curves emphasized by gravity is reminiscent of the unexplored regions of mountains, but with the peaks and valleys reversed.


    ¡°Erm, please focus on the book.¡±


    (Sorry, it¡¯s because pigs have a wider field of view than humans.)


    ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped¡­ but please be careful.  Like at the sanctuary earlier, when you started thinking about Ms. Wies¡¯ breasts in front of Markus-sama, I broke out in a cold sweat.¡±


    Oh, that.


    (That was my strategy to prevent Markus from reading my mind.)


    ¡°Eeeeh, was that so?!¡±


    (Of course.  Markus isn¡¯t interested in me, a pig, to begin with.  So if I keep thinking sleazy thoughts, he¡¯ll get fed up and not try to hear them.  On top of that, I deliberately kept thinking about a bunch of obscene things to prevent him from prying my secrets.)


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why you did that¡­  I was thinking you were a fickle Mister Pig.¡±


    (Of course not.  I only like Jess¡¯ boobs.  Believe me.)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­  It¡¯s a bit troubling if you¡¯re that expectant¡­¡±


    While worrying about her chest, Jess flipped through several pages of the jet black history book.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the subject of the Spear of Destruction.  I still think someone already took it out.¡±


    I pulled my gaze back from Jess¡¯ valley to the history book.


    (Yeah, but something¡¯s kinda off.  Wasn¡¯t it written that the Spear of Destruction was sealed by Vatis just before she died?  By that point, all the mages hostile to her have been wiped out, so there wouldn¡¯t have been a reason for the royal family to take out the spear.  If you¡¯re a mage, you should be able to kill anyone without the spear, unless an immortal mage appears.)


    That means there was someone who could retrieve the spear, but there was no reason for that person to collect it.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly the case.¡±


    Jess placed her hand on her chin, appearing troubled.


    (The only person who could have a motive for taking it out would be Hortis.  With the Spear of Destruction, he would have an edge over his powerful brother.  But it¡¯s hard to imagine Hortis could have taken the spear.)


    Jess nodded.


    ¡°After all, the method to taking out the spear was written in the history book that Mr. Hortis read, but in the section that was sealed by Evis-sama.  So he shouldn¡¯t have known how to retrieve it in the first place.¡±


    Then who took the spear?  In fact, has the spear been taken out?


    (Anyway, this mystery will be solved eventually.  For now, let¡¯s figure out another plan that seems promising enough to break the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s immortality magic.)


    ¡°Mister Pig had an idea just now-¡±


    (Right, it¡¯s the Wedge of Contracts.)


    Jess opened the appropriate page.  This part was also sealed by Evis.  The three great treasures are depicted with simple drawings.


    The Spear of Destruction ¨C it¡¯s a narrow spear decorated with spiral shapes.  It¡¯s stated that the spear will take any life, once.  Next is the Cup of Salvation.  It¡¯s a small cup decorated with various jewels, and is said to be able to save any life, once.  And finally, there¡¯s the small, sharp, tetrahedron-shaped stone ¨C the Wedge of Contracts.  It¡¯s written that it can give any life the power of miracles, once.


    (Since the beginning of Mestria, only one instance of the Spear of Destruction and the Cup of Salvation has existed.  But the Wedge of Contracts is different.)


    Jess immediately flipped to the passage I mentioned.


    ¡°¡®The queen found all the dozens of Wedges of Contracts hidden in Mestria, and used all but one.  The Final War ended here, with one wedge remaining.¡¯ ¡­is what¡¯s written here.  Vatis-sama used up many Wedges of Contracts to win the Final War of the Dark Ages.¡±


    (Although the history book isn¡¯t kind enough to detail how the wedges were used, it can be inferred.)


    ¡°¡­It can?¡±


    (Yeah.  Let¡¯s summarize what kind of tool the Wedge of Contracts is.)


    Jess muttered ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± while dutifully flipping the pages back to confirm things.


    ¡°It¡¯s written that when the Wedge of Contracts is pierced into someone¡¯s chest, it turns into light and disappears, granting magic power to that person.¡±


    (Right.  So how did she use that effect to win the war?)


    ¡°Hm¡­  Maybe she organized an army of mages for herself?¡±


    (During the Final War, Vatis either killed or enslaved all other mages ¨C with the exception of the surreptitious sorcerer.  These facts go against Jess¡¯ theory.  What¡¯s the point in increasing the number of mages when she wants to be the only mage left?)


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jess murmured in agreement, and pondered.


    ¡°To begin with, I was always told Vatis-sama obtained the strongest power after experiencing ecydessa forty-three times, and ended the Dark Ages.  This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of her using the Wedges of Contracts.  Hm¡­¡±


    (What if those two claims are saying the same thing?)


    ¡°The same thing¡­?¡±


    As Jess verbalized that, she had a flash of comprehension.


    ¡°I see!  When a mage uses the Wedge of Contracts, they undergo ecydessa!  That¡¯s how Vatis-sama was able to experience ecydessa as many times as forty-three.¡±


    (I believe that¡¯s the case.  Even the greatest mage, Evis, has only had ecydessa happen to him twenty-one times.  Forty-three is an abnormal number.)


    The so-called ecydessa is like a mage shedding, it sneaks up on young mages like a spasm.  After they lose consciousness with all magic on them wiped clean, the awakened mage will now be able to use much stronger magic power than before.  In other words, an extreme level up.  Although it¡¯s difficult to generalize because it also depends on the person¡¯s aptitude and training, the more times you undergo ecydessa, the stronger of a mage you become.


    (The Wedge of Contracts doesn¡¯t just turn a non-mage into a mage.  If a mage uses it, they can forcibly trigger ecydessa and obtain even stronger magic power.  Vatis repeated this and underwent ecydessa many times, becoming the strongest.)


    Just like some kind of rare candy.


    But Jess had a question, and tilted her head.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I understand how Vatis-sama won the war in the Dark Ages, but how does that lead to a method that allows us to defeat the surreptitious sorcerer?  Even if Markus-sama uses the final Wedge of Contracts, it only changes his ecydessa count from 19 to 20.  I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s enough to kill the surreptitious sorcerer¡­¡±


    I confidently conveyed this to the anxious Jess.


    (No.  The last Wedge of Contracts is not for Markus, but for the surreptitious sorcerer.)


    ¡°Eeeeh?!  Is it alright to make the enemy stronger?¡±


    I explained to the shocked Jess.


    (I want you to think back to the time when you took over my curse and almost died, Jess.)


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    (How did you survive the curse there, even though it was able to kill Evis?)


    ¡°I wanted to recover the memories that were sealed by Evis-sama, and experienced ecydessa-  Ah!¡±


    It helps that she catches on quick.


    ¡°When ecydessa occurs, all magic disappears from the mage¡¯s body.  That means the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s immortality magic can also be removed this way!¡±


    (Exactly.  We just need to stab the surreptitious sorcerer with the Wedge of Contracts, and after he succumbs to ecydessa, we lay his defenseless body to rest.  That¡¯ll surely kill him.  In fact, I¡¯m sure Vatis used this method to kill the hostile immortal mages.  By using the Wedges of Contracts to strengthen herself and destroy immortality, Vatis ended the Dark Ages.)


    With twinkling eyes, Jess added.


    ¡°Maybe the reason the surreptitious sorcerer lacked destructive power with his attacks is because he didn¡¯t want to lose his immortality magic, so he suppressed his ecydessas.¡±


    (I see.  It makes sense to think of it this way.)


    Our information lined up in various places.  We can probably view this as the answer.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s report this to Markus-sama immediately!  Even without the Spear of Destruction, as long as we can find the only remaining Wedge of Contracts, we¡¯ll be able to defeat the surreptitious sorcerer!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (No, wait a moment.)


    As I conveyed that, I looked at Jess¡¯ valle- face.


    (Why don¡¯t we search for the Wedge of Contracts ourselves?)


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    (I¡¯m a little worried if it¡¯s just the two of us, so it might be alright to rely on Shulavis as well, but we can¡¯t let Markus know.)


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    (Think about it.  The Liberation Army has the trump card known as Hortis, but they haven¡¯t gathered the necessary substance to negotiate with the royal dynasty, so right now, it¡¯s just having a person close to the royal dynasty as their ally.  But what if they also happen to have a great treasure that could kill the surreptitious sorcerer?)


    Jess lowered her voice and answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it becomes more advantageous for them.¡±


    (It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that the Liberation Army¡¯s survival currently depends on Hortis only.  If Markus manages to cajole Hortis back, the Liberation Army will be reduced to a disposable tool.  It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they¡¯re all killed the moment Markus feels that they¡¯re in the way even slightly.  So to prevent that from happening, we need to obtain another trump card for the Liberation Army.)


    ¡°You mean to use the Wedge of Contracts as a bargaining chip, right?¡±


    (Yeah.  Just like how Shulavis took himself hostage to establish an alliance between the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army, we need a strategy and something of value to make changes to the current Mestria.  We need to make this happen ourselves.)


    Jess clenched her fists.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.  For everyone in the royal family, for everyone in the Liberation Army, and for a future where everyone can be happy, let¡¯s find the Wedge of Contracts!¡±


    (It¡¯s decided then.  We should be able to figure out how to obtain the last wedge as long as we read through the history book.  Let¡¯s gather all the clues and head out tomorrow.  Should we call up Shulavis too?)


    Jess appeared a bit hesitant.


    ¡°Erm¡­  W-what do you think, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Naturally it¡¯ll be more reassuring to have Shulavis with us.  He¡¯s a trustworthy, serious-minded guy.  It doesn¡¯t hurt to have him around.  Although if I had to say, it might make it easier for Markus to find out.)


    ¡°That¡¯s right!  I¡¯m sorry.  Then let¡¯s inform Mr. Serious-, I mean, Mr. Shulavis, as well.¡±


    Why did she apologize?


    (Let¡¯s strike while the iron is hot.  I want to talk to him first thing in the morning tomorrow.  Hopefully by then, we¡¯ll have deciphered enough of the history book to have an idea of where to look for the Wedge of Contracts.  Jess, do you think you can keep going?)


    I watched as Jess clenched her hands in front of her chest, as if to say she¡¯ll do her best.


    ¡°Of course.  Is Mister Pig going to be okay?¡±


    (Yeah, since I took a nap alongside you, Jess.  The night is still young.)


    Jess tucked her shoulders in, and a mischievous smiled surfaced across her lips.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you sleep tonight, Mister Pig.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you want to ask Mother about the location of the Cave of Oaths?¡±


    Shulavis, who had his room assailed right after waking up, asked with his frizzy hair even frizzier than usual.  Although his furniture had an elegant feel to them, they were all made of wood in a simple style, and his sofa and curtains both used a plain grey color scheme.  One of the walls was a tightly packed bookshelf filled with books of all sizes, while another was neatly decorated with weapons and armors.  For a prince¡¯s room, I found it to be quite modest.


    Without paying any heed to Shulavis¡¯ sleepy yawn, Jess explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  It was written in the history book that the tool for finding the Wedge of Contracts is hidden there.¡±


    The history book detailed it quite clearly.  It seems the tool called Ruta¡¯s Eye, which Vatis used to collect the Wedges of Contracts, was enshrined at the Cave of Oaths.  However, no matter where we looked, we couldn¡¯t find the location of the cave.  All we knew was that it¡¯s a place used by members of the royal family to establish their marriage vows.


    Shulavis groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that the location of the Cave of Oaths is normally only revealed to royalties just before they marry.  If we can¡¯t come up with a good reason for it, she probably won¡¯t tell us.¡±


    (You just have to lie and say something like it¡¯s necessary for obtaining the Spear of Destruction.)


    ¡°I mean, even if you tell me to just lie¡­¡±


    Shulavis ran his fingers through his hair while looking away.


    Jess asked, ¡°¡­Are there any problems with that?¡±


    ¡°Mother is a very intelligent person.  As her son, if I tell a lie, she¡¯ll definitely see through it.¡±


    (Then let¡¯s go ask Markus.  I¡¯m sure your lies will be more effective there.)


    He looked at me with a bitter expression.


    ¡°After seeing what happened yesterday, you still dare to say that?  Father may not see through my lies, but he¡¯s already in a foul mood, and doubts me and Mother.  If by any chance I¡¯m caught, I¡¯ll be killed.  I would rather be spanked by Mother instead.¡±


    (Wies spanks you if you lie?)


    In that case, it might not be a bad idea for me to lie and see what happens.


    Perhaps due to his slip of the tongue, Shulavis kept his mouth shut and frowned.  He did seem bad at lying directly to a person¡¯s face.


    (Anyway, it¡¯ll be fine.  You just have to change the fact that we¡¯re looking for the Wedge of Contracts into us looking for the Spear of Destruction.  That¡¯ll be the only lie.  And if you run into any trouble, I¡¯ll back you up.)


    ¡°Are you sure?  Mother isn¡¯t as easy to deal with as Father.¡±


    Shulavis¡¯ jade-colored eyes looked in my direction.


    (Don¡¯t worry.  Who do you think I am?)


    No one said anything.


    ¡­I¡¯m the scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.


    Shulavis¡¯ brows furrowed.


    ¡°Even with a shitty virgin like you as her opponent, Mother won¡¯t take it lightly and overlook the flaws in your logic.  If she catches onto the lie, not only will the matter regarding the Wedge of Contracts be known to Father, should he probe further, even Uncle¡¯s secret might be at stake.  Are you confident that this won¡¯t fail?¡±


    I got a bit annoyed after being called a shitty virgin by a guy.


    (No problem.  I have a trump card in case of an emergency.  Please trust me and lend us your help.)


    After momentarily staring at me, Shulavis nodded.


    ¡°Alright.  Follow me.¡±


    Shulavis snapped both hands¡¯ fingers, and in an instant, his messy bed hair was fixed.


    We left Shulavis¡¯ room and headed for Wies¡¯ study.


    Wies¡¯ study was located in a separate location from King Markus¡¯ study.  Markus mainly dealt with top-secret matters, so he basically stayed at the center of the royal palace, but Wies mainly dealt with matters related to the citizens of the royal capital, so she stayed at the outskirts of the royal palace where she can interact with the capital¡¯s residents.


    We, two humans and a pig, were welcomed into the reception room built for the capital¡¯s citizens.  Markus¡¯ study used dark-colored wood as its basis and exuded a calm atmosphere, but the reception room here was decorated in white and gold with flashy interiors.  Even its furniture details were engraved and gilded.  Dozens of Yesma collars were stacked on a gemstone-decorated glass shelf.  Was it to put up a front for outsiders?  We sat down on a huge fluffy sofa and faced a tired-looking Wies.


    ¡°If possible, please keep it short.¡±


    After drinking a bit of the mysterious, smoking, blue liquid from a small glass goblet, Wies sat in the sofa facing us.


    Shulavis chose his words carefully and requested.


    ¡°Could you please tell me the location of the Cave of Oaths?¡±


    Wies, who was in the middle of drinking the mysterious liquid, immediately choked, spilling the liquid from the goblet.  The carpet fabric melted with a sizzle.


    She took a deep breath, and regained her usual composed and beautiful smile.  With a couple hand waves, the melted carpet was repaired as if time had been rewound.  Wies placed the goblet on the table.  The blue liquid continued to smoke.


    ¡°The Cave of Oaths¡­  Are you serious?  What is this for?¡±


    Shulavis, fidgeting next to me, straightened himself again.


    ¡°Because it may contain clues on how to obtain the Spear of Destruction.¡±


    Wies thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°Was it written in the history book?¡±


    It was an interrogative question.  Shulavis didn¡¯t speak, so Jess answered.


    ¡°Yes.  Mister Pig and I deciphered it.¡±


    ¡°In that case, since this was something I should have been taking care of, I will go there.  Please tell me where the relevant sections are located in the history book.¡±


    This time, Jess didn¡¯t open her mouth either.  I snorted with my nose.


    (Actually, it¡¯s not written clearly in the history book.  It¡¯s an idea I came up with out of the blue, so it¡¯s highly likely that it¡¯ll be a waste of time.  I would feel really bad for making you check even though you¡¯re so busy.)


    ¡°That place is where members of the royal family go to exchange marriage vows.¡±


    Wies sighed and drank the contents of the goblet.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a place for an outsider like you, or people who haven¡¯t even made plans for their marriage.¡±


    (Even when the royal family¡¯s survival is at stake, that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?)


    When I conveyed that provocatively, Wies raised her thin eyebrows slightly and looked at me.


    ¡°That might have been effective on my husband, but provocations won¡¯t work on me.  I¡¯m not foolish enough as to lose my judgement from such words.¡±


    I could see Shulavis¡¯ butt shifting in discomfort from the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°You seem to have a reason for wanting to deny my proposal, Mister Pig.  I can¡¯t bring myself to take you seriously if you keep hiding it.  Be honest and tell me why.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯ll be easy to deal with.  I prepared myself and looked back at Wies.


    (The first reason is like I said in the beginning ¨C I don¡¯t want to bother you with my wild ideas that may or may not be correct, and the other reason, I¡¯m not very comfortable talking about it right now, unless you really want to hear it.)


    ¡°Go ahead and tell me.¡±


    Wies crossed her slender, beautiful legs with a dignified attitude.  After a short pause, I conveyed.


    (It¡¯s to motivate Shulavis and Jess, who are reluctant to marry.)


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Eeeeh?¡±


    Surprised voices came from both my sides.


    (At this point, I¡¯m just going to say it: these two have no intention of getting married at all.  Shulavis is doing this in order to allow Jess to remain in the royal family, and Jess only agreed to be his fianc¨¦ because I asked it of her.)


    Stillness.  It was Wies that broke the silence.


    ¡°Is that true¡­ you two?¡±


    Neither Jess nor Shulavis uttered a word.  Their actions spoke louder than words.


    From between the two silent individuals, I conveyed.


    (I figured going to the marriage vow place would be a perfect way to break through this stalemate¡­ but if I misunderstood things, then I apologize.  I was being too nosy.)


    Wies gaped with her small mouth and sat there in a daze.  After a while, she spoke.


    ¡°¡­Is that so?  It¡¯s good that you¡¯re so honest.  In fact, this was something I¡¯ve been worrying about ever since you returned to Jess¡¯ side.¡±


    Jess opened her mouth as if to protest, but perhaps she couldn¡¯t find the right words to refute with, as she shut her mouth without saying anything.


    ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t think that just going to the Cave of Oaths will change their minds¡­ but I understand.  It¡¯s true that I¡¯m busy.  As long as you¡¯re able to pay attention to safety, it would be best for you three to go.¡±


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Shulavis asked.


    ¡°So you¡¯re willing to tell us the cave¡¯s location, Mother?¡±


    ¡°Alright.  You two will go there eventually anyway.¡±


    Wies returned to her study, and came back with a small map.


    ¡°The Cave of Oaths is at the depths of the cave where Vatis-sama exchanged vows with her consort, Ruta.  It¡¯s located at the edge of the Cross Rocklands.¡±


    Her slender finger pointed at a location on the map, and a red dot appeared as if ink was seeping into that spot.


    ¡°This place can only be visited by members of the royal family, and only descendants of Vatis-sama can open the cave.  It should be safe, but please be careful.¡±


    Shulavis quickly got up, and lightly bowed.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mother.¡±


    He then urged us to leave the room together.


    Whether it was during our dragon ride towards the rocklands or during our walk to the destination cave after dismounting the dragon, Jess kept silent with her head down the entire time.  When I said this trip was to encourage Jess and Shulavis to get married, it was a lie to divert Wies¡¯ attention.  I explained it to the two of them, but it still seems like I offended Jess in some subtle way.


    (Hey Jess.)


    We were inside a rocky forest.  Even when I appended parentheses to talk to Jess, she would look away with a pout.


    Since she already knew the general location of the cave, Jess steadily descended in that direction ¨C the stream, on her own.  She let the black defensive robe that Evis left behind flutter without ever looking back.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for Jess to get this angry.¡±


    Shulavis walked next to me and whispered.  He was also wearing a robe with max defense power.


    (Rather than calling it rare, this might be the first time.)


    No matter how much I looked at her panties, Jess wouldn¡¯t get angry; and no matter how sleazy my thoughts were, she would smile and pretend to not have heard them.  Even though I had a reason for doing that, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so peeved from me simply hinting I wanted her to marry Shulavis.


    ¡°Though I think it¡¯s best you stop looking at her underwear.¡±


    A serious response came from the side.  Sorry, but it can¡¯t be helped because I¡¯m a pig.


    ¡°You¡¯re using the same excuse as Uncle¡­  Just because you have the appearance of an animal doesn¡¯t automatically mean you¡¯ll be forgiven.¡±


    Another serious straight man comment was thrown at me.


    (It would help me if you don¡¯t mind my monologues too much.)


    When I conveyed that, Shulavis lightly nodded and changed the topic.


    ¡°Well¡­ I think you did the right thing, and you were quite quick-witted.  If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge Mother¡¯s questioning.¡±


    Shulavis clumsily smiled.  He seemed to be encouraging me.


    (I simply took advantage of the feelings of a mother who worries about her son.  It¡¯s nothing praiseworthy.)


    After contemplating for a while, Shulavis asked back.


    ¡°The feelings of a mother who worries about her son¡­?¡±


    (Yeah.  Wies wishes for your well-being.  She also seems to like Jess very much, so she must be looking forward to your marriage being finalized.  I hinted to her that the marriage might be in jeopardy, and made her think that I wanted to try and do something about it, which allowed me to slip through her guard.)


    ¡°I see.  So that¡¯s what happened.  I was wondering why Mother accepted our proposal so willingly.¡±


    We proceeded silently for some time, following after Jess.


    ¡°¡­Hey, Pig.¡±


    Shulavis continued to face forward, even as he said that.


    ¡°Are you really going to disappear?¡±


    A cool breeze blew through the forest, rustling the branches and shaking off their dead leaves.


    (Yeah, I¡¯ll disappear.)


    Even I was surprised by how immediate my response was as I trotted along through the rocks.


    (After all, I still have some attachments to my original world, and I don¡¯t intend on staying as a pig for the rest of my life.)


    ¡°Then what would you do if you could turn back into a human with magic?  Uncle was able to transform into a dog.  I don¡¯t know of any precedents, but it might be possible to turn a pig into a human.¡±


    This guy sure likes to make things difficult.


    (If I change back to how I looked, Jess will be disillusioned with me.  I¡¯m only doted on because I¡¯m a pig.  If I become a human, I¡¯m just going to be a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Jess cares about appearances-¡±


    (Besides, Evis told me to go back.  He told me to go back when the critical moment arrives.)


    ¡°¡­If someone tells you to go die, you¡¯ll willingly die?¡±


    Still facing forward with an expressionless look, Shulavis flatly pressed me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you consider your own happiness?  I¡¯m sure you like Jess.  And I¡¯m certain that Jess is also fond of you.  Why won¡¯t you carry through with that simple setup?¡±


    How should I know?


    (If I hadn¡¯t come back, Jess would have married you and been happy as a royalty.  I honestly don¡¯t have the guts to sacrifice that kind of happiness.)


    ¡°But as it stands now, Jess doesn¡¯t hold any feelings for me.  Is it alright for the woman you love to marry that kind of guy?  If she marries me, a descendant of the royal family, she¡¯ll eventually have to have a child.¡±


    ¡­How should I know?


    (It¡¯s not like anyone can predict how Jess will feel in the future.  I¡¯m sure her feelings for me are temporary, and she may end up falling for you.  You¡¯re a good guy.  You¡¯re bad at jokes, and you take things way too seriously, but you¡¯re an earnest, honest, and understanding guy.  You¡¯re also pretty handsome.  If she can marry a prince like you, I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll forget about this sleazy pig someday.)


    ¡°Mother would-¡±


    Shulavis looked down at me.


    ¡°Mother would often confide to me that women will only fall in love with the person they fell in love with.¡±


    (What are you talking about?)


    Isn¡¯t that obvious and not limited to women only?


    ¡°Mother bid farewell to the person she loved and arrived at the capital alone as a Yesma.  She was evaluated highly because of her strength, wisdom, and lack of a partner, so she was chosen as Father¡¯s partner.¡±


    (¡­So it wasn¡¯t a marriage of love.)


    ¡°Yeah.  I grew up being told by Mother that the only person she loves in this world is me.¡±


    I sensed what Shulavis was trying to say, and was at a loss for words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe marrying into the royal family is a form of happiness.  You should take this more seriously and think about what to do.  You¡¯re drawing a conclusion too hastily.¡±


    Before I knew it, we had reached the stream at the bottom of the valley.  The sun didn¡¯t reach here, and there were many black rocks lying around.  Jess was waiting in front of a small cave that had water trickling out of it.  She had her hands clasped in front of her chest as if in a daze, and was looking downwards.


    ¡°This seems to be the place.¡±


    Shulavis checked the map and spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.  It¡¯s dark, so try not to leave my side.¡±


    Shulavis raised his left hand and lit it with a warm magic light.  The melancholy side-view of Jess¡¯ biting her lower lip was illuminated by the warm light.


    The cave was wide enough for two people to walk side by side.  We walked for some time with Shulavis in front, and me and Jess next to each other behind him.  Black pebbles were piled around our feet, with the flowing water moistening them.  Jess¡¯ robe was long enough to reach her ankles, so her-, no, never mind.


    Jess looked in my direction.  Rather than looking sullen or angry, her expression was more akin to ¨C or rather, it was completely filled with sorrow.  It was like she had been betrayed by someone she trusted, or her lover had suddenly broken up with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    Shulavis raised the ball of light high, illuminating the area.  The end of the cave was a bit wider, but there didn¡¯t seem to be a way forward from here.


    (Only members of the royal family can enter the Cave of Oaths, right?  Then shouldn¡¯t there be some kind of biometric authentication ¨C something that checks your body¡¯s characteristics, around here?)


    ¡°Right.  Let me look for it.¡±


    Shulavis moved his face close to the rock wall and began searching the area.


    Next to me, Jess silently pretended to look around the wall for some time, but after sneaking glances at me, she knelt down and opened up.


    ¡°Um¡­ Mister Pig.  I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡±


    Although it was in a low voice, it echoed a lot inside the cave.  I saw Shulavis¡¯ back react for a moment, but the serious prince resumed his search.


    (What¡¯s wrong?  Why the sudden apology?)


    ¡°No, I¡­ I got too emotional.  Even though Mister Pig didn¡¯t do anything wrong.  Sorry.  Can we please make up?¡±


    Jess smiled.  For some reason, I was reminded of when we first met.


    (I may have said something insensitive as well.  Sorry.)


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    At that moment, I heard a light cough and turned towards it.


    ¡°I found a trace of magic.  I think we can enter from here.¡±


    As he spoke, Shulavis pressed his hand against the damp rockface.  The large bedrock moved smoothly, like a revolving door, opening an entrance for us to pass through.  It¡¯s probably a secret door that can only be opened by members of the royal family.


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    We nodded and followed Shulavis.


    After stepping through the hidden door, the old lanterns on the walls, made of gold and glass, lit up one after another, illuminating the cramped room.


    It was a room with pastel colored wall paintings and an altar.  Windowless rock walls surrounded us from every angle.  It was a fairly enclosed space, but even so, it didn¡¯t feel stuffy probably because of the colorful murals.  They realistically depicted a blonde woman and a black-haired man meeting each other, deepening their relationship, and arriving at this cave.


    In front of the altar at the center of the room was a statue of a woman with her left hand on her chest and her right hand raised upright.  She was the dynasty¡¯s founder, Vatis.


    ¡°I believe these murals are about Vatis-sama and her consort, Ruta.¡±


    Shulavis analyzed.


    ¡°This is where the royalties and their fianc¨¦s come to offer their prayers to Vatis-sama.¡±


    Hearing that, Jess quietly averted her eyes from Shulavis.


    (Is that all there is to do here?)


    When I asked, Shulavis placed a hand on his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  Since you¡¯re supposed to exchange vows, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just praying.  There should be some kind of ritual.¡±


    We stood together and looked around the room.  The room surrounded by thick rocks was silent, and even at a pig¡¯s height, I could clearly hear the breathing sounds of Shulavis and Jess.


    Jess carefully took out the history book from her bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s written that Ruta¡¯s Eye, which indicates the location of the Wedges of Contracts, is buried in the innermost wall.  I wonder where the innermost part is.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s somewhere further in than this place?¡±


    Shulavis surveyed the walls.  Since the door we entered from had closed, this place became like a cuboidal secret room.  Although this place looked like a dead end¡­


    (The murals seem to be telling a story.)


    When I conveyed that, Jess agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just like what was written in the history book.  The two met at the basin of a waterfall, conversed at an orchard, fought at the rocklands, fled to a forest, and exchanged vows in a cave ¨C the scenes that Vatis-sama and Mr. Ruta experienced appear to be faithfully recreated within these murals.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Shulavis pointed at the painting near the entrance.


    ¡°That¡¯s the painting of the waterfall basin.  And-¡±


    Following the wall to the right, he touched the next painting.


    ¡°This is the orchard.  Next to it is the rocklands, the forest, and finally, the cave.  It even shows them entering this cave.¡±


    In front of Shulavis¡¯ eyes was a drawing of a woman leading a man through the cave.


    Jess looked next to the painting.  The altar was there, but there was no painting.


    ¡°The crucial scene where they exchange vows isn¡¯t here.¡±


    (I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a continuation to that painting.  Perhaps somewhere out of sight?)


    Without me needing to ask, Shulavis stepped forward and touched the cave painting.


    Click.  There was a square cut inside the rock wall, and it was about to open inwards.


    ¡°Looks like you were right.  There¡¯s another hidden door here.¡±


    Shulavis pushed against the wall with his hands and opened the hidden door.  It was dark inside.


    Just as I thought that, the lanterns made of gold and glass lit up one after another in the darkness, illuminating the straight passageway that stretched ahead.  It was a long and narrow path, and I couldn¡¯t see where it led.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Despite her efforts to restrain herself, Jess spoke in an excited tone.  Shulavis and I nodded.  I got the feeling we were steadily getting closer to Ruta¡¯s Eye.


    After passing through the door, I saw that the murals continued through the long passageway.  In the first painting, the man and woman were passionately kissing each other.


    My virgin antenna reacted sharply to the words ¡°exchanging vows.¡±  And then I remembered: when Shulavis asked about the location of this place, Wies was shaken and accidentally choked on her drink.


    ©¤Shulavis¡­  Are you serious?  What is this for?


    Wies is married to Markus.  She must have visited this place before.  What did she see here?  What¡¯s depicted in the depths of this passageway?


    (¡­Jess, this passageway is pretty narrow, and it¡¯ll probably be fine for just me and Shulavis to proceed.  After all, this place was likely built to allow only two people to enter.  What do you say?  It¡¯s not good to be too crowded, so why don¡¯t you wait at the altar room?)


    Looking dissatisfied, Jess tried to push forward.


    ¡°Why?  I also want to see what¡¯s up ahead.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Being stared at by two pairs of innocent eyes was troubling.  This is why pure people are so¡­


    (Alright, fine.  It¡¯s none of my business if you come to regret it later.)


    I yielded.  The two of them didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the dangerous atmosphere, and proceeded without hesitation.


    The passageway was narrow.  Shulavis, who had to tuck his head in as to not scrape it, walked in front and was followed by an expectant Jess.  I was in the rear.  The walls, painted white, continued the earlier drawings.  The man and woman¡¯s clothes were disheveled, and the process of their clothes falling onto the floor were serialized like a storyboard.


    After walking for some time, the man and woman on the mural were completely naked.  Shulavis, who couldn¡¯t turn back, advanced silently with bright red ears; and Jess, who seemed to have finally noticed, walked while staring at the floor.


    I was reminded of the guy who forgot his textbook for health class, and the girl who sat next to him and had to share her textbook with him.  How adorable.  At my level, these kinds of paintings don¡¯t do anything for me.


    The erotic passageway eventually led to a stone chamber that was even smaller than the altar room.  The floor was covered with a thick carpet, and the nude figures of the man and woman intertwined were boldly depicted on the wall.


    Jess froze after noticing the mural.  Shulavis was also visibly shaken, as he quickly looked away and turned his body towards us.  Even though we were inside a cool cave, the two of them were flushed and sweating.  Jeez.  That¡¯s why I warned you.


    ¡°I-if you realized it already, couldn¡¯t you have told us beforehand?¡±


    Shulavis spoke with his chiseled face contorted in shame.


    (I¡¯m pretty sure I said it¡¯s none of my business if you come to regret it later.)


    In response to my indifferent answer, Shulavis opened and closed his mouth like a fish as if to argue back.  With that said, I didn¡¯t expect the usually super calm Shulavis to lose this much composure.  Is he a virgin?


    ¡°W¡­ Wh-what¡¯s wrong with being a virgin?!¡±


    The handsome prince retorted sharply, freezing the atmosphere of the room that was already at its limits.


    Jess looked at her feet, as if to try and eliminate her presence as much as possible.


    ¡°The act of making a child should only be done with the appropriate woman at the appropriate time for those who bear the royal bloodline.  Vatis-sama¡¯s blood is god¡¯s blood.  If any mistakes were made, it could threaten the royal family itself.  And if I were to fool around, I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain myself to Uncle, who was forbidden from falling in love with a woman as the king¡¯s brother.  Unlike you, I¡¯m not a virgin because that¡¯s just how things turned out; I disciplined myself to remain a virgin because it¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    For some reason, I felt a sense of kinship with Shulavis, who was red-faced and quick to explain himself.


    (Um, sorry.  I get it¡­  That was my fault, so if you could, please ignore my monologues¡­)


    It¡¯s problematic for me as well when someone listens to my thoughts without permission and then gets offended.


    Shulavis glanced at Jess and noticed she was observing our situation with a wry smile.  He took a deep breath, and calmed himself.


    ¡°¡­No, um, I should be apologizing.  I lost my temper there.¡±


    That¡¯s right.  Let¡¯s get along as fellow virgins.


    Shulavis avoided the carpet and strode towards the back of the room with his head held high.  It¡¯s not hard to imagine what happened on this carpet, in this secret room where marriage vows are exchanged.


    (Jess, you can head back if you want to.)


    When I conveyed this to Jess, who stood hesitantly at the entrance, she shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.  I was just a little surprised.¡±


    In the end, Jess and I followed Shulavis and stood before the mural with the intertwined man and woman.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    That¡¯s all Shulavis said.  Ruta¡¯s Eye ¨C I focused on the man¡¯s face on the mural.  Only the part of the wall where his eye should have been painted had been dug deeply into and gouged out.


    ¡°Eeeeh¡­  Does this mean someone took it before us¡­?¡±


    Jess voiced dejectedly.


    ¡°Well, it was written in the history book after all.  Grandfather may have already taken it out.¡±


    (Or perhaps even earlier than that?)


    At my words, Shulavis shook his head.


    ¡°No.  I heard the history book was sealed for many years by Vatis-sama, and it was Grandfather who unsealed it.  It seems the original was strictly managed by Grandfather until he passed away; and as for the history book replica, the passages related to the three great treasures should have been sealed by him.¡±


    Shulavis pondered indifferently while facing the erotic mural.


    ¡°The only person who could have come here before us would have to be Grandfather.  I¡¯m afraid he might have obtained Ruta¡¯s Eye and hid it somewhere else.¡±


    I also stared at the erotic mural, and paid attention to where the man¡¯s eye was gouged out.  When I shifted my gaze downwards-


    (Or perhaps someone very recently came here.)


    The two of them looked at me.


    ¡°But, after Evis-sama passed away, aren¡¯t we the first to¡­?¡±


    Hearing Jess¡¯ question, I pointed at Shulavis¡¯ feet with my nose.


    (Look.  The stone fragments from when the wall was gouged are still here and haven¡¯t been scattered.)


    I can see it clearly from a pig¡¯s perspective.  It looked like fine debris that had recently fallen and accumulated.


    (In fact, there¡¯s one other person who could have reached here before us, isn¡¯t there?)


    Shulavis tilted his head, perplexed.


    ¡°Apart from us, only Father and Mother should have read the inherited history book.  But the two of them have remained in the capital the entire time, and there¡¯s no reason for them to hide the fact that they found Ruta¡¯s Eye from us.¡±


    (Isn¡¯t there one other person?  Someone who currently has the history book in his hands?)


    Jess immediately realized it.


    ¡°You mean Mr. Hortis?¡±


    (That¡¯s right.  I overlooked it before because I was focused on the crass mystery game, but thinking back, there was something strange about it.  Why did he need both the water and history book to turn back into a human?  It¡¯s weird to pair them together since they¡¯re completely unrelated.  Both are things that couldn¡¯t be acquired without entering the capital, but were relatively easy to get once you¡¯re in the capital.  In that case, was it necessary for him to require two keys to unlock his anklet?)


    Jess placed a hand on her chin.


    ¡°Erm, in other words¡­ he could have changed back into a human with just the water, but he wanted the history book and lied about there being two keys?¡±


    (Correct.  When Hortis was going to change back, didn¡¯t he say he was going to be completely naked and hid somewhere?  And then after he returned to being a human, he didn¡¯t hand back the history book by saying he damaged it.  Isn¡¯t that suspicious?)


    When he sent us to get the water from the spring, he made us also bring the history book that was not actually necessary for his transformation.


    Jess and I were cleverly used by Hortis as his hands and feet to bring the history book out of the capital to him, who couldn¡¯t enter it.


    Shulavis tilted his head in doubt while looking at me.


    ¡°You have a point, but the history book you gave Uncle is a copy, and the important parts were sealed by Grandfather, right?  He shouldn¡¯t have been able to read the passages written about the location of the great treasures.¡±


    That might not be the case.


    (Think back to Jess¡¯ memories.)


    ¡°My memories¡­?¡±


    I nodded in affirmation.


    (By sealing the pages instead of tearing them off, Evis was hoping the seal would be broken someday.  Do you think he would cast a magic seal that would remain sealed even after his death?)


    Jess quickly spoke.


    ¡°So when Evis-sama casted the magic, he set it so that the seal would be easier to break after his death, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.  That does sound like something Grandfather would have done.  Uncle is a skilled mage, so it wouldn¡¯t be out of the ordinary for him to be able to undo the sealing magic that was weakened after Grandfather¡¯s death.¡±


    (Then let¡¯s check our answer.)


    I moved over to Shulavis¡¯ feet and sniffed the ground.  Beyond the rock¡¯s scent ¨C there was an unmistakably familiar smell mixed within.  It was a dog¡¯s smell.  The passageway to get here was narrow, which meant he didn¡¯t come to this stone room in the form of a tall human, but in the form of a nimble dog.


    (We got it right.  Hortis was here, so recently, in fact, that his smell hasn¡¯t even faded.)


    It was past noon when we arrived at the mansion of the Liberation Army.


    ¡°So he really isn¡¯t here?¡±


    Shulavis confirmed with Nott from behind the gate.  Nott glanced at us and replied.


    ¡°Yeah.  Hortis said he had something to take care of and would be gone for a while.  I figured he headed towards where you guys were.¡±


    ¡°Was that the first time he¡¯s gone out since changing back into a human yesterday morning?¡±


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t here yesterday afternoon either.  He returned at night, and left before noon today.¡±


    He went out twice.  Assuming he deciphered the history book he got yesterday and immediately went to find Ruta¡¯s Eye, and he left today to look for the Wedge of Contracts, then that number lines up.


    After making eye contact with us, Shulavis nodded towards Nott.


    ¡°¡­I see.  Thank you for your help.  That¡¯s all we wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°Hold it.  I¡¯ve answered your questions, so tell me what¡¯s going on.  Didn¡¯t Hortis give Jess a shell?  Why don¡¯t you use that to contact him?  Where and what is Hortis doing?¡±


    Nott asked with a piercing gaze while pulling the black stole up to his chin.  It looks like he doesn¡¯t trust Hortis at all, since Hortis could be a spy sent by the royal dynasty.


    Shulavis took a step towards the gate, held his breath, and explained.


    ¡°Uncle is acting on his own.  He seems to be plotting something, but he isn¡¯t just keeping it from you, he¡¯s also been silent to us.  It¡¯s something that might be disadvantageous to the royal dynasty, and beneficial to the Liberation Army.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re trying to get ahead of him and stop him?¡±


    Nott also took a step closer to the gate.


    Even though he¡¯s got the looks, this guy¡¯s conversation skills are terrible as hell.  Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, I walked towards those two¡¯s feet.


    (It¡¯s just the opposite, Nott.  We¡¯d love to cooperate with him if it¡¯s in the interests of the Liberation Army.  But I still can¡¯t trust Hortis.  He manipulated us to his advantage, and it feels like he¡¯s acting alone with some kind of purpose in mind.)


    Nott knitted his eyebrows.


    ¡°That perverted bastard does seem to be hiding something serious behind his playful attitude.  Sanon also warned me not to trust him too much.¡±


    (I agree with him.  We¡¯re currently looking for a treasure that will give the Liberation Army an advantage, but Hortis got ahead of us.)


    ¡°Give the Liberation Army an advantage?  What kind of treasure is that?¡±


    (Simply put, it¡¯s a tool for killing the surreptitious sorcerer.)


    Nott pulled the stole up his chin again.  I wonder if he¡¯s feeling cold.


    ¡°I get it.  So it¡¯s a plan that tries to equalize the power between the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army as much as possible.  And you don¡¯t want that incomprehensible perverted bastard snatching it away, right?¡±


    (I think Hortis is on our side, but we¡¯re taking precautions just to be sure.  We can¡¯t put too much trust in those who are acting in secrecy.)


    ¡°Okay.  I¡¯ll keep an eye on him too.¡±


    Nott seemed to understand, so I proposed an idea.  I had him let us into the garden, and from there, the three humans plus a pig will contact Hortis together.  As for how, we¡¯ll use the shell that Jess received from Hortis.


    (Shulavis, this form of communication can¡¯t read my thoughts, right?)


    When asked, Shulavis turned his attention to the shell Jess was holding.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t make a sound, it¡¯ll be fine.  To begin with, outside of very special conditions, the power of heart doesn¡¯t work unless you¡¯re close to and aware of the target.¡±


    I remembered the praying voice that once reached Jess from the outskirts of here, Munires.  Very special conditions, huh?  I guess it¡¯s probably not applicable this time around.


    We sat in a circle on the manicured lawn in the cypress-filled garden, and Jess held the white conch shell she received from Hortis.


    ¡°Okay, here I go.¡±


    After looking at us, Jess leaned her face into the shell.


    ¡°Mr. Hortis!¡±


    Around thirty seconds passed after Jess called.  As we waited motionlessly, the white shell changed colors to a reddish brown in an instant.  A man¡¯s voice answered.


    ¡ºHey hey, Jess.  Did you miss me?¡»


    A rumbling noise could be heard behind his voice.  It didn¡¯t sound anywhere near here.


    ¡°Erm, um¡­ I didn¡¯t really miss you that much¡­¡±


    After Jess¡¯ serious reply, there was a pause.  He was probably moping.


    ¡ºSo what did you need me for?¡»


    He sure switched gears quickly.


    Nott, Shulavis, and I held our breath and listened to their conversation.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to discuss with you¡­  Mr. Hortis, where are you right now?¡±


    ¡ºIt¡¯s difficult to describe.  I¡¯m currently one with nature, with not a single thread on me.¡»


    He dodged the question.


    ¡°Are you not staying with the members of the Liberation Army?¡±


    As per our discussion earlier, Jess asked the leading question.  He paused for a while, and only the mysterious rumbling sound resounded from the shell.  Jess gave me a worried look.


    (Don¡¯t worry.  I¡¯ll definitely help when you run into trouble.)


    Our exchange shouldn¡¯t have been heard by the other party because it didn¡¯t make any sound.


    Seemingly relieved, Jess relaxed her shoulders.


    ¡ºHrm.  It looks like someone¡¯s behind you.  The innocent Jess that I know of wouldn¡¯t try to trick people like this.  Did Virgin-kun put that idea in your head?¡»


    Not just me ¨C Shulavis, and even Nott reacted with a twitch.  Lol.


    (Look, calm down.  The virgin he¡¯s referring to is me.  Jess, tell him the pig is with you.)


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig is here with me.¡±


    ¡ºNo doubt about it.  But that¡¯s odd.  If you¡¯re at the Liberation Army¡¯s mansion, then you should have heard my story from Nott-kun.  And since you¡¯re outside, Shulavis should be with you just like last time.¡»


    Crap, did the shell have positional magic set on it?  That means our movements have been tracked since leaving the capital this morning.


    Nott looked at me with composed eyes.  Shulavis, meanwhile, pressed his hand between his brows.


    We need to figure out what to say immediately, or else the period of silence will raise suspicions.  I reviewed the facts we could reveal so that we could maintain as much of our information advantage as possible.


    (Tell him Shulavis is the only other person with you.  Let¡¯s pretend we¡¯re keeping this communication with him a secret from Nott.  It¡¯s fine to admit you heard his story from Nott.)


    ¡°Um, sorry¡­ Mr. Shulavis is here too.¡±


    ¡ºIs Nott-kun not there?¡»


    ¡°We kept it a secret from Mr. Nott and contacted you.¡±


    ¡ºI see, I see.  Then it should be fine to talk about you guys being in that erotic room up until now, right?¡»


    Nott eyeballed us suspiciously.  Shulavis placed a hand against his forehead.  This man, Hortis, is quite cunning.  By implying that he¡¯s going to babble about the royal dynasty¡¯s secrets, he¡¯s threatening to make things worse for us if Nott really was nearby.


    However, even if Hortis were to start talking about the royal dynasty¡¯s secrets, Nott is a trustworthy person, so there won¡¯t be any problems.  On the contrary, sharing these secrets with Nott will strengthen his trust in us.


    (No need to give into his threats.  Shulavis, insist to him that Nott isn¡¯t here.)


    ¡°Uncle, Nott is not here.¡±


    When the serious-minded guy says it, it carries a lot of persuasive power.


    As if he fell into thought, Hortis paused eerily for some time before replying.


    ¡ºYou don¡¯t seem to have much faith in Nott-kun.  He¡¯s a trustworthy man.  As his pet dog, I can guarantee it.¡»


    (Let¡¯s ask him where he is for now, Jess.)


    When I conveyed that, Jess nodded with serious eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Hortis, where are you right now?¡±


    ¡ºWhat are you going to do after hearing where?¡»


    ¡°What Mr. Hortis is looking for, and what we¡¯re looking for, should be the same thing.  Let¡¯s stop acting separately and work together.¡±


    Jess answered according to the plan.


    ¡ºIf you¡¯ll let me sniff your thighs again, I¡¯ll think about it.¡»


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    Shulavis responded angrily in my stead.


    ¡°We¡¯re having a serious conversation.  Please answer seriously.  Uncle should be searching for the Wedge of Contracts; and you have Ruta¡¯s Eye to indicate where it is.  Please tell us where you¡¯re currently headed.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±  Hortis mused from the shell.


    ¡ºIt¡¯s not a problem if you want to come here, but unfortunately, it¡¯s a long way from there.  I¡¯d rather not trouble you guys by making you come all the way here.  I can handle it on my own, so why don¡¯t you leave handling the wedge to me?¡»


    I didn¡¯t miss the fact that Nott, who was frowning because he couldn¡¯t keep up with the development of the conversation, twitched in reaction to those words.


    (Be firm, Shulavis.  Tell him that, for the sake of mutual trust, we¡¯re going to see him.)


    Without changing expressions, Shulavis signaled with a nod.


    ¡°Uncle, for the sake of mutual trust, we wish to meet and search for the wedge together.  We¡¯ll ride the dragon there, no matter how far away it is.  Please tell us the location.¡±


    After another brief silence, Hortis¡¯ voice, lowered a notch, echoed.


    ¡ºI¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t allow those with Elder Brother¡¯s backing to hold the key.  Don¡¯t think ill of me, Shulavis.  This is my battle alone.¡»


    As soon as he finished speaking, the reddish-brown shell returned white, and the rumbling noise disappeared.


    ¡°Uncle!  Uncle!  ¡­Hortis-sama!¡±


    No matter how Shulavis called out, the shell remained white and silent.


    We looked at each other.


    (Looks like he hung up.  It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand what that perverted bastard is saying, but he seems even more suspicious now.)


    I conveyed to the three of them, before turning towards Nott.


    (There¡¯s one thing I would like to confirm.  Can we leave the shell here and talk inside?)


    At my suggestion, we silently entered the mansion.  The white wallpaper and dark brown wood of the floor created a calming contrast interior.  It¡¯s a cozy place, and there was the smell of pie or the likes floating around.  Celes was standing by herself by the window beside the entrance.  A black pig was by her side.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, everyone.  Is something the matter¡­?¡±


    Celes looked at us worriedly.  The fact that she was by the window must¡¯ve meant she was watching what happened outside.  As soon as Jess saw Celes, she stopped and lightly bowed.


    However, Nott spoke without stopping.


    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s a secret matter.  Please inform everyone that no one is allowed in my room.¡±


    Nott continued down the corridor and guided us to the door at the end.  It was Nott¡¯s office.  Despite it being a spacious room, it only had the bare minimum furniture, such as a plain desk and chair, and a simple rack for hanging clothes with.


    ¡°Sorry that you¡¯ll need to stand and talk, but what¡¯s the business?¡±


    Nott sat on the desk with a thud, and faced this way.


    (Earlier, when Hortis said ¡°I¡¯d rather not trouble you guys by making you come all the way here,¡± Nott reacted slightly, right?  Was there something off about what he said?)


    ¡°Oh, that?¡±


    Nott crossed his legs.


    ¡°Hortis left before noon, but he said he¡¯s heading somewhere fairly close and would be back before sunset.  So I found it strange when he said he was far away.¡±


    I see.


    ¡°Does that mean he believed Mr. Nott wasn¡¯t there, and said a lie that would have been exposed if Mr. Nott was there?¡±


    Jess conjectured.


    (That¡¯s very probable.  I¡¯m glad we hid Nott¡¯s existence.  The fact that he lied, and the contents of the lie, can become important clues.  Lies and silences can tell the eloquent truth.)


    I contemplated while walking around the wide wood floor with my pig trotters.


    (Why did he lie?  It¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want his location to be known.  Now, why did he lie about it being far away?  It¡¯s probably to hide the fact that the location wasn¡¯t that far away.)


    Jess held up the history book and asked.


    ¡°Mister Pig, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡±


    (What is it?)


    ¡°It¡¯s written that Ruta¡¯s Eye points in the direction of the wedge.  With a tool that only indicates the direction, how was he able to tell the distance before heading out?¡±


    I see, how perceptive.  However¡­


    (Hortis got Ruta¡¯s Eye from the cave yesterday and returned to this mansion.  If the Wedge of Contracts is nearby, it¡¯s possible to calculate the distance after traveling that amount of distance.)


    ¡°Erm, is that so¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s simple arithmetic.


    (Shulavis, watch Jess¡¯ breasts.)


    When I conveyed that, Shulavis turned to me with a serious look.


    ¡°I won¡¯t though?¡±


    (It¡¯s for the purpose of explaining.  If you¡¯re embarrassed, you can look at her face.)


    The innocent virgin then looked at Jess¡¯ face.  I stepped away from Shulavis and stared at Jess¡¯ breasts.  A pair of gently-sloped mounds softly asserted themselves from underneath the white blouse.  That¡¯s where paradise-, actually, now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about this.


    (Right now, Shulavis and I are standing in different places, both looking at Jess¡¯ breasts.  Assume Jess¡¯ breasts are the treasure, and the direction of my and Shulavis¡¯ faces represent the direction Ruta¡¯s Eye is pointing towards.)


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not looking¡­¡±


    I ignored the straight-laced response and continued my explanation.


    (If you only have information from either one of them, you can¡¯t tell where Jess¡¯ breasts are located along that line of sight.  But if you have two lines of sight, you¡¯ll be able to tell that Jess¡¯ breasts are at the intersection of those two lines.  As long as he travels a certain distance, I¡¯m sure Hortis can roughly calculate the location of the treasure.  Naturally, if the Wedge of Contracts is far away, the direction in which Ruta¡¯s Eye points at won¡¯t change very much, which would make the calculations difficult.)


    As I conveyed this while legally staring at Jess¡¯ boobs, Jess nodded in resignation.  She then took out a map, and spread it out on the floor for me.


    ¡°That means the Wedge of Contracts is definitely not far from here.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Perhaps from being conditioned, Shulavis spoke while looking at Jess¡¯ face.


    Shulavis then quickly looked away.  Did he hear my monologue?


    ¡°So, do you think you¡¯ll be able to figure out where Uncle is?  Are there any other clues?¡±


    I thought about it.  Was there any other information?


    (When Hortis left before noon, he said he would be back before sunset.  Would simply knowing the rough location give him enough confidence to say he will be back that soon?  When he calculated the approximate location, something probably stood out ¨C some kind of landmark that looked like a good place to hide the Wedge of Contracts.)


    Jess thought about it.


    ¡°Meaning it¡¯s a place where you would shout ¡®This is it!¡¯ when you see it?¡±


    We moved our heads close to the map and focused on the vicinity of Munires.  There were some places that looked like landmarks which could be visited within a day, but¡­


    (It¡¯s the sound.)


    My flash of insight allowed Jess to answer excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!  The shell was making a rumbling sound the entire time.¡±


    (There¡¯s only a limited number of places where you could hear that much noise.  If it¡¯s around here¡­)


    ¡°It would have to be the waterfall.¡±


    Shulavis pointed at a place on the map.  It appeared to be a large waterfall, upstream from the Valley of Oil located near Munires.  Shulavis¡¯ dark green eyes seemed to glow with excitement for a change.


    ¡°This is the Waterfall of Encountering.  It¡¯s where Vatis-sama is said to have met Ruta.¡±


    We decided to head for the Waterfall of Encountering to immediately catch up to Hortis.  We were going to take the royal dynasty¡¯s dragon.  It seems Nott can¡¯t enter the royal army¡¯s grounds, so Shulavis will have to bring the dragon to this mansion¡¯s garden.


    Nott quickly put on his coat and headed out into the garden.  However, Jess stopped in front of the entrance and looked around restlessly.


    (What¡¯s wrong?  Do you need to use the restroom?)


    At my inquiry, Jess shook her head.


    ¡°No, I was wondering where Ms. Celes was¡­¡±


    I heard a voice talking from the far end of the corridor that extended to our right.


    (She¡¯s probably over there.  Is it something important you need to discuss with Celes?)


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite to the extent of being important, but I wanted to talk to her for a bit.¡±


    Jess peered down the corridor.


    (Why don¡¯t you go take a look?  It¡¯ll take some time for Shulavis to bring the dragon over here anyway.)


    ¡°Right.  I¡¯ll be right back.  Please wait outside with Mr. Nott, Mister Pig.¡±


    Got it. ¨C As I was about to reply with that, I changed my mind.


    (No, I¡¯ll go with you.)


    ¡°Are you sure?  Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    We walked down the carpeted corridor, towards the voice.  The aroma of wheat and roasted meat wafted through the air.  I took a deep breath, feeling out the air flow.  The source of the smell was just nearby.  Out of curiosity, I peeked through the open door and spotted Celes standing alone in front of a brick oven in the large kitchen.  A black pig sat next to her.


    ¡°Ms. Celes!¡±


    Jess peeked into the kitchen alongside me and raised her voice happily.


    ¡°Ah, Ms. Jess¡­ and Mr. Shitty Virgin.  Hello there.¡±


    Celes bowed politely.


    Jess briefly showed an irritated expression when I was called a shitty virgin, but she immediately bowed back.


    ¡°Hello.  Are you baking a pie?¡±


    Jess walked into the kitchen and peered into the oven.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a rabbit pie¡­  It¡¯s Mr. Nott¡¯s favorite.¡±


    As I was wondering if it was pork, Jess covered her mouth with her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.  Mr. Nott will be heading out with us very soon¡­¡±


    Celes¡¯ large eyes widened slightly, but she immediately smiled as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Is that so?  Then I will save Mr. Nott¡¯s share for him until dinner.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh?  But after spending so much effort, I¡¯m sure you want to treat him to the freshly baked pie.  It¡¯s not easy to make after all.¡±


    Celes shook her head vigorously at the worried Jess.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hinder Mr. Nott for my own sake.  I also like pies, so I just baked one on a whim.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Jess turned to look at the kitchen counter.  I also extended my head towards it.  It¡¯s hard to see from a pig¡¯s perspective, but a pot with the scent of meat stew was left there, and the cutting board that slightly protruded from the table smelled of chopped mushrooms and herbs.  The effort put into this felt way more than something done just on a whim.


    ¡°After all, there¡¯s nothing else I can do¡­¡±


    Celes gave a forced smile, and placed a hand on her slender neck.


    ¡°Um, Ms. Celes.¡±


    Jess stepped forward and approached Celes.  The black pig looked at Jess and started twitching his nose, so I hurriedly guarded her.  I can¡¯t let Jess become this perverted pig¡¯s prey.


    Paying no heed to our offense and defense, Jess gently placed her hands on Celes¡¯ shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m always causing trouble for you, Ms. Celes.¡±


    Celes looked bewildered.


    ¡°Erm¡­ that¡¯s not true at all.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true.  It¡¯s my fault that Mr. Nott left Bapsus; and the reason why Mr. Nott was being hunted down by the Northern Forces was because he fought to protect me¡­  Him heading out right now is also a result of the matters that I brought here.  I understand Ms. Celes just wants to live peacefully with Mr. Nott¡­  I¡¯m so sorry.  I just really wanted to apologize to you.¡±


    Celes shook her head fiercely in denial, as if to say Jess was exaggerating things.


    Regardless, Jess continued.


    ¡°I very much understand Ms. Celes¡¯ feelings.¡±


    Jess wordlessly stared at Celes.  Celes¡¯ shoulders then twitched, followed by Celes glancing at me, before looking back at Jess.


    ¡°Um¡­ but my standing is too different from yours, Ms. Jess¡­¡±


    It sounded as though Jess had told Celes something with her power of heart.  Jess slowly shook her head and refuted Celes.


    ¡°Please be more confident in yourself, Ms. Celes.  Being able to live in the same world at the same time may seem like a matter of course, but that alone is a wonderful enough miracle.¡±


    With a serious expression, Celes blinked.


    It was getting dark outside the window, so I shifted my gaze there and saw a dragon, slowly flapping its wings, land in the garden.  I felt uncomfortable for some reason, so I stepped away from Jess.


    (Jess, I¡¯ll go on ahead.  Come to the garden as soon as you finish talking.)


    And then I left the kitchen behind almost as if I was fleeing.


    I reflected as I walked towards the door.  I don¡¯t know what Jess silently conveyed to Celes, but it somehow felt like she was talking about me.


    ©¤A peaceful life where your important person isn¡¯t taken away from you, your memories aren¡¯t forgotten, you aren¡¯t caught up in a war, and your life isn¡¯t being threatened¡­  Don¡¯t you long for that sort of life, Mister Pig?


    I recalled what Jess said the day before yesterday.  Jess must have felt empathy and sympathy for Celes, who seemed to be by Nott¡¯s side, yet couldn¡¯t be with Nott.  And Jess felt bad for being a not insignificant cause of this happening, so she apologized.


    Even I know Celes is having a hard time because Nott won¡¯t look her way.  And I also understand that I¡¯m making Jess feel the same way.  I shouldn¡¯t have said I was trying to push for Shulavis and her to get married in front of her.


    But I chose to say it anyway.


    I chose to push away the only girl who told me that she liked me ¨C a wonderful girl who I didn¡¯t suit.  Because I know I¡¯m destined to leave someday.


    It¡¯s because I know if I let the sorrow of parting grow any further, I won¡¯t be able to bear it.


    And most importantly, I recognize that I can¡¯t make Jess happy.


    Don¡¯t you all think so too?  If you¡¯re an otaku, you should only wish for the happiness of your oshi.  You¡¯re obviously not capable of handling your oshi, so you shouldn¡¯t say anything willful.


    >TL Note: ÍƤ· is commonly used to describe an idol that someone actively supports.  A more suitable English equivalent here would be waifu, but that sounded too weird here.  For more context: https://japanoscope.com/oshi-meaning-%E6%8E%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF/


    I¡¯m not capable enough to make Jess happy.  I, who should leave Mestria when the critical moment arrives, shouldn¡¯t resist in vain or go against fate, and leave the stage with dignity in front of Jess.


    I arrived at the garden.  Shulavis was stroking the dragon¡¯s jaw, which was lined with sharp, black scales.  Even though the dragon¡¯s body was large enough to fill the large garden, its face was unexpectedly cute, like that of a lizard.  It bent its long and narrow neck, stretching its head towards Shulavis, and purred like a car engine.


    When Shulavis noticed only a pig came out, he tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°What happened to Jess?¡±


    (She¡¯ll be out soon.  She¡¯s having a bit of girl talk right now.)


    Shulavis appeared to have relayed my thoughts, as Nott revealed a baffled look while placing his hands on his hips.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    (It means the girls are having a secret conversation.  Should we do the same?  A virgin talk?)


    Nott¡¯s face turned red, and he glared at me.


    ¡°Are you making fun of me?!  You sleazy virgin pig bastard!¡±


    I¡¯m not at all happy to hear that from a guy¡­


    Just as I was thinking that, Nott glowered at me and added, ¡°You know my past, don¡¯t you?  I don¡¯t open my heart easily to other women.  Unlike you guys, I¡¯ve been proposed to by dozens of women, but not even once has my heart wavered.  Don¡¯t lump me in with you two.  I¡¯m a virgin because I want to be.¡±


    ¡°¡®You guys¡¯?¡±


    Shulavis reacted with a twitch.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?  Are you insulting me?¡±


    ¡°Hah, did I hit the mark, frizzy-hair?  Since you shut yourself inside the capital, it¡¯s obvious that you didn¡¯t get to meet anyone.¡±


    ¡°Are you provoking me?!¡±


    ¡°What?  You wanna go?!¡±


    I thought about it while watching these two virgins instantly create this dangerous mood.


    The prince, who restrains himself to be a virgin out of a sense of responsibility; and the leader of the Liberation Army, who¡¯s a virgin because he wants to be.  Compared to them, what am I?


    I lived my life simply doing what I could do.  As a result, I¡¯m a boring, stupid pig, and a virgin.


    I¡¯m just a virgin with no self-identity, who only thinks about the best approach objectively because I don¡¯t have any self-confidence.


    Forget it, that¡¯s okay.  After all, it¡¯s my way of life.


    As I watched the two handsome guys draw close to each other and considered calling Jess over, Jess and Celes exited the front door.  The girls froze when they saw the volatile situation between the two virgins.


    ¡°U-um¡­  Did something happen between the two of you¡­?¡±


    Shulavis cleared his throat and pointed at the dragon for the confused Jess.


    ¡°Uncle might act at any moment.  Let¡¯s leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Nott also exhaled, straightened his collar, and walked towards the dragon.


    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡±


    We then left behind Celes and the black pig, and boarded the dragon¡¯s back.  Its large, folded wings extended out at once, flapped against the air, and lifted us up.


    Celes kept waving from the garden, but Nott didn¡¯t appear to have noticed.


    The dragon flew straight towards the Waterfall of Encountering.  A forest of dark coniferous trees and brown broad-leaved trees that had their leaves fallen, spread beneath the giant wings.  Not long after we took off, I spotted a round hole in the forest.  Blue water pooled at the bottom of the cliff where the waterfall was.


    ¡°That¡¯s the basin of the Waterfall of Encountering.  It¡¯s surrounded by the forest, so there¡¯s no place for the dragon to land.  I¡¯ll have it lower its height as much as possible, and we¡¯ll jump.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll jump?¡±


    Nott had an unenthusiastic look on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect everyone here with magic.¡±


    Shulavis pulled the reins and we started losing altitude.  Soon, the dragon was hovering.  Shulavis looked down and muttered, ¡°Alright.¡±  One look was enough for me to tell that we were still around 100 meters off the ground.  Alright, my ass!  You¡¯re not a cat!


    ¡°Are you all ready?  We¡¯re getting off.¡±


    Just as Shulavis¡¯ words made me tremble in fear from wondering how we¡¯ll get down there, the dragon suddenly folded its wings and swooped down, disappearing from beneath us.  We were basically still sitting when we were left in midair at an altitude of 100 meters.


    ¡°Hyaa!¡±


    Jess, who was next to me, hugged my stomach.  But my worries were needless.  We were surrounded by a buoyancy-like force and were floating.  I could see the trees from the forest far below my dangling pig trotters.  It felt like my pig heart was about to stop dead in its track.


    I felt the updraft and acceleration, and knew that a steep descent was about to begin.  My field of view was immediately covered by Jess¡¯ skirt.


    ¡­Not good!


    I instantly twisted my body and stretched my pig legs as far as I could towards Jess¡¯ crotch.  Though I barely had any sensation of my hooves as a pig, my feet should be holding the fabric of the skirt against her lower abdomen.


    ¡°Eh?  Hold on, Mister¡­ Pig¡­¡±


    I heard Jess make a strange noise from beyond the skirt fluttering in my ears.


    My four legs touched the ground without me being able to see anything.  Jess¡¯ skirt unraveled, and I was able to see where we were standing.  We were in the forest next to the waterfall basin.  There was no one around but us.  Dead leaves were piled up on the ground, and the soft blue sky of autumn could be seen through the gaps in trees where their leaves have fallen.


    ¡°U-um, Mister Pig, doing that sort of thing, er, in front of those two¡­ is a bit¡­¡±


    With her face blushing hard, Jess placed her hand over her lower abdomen.


    (What are you talking about¡­?)


    Jess refused to elaborate, so I looked at Shulavis and Nott.  The two of them looked away in embarrassment.


    (You guys didn¡¯t see anything, right?)


    When I tried to confirm it with them, Nott answered while fixing his stole.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t see anything because you covered it with your feet.¡±


    Jess didn¡¯t seem to understand what we were talking about, and looked back and forth.


    Shulavis muttered while looking slightly downwards.


    ¡°Uh, sorry.  I didn¡¯t consider that carefully enough.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly right.


    As we were descending, we were hit by the wind blowing upwards from below.  Meanwhile, Jess¡¯ skirt, which was covering my face, failed to cover what it was supposed to cover.  If I didn¡¯t guard her with my pig feet, Jess¡¯ panties would have been seen by these virgin bunches.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Jess appeared to have finally realized it after reading my monologue, and her already reddened face blushed harder.  Since she¡¯s going to marry into the royal family, I hope she can take better care of herself in this regard.


    ©¤I¡¯m sorry, Mister Pig¡­


    Jess¡¯ voice resounded in my mind.  I mean, you didn¡¯t have to apologize to me.


    However, these perverted bastards who blushed because Jess¡¯ skirt was flipped up need to be punished.


    ¡°Across all of Mestria, you¡¯re the one I least want to hear that from¡­¡±


    After he gave a serious response, Shulavis cleared his throat and got back to business.


    ¡°Okay, we need to find Uncle quickly.  We¡¯re counting on you, Pig.  Find his scent.¡±


    Hearing that, I sniffed the ground.  It didn¡¯t take long for me to find a dog smell.


    (¡­It¡¯s a strong smell.  This is the place, no doubt about it.)


    As we followed the scent, we got closer and closer to the waterfall.  The Waterfall of Encountering.  It¡¯s a wide waterfall that boasts a height of dozens of meters, and carries an abundance of water.  Clear water flowed evenly, covering the black cliff like a curtain.  The falling water gathered in the large blue basin, from which it re-emerged as a river.


    With me in the front, our party reached the side of the waterfall.  Behind the waterfall that cascaded like a curtain, there was a walkable, rocky area.


    ¡°We have to go behind the waterfall?¡±


    Nott asked while crossing his arms like he was cold.


    (That seems to be the case.  Let¡¯s go.)


    We made our way through the narrow rock crevice, and were behind the cascading water.  To our left was the rumbling wall of water, and to our right was a drenched, black, rock wall.  The wall had been slightly dug into, and there was a narrow passage wide enough for a person to just barely pass through.  The smell seemed to lead in that direction, so I led the way without hesitation.


    As we bathed in the misty cold water, we proceeded while listening to the low rumbling sound of water splashing against rock.


    Behind me was Jess, and following her was Shulavis, then Nott.  Along the rocks that were wet from water splashing on them, the dog smell steadily grew stronger.


    When I reached the middle of the waterfall, I stopped.  That¡¯s strange ¨C I thought, and sniffed my surroundings.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hearing Shulavis¡¯ question, I moved forward slightly.


    (The dog smell suddenly disappears around here.)


    We stood around the place where the smell disappeared, and faced each other.


    Shulavis touched the wet rock surface.


    ¡°I see.  Then maybe there¡¯s a secret passageway somewhere.¡±


    Shulavis¡¯ fair hands searched the rock surface, but nothing happened.  No matter where he pressed or hit, the rock remained a rock.


    ¡°What about up ahead, Mister Pig?  Maybe the smell here was just washed away by the water.¡±


    I see.  I moved my nose close to the ground and continued on for a bit.


    Hmm.


    (No, there¡¯s no smell up ahead.  Did Hortis find a passageway in the rock?  Or perhaps¡­)


    I looked over towards the waterfall.  The floor path we were standing on became as precipitous as a cliff there.  A large amount of water poured down beside it, with me close enough to touch it as long as I extend my pig leg out.


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no other option here.  Either he headed back, or he dove into the water and fell into the basin.¡±


    The way here was a slightly uphill slope.  There¡¯s a bit of height before landing in the basin if he was to fall from here.


    (He probably turned back?  It¡¯s hard to imagine him jumping from here.)


    ¡°But Mister Pig, didn¡¯t you say the smell got stronger up until you got here?¡±


    That¡¯s true ¨C I thought, when pointed out by Jess.  If he returned from here, the smell should have gradually become weaker.  It didn¡¯t sound right to assume he turned back.


    With a hand on his chin, Shulavis pondered.


    ¡°This is tricky.  Was there some way for him to move from this place¡­?¡±


    As we were troubling over this, Nott drew his twin daggers impatiently.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the other side of the water?¡±


    Pushing Shulavis aside, Nott crossed his daggers and plunged them into the falling water.  The daggers shone red.  The blades and their aura of fire blocked the water, opening a hole the size of a window in the wall of water.  Nott¡¯s face, illuminated by the flames of his twin daggers, revealed his surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡±


    Seeing Nott¡¯s response, Shulavis brought his face closer to the small window that Nott created.  Shortly after, Shulavis¡¯ eyes widened in amazement.  With my pig¡¯s point of view, I wasn¡¯t able to see what was beyond the small window.


    (What¡¯s over there?)


    Nott withdrew his twin daggers and turned to look at us.


    ¡°The path ahead.¡±


    After saying that, he rushed into the wall of falling water without hesitation and disappeared with a splash.


    ¡°How impatient.¡±


    Shulavis smiled wryly and extended his hand up towards the waterfall.  From left to right, he drew an arch-shaped line across the veil of water, opening the entrance to the ¡°other side.¡±


    Jess gasped beside me.  What we saw beyond the entrance was not the scenery of the waterfall basin and forest.  It was a huge stalactite cave that we had never seen before.  Mysterious blue lights leaked from the cracks in the stalactites, eerily illuminating the white cave.  The cave was so wide that you would think it was the inside of a mountain, and the ceiling was so high that I couldn¡¯t see it through the darkness.  The waterfall became a magic gate that divided this place from another space.


    (Let¡¯s follow Nott.)


    We jumped through the gate Shulavis opened and entered the cave.  It wasn¡¯t an optical illusion or hallucination.  We should have jumped out the front of the waterfall, but we landed on the ground of a stalactite cave.  The limestone surface was covered in shallow water.  It was cold.


    Nott, who was soaking wet, looked at us, who weren¡¯t wet, with a face that said ¡°You should have told me if there was a way to not get wet.¡±  I turned around to look at the way we came, and saw the inner side of the waterfall that we had just passed through become a waterfall that flowed down into the stalactite cave.  It looks like we entered a completely different place, separated by the waterfall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this kind of magic before.¡±


    Shulavis curiously touched the waterfall.  Through that gap he just created, I could see the inside of the waterfall where we were earlier.


    ¡°For some reason, I feel a terrifying power.¡±


    Jess whispered to me.


    The stalactite cave was an eerie place.  The stalactites that looked like they were melting hanged down from the ceiling far above, and depending on the location, they were connected together like huge curtains.  The ground was flooded everywhere, and flat white rocks were connected like terraced fields.  The blue light illuminating them shone intensely from every direction, making me lose my sense of direction.


    Nott shook his head like a dog, spraying water everywhere, and spoke to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and find Hortis.  Can you still smell his scent, sleazy pig?¡±


    Just as I was about to sniff the ground¡­ Plip, plip, came the sound of footsteps.  A red light flashed before my eyes, and I knew Nott had drawn his twin daggers.


    ¡°No need to look for me.  I¡¯m right here.¡±


    A man¡¯s feet appeared closer than I expected.  He was barefoot.  I looked up, and something I didn¡¯t want to see was hanging in front of me.  The man who appeared from behind a stalactite was just as naked as when we first met him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve managed to make it this far, I see.  Your minds are more brilliant that I gave you credit for.¡±


    ¡°Please put on some clothes, Uncle.¡±


    At Shulavis¡¯ composed, straight-laced response, Hortis waved his hand with a hopeless look.  A white cloth magically appeared, covering Hortis from his shoulders down.


    ¡°It would be problematic if a hecklepon spotted me, so I was traveling in the form of Rossi.  And when I change from a dog into a human, I¡¯m left naked no matter what, so there¡¯s nothing I could have done.


    I see-, wait no, that¡¯s not an excuse for him to be completely naked, but that does explain why he smelled like a dog instead of a human.


    Though Hortis was smiling cheerfully, Nott didn¡¯t let down his guard and continued to hold up his red-glowing twin daggers.


    ¡°Did you think you could distract us with that kind of joke, you exhibitionist?  Explain why you lied and acted on your own.¡±


    Hortis maintained his smile.


    ¡°Using the great treasure to negotiate with Elder Brother is as dangerous as walking on a tightrope.  If you all get involved, you¡¯ll be held responsible as well.  I didn¡¯t want that to happen.  I figured I could handle it all by myself, so I decided to keep you all out of it.  I assumed if it were you guys, you would have understood that without needing me to explain¡­¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t planning on stealing the treasure?¡±


    ¡°Steal?  Why would I?¡±


    Hortis approached Nott, paying no heed to the twin dagger¡¯s flames.


    ¡°Think about it.  I objected to Father¡¯s and Elder Brother¡¯s approach, quit being a mage, transformed myself into a dog, and accompanied you for five years.  Why would I betray you now?  I¡¯m your ally.  I¡¯m a sensible mage who wants the Liberation Army to shine and save the Yesma girls.¡±


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very sensible to show off your nakedness in front of a girl who¡¯s old enough to be your daughter, but as he claimed, it¡¯s hard to imagine this pervert as an enemy based on his past actions.


    Hortis gently took Nott¡¯s hand, and placed the red-hot tip of the dagger to his own throat.


    ¡°If you have any doubts, you can cut me down at any time.¡±


    Still furrowing his brows, Nott sheathed his twin daggers back to his hips.


    I think it¡¯s worth trusting him.


    (Please show us the Wedge of Contracts as proof of our trust.)


    When I conveyed that, Hortis shrugged.


    ¡°About this matter, I actually haven¡¯t acquired it yet.  But I do have this.¡±


    He then showed us his right hand.  Between his thumb and forefinger, he held a gold-decorated glass ball.  It was filled with clear water, and a single human eyeball was floating inside, spinning violently on its own.


    Jess walked over to Hortis and stared at it with deep interest.


    ¡°Ruta¡¯s Eye¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  It wasn¡¯t easy getting a hold of it; and even though it helped me find this place, the moment I entered here, the eye moved wildly and couldn¡¯t be used anymore.¡±


    ¡°This is your proof of trust,¡± Hortis said, as he gently handed Ruta¡¯s Eye to Jess.


    ¡°This stalactite cave is filled with extraordinary magic.  This place must have existed since the Ancient Era, long before Vatis.  We¡¯ll need to find the wedge without relying on magic.¡±


    ¡°The Ancient Era¡­¡±  Jess murmured.


    Hortis raised his eyebrows as he glanced at the eyeball that continued to spin in Jess¡¯ hand.


    ¡°However, I didn¡¯t expect you all to come to the same conclusion as I did so quickly.  When I changed back into a human yesterday morning, you didn¡¯t even seem to know anything about the Wedge of Contracts.  To have deduced the location of Ruta¡¯s Eye only a day later¡­ you must have studied the history book quite intensely.  What incredible, inquisitive minds.¡±


    I proudly raised my nose.


    (Jess-taso finished reading it in one night.)


    Jess shook her head.


    ¡°No, I simply read the words.  It was Mister Pig who considered those things in the end¡­¡±


    Hortis smiled at the shy Jess.


    ¡°Why, isn¡¯t this a wonderful partnership?  Then how about we split into two teams and compete to see which side finds the wedge in this stalactite cave first?  I¡¯ll look around with my cute nephew, and Jess, Virgin-kun, and Nott-kun, you three search as a group.  Wouldn¡¯t this be more fun than everyone simply splitting up and looking for it?¡±


    Now¡¯s not the time to be playing around ¨C is what I was going to say, but that wasn¡¯t a bad idea.  If we¡¯re going to search through this expansive stalactite cave, it would be better to split up to some extent.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start looking.  I want to head back before sunset.¡±  Nott remarked.


    And we decided to split up to find the Wedge of Contracts.


    Nott steadily advanced through the stalactite cave that was wrapped in a pale blue light.  Jess and I followed behind him.  I was reminded of our journey to the capital, and thought to myself ¨C what a nostalgic trio.  Naturally, at the time, Hortis, transformed as a dog, was also by Nott¡¯s side¡­


    ¡°Hey Jess, can I ask you something?¡±


    Nott asked while passing through a narrow gap between some large stalactites.  The path beyond it was winding and difficult to see.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    Jess replied while following.


    ¡°So you became that frizzy-hair¡¯s fianc¨¦?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    She responded in a tiny voice.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard the details, but I was told it had to do with your memories, so I can kinda tell you¡¯re in a difficult position.  I don¡¯t mean to criticize you or anything.  Just make sure you don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    The hero of the Liberation Army spoke plainly without looking back.  Jess glanced at me, but said nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to get some things back once you lose them.¡±


    The pair of sheathed daggers on Nott¡¯s hips swayed as he muttered softly.


    (Then¡­)


    I conveyed to Nott through Jess.


    (Then what¡¯s Jess supposed to do?  Maybe it¡¯s true that Jess doesn¡¯t want to marry that frizzy-haired guy.  But if her engagement gets canceled, her safety would no longer guaranteed, and it would make it difficult for me to gain the royal family¡¯s favor.  The Liberation Army, Jess, and I ¨C all of us might end up being used and thrown away by that violent king.)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I heard Nott¡¯s words from behind his back.


    (What¡¯s ¡°fine¡±?)


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, it doesn¡¯t matter how the king treats us, as long as Jess can accept that.¡±


    (Don¡¯t be stupid.  Don¡¯t you understand what it means for Jess, who¡¯s close to the Liberation Army, to become the future princess?)


    His cold blue eyes glanced at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Jess.  Whatever path she chooses for her own happiness, I won¡¯t blame her.  I¡¯m simply doing my best to do what I want to do.  Jess should simply do her best to do what she wants to do.¡±


    I saw Jess swallow nervously beside me.


    That won¡¯t do.


    (This may be our one and only chance at changing this country.  Breaking off the engagement is a dangerous choice that could ruin that chance.  That¡¯s absolutely not allowed.)


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­¡±


    A pair of sorrowful looking eyes stared at me.


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is certainly true, sleazy pig, but we¡¯re people who only get to live our life once.  It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of righteousness other people try and throw at us, we have no obligation to accept them.  The reason why I¡¯m trying to change this world is to avenge Ys¡¯ death.  But if Ys was still alive, I wouldn¡¯t be doing this.  I¡¯m sure I would have been cherishing my life instead.¡±


    Hearing that, I was finally able to see the true nature of this person named Nott.  If Jess is someone who earnestly acts for the sake of others, Nott is someone who earnestly acts for the sake of himself.  Nott helped Jess out of regret that he couldn¡¯t help his beloved.  As a result, he succeeded in delivering his beloved¡¯s sister to the royal dynasty safely without even knowing that¡­


    I didn¡¯t have any words to say back, and I silently walked on the wet ground.  It was a straight path after the narrow stalactite passage.  As I quietly walked in the pale blue light, Jess opened her mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Nott.  Thank you very much for your advice, but I¡¯m fine with this right now.¡±


    Nott wordlessly and expressionlessly looked at Jess.


    ¡°I believe in Mister Pig.  Mister Pig is always thinking for my happiness, so I¡¯ll follow his decisions.¡±


    Jess replied resolutely, and gently placed her hand on my back.


    ¡°That so?  Then do whatever you want.¡±


    I felt the coolness of Jess¡¯ fingertips on my back, and at the same time, I wanted to refute Nott.


    (Although you said it¡¯s fine as long as you do what you want to do, what about Celes?)


    Nott, who led the way, didn¡¯t look back.


    (I know you¡¯re aware of Celes¡¯ feelings, Nott.  Is it fine for you to disregard Celes, who purposefully left her master to be with you, because you¡¯re ¡°doing what you want to do¡±?)


    ¡°What are you talking about?  Celes is doing what she wants to do.  Isn¡¯t that fine?¡±


    Next to me, Jess was about to open her mouth to say something, but she changed her mind and tightly pressed her lips together.


    There was nothing we could say to that.  Everything Nott said made sense.  As long as everyone does what they want, it¡¯s fine.  Even if conflict arose because of that, it¡¯s not a problem.  It was a simple reasoning.


    ¡°Remember this, sleazy pig.  I might be selfish in your eyes, but there¡¯s no value living in this world if you lie about what you want to do.¡±


    Nott pulled the black stole up to his chin and rounded a narrow corner.  Jess and I tried to follow, but ended up running into him.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going.¡±


    Nott turned his gaze forward.  It looked like a place where the passageway would continue, but there was a pure white, flat, artificial wall in place, and we couldn¡¯t go any further.


    Nott¡¯s slender fingers touched the wall.


    ¡°Looks like someone blocked this place.  It¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    I got close to the wall and observed it.  Is it limestone?  The spectacularly flat piece of rock blocked the narrow passageway without any gaps.  If it wasn¡¯t the work of a master stonemason who hauled the large stone through the narrow, winding path, then it was a mage who did it.


    ¡°Mister Pig!  Look!¡±


    Jess pointed at the center of the wall.  A long, vertical, isosceles triangle was engraved with a thin line.  The mark looked familiar, and I realized it was also on the lid of Vatis¡¯ sarcophagus ¨C where the Spear of Destruction was hidden.


    I nodded, and felt Jess¡¯ hand tighten on my back.  There was a sense that we were actually nearing the wedge.


    ¡°Is that a clue?  What do we do now?¡±  Nott asked beside us.


    Jess lightly touched the wall ¨C the next moment, the white wall closed in on our vision; and when I looked around, the two of us were on the other side of the wall.


    My sights changed dramatically.


    The narrow passageway in the stalactite cave suddenly opened up, leading to a large open space.  The place was still surrounded by white, icicle-like stalactites, but there was a round hole in part of the high ceiling, and warm-colored light streamed in straight from there.


    At the bottom of the ladder of light was a stone platform, and on top of it, something was placed there all on its own.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­!¡±


    Jess¡¯ eyes lit up.  I looked behind us, but there was only a white wall.  Nott was nowhere to be seen.  Before I could think about what to do, Jess started walking towards the stone pedestal.


    (Jess, Nott¡¯s not¡­)


    ¡°We¡¯ll head back soon, so let¡¯s take a look together!¡±


    Jess looked back at me in delight, and I had no choice but to follow her.


    I walked side by side with Jess.  In the silence, only the sound of two people¡¯s footsteps on water reverberated.


    We reached the stone pedestal.  It was a small pedestal with a flat top.  Even with a pig¡¯s eye level, I could see ¡°it¡± at the top when I stretched my neck.


    It was a shockingly clear and colorless stone in the shape of a long and narrow tetrahedron.  It shone a bright white as it was illuminated by the warm light coming in from the ceiling.


    ¡°The Wedge of Contracts¡­¡±  Jess muttered.


    There¡¯s no mistaking it.  It was a great treasure that exuded a clear and mysterious aura.


    It¡¯s currently the only way to kill the surreptitious sorcerer who¡¯s trying to destroy the royal dynasty.


    (Incredible.  You found this place in no time.)


    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Mister Pig.¡±


    I shook my head at Jess¡¯ praise.


    (All I did was come up with a few ideas and suggested them.  It was none other than Jess who deciphered the history book in order to solve the problem.  You should be proud of that.)


    After being troubled by it for some time, Jess smiled at me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s treat it as both of us who found it.¡±


    (¡­Right.  Let¡¯s do that.)


    Jess slowly extended her hand towards the Wedge of Contracts.


    ¡°Mister Pig.¡±


    Hearing Jess call me, I turned and saw her brown eyes looking straight at me.  Long eyelashes.  Small nose.  Thin lips that were smiling slightly.


    Jess didn¡¯t touch the Wedge of Contracts, and blinked with a serious expression.


    ¡°I can believe in Mister Pig, right?¡±


    (¡­What do you mean?  I¡¯ll never betray you.  Don¡¯t worry.)


    ¡°Erm, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    Jess seemed to be looking for the right words.  After hesitatingly opening and closing her mouth, she spoke.


    ¡°Mister Pig is working very hard for the sake of the royal dynasty, for the sake of the Yesmas, and for the sake of the Liberation Army.  I don¡¯t have the slightest doubts about this.¡±


    The light shining in from the open ceiling made Jess¡¯ eyelashes glisten melancholically.


    ¡°We were able to come this far because of Mister Pig¡¯s help.  I somehow feel that, as long as I¡¯m with Mister Pig, I¡¯ll be able to change the world.¡±


    (Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.  Believe me.)


    ¡°Of course I believe you.  But, I¡¯m a little worried¡­¡±


    (What are you worried about?)


    The sound of flowing water could be heard from somewhere far away.  Jess¡¯ hand stopped before the Wedge of Contracts and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Even after you¡¯ve finished everything that needs to be done by accomplishing the things you can do, one by one, like this¡­  Mister Pig, you¡¯ll always stay by my side, won¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    It was as if she was saying, if I didn¡¯t promise her that, she won¡¯t take the Wedge of Contracts.


    (I don¡¯t know what the future will hold, but right now, let¡¯s do the best we can together.  During this time, I¡¯ll always be by your side, Jess.)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about right now.¡±


    By the time I realized it, Jess looked like she was about to cry.  I immediately looked down.


    ¡°Lately, it feels like you¡¯ve been slowly trying to distance yourself from me, Mister Pig.  Why?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like me anymore, please tell me so.¡±


    (No, it¡¯s definitely not that I don¡¯t like you-)


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you dislike, I¡¯ll change.  I¡¯ll even do my best to learn naughty things.  So please, please don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    The corners of Jess¡¯ eyes glistened with tears.  I can¡¯t handle tears.


    (No, it¡¯s not that there something about you that I dislike, so you don¡¯t have to do your best to learn naughty things.  I won¡¯t leave your side, so don¡¯t worry.)


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    (Truly.)


    ¡°I can believe that you intend to stay with me forever, right?¡±


    (Yeah, I want to be with you.)


    It wasn¡¯t a lie.


    Jess stared at me for some time.


    (It¡¯s a tough world, but let¡¯s pursue happiness together.)


    I never thought I¡¯d have the chance to say those words so seriously in my life.  With utmost sincerity, I returned Jess¡¯ gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    Jess whispered, and wiped her tears with her sleeves before they spilled.


    ¡°If you disappear again, I¡¯ll make sure to chase you to the ends of the world.¡±


    Jess, who was smiling, appeared to be serious when she said that.


    Her gaze turned towards the stone pedestal, and her beautiful fair-colored fingers touched the great treasure of Mestria.


    The Wedge of Contracts shone so brightly that it was hard to believe it was an ancient item.

 Volume 3 - CH 3

    ¡°I want you to meet someone immediately.¡±


    King Markus reluctantly agreed to Shulavis¡¯ request.  Although he¡¯s not normally that benevolent of father, he couldn¡¯t disregard the words ¡°He seems to know how to kill the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    While Shulavis went to pick up ¡°that guy¡± from outside the capital, Markus sat in the same throne from when he welcomed Nott at the Golden Sanctuary previously, and kept bouncing his leg impatiently.  Wies sat next to him in a wooden chair; Jess stood next to Wies; and I sat next to Jess.


    That being said, when Wies and Jess are side by side, I can¡¯t help but think about beauty.  A straight nose; and a small, round nose.  Eyes brimming with mature confidence; and eyes filled with youth that appear anxious.  Long, elegantly flowing hair; and short, tidy hair.  A bold dress that exposes her shoulders; and a firmly defensive outfit.  And above all, a pair of big boobs; and a pair of modest boobs.  Regardless of which point, most will probably prefer the former, but my opinion is the opposite for all of them.  It¡¯s not that I¡¯m a lolicon, but if it¡¯s between an older sister attribute and a younger sister attribute, I would ultimately choose the younger sister attribute.  Because to me, a younger sister is-


    ©¤Um¡­ Onii-san?  Everyone¡¯s able to hear this¡­


    I was telepathically chided by little sister Jess, and I turned my attention towards Markus and Wies.  Markus continued looking forward and bouncing his leg, and Wies was looking down at me like she was eyeing a pig.  This isn¡¯t bad either.  The supreme joy of being scorned by an intellectual older sister!


    (I sincerely apologize.  Please pretend you didn¡¯t hear that.)


    It¡¯s not appropriate to reveal all my sexual preferences to a country¡¯s king and queen.


    As I thought that, Markus sighed in disinterest.


    ¡°Needless to say, I don¡¯t have time to worry about a pig.  Think all you want.¡±


    How magnanimous!


    The Golden Sanctuary quieted down after that.  It was still in the morning.  The west-facing stained glass windows didn¡¯t take in any light and remained dark.  Even the spacious hall decorated with marble felt somewhat dim.


    A period of silence passed.


    With a loud creak, the large front door facing us opened.  It appeared to be cloudy outside, but it was still brighter outside than inside the sanctuary.  The silhouette of a man and a dog could be seen.


    After the door closed, the man and dog walked towards us.  They were Shulavis, and a large white dog.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought him here, Father.¡±


    Shulavis stepped away from the dog slightly, and it became a scene with a dog sitting in front of the king, who sat on the throne and bounced his leg.


    ¡°This is not what you said.  Where¡¯s the person you wanted me to meet?¡±


    Markus turned towards Shulavis.


    ¡°He¡¯s the dog, Father.¡±


    ¡°The dog¡­?¡±


    The large white dog suddenly stood on his hind legs before the scowling Markus.  The dog¡¯s figure wriggled and stretched vertically.  Five seconds after the grotesque transformation, a man stood there.  A black string was hung around his neck, and at the end of it, a transparent tetrahedron stone shone.


    The man immediately knelt on the marble floor and bowed deeply.


    ¡°I came here because I heard the royal dynasty was in a crisis.  I¡¯m sorry for disappearing for so long.¡±


    The man raised his head.  He had long curly hair, a goatee, and the same grey eyes as Markus¡¯, which were shining brightly.


    ¡°Hortis.¡±


    Markus spoke slowly in a low voice.


    The atmosphere was so tense, it felt like it could actually irritate my skin.  Markus stopped bouncing his leg, and seemed to be quietly suppressing his surprise.


    Hortis kept his composure, and cheerfully said to Markus, ¡°Elder Brother, have you lost some weight?¡±


    Wies was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t say a word.  That¡¯s no surprise.


    ¡°Before worrying about me, why don¡¯t you get dressed?¡±


    The king on the throne said emotionlessly to his naked brother.


    ¡°Please forgive me.  After all, I¡¯ve remained as an animal for a long time, so I¡¯ve completely forgotten the habit of wearing clothes.¡±


    Hortis stood up temporarily, created a white cloth in the air with a smooth motion, and wrapped it around his body.  After getting dressed, he bent his knees and knelt on the floor again.  During this time, Wies and Jess quietly averted their eyes.


    ¡°¡­We haven¡¯t met since the monastery, huh.  What have you been doing for the past five years?¡±  Markus inquired calmly.


    Did he think showing his surprise was the same as showing his weakness?


    ¡°I sealed my magic and ability to speak, and spent the entire time living as a dog.  I hunted and lived beside the lover of a girl who was murdered after escaping the monastery; and together with that young man, we escorted another girl to the capital.¡±


    Hortis¡¯ eyes turned to Jess.  Startled, Jess shrank back.


    Markus glanced at Jess and let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Abandoning the royal dynasty wasn¡¯t enough for you, so you supported a Yesma and became a traitor¡¯s dog?  Even sentencing you to death three times over wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°We, who Vatis-sama¡¯s blood flows through, transcend the laws of this country.  It¡¯s written on the first page of the law.  There¡¯s no reason for me to be given a death sentence.¡±


    Markus snorted.


    ¡°You bookworm.  In the current royal dynasty, I am the law.  I decide whether or not to kill you.¡±


    In contrast, Hortis raised his voice and laughed.


    ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Brother.  Even though we finally got to meet again, isn¡¯t saying that a bit too much?  Anyhow, inside your heart, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking about how you just got another pawn, so why don¡¯t you just be honest about being happy?¡±


    Towards the brothers who were exchanging words like a serious swordfight, we outsiders could only remain silent.


    ¡°Indeed, having another mage in our camp is something to be happy about.  Naturally, it was your fault in the first place that we had one less person.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it.  That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to make amends.  Currently, I¡¯ve brought with me what Elder Brother wants the most.¡±


    Markus lifted his chin slightly as if interested.


    ¡°The Spear of Destruction?¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m hiding a spear on me?¡±


    Hortis puffed out his chest while still kneeling, and the pointed tetrahedron glittered around his neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Wedge of Contracts.  I retrieved the last one left in Mestria.¡±


    Only this time, Markus couldn¡¯t hide his surprise.


    ¡°The Wedge of Contract¡­?  If so, when did you-¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Hortis showed his teeth.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take a bookworm lightly, you see?  Only monkeys believe the only way to win is by being stronger.¡±


    I could see blood vessels popping up on Markus¡¯ fair-skinned temple.


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about winning and losing, Hortis, then I only have to kill you right now for the great treasure to be mine.¡±


    Hortis smiled like he had just heard a joke.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.  During this situation where you have to kill an immortal mage who¡¯s able to use a sure-kill curse, killing me, who has immediate war potential, would be nothing but a loss for Elder Brother after all.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll seize it.¡±


    ¡°Even if you seize it, there¡¯s no way Elder Brother would personally go to kill the enemy.  It¡¯s a mission with deadly risks.  It¡¯ll probably be me or Shulavis that takes the field anyway.¡±


    Hortis looked to be in control of the conversation.  Markus was evidently annoyed, as he tapped the armrest of his throne with his index finger.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking as if the Wedge of Contracts can kill the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°Of course it can.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the method?¡±


    ¡°The Wedge of Contracts doesn¡¯t just bestow magic power to non-mages.  When used on a mage, it can trigger ecydessa.  We just have to drive it into the enemy¡¯s heart to dispel the immortality magic.¡±


    Seemingly impressed, Markus had a smile on the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll take on that duty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.  As long as Elder Brother swears by Vatis that the Liberation Army will be able to live in peace.¡±


    ¡°I see.  A deal, huh?¡±


    From his throne, Markus turned his head and glanced at the statue of Vatis displayed behind him.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s settle things quickly.  In the name of Vatis-sama, I will swear peace with the Liberation Army once you kill the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    Hortis nodded approvingly and stood up.


    ¡°Now then, Elder Brother, tell us your plans for the battle.  Where¡¯s the Northern Army ¨C the surreptitious sorcerer?  I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve looked into it already, since it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Markus rearranged his leg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.  I¡¯ve already sent advance parties to various locations.  The investigation has long since been completed.¡±


    This was the first time I was hearing about this.  My ears pricked up.


    ¡°I sent advance parties to multiple locations, but only one of them didn¡¯t return.¡±


    Markus smiled fearlessly and raised his index finger.


    ¡°Little brother of mine, I order you to capture the Send-Off Island.¡±


    ¡°The Send-Off Island¡­  I heard it¡¯s a very frightening place.¡±


    It was early in the afternoon, and the two of us were chatting in the inner courtyard of where Jess lived.  Under the sky covered in white clouds, a cool autumn breeze blew by, and several tired-looking butterflies fluttered about.


    Jess sat in a white-painted chair on the grass, slowly rocking her bare legs.  I wandered around the area, looking for a scenic point where the hem of her skirt wouldn¡¯t get in the way.


    (Is it that scary of a place?)


    ¡°Yes.  Mestria is a large, connected piece of land with practically no islands.  Though it¡¯s because Vatis-sama sank them all¡­  Even so, it¡¯s said that the remaining islands, for whatever reason, have terrifying things lurking on them which are different from what can be found inland.  No one from this country dares go near them.¡±


    What does she mean by sinking the islands?  Though I wondered that, Jess likely meant it literally.  It meant Vatis, the strongest mage in history who ended the Dark Ages, had that much power.


    (Hm, well, the reason why it¡¯s scary is only because people believe it is.  What¡¯s more important right now is that the Northern Army is using the Send-Off Island as a base of operation.  If we can capture it, everything will be over in one fell swoop.)


    Jess pressed her lightly clenched fist against her chest and bent down towards me.


    ¡°Are you really planning on going, Mister Pig?¡±


    I recalled the audience held earlier.  Using the Wedge of Contracts we obtained, Hortis successfully concluded the negotiations, and it was decided that he will lead the combined forces of the Liberation Army and the royal army to the Send-Off Island.  The victory condition for this expedition ¨C killing the surreptitious sorcerer, is the final requirement for the Liberation Army to be safe.  On top of that, Shulavis decided to participate in this expedition, and asked that I come with.


    (Yeah, that¡¯s the plan.)


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go as well.¡±


    I looked at Jess with serious eyes.


    (No, it¡¯s dangerous.)


    ¡°Then please don¡¯t go either, Mister Pig.¡±


    (Why?)


    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Jess stared at me with an expression that said ¡°Why won¡¯t you understand that?¡±


    (It¡¯s my role to assist Shulavis and mediate his relationship with the Liberation Army.  This is an important moment.  Even if I have to take a risk, I want to become his strength.)


    ¡°I understand how you feel, Mister Pig, because it¡¯s the same for me.¡±


    I looked back at Jess.


    (Jess, you also wants to become Shulavis¡¯ strength?)


    Jess¡¯ cheeks then blushed faintly.


    ¡°N-no!  ¡­Ah, well, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help¡­  And of course I would be very happy to be able to help Mr. Shulavis, but¡­¡±


    Jess became flustered and stumbled on her words.  So what exactly did she mean by ¡°the same for me¡±?


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.  Even if means taking a risk, I want to do everything I can to become Mister Pig¡¯s strength.¡±


    I was taken aback.


    In my mind, the figure of the cute girl sitting before me had started to look a little different from before.  No, Jess-taso is of course still as oinkingly cute as ever before.  But the weak, na?ve, defenseless young girl that I¡¯ve been protecting was no longer there.  The girl sitting in front of me was a mage who¡¯s diligent in her studies, and only slightly defenseless.


    (¡­Your feelings make me really happy, but all I want is for you to be safe and sound, Jess.)


    Jess¡¯ bare legs stopped swaying, and the hem of her skirt blocked the view.


    ¡°I also want you to be safe and sound, Mister Pig.  I¡¯m still a mage who¡¯s experienced ecydessa the same number of times as Mr. Shulavis.  It may not be enough to provide any combat potential, but I think it¡¯s enough to help you.¡±


    (That may be true¡­ but you still haven¡¯t mastered a lot of magic, right?)


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m still lacking, but¡­¡±


    Jess slightly lifted her hands up from her knees.  I immediately felt a tickle on my stomach.  Even after I jumped back in surprise, something was still tickling my stomach.  As I snorted and rolled on the ground, I realized that a few strands of especially long grass growing from the lawn had moved on their own and came to tickle my pork belly.


    ¡°Will you surrender, Mister Pig?¡±


    No matter where I go, the grass there would tickle me.  I rolled around on the ground.


    (Stop it, I know you can use magic.  I can¡¯t breathe.)


    It¡¯s not often that you get to be teased by a cute girl using magic, but I can¡¯t tell her that I wanted more of it.


    ¡°So you want to be teased even more?¡±


    Jess got up from her chair, squatted down in front of me, and started tickling me with both her hands and the grass.  My entire body was being tickled from top to bottom, there was no escape.


    Oiiiiiiiiiiiink!


    (I surrender, Jess.  Please stop now.)


    The tickling stopped.  While lying on my back, I looked up and saw Jess¡¯ panties in front of me.  I froze after seeing a pair of panties at the closest distance in the history of virgins.


    Jess let out an ¡°Oh¡± as she stood up hastily, before continuing to talk.


    ¡°¡­I can also heal your wounds, Mister Pig.  And when Mr. Shulavis is busy, I can help you speak.  It¡¯s always been like so.  Mister Pig and I are as one.  Please don¡¯t try and separate from me.¡±


    Still lying on my back with my limbs extended in the air, I asserted.


    (I¡¯ve said this many times before, but it¡¯s dangerous.  Last time at the mountain castle as well, we both nearly died.)


    Jess nodded firmly.


    ¡°I understand that fully well.  It¡¯s precisely because these times are so turbulent that I wish to be with Mister Pig.¡±


    I felt a stabbing sensation deep in my pig heart.  I was reminded of some words that I heard before.


    ©¤Um¡­ Can¡¯t I stay here with you?


    It was a question that a courageous young girl posed to an insensitive, handsome guy.  Why was it that my heart ached when I saw Celes?  What did I actually come back to Mestria for?


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t continue to be afraid of that moment.


    (Right.  I also want to be with Jess as much as possible.)


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I rolled over and stood up.


    (Alright.  In that case, there¡¯s something we have to do before departure.)


    ¡°Special magic training, right?¡±


    (Yeah.  Please find some tools for me as well.  We have three days until departure.  Let¡¯s think about what we can do together and practice them thoroughly.)


    The training grounds in the capital are made of sturdy stone and appear to be reinforced with magic so that they wouldn¡¯t break even if a crazy person went on a rampage inside.  There were several fields of different sizes, and we chose the smallest training ground among them.


    Though I say it¡¯s the smallest, the place was still big enough to fit three tennis courts.  It was a simple oval stadium built from hollowing out a white rock and filling its floor with gravel.  The beautiful blue sky during the autumn morning was clipped into an oval shape, and the finely shredded clouds could be seen being blown away by the wind.


    We reserved the training ground, so there was no one else but a cute girl and a pig around.  The space surrounded by high walls was quiet, only the sound of us stepping on gravel could be heard.


    ¡°So it¡¯s finally time for our special training!¡±


    Jess spoke excitedly, as she helped me equip anklets onto my forelegs.  The anklets had three different colored ristas, and were prepared by Shulavis.  They¡¯re an enhanced version of the one Nott gave me in the past.  Not only can this excellent tool manipulate water, it can also control fire and electricity to some extent.


    I waited for both anklets to be attached to my leg as I watched the girl crouching in front of me.  Her delicate hair, soft cheeks, elegant nape ¨C and when my gaze shifted, they finally landed on the dreamy, unexplored region that was sandwiched between two gentle hills.  It was a fantastic view.  If this event happened every time, I wouldn¡¯t mind training every day.


    ¡°Um, I can hear everything¡­¡±


    After she finished helping me equip them, Jess stood up with a wry smile.


    (Sorry, it was because you were so close¡­)


    As if she had given up on me, Jess responded with ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± while walking towards the center of the training ground.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do our best!¡±


    She struck a guts pose before her chest.


    ¡°Mister Pig, what do you think I should start practicing first?¡±


    I stood face to face with Jess, and conveyed to her.


    (We don¡¯t have that much time, so let¡¯s focus on powering up your strongest moves to their highest level before the expedition, Jess.)


    ¡°Strongest moves¡­  Right now, I can only do something like make fuel explode¡­¡±


    (That¡¯s fine.  You greatest strengths, Jess, are your ability to create various types of fuels and your firepower.  Your firepower should be perfect, so let¡¯s practice using different fuels depending on the combat situation.)


    Jess nodded seriously.


    ¡°I agree with that, but¡­ there¡¯s one problem-¡±


    Regarding that, I¡¯ve already thought of a solution.


    (Jess can burn monsters like Orgs, but not humans, right?  I understand.  That¡¯s why I had you put these anklets on me while slightly revealing your chest.)


    I lifted my feet while Jess discontentedly straightened her collar.


    (I can use the power to manipulate water for handling the fuel you create.  These can also create fire for igniting the fuel with, or send an electrical shock that can be used to detonate the fuel from a distance.  Jess makes the fuel, and I use it to attack with.  Simple, right?)


    ¡°I see.  In other words, the two of us will work together to use magic!¡±


    I nodded.


    (First, I want to see how much fuel you can make.  For now, could you please try to create the maximum amount that you can?)


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    With enthusiasm, Jess raised her right hand towards the sky forcefully.  She tightly shut her eyes for some time, and appeared to be concentrating.  After a few seconds, the sunlight was suddenly blocked, and our surroundings darkened.


    Just as I was wondering what was going on, I looked up at the sky and saw a transparent sphere that was so big it completely covered the arena ¨C it was a mass of liquid that looked like a pond had been flipped over and was floating over our heads.


    (Wai-, what are you doing, Jess?)


    Hearing my frightened words, Jess tilted her head in doubt.


    ¡°What am I doing¡­?  I¡¯m just creating fuel that¡¯s the size of this training ground?¡±


    Stop it with your another-world-cheat-like phrase.


    (No, this is dangerous!  What are you going to do if it falls?  Please get rid of it first.)


    Seemingly displeased, Jess pouted as she flicked her wrist and clenched her hands that were open.


    With a bang and sploosh, the sphere disappeared, and the autumn sun shone on the gravel again.


    ¡°Even though I did my best because Mister Pig told me to create the maximum amount¡­¡±


    (Sorry.  Since you can create that much, we shouldn¡¯t need to worry about it.  Thank you.)


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a big deal.  I¡¯m glad I got to surprise you, Mister Pig.¡±


    She¡¯s so cute.


    (So, since the quantity seems fine, let¡¯s think about the quality next.  Jess, you¡¯ve done a lot of research and are able to create various types of fuels, right?  You even showed me the flame tests ¨C which means you can mix metal salts into the fuel.)


    ¡°Flame tests¡­?¡±


    (Remember those colorful flames you showed me the other day?)


    ¡°Oh, that!  When you mix it with salt¡¯s companions, color gets added.¡±


    (That¡¯s the one.  I want to apply that and do a little experiment.)


    Following my instructions, Jess created a ball of fuel in front of her and stirred it.


    ¡°Oh wow, it started becoming kind of sticky.¡±


    The ball of liquid floating in front of Jess became more viscous and slowly undulated.  This was something akin to napalm.  It¡¯s gelled by mixing aluminum salt from fatty acids with volatile fuel.


    (By doing this, it won¡¯t inadvertently vaporize and explode; it¡¯ll also stick to whatever you throw it at, making it impossible to be gotten rid of.  I can then light a fire.  Let¡¯s get some distance and try it out.)


    Jess extended her hand forward, and the sticky lump of fuel floated away from us.


    When I judged that it was far enough away, I locked onto it and raised my foreleg.  A wobbly fireball was launched from my pig feet and hit the fuel directly.  The fuel instantly burst in an orange flame and started burning.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s amazing!  It really didn¡¯t explode!¡±


    (Right?  I¡¯d be in trouble if I became a grilled pork after all.  Of course, depending on the situation, an explosion might be more effective.  Next, let¡¯s think of different combat scenarios and practice using varying fuels based on each situation, as well as nail down the ignition timings.)


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    (It¡¯s time for our special training.  You better keep up.)


    Two hours later.


    (Time out, Jess.  Give me a moment¡­)


    It was practice where Jess would conjure fuel, and I would ignite it.  Since she relentlessly created one batch of fuel after another, I ended up kicking my forelegs out alternately from side to side like I was performing a Cossack dance, which made my shoulder loins feel like they were going to cramp.  I collapsed on the spot in exhaustion.


    ¡°Aw, is it over already?¡±


    Jess walked over here with several blobs of fuel floating around her body.


    ¡°Mister Pig surprisingly doesn¡¯t have much physical endurance¡­¡±


    I¡¯m a former scrawny four-eyes, please cut me some slack.


    (It¡¯s already noon, so why don¡¯t we take a break?)


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s!¡±


    Jess used her magic to launch the masses of fuel so that they would all hit the wooden Org dummy set up in the distance.  With a quick raise of her hand, the dummy began blazing brightly.


    It looks like this cute girl is the type that you shouldn¡¯t offend.


    We moved to the open space outside the training ground and decided to enjoy our prepared lunch.  We had our back against a brick wall, and the sun brightly shined on the grass field.  The cool wind dried our sweat.


    Jess delightfully ate a sandwich made with ham and other things stuffed between hard bread, while I gobbled on a large number of apples beside her.


    ¡°¡­Mister Pig.¡±


    Jess spoke, and I looked up.


    ¡°Training together like this is a lot of fun.¡±


    (¡­Is that so?  I¡¯m glad to hear that.)


    Jess took a big bite into the sandwich, and swallowed.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of a battle, I¡¯m sure it would¡¯ve been more enjoyable.¡±


    It was a casual conversation, but I could sense Jess¡¯ desire for peace.


    (That¡¯s for sure.  Once this war is over, what kind of magic would you like to practice?)


    With her cheeks puffed out because of the sandwich, Jess looked at me in surprise.


    ¡°Uh corf ih ah o e ahi aat an-¡±


    (It¡¯s fine to answer after you¡¯ve swallowed.)


    After an audible gulp, Jess responded.


    ¡°Of course it has to be magic that can turn Mister Pig back into a human.¡±


    ¡­I see.


    (Right.  That¡¯ll definitely require a lot of magic practice.)


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll give it my all.  When Mister Pig turns back into a human, there¡¯s a lot things I want to do.¡±


    (¡­Such as?)


    When I asked cautiously, Jess looked away shyly.


    ¡°Such as¡­ it would be nice if you could pat my head.¡±


    Ah, okay.  I-


    Phew, I was relieved to hear such a cute answer.  I was worried about what to do there if it was a naughty request.


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t do anything naughty!  You really are a Mister Pervert.¡±


    While being scolded, I dropped my gaze and looked at the hooves that were each split into two.  I can¡¯t pat Jess with these legs.  She¡¯s always caressing and hugging me, but there¡¯s nothing I can do for her in return.


    As I was looking down, I saw Jess face me from the corner of my eyes.  She was smiling.


    ¡°¡­Sorry, now¡¯s not the time to be saying these things.  Let¡¯s continue our special training through the afternoon!¡±


    Jess finished the last bite of her sandwich and carefully folded the wrapping paper.


    (Right.  Even though we¡¯re on support duty, we¡¯re still participating in the battle.  Let¡¯s do everything we can to be prepared.)


    Jess clenched her right hand and responded with:


    ¡°Prepare yourself.  I¡¯ll make sure to train you thoroughly!¡±


    By strengthening four large ships owned by the royal dynasty with magic, a fleet was assembled in just three days for the Send-Off Island expedition.  They¡¯re powered by specially made giant ristas, and once they leave the port city of Niabel at sunset, they¡¯re supposed to arrive at the Send-Off Island by tomorrow morning.


    Shulavis, Jess, and I rode on the dragon and landed in Niabel in the evening.


    It hasn¡¯t even been a month since I met Jess here and got caught up in the Northern Army¡¯s raid, but the port was already revitalized, with the smell of roasted meat and seafood filling the air everywhere.  Though not catastrophically destroyed back then, the fort that still should have been severely damaged was completed restored to its original state.


    We walked along the heavily guarded pier towards the ships.


    ¡°Niabel is pivotal for our eastern front.  We¡¯ve quickly rebuilt since then and strengthened our coastal security.¡±


    Wearing Evis¡¯ invincible robe that deflected attacks and completely in combat mode, Shulavis explained while being blown by the strong sea wind.


    ¡°Thanks to this, we were able to regain the offense and gradually take back control of Mestria¡¯s mainland.  Once we destroy the sorcerer and his base tomorrow, everything should be over in no time.¡±


    Shulavis looked towards the east ¨C at the black sea that was embraced by the dark blue sky.  The Send-Off Island was said to be on the other side of the horizon.  A strong headwind blew past.  The fleet floating in the harbor had all their sails folded.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.  Frizzy-hair, emergency food, and the food¡¯s caretaker.¡±


    From behind, Itsune called out to us while toying with her greataxe.  She¡¯s a female officer of the Liberation Army, and fights with her greataxe wrapped in electricity.  She had her black hair tied closely behind her head, and still wore revealing clothes that laid her chest bare.  Her sharp eyes matched the aggression of her weapon.  Behind her was a girl with braided pigtails.  This girl was Litis ¨C or at least that¡¯s how Itsune called this Yesma.


    Once again, I took a closer look at Litis.  She had gentle-looking eyes, and prominent freckles on her cheeks.  Her limbs protruding from her green one-piece dress were long, giving the impression that she didn¡¯t know what to do with them.  And her boobs were bigger than Jess¡¯.


    As I wagged my tail at Litis¡¯ smile, a shadow appeared over my head.


    ¡°Oi, sleazy pig, if you dare lay your hands on Litis¡­  You know what¡¯ll happen, right?¡±


    Itsune¡¯s deep and menacing voice made me look up in fear, and I saw the finely sharpened blade of her axe just above me.  Small sparks crackled on it.  Itsune appears to hold extraordinary feelings for Litis, and I heard she keeps Litis close by at all times.


    (Sorry, my bad¡­  I was just looking, I won¡¯t do anything to her.)


    When I excused myself through Jess, Itsune hmphed and pulled back ¨C but the greataxe remained fixed above my head.  As if its coordinates had already been set, the axe refused to even budge when Itsune exerted force on it.  I used that opportunity to slip out from underneath the axe.


    ¡°What are you doing, frizzy-hair?  I¡¯m obviously just joking.  Let go.¡±


    Shulavis casted an incomprehensible look at the protesting Itsune.


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡±


    A small voice came from Jess, and Itsune was finally able to move her axe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Litis.¡±


    Itsune looked at Jess curiously before overtaking us and headed towards the ship.  Litis followed from behind.


    Shulavis asked Jess.


    ¡°Jess, did you stop the axe?¡±


    ¡°I-I think so¡­  Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.  Let¡¯s just hurry up and board the ship.¡±


    Shulavis quickly strode ahead.


    (Thanks for protecting me.)


    When I conveyed this to Jess while heading towards the ship, Jess looked at me with a sour face.


    ¡°I hate it when Mister Pig acts fickle.¡±


    She then abruptly turned away.  It looks like I made her unhappy because I was staring at Litis earlier.


    (It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Jess, there¡¯s a reason for that.)


    The gentle Jess immediately turned back around.


    ¡°Reason¡­?¡±


    (That girl, Litis, might be the key to our strategy this time around.)


    The Yesma that had been wandering around after losing her memories and was picked up by the Liberation Army.  I know her real name.  I deduced it based on the information I heard from Kento, a fellow otaku from Japan.  Her true identity, perhaps, could help us defeat the surreptitious sorcerer.


    (Shulavis, you made sure to bring it, right?)


    I looked at Shulavis, and he took out a stone from his robe.  It was a transparent, hexagonal-column-shaped crystal ¨C a black rista.  However, unlike normal ristas, the black color was concentrated in the center.


    ¡°Yeah, I did as you requested.  I reserved this separately from the ones meant for combat use.¡±


    (See Jess, it was a part of my plan.  Let¡¯s discuss the details on board.)


    However, Jess still didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°But chest size had nothing to do with this, right?¡±


    Urk.  I had nothing to say to that.


    (I couldn¡¯t help it, her chest was right there¡­)


    ¡°What a pervert.¡±


    Oink.


    As I delighted in being scorned by a cute girl, Shulavis urged us on by saying ¡°Hurry up and board already.¡±


    The sun had set, and the eastern sky was completely dark.  The ship we took was as large as a whale.  Its hull, covered in black metal, blended in with the slowly rocking dark sea.


    The headwind blowing from the east was as strong as usual, bringing with it an eerie coldness.


    Once the ship left the harbor, we were summoned to the captain¡¯s quarters.  Hortis, the ship¡¯s commander, and the officers of the Liberation Army were there.  Nott, Itsune, Josh, and even Litis.  Celes and Sanon were also in the corner of the room.


    Inside the ship that swayed with the waves, each one of us sat on a chair or wooden crate and listened to what Hortis had to say.


    ¡°This time, we¡¯re headed to the Send-Off Island.  Our objective will be to completely annihilate the Northern Army.  Once we land on the island, do everything you can to destroy and kill.  We must reduce the enemy¡¯s strength as much as possible.¡±


    In an instant, everyone but Hortis was left dumbfounded.


    Nott wrinkled his brows and got up.


    ¡°Oi, this is different from what we talked about.  Was the purpose of this expedition to reduce the enemy¡¯s strength?¡±


    ¡°¨CThat¡¯s what we want the surreptitious sorcerer to believe.¡±


    Hortis sat in the captain¡¯s armchair and raised his index finger with a smile.


    ¡°We know from our reconnaissance that the Northern Army¡¯s main forces are gathered on the Send-Off Island.  We¡¯re going to let them think that we¡¯re headed there to crush those forces.  I¡¯ll use magic to annihilate them accurately and flashily.  I want you all who will accompany me to do the same at the start.¡±


    Sitting on a wood crate with her legs spread, Itsune tilted her head while hugging Litis, who was seated between Itsune¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Well, we have no objections to that, but isn¡¯t our goal that immortal mage¡¯s head?  Is it okay to divide our forces to deal with other things?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem.  Or rather, if we don¡¯t do this, the surreptitious sorcerer probably won¡¯t show up.¡±


    Everyone silently listened to Hortis¡¯ words.


    ¡°The only time the surreptitious sorcerer acts is when he judges that he can kill a mage from the royal dynasty.  In fact, during our last battle at Matto, he showed up and stalled for time to try and lure out Shulavis.  That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to lure him out by giving him the impression that a mage is rampaging out there.  We¡¯ll look for the right moment and stab it into his heart then.¡±


    Hortis extended his arm out, and Nott was on the other side of it.  Nott then took out a colorless, transparent tetrahedron-shaped crystal that was attached to a string around the neck of his stole.


    ¡°The Wedge of Contracts.  When it¡¯s driven into his heart, the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s immortality magic is dispelled.  At that moment, the compensation for his eternal time will befall upon him, and the sorcerer will die.¡±


    Hortis¡¯ serious eyes, surrounded with smile wrinkles, looked at the members of the Liberation Army.


    ¡°It can be said that the only way for the Liberation Army to be recognized and protected by the royal dynasty is by killing the surreptitious sorcerer like this.  Protect the Wedge of Contracts with your lives, we mustn¡¯t lose it.¡±


    When Hortis finished, Nott tucked the wedge back underneath his clothes.


    There was a loud snort, and everyone¡¯s eyes gathered towards it.  The black pig, Sanon, walked forward.  Through Celes, he spoke to everyone.


    ©¤But will things really go that smoothly?  We have the advantage with the other party not knowing our intentions, so as an overview, I think that¡¯s good, but the Send-Off Island is the Northern Forces¡¯ territory.  We don¡¯t know what kind of traps are there, and there¡¯s no guarantee that there won¡¯t be surprise attacks from the surreptitious sorcerer.


    Was he doing it unconsciously?  The black pig was rubbing his body against Celes¡¯ leg.  Although what he said was reasonable, it would probably be a good idea if he kept a little more distance from her.


    ¡°Regarding that, it seems Pig-kun over here has an idea.¡±


    Hortis pointed at me, and the gazes that were focused on the black pig shifted to me.  Is this an animal show of pigs?


    Through Jess, I conveyed to everyone.


    (There may be one singular person on the Send-Off Island that can guide us.  Of course, that¡¯s assuming he hasn¡¯t been turned into wild boar stew already.)


    Beside me, only Jess gasped, while Hortis and Shulavis remained expressionless.  The others tilted their heads in puzzlement.


    (That perverted black pig over there and I both came to Mestria from a certain country with another companion, and I have reason to believe that that companion is being held captive by the surreptitious sorcerer ¨C likely in the form of a wild boar.)


    I informed Jess about this in the past ¨C the reason why, the day after Sanon and I retransferred to Mestria, the Northern Army burned down the village we were at.  That was because ?The Dark Knight Who Dances Till His Demise? keNto ¨C his name¡¯s too long, so I¡¯ll just call him Kento for short ¨C who was transferred at the same time as us, was captured by the surreptitious sorcerer and spilled the location where we were most likely to be at.  This was what I deduced, and was something that even the late former king endorsed.


    Information inside the capital is thoroughly managed, and the Liberation Army became difficult to probe after the alliance was established with the royal dynasty.  So from the perspective of the Northern Forces, Kento, who knows about the affairs here, would be a very valuable source of information.  Therefore, Kento shouldn¡¯t have been killed yet, and it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯s been staying beside the surreptitious sorcerer in the shadows.  This is what I speculated.


    (We¡¯re going to have our companion, who was captured as a boar, guide us.)


    Nott frowned.


    ¡°But Pig, isn¡¯t he in the hands of the Northern Forces?  How are you going to have him guide us when he¡¯s not free?¡±


    I raised my right foreleg and pointed it straight at the girl Itsune was hugging.


    (She¡¯ll be the one to play an active role here.)


    ¡°Litis?  Why?¡±


    Itsune questioned in a wildly confused tone.


    The braided girl who was suddenly given the spotlight looked at me in surprise.


    (Nott, do you remember the name of the Yesma who helped you get out of the arena?)


    ¡°It¡¯s Nuris.  But her true identity-¡±


    The black pig snorted in an astonishingly loud voice.


    ©¤Is that true?  No-kun, why didn¡¯t you tell me something this important?


    Nott appeared to be in a state of confusion as he stopped Sanon with his hands.


    ¡°Wait a minute.  The one who helped me and Bart escape wasn¡¯t a Yesma, but the king disguised as a Yesma.  I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about what happened back there, so I didn¡¯t say much, but¡­ why did the name of the Yesma that the disguised king use get you so excited?¡±


    ©¤No-kun, that¡¯s because the girl with that name actually exists.  In order to transform himself, he needed a template ¨C a Yesma who was originally forced to work in the north.  That girl¡¯s name was Nuris.  And Kento-kun, who was turned into a wild boar and is being held captive, was taken care of by that girl called Nuris the last time he came to Mestria.


    (So then the question becomes: where¡¯s the real Nuris?)


    Since we¡¯ve conveyed it to them this far, Nott and the other should understand why Litis is important.


    ¡°I see.  So they really weren¡¯t just different people that looked alike.¡±


    Nott looked at Litis.  After he escaped from the arena, he joined up with the Liberation Army at Niabel.  During that time, he thought that the Yesma who saved him from the arena, and Litis, resembled each other.


    (That¡¯s right.  This girl, who was wandering aimlessly after having completely lost her memories and was rescued by the Liberation Army, is actually the same person that took care of Kento in the north.  She¡¯s-)


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡±


    Itsune interrupted strongly.  The place fell silent.  Itsune wrapped her arms tighter and hugged the girl sitting in front of her.


    ¡°What are you all saying?  Don¡¯t you all call her Litis?¡±


    Litis had a bewildered look on her face while in the arms of the emotional Itsune.


    There was a reason as to why Itsune wanted to call this girl that they picked up, Litis.  It¡¯s because Litis was the name of the Yesma who had died and was close to Itsune; and that Yesma¡¯s bones were used to create the handle of Itsune¡¯s greataxe.


    Josh placed a hand on Itsune¡¯s shoulder.  The crossbow on his back was also made with Litis¡¯ bones.


    ¡°Calm down, sis.  Litis is Litis; this girl is this girl.  We don¡¯t mind what you call her, sis, but please don¡¯t force others to accept those feelings.¡±


    His sanpaku eyes, covered by his black bangs, gleamed as he glared at Shulavis.


    ¡°Sis shouldn¡¯t be venting her emotions on this girl, or the pigs.  It should be towards the people from the royal dynasty, who unreasonably executed Litis.¡±


    Shulavis looked uncomfortable as he tightly pursed his lips.  It¡¯s not Prince Shulavis who¡¯s at fault.  It¡¯s Evis, the king at the time, and Markus, the current king, who were in charge of enforcing the laws.  However, the fact that he didn¡¯t say those things here showcased his sincerity.


    ©¤There¡¯s nothing sincere about it.  I¡¯m simply bad at conversations.


    Shulavis read my monologue and silently conveyed that just to me.  Jess was watching the situation nervously.  No one¡¯s wrong here.  We¡¯re supposed to be comrades, fighting together.  Even so, the cruel thing about this world is that someone will get hurt, and they can¡¯t help but hate another for it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sort out what we know first.¡±


    Nott calmly opened with.


    ¡°The Yesma over there that lost her memories was originally named Nuris; and before she lost her memories, she was involved with someone called Kento.  Now that guy is a wild boar and is captured by the surreptitious sorcerer.  That should be everything.  So what are you going to do?¡±


    Hearing Nott bring up the subject, I took a step forward.


    (Shulavis, bring out the rista.)


    At my conveyance, Shulavis held up a special black rista.  It¡¯s a transparent rista with a dense black center.  It¡¯s a rista that exclusively works for Yesmas and activates their power of prayer.  This was a specially made rista that releases a powerful surge of magic power all at once.


    (We¡¯ll use the power of prayer.  She may not have any memories of it, but Kento was someone that risked his life to try and save Nuris in his previous transfer.  I¡¯m sure they have some kind of emotional bond.  We¡¯ll bet on that bond of theirs and have Nuris pray for Kento¡¯s freedom, and for him to come to us.)


    ¡°Is that even possible?  We don¡¯t even know where that Kento guy is right now.¡±


    Hortis grinned at Nott¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.  It¡¯s already been proven that the power of prayer will reach, no matter how far away a person might be.¡±


    Jess lowered her head slightly beside Hortis.  There¡¯s no doubt about it, since she¡¯s living proof that I could be pulled here from another world.


    The girl with pigtails looked quite confused, but she eventually nodded.


    ¡°¡­Understood.  I¡¯ll give it a try!¡±


    The gentle-looking girl¡¯s voice was clear and firm.


    ¡°Litis¡­¡±


    Itsune muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.  It doesn¡¯t matter if my name is Litis or Nuris, I will still adore Ms. Itsune.¡±


    The girl stood up.  And seeing this, Hortis rose to his feet seemingly pleased.


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s a pleasant and clear night.  Why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to pray under the stars?¡±


    Leaving the captain¡¯s quarters, we filed up the narrow staircase and out onto the deck.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Right next to me, Jess was looking up at the night sky.  I could no longer see the city of Niabel.  The black sea stretched as far as my eyes could see, and countless stars, scattered about like white sand that was spilt, shone in the dark sky.


    ¡°So the night sky held this many stars.¡±


    Jess whispered to me.


    (There aren¡¯t any city lights nearby, plus the wind is strong and the air is clear.  The conditions are good.)


    When I raised my head, I could see Jess¡¯ face against the beautiful starry sky.  As soon as she noticed, she turned towards me and gave a vibrant smile.  We then watched the starry sky together.


    My heart suddenly became painful, so I stopped looking at the stars.


    I trotted away from Jess.


    (Are you ready?)


    I was asking Litis ¨C or rather, Nuris ¨C who was kneeling at the bow.


    ¡°Yes.  I don¡¯t know if I can do it well, but¡­ for the sake of everyone in the Liberation Army, I¡¯ll do my best to pray.¡±


    Shulavis let his black robe flutter in the wind and held his hand out towards Nuris.


    ¡°Please use this rista.  Unlike normal ones, this one releases magic power all at once, but it will never harm you.  No matter what happens, I want you to stay calm and focus on your prayer.¡±


    Nuris nodded deeply and accepted the rista with her long, slender fingers.


    There was a raised wooden stage at the bow, and everyone from the captain¡¯s quarters gathered there.  Nuris knelt at the front of the ship, facing the sea, and clasped the rista in front of her chest.  Beyond her, the stars above the Send-Off Island could be seen.


    Itsune was right next to Nuris, watching over her with concern; and Josh quietly eyed Itsune from behind.


    After staring at the starry sky for a while, Nuris gently closed her eyes.  Yesmas are a race that prays to the stars.  Jess, Celes, and the late Brace must have gazed at the night sky like this.


    A moment of silence passed.


    Nuris, with her eyes still closed, muttered.


    ¡°I can see a leg that¡¯s bound by chains.  It¡¯s a hairy leg.¡±


    Hortis ran up to her and whispered softly from behind.


    ¡°Right.  You¡¯re going to free that leg, and tomorrow morning, he¡¯ll come to the west coast to pick you up. ¨C Can you pray that, Nuris?¡±


    ¡°Okay.  I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡±


    Nuris closed her eyes tightly and prayed to the stars.


    The air suddenly shook with a boom.  There wasn¡¯t a sound, but the air pulsated once, as if there was a giant heart somewhere.


    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±


    Josh softly murmured.


    A large shooting star flew across the sky before us.  Another flew by.  And another.  Around five shooting stars streaked across the sky in front of us and disappeared towards the Send-Off Island.


    Our ship, which advanced using the power of a rista, didn¡¯t slow down despite the headwind.


    Although we were headed towards the islands where the surreptitious sorcerer lurked, amidst this fear, a ray of hope shone.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to arrive.  Get ready.¡±


    I was woken up by Shulavis¡¯ voice, and got up.  Something slipped from my abdomen and hit the cloth-covered floor with a thud.


    ¡°Nyafuuun¡­¡±


    It was Jess¡¯ head.  Did she use me as her pillow?  I wondered, as I saw her bed head stick out from the side.


    ¡°Huh¡­ is it breakfast already?¡±


    I conveyed this to Jess, who was still half asleep.


    (We¡¯re riding a ship right now.  We¡¯ll be at the Send-Off Island soon.)


    We of the royal dynasty slept in the captain¡¯s quarters, which was specially protected with magic.  Shulavis opened the door and quickly left.  Hortis looked at us smilingly.


    ¡°You two sure get along well.  I can¡¯t help but almost feel jealous.¡±


    He sounded like a perverted father who also wanted to sleep together.


    (I was just being used as a pillow though¡­)


    When I conveyed that, Hortis grinned, revealing his white teeth.


    ¡°Is that really the case?¡±


    Then he left the captain¡¯s quarters.


    (Did you sleep well?)


    When asked, Jess nodded while rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Yes.  But I felt like I had a strange dream where I was eating an everlasting ham that wouldn¡¯t shrink¡­¡±


    Come to think of it, I also had a strange dream where I felt like my ear was being nibbled on¡­


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Oh.


    We pretended not to have noticed anything and prepared to leave.  Jess helped me put on the silver anklets with three different colored small ristas on both my forelegs.  They¡¯re the same things I used during training.


    After readying up, we also climbed onto the deck.


    In stark contrast to last night¡¯s starry sky, the sky was now a thinly overcast white sky.  The same cold wind continued to blow.  When we headed to the bow, I could see an island in the direction we were headed towards.  On our left ¨C in other words, to the north, there was a dark, rocky island whose contours climbed gently up to a volcano.  The volcano was emitting small plumes of smoke.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be nearing the island in less than half an o¡¯clock.  Those who haven¡¯t had breakfast yet should eat first.¡±


    Hortis let his Roman-like white robe flutter as he stood steady on the pillar that protruded from the bow.


    While gobbling the apples that Jess gave me, I observed our surroundings.  The sea was rough, but our four magically stabilized ships were advancing steadily.  The ship we were on was the center of the fleet, leading the way.


    Even though there might be artillery fire, everyone seemed awfully calm.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Pig, there¡¯s nothing to worry about yet.¡±


    Shulavis assured me while eating the lettuce-looking vegetable in his hand.


    (Why¡¯s that?)


    His mouth was full of that vegetable, and after swallowing, Shulavis faced the direction we were headed.


    ¡°Battles that involve full-fledged mages are basically one-sided suppression.¡±


    I wondered if he was referring to the pervert that was flashing his hairy thighs on the bow¡­


    While I was thinking that, a flash of light exploded on the shore of the Send-Off Island, and a black ball flew straight towards us.


    (Watch out!)


    I immediately got down on the floor to protect Jess.


    ¡°Hya!¡±


    Along with the destructive impact, the sound of the ship splintering and cracking resounded ¨C or so I expected, but there was no noise.  There was just Jess below me, who was wide-eyed and had been pushed down onto her back.  The apple that fell from Jess¡¯ right hand rolled across the deck.


    The soldiers kept walking around as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­¡±


    Jess¡¯ face was dyed red.


    ¡°What are you doing?  Are you in heat this morning?¡±


    Josh coldly said while looking down from his bangs at the pig pushing a cute girl to the floor.


    (That¡¯s not it, it¡¯s because the cannonball was¡­)


    Although I conveyed this and used my nose to point at the front, I don¡¯t think Jess helped relay it, as Josh simply passed by us.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  Virgin-kun hasn¡¯t experienced it yet.¡±


    A grinning Hortis looked back from the bow.  A cannonball was floating still about 100 meters in front of him.


    ¡°Let me show you the techniques of someone who¡¯s underwent ecydessa fifteen times and is Mestria¡¯s most skilled mage.¡±


    Even as he said that while looking this way, more light detonated from the Send-Off Island and multiple cannonballs flew at us at high speeds.  However, they also stopped in place near the same spot as the first one.


    ¡°Hit them back before they hit you.  That¡¯s my motto.¡±


    The next moment, a sound like something ripping through the air occurred, and the stationary cannonballs disappeared ¨C no, they didn¡¯t disappear.  Instead, the cannonballs flew in the opposite direction from where they came from, towards the Send-Off Island, while maintaining their original speed.  Before I knew it, the coast of the Send-Off Island was enveloped in exploding flames, and after some time, there was a loud boom.


    ¡°The absolute amount of movement remains the same, only the direction of the movement was reversed.  That way, the cannonballs go straight back towards the cannons that fired them.  I can efficiently destroy the enemy¡¯s cannons this way.¡±


    Now I understand what he meant by one-sided suppression.


    ¡°Um¡­ Mister Pig, could you please get off me?¡±


    Hearing that, I remembered I was on top of Jess.


    (Sorry, I forgot.)


    I hurriedly moved aside, and Jess stood up embarrassed.  Shulavis turned a blind eye and ate his veggies beside us.


    Was it because he had nothing better to do?  Hortis was looking over here with a wide smile.


    ¡°A mage that has yet to experience ecydessa is generally considered to have the strength of one soldier.  But every time they undergo ecydessa, their combat power is doubled.  After experiencing it once, they¡¯ll have two soldiers worth; after experiencing it twice, they¡¯ll have four soldiers worth; and so on.  Now, let¡¯s calculate how terrifying a mage can be.  Are you good at arithmetic, Virgin-kun?¡±


    You don¡¯t need to be good at arithmetic to understand the horrors of exponential functions.  Even if a piece of paper is only 0.1 millimeters thick, fold it once and it¡¯ll be twice as thick, folder it twice and it¡¯ll be four times as thick, fold it 25 times and it¡¯ll be almost as tall as Mount Fuji ¨C naturally, this assumes you have a piece of paper that¡¯s big enough to be folded that many times.


    ¡°Our Shulavis has experienced ecydessa four times.  In other words, by multiplying by 2 four times, his combat power is roughly equivalent to 16 soldiers.  I¡¯ve experienced it fifteen times, which means-¡±


    (32,768 soldiers?)


    A proud-looking smile surfaced onto Hortis¡¯ face.


    ¡°Naturally, our royal blood is a bit special.  I believe the more times we experience ecydessa, the more we deviate from the approximation value from using the power of two.  Though ecydessa doesn¡¯t stops occurring until the age of 25 or 26, for an ordinary mage, it¡¯s rare for most to even experience it 10 times by then.¡±


    I mean, even 10 times is 1,024 soldiers worth.  That¡¯s the equivalent of a peerless warrior¡­


    >TL Note: Ò»òTµ±Ç§ is an idiom that more literally means someone is a match for a thousand, and was translated as a peerless warrior here.


    There was another round of cannon fires from the Send-Off Island, but Hortis reflected them all back without even looking.


    Doubling is an absurd amount of increase, so it can be assumed that, as the number of times you undergo ecydessa increase, the deviation should lean towards being less than the law of doubling.  But even with that in mind, some terrifying facts still remain.


    Hortis grinned, showing off his teeth.


    ¡°Now do you under how terrifying the royal dynasty is?  Elder Brother Markus and Father Evis are commanding people who have underwent ecydessa 19 and 21 times respectively.  A simple calculation would put Elder Brother as having the combat power of 520,000 soldiers, and Father as having the combat power of 2,100,000 soldiers.  Fitting of the adjectives strongest and greatest.¡±


    I was so dumbfounded my mouth was agape.  I confirmed something with Jess.


    (Hey, how many times did you say Vatis, the found of the royal dynasty, underwent ecydessa¡­?)


    ¡°According to the records, it was 43 times.¡±


    Two to the 43rd power.  Assuming two to the 10th power is 1,000, doing a rough calculation gets you¡­


    (Then Vatis¡¯ combat power is¡­ 8 trillion¡­?)


    It¡¯s already on a scale that I can¡¯t even imagine.


    ¡°It might as well be considered the realm of gods, right?  And traces of it still flow through the bodies of us royalties.  Although the power she obtained by almost completely using up the Wedges of Contracts scattered across Mestria is gradually fading, it¡¯s still being passed down from generation to generation.  Whilst I hate the term, the royal dynasty has always arrogantly called that authority ¡®god¡¯s blood.¡¯¡±


    I thought I heard those words from somewhere before.  It turns out, it was when Shulavis spilled the beans and was making an excuse for being a virgin.


    The prince, who was sitting on the railing and eating veggies indifferently, suddenly began coughing.


    ¡°I see, I see.  Even though my nephew has such a cute woman as his fianc¨¦, he¡¯s still maintaining his chastity.  How commendable!¡±


    Despite the fact that the ship was approaching the island, Hortis laughed heartily without any feelings of tension.  He¡¯s like that one sexually harassing old man that always shows up at family gatherings.  What is this, the Jinnouchi family?


    >TL Note: Summer Wars reference.


    Not wanting to see Jess¡¯ expression, I walked over towards Hortis.  As I looked in the direction of our travel, I spotted streaks of smoke rising from the coast of the island.  I suddenly realized something.


    (Mr. Perv-, no, Mr. Hortis.)


    ¡°What is it, Virgin-kun?¡±


    (You said you sent all the cannonballs back at where they were fired, right?)


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s correct.  My calculations shouldn¡¯t be wrong.  They should¡¯ve been fired back with pinpoint accuracy.¡±


    (I can see several smoke trails, but all except one are closely spaced in fives.  Since they have to carry cannonballs, it should be more convenient for them to place the cannons together.)


    ¡°I agree.  Naturally, another reason is because they¡¯re using Yesma collars to power five cannons at once.¡±


    I see.


    (But there¡¯s one standalone trail of smoke rising.  Don¡¯t you find that odd?)


    ¡°It is strange.  I fired back twenty-five cannonballs in total, so it should be neatly divisible by five.¡±


    (In other words, that smoke trail isn¡¯t coming from the cannon setups.)


    Did he figure out my thoughts?  Hortis nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!  Our landing site has been decided!  Prepare your landing crafts!¡±


    At Hortis¡¯ order, the ship became hectic.


    Jess came up to me and asked, ¡°How was the landing site determined?¡±


    I was reassured by the curiosity-filled girl¡¯s usual expression, and conveyed this.


    (Each cannon setup has five cannons lined up.  However, there¡¯s 26 trails of smoke.  One of them is out of place.  That smoke isn¡¯t from the perverted bastard firing the cannonballs back.  That guy likely took advantage of the chaos and used it to signal us.)


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s Mr. Kento¡­!¡±


    (Yeah, that¡¯s probably the case.  Although he¡¯s got some pretty peculiar habits, he¡¯s someone that can think properly and rationally.  If he wants to send us a message, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do it in a way that we expect him to without doing anything strange.)


    Kento is a high school boy, and a bookish otaku.  He also goes by ?The Dark Knight Who Dances Till His Demise? keNto.  He seems to have pretty good grades, and is an honors student at an ordinary high school.


    I turned around when my back was poked, and saw that it was Celes, smiling behind me.  A black pig was nuzzling her legs.  As per usual, he was sticking way too close to her.


    ¡°Mr. Shitty Virgin, Mr. Sanon has something to say.¡±


    From the corner of my eyes, I could see Jess puffing her cheeks out.  I ignored it and turned my attention to Sanon.


    ©¤So we¡¯re finally going to meet up with Kento-kun.


    The black pig was looking at the standalone smoke trail.  It looks like he came to the same conclusion as I did.


    ©¤He was cornered to the point of revealing our location in the north, wasn¡¯t he?  I hope he¡¯s doing well and able to freely act.


    I knew very well what Sanon was trying to say.  Before the transfer, Kento was someone who made a firm promise with us to save the Yesmas.  However, he already leaked our information once, so it¡¯s doubtful whether he can be completely trusted.  Not to mention, if the prayer didn¡¯t work well and he¡¯s still in the hands of the surreptitious sorcerer, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that the smoke trail was a trap.


    (Shulavis already assured me that the shooting star was a sure sign that something had happened.  If Nuris prayed for Kento, then he must be on the Send-Off Island, and something miraculous must have happened to him.  We also have the royal dynasty¡¯s most skilled mage here, so be more confident.)


    ©¤You¡¯re right¡­  I just couldn¡¯t get rid of this bad feeling I was having, so I figured I would talk to you, Mr. Lolipo, to calm myself down.  As expected, I¡¯m feeling relieved now.  Thank you.


    The black pig was stroked by Celes, and his tail wagged.  Celes was smiling cutely, but I felt there was some unease spilling onto her face.


    I took a step forward and neared Celes¡¯ legs.  There was a nice smell that was different from Jess¡¯.


    (Celes, are you alright?  Is there something you would like to discuss?)


    Astonished, Celes shook her head as hard as she could.


    ¡°No, not at all!  Um, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Celes glanced behind me, and when I looked, Jess was pouting with her arms crossed.  Oh¡­


    Celes left as if she was fleeing, and the black pig chased after her.


    Although Sanon and Celes both appeared uneasy, in the end, I didn¡¯t know what that was about.


    ¡°Mr. Shitty Virgin, if you keep looking at other girls, then I won¡¯t pet you ever again.¡±


    Hearing her reprimand, I returned to Jess¡¯ side.


    (Sorry.  I figured I should remember her smell for when we split up, just in case of an emergency where we need to find their whereabouts¡­)


    Jess covered her mouth after an ¡°Oh¡± and blushed.


    ¡°Is that so?  I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It was partially meant as an excuse, so I ended up feeling bad instead.


    (No, it¡¯s fine.  It¡¯s true that I thought a thirteen-year-old girl¡¯s legs smelled nice after all¡­)


    When I verbalized it, it didn¡¯t sound just a little bit disgusting, but very disgusting.


    ¡°Um, Mister Pig?¡±


    I looked up after hearing that, and saw Jess shyly lifting the hem of her invincible robe.


    ¡°Would you like to smell me too¡­?¡±


    Jess was showing me her legs.  I almost jumped at it with oinking excitement, but I had to hold back here.


    (That¡¯s alright Jess, because I won¡¯t leave your side for even a moment.)


    We split up into the small landing crafts and quickly headed towards our destination.  Our surroundings were unnaturally round and distorted, and the coast of the island was like a dot, as if we were looking at it through a microscope.  We were told Hortis was bending the direction of light so that we couldn¡¯t be seen from the island.  As for us, it seems we were using ultrasonic waves to detect our surroundings.  This way, our opponents can¡¯t find us, but we can grasp their movements when they act.


    Although he¡¯s a perverted shitty old man, his words seemed trustworthy, and he¡¯s quite reliable.


    Despite the coast being very rocky, Hortis instantly froze the seawater to create a pathway, allowing the 1,000 troops to finish disembarking in the blink of an eye.  Along the coast, the anchored royal dynasty ships began shelling in a completely different direction, distracting the Northern Forces from discovering our already invisible landing operations.


    Without magic, it would be impossible to land this many people undetected.


    We were at a rocky area where jet-black lava spread.  After advancing for some time, we reached a sparse pine forest that could be considered on the verge of being completely withered, which black smoke was rising from.


    Led by the perverted mage in a white robe, the royal army, dressed in black camouflage armor, formed irregular groups and marched on.  The Liberation Army and us ragtag group moved while under their protection.


    ¡°Master, are you okay?¡±


    I heard a boy¡¯s voice, and turned towards it.  Nott was walking with a slight hunch while the boy named Bart placed a hand on his back.  Bart was the kid Nott rescued from the arena in the north while being held captive, and he was around the same age as Celes.  He had brown hair that was cut short, and his eyes resembled those of a puppy¡¯s.


    Nott seemed to be trying his best to act normal, but he had his black stole pulled up to underneath his nose, and his brows were furrowed.  Could it be that Celes¡¯ unease was¡­?


    With Jess¡¯ help, I called out to Nott.


    (Hey Nott, are you alright?)


    A pair of dark blue eyes stared fiercely at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m seasick.  It won¡¯t affect me during the battle, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nott picked up his pace and left as if to run away.


    (¡­Was it really turbulent enough to get seasick from?)


    When I questioned that, Jess also tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°The ship barely swayed at all¡­  Maybe Mr. Nott isn¡¯t feeling well somewhere.  I could tell from his inner thoughts that he was forcing himself.¡±


    I see.  It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Celes, who has been observing Nott closely, noticed something.


    The advancement suddenly stopped, and I turned my attention to Hortis, who was leading the way.  He was extending his hands out his sides, signaling everyone to stop.


    ¡°Sanon-kun, Virgin-kun, please come here.¡±


    We stepped forward after being called.  On top of a black rock, before entering the pine forest, there stood a thin and small animal.  It had stiff, dark brown body hair, a long nose, and a pair of tusks that protruded slightly from its mouth.  It was a wild boar, and it was staring right at us.


    ©¤It must be fate (inevitable) that we were to meet.  I¡¯ve been waiting, my friends (everyone).


    A boy¡¯s somewhat annoying voice resounded in my mind.  In order to retain his peculiar atmosphere, I would like to keep his unique word choices in parentheses.  This is unmistakably ?The Dark Knight Who Dances Till His Demise? keNto¡¯s ¨C Kento¡¯s way of speaking.


    >TL Note: Replace word(s) prior to a parentheses with what¡¯s in the parentheses to read the exact words Kento used.


    The boar appeared to throw his head back proudly.


    ©¤Our encounter (meeting) is by no means a coincidence.  Magic (A miracle) has set me free from my restraints, and magic (my dream) has guided me thus far.  Mr. Lolipo, Mr. Sanon, you two must have lent me your guidance.  You have my gratitude.


    We two pigs nodded.  The three four-eyed otakus who retransferred to Mestria ¨C the three pigs who came back to save the Yesmas, have reunited here.


    (I¡¯m glad we were able to regroup.  Glad to see you¡¯re alive and well, Kento.)


    As I conveyed this, I heard the sound of someone running from behind me.  The footsteps came right next to me.  It was Nuris.


    ¡°You must be Mr. Kento¡­¡±


    While saying that, she took another step forward from beside me.


    The boar¡¯s small eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the girl.  I couldn¡¯t hear what kind of conversation they were having, but there was a gurgling cry from the boar¡¯s mouth.  The boar slowly came over here, and placed his nose on the girl¡¯s leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t have any memories.¡±


    Nuris¡¯ voice sounded like she was muttering to herself.  The boar shook his head slightly.  Nuris crouched down and hugged the boar.  A tear fell from the boar¡¯s eyes.


    While looking downwards at the two, Hortis, spoke in an unusually serious voice.


    ¡°If she didn¡¯t have an emotional bond, this kind of miracle could not have happened.  Even if she doesn¡¯t remember it, your dedication has been engraved somewhere in her heart.¡±


    Boom ¨C the ground roared, and we could see a plume of smoke rise from the distant volcano.


    Hortis looked at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get going.  I don¡¯t know how that mage will interpret your escape.  Are you able to lead the way?¡±


    The boar then left Nuris and faced us.


    ©¤The old man¡¯s stronghold (The destination) is at the foot of that volcano.  There are many traps (tricks) along the way, but do not worry, as my mind (brain) knows exactly where to go.


    After conveying that to us, Kento turned around to face the volcano.


    ©¤Now, let the counterattack (games) begin.


    Since Kento was able to join up with us, we initiated our flashy battle plan.


    It¡¯s a plan where we¡¯ll make our opponent think that our goal is to annihilate the Northern Army and destroy the island to lure out the surreptitious sorcerer who will target our mages; with that opening, we¡¯ll have a small unit take the sorcerer down.  The annihilation unit will be led by Hortis, and the small unit will be led by Shulavis.  Jess and I will be supporting Shulavis.


    There¡¯s only a handful of members in the small unit.  Kento, who¡¯s our guide; Nott, who¡¯s in charge of protecting the Wedge of Contracts; Josh, who will handle shooting the Wedge of Contracts into the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s heart; Bart, who will watch our surroundings; and Sanon and Celes, who will support them from the rear.


    We grouped up and stayed behind the annihilation unit for now, hiding ourselves on a slightly higher up rock and observing the invasion unfolding.


    Now that Kento couldn¡¯t be accidentally killed, Hortis and Itsune, who were leading the annihilation force, had no reason to hold back.  After passing through the pine forest, we arrived at an open space Northern Army garrison.  We immediately launched a fierce attack on the Northern Army that was about to take their positions.


    The banquet of destruction and slaughter begun.


    We simply watched the overwhelming disparity in strength.


    One after another, Hortis crushed our enemies with bolts and explosive flames.  Those who escaped Hortis were hunted down one by one by the soldiers from the royal army and Liberation Army, which were led by Itsune.  Even Orgs, monsters that were three meters tall, were no match for Itsune and the mage.  Hortis¡¯ flames would burn the Orgs to their bones, and Itsune¡¯s greataxe would decapitate the Orgs in one blow.  The cannonballs from the enemy¡¯s side were all returned to where they were fired, as usual.  The battle situation could only be described as being one-sided.


    ©¤Well, unlike on mainland Mestria, they don¡¯t have to worry about their citizens, so this is quite the advantageous development.  I¡¯m sure the other side has no other choice but to send out their mage.


    Sanon conveyed to me with satisfaction.


    Next to him, Kento nodded.


    ©¤The traps (tricks) can only be found near the volcano.  The opposing side will probably retreat while luring our army there, and then hit us with the old man.  Let us pass through where there are no traps (tricks), and surprise (blindside) the old man.


    Something suddenly caught my attention.


    (You say no traps, but are there really places like that?)


    The boar bared its tusks and grinned.


    ©¤You know about those monsters (Orgs), right?  Their factories (manufacturing facilities) are on this island, and they¡¯ve been running at full force up until this morning.  I¡¯m certain they¡¯ve retreated in a hurry in fear of our raid, so they haven¡¯t had time to set up traps (tricks).  We just have to go through there.


    (Got it.  That should also mean there aren¡¯t any traps in places where the Northern Forces were using for themselves.)


    ©¤Exactly (Sono toori desu).


    The offense from the combined army from the royal dynasty and Liberation Army was truly unstoppable.  The sound of metal clashing and roars of explosions receded into the distance.


    While looking away from the carnage, Jess asked me, ¡°Org factories¡­  I wonder how those creatures, the Orgs, are created.¡±


    Orgs are giant humanoid monsters covered in thick skin.  I also understand how terrifying they are.


    (That¡¯s certainly something that concerns me.  Did the royal dynasty not look into it?)


    When I directed the question towards Shulavis, he replied while still observing the battle development.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t investigated ¨C or rather, we haven¡¯t had time to investigate.  They¡¯re enemies that a mage or a well-trained platoon can easily take down, so how they¡¯re born wasn¡¯t a matter worth pursuing.¡±


    ¡°Right, everyone did seem to be quite busy¡­¡±  Jess followed up with.


    During the three months I was gone, Jess had been living with the royal family.


    (Since I came back, the king and queen appear to be quite busy¡­  Was it like this before as well?)


    ¡°Yeah, every important secret matter and decision was already being handled by the royal family, so the routine workload alone looked tiring enough.  Add on the rebellion in the north, and Evis-sama¡¯s death¡­ I¡¯m certain that they¡¯re working at the literal expense of their life.¡±


    An absolute monarchy isn¡¯t easy either.  After all, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any laws for labor standards in this world.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Mother¡¯s health.  She¡¯s even been drinking Magic Energy lately¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I heard Shulavis¡¯ murmur.  Obviously it was in Mestrian, but no matter how you look at it, he had to have used a term that could be translated as ¡°Magic Energy.¡±  Magic Energy???


    >TL Note: ħ„ˆ was used by Shulavis, and in Japan it¡¯s used to refer to energy drinks, especially Monster Energy.  I translated it as Magic Energy here.


    Jess explained it to me from the side.


    ¡°Ms. Wies was drinking it when we went to ask about the location of the Cave of Oaths.  It¡¯s a drink that allows you to stay awake by expending magic power, but I was told it isn¡¯t good for your body¡­  I¡¯ve tried it once before, but I couldn¡¯t sleep for an entire night, and it made my body itch.  It was quite problematic.¡±


    (Body itch¡­?)


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask impulsively, which led to Jess covering her mouth after a gasp.


    ¡°U-um¡­ that¡¯s not it!  I-I didn¡¯t do anything shameful!¡±


    Judging by her flushed face and panicking expression, it sounds like something shameful did happen.  I¡¯m a little curious, but we¡¯re currently in the middle of a battle, so let¡¯s put a stop on that.


    Shulavis took out a vial containing some blue liquid and showed it to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a bottle here, would you like to try it, Pig?  It¡¯s said that if someone other than a mage drinks it, it would melt their teeth, burn their throat, and dissolve a hole in their stomach.¡±


    (I¡¯m definitely not drinking it.)


    ¡°I was kidding.¡±


    Really now?  I decided I¡¯ll drink a green ¡°Magic Energy¡± when I return to my country.


    As we were talking, Hortis contacted Shulavis with the magic shell.


    After conversing for a while, Shulavis addressed us.


    ¡°It seems the enemies around this area have been wiped out.  Uncle said he¡¯ll continue proceeding to draw their attention, and he wants us to use that opportunity to approach their stronghold from the side and investigate the situation.¡±


    Nott and Josh both stood up to indicate their agreement.


    We rushed through the forest under Kento¡¯s guidance.  The island wasn¡¯t that large, so in less than 30 minutes, we arrived at one end of the Org factories that Kento mentioned.  The factories were scattered around the volcano and connected by roads like a mesh.  As long as we proceed down these roads, we should be able to avoid any danger.


    The Org factories were located on desolate, rocky lands that emitted an awful stench.  While remaining vigilant of our surroundings, we slowly stepped inside.  Volcanic rocks had been dug down into here and there, like a hot spring made from stone, and a bright red liquid pooled in them.  Was the liquid rotten or something?  It bubbled viscously while steaming out a fishy smell.


    ¡°Are the Orgs created here?¡±


    At Shulavis¡¯ question, the boar affirmed with a nod.


    ©¤It seems they were cultivated (nurtured) in this liquid.  They were also fed some kind of meat.


    Meat¡­?


    We moved forward while observing the factory.  Nott covered his nose with his stole, and Josh held his sleeve against his mouth.  Bart had a face like he was about to vomit.  Celes walked behind Nott with unease and stroked the black pig, who clung to her.


    I walked beside Jess and sniffed around.  Since they withdrew in a hurry, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising at all if they left behind some traces of their Org production.


    ¡°Mister Pig, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Hearing what Jess said, I looked at the place slightly outside, where the ground was whitish.


    (What¡¯s that, I wonder.)


    After looking at her surroundings warily, Jess asked.


    ¡°Should we go take a quick peek?¡±


    It was about 50 meters away.  We walked briefly, and learned the truth of the white thing.


    They were bones.


    A large quantity of human bones were discarded there, bleached from their exposure to the sun and wind.  The dense smell of death drifted from the mountain of bones.


    ¡°Mister Pig, that bone looks strange¡­¡±


    I looked at where Jess was pointing and saw a distorted skull had fallen there.  The right half was a normal-looking human skull, but the left half was swollen unevenly and beyond recognition.


    On closer inspection, I saw many other distorted bones.  All of them appeared to be trying to grow bigger than their original sizes, with some even being longer than Jess¡¯ entire arm.


    An unpleasant suspicion crossed my mind.  This was an Org factory.  It¡¯s as if-


    ¡°Sorry Mister Pig, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    Jess looked at me with tears in her eyes.  I nodded without saying anything.


    After we returned to Shulavis, he stopped and stared intently at something that had fallen in the crack of a rock.  Did a bottle break?  There was shattered glass everywhere.


    A singular organ had fallen in the crevice, and a few flies were buzzing around it.


    Jess held her breath and placed a hand against her chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s a uterus.¡±


    Shulavis quietly stated.


    I can probably imagine how the Orgs were created.


    I recalled what Jess read from the history book.


    ©¤It said that a mage¡¯s uterus holds a tremendous amount of magic power that can act as a source of life.  Although an ordinary person will be cursed if they consume a large amount of it, if a mage consumes a large amount of it¡­ they can obtain the magic of immortality.


    Distorted human bones that appeared to swell.  A fallen uterus.  The magic power that enables mages to attain immortality doesn¡¯t bestow the same thing to ordinary humans, but rather, it transforms their bodies into these monsters.


    My mood plummeted to the ground in this absolutely disgusting place.  Jess placed her hand on my back.  Just as I was about to turn and look at her, an ¡°Ah¡± came from Celes from behind.


    ¡°Mr. Nott!¡±


    I hurriedly turn around, only to see Nott lose his balance and was about to collapse onto the ground.  Celes tried to hold him steady, but they both fell over.  Immediately, the black pig protected them.  Celes and Nott fell on top of the black pig in a heap.


    Despite his pathetic oink, Sanon became a cushion to protect those two.


    (What happened?!)


    It definitely wasn¡¯t just him being seasick or the likes.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, hang in there!¡±


    Celes raised her upper body and held Nott.  She removed his stole, exposing his mouth and nose.


    At that moment, everyone lost their words.


    Nott¡¯s neck was densely covered in a black, mesh-pattern bruise.  The bruise had passed his chin, covered his mouth, and was approaching just below his nose.  Nott had kept his stole on the entire time to hide it.


    Nott rested his head on Celes¡¯ lap, panting painfully.


    Shulavis looked nervous as he vigilantly guarded our surroundings.


    ¡°¡­This is the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s curse.  When exactly did he get cursed?¡±


    If he was cursed without knowing it after arriving on this island, then this would be a shocking development.


    But I don¡¯t think this was the case.


    (It was much earlier.)


    I thought back.


    (It was when Nott escaped from the northern arena and had Celes heal his injuries on the ship.  At the time, he had a small bruise on his throat.  He must have been cursed when he was imprisoned in the arena.  Even if Celes¡¯ prayer healed all the other wounds, it couldn¡¯t heal that bruise.)


    Celes looked at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Um, the curse is¡­?¡±


    Shulavis tore open the clothes on Nott¡¯s chest.  The Wedge of Contracts and glass pendant hanging around Nott¡¯s neck laid on his chest, which looked as if it had been splashed with ink.  The abnormally fine mesh pattern densely covered his skin.


    It was the first time I saw Nott¡¯s pendant, and etched on it was the portrait of a girl.  A mischievously smiling Yesma who wore a collar and looked somewhat similar to Jess.  She was Nott¡¯s beloved ¨C Ys.


    Nott¡¯s chest rose and fell abruptly as he seemed to breathe in painfully.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, are you okay?  Mr. Nott.¡±


    Celes called out while gently touching his cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­  I can get up on my own.¡±


    Nott responded like he was sleep-talking as he turned his body.  However, he slipped from Celes¡¯ lap and was hastily re-embraced by Celes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t move¡­ Mr. Nott, I¡¯ll heal you immediately¡­¡±


    Celes whispered in an almost crying voice.


    Shulavis got up, ignoring Celes, who couldn¡¯t understand the situation and was teary-eyed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good.  The curse is advancing.  It might have already reached his brain or spinal cord.¡±


    He then took out the shell, placed it to his mouth, and shouted into it.


    ¡°Uncle, please come here quick!¡±


    Hortis rushed over in the form of Rossi, transformed back into a human, and immediately squatted down to examine Nott without putting on any clothes.  No one retorted to this anymore.


    Nott slightly opened his eyes and looked at Hortis.  On the other end, the naked Hortis observed and palpated Nott¡¯s neck with a serious gaze.


    ¡°So this is the curse that killed Father.  It¡¯s certainly troublesome.¡±


    Josh opened his sanpaku eyes and approached Hortis.


    ¡°What do you mean?  Explain.¡±


    Hortis took a deep breath and created a robe to wear around his body.


    ¡°This bruise is an incurable curse that even killed the previous king.  It seems Nott-kun¡¯s strong will has been suppressing its advancement, but it still managed to reach his brain.  If it continues to spread-¡±


    He glanced at Celes in hesitation before painfully continuing.


    ¡°He¡¯ll surely die.¡±


    Tears fell from Celes¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Please¡­ tell me you¡¯re joking.¡±


    The brave girl¡¯s words made Hortis slowly shake his head.


    Celes became speechless.


    Perhaps due to Nott losing his physical strength, the cursed bruise spread at a visible speed.  It was slow, but it had already crept up Nott¡¯s cheeks and was beginning to cover his eyes.


    Nott groaned in pain.


    ¡°Curse, huh¡­?  Am I¡­ going to die in a place like this?¡±


    Thunder began rumbling in the distant sky.  When I came to my senses, the sky above the island was already covered in dark and thick clouds.


    Jess and Shulavis, who knew about the curse, could only watch over them with pale faces.  The method to dispelling the curse was limited, and the odds of achieving it were extremely slim.  The reason why Jess was able to survive the curse was because, with some help from Evis, the conditions overlapped miraculously.


    (Mr. Hortis, is there no other way?  Could we maybe use the Wedge of Contracts?)


    I asked him like I was clutching at straws, but Hortis kept his head down.


    ¡°Magic depletion is a phenomenon that only occurs in mages.  Even if you stab Nott with the wedge, it will only grant him magic power, the curse won¡¯t disappear.¡±


    Nott¡¯s bruise completely covered his eyes.  It was as if ink had bled through as the whites of his eyes were dyed black.  Furthermore, the curse was reaching out towards his neat eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark¡­¡±


    A pair of desperate eyes gazed at Nott, who muttered that with his eyes still open.


    ¡°No, Mr. Nott.  I don¡¯t want this, I don¡¯t want you to die¡­  Mr. Nott¡­¡±


    Celes lamented in a trembling voice as her tears wet Nott¡¯s face.


    The sound of fighting came from afar.  We surrounded Nott, frozen in place by the sudden tragedy.


    Suddenly, Hortis looked at Celes¡¯ face, which was soaked in tears.


    ¡°Celes-kun, do you have the resolve to give up your life for Nott-kun¡¯s sake?¡±


    Before I could ask him what he was talking about, Celes nodded vigorously.


    Hortis pressed his lips together, and with his hands, touched Celes¡¯ cheeks.


    ¡°¡­Then do what you want.  It¡¯s the only way to save Nott-kun.¡±


    His earnest voice, which we haven¡¯t heard up until this point, caused Celes to look at Hortis with her large eyes.  Hortis slid his coarse hands down from her cheek and touched her collar.


    Click.


    There was a soft noise, and the collar split into two.  Hortis quickly removed the silver collar that was supposed to be protected by magic from Celes¡¯ neck.


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Shulavis appeared agitated, but Hortis stood up and stopped him.


    ¡°Celes-kun¡¯s soul was screaming.  I simply released her cry.¡±


    All eyes were concentrated on Celes, who sat on the ground with Nott¡¯s head resting on her lap.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Celes?  What¡­¡±  Nott asked in a hoarse voice.


    Celes quickly covered his face.


    For a moment, it felt like time was flowing slowly.


    Celes¡¯ thin lips approached Nott¡¯s black-stained lips¡­ and gently overlapped.


    Next to me, Jess gasped.


    It was a clumsy kiss from a clumsy girl.  Celes closed her eyes tightly and desperately pressed her lips against his.  We silently watched the scene.


    It¡¯s probably not a good idea to stare, I should look away ¨C as I thought that, I noticed something.


    Celes¡¯ mouth was being dyed black.


    By the time I realized Hortis¡¯ intentions, Nott¡¯s bruise was rapidly fading, and instead, Celes¡¯ cheeks and neck were starting to be covered in a black mesh pattern.


    She was bearing the curse in his place.


    Just like how Jess saved me when I was stabbed by the surreptitious sorcerer, Celes was trying to take on Nott¡¯s curse.  The reason why her collar was removed was to channel Celes¡¯ ardent wish to save Nott into magic.


    Because before being a Yesma, Celes was a mage.


    The black clouds above us parted, and the sunlight descended like a ladder.  It was as if the distant sky above was trying to welcome a young girl.


    Nott coughed, and Celes released his lips.  While Nott took a deep breath and sat up, Celes, whose face and neck were dyed jet-black, fell to the ground.


    Her small head hit the rock floor with a thud.


    ¡°Celes!¡±


    Nott, who had returned to normal, let out a sharp voice.  There were no longer any bruises on his skin.


    As had happened before, the positions were reversed.  This time, Nott knelt beside Celes, who was lying on her back against a rock.  Nott held the back of Celes¡¯ head with his hand, and raised it.


    ¡°Mr. Nott¡­¡±


    Celes had her eyes open slightly, and the terrifying black bruise spread from her mouth onto her skin.  Nott looked at Celes blankly with his still pale face.


    ¡°Celes, stay strong.¡±


    Anxiety and despair surfaced onto Nott¡¯s face.  On the other hand, Celes¡¯ face could even be considered at peace.


    ¡°Mr. Nott¡­ what did my kiss taste like?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying at a time like this?¡±


    Celes firmly opened her eyes and looked straight at Nott¡¯s face.


    ¡°Was there¡­ Ms. Ys¡¯ taste¡­?¡±


    Celes¡¯ dying breath voice made Nott¡¯s long-lashed eyes open wide.


    From Nott¡¯s throat came a voice that sounded like he had to squeeze it out.


    ¡°¡­Idiot, how could there be something other than your taste?¡±


    Celes smiled happily.  Eighty percent of her face was already covered by the bruise.


    Hortis quietly weaved his words.


    ¡°I decided to release the collar¡¯s seal so that Celes¡¯ earnest wish could be fulfilled.  To be able to bear the curse on behalf of another like this is a miracle of love that surpasses magic and cannot be fulfilled unless she wished for it from the bottom of her heart.¡±


    Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.  Cold rain began to fall.


    No, I can¡¯t let it end like this.  With the dying girl in front of me, I used my nearly paralyzed brain to think.  That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t solution very simple?


    It¡¯s the Wedge of Contracts hanging around Nott¡¯s neck.  If we stab Celes with this, her life will be saved.  Celes, whose collar was removed, is already a mage.  If she¡¯s a mage, then ecydessa can be triggered, and the curse will disappear.


    Hortis frowned and pursued his lips tightly.  What is he hesitating for?  Why isn¡¯t he doing something so obvious?


    Hortis turned to look at me.  His long hair drooped like blinds, hiding eyes.


    ¡°The Wedge of Contracts is a great treasure that can only be used once.  If we lose it, we forfeit our means of killing the surreptitious sorcerer.  That will put the Liberation Army in a precarious situation.¡±


    Celes¡¯ neck had lost her strength, and her face, which looked like it was wearing a black mask, turned towards us.


    ¡°Everyone, please¡­ don¡¯t bother with me¡­ protect this country instead.  The Wedge of Contracts isn¡¯t meant to save an insignificant life such as mine.  Please¡­ use it to defeat the enemy of Yesmas.¡±


    Celes desperately moved her small lips to speak.  Only her eyes were not dyed black as they shone brightly and turned to Nott¡¯s face for one last gleam.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy¡­ that I was able to be of use to Mr. Nott in my final moments.¡±


    With a gaze like someone had passed by him, Nott¡¯s dilated eyes turned to Hortis.


    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?  Are you saying if I use the Wedge of Contracts, Celes will be saved?¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Hortis nodded in affirmation.


    Nott¡¯s hand was pressed against his chest.  His pendant with Ys engraved on it, and the Wedge of Contracts were there.  Nott was visibly lost.


    The Wedge of Contracts is currently the only item that can kill the surreptitious sorcerer.  If we don¡¯t kill the surreptitious sorcerer with it, and instead expend it on our ally, we¡¯ll definitely be punished severely by the royal dynasty.  The Liberation Army will be put in a predicament.  It¡¯s unimaginable that Markus would overlook this.


    Nott couldn¡¯t escape his position as the leader of the Liberation Army.  His hand refused to stab the wedge into Celes¡¯ chest.


    It was then, a small hand punched Nott¡¯s cheek and took the Wedge of Contracts from his neck.  It was Bart.  Before anyone could stop him, the boy, whose pure eyes were wet with tears, swung the sharp tip of the Wedge of Contracts down towards the center of Celes¡¯ chest.


    It was in the blink of an eye.


    A dazzling light radiated from Bart¡¯s hand.  We couldn¡¯t see anything as our eyes were blinded by the flash.


    And then the light withdrew as abruptly as it had emanated.


    Bart slumped onto the floor.  The Wedge of Contracts was not in his hands, or Celes¡¯ chest.  The only change was Celes¡¯ skin.  The cursed bruise had completely disappeared.  Celes had closed her eyes, and was now breathing steadily.


    Nott looked at Bart in surprise.


    ¡°Bart, you-¡±


    ¡°Master, you stupid idiot!¡±


    Bart shouted with all his heart.


    ¡°Why were you trying to let Celes die without helping her?!  She adores you!  Where did my Master, who cried because a Yesma died, go?!¡±


    Nott bit his lower lip without rebutting.  He raised Celes¡¯ upper body and tightly hugged her.  From the sharp corner of his eye, a single tear trickled down.


    ¡°Bart¡¯s right.  I¡¯ve become a stupid person.¡±


    In the rocky area drifting with a foul odor, we watched in silence for the moment as the hero shed tears.


    No one blamed anyone for using the Wedge of Contracts.


    As ill luck would have it, Itsune¡¯s shout came from Shulavis¡¯ shell.


    ¡ºHurry up and back us up!  Our soldiers are turning completely black and dying one after another!  Not to mention a large army is coming from the front!  If you don¡¯t come quick, we¡¯ll all be wiped out!¡»


    With a pale face, Shulavis asked Hortis.


    ¡°Uncle, do we retreat?¡±


    We¡¯ve already used up our trump card, the Wedge of Contracts.  And on the Northern Army¡¯s side, the surreptitious sorcerer seemed to have already made his move and was attacking our coalition army from somewhere.  It wasn¡¯t possible to fully commit with magic attacks either in this state where all the soldiers were intermixed, which could lead to the sorcerer taking advantage of that opening to attack us.


    ¡°No, if we retreated on top of using up the Wedge of Contracts, Elder Brother will not keep quiet.  Furthermore, if they move away from this island, we won¡¯t be able to use Kento-kun to our advantage, making it more difficult to corner the surreptitious sorcerer.  We¡¯ve got no choice but to go for it.¡±


    ¡°But Uncle, the Wedge of Contracts was-¡±


    Hortis gestured at Celes¡¯ collar in his hands.


    ¡°This was a fortunate error.  We won¡¯t be able to kill him, but we still have one method of sealing the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    In his hands, the silver Yesma collar that could seal a person¡¯s magic power faintly glowed.


    ¡°This is all my responsibility.  I¡¯ll figure something out.  Let¡¯s hurry up and track down the surreptitious sorcerer.¡±


    With Kento leading us, we decided to move through the Org factories and attack from the Northern Army¡¯s rear.  Although the rocky area was very open and we could see ahead of us, because the location was surrounded by forests, we shouldn¡¯t be easily spotted from afar.  It benefitted us, who were attempting to backstab our enemies.


    Hortis was running in front.  Nott ran with a serious expression while carrying Celes on his back, and Shulavis carried Celes¡¯ collar.  The black pig ran beside Nott with a worried look.


    Hortis informed us his plan.


    ¡°I will attack the Northern Army.  It¡¯ll probably draw a lot of attention, but the surreptitious sorcerer won¡¯t be able to curse me without getting close, so he¡¯ll probably use Orgs and the likes to set something up.  Shulavis will use this time to find his position and put the collar on him.  Nott-kun and Josh-kun will support Shulavis alongside Jess and Virgin-kun.  But don¡¯t forget, prioritize your safety, everyone.  The only one who needs to be reckless is me.¡±


    The coalition army¡¯s annihilation unit pushed quite far towards the volcano and was fighting in a vast wasteland that seemed to have been formed by a huge lava flow.  By the time we had arrived, it already started raining like a waterfall.  While being drenched, we identified the situation from the shadow of the forest in front of the wasteland.


    The Northern Army, geared in hard metal armor, and the coalition army, equipped with black leather armor, fought each other in the heavy rain.  It appears our arrival coincided with the influx of enemy troops.  Itsune led the charge, scattering electricity everywhere, leaping around like an acrobat, and swinging her greataxe.  Her physical abilities were out of the ordinary.


    There were around 1,000 soldiers from coalition army, and the number of Northern Army troops coming to engage with them appeared fewer than that.  However, the Northern Army had Orgs.  There were dozens of them, and they swept away the coalition army soldiers with their log-like spears.


    Fierce collisions of blades.  Explosions that were a mix of mud and flesh.  The rain was mixed with the dark red blood.


    The gruesome killing was not a sight anyone would want to witness directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving it to you, Shulavis.¡±


    Hortis leapt out from the shadow of the woods without hesitation and floated into the air while swirling countless pumice stones from his surroundings.  He was like a tornado monster.  This created a situation where the Northern Army was being attacked from their rear side.


    Hortis created dozens of walnut-sized bullets around his body and shot them at hypersonic speed towards the Orgs.  Each time, the bullet¡¯s trajectory would glow and be followed by a high-pitched explosion.  Even if the enemies shot arrows at him, they would be repelled by his veil of pumice and miss their target.


    The sudden attack caused the Northern Army to break their formation as they began scattering to escape from Hortis.  Probably because he was worried his bullets would hurt our allies, Hortis attacked cautiously and didn¡¯t attempt to overwhelm our enemies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move.  Kento, where is the surreptitious sorcerer most likely to head towards?¡±


    At Shulavis¡¯ question, the boar leaned his head to the side and pondered.


    ©¤It could be near the Org factories (manufacturing facilities).  He¡¯s been there many times so it should be easy for him to come and go.  If we go back the way we came, we¡¯re likely to find our enemy that¡¯s attacking the coalition army there.


    ¡°So he says.  Do you think that works, Pig?¡±


    Hearing Shulavis¡¯ question, I nodded.


    (I think so.  The sorcerer attacking the coalition army will probably be headed here for Hortis.  We¡¯ll take him out from the side.)


    The black pig then drew near me and snorted at Shulavis.


    ©¤But don¡¯t forget, everyone.  If we assume that we¡¯re going to be the ones to take them by surprise, we¡¯ll be caught off guard if our opponent is waiting to receive our surprise attack.  This is the enemy¡¯s island after all.  Let¡¯s maintain the expectation that we¡¯re the hunted.


    When a pig says that, the persuasiveness really hits differently.


    Sanon has been through many more battlegrounds than I have.  Sounds like it would be wise to be cautious here.


    We weaved through the gaps between the trees and headed towards the path to the Org factories in search of a place to intercept the surreptitious sorcerer.


    Within minutes, Sanon was proven right.


    In the middle of the forest, the ground slightly ahead of us suddenly rose, and a huge shadow jumped up.


    ¡°Uuoaauuooooaaaah!¡±


    With a muffled howl, a mud-covered Org attacked us.  It was hiding in the ground, waiting to ambush us.  That intensity was more than enough for me to feel the fear of death while in the middle of the dark woods.


    As soon as Shulavis saw it, he quickly climbed a nearby tree with brisk movement.  It was probably a countermeasure against the long staff that could puncture through the ground.


    ©¤Its cry exposed our presence.  Split up and hide.


    Shulavis¡¯ voice resounded directly in my mind.  Our group quickly tried to hide, but Nott, who was carrying Celes, was left behind.  The Org¡¯s yellow, bloodshot eyes had locked onto Nott.


    Without hesitation, Jess and I stayed by Nott¡¯s side.


    (Shulavis, focus on looking out for the surreptitious sorcerer.  We¡¯ll take care of the Orgs.)


    We haven¡¯t spotted him yet, but there¡¯s a good chance the surreptitious sorcerer has already been made aware of our position here.  The worst case scenario would be if we were eliminated one after another by the surreptitious sorcerer while Shulavis was busy dealing with the Orgs.  That¡¯s why we volunteered to protect Nott.


    Still carefully carrying Celes on his back, Nott turned to look at us.


    ¡°You idiots, how are you going to kill that monster-¡±


    Even as Nott said that with some difficulty breathing, the Org was approaching us.  It had grey skin like that of a rhinoceros or an elephant, and a physique like if a bodybuilder had been doubled in size.  It wore steel armor that protected its vital points, and wielded a thorny spear that was as thick as a log.  It had a distorted, swollen face.


    Although it was huge, it avoided the trees and ran towards us with frightening agility.  In desperation, Nott drew one of his twin daggers with the hand that wasn¡¯t supporting Celes¡¯ buttocks.  However, there was no way he could compete with just a single dagger.


    Because the Org was too fast, we were just about to choose to evade it.  We just needed a slight opening-


    It was then I heard a low growl.  It was Sanon.  While making a terrifying, unheard-of sound, the black pig rushed at the Org¡¯s thorny-armored legs.


    Even looking at it from the Org¡¯s giant body, the black pig¡¯s size couldn¡¯t be taken lightly.  It can seriously injure the black pig with a kick, but it would also lose its balance when winding back.  The Org was frightened by the black pig¡¯s imposing manner and raised its foot, slowing down.  With that, the black pig charged past the Org and ran to the other side.


    (Now, Jess!  Let¡¯s light it up with that move.)


    ©¤Okay!


    At my instructions, Jess spread her hands open towards the Org.


    Several gigantic slime-like liquid spheres gushed out in the air like bubbles expanding.  Once they grew to a size that could only be wrapped around with both arms, Jess quickly flicked her palms down.


    The floating liquids were violently slammed into the Org.  From head to toe, it was covered in the sticky liquid.


    But the Org didn¡¯t care; it neared us and was only a few steps away.  Jess didn¡¯t act.


    I had a feeling this was going to happen.


    It¡¯s time to show my results after being strictly trained by Jess.  With a flick of my foreleg, I shot a tiny fireball at the sticky Org.


    Normally, a fireball this small wouldn¡¯t hurt an Org.  However, the fireball that landed a direct hit on Org¡¯s crotch didn¡¯t fizzle out.  Instead, it instantly burst into flames that enveloped the Org¡¯s entire giant body.


    We all ran in unison to avoid the Org¡¯s charge.


    The Org that became a mass of flames ran straight for some time before abruptly falling down.  Even in the rain, the bright orange flames relentlessly burned at the Org¡¯s struggling body.


    ¡°How did¡­ you two¡­ use that kind of magic¡­?¡±


    With wide eyes, Nott looked at us in surprise.


    Oh right.  This was Nott¡¯s first time seeing Jess¡¯s maxed-out magic.


    (I¡¯ll explain the details to you later.  Can you be the decoy for now?)


    Nott nodded while carrying Celes on his back.  He then made the dagger in his hand glow red.


    Inside the dark forest, he prominently stood out next to the burning Org.


    (From now on, try not to shoot fire towards the ground.)


    After conveying just that, I left Nott¡¯s side and surveyed the perimeter with Jess.


    ©¤Mister Pig, I¡¯m sorry I¡­


    Jess conveyed this to me silently, but I shook my head.


    (The reflection talk can come later.  It can¡¯t be helped that you weren¡¯t able to kill the Org.  After all, we accidentally discovered that they were made from humans.  Jess, you only need to provide the fuel; let Nott and I deal the finishing blows.)


    We¡¯ve still only killed one Org.  After they¡¯ve heard the Org¡¯s howl from earlier, I¡¯m sure the other Orgs and our actual enemy target will be headed this way with the flames as their destination.


    After roughly checking our surroundings, Jess and I hid near Nott.


    Before I could catch my breath, I spotted multiple Orgs running towards us from ahead.


    ©¤Careful, he¡¯s here.


    I heard Shulavis¡¯ voice, but there was no time to worry about that.


    Several Orgs were approaching from three different directions: directly in front of us, our right, and our left.  The sound of footsteps made me look back, and there were Orgs coming from behind us as well.  This meant that, apart from the troops that were being trampled on by Hortis, our opponent had also prepared personnel for dealing with those who will be trying to attack from the shadows.  Those personnel have gathered here because of the howl from the Org we just burned.


    Nott, who was acting as the decoy while carrying Celes on his back, made his dagger shine even brighter.  The black pig stayed near him, guarding the front, but they were clearly outnumbered.


    In the midst of the forest that was pouring with heavy rain, our location was completely surrounded by enemies.


    The Orgs stopped at a distance that would allow them to dodge our attacks.


    ¡°It seems your curse disappeared, youngster.¡±


    It was a hoarse voice that sounded like it should be drowned out by the sound of rain beating on the leaves, but strangely enough, it reached us clearly.


    It was a tall figure in a grey robe.  He carried a long metal staff in his pale, lifeless hand.  A pair of glowing, golden eyes could be seen underneath the hood he wore.  He¡¯s the nameless, immortal old man ¨C the surreptitious sorcerer.


    ¡°Shitty old man.¡±


    Nott uttered with clenched teeth, and pointed the red-hot tip of his dagger at the mage.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you would come all the way to the frontlines to pay me a visit.  I¡¯ll hand over as many soldiers as you wish.  All I want is your life.¡±


    The old man slowly raised his staff.  Was he aiming for Nott¡­?  Or¡­


    Just then, a whistle-like sound traveled through the woods, and a moment after, the old man¡¯s wrist that was holding the staff exploded.  It was an arrow shot by a magic imbuing crossbow.  The cane fell without sticking into the ground and rolled on the floor.


    ¡°No matter how many times you try, it¡¯s useless.  It¡¯s about time you learn your lesson.¡±


    The wrist of the old man who had lost his hand was wrapped in something ash-like, and it regenerated in the blink of an eye.  The long staff returned as if it was glued to his hand.


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯ll happen when you take on my and the Orgs¡¯ attacks at the same time?¡±


    Did he signal them?  The Orgs surrounding us started to all move at once.  Roughly counting, there were 10 of them.  Regardless of how our opponents act, we just had to stick to our predetermined roles.


    An electric shock from the trees hit the old man in the shoulder, and he dropped his staff again.


    Let¡¯s leave the surreptitious sorcerer to them.  We¡¯ll stop the Orgs.


    (Let¡¯s go, Jess.)


    I poured strength into my legs and activated the trap we had prepared.


    A giant explosion was set off at the roots of a tree in the distance, and an Org that was next to the tree had its leg blown off after being caught in the explosion.  The huge tree trunk creaked and crackled as it fell over.


    I was reminded of that day when I knocked down those trees in the forest.  Back then, Nott had protected us.


    Now, it¡¯s our turn to protect Nott and Celes.


    I exploded the trees one after another, destroying the forest and entangling the Orgs ¨C knocking them down.


    The trap was simple.  While walking around earlier, Jess let large quantities of fuel that was mixed with oxygen bubbles seep into the tree roots, and I manipulated it with my anklets to create pseudo-fuses inside the ground.  Then, I just need to ignite them at the right time to set off the explosions.


    Exploding the tree roots in time with the approaching Orgs kind of resembled a music game.  The time has finally come to show off the results of having frequently gone to video game arcades.  Let me show you the power of an otaku who becomes extremely agile only when playing music games.


    Bring it on.


    The pig¡¯s wide field of view and a music gamer¡¯s ability to adjust the timing were a perfect match.  I exploded the fuel that Jess had prepared in sync with the enemy¡¯s movements.  The Orgs surrounding us flinched at the unknown attacks.


    ©¤I¡¯m adding more fuel!


    Jess spread her hands, and a wall of flame burned between us and the Orgs.  From my end, I manipulated water to knock down the trees on the other side, setting up a barricade of trees and flames.  No Org could reach us.


    The Orgs were suppressed, and the surreptitious sorcerer, whose plan didn¡¯t go accordingly, continued to suffer attacks from the trees.  He couldn¡¯t use his staff as he was preoccupied with defending and recovering.  This was our strategy.


    It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of sure-kill move you have, if you¡¯re not given the chance to use it, it¡¯s useless.


    The surreptitious sorcerer stopped attacking and began his retreat to hide.


    ©¤Sorry I¡¯m late, everyone.  You did a great job.  Let¡¯s finish things here.


    Just as I wondered whose voice was echoing in my head, the flames that were set up by Jess and I flared up as if they had a will of their own, covering the area where the Orgs and surreptitious sorcerer were at.  The flames consumed the trees in an instant, turning the whole place into a black vacant space before extinguishing.


    The surreptitious sorcerer stood alone on the charred earth.  Hortis, floating in the air as if he was suspended by a wire, came face to face with the eerie old man.


    ¡°So my true target finally makes an appearance.¡±


    There was an air cutting sound, and all of a sudden, there were nearly ten arrows floating around Hortis.  All of them pointing their heads at Hortis¡¯ body, trying to pierce him, but they were now standing still.  It seems there were still troops laying in ambush behind the surreptitious sorcerer.


    All the arrows turned in the exact opposite direction, like a magnet spinning a compass needle around, and were sent back to their shooting point at supersonic speed.


    ¡°There may have been many mages that were susceptible to surprise attacks back in your days, but that¡¯s no longer the case now.  Unfortunately for you, no matter how many strategies you might come up with, the side with overwhelmingly strong fighters will always win in the end.  Have you ran out of ambushing soldiers as well?¡±


    Hortis spoke to the surreptitious sorcerer as if he was enjoying a small talk.


    The surreptitious sorcerer maintained a posture that allowed him to stab his long staff into the ground at any time, and tilted his head in doubt.


    ¡°Youngster, if you¡¯re not an idiot, you should already know that I have an immortal body.  The more times we face off like this, the more information I gain, and the further you¡¯re put at a disadvantage.  No matter how many soldiers are killed, I will continue to take your people to feed my army, and they will eventually turn against you.  You will have no choice but to live the rest of your lives, trembling in fear of death, as your country¡¯s population continues to decline.¡±


    Hortis nodded repeatedly while listening, and at the same time, he turned his right palm upwards.  An unbelievably dazzling white-hot ball of light appeared above his hand.  It was like a miniature sun.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but isn¡¯t the fact that you¡¯re immortal only to the extent of your knowledge?  Or did an ancient being guarantee you that life?  Of course not, right?¡±


    A prickly tense atmosphere seemed to emanate from the motionless surreptitious sorcerer.


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, you won¡¯t be able to kill anyone; and if it¡¯s me, I can kill you.  That¡¯s the conclusion I¡¯ve arrived at after all the contacts I¡¯ve made so far.¡±


    There was a whistle-like noise, and an arrow pierced the surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s face.  Crackling sounds emanated from his head as it began to freeze.  The excellently timed sneak attack succeeded.


    Or so I thought.


    ©¤Was that not a bluff, youngster?  It turns out you too rely on surprise attacks.


    The surreptitious sorcerer¡¯s robe began to burn with blue flames, counteracting the freezing magic imbued in the arrow.  The old man¡¯s body was wrapped in blue flames, and it took on a repulsive appearance, like a burning mummy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve used this trick before.  Did you think I didn¡¯t consider countermeasures against this cowardly method of freezing me using magic imbued inside an arrow?¡±


    Hortis extinguished his light orb and pointed at the surreptitious sorcerer with his left hand.


    ¡°Did you think there was only one magic imbued in that arrow?¡±


    From Hortis¡¯ left hand, a glowing thread could be seen leading to the arrow in the old man¡¯s head.  The blue flame instantly disappeared, and the old man¡¯s entire body was instead covered in a thick layer of frost.


    With a crack, the old man¡¯s wrist snapped, and the long staff fell to the ground along with his hand.


    ¡°The match has been decided.  This old man¡¯s body temperature will be infinitely lowered.  In this state, his movement will be infinitely slowed down, and his magic will be infinitely delayed.¡±


    Hortis slowly landed on the ground and walked towards the statuesque, frozen old man.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe to approach now.  There¡¯s no ambushes left.  Shulavis, the collar.¡±


    Shulavis jumped from the trees and threw the collar at the old man¡¯s neck like a frisbee.  The magic-manipulated collar snapped into two before his neck, and then rejoined after wrapping around his neck.


    Shulavis walked up to the old man.  Jess and I also approached.  Was she tired from the battle?  Jess¡¯ steps were unsteady.


    (Operation success¡­?)


    At my inquiry, Hortis shook his head slowly.


    ¡°We still need a mage to touch the old man¡¯s body to complete the seal.¡±


    ¡°Then, Uncle, let me take care-¡±


    Shulavis volunteered, but Hortis stopped him.


    ¡°Wait.  This old man seems to have set a curse on his body.  If you touch him, you¡¯ll be cursed.¡±


    ¡­?


    ¡°Erm, we can¡¯t seal him without touching him, but if someone touches him, that person will be cursed?¡±


    Jess¡¯ question made Hortis ponder with a hum.


    ¡°This has become troublesome.  We¡¯ve been had at the very last moment.¡±


    Hortis folded his arms in frustration.


    ¡°If we keep worrying like this, who knows when the old man¡¯s counter-magic will activate and unfreeze him.  We need to deal with this quickly, but¡­¡±


    Before the assembled group of Nott and the others, Hortis sighed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other choice.  I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Uncle!  Please wait.¡±


    ¡°I was the one to take off Celes¡¯ collar.  Although it resulted in entrusting the decision to these children of the Liberation Army, it was none other than I, Hortis, who caused the Wedge of Contracts to be used.  I will take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°But Uncle-¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, Shulavis.  If we miss this opportunity, the old man will likely escape, and the sealing will have failed.  You can push the blame onto me for the Wedge of Contracts.  You just have to say that I felt guilty so I sealed this old man with my own life, and I¡¯m sure Elder Brother would accept that.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Hortis smiled at Jess, who raised her voice.


    ¡°History has always been built on top of another¡¯s sacrifices.  With this life that once gave up on the world, if I can die for your sakes, then I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    Jess immediately grabbed the hand that was about to touch the surreptitious sorcerer and stopped it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    Without letting go of Hortis¡¯ hand, Jess appealed.


    ¡°There should be some other way¡­  If I did it, maybe I could trigger ecydessa.  Then maybe-¡±


    ¡°Stop that!¡±


    I was taken aback by the terrifying voice.  It was a voice I had never heard from Hortis before.  It was a furious voice.


    ¡°¡­Sorry, I yelled too loudly.  But I can¡¯t let Jess, who has a future, do something like this.  You don¡¯t want to die, right?  You must have a future that you dream of.¡±


    Hearing that, Jess didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°But¡­ if there¡¯s a possibility that no one will die, I want to try and¡­¡±


    (Jess, even if that possibility exists, you shouldn¡¯t put your own life at risk.  Withdraw your hands.)


    Hortis looked at us and thought about it.


    ¡°No¡­ I see.  Maybe there really is a way.¡±


    ¡°What is it?!¡±  Jess asked Hortis, who seemed to have come up with an idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Jess is showing signs of ecydessa, so I¡¯ll have her complete the seal.¡±


    What do you think you¡¯re suggesting?  I stood in front of Jess and threatened Hortis.


    (What kind of mess are you talking about?  Weren¡¯t you just telling Jess not to risk her life?  If you want to put Jess¡¯ life at risk, then put your own instead.)


    ¡°Calm down, Virgin-kun.  With my magic, I can slow down the progression of the curse, so the chances of success are high.  Besides, in the worst case scenario, I have a last resort ready.  Jess definitely will not die.  Can you trust me?  Let¡¯s end the battle here and now.¡±


    ©¤If Jess looks like she¡¯s going to die, I plan on taking over the curse in the end.


    Only the second half was conveyed to me by Hortis using the power of heart.  Jess probably didn¡¯t hear this.


    Hortis winked at me, who was shocked.


    ¡°Now then, Jess, can you lend me a hand?  This¡¯ll be a safe bet.¡±


    Hortis gently took Jess¡¯ wrist and gestured towards the frost-covered surreptitious sorcerer.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be fine, Mister Pig?¡±


    Before I could answer Jess¡¯ question, Hortis pressed Jess¡¯ hand against the surreptitious sorcerer.


    My thoughts couldn¡¯t keep up.  It felt like time was being stretched like candy-making.


    There was a pause, and then the collar glowed white.  It happened the same time Jess¡¯ hand was dyed black.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hortis gritted his teeth and firmly grasped Jess¡¯ wrist.  The cursed bruise spread quickly on Jess¡¯ hand, but it stopped where Hortis¡¯ hand was grabbing.


    ¡°The seal was successful.  The rest is up to Jess.¡±


    I stared worriedly at Jess¡¯ hand, which was densely covered by the black mesh.


    (Do you feel like ecydessa will happen?)


    ¡°Erm¡­¡±


    Jess looked at me with a troubled expression.  I had a bad feeling.  I then remembered.


    ©¤To be able to bear the curse on behalf of another like this is a miracle of love that surpasses magic and cannot be fulfilled unless she wished for it from the bottom of her heart.


    The magic that bears the curse activates because of a strong desire to save someone important to you.  However, there¡¯s no reason for Hortis, a complete stranger, to take over Jess¡¯ curse.


    (You tricked me¡­?)


    A smile formed on Hortis¡¯ mouth.  I felt my heart freeze up.  I trusted the wrong person.  At this rate, Jess was going to die.


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t get impulsive, Virgin-kun.  Honestly now, what a detail-attentive Mister Pig.  Once you¡¯re at my level, even if you don¡¯t have strong feelings, you¡¯ll still able to take over the curse.¡±


    ¡°Take over¡­?¡±


    Jess¡¯ eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping it a secret.  If the plan fails, the one who will die in the end won¡¯t be Jess.  It¡¯ll be me.¡±


    Jess squeezed out her voice painfully.


    ¡°You can¡¯t.  How could I let a member of the royal family lose their life for someone like me¡­?¡±


    While gritting his teeth, Hortis spoke.


    ¡°If you dream of a happy future, then don¡¯t belittle yourself anymore with words such as ¡®someone like me.¡¯  You need only to give it some thought to understand how that makes my master ¨C who risked his life to send you to the capital, your fianc¨¦, and this wholeheartedly in love Virgin-kun, feel.¡±


    It was an admonishing voice that didn¡¯t sound like the pervert who had been sniffing Jess¡¯ thighs until not too long ago.


    Hortis faced Jess squarely.


    ¡°Resist.  Do everything in your power to resist the curse that wants to take away your loved one¡¯s most precious thing.¡±


    Jess seemed to be painfully exerting her strength towards her hands, but the curse showed no signs of abating.  Minutes that felt like hours passed.


    Hortis¡¯ hands were dyed black for an instant.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s near her limits.¡±


    Just as the resigned Hortis was about to put strength into his hands, Jess collapsed.


    Shulavis immediately caught her.


    I ran to her side.  The bruise on Jess¡¯ hands had already disappeared.

 Volume 3 - CH 4

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    It was a quiet night outside the ship.  Hortis, whose hands were wrapped in bandages, called out to the person through the cage¡¯s bars.


    Inside the ship¡¯s heavily guarded prison, an old man with his hands and feet bound looked back with his golden eyes.  The skin exposed from the grey robe was so pale it didn¡¯t make him seem alive at all, but it was also charred black and in tatters.  His current state might as well be considered a mummy.


    ¡°Name?  I¡¯ve already forgotten it.¡±


    Whether it was out of exhaustion or despair, the old man¡¯s voice lacked vigor.


    ¡°There¡¯s no worth in providing you with a name either.  Call me whatever you want, youngster.¡±


    The defeated old man sat obediently on the floor, watching us from inside the cage.  Shulavis was next to me.  Hortis was on my other side, and further over on that side were Nott, Itsune, and Josh.  Behind me were a black pig and boar.  Jess and Celes were in the captain¡¯s quarters ¨C both had removed their curses and were asleep.


    Inside the slowly swaying ship, we were about to start our interrogation of the surreptitious sorcerer, who had been incapacitated by Celes¡¯ collar.


    ¡°Then, old man, please make it succinct.  Tell us why you¡¯re attacking the people of Mestria and trying to destroy the royal family?¡±


    Hortis¡¯ question made the old man¡¯s shoulders quiver as he laughed silently.


    ¡°The ancestor that you all worship so much, in other words, the woman named Vatis, was a truly cruel mage.  She slaughtered many innocent people in the name of peace.  Among them were my mentor and close friend.  In order to settle that debt, I kept myself alive to this day.¡±


    Hortis sighed in displeasure.


    ¡°I also understand that Vatis was an irredeemable woman.  However, she¡¯s already dead.  Do you enjoy killing her descendants and other innocent people?¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    The old man questioned back in an intimidating voice.


    ¡°Even if her body has died, do her deeds still not remain?  Using your overwhelming magic power as a shield, you grew up comfortably in the capital while putting collars on the other mages, enslaving them.  Vatis didn¡¯t end the conflict.  She merely hid the fact that there were winners and losers, and continued to win this quiet war.  I cannot stand this false peace.  That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been accumulating power to destroy it.  To defeat you all.¡±


    Nott interjected from the side.


    ¡°Putting collars on the other mages?¡±


    The old man grinned.


    ¡°See?  Even the representative of the foolish people don¡¯t know the truth.  Why don¡¯t I tell you?  Yesmas are nothing more than mages bound to obedience.  The reason why the royal dynasty neglects their cruel fate is to circulate these convenient mages as slaves while also preventing their numbers from increasing too much.¡±


    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Itsune glared at Hortis, who was looking down.  Confusion and anger was flashing through her eyes.


    ¡°Does that mean Yesmas are killed for your guys¡¯ convenience?¡±


    With his long drooping hair covering his eyes, Hortis raised his voice.


    ¡°Itsune-kun.  The people killing the Yesmas are those from the underworld ¨C in other words, this old man and his allies.  However, it¡¯s true that the structure of the royal dynasty was built on that premise.  To change that rotten system into something peaceful, is that not what all of us here are trying to do?¡±


    Without saying a word, Nott glared at Hortis with a terrifying gaze that I have never seen from him before.


    After observing Nott for a few moments, the surreptitious sorcerer, with sparkling eyes, opened his grey mouth.


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones killing the Yesmas, you say?  That¡¯s a funny way of saying things.  We¡¯re simply picking up the trash the royal dynasty made and putting it to good use.  Think about who¡¯s creating the trash, youngster.  Which side is forcing them to embark on a death journey as soon as they turn sixteen?  Who¡¯s the one that tried to burn the Yesmas who refused the journey and stayed inside the monastery?¡±


    The old man¡¯s meaningful words made Nott¡¯s eyes widen as he questioned.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?  Speak.¡±


    Like a fish to water, the old man began talking gleefully.


    ¡°I also remember that monastery¡¯s incident which you were thinking back to.  I had eavesdropped on a part of the royal dynasty¡¯s surveillance network, so I know about it.  Five years ago, the monastery in that small village was burned down by a mage from the royal dynasty.  It was done by this man, or his relative.¡±


    Hortis kept his mouth tightly shut, but he made no attempts to interrupt the old man.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Nott sharply ordered the smiling old man.


    ¡°Because I knew a mage was targeting the monastery, I sent Yesma hunters there ahead of time to hunt down all the Yesmas that escaped.  It¡¯s not us who dispose of the trash that you should hate, youngster.  It should be the royal dynasty mages who treat those girls that seek a peaceful life like trash.¡±


    Nott immediately turned around and grabbed Hortis¡¯ chest.


    ¡°You knew.  You showed up five years ago, right after the monastery was burned down and Ys was killed.  You said you couldn¡¯t stand your brother¡¯s way of doing things.  You knew I was chasing after a Yesma whom your brother tried to kill.  That¡¯s why you came to me, am I right?¡±


    Hortis¡¯ mouth, which had been tightly shut for some time, opened as if it had lost all strength.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  I¡¯m sorry for keeping that from you¡­  I didn¡¯t want you all holding a needless grudge.¡±


    Silence.


    Josh muttered as if speaking to himself, ¡°Whether it¡¯s needless or not is up to us to decide.¡±


    In this tense atmosphere that was almost about to burst, Josh¡¯ sanpaku eyes glared at Hortis.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Hortis, because I know you¡¯ve been doing your best for us.  But I still can¡¯t forgive the royal dynasty.  Even if these feelings are wrong, I didn¡¯t want to hear you say that they¡¯re needless.¡±


    The surreptitious sorcerer showed a content smile.  Despite being incapacitated, the old man still managed to turn a blade against the royal dynasty.  He fueled the Liberation Army¡¯s hatred, deepening their divide with the royal dynasty.


    Even though we were returning from a victorious battle, the three officers of the Liberation Army looked as if their parents had been murdered.  Hortis hung his head, and Shulavis couldn¡¯t say anything.


    There was nothing us three animals could do about this situation.


    Hortis slowly spoke.


    ¡°The royal dynasty has certainly made mistakes to this day, and we are still making them now.  But if you¡¯re trying settle the past, you¡¯ll become no different from this pitiful old man over here.  The past is important, but the future is even more important.  I¡¯m begging you all, please maintain your composures.¡±


    A single tear streamed down from Hortis¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°All I can do is ask this of you, but please don¡¯t ever forget.  It¡¯s always kindness that saves a country.¡±


    Jess and Celes woke up at about the same time.  It was just as mainland Mestria began to poke its head out from the horizon, and as the other horizon started to glow a faint red.


    Inside the captain¡¯s quarters where the two girls were sleeping, I was next to Jess, while Nott and Sanon were watching over Celes.  Shulavis was looking out the window alone.


    Through the small window in the wooden wall, I could see the calm surface of the water illuminated by the faint light of dawn.


    Just as the half-asleep Jess mumbled something, Nott¡¯s voice broke the air.


    ¡°Celes!¡±


    ¡°Nya?¡±


    Jess jumped while making a funny sound, and immediately blushed as soon as she grasped the situation.


    (Are you up?)


    I peered at Jess¡¯ face from the side and saw her covering her mouth in embarrassment while nodding.


    I turned my attention to Celes and Nott.  Celes slowly raised her upper body in front of Nott.


    ¡°Huh?  I¡¯m¡­ still alive¡­?¡±


    Without delay, Nott hugged Celes tightly from the front.  It happened so suddenly that Celes simply rested her chin on Nott¡¯s shoulder like that, and blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Mr. Nott, erm¡­ why¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you try and throw away your life to take my place?  You did something so stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for selfishly¡­¡±


    Nott let go of the confused Celes, placed his hands on her shoulders, and faced her.


    ¡°You fell in love with the wrong person.  A scumbag like me doesn¡¯t have any worth.¡±


    The black pig next to him nodded, as if to say ¡°I agree.¡±  Oi.


    Celes, on the other hand, shook her head as hard as she could in denial.


    ¡°It¡¯s my choice to decide for myself what has worth.¡±


    No longer wearing a collar, Celes proudly looked back at Nott.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t regret it.  Because I came all the way here hoping to be of some use to you, Mr. Nott¡­  And it¡¯s been my dream to entrust you with my first time.¡±


    For a moment there, the temperature felt like it had dropped.  Well, we all know that¡¯s not what she meant.


    I inadvertently looked to my side, and saw Jess staring intently at those two with an envious expression.


    Did she notice my monologue?  Jess hurriedly looked down.


    The atmosphere in the captain¡¯s quarters was completely dominated by the romance of those two.  Nott awkwardly averted his eyes from Celes and looked over here.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad that both Celes and Jess are okay.  That¡¯s one thing settled for now.¡±


    After I nodded, Nott alternated between looking at me and Shulavis.


    ¡°I want to confirm one thing with you guys, is that alright?¡±


    (What is it?)  I responded through Jess.


    ¡°Even though you knew Yesmas are mages, you didn¡¯t tell us.  Why was that?¡±


    Shulavis was the first to answer.


    ¡°You know the history of mages, right?  If it became known that Yesmas are mages, it¡¯s not difficult to imagine how they would be feared and treated with hostility.  It¡¯s conceivable that Mestria would descend into chaos that no one wishes for.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because you support the system that enslaves mages by putting collars on them, right?¡±


    (Of course not.)


    I then asserted.


    (Ultimately, the reason why we protected the royal dynasty¡¯s secret was to maintain Mestria¡¯s peace.  I have no reason to protect the Yesma system.  The same goes for Sanon.)


    The black pig nodded.


    ©¤I promised Mr. Lolipo that I would protect the royal dynasty¡¯s secret after all.  Even if No-kun and the others were to learn of the truth, there was nothing to be gained, so I also kept quiet about it.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Nott muttered with a serious expression.


    (Hey Nott.)


    Concerned, I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    (Even after learning the truth, you¡¯ll still aim to bring peace alongside us, right Nott?)


    ¡°¡­Well, who knows?  It might depend on the attitudes of the great mages.¡±


    Stared at by Nott, Shulavis sat up and straightened his back.


    ¡°After I become king, I¡¯ll make sure to change this world.  So please don¡¯t fight any further.  It¡¯s always the weak that bears the brunt of war.¡±


    Shulavis turned towards Celes.  Nott also looked at Celes.  Celes looked around with a bewildered expression.


    ¡°That so?¡±


    Nott replied, and looked at Shulavis with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°I can trust you, right?¡±


    The prince nodded firmly and deeply.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    The two virgins exchanged a passionate gaze.  Nott took a deep sigh.


    ¡°Alright.  I¡¯ll continue to cooperate with the royal dynasty.  So long as they don¡¯t betray us, that is.¡±


    Thud ¨C the sound of our ship arriving at the pier reverberated.


    It looks like we¡¯re finally back at the port of Niabel.


    At the east-facing Niabel, the light fog of dawn was illuminated by the warm morning sun, creating a magical atmosphere.  After disembarking the ship, we were faced with a person standing fiercely on the pier in the fog.


    Immediately, I noticed the expressions on the three officers of the Liberation Army shift rapidly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you contact me, Hortis?  You better not tell me you botched it.¡±


    King Markus had personally come to pick us up at the port.  His hair was combed back neatly, and he wore a highly formal attire with dark purple as its base color.


    ¡°Elder Brother¡­¡±


    Hortis, who should have stayed up all night watching over the surreptitious sorcerer, faced the king with a tired face.


    ¡°As promised, the Northern Army on the Send-Off Island has been annihilated.  I didn¡¯t botch it.¡±


    ¡°What about the surreptitious sorcerer?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Hortis answered.


    ¡°We captured him.¡±


    ¡°Captured?  What do you mean?¡±


    When Hortis raised his hand, a square cage slowly floated here from the ship.  Hortis carefully moved his hand, guiding the cage, and placed it next to Markus.  An old man with a blackened silver collar was lying inside, sleeping.


    ¡°I lost the Wedge of Contracts, so I had no choice but to seal him with a Yesma collar instead.  I¡¯ve finished interrogating him with what needed to be asked, so I put him to sleep with poison for now.¡±


    Whether it was because of the wind, or the result of something else, the fog around us cleared.  Markus¡¯ eyes alone were incredibly menacing, and there was an unbearable tension in the air.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he dead?  What happened to the Wedge of Contracts?¡±


    Unfortunately, Bart had just stepped off the ship.  Noticing that we had stopped on the pier, he also stopped moving.


    Markus looked at Bart with cold eyes, then turned to Nott, and then Celes.


    There was a pause.


    ¡°Let¡¯s boil it down to the key points.¡±


    Markus¡¯ anger was carried by his low voice, which sounded like a rumbling roar.


    ¡°Although you took the Wedge of Contracts to kill the surreptitious sorcerer, you used the great treasure for the sake of that insignificant little girl; as a result, the key sorcerer wasn¡¯t killed, and is sleeping here.  Did I get everything?¡±


    ¡°Insignificant little girl?¡±


    Nott placed his hands on his twin daggers and stepped forward.


    ¡°Fool, I will mercilessly kill anyone that dares point their blade at me.¡±


    Markus glared at Nott with his grey eyes shining brightly in the morning sun, and continued.


    ¡°This is different from what we agreed upon.  You didn¡¯t fulfill your duty.  I can only ask that you all take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, this is all my fault-¡±


    ¡°You removing the Yesma¡¯s collar is a separate matter to be settled.¡±


    When Markus quickly extended his right hand forward, Bart and Celes floated as if they were being grabbed by their necks, and were brought before him.  The powerless boy and girl were roughly dropped onto the floor, and they fell on their buttocks.


    It happened so suddenly that we couldn¡¯t react to it at all.


    ¡°So this boy stabbed this Yesma with the wedge.  I¡¯ll formally execute these two.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Shulavis stepped forward and stood in front of those two as if to protect them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in executing them?  This is absolutely ridiculous-¡±


    Markus grabbed Shulavis tightly by the neck and forced him to shut up.


    ¡°Ridiculous?  Are you telling me to overlook their crime of arbitrarily consuming the key weapon for this battle, which was also Mestria¡¯s last great treasure, making it now impossible to kill the surreptitious sorcerer?¡±


    Before Markus, who was absolutely furious, the blood in Shulavis¡¯ face slowly became congested.  His neck was being tightly strangled.  This unexpected turn of events made Hortis freeze.


    (Markus-sama, Shulavis didn¡¯t-)


    As I tried to convey to Markus, I received a strong blow to my side and was knocked away.


    ¡°Mister Pig!¡±


    Jess threw herself out to catch me.  But she couldn¡¯t support a pig¡¯s weight, and we both fell into the sea.


    While I was struggling in the seawater, Jess held me tightly and floated to the surface.


    We soon poked our heads out onto the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Are you hurt, Mister Pig?¡±


    It felt like I had broken a few bones, but for some reason they no longer hurt.


    (I¡¯m fine.  What about you, Jess?)


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ I¡¯m also completely fine.¡±


    A smile appeared across Jess¡¯ drenched face.  Under the buoyancy of sea water and support from magic, we could stick only our heads above the surface.  The pier was slightly elevated, so we couldn¡¯t see anything from where we were.


    There was the sound of someone falling over, and Shulavis¡¯ coughing could be heard.


    (Celes and the others are in danger, let¡¯s hurry up-)


    As I was conveying to Jess, Shulavis crawled to the edge of the pier and peered at us.


    ©¤Don¡¯t come here.  It¡¯s dangerous right now.


    Shulavis looked in pain as he held his neck and stood up.  I could only see his butt now.


    Nott¡¯s voice came from the pier.


    ¡°Celes took over my curse in order to save me, and Bart snatched the Wedge of Contracts from me in order to save Celes.  I¡¯m the one who created a reason for the Wedge of Contracts to be used, and the one who failed to fulfill his role of protecting the Wedge of Contracts.  If you want to kill someone, it should be me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Markus¡¯ voice responded, and the conversation proceeded.  I exchanged glances with Jess.  She had an anxious-looking, troubled face.  For the time being, it¡¯s probably best to follow Shulavis¡¯ advice and stay here obediently.


    I heard Hortis¡¯ desperate plea.


    ¡°Please reconsider, Elder Brother.  I was the one who took off Celes¡¯ collar.  I knew this would happen, but I still made that decision.  Let me make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Make it up to me?  Can you kill the surreptitious sorcerer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can.¡±


    Even just from hearing their voices, I could tell the atmosphere had changed.  I held my breath and listened while Jess pressed her chest against me in the water.


    ¡°Tell me how.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Spear of Destruction.  I¡¯ll hand over the Spear of Destruction, so please spare Nott-kun and the others.¡±


    There was a pause, as if Markus was thinking.


    ¡°So you were the one who took the Spear of Destruction?¡±


    Markus¡¯ statement puzzled me.  How¡¯s that poss- no, I should let Hortis handle this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  Shulavis wasn¡¯t able to retrieve it after attempting to, right?  Obviously, that¡¯s because I¡¯ve already taken it out and stored it elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhere safe, inside the capital.  I¡¯m willing to hand over the Spear of Destruction, so please overlook this incident.  If you¡¯re still not satisfied, I¡¯ll bear all the punishments.  How¡¯s that?  There¡¯s no loss for you, right?¡±


    ¡°Tell me where it is.¡±


    Hortis temporarily didn¡¯t answer Markus¡¯ cold voice.


    ¡°Where is it?  I¡¯m asking you to tell me where you hid it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    It felt like even the sea was refraining from making tidal sounds due to Markus¡¯ imposing aura.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I casted magic on it that only allows me to retrieve it.  If Elder Brother forgives Nott-kun, I will make sure to personally deliver the Spear of Destruction to you.¡±


    After a brief pause, Markus spoke slowly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make a trade.  You will bring the Spear of Destruction to the Golden Sanctuary by noon today, and I will return this swordsman alive.  If you¡¯re late, he¡¯ll be executed.¡±


    Jess and I were pulled up to the pier by Shualvis¡¯ magic.  Markus had taken the surreptitious sorcerer and Nott away, and the others were walking back towards the ship.  Only the three of us were left.


    I shook my body to shake off the seawater.  Jess was also wringing her hair.


    ¡°What a disaster.  I¡¯m terribly sorry about my bad-tempered father.¡±


    Shulavis was blushing lightly and looking away from us as he spoke.


    As I was wondering why, I looked at Jess and found that her seawater-soaked clothes were clinging to her body, clearly revealing her modest body curves.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Jess hid her breasts in shame, but it was no use.  The translucent fabric of her white blouse glittered in the morning sun, revealing the color of Jess¡¯ skin everywhere I looked.  Her skirt accentuated the curves from her waist to her thighs; her hips especially-


    ¡°It must be nice to always be so carefree.¡±


    Shulavis, still looking at the ship, remarked dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°We¡¯re returning to the ship for a strategy meeting.  Uncle will be heading towards the capital next, and it seems he wants to borrow your strength.¡±


    After saying that, he went on ahead.  Jess also started walking towards the ship, and I hurriedly followed.


    I pretended not to have seen the light green see-through cloth underneath Jess¡¯ left sleeve, which normally covered her forearm.


    Hortis, Itsune, Josh, Celes, the black pig, Nuris, and the boar were waiting for us inside the captain¡¯s quarters.  Upon seeing our arrival, Hortis smiled and spread his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my brother.  It must feel uncomfortable, with the seawater being sticky.¡±


    The cold disappeared from my body¡¯s surface, letting me know the seawater had been removed by his magic.  Jess¡¯ clothes were also restored to their original state.  What a shame.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.  Does Virgin-kun prefer clothes that are see-through?¡±


    I shook my head seriously at the grinning Hortis.


    (What are you saying at a time like this? I¡¯m not that perverted.)


    Jess and Shulavis gave me cold stares.


    (Putting that aside, are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?)


    When I conveyed that, Hortis came towards us and closed the door to the captain¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking about the Spear of Destruction, right?¡±


    Itsune, with her arms still crossed, looked at Hortis.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were bluffing.¡±


    ¡°No, the Spear of Destruction is in my hands.  That much is true.¡±


    Was that really the case?  I asked what was on my mind.


    (Then why did you deliberately choose to use the Wedge of Contracts, Mr. Hortis?)


    Hortis didn¡¯t answer.


    (If we had the Spear of Destruction, then there would have been no need for us to go out of our way to find the Wedge of Contracts.  We could have used the Spear of Destruction as a bargaining chip, and simply killed the surreptitious sorcerer with it.)


    Josh also looked at Hortis suspiciously.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  Explain.  Our comrade¡¯s neck is on the line here.¡±


    A tired-looking Hortis rested his hand on his forehead.


    ¡°There were various circumstances.  It¡¯s a very complicated situation.  I know how to acquire the Spear of Destruction.  I certainly know how, but in order to do so, I need to enter the capital and follow some steps.  Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to negotiate with Elder Brother.¡±


    Appearing annoyed, Itsune questioned.


    ¡°Will that shitty bastard really agree to negotiate?  Is there any guarantee that Nott¡¯s life will be saved even if we hand over the Spear of Destruction?¡±


    ¡°Of course.  Despite how he seems, he¡¯s actually an understanding guy once you get to chat with him.  He was a serious and outstanding man in the past.¡±


    Shulavis looked at Hortis with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Elder Brother¡¯s changed.  His powerful magic that can forcibly solve everything, and the burdensome work of being a prince, has changed him.  He only thinks about the fastest way to solve a problem, and has lost his human heart.  However, that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s become irrational.  If we¡¯re able to present a better solution, I¡¯m sure Elder Brother will agree to it.¡±


    Hortis looked over this way.


    ¡°Shulavis and I will be going to negotiate.  Jess and Virgin-kun, will you be coming along as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be going!¡±


    Jess was the first to answer; and hearing that, I also nodded.


    ¡°Hold it, what about us?¡±


    The one who intervened was Josh.  Seemingly disgruntled, his arms were folded and his brows were furrowed behind his black bangs.


    ¡°Sis and I have a responsibility to protect our leader.  As long as we have the prince¡¯s permission, we can enter the royal dynasty, right?  You better not be intending to leave us behind here, Hortis.¡±


    ¡°Your brother said he¡¯s going to kill Nott.  We¡¯re going too.¡±


    Hortis looked at the two of them and hummed.


    ¡°I see¡­  That¡¯s true.  I can¡¯t just leave you guys behind.¡±


    ¡°Um, if you two are going, then I would also like to¡­¡±


    Celes took a step forward.


    ¡°If Mr. Nott is injured, I can heal him.  With Mr. Sanon around, we might be able to split up and act separately.  Please let me come with as well.¡±


    Hortis nodded.


    ¡°Alright, Celes-kun can come as well.  Same goes for Sanon-kun.  Now, Liti- no, Nuris-kun, what about you and Kento-kun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Itsune rejected immediately.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to endanger Lit- Nuris.  If we bring too many people, it¡¯ll inconvenient our actions too.  Just us and Celes will be enough.¡±


    Nuris nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be of much help either¡­ so I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    ©¤Then I¡¯ll remain here with Nuris as well.


    Kento looked at Hortis with the boar¡¯s little black eyes.


    ¡°Okay, I understand.  Then everyone other than Nuris-kun and Kento-kun, let¡¯s hurry towards the capital.  We¡¯re going to save Nott-kun.¡±


    Under Hortis¡¯ guidance, our party boarded a small boat that was used to land on the Send-Off Island.  We were told he was going to use magic to fly this to the capital.


    After we got on, the small boat slowly floated into the air.  It then gradually accelerated forward until finally, it was flying just above the trees with the momentum of a jet ski.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you the whole plan.  I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen in the capital.  We¡¯re counting on you two, Jess, Virgin-kun.¡±


    Hortis¡¯ long hair was flowing in the icy morning wind as he said this to us.


    ¡°Counting on¡­ us?¡±


    Hortis nodded in affirmation towards Jess¡¯ uneasy-sounding murmur.


    ¡°The Spear of Destruction must be retrieved in secrecy no matter what.  To that end, it¡¯s essential that you two, who have not been marked by Elder Brother, assist me.  It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that Nott-kun¡¯s life hinges on you two.¡±


    Jess swallowed nervously.


    The stakes were high.  Leaving Jess aside, what can a pig like me do?


    ¡°Think about it.¡±


    Did he read my monologue?  Hortis stared at me.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t taken the form of a dog, do you think I could¡¯ve become Nott¡¯s partner?¡±


    As I was wondering what he was talking about, Hortis shook his head.


    ¡°No.  The answer is no.¡±


    He took a breather, and then continued.


    ¡°Virgin-kun was able to enter the royal dynasty because you were a pig.  Sanon-kun was also earnestly trusted by the officers of the Liberation Army because he was a pig.  Even Kento-kun wasn¡¯t killed by the surreptitious sorcerer because he took the form of a boar.  It¡¯s precisely because we¡¯ve been underestimated that we¡¯re able to witness an important moment such as this.  Never forget this.  Those who change history in the truest sense are those who have been overlooked by history.¡±


    For the time being, the small boat landed on the ground in the Forest of Needles, stopping just before the sheer cliffs surrounding the capital.


    ¡°We¡¯ll proceed on foot from here.¡±


    When Shulavis gestured his hand towards the cliff, the rocks crumbled, opening wide the entrance to the capital.  The nostalgic scene made Jess and I involuntarily look at each other.


    ¡°It reminds me of that night, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Seeing Jess smile like that reminded me of when she helped washed my body.


    ©¤In order to not be disrespectful to the king, I will properly wash us both.  During this time, you¡¯re not allowed to look away.


    ¡°N-no!  That¡¯s not what I meant¡­!¡±


    Jess blushed.


    (Sorry, I unconsciously¡­)


    Obviously, what Jess was referring to was when we were on the verge of death, we opened up the path to the capital together and passed through this cliff like right now.  At the time, I thought I could achieve happiness with Jess.  We entered the capital so that we could be saved and attain happiness.  But this time it¡¯s different.  We¡¯re entering the capital to save Nott and help them realize their happiness.


    We climbed the dark stairs surrounded by rocks.  Neither Josh nor Itsune spoke a word, and they were expressionless.  Celes was looking around anxiously, and followed behind me and Jess with the black pig.


    Hortis, who led the way, spoke as if carefully choosing his every word.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be heading to the Golden Sanctuary now.  I will talk to Elder Brother.  Everyone from the Liberation Army, please keep watch from the sidelines.  Shulavis will join me.  As for Virgin-kun-¡±


    Hortis looked at me with a meaningful gaze, and continued.


    ¡°Absolutely do not leave Jess¡¯ side, and do what you think is right.¡±


    What do you mean by that?  You still want me to solve a riddle during a time like this?


    That being said, my purpose here was to use my brain.  So I¡¯ll accept that level of challenge.


    (Understood.  You have a reason for requesting this of me, right?)


    ¡°¡­Of course.  Please use your intellect to uncover the greatest secret of Mestria¡¯s royal family.  I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not qualified to talk about it.¡±


    The greatest secret of Mestria¡¯s royal family¡­?


    Hortis didn¡¯t appear to have any intention of elaborating as he continued walking ahead.


    The road up to the inside of the capital was as maze-like as an ant¡¯s nest.  As we climbed up the winding underground passageway, I would occasionally look out the small windows and find we were in several mysterious spaces.  After passing through a number of ancient doors, we finally arrived at the Golden Sanctuary.


    The sky was crowded with literal dark clouds, with thunders rumbling and flashing.  While it wasn¡¯t raining, cold wind was blowing, making it seem like a storm could hit at any moment.


    The giant sanctuary was made of black stones.  Detailed golden decorations were installed everywhere, indicating that this was an extraordinary place.  The rulers of past royalty generations rested in this building, and any important visits or ceremonies were held here.  This was also where Evis personally sent me back to modern-day Japan.


    The heavy bronze doors were tightly shut.  Hortis gently stopped us with his hand before slowly opening the doors.


    A large gold throne sat directly in front of us on the geometric-patterned floor.  Markus was seated there, waiting.  There was not a single bit of disorderliness with his majestic attire.


    ¡°You¡¯re here early.  There¡¯s still three o¡¯clocks until noon.¡±


    Hortis lightly pushed Jess¡¯ back and let her enter the sanctuary first.  I followed behind her.  The air inside the sanctuary was stiff and cold.


    Nott sat on the floor beside Markus.  His twin daggers remained attached to his waist, but his hands and feet were bound.  Nott looked at us emotionlessly.


    Hortis and Shulavis stepped into the sanctuary, after which the members of the Liberation Army entered behind them.


    ¡°Now, where¡¯s the Spear of Destruction?¡±


    In response to Markus¡¯ question, Hortis responded elusively.


    ¡°What happened to the surreptitious sorcerer?  I hope you properly locked him up in a secure place.¡±


    Annoyed, Markus tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe.


    ¡°He¡¯s been imprisoned in a room deep underground where no one can enter it.  Answer my question.  What about the Spear of Destruction?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not handing it over just yet.  That comes after we have our talk.¡±


    The tyrant¡¯s body swelled with anger.


    ¡°Talk?  There¡¯s no room for talk.  Hurry up and hand over the spear, or else I¡¯ll kill this traitor.¡±


    Nott¡¯s body was violently suspended into the air with his bound hands and feet dangling loosely.


    Celes looked like she wanted to take a step forward, but then dismissed the notion.


    ¡°Calm down, Elder Brother.  There are only like-minded people here.  I just want to have a chat.  We still have some time until noon.  Let¡¯s head outside to cool our heads and calm ourselves down.¡±


    I heard a tongue click, as if an arrow had been released from a bow.


    ¡°Outside?  Don¡¯t waste my time.  If you really want to talk, do it here.¡±


    Nott was still hanging in midair, clenching his teeth and enduring.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.  We and Shulavis can talk while getting some fresh air.¡±


    Why is Hortis so insistent on going outside?  Is there something he doesn¡¯t want us to hear?


    ¡­Just as I was pondering.


    The same time lightning thundered outside, Itsune pulled out the greataxe she was carrying and swung it forcefully.


    It was an instantaneous smooth motion without a shred of hesitation.


    As if lightning had entered the sanctuary, electricity struck through the air.  I immediately closed my eyes.  I was certain that I heard a faint whistling sound amidst the roar.  It was a familiar sound.  It was the sound of Josh¡¯s arrow.


    When I opened my eyes, Josh was re-aiming his crossbow at Markus¡¯ face.


    Itsune, who jumped high with the first blow, waved her axe again, swinging it down on top of Markus¡¯ head.  Nott, who appeared to have had the rope around his hands cut by Josh¡¯s first arrow, pulled out a twin dagger and slid his body towards Markus¡¯ feet using the pushback from his fire shockwave.  An arrow was released from Josh¡¯s crossbow.


    It happened so fast, my closed eyelids didn¡¯t even have time to fully open.  Aside from the three people who suddenly acted, no one was able to react and reach out to stop them.


    The sound of wind being pierced.  A strong electric strike.  Flames rising upwards. ¨C A giant mass of hatred was converted into magic via Yesma bones and directed at the throne.


    Even for the strongest mage, there¡¯s no way he could have survived this. ¨C Just as I thought this, the attack from the three of them had already ended.


    It was absolutely over.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I said I would mercilessly kill anyone that dares point their blade at me.¡±


    The arrow was bent and had fallen onto the floor; the blade of the greataxe was cracked and chipped; the blade of the twin dagger was bent from its handle.  Markus sat unharmed.  It was like he had steel skin.


    ¡°Elder Brother!¡±


    Hortis¡¯ shout was to no avail, and a deafening explosion rang.  Jess and I, who were nearly blown away by the blast, fell down onto the floor.


    The tranquil sanctuary was instantly covered in dust, and I started hearing the sound of wind blowing.


    (Jess, are you okay?)


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.  Mister Pig¡­?¡±


    Covered in dust, we looked at each other.  Neither of us were injured.


    ¡°Is everyone else okay¡­?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (Let¡¯s take a look at the situation first.)


    After the dust was swept away by the wind, a shocking scene unfolded before my eyes.


    The front wall that we entered from had been completely blown away.  There were no heavy stone masonry, thick doors, or splendid stained glasses; only the dark sky that had just begun to rain was visible.


    Markus walked slowly on the ground that had been dug up to expose the rock foundation.


    I heard a snort next to me and turned to look.  Celes and the black pig were covered in dust just like us.


    ©¤I¡¯m so sorry.  I should have been able to predict that those kids would act like this.


    The black pig looked remorseful from the bottom of his heart, and Celes twisted her expression beside him.


    ¡°Mr. Nott¡¯s¡­  He¡¯s¡­¡±


    (Get a hold of yourself.  It¡¯s not like we saw his corpse.)


    After conveying that to Celes, I looked at the black pig.


    (Anyway, let¡¯s check out the situation.)


    After we managed to traverse the rubble and exit the sanctuary, the cold rain was preparing to drench the freshly dug up dry ground that used to be a plaza.  Markus, not covered in even a speck of dust, was looking down at the plaza about 10 meters below himself.  Hortis stood in the plaza, and behind him, Shulavis was covering for the three wounded people further back.


    ¡°Mr. Nott!¡±


    Even as Celes elatedly raised her voice, the quietly furious king stepped forward sternly.


    ¡°Are you going to protect those criminals who defied your father, Shulavis?¡±


    Markus was so intimidating, his voice was like thunder booming through the clouds.


    ¡°I will not support a wrong judgement, even if it¡¯s made by a great king, or my beloved father.¡±


    This overly serious reply made the king¡¯s temple twitch, and Markus extended his right hand towards Shulavis.


    Hortis immediately opened his hand, and a white light appeared in front of Shulavis¡¯ neck before quickly disappearing.  Hortis intervened and prevented the magic that was trying to strangle Shulavis¡¯ neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit your son, Elder Brother.  Wies will be saddened.¡±


    ¡°What son?  These rebels are criminals for trying to put their hands on the king.  Those who protect these criminals, including you, will not be forgiven.¡±


    Several intense-light-emitting balls appeared around Markus like Raijin¡¯s drums.


    >TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raijin


    ¡°Get back!¡±


    Hortis screamed.  Behind him, Shulavis retreated from the plaza while protecting the three.  Conversely, Hortis jumped straight at his angry brother.


    At the same time, Markus let loose a ball of light.  Hortis waved his left hand in response, and several huge masses of metal appeared in the air.  The metal masses collided with the light bullet and were all destroyed.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had a brotherly quarrel in quite some time, I hope you¡¯ll go easy on me.¡±


    Markus responded to Hortis¡¯ jest with eye-dizzying explosions of fire.  Hortis wrapped his body in a veil of water to endure them.  We were nearly caught in it, and retreated towards the shadows of the sanctuary rubble.


    (Let¡¯s join up with Shulavis and the others.  We need to get those three out of here first.)


    I conveyed this to Jess, Celes, and Sanon.


    We walked through the cemetery beside the sanctuary and down the narrow stairs to where Shulavis and the others had disappeared to.  Inside the small circular plaza with a dried-up fountain, four people stood under an eave to take shelter from the rain.  Shulavis was supporting Nott¡¯s shoulder, and Josh was supporting his sister¡¯s shoulder.  The three members of the Liberation Army appear to have had their lives saved by some kind of magic, but they still seem to have taken the blast head-on, as they were bleeding from everywhere.


    ¡°Mr. Nott!¡±


    Celes rushed to Nott¡¯s side in a flash and hugged his chest without caring about what the others thought.


    Feeling awkward, Shulavis moved away from Nott.  We also caught up to Celes.


    (Are you guys alright?)


    The three members of the Liberation Army didn¡¯t answer.  The black pig snorted furiously.


    ©¤You all did something stupid.  This time alone, I can¡¯t claim that the tyrannical king is at fault.  Those who attempt to take the lives of others must be prepared to be killed in return.  This coup was absolutely childish and reckless.


    Nott glared fiercely at the black pig.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than ready to sacrifice my life for this.  Sanon, you should know that as long as this king still lives, there¡¯s no future where Yesmas can be happy.  If we, who were robbed of someone important in our lives, don¡¯t bet our lives on the line, then who will?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Mr. Nott.  I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡±


    Nott pushed her shoulders back, slowly distancing Celes, who was hugging him tightly, away from himself.


    ¡°Sorry, but this is my way of living.¡±


    Nott smiled at Celes and continued.


    ¡°If I had another life, I would¡¯ve wanted to stay by your side, Celes.¡±


    Nott¡¯s injuries had been fully healed.  He politely stroked the head of the pitiful girl who had healed him.  And after he pulled out his unbent dagger, he stepped out into the rain.


    Flashes and explosions occurred nearby.  It looked like they would reach here at any moment.


    Shulavis calmly patted Nott on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hold it, Nott.  We can only wait for the situation to settle down right now.  Father can¡¯t be stopped when he¡¯s in his battle state unless we acquire the Spear of Destruction.  Let¡¯s retreat for now.  No one has any objections, right?¡±


    As he said that, a basketball-sized fireball that Hortis failed to block fell from overhead and hit the fountain at the center of the plaza.  The stone sculpture was pulverized like it was a fake.


    Nott wasn¡¯t fazed at all, and shielded his face with his sleeve.


    ¡°It¡¯s as the prince said.  Let¡¯s retreat for now.¡±


    We moved along the narrow alleys in the rain, looking for a place to hide.  Instead of Josh, who was also injured himself, Shulavis supported Itsune¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Why are you being so kind to us?  We clearly tried to kill your father.  Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?¡±


    Shulavis carefully shifted his flank where Itsune¡¯s plump breast was touching to move aside.


    ¡°How could I have an ulterior motive?  I told you already.  I sincerely hope to make Mestria a better place with free-thinking people like you.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if it could become a better place.¡±


    Josh muttered while holding his bleeding arm.  Though it sounded like he was implicitly saying ¡°Though I doubt that¡¯s possible.¡±


    Jess and I acted as the rearguards, keeping an eye on our backs and following the path Shulavis chose.  The capital was a stone labyrinth-like city built on a steep slope.  I had no idea where we were headed.


    The black pig who was walking side by side with Celes turned to look at us.


    ©¤Mr. Lolipo, we need the Spear of Destruction for the negotiation.  Do you know what Mr. Hortis meant when he mentioned ¡°the greatest secret of Mestria¡¯s royal family¡±?


    I shook my head.


    (No, not at all¡­  But it sounded like he was telling me and Jess to get the Spear of Destruction.)


    ©¤Yeah, it sounded like that to me too.


    I looked up at Jess, but she didn¡¯t seem to have a clue either.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not in Vatis-sama¡¯s coffin, where else could the spear be hidden?¡±


    I was mystified.


    ©¤There were various circumstances.  It¡¯s a very complicated situation.  I know how to acquire the Spear of Destruction.  I certainly know how, but in order to do so, I need to enter the capital and follow some steps.


    Hortis said he knew how to acquire the spear, but he didn¡¯t reveal it to us and expected us to retrieve it.  What¡¯s that about?  What does the greatest secret of the royal family have to do with this?


    At present, it seems like the only way to break through this absolute worst situation is to deliver the Spear of Destruction to Markus and hope it will appease his anger.  The future of Mestria may depend on the performance of this pig¡¯s small brain.


    (What if-)


    I conveyed to Jess.


    (What if the Spear of Destruction is still in the Golden Sanctuary?  Hortis knew how to get the spear out, but Markus was inside the Golden Sanctuary, so he had to lure Markus outside the sanctuary first to create an opportunity to retrieve it.  This would explain Hortis¡¯ actions earlier.)


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it have been fine to take it out there with Markus-sama present?  Why do we have to take it out secretly?¡±


    Does that have to do with the greatest secret of the royal family?


    As I was thinking about this, I noticed the black pig was looking at me probingly.


    (What¡¯s wrong?)


    When asked, the black pig flapped his ears.


    ©¤Please do your best to acquire the spear, because that¡¯s the only way to achieve peace.


    Not far from us, a crazy collapsing sound reached my ears.  It sounded like a part of the capital had crumbled.  Under the dim sky, white dust rose in the air.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    When Shulavis turned his head worriedly, a woman¡¯s voice called out to him from the front.


    ¡°Shulavis!  What exactly is going on?¡±


    It was Wies.  When I looked, I could see a splendid white palace nearby ¨C the building with Wies¡¯ study entered my sights.  Shulavis went to his mother for help.


    ¡°Mother¡­  Father is worked up and currently fighting Uncle.  It¡¯s not a fight that anyone can step in to break apart.  I was trying to figure out whether there¡¯s a way to calm the situation down¡­¡±


    Wies ran over to us with short steps across the white, stone-paved square.


    ¡°And these kids are?¡±


    Wies¡¯ eyes turned to the Liberation Army trio whose tattered clothes were soaked in the rain.


    ¡°They provoked Father and are being hunted.  Can you hide them in a safe place?¡±


    After thinking for some time, Wies nodded.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.  There¡¯s a large cave behind this palace.  It was created during Vatis-sama¡¯s time and is protected by strong magic.  That place should be safe for now.  Please take refuge there.¡±


    Wies¡¯ hand pointed at the road that ran to the side of the palace.


    ¡°Sorry about this.¡±


    Nott apologized, and the members of the Liberation Army walked in that direction.  Celes and Sanon followed suit.


    In front of the palace, only Wies, Shulavis, Jess, and I were left.


    Without caring about getting drenched from the rain, Wies looked at us with tired eyes.


    ¡°Did the alliance between the Liberation Army and the royal dynasty break down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mother, I wasn¡¯t capable enough¡­¡±


    Shulavis let his curly hair drip with water and self-reproached with a miserable expression.


    ¡°No, you and Mister Pig have both done your best.  Just being able to create a wave this big is remarkable.  From here on out, let¡¯s figure out a way to settle things down peacefully.¡±


    With a joke-like timing, just as Wies finished speaking, something crashed onto the cobblestone square.  It was a middle-aged man in a white robe.  It was Hortis.


    The force was so strong that if he was an ordinary person, he would have been turned into an octopus rice cracker; but Hortis looked like he had simply fallen off his bed and was in some pain as he was about to get up.  However, countless black arms sprouted from the white stone pavement, pressing Hortis¡¯ limbs down to the ground.  A black hand also wrapped itself around Hortis¡¯ neck and began to tighten.


    Markus slowly descended from the sky.


    ¡°Well, well, well.  Is the brotherly quarrel over already?  You really are weak.¡±


    Hortis was sprawled on the ground, bounded by countless black hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.  I can still use magic, even without moving my hands.¡±


    With his hand, Markus gestured towards the palace with a look of tedium.  From inside, a metal ring broke through the glass window and flew out.  It was a Yesma collar.  Markus motioned towards his brother, and the collar clasped around Hortis¡¯ neck like a preying shark.


    Markus walked over to his brother and stomped forcefully on his chest.  The collar glowed white, and Hortis spat out a mixture of blood and saliva.


    ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to use magic.¡±


    Still trampling his brother, Markus turned to face Shulavis.


    ¡°See this, Shulavis?  I don¡¯t care if you want to defy me next time, but you¡¯ll end up like this as well.¡±


    Was it because he couldn¡¯t use magic anymore?  Hortis¡¯ neck tightened, and his mouth opened and closed seemingly in pain.  Shulavis placed his hands on his knee in vexation.  Wies also seemed too frightened to make a sound.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the criminals?  Fess up, Shulavis.¡±


    When Shulavis remained silent, Markus¡¯ cold eyes turned towards me and Jess.  Just when I thought everything was over, I heard a hoarse voice.


    ¡°¡­gh¡±


    It was the muffled voice of Hortis, who was being strangled.  Hortis¡¯ voice echoed in my head.


    ©¤Listen to me.  Please, Elder Brother.


    Markus dropped his gaze to his foot.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ©¤¡­Those kids¡­ Please don¡¯t take their lives.  They had their precious friend¡­ their lover, killed by the royal dynasty.  They acted foolishly because of that resentment¡­ As long as you apologize from the bottom of your heart and are willing to forgive them, Elder Brother¡­ everything should end well.


    Markus frowned, looking at him in incomprehension.


    ¡°Ridiculous.  Why should I have to apologize?  It¡¯s them who should be apologizing and begging for their lives.  You as well, Hortis.¡±


    I watched Hortis¡¯ face gradually become more and more congested as I listened to the cold voice.  Markus was serious about killing his brother.  Shulavis was shaking violently, seemingly unable to do anything.


    ©¤I don¡¯t mind if you want to kill me.  But please¡­ forgive them.


    Markus tilted his head, puzzled.


    ¡°Why do you go to such lengths to protect those commoners?  Why is that swordsman so important to you?¡±


    Hortis most definitely glanced my way with his red, bloodshot eyes.


    ©¤Because he was the man who loved my dead daughter dearly.


    It felt like time had stopped.  In an instant, all the mysteries had been revealed.


    The black hands holding down Hortis melted away.


    ¡°You¡­ had a child¡­?¡±


    The voice Markus directed at his brother sounded more surprised than angry.


    ¡°There must be no branching in god¡¯s lineage.  You should have known fully well that this alone was enough to deserve death.¡±


    I felt the air and ground shake with dreadful rage.


    (Jess, let¡¯s go.)


    I hurriedly conveyed to Jess, who hadn¡¯t seemed to have organized her thoughts yet.


    (Let¡¯s get away from here.)


    Jess nodded and we began our sprint.  At almost the same time, Markus¡¯ wife and son were trying to stop him, who was attempting to strangle Hortis with his own bare hands.


    Luckily, Markus showed no interest in us, and we managed to run down the stone steps to begin making our way back.


    ¡°Mister Pig, where are we going?¡±


    As I ran with my pig hooves and almost slipped, I looked at the soaking wet Jess.


    (That goes without saying.  It¡¯s to the Golden Sanctuary, of course.  Let¡¯s hurry up and grab the Spear of Destruction.)


    ¡°But how¡­?¡±


    The sudden and hard-to-accept truth must have thrown Jess into confusion.


    After choosing my words carefully, I told her the greatest secret of the royal family.


    (Hortis is your father, Jess.  You¡¯re his illegitimate child.)


    Jess was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t say anything.


    It was a simple and straightforward answer.  All the questions up until now looked like they could be attributed to this secret.


    (You heard what Hortis said earlier.  Ys, Nott¡¯s beloved, is his daughter.  When Markus burned down the monastery, his daughter Ys died, and he lost his wife when she found out, leading to him abandoning the royal dynasty.  He then changed into a dog and stayed by Nott¡¯s side for these past five years.  The husband¡¯s name on your mother¡¯s grave was Hortis¡¯ pseudonym.)


    ¡°Eh¡­?  But that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Pressing a hand against her chest, Jess looked at me.


    (The Spear of Destruction is still sealed inside Vatis¡¯ coffin.  It¡¯s just that Shulavis couldn¡¯t break the seal.  As for why, the reason¡¯s simple.  Shulavis isn¡¯t the youngest descendent of the royal dynasty¡¯s ancestor, Vatis.  The rightful heir to the dynasty is you, Jess.)


    Her magic aptitude, which she was unaware of, even made Evis state that she had ¡°the potential to become the greatest mage since Vatis-sama.¡±  Her rate of ecydessa also surpassed even that of the prince.  And most importantly, her power of prayer that distorted the principles of the world to the point of pulling over a glasses-wearing otaku from another world.


    All of this was thanks to the Vatis¡¯ lineage, also known as god¡¯s blood.


    ¡°I have the royal family¡¯s blood¡­¡±


    I explained while running.


    (Hortis didn¡¯t want to reveal the truth, since he was forbidden from having children.  There was also the possibility that Jess would be killed in order to crush any chance of a branch family.  That¡¯s why he went to retrieve the Wedge of Contracts, instead of the Spear of Destruction, which could have exposed you as someone with royal blood.)


    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t it strange?  Mr. Hortis was, um¡­ sniffing at my legs and such¡­  I can¡¯t imagine anyone doing that to their own daughter¡­¡±


    That¡¯s what¡¯s clever about that man.


    (Hortis was just playing that type of clown.  You wouldn¡¯t expect there to be a father who would be excited about smelling his own daughter¡¯s bare legs, right?  He utilized the reverse of that preconception and kept sniffing at your bare legs.  It was all calculated by him.)


    In a state of confusion, Jess¡¯ eyes swam as she spoke.


    ¡°Erm, then is Mister Pig actually¡­ my older brother¡­?¡±


    (No, I¡¯m simply excited by Jess¡¯ bare legs.)


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­  That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    I don¡¯t think you should be relieved about that though¡­


    (I think Hortis was hoping for the scenario where I would realize your secret, and you would take out the Spear of Destruction after he took Markus outside the Golden Sanctuary.  In fact, if it hadn¡¯t been for those three¡¯s assassination plot, I probably would have realized his intentions when you and I would be left behind inside the sanctuary.)


    ¡°So we¡¯re going to redo Mr. Hortis¡¯ scenario, right?¡±


    (That¡¯s right.  We¡¯ll acquire the Spear of Destruction to compensate for using the Wedge of Contracts so that everything can be resolved peacefully.  Once Markus finds a way to kill the surreptitious sorcerer, he¡¯ll regain his composure and likely won¡¯t continue to try and kill his own brother.)


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Jess and I ran through the rainy capital.  The wind and rain were cold, but my pig heart was thumping and my pig liver was heating up from the hot blood.  Together, we¡¯ll save this country.


    We arrived at the ruined Golden Sanctuary.  From the cratered plaza, Jess and I stepped into the gaping sanctuary.  Located in the far back was the altar dedicated to Vatis.  At the bottom of it was a large sarcophagus.  We slipped our feet onto the marble and headed over there.


    Arriving at the altar, Jess caught her breath and looked at the statue of Vatis.  It was a statue of a woman with her left hand on her chest, and her right hand held straight up.  Although I¡¯ve seen her figure many times before, she looked completely different now.


    She was Jess¡¯ not-so-distant ancestor.


    (I believe you have to touch the lid of this sarcophagus while wishing for the Spear of Destruction.)


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    Jess bowed deeply towards the statue, took a deep breath, and touched the lid of the sarcophagus.


    Rumble ¨C it was the sound of the lid trembling.  Rumble, rumble, rumble ¨C the vibration sound continued until it suddenly stopped.  Although there was no sound, an ornately decorated black stick-shaped weapon emerged from the surface of the sarcophagus lid with slippery smoothness.


    It was the Spear of Destruction.


    Jess carefully picked up the item on the lid.  The handle was decorated with gold and silver on a black base.  The intricate spearhead had a spiral wound around it, and firmly fitted at the center of it was a transparent tetrahedron-shaped crystal that resembled a Wedge of Contracts ¨C or rather, it looked like it was an actual Wedge of Contracts.  It was as if a transparent pistil was hidden inside a spiral bud.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Wedge of Contracts inside?¡±


    Picking up the Spear of Destruction, Jess tilted her head questioningly.


    (Looks like it.  It appears to be set up so that when you thrust with the spear, it stabs your opponent with the Wedge of Contracts.)


    ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    It was then that I spotted a helpless figure running towards us from the gaping hole at the front of the sanctuary.


    ¡°Ms. Jess!  Mr. Shitty Virgin¡­ please help¡­¡±


    It was a brave, trembling voice.  It was Celes.


    ¡°Ms. Celes!  What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jess and I ran towards her.  Perhaps Celes ran out of strength, as she suddenly collapsed on the spot.


    What happened to Sanon?  Where¡¯s Nott?


    Sensing that this was an unusual situation, I ran straight towards Celes.


    We rushed over and Jess hugged Celes¡¯ shoulders.  I sniffed Celes¡¯ legs.  She¡¯s the real person.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms. Celes?  Get a hold¡­¡±


    Celes, who was drenched by the rain, was trembling miserably, and her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    As Celes said that, she took a small metal object the size of an acorn ¨C a bullet shaped like a wasp¡¯s abdomen with a stinger attached, and stabbed the back of Jess¡¯ hand with it.


    I was stunned by her unbelievable action.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Nott¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Nott promptly flipped his coat and snatched the Spear of Destruction from Jess¡¯ hands.  I understood their intentions in an instant.  They were going to use the Spear of Destruction not to settle the war peacefully, but to finish the war.  Nott was intending to kill Markus with the Spear of Destruction.


    (No, wait Nott!)


    I tried to rush in and interfere with Nott, but a large black body jumped in from the side and knocked me away.


    I hit my head, and stars appeared before my eyes.


    (Mr. Sanon¡­?)


    When I tried to get up, the black pig bared his teeth, growling, and bit my neck.


    An electric shock that seemed to penetrate my spine made my body quiver.  I looked up at the black pig from the floor.


    ©¤My apologies, but please leave the rest to us.  If we don¡¯t complete the coup d''¨¦tat, everything will fall apart.  Since No-kun and the others have acted, the only way to save them is to kill the tyrannical king.


    Without waiting for a reply, Sanon turned around and followed Nott out the sanctuary.


    I urged my paralyzed body to move towards Jess.  It doesn¡¯t look like the paralysis lasts very long.


    (Are you okay, Jess?)


    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    As she responded, Jess pulled out the metal stuck to the back of her hand.  Blood flowed profusely from her fair skin.


    (Wait, but you¡¯re still bleeding.)


    ¡°I¡¯m letting it bleed on purpose.  I¡¯m manipulating my blood flow to prevent the anesthetic poison from circulating.¡±


    Celes cried while hiccupping.


    ¡°I¡¯b sho sowwy Mish Jess, I¡­¡±


    Jess gently hugged Celes, who was trying to kowtow while sobbing.  She gently caressed Celes¡¯ head with her bleeding hand.


    ¡°They told you that if you didn¡¯t do this, Mr. Nott will be killed, right?  I would have done the same thing to you, Ms. Celes, if it was for Mister Pig¡¯s sake.¡±


    Celes hugged Jess and sobbed while trembling all over.


    Who tricked Celes and told her Nott would die without the Spear of Destruction?   Sorry to say this, but I don¡¯t think Nott is good at this kind of deception.  It must¡¯ve been Sanon.  He instigated Celes to help them steal the Spear of Destruction from us.  We were betrayed.


    In that case, wouldn¡¯t staying here with Celes be playing right into that black pig¡¯s plan?


    (Jess, we need to hurry up and stop Nott.)


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Jess stood up after replying and lent her shoulder to Celes.


    ¡°Ms. Celes, will you be coming as well?¡±


    Celes nodded while heaving with sobs.


    Jess and I ran back to the palace from the way we came.  Celes followed from behind.  What happened over there?  Has Hortis been forgiven?  What about Shulavis?  What¡¯s Markus doing?  How much time is there until Nott reaches them?


    The rain-soaked royal capital was grey, and the masonry here and there had collapsed.  Whether it was because the citizens of the capital were taking shelter from the rain or were aware of the emergency, there was absolutely no one out on the streets.


    (Jess, are you still able to run?)


    Still facing forward, Jess did a guts pose with one hand.


    ¡°I can run.  What about you, Mister Pig?¡±


    (Of course.  Who do you think I am?)


    With a smile, Jess turned slightly towards me.


    ¡°Mr. Scrawny Four-Eyed Shitty Virgin, right?¡±


    (Exactly.)


    We climbed the stairs to reach the square in front of the palace.  King Markus was still standing unharmed.  Hortis, wearing the collar, was prostrating on the ground pleading something.  Shulavis and Wies were watching over them from the side.  Nott wasn¡¯t here yet.  We can still prevent the attack.


    ¡°Mr. Shulavis, please stop Mr. Nott!¡± Jess cried.


    Right as Shulavis reacted, Nott appeared at a different staircase from us.  Shulavis ran towards Nott with the speed of a carnivorous beast, and fired a piercing electric shock at Nott¡¯s chest.


    One of Nott¡¯s twin daggers glowed red, repelling the electric shock.


    By the time I realized it, it was too late.  Nott didn¡¯t have the Spear of Destruction.  He was a diversion.  In the shadows of the palace on the opposite side, Josh was holding his crossbow.  A black-glowing spear was clumsily placed where the arrow should have been.  Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    There was an immediate bang, and the Spear of Destruction disappeared from the crossbow.  With a rista¡¯s power, it was accelerated to an ordinarily impossible speed.


    Markus remained standing.  At a glance, the Spear of Destruction looked to have stopped in midair and continued to only rotate sideways.


    ¡°Did you really think you could defeat the strongest mage in Mestria with your sneak attack?¡±


    Markus extended his hand towards the spear that carried on rotating in the air several dozen meters away, but nothing happened.  Instead, the spear appeared to be inching forward little by little.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    The spear began to gradually accelerate while scattering black electricity.


    ¡°Elder Brother, that¡¯s the Spear of Destruction¡­!¡± cried Hortis.


    A spear that can take any life.  It seemed like it was imbued with some kind of special magic as it resisted Markus¡¯ magic and tried to push forward.


    When Markus jumped to the side to avoid it, the Spear of Destruction turned like a compass and pointed in that direction.  Even Josh, who fired the spear, looked surprised.  The spear accelerated steadily.  Markus abandoned the thought of escaping and faced the spear.  His face contorted as he aimed his hands at it.


    The air vibrated, and light crackled in the air.  All the stone slabs between Markus and the spear were split apart.  Countless thunders ran between the dark clouds as if they were being goaded, and the ominous noise incessantly roared.


    Although the spear slowed down for a brief moment, it began accelerating again while releasing black electricity.  Markus¡¯ face was distorted in a way I had never seen before as he fought with all his might against the high-speed-rotating-in-midair spear¡¯s magic.


    However, the outcome was obvious.


    The spear¡¯s acceleration didn¡¯t stop, and it headed straight towards Markus¡¯ chest.


    Bam!  A huge one meter thick metal plate protruded from the ground and stood in front of the spear.  However, the spear melted the metal plate with ease and broke through.


    The surrounding people could only watch as if time had stopped as the Spear of Destruction approached Markus.


    There were only a few meters left.  The constant white light and black electricity exploding in the air was like the finale of a firework display.  The sense of urgency, as if the air was going to fissure, surged again and again, with my pork meat cowering and tightening each time.


    When everyone had been convinced that the spear would pierce Markus¡¯ chest¡­


    A white cloth fluttered in the air and jumped into the bosom of Markus.


    It was Hortis.


    He extended his thin, muscular right arm and held it out in front of his brother¡¯s chest.


    The spear pierced Hortis¡¯ arm.


    Immediately, the exploding lights converged as if they were being sucked in.


    ¡°Hortis¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the peerless tyrant?  I¡¯m amazed you never considered using your family as a shield.¡±


    The king¡¯s younger brother grinned as he pushed his older brother away.


    There was a bubbling sound, and Hortis¡¯ forearm shattered into pieces.  The Spear of Destruction fell to the ground with his right hand, but its core ¨C the-Wedge-of-Contracts-like crystal ¨C was missing.


    ¡°It¡¯s so weak that it¡¯s hard to imagine it being ancient magic.  What a joke of a Spear of Destruction.¡±


    Hortis looked at his right arm.  The tetrahedron-shaped light that pierced his hand steadily made its way towards the center of his chest.  The flesh where the light passed through would turn into some kind of sticky substance that looked like blood or pieces of flesh, and fall to the white ground.


    Markus watched his brother disintegrate from a distance.  His face was as rigid as stone.


    ¡°¡­Why did you protect me?¡±


    ¡°If Elder Brother were to die, then there won¡¯t be anyone left who¡¯s able to free the Yesmas.¡±


    Hortis shook his head, swaying his collar.  As he did so, the blinding light shattered Hortis¡¯ elbow and headed straight for his heart.


    ¡°Listen carefully, everyone.¡±


    Hortis, whose arm was ravaged, stood proudly with his chest out.  He let the water drip from his long hair that was stuck to his face, and spoke in a loud voice.


    ¡°You must never forget this singular, most important belief.¡±


    Hortis looked at the faces of everyone in the plaza one by one.  I also made firm eye contact with him.  He was smiling.  It felt like when he looked at Jess, who was next to me, he lingered just a bit longer.


    ¡°Protect what you love even if it kills you, but don¡¯t try to rob others of what they love.¡±


    Hortis turned to face Markus, who was standing closest to him.


    ¡°Elder Brother, this looks to be farewell.¡±


    Even Markus lost his composure at this unforeseen event, and he appeared to only be able to look at his crumbling brother in silence.  The blinding light shattered Hortis¡¯ shoulder.  His bone burst out, and fresh blood wet Hortis¡¯ face.


    Hortis suddenly smiled as if he had relaxed his strength.


    ¡°I love everyone here ¨C forever more.¡±


    The sharp light finally reached Hortis¡¯ chest, and in an instant, his entire body was mercilessly splattered apart.  The smile that was just there a few seconds ago was nowhere to be seen.


    Only the sound of cold rain echoed, and the grotesque lumps of blood and flesh were diluted by the rain at Markus¡¯ feet.


    No one said anything.  Jess placed her hand on my back.  She was crying.


    ¡°Hortis¡­¡±


    Markus muttered, and fell to his knees as if he had collapsed.


    There lies the remnants of the younger brother who risked his life to save his older brother ¨C a pool of blood and flesh without any consciousness.  Markus tried to scoop it up with his trembling hands, but his hands were shaking so badly that his sleeves were simply soaking in the blood.


    His slicked-back hair was disheveled by the rain, and his clothes were miserably soaked with rain and blood.  The tyrannical king¡¯s figure was no longer anywhere to be seen.


    Kneeling in the pool of blood was a lonely and weak man who had just lost someone who was willing to love him.

 Volume 3 - CH 5

    Hortis¡¯ funeral was attended not only by the members of the royal family, but also by Nott, the leader of the Liberation Army.


    The Golden Sanctuary was restored by the person who destroyed it, and the beautiful afternoon sunlight shone through the stained glass windows in primary colors.  Although Nott and Markus didn¡¯t smile towards each other in the quiet space where the calming incense smoke floated, at least they didn¡¯t glare at each other.


    Hortis¡¯ shocking death had a significant impact on Mestria¡¯s governing.


    King Markus pardoned Nott and the other officers of the Liberation Army, and they also forgave the king.  The alliance between the royal dynasty and the Liberation Army was realized in the truest sense.  Shulavis had been chosen as the two¡¯s mediator to carry out reforms, and slowly but surely, changes were beginning to take place.


    As the first step, the royal dynasty announced a new law across all of Mestria that Yesmas were not allowed to be killed.


    This doesn¡¯t reform the underlying foundation, and I think it¡¯ll take quite some time to thoroughly abolish this unreasonable, antiquated structure, but just the existence of this law that should have been there to begin with was a big step forward.


    It was nighttime.  After the extravagant dinner party, Jess and I were alone.  There were no more fights.  The surreptitious sorcerer was neutralized and sealed away in the innermost part of the capital for the time being.  We could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    We walked down the torch-lit stone corridor towards Jess¡¯ room.


    Jess made a ¡°Fwah¡± sound as she stretched before giving me a smile.


    ¡°I may have eaten a bit too much.¡±


    After everything that has happened, I was relieved to see her doing just fine.  It¡¯s good to have a healthy appetite.  I hope she¡¯ll continue to grow healthily.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re referring to?¡±


    I hurriedly corrected Jess, who read my monologue and was covering her chest with her hands in discontent.


    (No, look, I¡¯m talking about your entire body.  It¡¯s not like your boobs will grow any further unless you use magic or something.  I¡¯m not perverted enough to be talking about breast size here, and if anything, I prefer them modestly sized¡­)


    Jess hmphed and faced forward as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, but I don¡¯t have the skill to change my breast size to Mister Pig¡¯s tastes, and I don¡¯t plan on learning that kind of dirty magic either.¡±


    My pig ears drooped after being coldly told off.


    ¡°¡­If possible, I want Mister Pig to like my breasts as they are now.¡±


    Hearing her quietly append this, I couldn¡¯t help but oink from excitement.


    (You don¡¯t have to force yourself to say those kind of tsundere-like lines¡­)


    ¡°Tsundere¡­?¡±


    >TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundere


    (Never mind, don¡¯t worry about it.)


    While chatting like this, we arrived at a fork in the hallway.  To the left was the bedroom, to the right was the bathroom.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s been a while, Mister Pig, would you like to take a bath together?¡±


    Her sudden invitation made this virgin babble incoherently.


    (Eeh?  Wha-, that might not, um, how should I put it, uh¡­)


    ¡°I¡¯ll wrap a towel around myself, that should be fine then, right?  Please come with me, Mr. Shitty Virgin.¡±


    As she finished, Jess turned to the right.  She sure is giving me a lot of service today.


    Jess undressed in the cute dressing room with pastel colored wallpaper.  I closed my eyes and turned my tail towards Jess so I wouldn¡¯t accidentally see her, but I could still hear the rustling of her clothes.  When she said ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I opened my eyes and saw the figure of Jess wrapped in a thin linen towel from her chest down through the corner of my eyes.


    (Am I allowed to look?)


    When I directed the question behind me, Jess nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to even stare, because I made sure to wrap myself properly.¡±


    Hearing that, I looked at Jess.  The fuzz-less towel hung gently along the fine lines of Jess¡¯ body.  It was still very stimulating.


    (Is that going to be alright when it gets wet?)


    When I confirmed it with Jess, she smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test it out inside.¡±


    She then walked into the bathroom.


    I followed her inside the warm bathroom while trying my best to avoid looking at her butt.


    The spacious bathroom decorated with blue tiles was constantly supplied with steam from the large circular bathtub set in the center.  Normally, my poor eyesight or foggy lenses would interfere with my vision, but my pig eyes that were optimized by Jess¡¯ magic allowed me to see my surroundings without any problems.  This is bad.


    Jess beckoned, and I followed her.  She sat down on a small stool and poured hot water on me from the bathtub.  I relaxed as I felt like I was being shabu-shabu¡¯d.


    >TL Note: Shabu-shabu is a hotpot dish where you dip thin slices of meat into the hot stock for only a few seconds before eating.


    ¡°Mister Pig, can I talk about something serious?¡±


    Seeing her beautiful brown eyes stare at me, I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of breaking off the engagement.¡±


    I remained quiet, so Jess poured hot water on me again and gently brushed my back.


    ¡°Although Mr. Shulavis himself doesn¡¯t know, he¡¯s my cousin.  Cousins can¡¯t marry.¡±


    Resisting the comfort from her brushing, I conveyed to her.


    (In my country, cousins can legally get married.  Isn¡¯t cousin marriage pretty moe and good?)


    The hand that was brushing me stopped.


    ¡°Please take this seriously.¡±


    Jess gave me a saddened look.


    ¡°Do you really want me to marry Mr. Shulavis no matter what, Mister Pig?¡±


    I nodded without hesitation.


    (The blood of Mestria¡¯s royal family has meaning only if there¡¯s just one lineage.  While currently only you and I know the secret of your birth, it¡¯ll surely be revealed someday.  When that time comes, it¡¯s highly likely that Markus will see you as an eyesore.  But as long as you get married, you¡¯ll be safe.)


    Besides his deceased daughter, the king¡¯s younger brother, Hortis, also had another child.  That¡¯s Jess ¨C Shulavis¡¯ fianc¨¦.  This was the greatest secret of the royal family.  At present, only Jess and I, who already knew Ys and Jess were sisters, have noticed.  However, the royal family¡¯s records, the names written on Jess¡¯ mother¡¯s tombstone, and how exactly we acquired the Spear of Destruction ¨C with these puzzles in place, sooner or later the truth will be revealed.


    If the engagement is broken off, Jess would become the daughter of the royal family¡¯s branch family that shouldn¡¯t have existed.  She would become a troublesome existence to the royal family, who relies on their identity as the strongest and only lineage with the blood of god.  But if she married into the main family, then she won¡¯t have to worry about that.


    ¡°Although you say that everything will be fine as long as I get married, Mister Pig, does my marriage really have to be so calculated?¡±


    Jess brushed my back a little harder.


    ¡°The cousin talk was an excuse.  Please don¡¯t dodge the subject and listen to me.¡±


    She looked straight at me.


    ¡°I only have Mister Pig in my heart.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    (You know I¡¯m just a pig, Jess.)


    ¡°I know.¡±


    (Even if I look like this, will you still love me?)


    The brush fell to the floor, and Jess placed her hand on my back.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    It was a strong tone.  Looks like I have to strengthen my heart.


    (Then, what if I¡¯m actually a girl, Jess?)


    ¡°Eeeh?!  You¡¯re a girl¡­?¡±


    Jess tried to peek under my belly.  No, that¡¯s not what I meant.


    (No, I meant that as an example.  What if I was a woman?  Let¡¯s say, what if I wasn¡¯t really a human, and was just a pig that was as smart as a human?  What if I was a completely different race?  Would you still love me, Jess?)


    Jess appeared to be imagining those scenarios as she pondered for a bit before nodding.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    It was the answer I wanted.


    (Right?  It¡¯s not that Jess wants to marry me.  There¡¯s no reason to specifically choose me as your marriage partner in this situation when marriage with the opposite sex is valued.  Even if we¡¯re not married, we¡¯re most definitely friends.  Isn¡¯t that fine?)


    Towards the beyond ideal girl, I attempted to refuse the first proposal I¡¯ve ever received.


    Jess froze with a face that looked like she was about to cry at any moment.


    (At the very least, I¡¯m not someone worthy of swearing a lifelong vow with the princess of a country.)


    Jess¡¯ mouth remained shut as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.


    (¡­Can you give up on this?)


    Lightly, then much more forcefully, Jess shook her head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    (Why-)


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I pretended to be calm as I desperately tried my best to suppress my pig heart that was about to shatter.


    Jess forcefully held my cheeks.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ do you not like me anymore?¡±


    Seeing her expression that looked like the picture of despair, I couldn¡¯t help but deny it.


    (Of course not.  Even now, I li¡­ likgh¡­)


    I tried to convey my heart by frantically goading my resisting brain.


    But Jess didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°Then please kiss me.¡±


    The outlandish response made me involuntarily question back.


    (¡­What?)


    ¡°If you still like me, then as proof, please kiss me.¡±


    Jess¡¯ expression was extremely serious.  So much so, I didn¡¯t feel like teasing her.


    ¡°¡­Okay.  Hold out your hand.¡±


    ¡°On the hand is not enough.¡±


    (How about your cheek?)


    Jess shook her head.


    ¡°Please kiss my lips.¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    (Uh, isn¡¯t it weird to be kissing a pig?)


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s weird or not is for me to decide¡­  Of course, if Mister Pig doesn¡¯t like it, then I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    Only the sound of running hot water echoed.


    Please hold on a minute.  I¡¯m a scrawny four-eyed shitty virgin.  I¡¯m not used to being approached like this, or rather, I should say I have zero experience with this.  Anyway, just give me a moment.


    First of all, the fact that there¡¯s a cute girl wearing only a towel in front of me was already a special alert emergency level situation.  And naturally, I would love for this kind of girl to take my first kiss.  But isn¡¯t this the type of thing you would normally do only after dating?  No, no, she¡¯s a princess.  It¡¯s not even a question of relationship order.  How can a livestock like me that belongs to the royal family-


    Jess suddenly leaned forward, and her brown eyes neared mine very much.  My head, which was held firmly by Jess¡¯ hands, couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°You don¡¯t dislike this, right?¡±


    Seeing her tears drip, I had no choice but to nod.


    ¡°This is just a ritual to confirm Mister Pig¡¯s feelings.  Please forget about it after it¡¯s over.¡±


    I involuntarily closed my eyes as Jess¡¯ face was nearing an incredibly close distance.  There was an amazingly soft feeling on my lips.  Wait, is she seriously-  Even though I¡¯m a pig?


    Just as my mind went blank, I felt something enter between my teeth.  Don¡¯t tell me¨C


    I opened my mouth thinking that it would be bad if I bit her.  Then something soft touched my pig tongue¨C


    ¡°Nn¡­¡±


    Hearing Jess make a sound that I had never heard before, I opened my eyes in surprise.  Beyond my nose, Jess had her eyes close.  The towel that had been wrapped around her was untied, and underneath were two¨C


    (Stop, stop!  Hold it!)


    I pulled back and distanced myself from Jess.


    Jess, still in her immodest state, slowly opened her eyes.


    ¡°Mister Pig¡­ you stopped liking me after all.¡±


    Unable to look directly at the scene before me, I averted my gaze.


    (No¡­  That¡¯s not it¡­  It was just a little too intense, so I was surprised.)


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    Jess¡¯ voice seemed to have deflated.  She really is an airhead, I thought honestly.


    I kept my eyes down towards the tiled floor and explained to her in a virgin guy¡¯s way.


    (Normally, you don¡¯t suddenly stick your tongue in like that¡­  You¡¯ve read too many naughty books.)


    There was a moment of silence.  Even from the edge of my vision, I could see Jess¡¯ face completely flushed.


    Jess hurriedly rewrapped her towel.


    ¡°Mi¡­ Mister Pig, you idiot!  I don¡¯t care about you anymore!¡±


    Right after that, the hot water in the bathtub twirled up like a serpent from magic and rushed at my face like a torrent.


    Still blushing and upset, Jess returned to her bedroom without saying much to me.


    After closing the door and turning off the light, Jess immediately got into bed.  Not knowing what to do, I curled up on the floor.  I could see the starry sky through the gap between the curtains.


    I couldn¡¯t even hear the hot water from here.  It was a quiet night.


    ¡°¡­Are you not coming?¡±


    I heard a small voice and raised my ears.


    (Huh¡­?)


    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you would like to sleep with me.¡±


    Her lonely voice made me get up.  Just as Jess stated earlier, let¡¯s treat what happened earlier as water under the bridge ¨C or rather, hot water from the bathtub, and have it be washed it away.


    I was a bit worried and stopped.


    (¡­You won¡¯t do anything naughty, right?)


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t¡­!¡±


    I felt relieved.


    I stepped onto the chair that Jess had placed at the foot of the bed for me and alley-ooped onto the bedding.  Jess made room for me next to herself.


    (Are you sure?)


    I asked prudently, before hearing Jess¡¯ nodding sound.


    ¡°After washing with that much hot water, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Was that really the problem here¡­?


    I hesitantly crawled next to Jess, folded my legs, and laid down.  Jess pulled the quilt over me.  The fluffy, premium duvet was soft and comfortable.  And the cute blonde girl¡¯s scent that attacked my nostrils not only came from Jess herself, but also from the pillow and quilt that wrapped me.  I could feel the slight warmth of a person coming from where Jess was.


    There was a rustling noise, and then I realized it was Jess wrapping her arm around my back.


    ¡°¡­I also understand that this is a difficult matter.¡±


    Jess muttered seemingly to herself, as she stuck her other hand underneath my head.


    ¡°But I feel that this world is gradually becoming better.  It¡¯s all thanks to you, Mister Pig.  It wasn¡¯t until I met you that I could have imagined such changes happening to me, and to Mestria.¡±


    (Right.  It was Jess¡¯ earnest wish that changed this world.)


    Something hard hit my shoulder loin.  Jess was pressing her forehead against me.


    ¡°The ones who helped change this world are the Mister Pigs.  I¡¯ve learned from all of you that there¡¯s really no wish in this world that anyone should give up on.¡±


    (I see.  I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­  All the effort was worth it.)


    Jess nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    Jess¡¯ hand tightly gripped the fat on my back.


    (¡­On Mestria?)


    ¡°No¡­  Well, of course on Mestria as well, but¡­¡±


    Jess spoke in a lower, but more firm voice.


    ¡°What I won¡¯t give up on is Mister Pig.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Mestria has definitely become peaceful.  I¡¯ll be studying a lot from now on.  I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be an answer.  An answer that¡¯ll allow Mister Pig and I to stay together forever.¡±


    (¡­Perhaps so.)


    The petite girl, the girl with a great lineage, pressed her entire body against me.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, Mister Pig, from now on, let¡¯s figure out that answer together.¡±


    Jess, who at first was holding me tightly, was now sprawled out asleep in the middle of the night.


    After staring at Jess¡¯ sleeping face for some time, I snuck out of the room.


    I had something I wanted to confirm.


    Why did Hortis make us solve those crass riddles?  I had a hypothesis that I was going to verify.


    There were no signs of people in the capital at midnight, and the autumn night wind was chilly even for a pig.  I walked through the labyrinthian city relying on my memories, and headed towards that place.


    The spring on the cliff where Hortis made us draw its water.


    I went towards the bottom of that cliff via the flower plaza where the colorless flowers bloomed.  There must be something there.


    It wasn¡¯t possible to miss the towering cliff.  I strode freely along the sleeping streets and reached the base of the cliff.


    There was a small square with a statue of a woman at the center.  The beautiful lady was looking at the starry sky with her hands to her chest.  Though she was not as realistic as the other statues, there was something familiar about her small nose.


    Yris.


    It was carved in small letters beside her feet.  It was Jess¡¯ mother¡¯s name.  It was as I expected.


    The reasoning was simple.  The starting point was the question ¡°Why did Hortis make us take a detour to draw the water from the spring?¡±  Taking a detour meant not traveling the shortest route.  And there¡¯s no way Hortis wanted us to take a boob tour.  So why?


    It¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want us to take the shorter route.


    The quickest route to get to the top of this cliff was to go through this square just below the cliff.  However, Hortis wanted us to avoid passing through this place.  He didn¡¯t want us to find this statue of Yris.


    In the first place, we went to draw water from the spring to break the seal on Hortis¡¯ anklet that sealed his magic power.  So why did he choose this spring on top of a cliff that was difficult to reach to unseal his anklet?  That¡¯s because this cliff was an important place for Hortis.  As for why, if you factor in this statue of Yris and think about it, you¡¯ll understand.


    This cliff was where Yris committed suicide by jumping off.


    Hortis sealed his own magic power in the spring on top of this cliff and decided to leave the capital.


    If we had found this statue, we might have realized the connection between the statue below the cliff, and the fountain on top of the cliff.  Hortis wanted to avoid that at all costs.  In an attempt to hide the fact that Jess was his daughter, he made us take a detour by asking us to solve a crass riddle.


    The reason why he sniffed at Jess¡¯ feet, and the reason why he fooled us with his crass riddles, was all to keep one secret.


    It was all in order to protect his beloved daughter, the secret princess, from the strict rules of the royal dynasty that doesn¡¯t allow a collateral family.


    I really am no match for this man named Hortis.


    All this time, we¡¯ve been made to dance on the palm of that wise man who pretended to be a pervert.


    I climbed up the rugged stairs, heading for the top of the cliff.  I recalled how I climbed the stairs on the other side with Jess, and couldn¡¯t help but want to turn back.  But I mustn¡¯t.


    Listen up everyone.  There¡¯s always a fine line that determines the propriety of any and everything.


    It¡¯s as Jess said, Mestria is definitely becoming better.


    The mastermind behind the Northern Forces, the surreptitious sorcerer, has not only been incapacitated, but also sealed.  He¡¯s not dead yet, but he¡¯s no longer a threat.


    And with Hortis¡¯ death, the royal dynasty and Liberation Army have reconciled, and the treatment of Yesmas have gradually begun improving.  Under Jess and Shulavis¡¯ rule, this country will surely become peaceful.


    The history of Mestria¡¯s royal dynasty has reached a turning point.


    ©¤The bond between your world and Mestria is as unstable as a bubble.  If your pig dies, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be a next time.  Furthermore, should you stay here for too long, the two worlds will separate, and you will have no choice but to die here as a pig.


    ©¤O brave young man, until that critical moment comes, cherish your life; and when that critical moment arrives, go back.


    I remembered the words of Evis, the greatest mage in Mestria who was extremely foresighted.


    Right now was ¡°that critical moment.¡±


    It¡¯s time to leave the princess who holds the fate of Mestria and return to where I came.


    The days I spent with Jess involuntarily came to mind.


    Lecturing Jess, whom I had just met, at the Quiltlin mansion.  Meeting Jess again at the farm underneath the beautiful stars.  Carrying Jess on my back in the dark forest.  Getting jealous when Jess lent her chest to Nott.  Desperately fleeing from the Yesma hunters in the Forest of Needles.  Hearing Jess¡¯s confession atop the capital.


    Reuniting with Jess who had lost her memories.  Jess¡¯ explosive flames at the coastal cave.  The fact that Jess took over the curse I received at the mountain castle.  Inserting the key into the small box at the request of Jess, who had regained her memories.  Jess showing off the magic she learned at the lab.


    Looking at the shelf of naughty books together at the library.  Lying in bed and studying the history book.  Jess not willing to listen to me when we were heading towards the Cave of Oaths.  Discovering the Wedge of Contracts together.  Facing off against the large army of Orgs at the Send-Off Island with me like an OP heroine.  Obtaining the Spear of Destruction from the crumbling Golden Sanctuary.  My first kiss.


    In short, every day was frantic, but I was happy I could spend them with Jess.


    For the first time in my life, I was able to receive such kindness and love.


    It¡¯s actually Jess who saved this lonely guy from the darkness of life.


    The raw pig liver that start it all, I know my terrible friends never ate any of it.


    I also knew that the friends I studied with were trying to harass me because I was the only one to pass the exam.  However, the fact that these people who were my friends had suddenly turned against me with malicious intent made me feel hopeless and self-destructive.  That¡¯s why I did something as stupid as eating raw pig liver.


    I felt alone all that time.  To be honest, I even nearly lost sight of my reason for living.


    It was then that the princess saved me.


    For these past few months, Jess has been my everything.  I¡¯ve done everything I could to make Jess happy for the love she has given me.  It was fun living frantically like that.


    But that also ends here and now.


    Jess was no longer a weak girl.  She can already live without me.  On the contrary, if I¡¯m around, Jess won¡¯t be able to choose other happinesses.  My value as a human being isn¡¯t worth that much.


    Well no, I¡¯m not even a human.


    I shouldn¡¯t run away, and should find a way to be happy in my original world.  If I stay in Mestria like this, I¡¯ll be causing trouble for Hiropon, who tricked her family into helping us transfer here.


    All stories have to end.  I have to go home.


    I finally climbed to the top of the stairs.  The trickling spring water sounded lonesome.  The grass was cold.


    Listen carefully everyone.  The third time¡¯s always the charm.  I¡¯ll say this no matter how many times it takes.


    ©¤Heat the pig liver.


    If I had properly heated it, I wouldn¡¯t have known there was such a beautiful world.


    And I definitely wouldn¡¯t have met such a wonderful girl.


    A clear wind blew through the capital.


    I was a pig, standing on the edge of the cliff of destiny.  The story began here with Jess¡¯ mother committing suicide, and now, I will bring that story to a close here.


    I looked up at the night sky, wishing that this world will always be filled with happiness.


    But because of my tears, I couldn¡¯t see the stars at all.