*

　The deaths in battle were one hundred cavalry, three hundred infantry, and one hundred archers.......if you include the seriously lightly wounded, they suffered losses equivalent to one battalion.
　Most of these were caused by enemy cavalry, with the battalion commander and second-in-command classes, other than the knights of the Kingsguard, being cut in half in number.
　It's not that it's hopeless in terms of numbers, though, and Crono was walking behind the main camp, accompanied by his second-in-command.
　The field hospital set up behind the main camp - just a tent lined with a combination of dismantled fences and tents - has a smell of blood so dense that you can't smell it any other way, and you want to cover your ears. It was filled with the grunts of soldiers like.
　There is no bed. The soldiers are lying on the ground on cloths laid on the ground.
　Those who have lost their arms, those who have lost their legs, those who have had their bellies cut wide open and are crying out, and those who stare silently into the void while having their bellies ripped open as well...the air in the field hospital is tainted with despair.
　As if to resist such despair, the doctors that Crono brought from the Marquess of Erakis were running around among the patients.

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

　When the doctor, whose hands were stained with blood, looked at Crono, he looked down apologetically.

''I have a minor injury, so no treatment is needed. You.........treat sub-humans, humans, nobles and commoners alike. That's all the orders I, or rather you, have to follow.
I'm sorry!

　With that, the doctor turned his back to Crono to do his job.

'General, is your shoulder all right?' (BUMO)
It creaks when you move it, but it'll be okay.

　It was Mino-san who dislocated her shoulder and set it up with force, but I should swallow my resentment here.

''........and the wound on your temple.''
I'm worried about you going bald.

　When he touched his temples, a flurry of dried blood fell away.
　Crono climbed the hill, checking his feet.

''General, your position is out of line with ours, right? (Bum?)
I got called into a tactical meeting, so I'll be fine.
Are you saying that you've finally been recognized for what you've done in this case? (Bum?)
'The battalion commander and his second-in-command were killed in action, and we couldn't afford to let the fallen ones play.
Well, I'm going to check on everyone for Crono-sama.
Wait, wait!

　Crono turned around and stopped his second-in-command.

'Since you're my second-in-command, Mino, you're going to have to join me in the tactical meeting.
"General, I'm a subhuman, you know? (Bum?)
I'm from another world, okay?

　Crono desperately persuaded the deputy who was trying to return to the camp's position.

''........I understand.'' (Bumo)

　The First Officer nodded wearily.

'I'm going to suggest a night raid at the tactical meeting, do you think that's cool?'
"That's right, we've got all kinds of subhumans here, so if they tell us to do it, we'll do it.

　But," the deputy stagnated while looking down at Crono.

If you do a night raid, you'll be called a coward.
'I don't mind that. All I was worried about was whether or not I could do a night raid.

　If a night raid is possible, it will only be done.

It's not a good idea for me to say that, General. It's a good thing that noblemen are a bit more concerned about their pride and face.
I'm not sure I've ever understood aristocratic pride.

　No, I understand that fighting fair and square is aristocratic, and I understand that we have to risk our lives for the sake of aristocracy, but I just can't understand it in my senses.

''If you're going to gather your wits in order to reduce your sacrifices as much as possible, and then call me unaristocratic or a coward, I'll just have to accept it.
"It's even more refreshing when you say it like that." (Bumobuumo)

　Crono and his second-in-command walked up the hill to the tent where the tactical meeting was being held.

'Why are the sub-humans here for the tactical meeting?'
'Count Piske, he's my second in command. And I'm sure there was no rule against subhumans participating in tactical meetings.

　It was nothing more than sophistry, but Count Piske clucked his tongue and fell silent.
　In the tent, Leonhard, Count Piske, the man who had ranted at Leo's grave, and the two men stood around the desk, with the deputy standing behind them.
　A female knight standing behind Count Piske especially caught my attention.
　Her age is probably not many years after she graduated from military school.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

You know," he said, "that we lost five hundred men in today's battle, including the battalion commander. That includes three battalion commanders and four second-in-command one of the second-in-command who died in the battle was under my command.

　Behind Count Piske, the female knight smiled thinly.
　It would be tempting to laugh since he was promoted thanks to his boss's death in battle, but I wish he would have more sense of place.

''The battalion whose captain and second-in-command were killed in battle will be temporarily reorganized as the custody of the Kingsguard Order, and will be repositioned so that Leonhard-dono's First Kingsguard Order and my Twelfth Kingsguard Order are swapped with each other.
I'll do my best.

　Leonhardt declared, and everyone let out a breath of relief.
　'It's a reasonable decision to change the deployment of the squad,' Crono thinks, too.

''Um, is this the end of the tactical meeting?''
What do you think, Mister Crono?

　As Leonhardt said, everyone's eyes were focused on Crono.

''........I can see that we're going to reorganize and reposition our troops based on the results of today's battle....
Oh, are you doubting Master Leonhardt's abilities?　Leonhardt, son of the Duke of Palatium, is an unparalleled wielder of swords and divine magic. He is even more skilled than your father, Claude the Slaughterer.

　Count Piske's second-in-command praised Leonhardt.
　He might just be making fun of Crono by quoting Leonhardt.

''Lord Crono, would you trust me?''
'I'm not talking about believing or not believing, or any of that emotional stuff,'

　Crono was at a loss as to how to start the conversation.
　I know that Leonhardt has enough success in the war to be trusted, though.
　Well, we'll just have to reopen it.

''........I propose a night raid against the Holy Argo Kingdom Army.
What are you thinking about?
'Yes!　Is there no pride in night raids and other noblemen!
"You coward!

　Crono said, and Count Piske's second-in-command and the two battalion commanders leaned forward and shouted.

'Leading sub-humans makes you low to the head, doesn't it?

　The last one was the battalion commander who hung his arms - the man who had tainted Leo's death - but Crono barely restrained himself.
　Although, he was determined to kill him whenever he had the chance.

''I'm only making a reasonable suggestion. Certainly, Lord Leonhardt would be able to fight evenly with the Crimson Cavalry. However, I believe that the commander should do everything possible to win. At least that's what I learned from my father.
"Hmm, if you ask me, Master Claude, you have a point.

　It was a lie. Crono was even physically drilled into the basics of swordsmanship by his adopted father, but Leonhard, who didn't know that, nodded his head in a divine way.

''No matter what the enemy's schemes are, it's the nobles who will crush them head on!
Don't think that kind of line should be said until you're in the line of fire.

　As he spoke lightly, Count Piske's second in command glared at Crono with an ogre-like appearance.

''What does the son of an upstart know about nobility?''
I don't know.
'Of course. Even though he was given a title, the son of an upstart, no, lowly mercenary, could not possibly understand the pride of a nobleman.

　When Count Piske's second-in-command looked around, everyone except Count Piske and Leonhardt nodded with a follow-up smile.

''Yeah, I don't understand what you call aristocratic pride.

　'So,' said Crono, with a malicious smile.

'Will you let the soldiers dying in the field hospital listen to the speech you just gave them?
What do you mean by that?
That's why they're waiting for a soldier who's lost an arm or a leg to die with his belly ripped off to the gut. Teach them a lesson in nobleman's pride. There are ways to limit the damage and fight, but I'd let my men die for nothing for my noble pride.

　Crono's smile deepened as he realized his cheeks were twitching.

'That doesn't make any sense!
'Yes. To a dying soldier, the pride of a nobleman is not worth a single copper coin.

　Con, Con and Crono tapped the desk with their fingertips.

'In short, I just don't want you to bring up words like aristocratic pride and neglect your duty as a commander.
　'Oh,' said Crono, nodding repeatedly.
'I have a girl under my command, Faye, and you look a lot like her.
What do you call me, a horseshit?
Nothing.

　Ignoring her hysterical ranting, Crono turned his gaze to Count Piske.
　He didn't expect Faye's name to be mentioned here, but Count Piske looked like he had bitten down on a bitter worm.

''Marquis Erakis, do you have a chance of winning?
'Of course. We'll use this to form a squad of night-eyed sub-humans to work together smoothly.

　Count Piske asked, and Crono took out a transparent sphere ... a magic item for communication.

''That's quite a bit of preparation.
'The plan for the night raid-not much of a plan, as you might call it-is to hide in the shadows of the night, close to the enemy's position, and have a detachment of men burning their provisions and fodder while the main body of troops are making a scene.
So they can't continue fighting without military provisions?
You can't fight on an empty stomach. I think that's a truth that doesn't matter for the country, the era, or even the world.

　Crono replied to Count Piske, who sniffed uncomfortably, with a smile on his face.

''Tsk....

　Count Piske clicked his tongue and bit his nails in irritation.
　Crono looked at Count Piske, who must be thinking of self-preservation or something.

''Well it seems that this issue needs to be discussed. Lord Leonhardt, I want everyone other than the Marquis of Erakis and his deputy to be sharp for tomorrow.''

　''Pay up,'' was Count Piske's conclusion.

'Jeez, this is no joke!　Night raids........!
'Cecily, I told you to keep your sharpness in check. Or would you prefer to be a janitor in the stables instead of a deputy?
I'm under orders!

　
　The other battalion commanders didn't seem to be amused either, but they wouldn't do anything like Cecily to defy her.
　Leonhardt, Crono, and his second-in-command Mino-san looked around the remaining tent, and Count Piske sat down in a chair in a thumping manner.

''Marquis Erakis, how is the battle situation from your point of view?''
Mino, how do you like it?
You're going to shake it for me there? (Bum?)

　The deputy opened his eyes as if he was surprised and let out a deep sigh.

''........Will you forgive me for my statement?'' (More?)
''I didn't expect to have to listen to the sub-human's words...well, no matter. This is how much poison has been given to me. A little bit of extra poison will make no difference.

　Count Piske made a look of deep disgust and urged him to speak.

The situation doesn't look good, even from my point of view. It's a good thing that we won today's battle, but we can't replenish our forces, and they can replenish theirs as much as they like. On top of that, their morale is low, so the only thing we can do is to launch a night attack or whatever and quickly attack the city.
I'm with Mino on this one.

　His second-in-command looked at him suspiciously, but Crono threw his chest out.

'Where's Lord Leonhardt?'
If it means we get through this, then I don't mind reshuffling the troops, but we'll have to play it by ear to achieve our goal.

　Crono's eyes widened as he didn't expect Leonhardt to be positive about the night raid.

'What's wrong with you?'
No, I was expecting Lord Leonhardt to say something about pride in his nobility.
'If I were the only one to take the brunt of the fire, I'd continue to be stubborn to the end. There's only a limit to that when the lives of my men are at stake.

　Count Piske looked at Crono with a probing gaze.

''Well as a nobleman I can't fully approve of the night raid. But I can tacitly approve of the action.
So you're saying that I'm supposed to pretend I did it?
Isn't that a little too convenient for you?

　Crono and Leonhardt pointed out, and Count Piske looked down, unable to say anything back.
　'No, let's think about things,' Crono reminded him.

'I understand.'
Lord Crono!
"Oh, Marquis Erakis!

　Leonhard chided, and Count Piske happily called Crono.

''No, it's not gratuitous. I want you to promise your wounded men the best treatment and a reasonable reward if the operation succeeds or fails.''
No, I'm only a nobleman of the court. I can't afford it!
Don't lie to me, Count Piske.

　When Crono turned around, Rio was standing outside the tent.

'Nah, I don't know what you're talking about,'
Oh, you didn't think I'd know that?
All right!　I promise the best treatment and rewards for soldiers participating in night raids!

　When Rio smiled cheerfully, Count Piske let out a screaming voice.

'Then let this Leonhardt be a witness.
Well, I guess I'll have to be a witness, then.
　The two colleagues interrupted him, and Count Piske winced weakly.

*

　After filling in the details, Crono returned to his men with his second in command and Rio in tow.
　After finishing the meal, his men seemed to be taking a break around the campfire.
　Crono's eyes narrowed as he felt that the number of his men were increasing.
　I don't know the number of people in detail, but I have a feeling that the unit has grown by about thirty percent.

''Mino-san, have I ever had so many of my men?''
''The battalion commander and his second-in-command died, and the sub-humans who were there just flowed in.'' (Bumobumo)

　If you ask me, I feel like there are poorly equipped sub-humans.

''If you see the general calling out to his subordinates during his break, they'll usually flow over here.'' (Bumobumo)
'Is this what the army should be like?'

　Crono tilted his head and looked at Rio.

'Can Rio be allowed to leave his own Order too?'
He's in good hands. Oh, don't get me wrong, the Lieutenant works at my house as a butler. He's one of the few people I trust. So I'll be joining the night raid.
''Mino-san, I'll go to the tent to get my things, so call the centurion and select the members who will participate in the night raid. Then hand the armor, the sword, and the mechanic's bow to Rio.

　Crono left them and went to his tent.
　He took a package out of a large wooden box and poked at a corner, and with a bang, the bottom plate of the box came off.
　What was there was a large amount of gold coins and a bottle of wine.

''Well I'm glad it wasn't broken.''
What's not broken?

　I picked up the bottle and turned around to see the landlady standing there with a tray in her hand.

'Ah, the landlady,'
I'm at a loss as to how to react when a nobleman with a lot of money looks at me with a relieved face. But still, did you really need to bring gold coins to the battlefield?
Well, I won't let it get in the way of that.

　Crono picked up one of the gold coins and flicked it with his thumb.

'With the money, we might be able to buy supplies in enemy territory, and if we pay the ransom when our men are taken prisoner, they might release us.
You're capable of thinking so many negative thoughts, but you don't think I'm going to steal them?

　Crono fingered the gold coins.

Are you going to steal it?
If I did, I wouldn't even have a voice in the first place.

　'I see,' said Crono, putting the bottom board back in place and putting his personal belongings in the box.

'So, what are you going to do for dinner?'
What about Mr. Mino?
I just had to brute-force it. If you don't want to be eaten, Master Crono, you'll eat properly.

　Crono poured the bread and soup down his stomach and wiped his mouth roughly.

'I'd like to cook you something a little more elaborate,'
Well, not this much.

　Crono cowered his shoulders and walked out of the tent.
　When he returned to his men, his second-in-command, Rio, Deneb, Ariddead, and Rizad... Taiga, the human tiger (war tiger) who had been promoted to centurion in place of Leo, was waiting for Crono.
　Crono stared at his subordinates lined up in an orderly line at a slight distance, and his chest heaved as he was aware of his legs trembling with fear.

'Mino-san, what's your choice of men?'
I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one. Deneb, Arididid, and Tyga will take care of their own squads, and Lysad, with the help of Onseki, will be in charge of the thirty-four lizardmen who don't pull carts, along with the fifty men who have come in to join the squad. I'll be in charge of the newly added mixed beastman/elf squad.
What's the breakdown of the mixed forces?
"Seventy beastmen and 30 elven archers." (Bumobumo)

　Four hundred and eighty-four................................It's insane to take on a fight with this many people, Crono gave a drawn-out smile.

''Well we're going to launch a night attack now, but before we do,''

　Crono rolled over a nearby barrel, splashing water on it and jumped into the muddy ground.
　He looked up, bathed in mud all over his body.

Excuse me, Mister Crono?
I'm sorry about my head.

　Deneb and Alydead looked at him pityingly.

'Not becoming!　This thing is smearing mud all over your body to make it less noticeable!　Everyone is coated in mud all over!　Those of you with free hands, mow the nearby dead grass and get the string ready!　Time won't wait for you!
Yeah, we're not here to...

　Crono dragged one half of the twins into the mud in a crabby way.

'Hey, hey, chest, don't grab me by the chest!
You have some nice breasts.

　Perhaps realizing Crono's seriousness or not wanting to be dragged into the mud, his subordinates furtively coated their entire bodies with mud and camouflaged them with dead grass, and a scene of dead grass bunnies lined up in an orderly fashion.


I'll hide on the slope and hide in the grass as I go!

*

'There were no reinforcements at the border fort, but there is always an element of uncertainty in warfare. Considering the heavy losses we inflicted on the enemy, I'd say the operation was a success.

　Ignis's mood was depressed as he watched the priesthood officer sipping wine at his side.
　He had lost five hundred archers, five hundred infantry, and one hundred cavalrymen in exchange for inflicting enormous damage on the enemy.
　If those wounded who could not endure the battle were included, the damage would be increased by fifty percent?

'It is expected to arrive tomorrow evening with reinforcements.
....

　At the very least, it would be easy to replenish the soldiers, but as long as they were making peasants into soldiers, they had to be prepared for a significant decrease in tax revenue.
　Ignis left the tent as if he was running away from the priesthood officer who was laying out the optimistic elements.



　I was the bait, and my men, who had approached under cover of the slope, attacked the main enemy position.
　It had worked until halfway through.
　No, he thought, even if it didn't work, there was no way he would lose a hundred men.
　However, when the lid was opened, the hundred heavy cavalry were wiped out.

''Is this the Empire's newly developed magic?''

　Magic that can penetrate sheet metal armor (plate mail)........If such a thing was developed, the nature of warfare would change completely.
　If they couldn't cope with that change, the Holy Argo Kingdom would be destroyed by the Cepheus Empire or made a vassal state.

''No, we should think about that after we win tomorrow's battle.

　Ignis went to his tent.

*

　The Sacred Argo Kingdom Army's camp was set up adjacent to a forest that jutted out into the hills.

''Surprisingly, you won't find it.
''Well if they make you dress like this and find you easily, you won't be able to see it.　And this is not the war I've ever known, crawling up to enemy lines.
It's okay, because in a few hundred years this will be the world standard. We'll probably be on the cutting edge of the world.

　We're less than a hundred meters from the enemy's lines and the soldiers on guard are walking around, but they don't even notice us, whether they're not skilled or their cover is working well.

''So what do we do now?''
Me, Rio, Mino, Rizad, and Taiga rush into enemy territory. Deneb and Arididid will hide in the forest and just keep on shooting at the enemy. Deneb, Arididid, are you in position?
What's in place?
I made it to the woods out back, though?

　Deneb and Arideed's bewildered voices echoed from the communication magic item.

''Deneb, Arididead when I give the signal, shoot the soldiers on guard. After that, we'll shout out and charge into the enemy lines, while Deneb and Arididid's troops will cover the main force from the forest. When fighting the enemy, always use more than one, and if you can use fire magic, set them on fire at will. But do not touch the women and the wounded.
Well, well, that's very sweet of you.
'Because if you try to kill a woman, the enemy might fight back to the death, and the wounded would just be there and burden the enemy with medical treatment and stuff like that.
I take it back, Crono is a demon of sorts.

　Crono said, and Rio gave a twitching smile.
　Down on the ground, Crono moistened his lips with his tongue.

''... now!''
Copy that.

　Deneb and Arideed's voices rang out, and an arrow that flew at high speed pierced the head of the sentry soldier. When I tilted my gaze slightly, I saw that the soldier on guard who was shot through by the arrow was about to fall slowly.

''Go........General!
Let's go! Follow me!　Oooh!

　Crono drew his sword and ran towards the enemy lines.

''Ta, General, you're in too much of a hurry to live! (BUMO!)
"...running.
Running, that is. (Grrrr.)
No, it's beyond comprehension.

　Bummies!　Shh!　Goooooooooooh!　Urrgh!　And the shouts of his men push Crono's back with pressure.
　Finally, a sleepy-eyed soldier emerges from the tent, perhaps recognizing the voice.
　Taiga passed next to Crono, who was running as fast as he could.
　One after another, his men passed him, and in the blink of an eye, Crono dropped out of the lead group.
　It's all you can do not to be overtaken by Rizad's team.
　Just when I was biting into the difference in athletic ability, Taiga swung his great sword down.
　The great sword swung down by the sub-human's physical strength severed the enemy soldier from right shoulder to pigeon tail, and

Flame! (Gulp!)

　The swelling flames tore the soldier's body in two.

''Enemy attack!　

　The head of the enemy soldier, screaming desperately, falls off.
　A blow from Taiga had severed his head.
　However, the enemy soldier's act of risking his life was not in vain.
　The enemy soldiers, sensing something unusual, came out of the tent.
　There, the beasties collapsed into an avalanche of them.
　The enemy soldiers, who wore no armor, were easy prey for the beastmen.
　When Crono arrived, one corner of the enemy camp was filled with corpses.

''General, I've chilled my liver.'' (Bumo~)
Sorry.

　Crono felt somewhat uncomfortable and sheathed his sword.

'Fire, as planned! (BUMO)
"Flame dance!
"Flamebang!

　Following the orders of the deputy, the two elves unleashed their flame magic.
　One was a sorcery that scattered loud sounds and flames, and the other was a sorcery that sent countless flames crashing into the target.

''I need some wind.''
"Whirlwind!

　Crono muttered, and the elven woman - the woman who was talking to Deneb and Arididid - used her magic.
　A whirlwind stoked the flames and sparks of fire rose high in the sky.

'Thank you.'
No.

　Crono stroked her ear and she turned over shyly.

'Well, let's rush through the enemy lines to the forest.

　Crono and the others rushed the enemy lines as one unit.
　As time passed, the enemy soldiers were regaining their composure...and their judgment to the extent of wearing armor, but that was only half of the total.
　The remaining half just stood around in a dumbfounded manner or ran away.

''General, isn't that strange?'' (BUMO)
Do you think he's asking you out?

　The second-in-command is slaughtering about ten enemy soldiers while commanding a mixed unit.
　The Taiga and Rizad troops have killed more than five hundred enemies, but I haven't received any reports of any deaths from my men.
　They deliberately lured Crono and the others to retreat.
　That kind of imagination snatched at my brain, but the enemy's movements are goofy for all the tricks they're playing with.

''Let's give it a try.
What are you doing? (BUMO)
They're trying to get their military provisions.　Protect your military provisions and fodder!
They're trying to get their military provisions.
Hurry!　We're going to have to stick to our defenses!

　Crono shouted behind his second-in-command, and an enemy soldier shouted in response.

'Apparently, they don't have a way to communicate like we do. Deneb, Arideed, the enemy is moving to protect their military provisions and take aim. And make sure you get that message thing in there too.
You don't have to tell me!
I mean, there's so much shielding, it's hard to aim!

　The voices that were Deneb and Alideed's killers echoed.

'The enemy seems confused, but charge forward carefully!
"Yes, that I do.
Copy that.

　Switching their objective from killing and wounding the enemy to retreating, Crono and the others headed for the forest.
　But that's where the beast race.......the difference in athletic ability between the races and the fact that they brought soldiers from another battalion backfired.
　They should have been pushing forward in a single mass, but before they knew it, they were stretched long and long.
　The original subordinates were able to hold out with their full equipment and skill level, but the new subordinates were different.
　It was one lizardman who was the first to drop out.
　He was killed by countless spears that flew out from the side by side, piercing his chest and killing him.
　Apparently, the enemy had switched to a policy of attacking from the shadows and splitting up the main force instead of blocking them head-on.
　This tactic was modest, but very effective.
　One by one, another sub-human who had just become a subordinate fell.
　As he ran past the corpses of his enemies and allies, Crono was tempted to cut his head off for his poor outlook.
　A night raid would reduce the casualties of his men.
　As a result of that decision, he sent his men to their deaths that didn't have to die.

''Deneb, Arideed!　Cover me!
'I've been working my ass off for a while now!
There's too many of them!
'Then what's the withdrawal status!'
"Taiga Squad and Rizadh Squad are on the ground.　'But, but!'
'There are more and more enemies coming in, and the cloakings are preventing me from aiming!

　Shit, I don't need to hear you whine!　'I'm sorry,' Crono spat in his mind, remembering that Rio was there.

'Rio!　Is Rio over there!
"...I'm here.
I can't take over!
'Hey, Crono!　It's hard work here, but how's it going there!

　He commanded Lysad to shout at him, and in an easy-going way, Rio replied.

'Rio is through the enemy lines, Deneb, to meet up with Arididid's squad!　Use your divine power arts to blow away any enemies that might be lurking around!
All right!　It's going to be a little tougher for you to get out of here with me, but I hope you'll survive.
'Unlucky........hi!

　As Crono ducked the spear that flew out from the side on the bridge, the second-in-command swung his poleaxe down and cracked the enemy soldier's head.

''General, don't let your guard down!　Even if the night raid is successful, if the general is dead, we'll lose.
You know, I never let my guard down in the first place!

　Crono ducked the enemy's spear while rolling on the ground in a haphazard manner and swung his sword around bullshitfully while making strange noises.
　The fact that he swung it down without even matching the blade with a fragile blade nearly bludgeoned him to death... his head was deformed and his eyeballs popped out, but Crono continued to run, almost pissing himself.
　Not long after that, Crono realized the meaning of Rio's words.
　The number of enemies popping up from the side increased, and the number of fallen men increased.
　That included subordinates wearing Goldie's special armor.
　Apparently, Rio was doing a great job where Crono wasn't looking.

''General!'' (BUMO!)
I know!　But we have to trust Rio!　Rio is ... pretending to be a b*tc*, but she's the best!
Oh, that's the man! (BUMO!)

　As Crono and his second in command were halfway through their panicked ranting, a sound like the sound of a whistle rang out.
　A green light pierced the tent at a slight distance and a burst of light pierced the tent.
　As if it was a scene from a war movie, the enemy soldiers soared high into the sky with a large amount of dirt and sand.
　The enemy soldier, who had been knocked to the ground with a squishy thud, did not move.
　They were dead, blood dripping from their eyes, nose and ears.

''I don't think there are any b*tc*es, do you?''
'Rio is great!　I love you!
"No, it's fine.

　Rio's support changed the war situation completely.
　After all, Rio blows away the enemy soldiers lurking in the shadows by rooting them out with his divine power technique.

"Over here, that is. (GASP!)

　Taiga shouted to Crono as he cut down the enemy soldiers.
　The forest is just a stone's throw away.
　If you run through with all your might, you can escape to safety in less than ten seconds.

''General!''

　When Crono turned around at his second-in-command's shout, an elf was blocking his way to the enemy soldiers.
　It was the elf that Crono had stroked his ear.
　She looked at Crono and looked away as if giving up.
　It was as if she was convinced that she would never risk her life for an elf.

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

　Crono ran. Not to the forest, but to the elves.
　It would be a foolish thing to do.
　Still, Crono didn't know how to reward his subordinates for believing in him otherwise.

''Heavenly hearse Kagura!''

　The jet-black sphere annihilates the heads of the enemy soldiers.
　But I can't be relieved.
　There are still three enemies.
　Crono thrusts his dagger into the backs of the enemy soldiers.
　The remaining two opened their eyes in surprise, as if they didn't expect him to come to their aid.
　Crono pushed the two enemy soldiers, whose spines were destroyed and dripping piss and piss, at them.
　While the two men reflexively held their comrades in arms, Crono stabbed the enemy soldier in the neck with his long sword.

''Flame-bullet dance!''

　A mass of flames engulfed the surviving enemy soldiers. The enemy soldier, which flared up like a torch, rolled around on the ground and stopped moving after a moment.
　Crono thrust his sword into the neck of the smoking enemy to stop them, and reached out his hand towards the elf.
　Thanks for the help.
　Just as he was about to spit out such a line, Crono was dragged down to the ground by a powerful force.
　The second in command had laid Crono down on the ground to protect him.
　Then Crono saw the sight of flames engulfing the elf.
　Even the screams were burned out and she fell to the ground as she writhed.

'Mino-san, let go!　I can still help you!
"You're not gonna make it!　She's dead, she's dead, she's dead! (BUMO!)

　Oh, and my hand relaxed.
　Why?
　Why am I so weak?
　Isn't it people with special powers that are summoned from other worlds?
　Why can't you use your sword and magic properly?
　Why can't you protect even one girl?

Didn't expect to see you here again.

　A man emerged from the shadows of the tent.
　He was about thirty years of age.
　His face was unfamiliar, but his right sleeve, waving in the hot wind, eloquently told me who he was.
　He was the man who led the Holy Argo Kingdom Army last May.

"General, I'll buy you some time.
No, we can't back down here as noblemen.

　Pushing away the astonished second-in-command, Crono confronted the ship-armed man.

'I don't think that's the word of the man who set up the night raid. My name is Ignis, Ignis Fomalhaut.
I'm Crono... well, it's enough.
It must be.

　Ignis laughed merrily and drew his sword.

'God, bless my sword!

　Ignis's sword is surrounded by crimson light.
　The Blessed Sacred Blade is a divine art that allows the blade to be clothed with the power of a beloved god.
　The blade, blessed by the crimson God of Destruction, easily melts through plate metal armor.

'You're not going to pull it out?　Or are you going to fight with that bottle?
It's the custom back home.

　Crono uncorked the bottle and tossed it to Ignis, who looked at me with interest.

'Child trickery?'

　Ignis slammed the flying bottle through the air in a gentle parabolic motion.
　The change was immediate.
　The liquid that had rained down on Ignis burst into flames.

''Gu, ah ... kuoh, my eyes, what, what did you do!

　Crono picked up his dagger and held his face to body-slam Ignis in agony.

''Gah!''

　Ignis' face twisted in anguish as he thrust the dagger deep into his side.
　If it was an ordinary opponent, he would have lost the will to fight here.
　But Ignis was no ordinary opponent.
　He grabbed Crono by the neck and hoisted him up by a single left arm.

''This, you coward!　Where is the pride of the nobility!
I fed it to the dogs!
.....

　Ignis's strength loosened as he twisted the dagger sticking out of his side.
　Crono took the opportunity to escape from Ignis and shouted as he rolled on the ground.

''Mino-san!''

　Poleaxe at the ready, his second-in-command shouts and runs towards Ignis.

'God!'
Wind! (BUMO!)

　The red barrier unfolds to protect Ignis, but the deputy takes a full swing at the poleaxe.
　The balance is momentary.
　Paul Axe broke through the red barrier and blew Ignis away like a doll.
　The blade of wind that was released to follow him tore Ignis' body to shreds.
　Slammed to the ground, Ignis did not move.

''Mino-san, let's get away!''
"General, what was that thing you just did?

　The deputy asked Crono as he ran.

'Huh?'
"The one in the bottle.
'That's just alcohol. I made it with leftover beer and wine.

　Alcohol?　The second in command nodded his head curiously.

'How many were killed?
...ten people (shoo).
Twenty men, that is.
"Your squad is just the elves from earlier.

　Crono jumped into the forest and immediately checked the damage to his army.
　If only he had kept Rio in the forest from the beginning, if only he had carefully discussed it, if only he had thought about organizing his troops properly, if only he had a little more strength, all he could do was regret his poor outlook and helplessness.

''General, what are you going to do?'' (Bum?)
''Well I guess we could pull out, but there's one more thing I'd like to try.

　Then Crono laughed.



　The awakening was abrupt. Ignis jumped up from the bed and screamed in voiceless agony at the intense pain that tormented his entire body.

'Where am I?'
A field hospital. Last night's attackers set fire to the military's food-gathering cavalry and other installations, but they didn't touch the doctors or the wounded.
The night raid, the enemy!

　Ignis was speechless as he ran outside, overcoming the doctor's restraint.
　The reason was that the tent had been burned more than a third of the way down and the area around the field hospital was full of wounded.

''Yes, General Ignis!''
It's you!

　The man was an old soldier. He was a veteran warrior who had attacked the Cepheus Empire with Ignis last year and returned from the front lines.
　He was kneeling in front of Ignis and crying like a child.

''........Yi, General Ignis, we.......what am I fighting against?''
I don't know if I can just cry about it.

　When Ignis asked for an explanation, he began to sip his nose as he began to talk about the events of last night.
　Last night, since then, the sub-humans had apparently fled into the forest.
　For a while there was nothing to see for a while.
　There was no way they were going to attack us again and again, everyone thought.
　Then the nightmare began abruptly.
　First, a soldier on guard was shot through the leg.
　The man tried to help his comrade who was shot, but he couldn't.
　He was shot through the leg.
　The man crawled haphazardly across the ground and escaped into the shadow of the tent and had to witness the whole thing.
　The soldier, unable to move, was shot through again and again with arrows.
　As if to torture them, they missed the vital point.
　Anyone who ran up to them was shot through without exception and either killed or made the next target.
　Eventually, no one could move.
　I didn't want to abandon them.
　But the enemy's arrows would pierce the shields as well.

"...you left your friends behind.
'I didn't have a choice!　There was a guy in the woods who was trying to kill some guy who was lurking around.

　The man pointed a trembling finger at the corpse.
　Ignis grabbed the cloth that covered the corpse and gasped.
　The corpse was damaged, as if it had been devoured by a ravenous beast.
　There were no internal organs.
　His mouth was stuffed with eyeballs and his chest plate was inscribed with profanity.
　Crazy.
　Perhaps that man the man with the one eye must have ordered it.
　What?
　What's with that guy?
　Does the Holy Argo Kingdom have a personal grudge against a soldier?
　I don't know.
　No, there is no way I can understand that thing.
　There is no way that we can understand it.
　If I understood such a thing, it would be over.
　Ignis could only stand there in a daze.



　Count Piske........Betil Piske was born into a family of knights.
　He has no fiefdoms, and his only claim to fame is that he has served the empire since ancient times.
　When he was young, Betil spent his time training to enliven his family with the power of the sword.
　He believed that he would be rewarded for his efforts.
　The fact that he believed in such a thing for ten years shows how young he was.
　Betil, who had become a Knight of the Kingsguard, was willing to flatter his superiors.
　If there was a faction, he belonged to a faction, and he wasn't afraid to switch to another faction.
　All in order to raise his status as much as possible.
　There was no reason for Betil to be the way he was now.
　He hadn't been betrayed by his best friend or girlfriend, nor had he been abandoned by his superiors.
　He is living a reasonably happy life with his wife, who comes from a decent family, so he thinks to himself that he is living a smooth sailing life.
　If I had to give a strong reason, it would be that I am old enough to understand reality.
　Looking back on it now, I think that the way I treated Faye Murifine was a bit too much.
　It would be hard to say that the way he believed that his efforts would be rewarded if he continued to work hard overlapped with his old self.....................well, it's too late now.

''........Did the Marquis of Erakis do well?''

　In the end, Betil did not change the deployment of his troops.
　The correct reason was that Alfort wanted to keep Leonhardt close, so he couldn't change the deployment.
　It's not hard to understand that feeling, but think about yourself having to fight against those cavalrymen.
　The number of enemy soldiers seems to have decreased compared to yesterday, but since the Marquis of Erakis hasn't returned, I don't know if the night raid was successful.

''Eei!　Cease fire!　Follow me!

　Half out of desperation, he rode his horse, and the two hundred or so cavalrymen followed.
　Quite late, the other horsemen moved.
　Bethyl was about to cry.
　It was only when they charged in a group that a mounted assault (lance charge) would show its true value, but even that could not be expected.
　Even so, if they stopped their horses, they would be shot at.
　Bethyl had no choice but to desperately let his horse run.
　Running up the slope, Bethyl noticed something.
　The enemy soldiers didn't look at Betil.
　When I looked around slightly, I saw a strange group of people standing in front of the enemy soldiers' gaze.
　To put it simply, they were grass monsters.
　
　It was a scene that could only be considered crazy already.
　But.

Oh, the subhumans!
"d*mn you, you demons!　After all that killing, not enough killing!
Oh, my God!

　Arrows pierced the enemy soldiers like a rain of horizontal blows.
　I see, Betil agreed.
　
　They must have been positioned like that to avoid taking revenge on their fellow man.
　But even so, it was an incredibly powerful bow.
　It was powerful enough to shoot an arrow horizontally and penetrate the armor.

''Ni, run!''
Heeeee!
You f*cking animals, what have we done?

　When one of them let go of his weapon, the rest was a total collapse.

'We're going in!　But don't kill the grass bucket!　It's on our side!

　Betil plunged into the fleeing enemy soldiers with relief.



　After the one-sided carnage that couldn't even be called a battle, Bethyl reported the results of the battle to Alfort.

'Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!　Count Piske!
Thank God for happiness.

　Betil knelt down to Alfort and desperately tried to mend his blank expression.
　If it wasn't in front of Alfort, he would be laughing and rolling over, since he had gained a great deal of battle results and the respect of his subordinates just by deciding to conduct a night raid, he would be laughing at him.

''Oh, when I get back to Alfilk, my reward I'll talk to Vizier Alkor so that I can have the territory.
Oh, really?

　Wait, Betil quickly reminded himself.
　Even if Alfort was going to give him a fiefdom, he was only the bastard son of Ramal V now.
　He might become emperor, but there was no way the do-gooder Vizier Alcor would make Alfort emperor so easily.
　Of course, since Alfort said he would give him the territory, he would try as hard as possible, but if he's not good at it, he could be forced into an uncivilized land like the new nobles.
　In the first place, even if the territory was given to him, Betil didn't have any subordinates or servants who would help him to cultivate the land.
　He might be able to earn a huge profit, but he might be impoverished to an unimaginable degree.
　I'm not unhappy with my life now, and I can't afford to take such a gamble, since I'll have to pay for the treatment and even the rewards of those sub-humans who participated in the night raids.
　After desperately trying to think of a way to get a drop that wouldn't cost anyone anything, Bethyl came up with a brilliant idea.

'With all due respect, Alfort. I can't give you any details, but it is only through the efforts of the Marquis of Erakis that we have been able to achieve the results of this battle and therefore the estate should be granted to the Marquis of Erakis.
Okay, okay.

　Betil chuckled inwardly. Because now he had fulfilled one of the promises he had made to the Marquis of Erakis, and Alfort's heart was better.



　Seeing that the enemy had withdrawn, Crono, with some of his men, visited the place where the enemy's camp had been.
　The purpose of the visit was to bury the bodies of his dead men.
　However, it is impossible for one person to dig a grave for all of them, so all Crono could do was close his eyelids and fold his hands.
　Crono stood dumbfounded in front of the graves for thirty-one people.
　Perhaps because of lack of sleep, he couldn't think at all.

''General, are you alright?'' Bumpy?
...I'm fine. More importantly, what about you guys?
"Hey, our march starts tomorrow, so I'll let you rest. Well, you do seem to be a little scared of the general, though.
Well, yeah.

　Crono let out a sigh.
　Last night, Crono had ordered his archers to snipe at the enemy.
　It's a common tactic in movies.
　Not only that, he even mimicked the desecration of the dead.

''I think I might be crazy.

　Crono didn't think he was insane.
　The moment you kill someone, you hesitate.
　But he doesn't feel guilty when he kills someone.
　But the only thing that remains is a sense of leaden fatigue.
　Will I feel guilty if I continue to kill people?
　Will I suddenly feel guilty one day?

''........General?'' (BUMO)
'It's okay. I don't care if people call me a coward, or if they're afraid of me, I'm okay. I'm not afraid to be cruel, no matter how cruel I am. If it saves one of my men from dying, then I'll be fine.

　It's okay, Crono continued to mutter.