Heat the Pig Liver

Chapter 3 – Don’t Laugh at Someone’s Prayers

Nott had his dog by his side as if it was par for the course.  Its name was Rossi.  He was a large white dog and had a demeanor that if you told me he was a wolf, I’d have believed you.  His left leg also had a silver anklet tightly fastened to it.  He was extremely friendly, and kept sniffing Jess’ bare legs.  “Let me smell them too” is a thought that I kept to myself.

Based on Nott’s advice, the best route to take after leaving the village was to first cross the Valley of Oil and spend the night at a major city known as Munires.  We’ll procure some food there, and spend the next night at the Cross Rocklands.  After traversing the rocky area, we’ll apparently arrive at a hilly terrain where we can head straight towards the center where the capital will be located at.  The capital is surrounded by a dense forest called the Forest of Needles.  Not only is that place a hotbed for Yesma hunters, it’s also inhabited by many hecklepons.  Thus, Nott proclaimed that he’ll burn it all down in the future.

A cute girl, a handsome guy, a pig, and a dog.  This strange party embarked on its journey.

During our trek, Nott was basically silent.  He walked briskly and indifferently while letting Rossi roam about.  I asked Jess to act as a router so that my thoughts in parentheses could be heard by Nott, but he seemed upset or something as he wouldn’t even look at me, let alone talk to me.  He was treating me like a domesticated animal.

On the other hand, Jess would smile and talk to me about inconsequential things such as “Oh, look at that beautiful butterfly,” or “The water here is delicious.”  If you’re an otaku, you’ll likely develop some kind of misunderstanding, but because I’m a pig, I wouldn’t do something that dumb.  At most, I stuck to answers befitting of a college engineer student, such as (This is a species of milkweed butterflies.  They’ll cross mountains and can fly very long distances) and (It’s soft because the water here has a low calcium concentration.  There’s a lot of volcanic rocks around the area, so the minerals that make the water hard don’t dissolve as easily.)  Jess was full of curiosity and asked a lot of questions.  Had she been born elsewhere, she might’ve become a brilliant scholar – I thought idly.

As for Rossi, it was easy to get along with him.  Just hanging around Jess and sniffing her didn’t seem to satisfy him, so he came to me looking to play as well.  He would entertain himself by placing his chin on my butt.  It was cute, so I couldn’t help but tease him.  Watching him come up with different ways to play made me think he must be a very clever dog.

We arrived at the Valley of Oil.  Clear water flowed smoothly through the valley, and a large bridge was suspended across.  Instead of crossing, however, Nott walked away from it.

“Are we not going to cross the bridge, Mr. Nott?”

Nott bluntly answered Jess’ question.

“If we pass through an obvious spot like this bridge, we’re more likely to be noticed by troublesome people.  We just have to head downstream and cross over some stones down the river.  Bear with it.”

“Understood, I’ll do my best and walk!”

As we pushed our way through the grass on our way down the steep slope, Jess explained to me, “The name of this place comes from a battle during the Dark Ages.  I heard it had a cute name in the past, but after thousands of people died in the battle that took place here, the valley was dyed in their blood and looked as if oil was flowing through it.  That’s why it’s called the Valley of Oil now.”

She spoke as if it was a trivia that might come in handy someday, but the contents were gruesome.

(The Dark Ages refers to the period of time when mages fought each other, right?)

“Right.  It was said to be an era where a lot of mages led armies of other races to fight for supremacy.  The mages’ powers were so tremendous that most battles were determined by a mage’s death.  When both sides are formidable and a drawn out battle occurs, that’s when many lives are lost and rivers become stained with their blood.”

(So are all those powerful mages dead, and there’s only one bloodline left now?  Were there none that survived or have gone into hiding?)

“Well… the mages that survived were probably either massacred by the king’s ancestors or fled from Mestria…  Almost all records regarding the times before the Dark Ages have been burned, so documentations are scarce.  The current mainstream history books, no matter which one, seem to be based on the king’s ancestors’ retelling of them.  It doesn’t seem like they’re too familiar with ancient history.”

History is written by the victors.  Feels like that remains true no matter the world.

“They obviously decided to kill ‘em all.”

With his back still facing us, Nott continued spitting out his opinions.

“Those with power will always pose a threat as long as they’re still alive.  If you want to protect yourself, the best thing to do is to eliminate your enemies.”

But if you kill your own kind, doesn’t that raise the possibility of the mages race completely perishing?  If they continued fighting each other while understanding that, it could be said that the mages are a race that was born destined to fall.

We continued onwards and finally arrived at Munires in the evening.  It was a bustling commercial city.  Tons of carriages came and went through the wide cobbled main street, and the shops along the road were crowded with people of all ages.  Jess wrapped the scarf that was originally tied to her wrist around her neck as to avoid suspicion even when seen up close.  Nott entered a weapons shop and returned after purchasing various small items.

At the square where a small fountain with a nude female statue was, Nott organized his luggage and said, “Munires has soldiers from the royal family stationed here, so it’s a relatively safe city.  I’ll search for an inn for us to spend the night.  We still have a long ways to go, so give your legs some rest.”

I had a suggestion to which I proposed to Nott through Jess.

(Hey Nott, this city seems to have plenty of means of transportation.  Wouldn’t it be safer and faster to arrange a carriage or something?)

He sneered.

“Are you a foreigner?   In Mestria, the law strictly prohibits Yesmas from using any form of transportation.  Not only will the Yesma be punished with death, those who let her on board are also killed.”

Death penalty just for riding a vehicle?  I didn’t know that…  I hope a pig doesn’t count as one.

(Okay, but why?)

“How should I know?  The royal family said so, so their citizens have to obey.”

(… I see.)

I’m ashamed at not having attempted to learn about something as basic as this.

(It seems like there’s other laws that I don’t know about.  Could you take this opportunity to tell me about them?)

Nott didn’t answer, so I turned to Jess and she explained.

“There are two laws related to Yesmas.  The first one is that they are not allowed to ride any vehicles, in other words, transportation is banned.  As for the other one…”

She hesitated before speaking again.

“You are not allowed to violate a Yesma, meaning rape is prohibited.”

Nott seemed to be examining a small metal sphere and was unresponsive.

(If you break that law, is it also a death penalty?)

“… Correct.”

Good news everyone, it looks like our Jess-tasso is still pure, just like me.  With that said…

(Erm… How should I say this…? Where’s the exact line drawn for the death penalty?)

After saying that, I reprimanded myself for asking a sixteen year old girl this and hastily clarified.

(I mean, there are cases where the Yesma is a guy after all.)

Nott interjected with a stern tone, “Don’t be an idiot, you stupid pig.  There’s no such thing as a male Yesma.”

(Huh?  You mean Yesmas can only be females?)

“That’s right.”

I was perplexed by Jess’ response.  Does the Yesma race reproduce asexually?  Or do they continue on by mating with humans?  …Forget it.

(Putting those things aside…  Nott, I trust that what you did last night didn’t violate those laws?)

I knew this was unsightly of me, but I couldn’t help it.  I figured this was my chance to find out about what he did to Jess last night behind the closed door.

“Shut it.”

Nott stopped fiddling with his tools and glared at me.  His ears were red.

“… Are you making fun of me?”

(… No, I wasn’t really making fun of you…)

“For the record, I respect the rights of Yesmas.  We huntsmen are free people, and we treat Yesmas equally.  So even if there were no laws, I wouldn’t unfairly exploit a Yesma.  Even if you meant to be sarcastic, there are things you should and shouldn’t say.”

Huh?  Sarcastic?  What’s he talking about…?

“If you want to crack jokes about what happened last night, then go ahead.  I laid bare that kind of miserable voice because I didn’t know you were listening in outside the door.  But even men have a couple of things that they’d want to cry about.  I only cried because I was drunk.  Normally, I wouldn’t have shed a single tear.”

Although I accomplished my goal, Nott appears to have mistakenly assumed that I had heard everything he said to Jess last night from beyond the door.  And it sounds like the scene which I should have overheard was far different from what I was worried about.

So that’s what he meant by “lend me your chest.”  Did he just want someone to lament to?

It looks like I missed my chance to tell Nott I didn’t hear anything.  His face turned bright red and he looked away while Jess pressed her hands against her chest and nervously watched us.

Immediately, a strong sense of self-loathing washed over me.  I soured the mood thanks to my dumb conjectures.  Ugh, this is why the creature known as otakus are so terrible.  You should all take care to not make the same mistake.  When it comes to topics between men and women, if you can avoid doing so, it’s best to not pry.

Nott was too pitiful, so I came clean and told him I didn’t hear anything from last night, which was why I suspected he might have done something bad to Jess.

He simply responded “Is that so?” and after that, he didn’t look at me once during our search for an inn.  The only thing I saw was that his ears, protruding from underneath his short blonde hair, were red as apples.

He really didn’t seem like a bad guy.  He was likely reminded of Ys and impulsively wanted to be pampered by Jess.  As for why he cried, it must’ve been because he couldn’t forget about Ys.  That’s not right, it’s not about forgetting.  It was probably his murderous intent towards the hecklepons which resulted in his intense emotions bursting out.

I wanted Nott as our companion precisely because of his unwavering passion.  If we were attacked by a Yesma hunter, he would eliminate them even if he didn’t owe us.  My job is to get Jess to the capital safely, and in order to do so, I’m prepared to use whatever means necessary.  Even if it means exploiting a thirteen year old girl’s love or playing with a faithful huntsman’s feelings, I need to brazenly pursue Jess’ safety because that’s my role.

─So that’s what Mister Pig has been thinking about all this time.

Jess transmitted her thoughts to me in order to not let Nott hear it.

(Those were all monologues.  It’s embarrassing, so if you keep listening in on this, I’ll do as I please and peek at your panties.)

─I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to prevent myself from hearing it, so… it’s okay to look if you want to, Mister Pig.

(… That’s not what I meant.  And it’s not like I’m Oolong, so I have no interest in some ordinary cloth.)

─Ulron?

(Don’t mind that, it’s a story from where I’m from.)

}TL Note: Dragon Ball reference

While we were having these kinds of frivolous exchanges, the sun had completely set and Nott found a suitable inn.  Its light brown exterior stucco had glowing lanterns hanging from it, and the orange glow faintly illuminated the decorative flowers.  The rooms were small but tidy, and according to Nott, the owner of this place is an acquaintance of the innkeeper lady – Celes’ master, so she seemed trustworthy enough.

We settled on having dinner at the inn’s dining area.  Nott was mostly reserved, but after drinking a beer, he gradually chatted with Jess and me more.  Perhaps due to what happened yesterday, Jess declined the beer.  It doesn’t look like Nott understands the concept of restraint or prudence.

I was eating a plate of root vegetables on the floor when I decided to look up at Jess and spotted her thig-, a Yesma’s silver collar adorned on the wall.  Two swords were crossed with the collar in the center, just like the one we saw at Celes’ inn.

(Hey Jess, there’s a collar on display here as well…  Is it some kind of good luck charm?)

“That’s a silver coat of arms.  Displaying that is proof that you are a Yesma guardian.”  She explained with a smile.

(You mean that thing…?  Wouldn’t the people who usurp silver collars be able to imitate it easily?)

“When the collar is removed from a Yesma’s body, it will release an enormous amount of magic power, and at the same time self-destruct.  Normally, the silver blackens immediately, but when handled by someone adored by that Yesma, the collar will act as if it has a will of its own and not lose its luster.”

Nott looked at me under the table while feeding Rossi a piece of meat on a bone.

“Conversely, when someone that lays their hands on Yesmas approaches, the collar will turn black and eventually break down.  So as long as it’s still shiny, this inn is safe.”

(But it could be a fake collar.)

Hearing me say that, he raised his eyebrows in annoyance.

“What a fussy pig you are.  A Yesma can tell if it’s real just by looking at it.”

(Is that how it is?)

“Yes, that’s correct.  I can see a peculiar light and hear faint noises like singing from them.”

Nott appeared a little surprised.

“Huh, so you can even hear noises.  That’s rare to see.”

I don’t quite get it, but it sounds like Jess is considered fairly outstanding even amongst Yesmas.  Nott speculated that that was likely why she was taken in by as powerful of a family as the Quiltlins.

While we, two animals and two humans, ate, I learned from Jess and Nott that the coat of arms is protected by a special magic, and as long as its self-destruction can be controlled, it can become a powerful source of magic power.  From this, I raised a fundamental question.

(So when did Yesmas started wearing those collars?  …In fact, why are there only female Yesmas?  How are they born?)

Nott displayed a sullen smile.

“Stupid pig, even without knowing anything, you wanted to become a chavillon?”

He gulped down his beer and wiped away the foam on his upper lip with his hand.

“Then let me tell you.  When a Yesma reaches 8 years old, she’ll be trained and sold by the royal family as a maid.  After a rich and powerful family purchases her, she’ll be sent to them already wearing the collar.  No one knows anything prior to that.  Who their parents are, when the collar was placed on them, where they were trained, all of it remains a mystery.  Not even the person in question has any memories prior to serving their family.”

I couldn’t following the conversation and simply blanked out.  Sold at the age of 8, and working as a maid while wearing a collar…?  Isn’t that just…

“Um, Mister Pig, there’s no need to be concerned.  Life as a maid isn’t all that bad.  Only wealthy families can afford to purchase a Yesma, and everyone from those families is very kind.  I served the Quiltlin family for a long time, and they’ve provided me with wages and free time.  They even allowed me to study, so I think it’s a very enjoyable life.”

Nott looked at Jess with pity, but kept quiet.  I also didn’t feel like trying to correct Jess’ way of thinking either.  Rossi, meanwhile, unreservedly crunched on some kind of animal bone.

“Time for bed.  Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day as well.”

After that, Nott emptied his mug.

It was a narrow room with two beds in parallel, spaced some distance apart.  As soon as Nott entered, he dove into one of the beds without hesitation and soon started snoring.  Rossi was curled up on the floor nearby.  Jess lightly sat down on the other bed and smiled at me.

(… What’s up?  You should go to sleep soon.)

─Mister Pig, do you mind talking for a while?

Jess communicated to me without speaking.

(Well, if it’s just for a while…)

─Please come over here.

Jess patted the empty seat next to her on the bed.

My brain was easily short-circuited by the unprecedented event of being invited to bed by a cute girl.  Without thinking, I climbed up next to Jess and laid down.  She shifted her waist slightly and moved closer to me.  Her hips were touching my flank.  Perhaps due to the tension, my pork belly tightened up.

Jess’ hands gently caressed the back of my ears.  Oink…

(So what did you want to talk about?)

When I asked, Jess smiled shyly.

─There wasn’t anything in particular that I had in mind…  I just wanted to chat.

(Okay, then… let’s chat about something.)

I responded idiotically.

─… Is there anything that Mister Pig wants to talk to me about?

 I wasn’t thinking about anything, so when she asked, I was at a loss for how to respond.

(No, not really…  I can’t think of anything at this moment.)

─Is that so?  In that case, I…

She seemed to be thinking about something as she lowered her head slightly.  Even though this should be a casual conversation, my heart was shaken for no reason.  She then turned her eyes towards me.

─Um, Mister Pig.  I have to apologize to you.

(… For what?)

─For what happened last night.  After drinking alcohol, I was feeling comfortable…  As a result, I left you aside and let Mr. Nott into our room.  I felt that that probably wasn’t right…

As soon as I was reminded of that time I was locked out, my stomach was bombarded with a burning sensation.  It felt like my liver was being half-baked.  What’s this unpleasant feeling?

(I don’t mind, you were probably just listening to him whining.  You can read his thoughts, so you knew you were safe.  In that case, there’s nothing to apologize for.  Although you should probably stop drinking alcohol from now on if it makes you sleepy.)

─Erm, that’s not what I meant…  How should I put it?  Mr. Nott is a man, right?

(…?  Yeah, and?)

─Mister Pig promised me that we would share our destiny together… Even though that was the case, I allowed Mr. Nott to enter the room…

At this point, I finally realized what Jess was trying to say, so I hastily said, (D-don’t misunderstand me, idiot.  I wasn’t… I’m not asking you to be that conscientious, alright?)

─Is that so…?

(Of course.  As long as you’re safe, it’s none of my business what you do with anyone.  Even if you were French kissing Nott that night, I wouldn’t be jealous or anything-)

Jealous…?  Me?  Impossible.

(Anyway, don’t worry too much about me.  It’s rather annoying.)

I realized what I said was harsher than it needed to be.  When I looked at Jess, she was pressing her fingertips against her chin in a flustered manner.

─I-I’m sorry…  You’re right, I… got ahead of myself there…  I said something unnecessary.  Excuse me…

Seeing Jess apologize profusely instantly cooled me down.  What have I done?

(… No, sorry.  I was also too harsh.  All I wanted to say is, um… look, you haven’t done anything wrong, Jess.  That’s all…  I’m happy that you’re concerned about my feelings, but I think it’s better if we have a more, you know, frank relationship…)

─Frank, you say…?

(Yeah.  To give an example, it would be like a brother and sister.)

Jess gave a troubled look.

─But I’m not Mister Pig’s sister.

(You never know.  It’s not like you know who your parents are, right?  In that case, we could be long-lost siblings.)

─I suppose…?

I started thinking that kind of setting could be nice too.

(It’s only natural that a big brother protects his younger sister, and it’s only right for a little sister to rely on her older brother.  What do you think?  Being siblings is nice.)

─That’s true.  That in it of itself could be a nice relationship to have.

Yeah, it’s a nice relationship where the sister doesn’t mind her brother’s appearance, and the brother doesn’t get jealous over his sister.

(Alright, let’s end matters here.  In conclusion, sibling love is wonderful.  It’s late, so let’s go to sleep.)

I forcefully summed up our discussion and ended it there.  Jess tilted her head slightly.

─That’s strange…  What were we originally talking about again?

(Don’t think too much about it.  It was just some small talk.)

─Was that so…?

I got off the bed and curled up on the floor next to Rossi.

(Go get some sleep, the journey ahead will be difficult.  Alright, good night.)

There was no response for the time being.  I heard the sound of Jess slowly crawling into bed before she then whispered.

“Good night, Onii-san.”

Even though it wasn’t quite what I expected it to feel like, I still oinked to it honestly.

I heard a noise.  It was late at night, dawn was probably approaching.  I raised my head, and in the darkness, I saw a pair of eyes glisten in front of me.  I broke out in cold sweat believing that I was about to be eaten before soon realizing they belonged to Rossi.  It seems like he also just woke up and was looking around the room with his ears pricked up.  Soon after, we both looked at the same location.

Jess was sat up on the edge of her bed, looking out the window anxiously.  It was still pitch black outside.

(What’s wrong?)

When I asked, Jess glanced at Nott, who was sleeping in the bed next to her, before answering.

─I heard a voice.

(A voice?)

─Yes.  Someone called Brace is trying to talk to me.

I tried paying attention for a while, but I couldn’t hear anything resembling a voice.

(But I can’t hear anything…)

─It might be that only Yesmas can hear it.  Would you like to listen in as well, Mister Pig?

After I nodded, a girl’s voice that wasn’t Jess’ started echoing in my mind.

─ness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.  Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying─

(Time out, wait, please stop for a moment.)

I immediately sobered up and shuddered.  The sound of the same words being rapidly repeated over and over again was almost something out of a horror flick.

─Um, I have to help her.

(Huh?)

─I have to save the owner of this voice, Ms. Brace.

I almost agreed in my half-awake state, but I caught myself and collectedly reconsidered.

(Hold on, don’t be too hasty.  To begin with, you don’t know what kind of person is asking for help.  Not to mention the dangers.  So even if we are to save her, you can’t go alone, Jess.)

I swiftly woke Nott up and explained the situation.  He scowled at having been woken up, but after hearing the voice through Jess, his expression turned grave.

“It’s definitely a Yesma.  Do you know where it came from?”

Nott asked Jess while equipping his gear.

“Yes, to some extent.  It’s coming from that direction, from far away.”

She pointed out the window – it was on the outskirts of the city where there were lush trees and few buildings.

(What’s over there?)

Nott squinted his eyes and looked outside.  After a while, he replied, “If you’re asking about other than the forest, then there should be a few farmhouses and a chapel.  I can’t see anything right now… but we don’t have much time.  Let’s figure things out as we move.”

We, two humans and two animals, soon left the inn.  There was little light to be of use along the cobblestone streets.  The lanterns were all extinguished, so the only thing we could rely on was the moonlight shining through the thin clouds.  It was a little windy, and the temperature was just a couple degrees below the comfortable level.

While walking briskly, Nott asked in a low voice, “You said the owner of the voice is located far away, right?  Only a Yesma, who has the power of heart, can convey her thoughts that far.  That voice also had a northern accent.  That person named Brace, she’s definitely a Yesma that was kidnapped here from afar for whatever reason.”

(But don’t you find it strange?)

He looked at me in annoyance after I interrupted him.

“What is?”

(A Yesma has the ability to choose who they wish to convey their thoughts to, right?)

Both Jess and Celes have communicated with me before without letting Nott know the contents.

“Yeah, and?”

(How come we can’t hear her voice then?  If you’re going to call for help, isn’t it better to ask multiple people instead of just Jess?)

“How should I know?  Maybe she’s thinking that if she reaches out to people indiscriminately, she’ll be caught by her enemies.  There’s plenty of plausible reasons.  Besides, if she was in a position to make sane judgements, she would’ve told Jess her situation and whereabouts.  All that matters right now is that a Yesma is calling for help.”

(Jess, have you tried communicating back yet?)

“… I have, but she hasn’t reacted to them at all…  I wonder if it’s even possible to convey my thoughts to someone that I can’t see or don’t know of in the first place…  At least, I don’t have any experience with doing that sort of thing.”

(Then how is she able to reach you with her thoughts?  It’s not like you know each other.)

“That’s…  I think there’s probably some way to do it.”

Jess and Nott continued onwards.  Uh, are you sure it’s alright to run into the forest at night based on such a heedless verdict?  That’s being too naïve.  What are you, little red riding hood?  If Lovely My Angel was endangered because of such carelessness, I’ll never forgive you, alright?

}TL Note: Lovely My Angel (ラブリーマイエンジェル) is an Oreimo Ayase-tan reference.

Jess looked at me, bewildered.  Not good, I ended up using a phrase that a light novel protagonist who is obsessed with younger girls would use.  I’m not like that, so I need to watch myself.

Perhaps he sensed something foreboding, Rossi was looking around restlessly.  An animal’s intuition isn’t something you should rely on, but it shouldn’t be ignored either.

It’s a cry for help that only Yesmas can hear, and the only words endlessly repeated are “Please save me, Brace, from this terrifying darkness.”  It seems like the person broadcasting the message is a Yesma, but we’re not able to respond.  So, how should we be interpreting this?

(Jess, can you still hear her voice?)

“Yes.  It hasn’t stopped.”

(Listen, both of you.  If you were trapped in the dark and could call someone from outside for help, what would you tell them?)

“… If it were me, I would tell them my location and situation.”

“What are you trying to say, stupid pig?”

(Something’s not right.  As Nott said earlier, even though Brace didn’t provide the specifics regarding her situation, she included a ton of unnecessary information such as her name, that it’s “terrifying”, and “please.”  Furthermore, she didn’t leave any time for a response.  For example, let’s say you fell down a well, Nott, would you keep yelling “Please save me, Nott, from this terrifying darkness.”?  No, right?  You would shout “I’ve fallen down a well, someone help me!” and wait some time for a response.)

“… If it were me, yeah.  But there might be those who wouldn’t do that.”

Their pace didn’t slow down.  Dense trees populated the dark path ahead of us, and beyond that, I spotted a small roof dome.  The only sounds breaking the silence were the rustling of branches and leaves from the window, and our footsteps.

(From here on out, let’s communicate through our thoughts.  Here’s what I’m thinking regarding the worst possible scenario.)

─Worst possible scenario?

Jess looked at me anxiously.

(What you’re hearing right now is not a cry for help.  It’s a prayer.)

─What?

Nott, who had only been looking ahead this entire time, finally turned around.

(It’s an emotional and abstract plead, and she repeats it over and over again without waiting for a response.  This can’t be a cry for help.  It’s her prayer.)

If it’s a prayer, then it wouldn’t be surprising to state your own name and say things like “terrifying” or “please.”  It would also explain why she didn’t wait for anyone to answer her.

─Certainly, that could be the case.  However, whether it’s a cry for help or a prayer, it doesn’t make much of a difference, does it?

(It does.  Big time.  You cry for help when you’re asking for someone, whereas you pray when you’re at your wit’s end and everything is hopeless, but you still want to cling onto something.  Brace isn’t calling for someone in particular.)

“So you’re telling us to abandon her?”

Nott stopped and said that out loud.  I shook my head.

(That’s not it.  What I’m saying is that this could be a trap someone has set up.)

Both Jess and Nott stared at me with puzzled expressions.  Oops, I skipped past the logical reasoning.

(Her voice has a northern accent, right?  As I recall, this is the southern part of Mestria.  Assuming Brace is a Yesma, what’s she doing here?  And the other thing is, why is her prayer only able to reach Yesmas?)

I snorted like a pig through my nose.

(I don’t have the answer to everything yet, but I can’t shake the feeling that someone’s maliciousness is behind this sense of incongruity.  Since she’s not trying to call for help, it can be interpreted as someone is trying to use Brace’s prayer to lure in Yesmas.)

─I see.  Thanks for the warning.  Just in case, I’ll have Rossi be on guard.

After thanking me, Nott resumed walking.  And Rossi, after seeing Nott’s quick hand gesture, began circling our surroundings.

Nott glanced at Jess.

─Hey Jess, are you sure it’s straight ahead?

─Yes.  She’s probably inside the chapel in front of us.

─Inside the chapel?  That’s strange…

─It really is strange…

(Hold on a second, what’s strange about that?  If you’re going to pray, I don’t think there’s a more suitable place to do it than at a chapel.)

─Mister Pig, Yesmas are a race that are supposed to pray to the stars.  Unlike others, we generally don’t enter churches.

(Is that how it is?)

─Of course not.  Churches are a place for people to offer their prayers to the progenitor of the royal dynasty, Vatis.  It’s not just some place a Yesma can enter.  To put it simply, Yesmas don’t have the right to pray to an existence that the other citizens worship.

…… I see.

(In that case, I now know what danger lies ahead of us, so please listen to my instructions.)

Nott slowly knocked on the chapel door.  After a while, the seemingly heavy bronze door opened with a creaking sound.  Behind the door stood a hunched priest holding a candle.  He raised his eyebrows at the duo comprised of an armed young man and a tense girl.

“To be visiting at this time of day, is something the matter?”

“Sorry, this girl here said she heard a voice coming from the chapel.”

Nott placed his hand on Jess’ shoulder.  She was wearing her scarf like a hood to hide her eyes.

“I-I came from a neighboring town to purchase goods, I am the Yesma called Celes.  And um… I heard the voice of someone named Brace calling for help…”

The priest carefully observed Jess before turning his gaze back towards Nott.

“That’s odd.  I’ve never heard that kind of name before…  And I’m the only person at this chapel right now.”

“She might’ve fallen into a hole somewhere.  I want to help her out as soon as possible, may I please come in to search for her?”

The priest briefly pondered before responding in a plain tone of voice.

“Ah… this chapel has a basement that we normally do not enter.  Perhaps someone could have accidentally wandered in there.”

“Alright, could you guide me there?”

“Of course.”

The priest opened the door further and invited Nott in, but silently stopped Jess, who was stumped as to whether she should enter as well.  Jess then bowed her head in a hurry and stepped back.

The door closed with a heavy thud, leaving Jess alone outside the chapel.  Everything so far has been going according to plan, and the other party must be thinking the same thing.

I, who had been watching the entrance from the bushes, turned my eyes towards the back door of the chapel.  Rossi and I sniffed the area earlier and only found a hecklepon.  There were no signs of a person hiding, which meant that if someone were to attack the Yesma that was left alone outside the chapel, they would have to come from inside the chapel.

(Don’t worry, Jess.  As long as you follow my plan, you’ll be absolutely safe.)

She overlapped her hands over her chest and looked over here.

─Thank you.  I’m fine, because I also believe in Mister Pig.

Oink.

As expected, the back door soon opened and a tall man quietly stepped out.  He was holding some kind of cloth.  Although he had a sword hanging from his waist, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he wasn’t a heavily armed tough guy.

He was upwind.  When I tried sniffing the scent that drifted over, I did a double take.

It smelled of halogenated ether.  As for how I recognized it, I once anesthetized a mouse for an experiment at my university, and the smell was similar to the isoflurane I used then.  It’s an inhalation anesthetic that can quickly anesthetize an animal.  I’m not sure how they synthesized it, but Mestria’s pharmacology seems quite advanced.  Now, as for why these scoundrels of this world would use such high quality anesthetic…

They think Jess is a Yesma that is still under employment, and killing an employed Yesma constitutes as a crime against her owner, meaning it’s not allowed.  That’s why they’re avoiding killing her right away until after they’ve interrogated her.  Are they going to subdue Jess, then do this and that to her?  Unforgivable.

(Jess.  Nott.  Looks like someone came out.  He’s holding some kind of anesthetic, so if you attack him immediately, he shouldn’t be able to counterattack.)

─Understood.  I’ve taken care of my end.  I’ll be coming out soon.

A tall, thin shadow quietly approached Jess, who clasped her hands in unease.  Even though I said not to worry, when the time came, I was also on edge.

(It’ll be alright, Jess.  I’m watching, and everyone is close by.)

─Okay.

Rossi was hidden inside a bush near Jess, ready to jump out at any time.

The front door of the chapel opened slightly without a sound.  A face appeared.  It was Nott.

“Snoink!”

Hearing my cry, the white mass that was Rossi flashed through the darkness and leapt at the man.  Though he was knocked aside, he was able to throw away the bottle and cloth in his hands, roll backwards, and quickly recover back onto his feet.  He placed a hand on his hilt.  Rossi snarled and pulled back.  The man’s eyes were glued to Rossi.

The next moment, a red flame flashed in front of the door.  The huntsman followed up the slash by leaping over the crouched Jess, forming a clean arc as his legs landed squarely into the man’s chest.  Immediately after the strong kick, flames cut through the darkness again and stabbed into the man’s back.

With a dull thud, the man fell face down.  I rushed over.

(Did we do it?)

“Yeah, but I didn’t kill him.”

Judging by Nott’s posture, it looks like he used the flames to propel the hilt of his dagger into hitting the back of the man’s head.  With a rope, Nott then tied the man’s hands behind his back.

Jess remained crouched down on the ground with her arms folded.  I moved closer.

(It’s alright now.  There’s nothing to be scared of.)

“T-Thank you.”

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(It must have been scary.)

“No, that wasn’t…”

Jess petted me with trembling hands.  To be honest, I didn’t want to use Jess as a decoy, but it was necessary in order to make our opponents, who could have been armed, loosen their guard by making them think we had fallen into their trap.  If Nott and Rossi charged in head-on, there was a chance that they would fight back and Brace could have been taken hostage.

And above all else, Jess was the one to insist on being the decoy.

“Come on, let’s go find the person in captivity.”

Nott said calmly, to which Jess nodded.

Two humans and two animals stepped into the pitch-black chapel.  Jess was hesitant about taking her first step, but Nott brusquely grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside.  Hm?  Are you trying to act like her boyfriend?

I figured it would be immature of me to complain here, so I obediently followed behind Jess.

Nott lit his left dagger like a torch, illuminating the chapel.  Marble pillars and wooden benches.  At the front is a gorgeous altar with an enshrined statue of a young woman holding her left hand to her chest, and her right hand towards the sky.  That must be Vatis, the founder of Mestria.  Jess was staring blankly at the statue for a while.  It must have been her first time seeing it.

Just near the entrance, leaning against the wall, was the tied up unconscious priest.  Seeing as he was still awake at this time of day and made sure to leave Jess outside, it’s safe to say that he’s with that anesthetist.  I couldn’t help but admire Nott’s ability to deal with this one so quickly.

“Ok, where’s her voice coming from?”

Jess pointed downwards in response to Nott’s question.

“It’s coming from underneath the floor.”

Rossi and I sniffed the floor and found two trapdoors leading underground from beneath the carpet.  One contained the smell of rodent-like animals, while the other emitted a weird fishy odor.  While we were searching for the trapdoors, Nott had deftly tied the priest and anesthetic guy to a pillar.

The underground area was completely dark.  The trapdoor that smelled of animals only contained a nest filled with rats, it was a bust.  The priest probably intended to guide Nott here.  We left Rossi behind to keep watch and entered the other trapdoor, walking down the creaky wooden stairs.

The light from Nott’s blade dimly illuminated the space between the stone walls.  Beyond the stairs was a narrow corridor that stretched ahead.  There was only a wall along the right side, but there looked to be a few rooms without doors on the left.  The closest room was an almost cubical area with a large stone pedestal in the center covered in black stains.  The fishy stench wafting over here was unmistakably that of blood.

The thought of having put Jess through that kind of danger made my stomach drop.

The next room had a shelf with rows of glass bottles the size of those used to make fruit wine.  They were each filled with a clear liquid, and some also contained a whitish mass that was shaped like a distorted light bulb.  Is it an animal’s organ of some sort?  After glancing at them, Nott immediately proceeded towards the next room.  I couldn’t see his face due to the shadows, but I could hear the sound of him gritting his teeth.

The two rooms at the end were fitted with iron bars.  The first one was empty.  We peeked into the depths of the second.

The first thing that caught my eyes was the glowing statue on a pedestal.  It was of a young girl kneeling in prayer with silver metal wrapped around her neck.  Knelt before the statue was a girl in the exact same posture, looking at it with bloodshot eyes.  She didn’t seem to notice us.  She was dressed in rags, appearing almost naked, and stared at the statue unblinkingly.  Her silver collar confirmed she was a Yesma.

So that’s how they did it.  By having the Yesma pray to the statue of a Yesma, her thoughts are directed towards the concept of Yesmas, which results in only Yesmas receiving them.  That’s how they intended to lure in Yesmas and capture them.

Nott shook the iron bars, making a sound.

No response.

“Hey, get a hold of yourself.”

She didn’t react to his voice either.  Nott then kicked the bars with all his might.

The sound of the powerful impact echoed through the narrow space.  The praying girl finally came to her senses and jumped back before looking at us.  Even though she was illuminated by the flames, her face was terrifyingly pale.  She had long curly blonde hair and a lovely face.

“We’re here to help.  You’re safe now.”

Nott said, and tried several keys hanging nearby to unlock the metal gate.  Once inside, he immediately embraced the girl.

With her chin resting on Nott’s shoulder, she finally blinked with her doll-like expressionless face.

“These guys have committed enough crimes to get the death penalty,” Nott remarked, and thoroughly handled the cleanup.  He broke the priest’s and anesthetist’s legs, tied them up, locked them in the prison where Brace was, buried the keys to the cell in the woods, and sent a report letter to the royal family’s trade hub of sorts.  The hecklepon that was left alive during the decoy operation due to us not wanting to draw attention had disappeared without us noticing.  Nott was annoyed the entire time because he failed to kill it.  At sunrise, three humans and two animals departed from Munires.

It seems like Brace was given the bare minimum food and freedom, so she was able to walk without any issues.  However, she didn’t open her mouth at all and would rarely communicate using her power of heart.  “Thank you.” and “Understood.” accounted for 90% of those, with the remaining 10% being her self-introduction.

─I am the Yesma who once served the Ace family, gravekeepers of Luboli, my name is Brace.

Like Jess, that meant she was a Yesma whose employment had concluded.

Brace had a pair of blue eyes, fair skin, and a high nose bridge, which gave a dignified impression.  And although she was thin, unlike Jess and Celes, her breasts were big.  They were pretty large, so Jess’ clothes didn’t fit her, and we had to procure a plain linen robe from the innkeeper.  I was under the impression that Yesmas were more modest in this regard, but it appears that this was just an assumption based on a small sample size.

─Um, Ms. Brace and I can hear you very clearly…

Jess placed her left hand over her chest, evidently bothered by her size, while warning me telepathically.  Brace seemed to have accepted the fact that I was a human as a matter-of-factly, perhaps even indifferently about it.  She simply kept following Nott.  Even from behind, I could see it jiggl- No, I shouldn’t.

(Sorry, I should be more considerate.  I’ll reflect on it.)

─That’s alright, I don’t mind.  Please feel free to look at what you like.

Jess’ tone was gentle, but it felt like there were some thorns to it.

(That’s not… it’s a misunderstanding.  I’m your chavillon.  I swear from now on that I’ll only look at Jess’ breasts!)

Wait, that doesn’t sound right either.  That made me look like a pervert, didn’t it?  Even though I’m by no means a pervert.

Jess chuckled.

─Please don’t take it to heart.  It’s common knowledge in Mestria that men prefer bigger ones.  Just look at Mr. Nott…

I observed Nott.  The easy-to-understand, pure-hearted huntsman would sometimes look back as if in concern of Brace’s health, but before turning around to face the front again, his gaze would always go just below her face.  Really, this pervert is worse than a pig.

That being said, what does she mean by “It’s common knowledge in Mestria that men prefer bigger ones”?

(Jess, don’t get me wrong.  I inadvertently look at big ones the same way a person is drawn to look at a tall sunflower when it blooms.  It’s a very natural reaction.  Among the guys that look, there are definitely those that actually prefer smaller violets.  In fact, from where I’m from, the majority of people actually prefer violets.)

─That’s… good to know…?

I might have lied a little.  But you all get it, right?  The beauty of a violet silently blossoming by the roadside!

This world’s views were pretty distorted.  Perhaps the only one who can change Mestria is me, someone who has an understanding of modern Japan where modesty is a virtue.

Like a doll that learned to walk, Brace was a girl that didn’t express any emotions.  She pulled the hood on her robe over her eyes, lowered her gaze slightly, and walked indifferently behind Nott.  Jess and I kept a bit of distance and followed behind them.  Rossi acted like a free electron, running between all of us.

Why was she confined in that chapel, and what did they do to her?  I had my concerns, but it wasn’t the right mood to ask, nor could I point out the unidentifiable unpleasant smell that drifted from her body.  Our traveling companions solemnly marched towards the capital.

Side note, after we left Munires, Jess removed her scarf to reveal Nott’s cream-colored cloth and wrapped it back around her left wrist.  I wonder why she didn’t put it away even though she carried a bag.  Was she worried about it wrinkling?

While I mused about that, Jess smiled shyly and stroked my head.

As dusk approached, we reached the Cross Rocklands.  It’s an eerie terrain filled with sharp rocks that range from one meter to several meters tall.  According to Jess, the name of this place was also derived from something that happened during the Dark Ages.  A certain mage imitated the way a shrike would impale its preys on thorns for feeding and spiked many humans on the rocks here, hence the name Cross Rocklands.  Nott explained that there were two reasons for leaving the bodies out like this.  The first was to make the enemy lose their will to fight in this rocky area where it was easy to hide and ambush; the second is to attract crows that would come and eat the corpses.  As long as the crows would get frightened and fly away when someone moved near them, it became easier to spot ambushes.  Mages wouldn’t lose a head-on fight, but they were terrified of surprise attacks.  That’s why they built this forest of corpses in order to conquer this land.  “Don’t be shocked if a human bone falls and lands here,” Nott noted.

…To put it bluntly, weren’t mages mass murderers?  They had no chivalry or bushido to speak of.

Probably because Nott chose an appropriate route, we didn’t run into any dangerous situations.  When night fell, we found a decent cave and had grilled meat for dinner.  Although my meal was comprised of only grass and roots, it was tasty.  Rossi went to sleep while we ate, which Nott explained was so that he could keep watch while we slept.  I don’t know what kind of experiences Nott had as a huntsman, but he gave me the impression of being very careful.  Even during the chapel incident, he demonstrated his incredible physical abilities and dependable leadership skills.  Believing that there was no role left for me to play, I felt both reassured and a little sad.

It was night time, and Jess soon fell asleep.  Even though she was in the middle of a death facing trial, she looked very at ease in her sleep.  I looked at Nott with mixed feelings as he himself watched Jess sleep with a complicated expression.

Brace was praying to the stars near the entrance of the cave.  Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be smiling slightly.  She merely nodded lightly after Nott advised her to get some sleep while she still can.

Just as I was lying down and dozing off, someone pinched my ear.  As I wondered who it was, my eyes focused onto Nott.

“Let’s head outside.”  He whispered, before quickly leaving the cave.

I had no reason to refuse, so I followed.  Brace was asleep with her back against the rock face and Nott’s waistcoat covering her stomach.  Though the hazy clouds covered the night sky, the moonlight was still bright outside the cave.  However, the moon seemed to have shrunk considerably compared to the first night – the night where Jess waited for me under the tree.

I sat down in front of Nott, who sat on a random rock.

I stared at his face, as if to say “What is it?”  Since Jess and Brace were asleep, I could only communicate with Nott using simple, non-verbal actions.

“Are you prepared to die?”

Nott opened with that, but I couldn’t grasp what he was talking about, so I continued staring without nodding.

“I’m asking if you’re prepared to die for Jess.  Once a Yesma arrives at the capital, she can no longer leave.  The same goes for her chavillon.  Any companions that enters the capital with the Yesma will disappear alongside her.  The capital is a secluded place, no one knows what goes on in there.  It’s possible that you’ll just get killed and be used for some purpose.  Even then, do you plan on going to the capital together?”

I nodded strongly.

“That so?  Then you’ve got guts.  You’ll have to forgive me, but once we cut through the Forest of Needles and get close to the capital, I’ll be heading back as promised.  I don’t trust the royal family, and I don’t want to make Celes cry.”

Still looking directly at Nott’s eyes, I nodded again.

“You said you were prepared to die, right?  Then for your resolve, I’ll give this to you.”

Nott took out two anklets with a small blue rista attached to each them from a nearby bag.

“This is the same thing Rossi puts on during our hunts.  You can manipulate water, create ice, and change the shape of the ground.  It can be used to create flat ice for preys to slip on, blocks of ice for them to trip over, and even footholds for yourself out of rough, non-slippery ice.  As long as there’s plenty of water, it’s also possible to create a difficult to traverse swamp.”

I signaled my attentiveness.

“To tell you the truth, I’m not used to killing people.  Even though I hate Yesma hunters so much that I want to kill them, I’ve never actually killed one.  Things went well last night, but that was thanks to the surprise attack you proposed.”

He smirked, revealing his sharp canine teeth, and continued.

“When I went to retrieve her collar, I fought with a few people.  In the end, I only managed to attack their weakest’s leg, and blind one of his eyes.  I was outnumbered, so all I could do was run away afterwards.”

Nott laughed self-deprecatingly.

“The most intelligent creature I’ve killed is probably a hecklepon.  I don’t know if I’m capable of getting you all out safely when we’re confronted with a Yesma hunter since they murder for a living.  You’re smart, so I want you to use this tool alongside Rossi to support me.”

I was distracted for a moment by something, but nodded twice to indicate my consent.

He helped me put on the anklet, and then hid it with a cloth similar to the one he had used on Jess to make it inconspicuous.

“It’s all about feeling for how to use it.  Practice it along the way.”

Nott said, and stroked Rossi’s chin as the dog came over here.

“Any questions, or whatever you want to say?”

“… Snort.”

That’s all I can say, please be more understanding.

Nott let out a slight chuckle, then looked straight at me.

“Lastly, when the time comes to fight, follow what I say.  Alright?”

I gave him another nod.

“Rossi always listens to what I say.  That’s why we’re able to work together.  The moment you go against my orders, our coordination will break down, leaving gaps.  If you don’t want Jess to die, follow my instructions.”

He sighed, then resumed.

“But in a worst case scenario, I might end up using you as a pawn.  When the time comes, you should decide for yourself what to do.  I’ll only abandon you if the situation leaves me with no choice.  You can choose whether to sacrifice yourself, or Jess.”

Without waiting for an answer, Nott returned to the cave.  Rossi came up to me and grinned while panting with his tongue out.

Upon closer inspection, this brave hound’s legs were covered in countless scars.

The next morning, after a light meal, we set off.  After passing through the rocky area, a smooth hilly terrain greeted us.  We trekked on for another day and was able to spot a taupe brown rocky mountain ahead.  That was the capital.  It’s a single peak mountain like Mt. Fuji, but with a sharper outline and a height of about 1,000 meters at most.

As we got closer, I realized that the bottom of the mountain was not just an ordinary rock land.  The foothill plains that normally should exist weren’t there.  Instead, the mountain was surrounded by sheer cliffs.  They weren’t just any ordinary cliffs either.  They were gigantic walls that each looked to be the size of a skyscraper.  The mountain was surrounded by layers of these walls, each with increasing height as they moved inwards.  As if they were haphazardly developed, the irregularly shaped walls overlapped each other, obscuring what lies behind them.  It looked like an armed bamboo shoot.  According to Nott, the mountain itself was like an impenetrable castle, and the capital’s mountain was surrounded by a dark coniferous forest – the Forest of Needles.

“We’re finally able to see it.”  Jess commented.

(Yeah, we’ve made it this far, all that’s left is to pass through the Forest of Needles.)

Nott, who was leading us, turned around.

“Have you guys heard this before?”

Nott smiled nihilistically and fiddled with the dagger in his right hand while glancing sideways at Brace.

“The mushrooms found in the Forest of Needles are said to have a faint glow at night.  I’ve seen it before, and it’s a fantasy-like scenery.”

Jess turned towards Nott’s direction.

“If it’s about that, I’ve heard of it, but I’m not really sure why they would glow.”

“Nah, a local hunter told me the reason.  Not all mushrooms glow the same, some glow strongly while others barely glow at all.  It varies from location to location.”

(…Which means?)

Nott’s eyes lit up.

“It means the mushrooms only glow after absorbing a Yesma’s blood.”

Not long after sunset, we decided to stay the night at a small inn just before the Forest of Needles.  It was a solid-looking western-style building built out of grey stones.  Despite its simplistic interiors, it gave the impression of being neat and tidy.  The dining area was decorated with a silver coat of arms – the proof of a Yesma guardian, which used a Yesma’s collar.  However, the collar on this one was quite blackened and dull.

(Hey, that collar is quite black.)

When I informed us, Jess looked at it apprehensively.

“You’re right…  I’ve never seen a coat of arms that blackened before.”

When handled by someone that protects Yesmas, the collar will shine brightly; when malice approaches, the collar will darken.  As I recall, that should be the case.

Nott coldly explained, “The Forest of Needles is a hotbed of Yesma hunters.  These hungry thugs run amok, and nearly a hundred Yesmas die here every year.  This place is full of evil, so if it’s only darkened to this level, that person should still be pretty good.”

He walked towards the innermost table and sat down.  Jess, with her scarf on, and Brace, with her hood over her head, both sat across from him.  Rossi and I sat next to the table.  Through the small window, I watched as the dark blue night sky slowly invaded the bright red sunset.

“You two-, you three.  We’ll probably have to say our goodbyes tomorrow.  Once you enter the capital, we won’t be able to see each other ever again.  Of course, if you die, that’s the end of that.”

“… I’m gonna drink.  You guys, order what you want.  This is that kind of inn.”

The man displaying his culinary skills in the kitchen was a quiet old man with a somewhat sad look on his face, but the food was certainly rich and sumptuous.  When Nott said “that kind of inn,” he really meant it was that kind of inn.

The final gathering place for those who are prepared to bid their eternal farewells.

The somewhat lavish dishes were laid out on the table, and Nott held up his mug containing beer.

“Alright, tomorrow-”

─Sorry… I will be heading to bed early.

I heard Brace’s voice in my head.  I turned around and saw her pursing her pale lips under her hood.

Nott cut off his words and asked, “Why?  Eat something.  You’ll need the energy for tomorrow-”

─I’m tired, and I don’t have any appetite.  Please let me rest.

After silently thinking for a while, Nott picked up a piece of bone with meat on it next to him and tossed it at Rossi.  The dog turned his head and opened his mouth to deftly catch the food.

“Go ahead and return to the room to sleep.  Rossi will keep watch nearby.”

Brace lowered her head slightly and hurried towards the bedroom.  Rossi followed closely with the meat and bone still in his mouth.

Nott sighed and placed his mug on the table.

“Alright, let’s hurry up and eat.”

“…Okay.”

(Yeah.  Let’s finish eating early, and go to bed early.)

We had our final dinner together in this vigil-like atmosphere.  But even so, Jess savoured every bite and shared with me a bit of each dish.

“Look Mister Pig, I wonder if this is quail meat.  It’s seasoned very well with salt and herbs.  I can only feed you a little bit… here.”

I gratefully accepted the piece of meat on Jess’ palm.  A pig’s mouth is clumsy, so my lips touched her hand.  Jess smiled like it tickled her.

Even during this extremely special situation where I tickled a cute girl’s palm, my heart didn’t flutter.  But what I did do was give my impressions after tasting a meat dish from another world.

(It’s delicious, like a high-end yakitori.)

“Yakitori?”

(Right, it’s a dish where you put chicken on a skewer and grill it over fire – it’s something from my country.)

“So that kind of dish exists.  I see, Mister Pig’s country also has…”

Jess stared at the herb-roasted quail meat before taking another bite with relish.  What a resilient girl, I thought.  Most people under these circumstances would end up acting more like Brace.

Nott, who drank his beer while blankly watching Jess, spoke in a low voice.

“Sorry to bother you two, but I have something I’d like to discuss.”

(What is it?)

Jess and I shifted our attention towards him.

“It’s about priorities.”

Did he have a stomach ache?  Nott frowned and his expressions tensed up.

“I don’t want to put a value on each person’s life.  Whether it be human or Yesmas, life is equal for everyone with a heart.  But… but come tomorrow, if our lives are in danger… if we’re put in a situation where we can only save either Jess or Brace…  Let’s pick Jess without hesitation.”

“Please wait a moment, Mr. Nott, that’s…”

“Listen, okay?  You’ve seen her, her heart is sick.  I can barely feel her will to live.  But Jess isn’t like that.  If you were to die because of her, she wouldn’t want that either.  Of course, saving everyone’s lives is our top priority, but if things get out of hand, we need to agree on prioritizing Jess’ life first.  If Jess was killed because I hesitated on letting Brace die when every second counts, I…”

Nott didn’t finish his words and resumed drinking his beer.

(Yeah, Nott’s right.  We should put Jess’ life above all else.)

“You can’t, Mister Pig.  That’s… that’s too pitiful for Ms. Brace.”

A mug was violently slammed onto the table with a bang.

“This is the problem with Yesmas – they always jump to worrying about others first.”

Nott seemed to touch his mug with his right hand out of frustration.

“Let me start by saying your stupid pig is your chavillon, not Brace’s.  He exists to protect your life first and foremost no matter what, not the person who was imprisoned that we rescued along the way.”

Jess couldn’t refute his words, and didn’t seem to know what to say.

(It’s exactly as Nott said.  I’ve been with you since the beginning for no reason other than to protect you, Jess.)

Jess looked at me with tears in her eyes.  I couldn’t tell if they were out of happiness or sadness.

“I’m… um, sorry.  I’ve never been told those words before, so I don’t know what to say…”

(From my standpoint, I would be most happy if you were honestly glad about it.)

“Then I’m glad.”

What are you, an android that just learned emotions or something?  It doesn’t look like you’re happy at all.

Jess clumsily forced herself to smile as if she had read my mind.  I thought it was cute, so I let it slide.

Nott had been watching Jess for a while, seemingly having something on his mind, and suddenly spoke.

“Listen, Jess.  I once had a dream.”

He became more talkative than he’s ever been.

“It’s a dream that hasn’t come true – a dream that won’t ever come true.  It’s a dream where I would go to the capital with her as her chavillon and stay with her until death.  Her bones were used to make this pair of daggers.”

Nott placed his daggers on the table.  Excluding the metal on the plain handles, the rest was made of an ivory-like material that was polished smooth.  Those were the bones of Ys.  Someone that was kidnapped and killed after the monastery burned down.

“If it sounds stupid, just treat me like a fool.  But you really do resemble her.  I’m hoping I can at least send you to the capital and make you happy.  I want you to live for that person who couldn’t live even if she wanted to.”

With tears in her eyes, Jess spoke.

“… Thank you very much.  Let’s all survive to welcome the day after tomorrow.”

In Jess’ mind, the direction of her distorted inequality sign didn’t seem to budge in the slightest.

Something touched my back and startled me awake.  It was a quiet night.

─Mr. Pig, could you please come over here?

For a moment there I was wondering who that was, but it looks like it was Brace reaching her hand out and calling for me.  Since there wasn’t a room that could fit a large party of three people and two animals, we slept on the carpeted floor with blankets.  Rossi laid near the window with his ears pricked up.

Jess and Nott seemed to be asleep.  I got up quietly and moved closer to Brace.  I could see Rossi’s ears twitch before returning to their original positions after a while.

─Could you please come closer?

As she requested, I moved even closer.  I was about 30 centimeters away from Brace, who laid there with her hood on.

─Just a little more.

I got as close to Brace as my virgin body would allow.

─Could you please lie down?

I laid down as she asked, and her thin arms wrapped around my neck.

I was being hugged while lying down.  By a girl.

(Eh, ah, um…  Err?)

Brace’s lovely face entered the corner of my vision.  I could feel her plump breasts against my pig flank.  And then there was this strange stench like rotten meat that drifted in from somewhere.

─Please forgive me, I was a bit cold.

I see, it’s fine if you were cold…  As I was thinking such stupid things, I felt her arms tremble.  It was probably not just because of the cold.

(Did you want to talk about something?)

─…Yes.

(In that case, feel free to say anything.)

Brace swallowed, and I could hear a cry that seemed to be from pain.

─Mr. Pig came from another world, right?

I was a bit surprised.  Both Jess and Nott didn’t really ask about where I came from, and they seemed to treat me like a strange pig that came from another country, so I figured Mestrians didn’t care about this sort of thing.  But Brace clearly used the words “another world” just now, which means from her point of view, there exists a world other than this one.

(Well… yeah.  I came from another world that is completely different from Mestria.)

─Please, could you tell me about your world?

Oh, so that’s what you wanted to talk about.

(Got it.  What kind of stories would you like to hear about?)

─I understand it was rude of me to eavesdrop, but I accidentally overheard that in Mr. Pig’s world, men prefer women with smaller breasts.  Is that true?

Her question was completely out of my expectations, making my thoughts grind to a halt.  I didn’t know what she was asking of me, or how I should reply to her.

(Sorry, I um… like smaller ones, but… it’s not-)

─In Mr. Pig’s world, I’m sure there’s no such thing as men accidentally being seduced by big breasts, right?

It sounded more like a wish than a question.  I sensed Brace’s intentions.  It must have been difficult for her.

(…Yeah, that’s right.  It doesn’t happen.  I doubt anyone would even look at someone like you.)

─I see.  So there’s a world out there like that…

After exhaling slowly, Brace continued.

─It would be nice if, when I die tomorrow, I was reborn in your world.

Her tone sounded indifferent, but there was a clear sense of deep and serious pain engraved in it.

(Come now, it’s bad luck to be talking as if you’ll die.)

─No, I’m going to die.

(That’s not true.  Don’t give up hope so easily.)

Brace’s arms kept trembling around my neck.

─…Can I tell you a secret, Mr. Pig?

(…Yeah, I’ll keep it to myself…)

But why me?

─Because Mr. Pig is from another world.  Ever since I served the gravekeeper family, I’ve continued to pray, believing that there’s another world beyond the stars.  Therefore, I believe Mr. Pig is the right person to hear my final prayer.

She naturally read my monologues, but that’s fine.

(… Alright.  I’m listening.)

─Please look.

Brace moved slightly away from me and undid the front of her robe.  I immediately closed my eyes, but a strong putrid smell drifted through the air, forcing me to open my eyes and turn to look.  Even in the dark room, I could see a large blackened scar below Brace’s navel, on top of her lower abdomen.

─It has a very strong smell, doesn’t it.  It’s already festering.  My skin and flesh have begun to rot.  It seems like poison is circulating through my blood, so my whole body hurts.  I can feel my death approaching.

(…Were you stabbed?)

─Yes.  I was stabbed by a lot of things underneath that chapel.  I lost a lot blood.

Brace pulled her robe back in place and wrapped her arms around me again.  Her arm tremors were weak.

(That’s terrible…)

I could only use such clumsy words.

─There’s nothing we can do about it.  By the time you all came to rescue me, my wound had already started to rupture.

(It must be very painful.)

─Yes, very much so.

I didn’t know what to say for a while, but I finally found some words to tell her.

(Let’s consult with Nott and Jess about this.  There should be a way to heal this.)

Brace shook her head lightly.

─Please don’t tell those two.  This is an extremely dangerous place.  Mr. Nott is a very kind person, he might push himself too hard and risk his own life in an attempt to save mine.  I don’t wish to endanger everyone’s lives for the sake of that.

It felt like my guts were being put under a death grip.

(But in order for you to reach the capital…)

─I don’t need to make it.  I will dedicate my life to you and Ms. Jess.

(You can’t, that’s…)

As I said that, I felt my words were only superficial.

─Death is a form of salvation.  Please let me die.  It’s my fault for being born this way.  It’s my fault for being born a Yesma.  It’s my fault for seducing everyone with this body, this appearance, this voice.

(That’s not true.  It’s obviously those bastards that selfishly exploit Yesmas that are the ones to blame.)

─Is that how everyone sees it in Mr. Pig’s world?

(Of course.)

─…That makes me want to go there even more.  When I die, Mr. Pig, please take me to your world.  This is my final wish.

“To request that of me is-”, I won’t respond like that.  I already knew what the correct answer was.

(I got here even without praying.  There’s no reason why you can’t go over there because you’ve been praying all this time.  Brace will definitely be able to reincarnate into the world that I came from.)

─Is that so?  Thank you very much.

Underneath the darkness and shadow of her hood, I noticed something gleamed.  They were tears flowing from her beautiful blue eyes.  Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I felt like this was the first time I’ve seen Brace smile.

(Sorry, but… is that all?  If Jess saw us, she might misunderstand.)

─Ah, okay…

Her arms loosened.  But when I tried to get up, those arms tightly wrapped around me again.

─Please wait.  Please let me say just one more thing.

When this line is used, what comes next is going to be super important information.  Even your language textbooks say so.  I returned to lying down and asked.

(What is it?)

─There’s one thing I’d like to tell you, no matter what.

Brace gripped the fat on my back.

─Because I helped with the gravekeeping work, I had many opportunities to talk with bereaved families, and have heard various stories from all kinds of people.  During that time, I’ve been told a strange story multiple times.

(…A strange story?)

─It’s been said that there’s no entrance to the capital.

(What?)

─There’s no entrance to the capital.  Some even say that that’s why all Yesmas die at the Forest of Needles.

I felt a chill run down my spine.  This was like a classic zombie movie plot where you’d journey to a safe zone only to find out that there was actually nothing there.  Are you kidding me?

(Then what was the point of us braving the risks to get to the capital…)

─Don’t worry.  I’ve been told that there have been Yesmas that disappeared with their chavillons, so there must be a way to enter.  Of course, those that successfully entered the capital won’t appear outside ever again, but… at some point, I started hearing these words about how to enter the capital.

(Could you tell me what they were?)

─“Appeal to the king.”

I waited, but it didn’t seem like Brace had any intention of telling me anything else.

(That’s it?)

─Yes.  Such rumors circulated in some parts of the north.  They say the only way for a Yesma to enter the capital is to appeal to the king.

(Are they telling us to scream at the capital?)

─I don’t know.  However, don’t you find it strange that such a vague rumor was able to spread around like this?  The rumors that people usually talk about are more specific and surprising in content.

It’s certainly rare for a rumor like “〇〇 has a younger sister” to spread.  But it’s possible if the rumor was along the lines of “〇〇 has a younger sister that’s good at sports, excels in her classes, and is a brocon.”

}TL Note: Brocon (brother complex)

(That’s true.  Because it’s so ambiguous, it lends itself an eerie sort of persuasiveness to it.  Did you hear of anything else?)

─I’m sorry, that’s all that I’ve heard…

(I see.  “Appeal to the king,” huh…)

─I know this probably won’t be of use, but I absolutely want my benefactors, Mr. Pig and Ms. Jess, to enter the capital.  As long as I can be of help, be it even slightly…

Two streaks of light shone brightly underneath her hood.

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─Please, you two.  Please make sure to live on and find happiness.

Her final wish ended up being for someone else’s sake, didn’t it?  I thought.

I felt empty.  Even though I was sad, tears wouldn’t come out.