*

　Crono follows the ruts with his eyes.
　The ruts stretching out from under his feet lose their contours as he moves away from Crono.
　The grass gradually increases in density, and before long, the rut is half-covered by the rut.
　When I look up, I see a dark, silent wilderness.
　The virgin forest that stretches on the border between the Cepheus Empire and the Holy Argo Kingdom is known as the Coma Forest.
　The Dark Forest is a land of high mountains, where many ferocious wild animals such as wolves and brown bear live.
　It is even said that the demons of the gods lurk here, but there seems to be enough horse and cart traffic to leave ruts.
　It's probably the result of merchants sparing the time and effort of bypassing the forest and the toll tax.
　The Marquis of Erakis territory, where Crono is located, has high taxes.
　Each time they pass through another territory, they are charged a toll tax each time, so only a small amount of profit is left in the merchant's hands.
　I don't understand the nerve of taking money rather than life, but I do understand the idea of having to take a reasonable risk in order to earn a profit.
　That's why I can understand why the Holy Argo Kingdom is willing to take the risk of crossing the Coma Forest to attack the Cepheus Empire.
　But we don't know what their intentions are.
　The Cepheus Empire and the Holy Argo Kingdom have had many skirmishes near their borders.
　It is not a very friendly relationship, but why did the Holy Argo Kingdom embark on a massive military action at this time?
　If we ask ourselves, we won't get an answer.
　In the end, all we know is that the Cepheus Imperial Army was on the back foot, we have to drive the enemy back as soon as possible, and our colleagues and superiors have escaped.

''.........''

　Crono reflexively tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword as he felt something move deep in the forest, but his subordinates, the seven hundred subhumans, showed no reaction.
　There were no elves here who were experts in the forest, but the beastmen, who made up the majority of his subordinates, boasted a keen sense of smell and hearing.
　You should trust your subordinates more than your own senses, Crono said as he removed his hand from the hilt.
　Reflexively, he reached for his sword, but Crono was not good at swordplay.
　Not only is he bad at swordsmanship, but he's also bad at horsemanship.
　That's why he usually traveled on foot, but he didn't expect to be abandoned by his boss and colleagues.
　If we buy time, reinforcements will come, his boss, Marquis Erakis, said, but according to the scouts' reports, the Holy Argo Kingdom's army numbered ten thousand and this one was a thousand.
　
　Now Crono and his men's lives are in the wind.
　Perhaps they know that, but the morale of their subordinates is visibly low.
　
　At the very least, if Crono had been an excellent commander, morale would have been boosted.
　At the very least, there would have been hope.
　Unfortunately, Crono had just graduated from the military school and had no real combat experience, and he was also an inferior student, one who would go down in the history of the military school.
　He was able to graduate thanks to his instructor, who bowed to him here and there.
　In a manner of speaking, Crono made an effort, too.
　Last night, we tried to raise the will to fight by serving a sumptuous meal and drinks, but it seems that people took a pessimistic view of our last meal of our lives and our last drink.

''General, are you all right?'' (Bummo~, bummo~)
I'm sorry, I think I've shat myself.

　Crono blurted out his true feelings to the deputy who asked him worriedly.

''........General....''

　The deputy looked at Crono with black, circular eyes and purred sadly.
　The second in command is a bull-headed beastman called a minotaur.
He is over two meters tall and his body is covered with muscles like steel.

''No, I want to show you that I can afford it, too.

　He's feeble-minded by nature.
　I hate even arguing with him, but combat command is insane.
　It's as heavy as if my stomach has turned to lead.
　The slightest stimulus of my stomach peristalsis is going to free my sphincter muscle.

'How did you become a soldier like that? (BMO?)
I was told that noblemen had to go to military school.

　A dull nose ring swings on the tip of the plop and the deputy's nose.
　The nasal ring is a magic item with the magic of interpretation. Thanks to this, it is possible to communicate with beastmen whose vocal cord structure is different from humans.
''It would be better to run away now, wouldn't it?　In a battle like this, and moreover, it's not in the general's interest to put your shoulder to the sub-race, is it?'' (BUMO, GOBBLE)

Well I do, but, you know.

　In fact, he's right.
　Subhuman is a derogatory term for human-like but non-human creatures, including minotaur-like beastmen, elves and dwarves, and it's also a derogatory term for subhuman.
　The sub-humans were the natural enemies of humans and were metaphorically represented as gods long ago, and as humans grew in power down the ages, they incorporated the sub-humans into society as a ruling class, as if to relieve their previous resentment.
　In the Cepheus Empire, citizenship is granted to sub-humans if they serve in the military for a certain period of time, but if they are injured to the point of disability, they are forced to leave the military, and even if they get citizenship, it is difficult for sub-humans to get a good job at a good rate.
　Still, the Cepheus Empire's response is better than its neighbors, and the Holy Argo Kingdom has made the eradication of subhumans its national policy.
　From the point of view of the sub-human lieutenant, Crono is probably a winner enough even if he has nothing to show for it other than being a nobleman.

''I couldn't leave my men behind and run away,'' he said, ''so I failed to escape in earnest.
'....General, do you really mean it?

　Crono said with a wry smile, and the Minotaur's second-in-command sounded dumbfounded.

'Of course I'm serious. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be abandoned by my superiors and colleagues, though.'
....

　This time, the deputy seemed to be speechless.

'And I'm not going to let you die a dog's death, or let you die a dog's death.
"I don't think you can stop the enemy with a makeshift fence, though." (Bumomobumo)

　Then the deputy stared at the standing fence.
　The fence was set up a short distance away from the forest border.
　It was about three meters high and wide, and the wood was about as thick as a chrono's thighs.
　The fences are set up at equal intervals and there is a gap between them for people to pass through.

''If this is the case, wouldn't it be better to set up a guerrilla warfare?''
I've thought about that, but it's not going to drive me away.

　With that, Crono glared at the forest.
　If he had a little more time, he could have set up a guerrilla war, but he was too far behind.
　Now is the time to take a chance as they are in a vertical line for the march.
　If the Argo Kingdom Army passed through the Coma Forest, a mere thousand men would not be able to compete with them.

''We have to drive them back.

　Looting and killing will take place, Crono swallowed the words.
　Looting to secure food and loot, and as long as the other side is committed to eradicating sub-humans, there will be sub-human carnage.

That's what makes this a religious state.

　Crono spat softly.

*

　
　In the Marquis' mansion in the center of Hachel, in his office located on the top floor of the mansion, Tilia was waiting for the Marquis of Erakis to report to her.

'What?　You're the one who ran away and came back!

　The Marquis of Erakis shuddered in fright as Tilia punched the desk.

''So, but that should buy us some time.
""Absolutely!"

　When the big, fat Marquis of Erakis excused himself with a fat sweat, his men followed suit here and there.
　It couldn't be helped.
　There was a discrepancy in the information.
　If they could be stranded with a thousand sub-humans, he thought, it would be cheap.
　This is why the little girl who doesn't know the scene of the crime, he didn't say it, but he even ended up looking at Tilia accusingly.
　It is true that Tilia does not know the field of battle.
　The reason why she can now shout at the Marquis of Erakis, who is as old as her father, is only because Tilia is the first princess of the Cepheus Empire and has the right to the first throne.
　Tilia was even giddy with anger at the attitude of the Marquis of Erakis and the others.
　Thirty years ago, the Cepheus Empire was in a period of turmoil.
　A civil war over the succession to the imperial throne, the independence of the city-states and the invasion of barbarians that took advantage of it.
　The aristocrats, who were greedy for peace and comfort, were unable to cope with the successive abnormalities, and with the help of several mercenary groups, the situation was finally brought under control.
　At this time, the empire should have learned the lesson that 'under an incompetent commander whose only advantage was bloodline, a winnable battle could not be won, and the disaster of war would be spread unnecessarily'.
　That's why he established a military school in the imperial capital that was open to semi-aristocrats and above.
　Apparently, the adage 'If it's too hot, it's too hot to remember' prevails over the lessons learned at the cost of precious sacrifice.
　Incidentally, the Mercenaries were granted a fiefdom at the southern end of the empire for their efforts in settling the rebellion, and are now called the New Nobility.

''Doesn't that 'cheap' include Crono?'''
''We tried to persuade him to return, but Lord Crono said he couldn't be expected to abandon his men.

　Tilia gritted her teeth so hard that her back teeth sunk in, stifling the raging passion.
　The Marquis of Erakis would only be one of Crono's subordinates, the son of the new nobleman, Baron Crawford, but he was a special person to Tyria.

'What day is it?'
What?
'How many days until we get reinforcements from the surrounding territories?　Or are you not even asking for help!
Soon.

　The Marquis and his cronies ran out of the room to escape.

'You Crono fool, you fool, you great fool!

　Tilia scratched her mother's inherited blonde hair.
　Tilia and Crono were classmates at military school.
　Even though they were synchronized, there was no connection between Tilia and Crono.
　They were too different in their positions, the royal family and the new aristocracy, honors and inferior students.
　It was the defeat in a military exercise that had caused Tilia to become aware of Crono.
　In the battle for the military flag, Tyria defeated one enemy after another and took them prisoner.
　Near the end, Crono launched an all-out assault that could only be described as desperate.
　Tyria charged the entire army, and then was easily knocked down by a few soldiers who easily toppled his army flag.
　In layman's terms, he had been caught in a diversion.
　Now, Tyria was ashamed of her shallowness, but at the time, she was unconvinced and challenged Crono to take it out on her many times in an argument.
　When they talked, Crono was an interesting man. He was a rare type of nobleman who had a unique perspective on things and felt more pressure to fulfill his duties as a nobleman than the privilege of being born into a nobleman.
　He was too comfortable, but that didn't bother him if he thought of himself as a new noble.......son of an upstart.

''To you, even a sub-human is an object to be protected?''

　Narrowing her eyes, Tyria muttered softly.
*

　The moment five heavily armed cavalrymen armed with sheet metal armor plate mail emerged from the depths of the forest, Crono regretted from the bottom of his heart that he hadn't run away.
　Crono is aware of his weakness.
　His swordsmanship was only a hair's breadth from an amateur, and he could only learn one magic technique.
　His mind isn't slow, but it's not sharp either.
　Nor is he courageous.
　He regretted that he couldn't keep up his willpower even if he tried to muster up the courage.
　When the Marquis of Erakis said he would use the sub-human as a shield to buy time, Crono thought it wasn't a bad idea.
　I'm afraid to fight.
　He understands that he is weak.
　He can easily see that if he fights his weakness, he will die.
　All I had to do was smile and nod my head in obedience.
　Only, I couldn't do just that and lost the opportunity to escape.
　Straining his sphincter, Crono stepped out of the fence.
　The threat of the heavy cavalry, the flower of the battlefield, lies in their mobility and rushing power.
　Their assault in formation is powerful enough to blow away large sub-humans.

''........My name is Crono!　He is the first child of Baron Crawford!　A knight in shining armor, I presume!　It is a disgrace to the last generation to have your head taken by a miscellaneous soldier, and I want a single combatant!

　Drawing his sword from his waist, Crono shouted loudly, and one of the cavalrymen stepped out.
　Like a leader, he was dressed in the most luxurious armor among the five horsemen.
　With his spear at the ready, the cavalryman rushed in while increasing his speed.
　And the moment they reached their maximum speed, the knight's figure disappeared.
　After a slight pause, a gushy knight fell to the ground from the back of his head.
　He plunged into the rope strung at neck level and fell off his horse.

''..........''

　They lose a colleague in a sneaky trap and the remaining four horsemen rush forward.
　They slip through the ropes.

Now!

　I was stabbed through by a wooden stake that jumped out at Crono's signal.
　The mobility and rushing power of the cavalry is a threat, but if you know they're going to push forward in a straight line, there's no opponent that's as easy to take advantage of.
　Hmph, Crono wiped off his cold sweat and returned next to his lieutenant.

''........Don't you have that pride of a nobleman?''
I'd be very proud to fight if it worked. Yeah, I'll keep the body.

　Swallowing down the nausea that was building up, Crono looked around.
　The light was back in his eyes, despite the accusatory gaze.

*

　It was some time after killing the cavalrymen that the enemy's main force appeared.
　It was the Argo Kingdom Army that moved first.
　They must have been alarmed when they saw that the five cavalrymen were trapped.
　The commander wearing a crimson tassel let the infantry move ahead.
　The archers fired arrows over the fence, but the enemy commander advanced the infantry as if to say it was within his expectations, and the white army battle began.
　Swirling, angry shouts, soaring dirt smoke, and the smell of choking blood.

''Push back!'' (BUMO!)

　Oh!　and his men responded to his second-in-command.
　A dwarf spears the infantry attached to the fence, and a minotaur crushes the enemy infantry trying to get through the gap in the fence with a giant hammer.
　
　For now, for now, it's going well.
　Perhaps the rumors of the Coma Forest helped, but the enemy rushed in without bypassing the fence.
　Additionally, the enemy infantry is so densely packed that they don't have arrows and magic cover.

''Bypass the fence!　Attack from behind!

　The enemy commander shouted irritably, but the soldiers of the Argo Kingdom just looked at each other.

''Bypass the fence!''
.....

　Some of them jumped into the forest at will.
　They proceeded to wade through waist-deep bushes and then suddenly disappeared.

''Gii, hiiiiiiiiii!''

　The next moment, a hair-raising scream echoed across the battlefield.
　The bushes shook violently and blood splattered.
　Soon, a human head popped out of the silent forest.

''Hey, there's something out there!''
Run!

　The panicked soldier tried to return, but was dragged into the bushes.
　Once again, the screams rang out.

'The laird!　Calm down!

　You can't contain the panic if the seeds are cracked, Crono said, the corners of his mouth hanging up.
　Panic propagates.
　As the weapon fell from the hands of an Argo Kingdom soldier, and the soldier nearly went backwards.

'Crimson and god of destruction!

　Gosh, d*mn it!　and the flames exploded above the soldiers of the Argo Kingdom.
　The flames were extinguished in an instant, but that was enough to stifle the panicked soldiers.
　The divine power art........the art of manifesting the power of the gods that govern fire, water, earth, wind, darkness and light.
　There are some disadvantages, such as only being able to use the power of the gods you believe in and the possibility of becoming crippled by excessive use, but even if the surgeon doesn't understand the logic... for example, you don't have to be a medical expert to heal a wound... ...The benefits exist.

'Relax, our forces are overwhelmed.

　The commander's orders are overridden by a blank head.

'Push off!'

　Oh, whoa!　And the soldiers of the Argo Kingdom barked in unison.
　Crono clicked his tongue in a small way.
　The enemy commander declared that he wouldn't go along with Crono's little tricks.
　The Argo Kingdom army, which had regained its composure, was strong.
　No, the level of soldiers wasn't high, and they wouldn't become stronger just by regaining their composure.
　This is the opponent's ring...............................We were dragged into a war of attrition.
　The infantry attached to the fence and the sub-human speared it.
　Minotaurs and Lizardmen hammer the infantry who try to get through the fence.
　The process repeats itself.
　Little by little, little by little, fatigue builds up and the number of wounded soldiers here increases.
　We ducked the spears I thrust out and were thrust back.
　The gap between our stance is exploited and the enemy scrapes past the sides of the minotaur and lizardman.
　The beastmen who were waiting for them attacked them, but the beastmen were also one of the wounded soldiers.
　Then, after receiving countless spears, one of the Lizardmen falls down.

''General!''
All right!　Quickly plug the hole!

　The deputy fills the hole in the lizardman, but one soldier from the Argo Kingdom Army is over the fence.
　His target was Crono.

''General!''
......

　Crono tried to draw his sword at his second-in-command's shout, but it was faster than the enemy swung it down.
　The powerful impact shook his brain and made him feel nauseous.
　His skull was quite strong among the bones.
　Unless you use magic or a combination of divine power arts, it's impossible to cut off a single blade from head to groin.
　Even so, the miscellaneous soldier's sword took half of his vision.......Crono's right eye.
　Biting his back teeth, Crono swallowed a scream.
　Even though it was only in name only, if the commander screamed here, he would be pushed aside.

''........Tensukagura!

　With the chanting of the bootstraps, the magic formula imprinted on the unconscious layer of the brain thaws and a jet-black sphere is born above Crono's head.
　Magic is a technology that gives laws and attributes to the power that living beings are born with.......magic power and transforms it into physical phenomena.
　It can be learned by imprinting the magic formula on the unconscious layer of the brain using drugs, but it requires mastery to operate effectively.
　In addition, the power cannot be adjusted at will, and the attributes of the magic that can be learned and the number of times it can be used depends on the individual's talent.
　When Crono swung his right hand down, the jet-black sphere wrapped around the miscellaneous soldiers' heads.

''.........Territory designation, forced transfer!

　In response to Crono's manipulation, the jet-black sphere disappeared with the miscellaneous soldier's head.
　There was no sound, no light, and the jet-black sphere had transferred the miscellaneous soldier's head into another space.
　The heart must still be beating.
　Blood gushed out of the section of his neck like a fountain, staining Crono's face red.
　A pillar of fire rose beyond the forest, and that's when the miscellaneous soldier's corpse tilted.

''Nah!''
"Cardinal Music!

　Crono activated the Heavenly Cardinal Kagura and released a jet black sphere at the enemy commander who had stopped moving.
　The jet-black sphere slipped between Crono's subordinates and the enemy soldiers, wrapping around the commander's right arm.

Area designation, forced transfer!

　The same way he killed the miscellaneous soldiers, he made the designated area disappear.
　Blood gushed out from a section of his right arm and the commander fell off his horse.
　However, his eyes were not on the annihilated arm, but rather on the pillar of fire that was still rising intermittently.
　........After a slight hesitation.

'Crimson and god of destruction!

　The commander burned out a section of his arm to stop the blood.

Roll out!　You must protect your highness!

　That was a start.
　A soldier given a reason to run away is fragile.
　In addition, there was no reason for the soldiers of the Argo Kingdom to risk their lives here.
　In a flash, the Argo Kingdom's army was crushed.



"General, are you okay? (BUMO)
Except my right eye has become useless.

　Crono sat down on the crate and ruffled his hair in frustration.
　He used the pain-relieving herbs to mask the pain, but the impact of losing his right eye was great.

'A lot of them are dead. And a lot of wounded soldiers.''

　Crono gritted his back teeth to hold back the nausea and pain.
　There were more than a hundred dead, and all the rest were wounded.
　He hadn't expected them all to survive, but assumptions and reality were different.
　Over a hundred sub-humans had died under his orders, and he had killed people himself.
　Crono's plan was simple.
　Seven hundred men would hold the enemy back, and the remaining three hundred - elves skilled in magic - would attack the enemy's main camp.
　Crono had won the bet.
　However, he still couldn't let go of the thought that.
　If the pillar of fire had risen earlier, no one might have died.
　If the elves had played their cards right, no one would have died.
　Yes, because the elves were goofballs.
　It wasn't my fault.
　I didn't do anything wrong!
　Somewhere along the line, the assumption was bound to become a defense, and then it was going to become fact.

"Hey, general, the other guys are back.
.....

　Crono looked up at the sound of his second-in-command's voice, and he was lost for words... in his own defense.
　There were three hundred elves, and there were not fifty of them left.
　Their entire bodies were covered in blood and they had many wounds.

''I'm sorry, too.''
Oh.

　As she fell down, the elven woman knelt at Crono's feet.
　She was probably about twenty years old.
　Her eyes were sharp, and she had a smart body line reminiscent of a cat-like predator.
　His short silver hair was disheveled and his brown skin was smeared with blood and mud as a testament to the fierce battle.

''Enemy, the pressure in the main camp is so tremendous I'm sorry.''
...Oh, yeah.

　That's right.
　We sent them out as a death squad from the start.
　Who did?
　It was me.
　I made the plan and sent the girls to their deaths.
　Crono walked over to the brown elf with the gait of a sleepwalker and knelt there.
　I'm the one to blame.
　And yet, what a shameless thing to do.

''I'm ... sorry.''
What?

　Grabbing her bloody hand, Crono muttered in a shaky voice.
　I'm sorry, he repeated, and Crono cried out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

　It was the evening of the next day when Tilia rushed in with a reinforcement force.
　Her figure, with her white and silver armor gleaming as she spearheaded the charge, was truly a goddess of salvation.
　As soon as Tilia dismounted from her horse, she ordered the wounded soldiers to be transported and the position to be built.
　The soldiers on his side began to move in a hurry, where Crono let out a breath of relief.
　Although they had driven off the Argo Kingdom Army, everyone, including Crono, was exhausted.
　If they were bad, they would have been destroyed even if they had been attacked by bandits.

''I guess........''
I see.

　When Crono finished his report, Tilia poked his cheekbones, looking mortified.
　Crono and Tilia are the only ones in the tent.
　I think it's careless, but that's how much he trusts me.

It's a disaster, isn't it?

　Tyria said slowly, as if she was choosing her words.
　Closing his eyes lightly, Crono thought of his dead subordinate.
　He mourned his dead subordinate, angry at the Marquis of Erakis for running away, and hated his own unworthiness.

''Well, you know.''

　Crono returned it shortly, letting the various emotions sink to the back of his mind.

'What do you think about this case?'
I'm guessing it's some sort of succession battle within the Kingdom of Argo.

　Crono replied with a sigh.
　''Your Highness,'' that commander had uttered.
　The king of the Argo Kingdom is old.
　The successor to the throne has already been decided, but there must be many royalty and their cronies who are not convinced.
　So the First Prince of the Argo Kingdom tried to make a track record to silence those who were not convinced.
　In fact, winning a war is a very straightforward achievement.
　Of course, that's if you can win.

'I don't think the Argo Kingdom will be invading for a while. The centripetal force of the poorly warring prince who led 10,000 troops to defeat should certainly decline. If his national power diminishes due to the dragging of his feet, all the better.''
Oh.

　Tyria exhaled admiringly.

'But we have to be prepared.
Yeah.

　Tilia ran her pen over the parchment and added her signature at the end.

'Is that all right?'
Yeah, thanks.

　Crono took the parchment from Tilia and smiled.

'Don't bother getting that stuff.
These things are important.

　Crono cowered his shoulders and said to Tilia, who said with a somewhat mortified expression.
　The parchment states that sub-human wounded soldiers are to be treated indistinguishably from humans.
　It was signed by Tilia, of course.
　It was pathetic, as if the tiger had been trampled, but I wouldn't feel safe if I didn't do this.

'Then I'll go.

　Outside the tent, vaguely Crono looked at the sky.

''........It's already been three years?''

　Crono........Hisamitsu Kurono let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the heavens.
　Three years ago, he was unexpectedly surrounded by a sense of floating and found himself in another world.....................in the middle of a field.
　I happened to help an old nobleman.......Baron Crawford, and since he had no heirs, I was adopted.

'....no cheats, all I have is the status of a lord's son and knowledge that may or may not be useful.

　Aristocracy is a cheat, Crono was grateful for his good fortune.
　If he hadn't met the old baron, he might have been sold into slavery or killed by bandits.
　It was one of the greatest good fortune to be adopted and to learn the language.

Still, I wonder if there's anything I can do.

　Looking up at the sky, Crono muttered softly.