*

　On the second day of the march, the imperial army crossed the uninhabited elven settlements and reached the East-West Road, much later than planned.
　There were several reasons for this, but the reason that was obvious to everyone was to secure drinking water.............................The water from the pond had to be boiled.
　This would be drinkable, wouldn't it?　The water in the pond was clear to the extent that the water was clear, but practicality and face unusually coincided with the fact that if they got sick to their stomachs or contracted an endemic disease after drinking the raw water, they would lose their strength, and if they lost without a fight, it could be a stain on their lives.
　Other than that ... an invisible level of reasoning was the demoralization caused by Joseph's execution.
　While the First, Second, and Twelfth Knights of the Kingsguard were an elite group, the rest of the battalions were basically a group of predators.
　The noble battalion commander and his entourage maintained a reasonably high morale, but the fact that the soldiers who were forced to come to the Holy Argo Kingdom under orders were subjected to much heavier punishment than they had been in their appointed positions caused their morale to drop.
　The morale was most severely depressed in the battalion to which Joseph belonged.
　It was not surprising that the commander of another battalion had exposed himself to the white blade to protect the elven twins, while his own battalion commander had left his subordinate, Joseph, to die.



　The East-West Road that connected the Sacred Argo Kingdom to the Free City State Group stretched through the wilderness.
　Although it looks like they only stepped on the ground, if they built too many magnificent roads, they could be used by enemy countries, so from the point of view of national defense, it is probably unavoidable.
　Crono looked down at the roadway, saying that blockading the roadway might be a good idea.
　The Holy Argo Kingdom, which is inland, is supposedly dependent on importing salt, so blocking the roadway might reduce the national power.
　Even if there was a vein of rock salt or a salt lake, it should be able to affect the power relations within the Sacred Argo Kingdom.

''Crono-dono, that's all the sustenance and fodder, isn't it?
Yes, that's all there is.

　Count Ernat looked at the thirty-four wagons of sustenance...or rather, the young man with a sullen expression beside him and smiled bitterly.
　He was probably about twenty years old.
　His short, cropped hair was brown, and if he laughed, he would have a suitably charming face, but unfortunately, his lips were currently tied together in a sullen manner.
　The sight of his massive frame, comparable to a large sub-human, wrapped in white and silver sheet metal armor (plate mail) reminded me of a tank.

''Is that your son?''
Yes, he's a fool.

　When Crono asked, Count Ernat nodded with a reluctant look on his face.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a lot of pride.
I'm not the kind of decent son that people envy, you know. I dropped out of military school, and I can't lead my troops without my second-in-command, Mino-san.

　It's embarrassing to be praised, isn't it, Crono said, scratching his chinking, itching neck.
　It seems that even if you have a little bit of pride, it's better than Crono, who was a failure in military school, but it seems that Count Ernat thinks differently.

''........What is important to a commander?''
That's a tough question.

　When I asked somehow, Baron Ernat crossed his arms and snorted thoughtfully.

'Is it difficult?'
The commanders I have found to be competent have little in common. There are those with the military prowess of a demon, those who led their armies with their natural charisma, and those who won the trust of their subordinates with a steady hand, without excelling in anything else.

　Count Ernat clapped Crono on the shoulder with a hand as big as a glove.

The way I see it, Crono is well equipped to command. I hope you will continue to work hard at it.

　Count Ernat smiled dependably and charmingly, and then turned his back to Crono and walked away.

''Count Ernat, good luck to you!
Mister Crono!

　Crono shouted, and Count Ernat raised his thick arms in response.

''General, have you handed over the provisions? (BUMO)
I was hoping to enjoy the afterglow a bit more.

　When Crono looked up, the second in command looked away awkwardly.
　Of course, Crono didn't mean it, and since they'd known each other for a fair amount of time, the deputy should know that.

'I'm going to go look around a bit,'
Bumo.

　The sight of nearly 10,000 soldiers resting on the streets is quite frightening.
　It's comforting when you're with your own men, but the reason for the fear and anxiety of so many soldiers is that you don't feel a sense of unity.
　No, for the vast majority of soldiers, war is something else.
　They are simply dragged out into the field of battle without realizing the cause of the war, having been chosen to fight it without their knowledge.
　In fiction, great men would try to raise the will to fight and argue loudly for the legitimacy of the war, but in this world, media strategies may be difficult to implement.
　As I was thinking about this, I caught sight of Deneb and Alideed.

''With the Marquess of Erakis, we can have three meals a day, and...''
'I've grown a little bit bigger, haven't I?

　Apparently, he was talking to an elf who belonged to another battalion.

'....Deneb, Arididid.
"Master Crono!

　When Crono called out to them, Deneb and Alideed bounced back and forth happily.
　Although, all but Crono's men looked at each other as if they were surprised.

''Uh, what's up?''
I'm taking a break, but we're working hard.
I know that. I'm just worried that you've been harassed since then.
'If you're so worried about it, call me into the tent and we'll be fine!
'Yes, yes!　Our techniques will make Crono-sama ascend to heaven!
It's not an auspicious time for a commander to ascend to heaven.

　The exchange was amusing, and Crono's men let out a laugh.
　The other elves were silent, but they looked at Deneb and Arididid with some envy.

'Well, if you feel threatened, you can roll into your tent.
"Yes!

　Stroking Deneb and Arididid's ears, Crono went to Horus.

'How are you feeling?'
"The East-West Highway is easy to march on, but you can't help but be thirsty, you know." (Bumo, Bumo)

　Horus said, drooling sluggishly as Crono asked him in mid-sentence.

'Horus and Lysad's troops are pulling the wagons, you know. Yeah, I'll tell the landlady to give Horus and Lysad's troops priority for water when we take a break.'
"Please.

　Crono smiled bitterly and went to Rizad.

''........''
Well, how are you doing?
I'm fine.

　Lysad replied, his long, slender tongue darting in and out like a snake.
　How the lizardmen are making their voices heard is what I'm wondering.

"...cold in the morning, can't move.
Oh, Lizardmen are just warm animals.

　If I had a hot warmer, I would be the first to supply it, but unfortunately Crono doesn't know how to make a hot warmer.

''How about heating a stone over a fire and wrapping it in a cloth?
....
If I'm right, that's how people used to keep warm in the cold winters, and if I'm right, that's how they kept themselves warm in the old days.
....

　Kuni and Rizad gave a small nod.

'Well, let's find a suitably sized stone for when we prepare dinner.
Copy that.

　Crono knew he was vulnerable to the cold, but he was negligent in not dealing with it, and Crono went to the doctors he had brought from the Marquis' estate.
　The ten doctors were all ten of them had blue faces.

''You look........pale.
I should have been exercising on a regular basis.
Well, how are your guys doing?

　Crono called out fearfully to the doctor, who looked like he was about to vomit.

''Perhaps it's because they usually take their meals, but Crono-sama's men are in good health themselves.
Don't the other battalions bring their own doctors with them?
One or two, at the most.

　I see, Crono nodded.
　Maybe the negotiations didn't go well and they couldn't take out the doctor.

''Since there's something territorial about that area.......well, it doesn't seem to have a good aftertaste to leave it alone, so I'll talk to Leonhard-dono about it. Then you guys can get on the cart, okay?
Thank you.

　Crono smiled bitterly as he walked around among his subordinates, "What you're doing isn't any different than when you're in the Marquis' territory.



　On the third day of the march, the Imperial Army reached the foothills without a single dropout.
　The scouts reported that the hilly terrain was a bottleneck between small mountains, and the Imperial Army was to take up positions in the hills to intercept the Holy Argo Kingdom Army.
　The gently undulating hillside... Crono has no idea what kind of intentions they had chosen, but Alfort and the 1st Kingsguard Knights were at the top of a small hill, with three battalions in the middle, and the 12th Knights and four battalions at the bottom lined up along the slope.
　All of them are arranged with the infantry in the center and the archers on either side, while the cavalry, the key to the attack, waits behind the infantry.
　Crono's squad is guarding the military provisions behind Alfort and Leonhardt's main camp.......Leonhardt said something like as a reserve force, but as Crono, he would like to keep his position as a reserve force to the end.

''.........''
"General, what about us? (BUMO)
We have to protect our military provisions and will stay behind Master Alfort and Lord Leonhardt. And of course, the doctor and the ladies.

　Crono replied to his deputy as he used his knife to scrape the tip of the wood.
　Of course, the deputy, and his subordinate who had his hands free, was grinding a log about three meters long a bit of a fine wooden stick.
''Are you going to build another fence?'' (Bum?)

I don't want to go up against a cavalryman in the flesh. I'd really like to make a pit or something.
"I've been thinking about it before, but don't you plan to fight the general head on? (BUMO)
No.

　Crono replied immediately as he chipped away at the wood.

'Don't get me wrong, just because I've seriously thought this through and it's tied to the idea of building a fence or digging a pit, doesn't mean I don't have the will to fight.

　

''You were like that when you were studying at the military school, too? (BUMO)
Yeah, that's what it was like.
....

　When Crono replied, Buchou~, the second in command let out a snort.
　Perhaps he was dumbfounded.

''Most of the instructors hated me, but strangely enough, there was one instructor that I was able to talk to. That guy was a knight and got injured and retired from the line, but he told me all kinds of stories about his struggles on the battlefield.

　It seems that she was treated coldly, so it might be a good idea to invite her to be a teacher, Crono added in his mind.

The reason why Cronos-sama has fallen short is starting to become clear to me.
Is Lady Chronosphere a dropout?
Seriously?

　The second-in-command muttered with a sigh, and Deneb and Alideed leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.

'Yes,'
"...and...

　Deneb and Aridid looked at each other awkwardly, as if they didn't expect to be affirmed.

''No, look, if Crono-sama hadn't fallen out with us, we wouldn't have met him.
Yes, if it weren't for Lord Crono, those in the Holy Argo Kingdom would have killed us.

　'Like I'm grateful for the fallout,' Deneb and Aridid smiled at Crono to cheer him up.

'It makes me feel a little better when you say that,'

　Crono arched his back and kept chipping away at the wood.

*

General Ignis!　With this, we will not lose to the invaders of the Cepheus Empire!
....

　The Shingi Officer stretched out his chest as if confident of victory and looked down from his horse at the soldiers.......seven hundred archers in the front row, five thousand infantry in the middle, and one thousand one hundred cavalry in the back, six thousand eight hundred in total.......
　Looking at the numbers alone, it seemed like a reasonable battle could be fought, but considering that more than fifty percent of the infantry were peasants gathered from neighboring villages, he couldn't stop his gloomy mood from increasing at an accelerating rate.
　It took them three days to reach the hilly terrain where the enemy would have taken two days if they were regular soldiers.
　That alone should tell you how low their morale is, but it seems that the priesthood officer's eyes are knotty.

''If that's the case, then coordination with the border fortress is the key to success?
He's already sent one. What? I've known the captain of the border guard for a long time. I'm sure he'll be able to make his move on us.

　I should think that I can't expect reinforcements, Ignis thought as he looked at the priesthood officer.
　According to the scouts' reports, the Cepheus Imperial Army was completely unprepared for an assault from the rear.
　In addition, if the Second Order of the Kingsguard, which had repelled the Holy Argo Kingdom Army on numerous occasions, was absent, one should assume that the East-West Road was already blocked.
　
　Things won't get better by asking for what you don't have.
　I have to think about what I can do with what I have and what I can do with the authority I have now, Ignis said, holding a section of his right arm.



　
　Slowly but surely, the Holy Argo Kingdom Army was approaching.
　At first, the shadows only seemed to be moving, but after a while, he realized that the shadows were being shaped by thousands of soldiers.
　I could hear the sound of enemy soldiers stomping on the ground and breathing heavily.
　Of course, it was an auditory hallucination. Crono's ears aren't as capable as elves and beastmen's, so there was no way he could hear footsteps and breathing.
　I know this in theory, but Crono's knees were trembling pathetically, and if he relaxed even a little bit, he was going to defecate in a grand manner.

''Crono-dono, are you trembling in a warrior's quiver?''
"General, at least spare me the urge to defecate.

　

''I heard that........Crono-dono wasn't in his first battle, but, well, did you divulge it during your first battle?''
"I don't think I shat my pants at the time, but no one really knows the truth.
....

　When the deputy said with a sigh, Leonhardt shushed him.

''Count Piske tends to be overly cautious, but you needn't worry too much.

　Leonhardt tapped Crono on the shoulder as if to encourage him and returned to the main camp.

''Well from Mino-san's point of view, how do you think this fight will go?''
The theory is to stare at each other for a while and then exchange arrows with each other. When the cavalry fired a moderate amount of arrows, the one who loses is the one who breaks the formation by attacking.

　I see, Crono looked at the two armies glaring at each other.
　The Sacred Argo Kingdom Army is a large square and this one is a stack of small squares that form a triangle.

''It's beginning.'' (Bumo)

　The exchange of arrows began as if the second-in-command's dialogue had been the catalyst, but the superiority and inferiority soon became apparent.
　The Cepheus Imperial Army had overwhelmed the Holy Argo Kingdom Army.
　This was not due to a difference in the skills of the archers, but simply a matter of numbers.
　If one battalion has three hundred archers, the front row alone has one thousand two hundred, and if the middle row is included, two thousand two hundred, while the Holy Argo Kingdom's army has less than one thousand.

''Mino-san, do you have a magic item for communication?
"Well, that's like a sign of approval from Chrono-sama, so I and the centurion are bringing it with us.

　While Crono was talking to his second-in-command, the archers of the Holy Argo Kingdom had dwindled in number, and a rain of arrows fell on the infantry that were standing behind them.
　The enemy infantry had their wooden shields at the ready, but there was no way they could prevent everything with them.
　Each time arrows rained down, the number of enemy infantrymen gradually decreased.

''At this rate, we may not have a chance.
Well I hope so.

　Crono's mood doesn't feel better, even though he should be overwhelmed by the enemy.

''What's wrong?''
It's divine art.

　Crono replied to his second-in-command, remembering last year's battle.

'If we're fighting in a place like this one, we might be able to overturn the battle.
"We have a Master Leonhardt over here, too, who is a master of divine magic. (Bum?)
Well, yeah.

　If only I could believe that we could win because of Lord Leonhardt, Crono thought.
　Just as Crono held his lower abdomen, the horsemen of the Holy Argo Kingdom moved.
　As one cavalryman ran down the slope, nearly a thousand cavalrymen also followed.
　The archers quickly switched targets and rained down arrows, but the arrows were too dense.
　If the machine gun bows had been deployed throughout the army, or if they had coordinated well, they might have been able to hold off the cavalry's rush.
　A crimson light enveloped the assaulting spears (lances) held by the cavalrymen in the front line.
　No, not only the assaulting lance, but the entire body was wrapped in crimson light.
　
　The crimson cavalryman plunged head-on into the infantry holding their spears.
　For a moment, for a moment, Crono expected the cavalry to be skewered, but the crimson cavalry rushed through as if the infantry didn't exist and attacked the cavalry of the Cepheus Imperial Army that was waiting behind the infantry.
　The crimson cavalrymen threw down their assault spears and wielded their swords with only their left arms.
　

''........General, what's that?'' (Bum?)
Last year's commander?

　Although they had nothing in common except for the ship's arm, both Crono and his second-in-command were convinced that the crimson cavalryman was their causal enemy.

''General!''
.....

　When I moved my gaze in response to my second-in-command's shout, I saw that the enemy's cavalry was about to rush into the gap created by the crimson cavalry.
　The infantry of the Cepheus Imperial Army, which hadn't broken free from the chaos, was helplessly overrun, and then the second wave of the enemy followed suit.
　Once a soldier is totally destroyed, it is fragile.
　Although they could crush the cavalry if they wanted to, they are unable to do so and allow it to be overrun.

''Lord Crono!　Take care of the rest!
What?

　When Crono turned around, Leonhard rode his beloved horse down the slope.

'What do you want me to do, take care of the rest?'
"I don't know if I can help it.

　Nevertheless, the enemy must have known that Leonhardt, who was wearing light and rushing down, was a user of the Divine Majesty Technique.
　The crimson horsemen.......and incidentally, the other horsemen.......have begun to retreat faster than Leonhardt can rush in.
　It was the cavalry of the Cepheus Imperial Army who had been beaten one-sidedly by the crimson cavalry here that had regained their motivation.
　They scrambled through the infantry and pursued the enemy.
　Surprisingly, Count Piske seemed to be holding his men back.
　Well, if it was as Leonhardt's character review, Count Piske must have stepped on the high risk of chasing the enemy.
　Whether it was by reason, experience or character, I don't know, but Count Piske's decision was correct.
　The enemy cavalry's movements were slow and our cavalry's movements were mixed.
　In addition, our cavalry was galloping up the slope and lined up in a straight line to redeem their honor and vindicate themselves.
　The enemy cavalry flipped their horses' necks around and attacked as a mass.
　They also attacked while meandering in a zig-zag fashion.

''Master Crono!''

　The voice of Deneb or Alideed came from the magic item for communication.
　What's up?　There was no need to ask again.
　Because the enemy ... less than fifty in number, but the enemy cavalry was closing in on the main camp.
　Perhaps they were running their horses while hiding in the hills.

''We've been hit!''

　Crono clicked his tongue as he ran out.
　The enemy had been aiming for this.
　I don't know if the enemy knew of Leonhardt's existence, but the battalion commander class here was separated from the battalion by a false retreat and was unable to give orders to his men.
　As soon as Crono joined his subordinates, the First Kingsguard and the enemy cavalry clashed with each other.
　The enemy cavalry rushed in with the least defensive archers.
　The infantry took cover, but the enemy cavalry showed deadly resistance.
　It wasn't until the situation moved again that Crono realized his intentions.

''Well, the enemy is here again!
.....

　Deneb and Alideed screamed.
　It was the same for Crono who wanted to scream.
　

''Mino-san, Horus and Rizad, protect your sustenance and women!　Leo, follow me with a stake!　Deneb and Alideed, cover me!

　Crono carried the extra log and moved to the front of the enemy cavalry along with a hundred beastmen.
　Even though it's a log, with the tip shaved off, it should be able to be used as a spear.
　Crono placed the log on the ground with a twitch in his cheeks, thinking that he might really pee his pants.

'Yo, side by side!　When I give the signal, raise the log!　I'm fine!　A cavalryman is so weak he could take down a man with a single rope!

　Crono didn't believe his own words as he shouted.
　Thud thud!　And a warhorse like a mass of muscle was approaching, shaking the ground.
　What a bloody foolish thing to do!
　I think so, but running away is not the earliest option.
　Crono and the Hundred Beastmen lined up side by side.

Now!
.....

　All at once, they pointed their logs at the enemy cavalry.
　A horrifying wind noise passed by his ears.
　The enemy cavalrymen's assault spears snatched their temples.
　Immediately after, the impact hit Crono.
　A log had pierced the horse's neck and pierced the enemy cavalryman's throat.
　He looked around in a hurry and saw that the enemy cavalryman had been pierced by a wooden stake held by the beastman.
　The enemy cavalry, who had survived the unexpected accident, ran down the slope with their necks around the horse.

'That was a hell of a shock, Leo,'

　Turning around, Crono gasped.
　Leo was looking up at the heavens in a big way.
　He was blown away by the impact, Crono told himself.

'.........Leo.

　I got up quickly and tried to convince myself that Leo would answer me.
　But he also understood that he couldn't.
　Leo's head was half empty.
　Maybe Leo had taken a decent hit from the assault spear that snatched Crono's temple.
　It felt like something had fallen out of the air with a stomp.
　Crono held the butt of his trousers as he finally defecated, but he couldn't feel the excrement.

'Deneb, Alideed don't let the enemy get away!
Copy that.

　An enemy cavalryman running down the slope a fully armed knight was stabbed right through the side.
　Not a rain of arrows, but a barrage.
　Some were pierced by arrows along with their horses, some were killed on horseback, some were thrown from their horses.
　Alone, Crono ran down the slope and pounced on the horsemen who were lucky enough to survive.
　I'm not sure if I should call him a cavalryman, though, since he was shaken off his horse.
　Crono ducked under the sword swung by the enemy cavalryman in a forward passive manner and swung his steel sword down as he turned around.
　With a pop, the enemy cavalryman's arm flew off as a joke, and Crono released a thrust without thinking twice.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on.
　As they rolled down the slope to tangle with each other, the enemy horsemen's elbows struck Crono in the temples.
　Crono removed his hand from his sword and struck the enemy cavalryman with a nearby stone.
　The helmet distorts greatly, but the enemy horsemen's resistance does not weaken.
　Then, Crono struck the enemy horsemen again and again with the stone until they stopped moving.
　When the enemy cavalry finally stopped moving, Crono threw away the blood-stained stone.



　Once the sun goes down, the battle is over.
　Night warfare was an unwritten rule halfway through the day because of the great danger it posed to those who couldn't see at night.
　The Cepheus Imperial Army would have the advantage if they fought at night, Mino thought as he stared at Leo's grave.

''General, the night will be cold.'' (Bumo)
I just want to stay here for a little while.

　Like Mino, Crono said as he stared at Leo's grave.

'Well, we'll keep you warm then.
I can comfort you.
Thank you. But I'm not in the mood.

　Crono smiled weakly as Deneb and Alideed hugged him from both sides.
　I didn't mean to say that it was inappropriate, I didn't mean to say that it was inappropriate.
　Not an enemy, I guess.
　If he had been in Crono's position, he would have cursed Deneb and Alideed.
　And yet, he couldn't afford to spare his subordinates........................and he cares about subhumans too.


Huh!

　Gillian!　And then there was the sound of something creaking.
　When Mino turned around, a man was standing there.
　Judging from the fact that he was hanging his arms from a cloth, it was probably the battalion commander or his second-in-command who had lost a lot of soldiers in today's battle.

''If you have time to bury sub-humans.......!

　The man couldn't speak until the end.
　It was because Crono had silently attacked the man.

''General!'' (BUMO!)

　Just before his fist caught the man's jaw, Mino was barely able to assemble Crono.

'Ha, let go, Mino!
"General! Enough! (BUMO!)

　How much power was hidden in his tiny body, Crono was trying to push Mino away with a force that made his bones creak.

'That guy.................has disgraced Leo's life, my pride!　I'll kill you, I'll kill you!

　Gokin!　And the sound came from Crono's shoulder.
　The shoulder had dislocated under the force of Mino and Crono.
　It should hurt, and in some cases, the pain should be more than a broken bone.
　And yet Crono kept scrambling.
　

'General, endure it!　Leo wouldn't want that! Buh-buh-buh!

　Mino's shout made the strength drain from Crono's body.

''........Leo was my man.
I understand. If the Cronos fought a duel right now, what would we do?

　Gillian!　And Crono gritted his teeth again.

''Well f*ck off, I'll kill you next time.

　Finally realizing Crono's seriousness, the man ran away from the scene at a trot.

'Mino-san, it's all right now.'

　When Mino let go of his hand, Crono scratched his head on the spot.
　Crono stroked the wound in his right eye.

'My dad said that a commander has to laugh when times are tough.
"...that's a lot of work for an old man.
Yeah, that's a good one.

　I can't cry now, Crono muttered to himself, as if to remind himself that he couldn't cry.