Sakai Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- Sixth Bite

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-7183-0954-8
Verlag: J-Novel Club
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band 6, 250 Seiten

Reihe: Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig-

After finally vanquishing the most atrocious mage, Mister Pig and his companions have reclaimed the royal capital. Now, it's time to head to their happy ending-but unfortunately, rebuilding a country from the brink of ruin isn't quite that simple. They have plenty of problems on their plates, including but not limited to: dealing with the chaos caused by the two merging worlds, restoring the royal court that was pushed to the edge of collapse, and tackling the cruel Yethma system.

Having found a hint leading to a special artifact that's key to the Yethma's liberation, Mister Pig and Jess prepare to begin their search-but an uncanny and enigmatic series of murders stand in their way. Under the request of the new king, Shravis, the pair launch an investigation to unravel the case...but are they ready to face the monster called truth?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sakai, Takuma

Weitere Mitwirkende

Tohsaka, Asagi

Gao, Zihan

Leseproben

Roughly a hundred and thirty years had passed since Vatis had founded the royal court. The status of king, which had been passed down from parent to child without allowing for any collateral family, had ended up on the shoulders of the royal family’s last child barely half a year after the passing of Eavis, the fourth king. The weight of the throne now belonged to a boy who’d only just turned nineteen today.

Straightening his back assertively, Shravis looked over the handful of ceremony participants. “We all know the circumstances that led to my coronation—there is no need for any congratulations. Though my succession was all too swift, I ask all of you, my subjects, to continue supporting our royal government.”

The five capital citizens bowed so low that their foreheads touched the ground.

Shravis continued, “I would like to take the opportunity of my coronation to review and affirm our government’s policies henceforth.” Shravis stroked the throne’s armrest somewhat obsessively while clearing his throat several times.

What were they going to do about the mayhem in this world? How were they going to restore public order that the Clandestine Arcanist had utterly wrecked? And...how were they going to liberate the Yethma?

The essential groundwork to decide their direction going forward would be done right here, right now.

It was then that Shravis said, “Be at ease, everyone.”

Hearing that prompt, the five elders lifted their heads, though they still knelt. They were nothing alike in looks, but all shared the same determined, solemn expression.

“As all of you are already aware, Mesteria is facing a crisis like never before,” Shravis stated matter-of-factly. “A mage survivor from the Dark Ages has pushed the royal court to the brink of collapse. It was only four months ago that grandfather succumbed to his fatal curse. My father, who succeeded him, was robbed of his own body by the same mage, and I was forced to flee from the capital. We nearly lost the royal court for good.”

Shravis’s emerald eyes shifted onto the six people in front of him one by one. “Before all else, I must voice my gratitude. Even when the most atrocious mage usurped the throne, the five of you feigned obedience but resolutely didn’t give him your true loyalty—you defended the order and secrets of the royal court to the very end. And I must also thank the Liberators, who have given me your aid and fought to reclaim the royal capital by my side.”

The six responded with a collective bow.

“However,” Shravis continued, “our strife is not over yet. Peculiar phenomena are occurring all over Mesteria at an alarming frequency. Reality itself is distorting, magic has become unstable, and order itself has been disturbed. There are only two paths available to us. Either we restore this world to its former state, or if that proves impossible—we will have to find a way to restore order in this new world.”

Shravis ended his statement there. Pin-drop silence followed.

With his spine still straightened with dignity, Shravis turned to face the five elders. “Vivis. What is your opinion as the elder of the higher librarians? Is there any hope of turning the tables on our difficult situation?”

At the young king’s query, the elderly woman with gray hair raised her head, which bore a kindly expression. “Lady Jess is investigating the origin of these peculiar phenomena. Though I am admittedly unfamiliar with this field of knowledge, I am assisting her from the sidelines whenever I can. As for whether there are any solutions, I believe my lady should be able to ascertain that in the near future.”

“I see. I will leave the matter in your capable hands.” Shravis gazed at Vivis, then in our direction for confirmation.

Due to the secrecy of the royal court, it was always short on hands. Even when it was a pressing investigation, if secrets to do with magic were involved, only a select few higher librarians—including Vivis—could likely delve into the matter. Either Wyss had to squeeze time out between her work while borrowing their help, or Jess had to shoulder the burden—they were the only ones up to the task.

When we nodded, the ghost of a smile curled Shravis’s lips. He cleared his throat before he continued, “In any case, we, the royal court, must maintain our authority and initiative in this country. Concurrently, we must make our people know that we are the ones holding the reins. Three stages will be essential to achieving that.”

As he explained, he lifted three fingers one by one. “Firstly, we must exterminate the survivors of the Nothen Faction that revolted against us. Secondly, we must revive the lost order and peace of the nation. Thirdly, we must recover the support of our citizens.” This was when he folded two fingers and held up a single finger again. “Sito, what is your take on the first stage as the elder of the commanding officers? Do you think it is possible to weed out every last member of the Nothen Faction completely? I want you to announce your candid opinion in this setting officially.”

A man with shortly trimmed black hair lifted his face. With a small, black beard creeping onto the tip of his jaw, Sito was a man in his prime who had a stern aura. A simple look at his neck and arms told me that he’d tempered his body thoroughly like a steel weapon. He likely didn’t stop at giving directions to his troops—he must have thrown himself into the midst of battle countless times beside his soldiers.

“The Nothen Faction have lost their supreme commander and greatest weapon. By now, they don’t even qualify as a threat,” Sito said. The impression I got from his tone was that of a responsible and honorable character. “They are a gathering of ruffians and thugs. Even calling them a ‘faction’ is an insult to that term. The problem, however, is locating them. They have begun mingling with ordinary citizens and residing in their midst. It’s evident that it will take time to eradicate them all.”

Despite my initial impression, he treated people he perceived as enemies like pests that ought to be exterminated—probably a testament to how much he’d immersed himself in the world of battle.

Shravis inclined his head. “I understand. I would like to assist you as well, but if my duties as king increase, it will accordingly make it more difficult for me to head out to the front line or places where I am necessary. I ask that the army persist in your efforts to eradicate them.”

“Your wish is my command.”

Shravis’s eyes shifted from the man’s black hair to the adjacent woman. “Now, for the second stage, reviving lost order... We are attempting to diverge from our traditional methods, but it appears that Liedes, the elder of the nursers, has some reservations about that.”

The slim woman addressed had stiff, bristly blonde hair tied into one bunch. White strands were mixed within—she looked like she was in her fifties. She appeared rational with her clearly defined features, but her mimetic muscles were unmoving, like a mask. I couldn’t even sense a hint of emotion from her outward appearance.

I was certainly interested in what she would say as one of the people involved in the most fundamental part of the Yethma system. It seemed that Naut shared the same opinion. Though there weren’t any ripples in his expression, he inclined his head and pointed his ear at the woman.

Liedes asked, “Is this perhaps about how we have ceased distributing Yethma?”

Shravis nodded. Casting down her eyes slightly, Liedes continued, “I have no intentions of voicing any objections against your policies, my king. But if I were to be honest, I believe it will not be sustainable to maintain your ambiguous attitude.”

What made Shravis different from the previous kings, above all else, was the fact that he was willing to listen to the beliefs of the Liberators and was trying to end the Yethma system. The “shipment” of Yethma had been temporarily suspended during the Clandestine Arcanist’s reign, and Shravis had let it stay that way.

A criticizing note weaved into Liedes’s tone. “It is a simple calculation. The Yethma, of which we have sold over a hundred every year, will suddenly stop being available on the market. At this rate, there will be an excess of girls with magical talent in the capital. In addition to that, the murder of Yethma is now prohibited. However, the current situation doesn’t allow us to call them back to the capital, meaning roughly a thousand Yethma have been left to roam free in the wild. Your Majesty, what are your plans for them?”

Liedes’s statement made her sound as if she were counting sheep, not people, and Naut looked blatantly displeased. But he held it in and didn’t utter a word.

Faced with that question, Shravis placed a hand on his chin. It appeared that he couldn’t give her an answer right away.

The royal family had decided to put an end to the brutal treatment of Yethma. It was likely a prudent move. However, there was the problem of what they should do with the Yethma already in existence. There were the “pre-distribution” Yethma between the ages of only a few months to eight years old who were being nurtured in the capital underground. Then there were the “employed” Yethma between the ages of eight and sixteen who were working as servants around Mesteria. There were roughly a thousand Yethma in each group, making it a...