*

　It had been almost a week since they had driven out the Argo Kingdom Army.
　Perhaps it was because Tilia and the Marquis of Erakis were on high alert near the border, but apparently there was no sign of another invasion.
　The only remaining concern was about the treatment of his men, but thanks to the orders Tyria had written for them, they all received the same treatment from the doctors as the humans.
　Since there were too many of us, we were forced to occupy the hospital and the surrounding lodgings, but this couldn't be helped.

'I knew I couldn't see anything.

　Looking up at the hospital's flimsy ceiling, Crono muttered in a gloomy mood.
　According to the doctors, a high-level divine technique could cure him, but since the number of high-level surgeons in the country is limited, it's synonymous with being sentenced to blindness.

''Well.......it's better that I didn't contract an infection.

　The treatment Crono received was limited to painstakingly washing the wound with water and stitching it up, but it was a decent method of treatment compared to that, since it was said that until the early modern era in Europe, boiling oil was poured into the wound to disinfect it and a burnt iron rod was pressed against the wound to stop the blood.
　Crono slipped out of bed and quickly changed into his military uniform, which was black.
　As soon as he slipped out of sickbay, Crono bumped into his second-in-command, Minotaur.......Mino-san.

''Are you visiting me again?'' Bumpy?
I've got nothing else to do.

　Bufu~, the deputy let out a loud snort as if he was dumbfounded.

''..........I'll be there for you.'' (Bummo~)
Yeah, thanks.

　For some reason, the deputy scratched his head in embarrassment.
　He accompanied the deputy down the stairs.
　The hospital is a solid stone building.
　The first floor is a hall with nearly a hundred beds and the second floor is a private room.
　In a separate wing, meals are made, laundry is done, and doctors and apothecaries sleep in it.
　You're thinking about the people of the realm with that thing, Crono tried to revise his assessment of the Marquis of Erakis, but it seems that the city of Hachel has developed not only in this hospital, but also in the city of Hachel, from the first generation to the third generation.
　After the fourth generation, as the generations went down, his reputation also declined, especially the current generation.......the seventh Marquis of Erakis has a bad reputation.
　It seems that he can do whatever he wants, such as buying luxury goods, raising taxes, and stopping donations to the poorhouse.
　It's like the bad part of the feudal system has come to the surface, but even such a man is superior to Crono.
　The noisy voice grows clearer as he descends the stairs.
　The moment Crono stepped into the hall, the conversation stopped with a snap.
　Does he hate me?　And at first I was depressed, but now I've gotten pretty used to it.
　Well, I guess this is the normal attitude towards nobles.
　To put it bluntly, the second-in-command has too much of a crushed attitude towards Crono.

''How are you doing?''
'Hahi!　Hey, I'm not doing well!

　When Crono calls out to her, the dwarf (loli girl) replies with a blatant twitch of her face.

''Well don't hesitate to tell me if you need anything.
Ha, ha!

　As Crono moved to the bed next to him, he heard the Lori Dwarf sigh in relief.
　He went around to talk to his men in the hall, and all is well, all is well.
　The beastly man also curled his tail and looked somewhat frightened.
　Later, when I moved to another wing and approached the doctor, I got the same response.

*

　Hachel is surrounded by a fortress with a diameter of about one kilometer.
　Originally built as a military base, it has a very intricate structure.
　The center of the city is the Marquis of Erakis' mansion, with a hospital, commercial and industrial areas and residential areas surrounding it.
　The busiest area is the commercial and industrial district.......The merchant associations that have branches in the Cepheus Empire have set up shop, and the even narrow streets are lined with stalls that fill up the even narrower streets.

''Do you still want to continue?'' (BMO?)
I need to get to know my men at the inn.

　As I was laddering up the inn where my men were, the second in command said in a disgusted tone of voice.

''Could it be that the general is insensitive?''
No, I know I'm trying to impress my men.
"I know that.

　Bummo~, the second in command slumped his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.

''Well........next to last?''

　The last remaining silver-haired elf Leila.

'You don't like Leila?
I didn't mean to, but I was wondering if you didn't like it.

　Leila is so cool that Crono has trouble reacting to her.
　It's hard to face her, partly due to the fact that he's tried to hold her accountable.
　How about a gift, what do you think?　
　As I looked around, a girl selling flowers caught my eye.
　She was a human girl, probably about ten years old.
　Her hair is brown and her skin is sickly white.
　She's not beautiful, but she has a strange and charming face.
　However, the color of fatigue is darker now.
　Her dress is dirty and unraveled at the sleeves and hem, as if to show her poverty.
　As someone who knows the children of modern Japan, my heart hurts.

'Hey, can you sell me some flowers?
.....

　When Crono called out to her good-naturedly, the girl's face twitched, as did her subordinate's.

''Duh, one copper, sir.
Thank you.

　When I handed her one copper coin in exchange for a bouquet of flowers, the girl looked dumbfounded.
　''Hm?　And Crono turned his back on her, tilting his head.
　After a short walk, they arrived at the inn where Leila was staying.
　Correctly, the first floor was the tavern and diner, and the second floor was the inn.
　I tried to arrange a better room, but Leila didn't seem too keen on the idea, so I ended up here.

"I'll be waiting here.
Yeah, nice to meet you.

　As they entered the tavern-cum-diner, the eyes of the sparse patrons focused on Crono, but they quickly turned their gaze away.
　He doesn't want to have much to do with the nobility.

'Baron, today?'
Visiting. Oh, and landlady.

　He wasn't a baron since he wasn't a governor, but he didn't dare correct himself and Crono poked his elbow into the counter.
　Zuzaah!　I was impressed by the fact that the customers on both sides of the room left at a tremendous rate.
　The landlady was in her thirties.
　She doesn't have any children and her husband died five years ago.
　She must have gone through a lot of trouble to run the restaurant with only one hand, but she had kind eyes that belied this.
　Her body is fleshy and has a mature and s*xy look to it.
　The slender nape of her neck and back hair are high points.

''How do you think my men are doing?''
I don't think you have anything to worry about, since you didn't leave any food out.
Okay.

　Crono took out a gold coin and let the landlady hold it.

'Here, what is this?'
''I want you to feed Leila something nutritious with this. No, of course, I'm not under the impression that the landlady is feeding her something shoddy... but please, please.
Yeah, that's right, yeah.

　The landlady received the gold coins with an air of half joy and half trepidation.
　A soldier's salary is two gold coins a month, so the landlady must have an unexpected income.
　By the way, the exchange ratio of money is about one silver coin for ten copper coins, and one gold coin for twenty silver coins.
　Furthermore, there were brass coins below the copper coins, and the exchange ratio was one copper coin to ten brass coins.
　Climbing the creaking wooden staircase, Crono continued down the dimly lit corridor.
　Leila's room is at the end of the second floor.
　Knocking on the door as a courtesy, Crono opened the door.
　As it was, Crono froze.
　The first thing that jumped into view was brown skin.
　The freshly stitched wound was painful, but the brown skin was shiny enough to make one shudder.
　Layla wipes her body with a wet cloth to avoid the new wound.

''........Crono-sama?''

　Seemingly noticing us, Leila covered her chest with her arms.

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

　Leila bit her lip as Crono swallowed raw spit, and she bit her lip as if in fear.
　Realizing immediately that she was being frightened, Crono ran out of the room.
　He slammed his body against the hallway wall several times.

Geeeeeeeeeeeee!

　He rolled down the stairs.

'Sir Baron!　Are you hurt?
I'm fine. I'm fine.

　Controlling the running matriarch with his hand, Crono stood up, making sure she wasn't hurt.
　He couldn't get a passive strike, but there didn't seem to be any major injuries.
　It seems that the body that has been trained for nearly three years is stronger than Crono thought.

''........ouch.''
Yes, Baron.
Yeah, no worries. I'm sorry, but can you give me a hand?

　The pale landlady trembles and supports Crono's body.

'Because I want to get up there again.'
Yes, sir.

　The landlady was shaking so badly that she didn't know which one was holding her body up.
　Anyway, with the help of the landlady, they reached Leila's room again.
　Crono knocked on the door and waited for Leila's answer.
　When he entered the room, Leila was silently staring at Crono.
　No, is she staring at him?
　Even though it was an accident, it was a natural reaction since she had seen him naked.

''Landlady, would you mind stepping away for a moment?''
Yes, sir.

　Crono handed the landlady a bouquet of flowers and looked at Leila.

'....Leila.
....

　Leila didn't answer.
　Crono walked up to Layla quickly, thrusting both knees into the dirty floor and rubbing his head against it.

　He is on his knees.

'Hey, what are you doing!
It's called getting down on my knees, and it's the highest form of apology in the country where I was born.

　Crono explained matter-of-factly to a flustered Leila.

'I'm sorry for seeing you naked!
"What!

　As Crono rubbed his head against the ground, Leila and the landlady came together and shouted.

'Ya, please stop!'
I won't stop getting down on my knees until you let me!

　Crono resisted Leila's hesitant arm pull and continued to get down on his knees.

'Wow, I get it!　Okay, I forgive you, please stop the dogeza!
....

　Crono stood up silently at Leila's screaming plea.

'A bouquet of flowers, mistress,'
Yes, sir.

　Crono took the bouquet from the landlady and held it out to Leila.

'Ko, what is this?'
It's a bouquet for a visit. It was awkward for me to come empty-handed, so I bought some on the way, but I wondered if something more substantial would have been better?

　Accepting the bouquet, Leila bit her lip as she held back tears.
　For ten or twenty seconds, tears finally spilled out of his golden eyes as he couldn't hold back.

''........wow, like me, a half-elf, why?''
Half-elf?

　If you ask me, I think Leila's ears are shorter than those of other elves.
　I don't need to explain, but half-elves are half-elves and half-humans.
　Half-elves are often discriminated against and persecuted by both humans and elves in fantasy novels.
　The reason for this is that elves are perceived to be pureblooded, or that half-elves are perceived as children born after the elves were humiliated.
　But in the case of the Cepheus Empire, the elves belong to the ruling class, and the elves accept that as a fact of life.
　If you ask them directly, they will probably give you an answer similar to what you would get in a fantasy novel, but in reality, they want an existence lower in rank than they are.
　People in miserable circumstances are relieved by the existence of people who are in more miserable circumstances than them.
　Crono himself has a familiar feeling.

'You didn't know, did you?
Yeah.

　When Crono replied, Leila gave a sad smile.
　Oh, I'm sure he was kind to me because he thought I was an elf.
　How could I be a half-elf anyway?
　It's a smile that conveys such emotions.

'I ... no, I think Leila is a very brave woman. Knowing you're a half-elf doesn't change this feeling, and I'm proud to have a subordinate like you.
.....

　Leila stumbled as if she had been hit with an invisible stick, covered her face and began to cry.

''........Crono-sama.
Leila, I'll come back to visit you.

　Prompted by the landlady, Crono left Leila's room.
　Leila's sobs, which seemed to have been stifled, could be heard through the cheap door, and Crono wanted to turn back at once.

'You mustn't, Baroness.
Okay.

　The landlady took his hand and Crono had no choice but to return to the first floor.
　The gazes of the guests were focused on him, but it was only for a moment.

''Baron-sama, if you don't mind, would you like to have a meal?　What, "Yeah, let's have one.

　Huh?　The landlady's face twitched in a grand manner.

'No, you mustn't make fun of the poor.
I'm not kidding.

　A scene and painful silence dominates the area.

'Yes, sir, I understand!　Look, you guys, the Baroness is going to eat, so get out of there!
'No, they were sitting first, so you can take a corner of the counter.

　Crono took a seat at the end of the counter with the landlady at his side, who was about to kick the other customers out.

'Hi, I'm here for the vegetable salt soup and the bread.
"Mm.

　Without a pause, the simmering vegetable soup and completely hardened bread are placed on the counter.
　Crono takes a sip of the vegetable soup with a wooden spoon.

'How do you like it?'
Hmm, salty.

　Crono dips the hardened bread into the soup and chews on it, which has softened a bit.
　I would have liked some pepper, but spices of any kind are precious.
　He gobbled up the ingredients and

Mwah!
Can I help you?

　Crono wiped his mouth roughly.

'I'm sorry but I've got my deputy waiting outside, could I have some of my men's portion?
'What?　Oh, the day before yesterday, I almost stepped through the floor!　One moment, please.

　The proprietor transfers the soup from the large pot to a smaller one and walks out of the counter.

'I'll take it,'
The Baron?
Hmm, I suppose it makes sense for me to take it.

　Arguably, Crono took the pot from the proprietress and went to his second-in-command, who was waiting outside the restaurant.

'I'm sorry to keep you waiting. We're eating now, so you can eat and wait too.
General! (BUMO!)

　Shoving the pot at his second-in-command, who peeled his eyes away, Crono resumed his meal at the counter.
　All the food was devoured, and Crono was intoxicated with a sense of fullness.

'How much is it, landlady, I wonder how much?'
No, no, no, I can't take money from a baron.
'Well no, status has nothing to do with these things.

　''Lucky!Â'' thought Crono, but he disciplined himself and held out a silver coin.

''Hah, the Baroness is different, isn't he?''
Hmm, I think I'm pretty normal, don't I?

　This is a bit of a lie, Crono thinks.
　Crono's values are shaped by concepts that do not exist in the Cepheus Empire, such as freedom, equality and human rights.
　That's why he often acts outside the norm in this world, and it's not uncommon for him to be called a freak.
　Even if the landlady doesn't tell me that now, Crono knows that much too.

''...Landlady. I'll be back.
Yes, yes, I'll be waiting for you.

　When Crono left the store, the deputy was standing with an empty pot in his hand.

'I'll give it back,'
"I can't let the chief do that much. I'll leave the pot here, captain!

　The deputy opened the door and placed a pot near it.

'Come on, slurp.

*

"The chief is a strange man after all.
'Yeah, the landlady told me that. But, all of a sudden, what's going on?

　I was halfway to the hospital when the lieutenant cut him off.
No, I'm impressed. I thought you were lying to me. Because, you know. You're a pawn, selling out your life for a single gold coin. So I talked to the princess, and after seeing his wounds, I finally decided to believe the chief.
　The deputy said in a sleepy voice and muttered.

'It's not that much to be thanked for... that?'
What's going on?
You know, did you just say a gold coin?
"Yes, so what?

　The soldiers of the Marquis of Erakis territory are not the private army of the Marquis, but the soldiers of the illustrious Cepheus Empire.
　Their salaries are paid by the Empire, and their monthly wages should be two gold coins, whether they are human or sub-human.
　So that means.........

I need to be sure, so follow me.
"Hey.

　Crono ran to the center of the city, the Marquis of Erakis Mansion.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.
　The Marquis of Erakis' mansion consists of a castle and four towers made of natural stone.
　The central castle is a four-storey building, similar to an English country house.
　This is where the department in charge of accounting is located.
　Crono opens the door and pushes forward to the accounting officer.

'Oh, look who's here.'
....

　Crono punched the accounting officer silently as he sat up.
　The papers on the desk crumble and the accountant falls unceremoniously from his chair.

'What, what?'
....

　Furthermore, Crono silently kicked the accountant's pigeon tail and looked down at him silently as he spread vomit all over the place.
　The accounting officer, who had blasted all the contents of his stomach, looked up at Crono with an obviously frightened look on his face.

'..........Let it out.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Can you see my hand?

　Crono indicated a trembling hand to the accountant.

Why can't you see why my hands are shaking?　I'm angry!　I'm so angry that my hands are shaking!　I'm desperate to wring your chicken-skinny neck, and I'm desperate to restrain myself from it!　So let me out!　You traitor!

　Kicking and screaming at the scattered papers, the accountant screamed and pulled a stack of papers from his desk drawer.
　Crono took the bundle of papers offered to him with a shaky hand and poured over the contents.

'So I told you I'm mad at you!

　Crono kicked the accountant in the groin.

'Okay?　I'm going to say it so your bird-head can understand it. Bring out the other ledger!

　Dripping bloody piss, the accountant took a bundle of papers from a locked drawer.

'Wha, I'm on the Marquis' orders.
Embezzlement of public funds is a death sentence.

　Muttering briefly, Crono takes the bundle of paper from the accountant and compares it to the bundle of paper from earlier.
　The bundle of paper is a ledger.....It's called a double ledger.
　Apparently, he really was embezzling public money.

'Take this guy into custody.
"Hey ...........　What the hell is going on?
The bottom line is that the Marquis of Erakis has been cheating on your paychecks.

　The deputy twisted his arm up and the accountant was paragraphing like a sinner awaiting the death penalty.

'If you think it's noisy, what are you doing?'
'Hi, Tilia. Are things better in the Argo Kingdom?
Don't answer a question with a question.

　When Crono asked, Tilia crossed her arms to emphasize her ample breasts.

''The Holy Argo Kingdom is fine. According to multiple sources, the first heir to the throne was seriously injured in the recent incident, and now they're in the middle of a factional battle over the succession to the throne. It's just as Crono expected. So, what about you?
I just got proof of embezzlement.

　Taking the ledger from Crono, Tyria skimmed it briefly.

'Good work, Crono.
I hope you can deal with the reward later, but I hope you deal with it soon.
Yeah, sure.

　Grinning, Tyria laughed and walked out of the room.

*

　Tilia was quick to act.
　It was as if she had been aware of the embezzlement from the very beginning, and with deftness she detained the Marquis of Erakis, his family, his subordinates and his servants for being involved in the embezzlement and sent them to the imperial capital.
　In addition, he's thorough enough to let Tyria's vassals rule by proxy until his replacement is chosen.
　Crono can only hope that the Marquis of Erakis' successor is a decent man.



　The next day.

...phew.

　Looking up at the flimsy hospital ceiling, Crono let out a sigh of gloom.

''Well I have to get up and go check on my men.

　Climbing out of bed, Crono quickly changed into his military uniform.

'Good morning, General.'
Yeah, good morning.

　Leaving sickbay, Crono exchanged greetings with his second-in-command.

''General, do you have something to report to me?''
What's going on?
''Oh, well, I'm afraid that's very hard to say.''

　When Crono asked back, the second in command was unusually stagnant.

''Just now, Leila said she's quitting the army.
Huh?　What do you mean?

　Unsure of the meaning of the words, Crono's voice flipped over.

''Whatever.......I'm not a woman who can make Crono-sama proud, or something. Do you understand what that means?''

　Crono was shocked by his second-in-command's words, as if he had been punched in the head.
　The words he told Leila yesterday were Crono's true intentions.
　If that wasn't his true intentions, there would be nothing in Crono's life that could be called genuine.

'Oh, that?　Um ... well ... anyway, we'll keep them back!
He's got his citizenship now, so I say, "Screw that!

　When Crono let out a scream, his deputy bent his upper body as if he was pressured.

''I'm afraid you might say that, sir,'' he said, ''but I'm restraining you downstairs.
"Gugabe!

　Crono gave a thumbs up and ran to Leila as she rolled down the stairs.
　Surrounded by a large number of sub-humans, Leila stood in the center of the hall.
　Worn clothes and a single bag, that was all Leila had to offer.

''........Leila.
Master Chronosphere.

　When Crono called her name, Leila's eyes widened in surprise.

''How could you suddenly quit the army?''
'Because I was in the military to get citizenship. As long as I get my citizenship, there's no point in being here.

　Leila uttered a string of sounding lines with a Noh mask-like blank expression.

''Then why ... why ... why do you say I'm not a woman to be proud of?''
Who gave it to you?

　He realized he'd heard it from his second-in-command.
　Leila stared at the deputy standing near the stairs.

'I need you to tell me why. Otherwise, I won't be convinced.
Just the way it is. I was born in the slums of the Imperial City. I was born to an elf mother who was a prostitute and a client. I was roughed up many times before joining the army and being stationed here by the Marquis of Erakis. How could I, a filthy half-elf like that, be your pride?

　Leila smiled sadly.
　Too harsh.... even the harshness of it could only be imagined by Crono, who was born and raised in Japan and adopted by a nobleman of this world... but in life, Leila had given up a lot of things... I suppose.
　Leila must have convinced herself every time she was in pain because she was a half-elf, because she was the daughter of a whore, because she had been violated so many times.
　So, this time, Leila was ready to give up again. Before Crono found out about her past and came to an unhappy end.
　Crono couldn't say anything. He had to say something, even though he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to keep Leila around.
　Crono's thoughts were spinning out of control, and Leila slowly walked away.
　And.

Goodbye, Mister Crono.
.....

　Crono reflexively grabbed Leila's wrist.

'Let me go, let me go!'

　Leila shouted, but Crono didn't let go of her hand.

'It was nice of you to say those words. But when I'm with you, I feel miserable. We were born and raised so differently. What do you know about me?　It's just hard to be nice to me without any evidence to back it up!
It's...

　Crono muttered quietly as Layla wound him up one way or the other.

''Huh?''
...the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

　Crono half panicked as he desperately recalled what he had been taught in middle school.

'Um, all humans are born free ... and equal in terms of dignity and rights, was it?'
I've never heard of a Sekaijin Kensengen.

　Leila muttered in confusion, and Crono panicked this time.

'You may not believe this, but I'm from another world.
Are you going to lie to me?
'Not so!　I really do come from another world!　In the original world, there wasn't a nobleman or a commoner or anything like that, and I was raised in a way where I was taught not to discriminate against anyone, or hit them, no matter who they were. So, so.....

　Crono struggled to speak, but at the same time he felt tremendously helpless.
　He was from another world or something too ridiculous.
　If he hadn't been in this situation, he couldn't believe it himself.
　I can't help but feel like I'm being made fun of.

''Why, for my sake ... even spouting such lies.
'Well, you don't have to believe that I'm from another world, but I'm not going to lie about my desire to keep you around. I just want you to believe that much.

　Layla looked at Crono with eyes moist with tears.

'Can I ... stay?'
Stay here.

　Crono nodded quietly.

'I'm a half-elf, the daughter of a whore, and I've been violated many times and yet...'
'But still. It's not your fault that you're a half-elf or that you were born the daughter of a whore, and how can that possibly determine your worth or your life? You were the victim of a violent assault, you were the victim of ... oh, I'm sorry, I can't really explain it.

　Tears run down Leila's cheeks.

''........Crono-sama. Please give me a little, just a little time to collect my feelings. I want to think about it carefully for one night, and then I want to answer Crono-sama's feelings.

　Crono let out a breath of relief at being able to keep his men back, feeling unreasonable at the sight of Leila's flushed cheeks.

*

　That night, in his room at the Marquis of Erakis' mansion Crono was lying on his bed, passing the time idly.

''You'll spend the night thinking about it. I was relieved earlier, but it's not a given that you'll stay in the army. But if Leila has thought about it and come up with an answer, we have to respect it.

　As Crono was muttering to himself, there was a knock on the door.
　Who could it be at this hour?　I opened the door while tilting my head, and Leila was standing with her head down.

''........Ah, that Crono-sama.
What are you doing here at this hour?

　Crono asked, and Leila's shoulders narrowed as if she were frightened of something.

'Could it be that you snuck in?'
Yes.

　A clatter, clatter, clatter of footsteps sounded.
　Unfortunately, Tilia's vassals aren't as inconsiderate as Crono.
　If they found out that Leila, a soldier, had snuck into the Marquis' mansion, they would detain her and at least interrogate her.

''Come in.
Yes!

　Leila entered the room and Crono closed the door behind her.

'You said you'd take the night to think it over,'
Well I've been thinking about it for a while now.

　Leila jumped into Crono's chest as if she'd made up her mind.

'Wow, me too!　I think I love and adore Master Crono too!
What?

　Crono reflexively asked back.
　'What is it?'
　How did that happen?

Are you bothering me at this hour?
No, no, not at all.

　How can I clear up the misunderstanding?　And Crono pulled away from Leila and sat down on the bed.

'Um, Master Crono?'
Oh, yeah, just sit down at random.........

　More sulking!　And Crono looked at Leila sitting on the bed.
　Leila looked at Crono anxiously.
　What a cowardly girl!
　You look like you're about to cry like that, and besides, make your ears droop like a puppy!
　How long had they been sitting on the bed?
　Their shoulders suddenly touched, and Crono moved his gaze.
　There were moist, golden eyes.
　As if fascinated by the golden eyes, Crono couldn't move.

''Um, Crono-sama.......I don't mind being one of your mistresses, please let me stay by your side. My love........is yours alone.
.....

　That was a tome.