V1C2

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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 – 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

– 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 – 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-taso!” 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 Quiltlin-sama’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 Quiltlin-sama’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 – 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-taso?)

─ ……

taso.

(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 changed 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-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-taso crouched down and met my

gaze. She was a girl of ephemeral beauty

– 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.