*

　Emperor Nohj's dominion is located at the eastern edge of the Dark Forest and the sphere of influence of the Free City States, a land where armed conflict has been repeated many times.
　The Second Order of the Kingsguard, which defends this land, has held off the invasion of the Holy Argo Kingdom, and its leader, Count Ernat, has been given the two names of "Iron Wall" because of his steadfastness as an errand boy.
　However, they must have felt awkward as their fame grew.
　They had to concentrate on defense while possessing the ability to repel the enemy.
　It may have been a feeling shared by the Kingsguard.
　Hence, the morale of the First, Second, and Twelfth Kinsmen Guards is so high that Crono feels that it is in danger.
　However, since he had only been on the battlefield once, the sense itself could be wrong, though.
　Currently, a large frontline base has been built in the territory directly under Nouzi, and 12,500 soldiers called in from all over the country are repeating exercises in preparation for battle.
　The dust cloud that covers the sky, the sound of sword fights, and a sense of urgency that increases every day make you keenly aware of the battlefield, and Crono is suffering from diarrhea, frequent urination, and insomnia.
　Perhaps he is stressed by the long sword and dagger he carries from his waist.

'Let's see, wheat, dried meat ... wine and barley wine (beer) ... herbs ... and that's it.
I've certainly delivered it, sir.

　Crono signed the delivery note and looked up at the mountain of provisions.

General, could I take them to the usual place? (BUMO)
Nice to meet you.
"All right, lads!　Let's just get it over with! (BUMO!)
Okay, okay!

　When the second-in-command gave the order, a minotaur squad led by Horus carried sacks of wheat, crates of dried meat and barrels of liquor to the warehouse.

'Oh, I'm just looking at the numbers,'
"Is it really that hard? Bumpy?

　When Crono showed him the board that served as a clipboard, the deputy rolled up the paper and let out a sigh.
　On the paper, he wrote down the supplies delivered so far, the amount consumed and the inventory.

''The amount consumed per day is not foolish, isn't it?'' (Bumot~)
Two hundred sacks of wheat disappeared in a day and there were people trying to steal military provisions. It would have been bad if I hadn't kept a tight control over my inventory.
"That's what soldiers are for.

　When Crono lamented the low morale, the second-in-command replied in the manner of an old soldier.

'We've finally secured our rations, and I guess we'll march on after the new year.

　According to the explanation I received at the tactical conference, they are planning to head for the road that runs east to west beyond the Coma Forest, and once they reach the road, the 2nd Kingsguard and one battalion will block the road to prevent being attacked by the border forts to the east, while the main unit will head west on the road and capture the city.
　It would take four days on foot to get from the front base to the city of the Holy Argo Kingdom, so they would want to secure seven days' worth of food and fodder.
　Then one soldier would need 130 wagons and 200 wagons including horse fodder.
　Fortunately the Holy Argo Kingdom has many marshes so it is not so difficult to fetch water.
　The wine and barley wine (beer) are for when there is no water to drink, and the medicinal herbs are for when the disease spreads.
　The officials sent by the finance bureau complained about us bringing in supplies just in case or in case, but it was only a small price to pay.

We're the carriers of the food and fodder that marches with the main body of troops, but Rizad and Horus' troops pull the wagons, and Deneb, Aridid and Leo's troops are the guards. Once the positions are set up near the city, the rest of the troops are supposed to carry the military provisions.
Who's transporting the military provisions from the base to the camp? (BUMO)
Yeah, I'll take care of that.

　I turned at the sound of a familiar voice and saw Rio standing there, dressed in rugged sheet metal armor (plate mail).

'It's been a month, hasn't it?'
'I've been dying to see Crono, to see him, and I've almost lost my mind.

　Rio whispered in a s*xy voice and hugged Crono's arms.

'How about now?'
I'm at work and I've changed my perfume.
No, I changed the way I put it on.

　When Crono said with his nose to his ear, Rio's eyes narrowed comfortably.

''But since Rio is the leader of the Ninth Konoe Order, doesn't he have to be on the front lines for the sake of his men?
'Because I wanted to be with Crono I'm just kidding, just kidding, you don't have to look so scared, I'm not that crazy about Crono.

　Rio pulled away from Crono and held up his hands in surrender.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that, although we have fought battles to defend ourselves, we have never fought an offensive battle like this one. There are many examples of this in the history books, but we may have forgotten some of the things we should not forget. That's why I volunteered for logistical support as a precaution.
It's true that a supply corps would be the first to be targeted, and it wouldn't be fashionable to get cut off from supply at enemy lines.

　Crono regretted that he should have studied military matters in the other world, or at least read a fictional war story.
　The only book that came to mind was the northern version of "Sanguozhi", and the movies were full of things that didn't seem to have anything to do with supply, such as Japanese soldiers nearly dying on Guadalcanal Island and snipers shooting at each other.
　Even with such poor knowledge, I understand the importance of supply, so I'm grateful for Rio's offer.

''I'm taking all the steps I can, though.
"You worry too much, chief.
I'm a little worried, I'm going to go check on the guys.

　Leaving Rio and his second in command, Crono left the scene.

*

I've got some other work to do, so I'll just make a quick lunch!

　The nearly fifty women sped up their work as their vigorous voices echoed through the kitchen where nearly twenty pots and pans were laid out.
　These women were in their mid-twenties to early thirties.
　Since they worked as cooks for the battalion, they were very good at cooking.

''Crono-sama, what do you want?''
An inspection...?
So Master Chronosphere is still Master Chronosphere even after you leave the Marquess' estate. Why don't you posture up like a captain?

　When Crono said that, the landlady cowered her shoulders as if she was dumbfounded.
　By the way, the proprietor doesn't wear a maid's uniform with a wide open chest, and her hair is just tied up in a proper way with a string.
　It is said that if you make a woman feel too much on the battlefield, she might be attacked by fools.
　This word indicates the mental state of the soldier on the battlefield and at the same time means that the women, including the female commander, serve as scullery maids.
　At first Crono was surprised, but considering the presence of female soldiers, it's not unnatural.
　If it comes to a situation where they have to retreat, though, I'm going to give them priority and let them go.

'What did you ask for?'
I make them in between jobs, but don't expect much in the way of flavor, okay?

　Crono picked up the stick-shaped object handed to him by the landlady and gnawed on it.
　With a crunch, he chewed the stick-shaped object and chewed on it again and again.

'You made it yourself, what did you have me make?'
Dry bread.

　I guess I should call it stick bread, or hard bread, since it's a substitute for wheat kneaded with a small amount of water and baked into a stick shape.

'I'd really like some canned goods,'

　According to my hazy knowledge, glass bottles were used before canning became popular, but in this world, both iron and glass bottles are precious commodities.
　In order to make canning or bottling practical, at least mass production of iron and glass would have to be achieved.
　In that respect, dry bread seemed like a good compromise, but the dry bread sold in the other world is like cookies, and to make those cookies, you need butter and sugar.
　The result of many compromises is hard bread.
　By the way, all fifty kilos of sugar are turned into candy and Crono manages it.
　It's hard to believe that a piece of candy can't boost morale, but he's going to give it to his men along with the hard bread.
　


What, 15,000?　What are you going to do with all this bland stuff?

　Crono smiled as the landlady made a barefaced noise and smiled at him.
　Feeling threatened, the landlady backed away from Crono as she backed away.

'Good luck, landlady.'
I'd like to do it for you, but I can't do it for you.
I'll pay in a body.
Don't do this to me. You've baked 15,000 loaves of hard bread and you're going to die if you do that.

　The landlady looked deeply uncomfortable with Crono's suggestion.

'Well, I'll make a joke about paying you with your body, but I'll make sure to give you an extra bonus. And for those who helped me.
How much do I owe you?　No post-payment or promotion payments.

　The landlady looked sideways at Crono like a grumbling merchant.

''I can give you ten gold coins I can give you up to two hundred silver coins.
'Not bad. I don't think it would be a beehive of luck if you added a little more, but I'll work it out.
Thank you, ma'am.
It's embarrassing to hear someone say thank you with a straight face.

　The landlady's cheeks flushed and she scratched her head to hide her embarrassment.
　When Crono tried to kiss her, the landlady quickly backed away.

''I'm ... sorry.''
Well, I'm sorry to hear that. There's a scary little knight staring at me right now.

　When I turned around, I saw Rio glaring at Crono and the landlady from behind a tree.

*

　For the reason that there is no other suitable land, the training grounds were established adjacent to the frontline base.
　The fact that the land is a clearing that is just a name for a training ground, just like the Marquis of Erakis' territory, may be a glorification of the imperial army or a tradition.
　In the training grounds, a knight wearing white and silver armor was making a mounted assault (lance charge) on a large sub-human holding a shield.
　
　Catt and blood came to his head, but Crono barely restrained himself.
　Of course, he wouldn't restrain himself if the blown-up lizardmen were his own men, but if they belonged to a different battalion, he would have to restrain himself.
　What do you want to do by targeting your friends, Crono thought as he looked at the training grounds.
　I know that the Kingsguard is leading the operation, and I know that they are the only ones who have cavalry in place, but there's no way this will make them feel camaraderie.

It's not that I'm sulking because Crono doesn't want to deal with me, but I know my position in the military. I know my position in the military.
....

　Clinking his sheet metal armor (plate mail), Rio began to ramble on, even though he hadn't asked for it.

'My man ... over there?'
How do you know?

　Boom, boom, boom, boom, behind the sub-humans and civilian soldiers being blown up, my men seemed to be crouching down and doing something.

'It's a different kind of muscle tone and fur.

　Until now, I had only felt that their bodies had gotten bigger, or that their fur had gotten shinier, or that Leila's tits and buttocks had increased in volume, but compared to the sub-humans in the other battalions, Crono's subordinates are macho and look really healthy.
　They also wear chest armor (breast armor) and chainmail, and underneath that they wear special clothing with cloth pressed into various places to soften the impact.
　The elven archers are provided with leather armor reinforced with metal plates for ease of movement.
　If weapons are also combined, they are comparable to the Kingsguard, or perhaps even surpassed if you include the performance aspects.

''Crono-sama!''

　Deneb and Alideed ran up and hugged Crono.

''We're all out of work because of Crono-sama's absence and we're out of work!
Don't just bother with the military bases and leave us alone!
Oh, I'm sorry.

　They are both a bit teary-eyed.

''Hmmm, who are these two?''
My man, my man.
I thought I was Crono's mistress. Well, I never imagined that you would have three other lovers besides me. No, no, I'm not accusing you of anything.　I was just getting a little giddy with my possessiveness.

　Rio's eyes weren't smiling at all as he smiled lustily.

''Hey, Crono-sama,''

　Deneb and Alideed pulled on Crono's arm and crouched down about ten meters away from Rio.

'That's a guy, right?　You have a dick, right?
How come you never laid a hand on me or the boys?
I've been through a lot, you know?
'You're going to mess with a guy, you've got to have a lot of things going for you!

　'I can only say that there's a lot going on,' Crono looked up to the heavens.

'If you're a guy, there's a time to be a faggot, it's a different world.
Yeah, well, it's a different world.
I have.

　Deneb and Alideed looked down.

I mean, there's no such thing!

　They looked up and plunged into Crono.

'So, what are you doing?'
I've been out of work, I'm learning...!

　When they looked up, the lizardman was blown away by the riding assault again.

''Let's go.'' (Gah!)

　As Leo runs out, one human tiger (war tiger) follows.
　The two men grab the blown-up lizardman's arm and wait backwards with a speed that doesn't seem like it's holding a large sub-human.

''Warlord!'' (Gah!)
"Yes, yes, yes!

　The military doctor who was mixed in with his men - one of the ten doctors Crono had brought from the Marquis of Erakis - slipped in next to the lizardman.

'Well, when you have an injury like this,'

　The military doctor took a cloth from a pouch attached to his waist and pressed it against the Lizardman's wound.

'First, hold the wound. If your arm or leg is injured, tying it up with a string to stop the bleeding will help, but if you are a poor amateur, you may end up necrotic, so try pressure tourniqueting first.

　His men listened intently to the military doctor.

''When you first fought with Crono-sama, you didn't have enough doctors to help you.
So I thought I'd at least learn how to administer it.

　Deneb and Aridid tapped the pouch attached to his waist.
　It probably housed the medical supplies.
　If you look, they all have pouches on.

'Maybe I made them pay for their own medicine?
I just had it made in Goldie's workshop.
No, no, no, it's okay.

　I leave the management of the workshop to Goldie, and if we are short on money, I try to accommodate him as much as possible if he applies. Of course, the reason I give him this much discretion is because he has such a proven track record.

But next time you want to report to me. "But next time, I want you to report to me," he said, "because if you tell me the truth, I'll make the changes that need to be made.
Yes?

　Deneb and Alydead replied appropriately and went back to their studies.

'Are you sure?'
My men covered for my mistakes.

　To say it's not fun would be an understatement, but you're the one to blame.

From now on, I'll have regular opportunities to talk with my staff. I hear that the visit wasn't enough.
Certainly it's important to listen to your subordinates.

　Suddenly, Crono's body stiffened as he was called out.
　Slowly, he turned around and saw Leonhardt standing there, dressed in sheet metal armor.
　He must have been participating in an exercise.
　His curly hair was wet with sweat and his face was stained with dirt.

''Hey, did Leo participate in the bullying too?''
''Well no, I was participating in a mock battle of the First and Second Kinsmen's Guard.

　Not understanding the meaning of the words, Leonhardt looked around and said.

''How was your old home?''
''I could feel that their skill level was more refined than when I was there. Of course, the First Konoe Knights of the Guard, which I'm in charge of, also intend to be as strong as they are, but after all, Count Ernat's presence is significant.

　Crono was impressed by Leonhardt's words.
　He had thought since the ballroom, but he seemed to be the type of person who could honestly admit fault and accept the other person's superiority if he found out he was wrong.

''What's the matter, Crono-dono?''
It's kind of hard to compete with that.
'I'm not the man you think I am. I've been told I'm not good enough for Leela the maidservant, and I'm a man who can't even listen to his subordinate's words without making an effort on a regular basis. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to do with it.

　Leonhardt cowered his shoulders in a frightened manner.
　The gesture has become very good, but Crono did not have the same hostility as when she met him.
　At least Leonhardt is friendly to Crono and seems to be willing to talk to him openly.

''By the way, how is the provisioning of military provisions going?
We have enough supplies for a seven-day march. The question is, will we be able to get water there?
Hmm, we can't rule out the possibility that the military department's intel is wrong. How are you prepared for that?
I've prepared a bottle of wine and a bottle of barley, but it's all gone in a day.

　Leonhardt crossed his arms thoughtfully.

'Then let's say that if the information from the War Office is wrong, I'll send a message and ask the Ninth Order of the Kingsguard to transport drinking water. Can you ask them?
Of course.

　When Leonhardt gave him a look, Rio readily obliged.

'And then I'll notify them to quit any exercises that make friends a target. It's good for morale. If you notice anything else, please let me know. I promise to listen to your opinion whenever possible.

　Leonhardt placed his hand on Crono's shoulder and smiled powerfully.

*

I'm a mercenary, not a lord or a civil servant.
You're a thief. You're a thief.
He's a former bandit!

　Sorting through the stacks of documents, Kane deals with one case after another that he can handle with the authority given to him. Most of them relate to business licenses for slavers, whorehouses and stalls, and it's easy for Kane, who is in charge of the city's security, to make a decision.

''d*mn it, I have to guard the streets and the city as well.
So why don't you just divide up the workload?

　Kane glared at her, and Elena glared back with a challenging look.

'I've got Shiro and Hiilo to guard the city, Leila to take care of the detention group, and Faye to guard the city streets, but I'm not comfortable.

　Since there has been no major trouble, he must be able to do his job reasonably well, but he's not comfortable.
　This is probably partly because of the fact that all Kane has ever had to deal with is his responsibility to his 20 subordinates.
　In addition, the foul-mouthed Elena, who is in charge of accounting, is fed up with her bad mouth.
　I'm impressed that she has the gall to mess with such a foul-mouthed girl.
　According to what Faye has told me, Crono is the son of Slaughterer Crawford and is even involved with Myra, the Silent Killing, so I'm sure he has a lot of pockets.
　Maybe it's because of his wide pockets, Kane felt like it made sense to him.
　Kane didn't trust his subordinates fully.
　That's why he's unsettled and unsettled by the reports he receives.
　On the contrary, Crono trusts his subordinates, so in a short period of time, the Marquis of Erakis territory could be made to look like a territory.

''But I'm still restless, right?

　Kane scratched his hair and continued to sign the papers.

*

　It was half a month ago now that Ignis received a report that there was a disturbing movement in the Cepheus Empire.
　Six generals, including Ignis, and five high priests, not including the hag, were called together to discuss how to deal with the situation.
　Ignis appealed for an army, and two generals agreed, but the three remaining generals and the five high priests decided it was premature.
　The three generals were of the same opinion as the five high priests because of their connection to The Temple.
　Their rationale was that even if they were a small army, as the Cepheus Imperial Army had shown, they could repel the enemy if they made good use of the terrain and set up a camp.
　Of course, that couldn't be true.
　The reason why the Cepheus Imperial Army was able to hold out was because they were sub-humans with abilities that surpassed those of humans, and even if they made good use of the terrain, it would be nearly impossible to push back ten times as many troops.
　But Ignis, the defeated general, was not given a chance to defend himself, and it wasn't until the Imperial army's numbers had grown to 12,000 and the pace of bringing in sustenance provisions had slowed down that the decision to send in the army was finally made.
　As he watched the military fodder being brought in to the city of Markab, Ignis could not contain his gloom.
　He was pleased that the sustenance fodder was being gathered faster than he had expected, but considering the speed at which it was being brought in, he could easily imagine that it was being gathered in a way that was close to forced.
　Perhaps they would continue on the road to the city of Markab.
　'We could bask in the city if we had a guarantee of rations and reinforcements...' said Ignis, shaking his head.

'Can't your men be called up yet?
'I'm running a fast horse, but you should expect my men to arrive in ten days.

　Ignis replied to the Gigi Officer, who was about to call out.
　The Gigi Officer held the position of General, but he did not prefer to be called a General and preferred to be called a Gigi Officer.
　He has not an ounce of loyalty to the kingdom, and he is Ignis's superior.

'Why are you so slow!
I'll have to deal with the three thousand men of the Council of Shinto Religion and a thousand of my men.

　We could have fought with the same number of men if you guys hadn't interfered!　And Ignis swallowed the looming words and told him only the facts.

'What kind of plan does the Divine Lord have in mind?
"Hun, we will meet the Cepheus Army in the foothills halfway between Markab and the border fortress. If we intercept them in conjunction with the guards guarding the border fortress, the Empire will not be a problem for us.

　Not a bad idea, except that we're assuming that the pincer attack will be successful.
　There may be fools in the Cepheus Imperial Army, but rather than expecting the enemy's incompetence, we should give up on intercepting them in the hills and lure them into the canyon beyond.
　Although he may not have seen through our thoughts, the divine officer smiled fearlessly.

''Of course, I'm gathering peasants from the surrounding villages to make up for the lack of troops. They may only be able to gather two thousand or so, but they can be at least a wall.

　An untrained peasant with no training can't be a wall!　Ignis spat in his mind and left the scene.
　Ignis walked through the streets of Markab, trying to think of ways to win, but all he could come up with was what he hoped was his enemy's incompetence.

'No, betting on the competence of your opponent isn't a bad idea,'
Oh, you got a better idea?

　I turned around with my tongue in my mouth and saw that the old lady had been drinking in the bar since midday.

'Old lady, what were you doing not attending a meeting?'
I didn't get the call.

　The old lady muttered forlornly and fueled her barley wine (beer).

'A little bit of a visit to the elven settlement in the Coma Forest.
Are you doing some reconnaissance?
Well, I have been advised to evacuate this area because those men from Cepheus' empire are passing through here.

　The old lady let out a depressed sigh.

''... in vain.''
It's a matter of course. It's just a matter of persistence. The soldiers of the kingdom burned them down and scattered them to pieces.
That's new.
That's because you don't have a twisted sense of morality.

　From the way the old lady talked, it seems that people from the kingdom's army attacked the elven settlement. Perhaps the men were cut down and killed, and the women were either raped and killed, or raped and sold to slavers after being raped.
　The elves of the imperial army are a fearsome foe with their bows and sorcery, but the rest of the elves are not a threat.
　So Ignis ignored his territory ... even when he found out that there were elves living in a corner of it. No, maybe he simply didn't want to be the kind of person who would be despised by the hag.

'So, is the old lady planning to serve?'
You can come with me, but I'm here to help every single one of you.
"Don't help the enemy!
The lives of those outside of their commitment are equally valuable or not equally valuable.

　Ignis felt a chill as the hag said it as a matter of course.

''Is that the doctrine of the 'Goddess of Jet-Blackness and Chaos'?''
That's just the way I look at life.

　He wanted to say something back, but Ignis couldn't say anything.