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 – 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 – or rather, a fellow pig of mine – 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 – er, pig – 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.”

＊＊＊

“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.

—Let’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 – 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.

—I think we should agree to this alliance.

“Why?”

Itsune glared at Sanon intensely.

—Because 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.

—Do 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.

—As 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.

—There’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.

—It’s just…

I questioned the seemingly uneasy Sanon.

“‘It’s just’ what?”

—This 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.

—Can 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?”

—I 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?”

—It 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.”

＊＊＊

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.

—That’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.

—I-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 – 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.

—He’s a very brave man.

Jess conveyed to me.

(Did you fall for him?)

—Yeah, 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.

—Mister 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.)

—What did you hear?

(…That Nott had some involvement with Jess’ journey to the royal capital.  I don’t know anything other than that.)

—I 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.

—My 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.

—Besides, 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.

—Let’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 – 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.)

—She 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 – someone who was conscripted to the Northern royal castle – 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’ fiancé.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I’ll do my best to lend you my knowledge, so please lend me your strength as well, Jess – 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 – 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 – 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?)

—Yeah, I was a little surprised…  Is my face that tasty?

(Well… I won’t know until I’ve tried it.)

—Um, 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 – 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. – 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 – 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.

—Oops, 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.

—Mr. 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.

—I 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?)

—That seems to be the case.

(That mage might be able to hear our exchange.  Let’s get out of here immediately.)

—Right, 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.)

—But…

(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.

—I 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.