Because I've Been Reincarnated as the Piggy Duke, This Time I Will Say I Like You

Translator: Stela, Edit: thyny

Deep inside the forest, a certain mercenary was currently reading a letter in her hand.

Soon, all the things around her that are already dark and humid are turning even darker and harder to recognize.

While she keeps reading the letter, a lot of monsters’ corpses are lying around her.

[——Rumors among the merchants inside the academy!? Just look for that kind of things yourself! Damn it, can’t those guys just simply tell me all the info they got!]

And then, the mercenary tears the letter she received from the head mercenary that resides inside the city of Yolem. Inside that letter, it was written about the gossip that currently became the talk among the merchants inside the Kurushu Magic Academy; they are talking about the surrounding forest.

[But, I can also feel that there is some weird atmosphere coming from the forest. If this academy falls in confusion, I guess other things won’t matter]

This mercenary always believed that a job is easily handled if she was working alone.

But this work is different. 𝙛𝘳𝒆𝒆𝒘e𝗯n𝗼𝘷𝚎𝚕.𝒄૦𝓶

Even though it was just temporary, she was working with someone else.

[Even though there was no such expectation from the start, are those guys stupid or something…?]

At Yolem, there was an underground organization made from a group of mercenaries.

There was a tribe in the north that was said to have a power to smash rocks and also have a hard body; they are the descendants of a once (‘once’ starts with a consonant sound; thus, ‘a’ should be used – kinda tricky if I may say) already destroyed monster, the Giantman, and the group they made was called Vajra/Kongou mercenary group.(In the japan version it was called Kongou, it means is indestructible, and I found this vajra word had the same meaning. Which one would you guys wanted to use? It is a name so I don’t need to TL it)

And there is this man that gave out a job to obtain information about Kurushu Magic Academy’s students; he also gave quite a lot of advance payment for the job.

And after he said he wanted this job to succeed no matter what, he met with the Kongou mercenaries, or so they said.

[Daris is so foolishly peaceful. They haven’t noticed that Kongou group has taken up residence at Yolem]

The job was to infiltrate into Kurushu Magic Academy and get the students’ name register, and then take any information about the students that seem they will be carrying Daris’ future.

And the Kongou group’s job was to make sure to guard the girl until she met with the one who requested the job.

[I think it’s also my time to end my career as a mercenary. Because if I became too famous, I would be erased by the Southern Empire… Kuh! Again!?]

Suddenly, from within the darkness, many small ogres jump out and attack the mercenary. In panic, the mercenary pulls out her wand and swing it.

And what happened next was a pitiful high pitched cry from the now dead monster who was crushed with a block of ice coming from above. The rest of the monsters around her, after feeling the difference in power, once again go back to hiding inside the darkness.

[Tch. It’s just like those Giantman said, a strange atmosphere has enveloped this forest…]

Since I was a child, I was always living alone borrowing the power of magic tools.

I was always living by myself in this world without anyone’s help. After all, I only believed in myself as I became a mercenary all this time.

And from all that experience I have, there is definitely something strange in here. I need to end my work as soon as possible.

[Somehow, it is reassuring for me that those Vajra guys took residence inside Yolem. Well then Giantman guys, show me the way to the exit you guys prepared]

The mercenary checked her condition once again, and then tied her message to the message bird and sent it back to fly on to the starry sky.

The place in which she will meet with the person of interest will be along the border between Daris and the Southern Empire.

It is actually the exact place where the famous Dening Duke’s household took command of the Daris’ military and met with the Southern Empire’s military.

At first it was extremely suspicious of why the transaction would take place there, but…

[There is only one meaning for the transaction to be at that place. To betray Daris and go to Southern Empire. That is what it means]

As the mercenary prepared herself for her choice, she watched as the bird disappeared into the pitch black sky.

[…Good bye, Daris—my hometown. But don’t be mistaken, it’s not like I resent you or something. For the future queen, for princess Karina whom is really shy and afraid of strangers, I’m afraid you still don’t have the capabilities to be a queen. Your reputation is on par with the piggy duke, because you can’t even go out to a ball or to a public place while being afraid that people will see your chest… Come, Ketora]

Inside the dark damp forest. Deep inside the darkness far from the Kurushu Magic Academy, a giant mysterious bird came.

[There will be no more youths that will shoulder this country. That is why the Southern Empire’s next target must be Daris]

Daris always boasted about their educational system.

As long as they have reached the age, they can apply to the ground breaking magic academy.

But from those young people that should be shouldering the country in the future, there is no astonishing talent among them.

…No.

…it is true there is nobody who has the charisma to shoulder the whole country, but I think there are some outstanding students?

[In this war period, do you know what is the main topic of conversation inside the Kurushu Magic Academy right now, Ketora?]

The mercenary kindly pet the mysterious giant bird’s face.

If the bird spread its wings, it would be as big as a small tree. If it was only a single person, it could easily carry them.

[They talk about the laughing stock of the Dening Duke’s Household. They wager a lot of money just to guess if the piggy duke will rehabilitate himself or not]

As if the mysterious bird was also laughing at it, it silently cried.

The mercenary hop onto the mysterious bird’s back and gave a light pat on its wings, and it responds with a cry.

[…Eh? Aah, I guess I was also betting on it myself. Even though I was a mercenary myself; guess I still had a bit of hope in Daris after all… The fallen third son of the Dening Household. I was betting one copper coin for his return. And I guess that is what I can mostly give for my patriotic feelings]

And after that, I need to make sure about Slow Dening’s true capabilities as my last job.

As I could see today, he can freely manipulate wind. He can also deal with the students who believe themselves as a knights.

Ummm, if I remember correctly it was Slow Dening who was always with a noble student with the name of Vision Greytroad.

I believe it was the only son of that Viscount Greytroad that has a problem with the imperial court.

[A fellow problem child it seems. Somehow, they attract to each other]

As the mysterious bird flapped its wings, it gently lifts off the ground.

Slowly, the mercenary closed her eyes.

The goal is to determine Slow Dening’s true power; it can easily be seen if he has already exceeded a normal student’s power.

And then she needs to accurately determine his power. Only after that the job would be finished.

The man who gave this job couldn’t be from anywhere else but the Dostor Southern Empire, so any info regarding Slow Dening would be a nice present for him.

[Talking about the Southern Empire and that wind wonder child… What was the rumor about them again?]

Even though she was called the legendary mercenary, actually she hasn’t worked that long as a mercenary. She came from a family that used the power of the magic tool, and the first time she worked as a beginner mercenary was when she was ten or so years old.

When she was attaining her adulthood, she heard an interesting rumor at the bar.

An elemental master was born in Daris.

And a baseless rumor about the wind child prodigy fighting against the assassin sent by the Southern Empire.

[A mercenary that had successfully assassinated a number of important individuals on the Southern Empire. The silent bullet, no sound——-]

There is no one who believed in that story; it has only become the side dish when people drink.

And this girl is also someone who doesn’t believe in that story.

[——–was defeated when the wind child prodigy was only five and with a commoner as his only help]