*

　Arthur Wiseman was a teacher's aide at a military school.
　His role was not to assist teachers, but to take care of failed students at the military school.
　He taught supplementary classes, attended training in swordsmanship and horsemanship, consulted with them, and occasionally told them stories of heroism from the past.
　I spent twenty-five years like that, and before I knew it, I was fifty-five years old.
　Of course, he's proud of his work and has a certain amount of pride in his skills and accomplishments as a teacher, but the looks he gets from those around him are cold.
　Perhaps this is due to the fact that Arthur is from a lower class nobleman and was transferred to his current workplace due to an injury.
　He chuckled, wondering if the change in the meaning and value of the knighthood was one of the reasons.
　Even though Arthur could boast that he was a knight, to the students and graduates of the military school, a knighthood was only worth as much as a commemoration of having attended the military school.
　Arthur crossed the grounds of the military school with his staff and let out a loud sigh at the gate.
　When he turned around, the military academy building rose up to look down on Arthur.
　The military school was a renovated old fortress built when there were only four city blocks in the imperial capital of Alfirk, and it bordered the Third, Ninth, and Tenth Avenues.
　Arthur Wiseman was an assistant teacher at a military school.
　Yes, past tense.
　When he finished his day's work, he was called into the principal's office and told to fire him.
　The principal said a lot of things, but the bottom line is that other people didn't think highly of Arthur.
　Now, what to do?　And Arthur placed his haphazardly bulging bag on the ground.
　I wish I had a nobleman who could hire me as a tutor, but I don't have those connections.
　There's nothing ahead of me to open a private school.
　Suddenly, my vision shades.
　When I looked up in wonderment, I saw the owner of a physique comparable to a Lizardman or a Minotaur standing in front of Arthur.

''.........Taul!''
Arthur, it's been a long time.

　Count Taul Hernat gave a wild smile.

''All I know is that you're in Nauji's direct domain.
I've got some business to attend to in Alfiruk. So I thought I'd stop by your office while I'm at it.

　'Oh,' said Arthur, hanging his head helplessly.

'I'm not at work anymore. I just got laid off.'
''Well you can't see that I would fire a teacher like you.

　Let's walk a bit," Taul said, casually carrying his bag and walking slowly to match Arthur's crippled gait.
　So much has changed, Arthur thought as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Taul.
　Arthur and Taul's association goes back thirty years ago............................to the time of the Imperial upheaval.
　In those days, Taul was a man who would lash out at his allies when he was angry.
　The turning point for him was an encounter with the mercenary Claude Crawford.
　In one battle, the battalion to which Arthur and Taul belonged was saved by a group of mercenaries led by Claude Crawford.
　However, at that time, the blessing of the Six Pillar God had been lost, and all I could think was that an army of demons had rushed in.
　The Claude Crawford of those days was so inhuman that he could harbor such ridiculous delusions.
　In spite of the fact that he was a devilish man, Claude Crawford was surrounded by people who adored him.
　There was no one beside Taul.
　While he used his massive frame and monstrous power to save his friends from their plight many times, Taur was alone because of his roughness.
　I don't know what Taul thought about it.
　However, it was certain that the encounter with Claude Crawford had an effect on Taul.
　After that day, Taul stopped being violent to his allies.
　After a series of countless failures and small changes that made him cringe to watch, by the time five years had passed, Taul was no longer alone.
　The loss of this leg had not been in vain, Arthur still believed.

'Yo!　Elnat, Wiseman!

　Suddenly, he called out to me and when I turned around, I saw a big man - Claude Crawford - standing near the dining room.

'Why don't you come over here and have a cup of tea with me?　I got kicked out of the mansion for being in the way of packing, and I had nothing to do.
...Arthur?
I'm in no hurry.

　Once in the dining room, Claude sat down with a thud in the back of the room.
　Arthur sat down next to Taul, but Taul drove him away and his body stuck out of the table halfway.
　It would have been a similar situation if he had sat next to Claude, though.

'You're making a sour face, Dr. Weissman,'
"Does Lord Claude know Arthur?
That's because he's my son's teacher.
Mr. Crono...

　In twenty-five years of teaching, Arthur had never seen him fall as far as Crono had.
　He couldn't help but feel unhappy for the seriousness of his own personality.

''As for Mister Crono, I'm sure he had excellent grades.
...it's
"Ha-ha, that's my son.　Of course you've fallen down in the history of the military school, of course.

　I'm glad you're laughing at me.

I'm a failure at school, but I'm doing very well in the military, and I've got two estates. And you have a mistress, and I can't wait to see my grandson's face.

　Within a year of graduating from military school, he was promoted to battalion commander and given two fiefdoms.
　It's nice to see one of my students rise through the ranks, but at the same time, Arthur felt as if his inexperience as a teacher was being pointed out to him.

I have more to worry about myself than I do about my son. In April, the barbarians are coming down from the mountains and we have to meet the new battalion chief. I'll just hand over the governorship to my son and retire.

　The empire dispatches troops to various locations to shoulder the costs that each lord has to bear in order to maintain security.
　This is to prevent the lords from having their own military force, and to quickly put down any rebellion they try to start, or when they do, but naturally, the lords are dissatisfied with the situation as if they have a dagger at their throats.
　In order to alleviate that dissatisfaction as much as possible, a close relative of the lord would be dispatched as a battalion commander.
　However, that's only for the old nobles, and since the new nobles who have risen in one generation have few close relatives in the military, a soldier with no ties to them is sent as a battalion commander.
　The Empire is that much more wary of the new nobles.
　It fears the new nobility that led the imperial brotherhood to victory in the uprising thirty years ago, drove the barbarians into the Areos Mountains, and turned the southern frontier into a granary in just twenty years.
　
　Suddenly, he realizes that the headmaster may have been afraid as well.
　Crono may have been sharpening his fangs while playing the role of an incompetent.
　He may have been looking at the opportunity with an eagle eye.
　Knowing this, Arthur must have kept quiet.

That's what I'm talking about, Master Claude.
I know that the new battalion chief is your son.

　When Taul cut him off apologetically, Claude bared his teeth and laughed.

'My son Gaul he's like the eagle he was when he was younger, a fool.

　Taul said with a sigh, but his son, Gaul, was an excellent student.
　At least in Arthur's memory.

'I try to tell the vigilantes not to get into trouble, but if they go too far, even I can't keep them down.
'No, I'd like to believe I'm not that stupid.

　Remembering his younger self, Taul seemed unsure.

I don't think we can keep doing this for long. My family, and most of the others, their grandson has been out of military school for years. If your son makes a mistake, he's liable to make a scene.

　
　However, there is a limit to how far the Crawford family can hold back the other seven families.
　Originally, the eight families are distrustful of the Empire to the extent that they organize vigilantes.

''d*mn, I miss the days of the mercenaries when you could solve everything with a single sword.

　Claude spat and drank the incense tea in one go.

''Yeah, I need to retire.''

　There are those who want to retire but can't, while others, like himself, are forced out of office.
　Staring at his cup, Arthur let out a sigh.

'Hey, hey, what's going on?'
Actually, I got fired from my teaching job.
Okay, I'll take care of it!　I'll take care of your next job for you.

　With that, Claude Crawford smiled fiercely.



　Claude Crawford was quick to act.
　He quickly arranged a carriage and sent Arthur off to the Marquis of Erakis after having him carry a letter.
　A little more than ten days after leaving the imperial capital of Alfilk, Arthur arrived in the city of Hashel and visited a dining hall to gather information.
　The reason for choosing that diner was that it was dingy and the fare seemed cheap, but Arthur quickly regretted that he should have gone to another restaurant.
　The only people in the cafeteria were sub-humans.
　Even if Arthur didn't have any special feelings for the sub-human, the opposite could be true.

''Well excuse me.''
Ouch!

　As I turned around and changed directions, I bumped into two elves.

'Oh, I'm sorry,'
Wait, wait, wait, wait. You can't just say the word, can you?
Like an apology and compensation are two separate things.
"...what are we, who have to protect the security, going to do by causing problems?

　The two elves ... they must be twins because they look exactly like each other in the mirror ... when the two elves ... who were both disgruntled, their lips twitched in frustration as they closed in on Arthur, the brown half-elf said in a cold tone of voice.

''Jeez, I was just kidding!''
Yeah, yeah.

　Ehehe," the twin elves laughed as they mended.

Then I apologize.
I'm sorry.

　Prompted by the half-elf, the twin elf uttered an apology ... though he didn't feel an ounce of remorse.

''Well I was careless too. What do you think, would you be willing to let me buy you a meal as a form of apology?
"'Ugh!　Pops, you're super nice!

　The twin elves' eyes lit up happily, though they just decided it would be less of a hassle to listen to the conversation while eating rather than going to the trouble of finding another diner to gather information.
　They took an empty seat and briefly introduced themselves.
　The twin elves introduced themselves as Deneb and Alideed, and the brown half-elf as Leila.
　All three were assigned to the Marquis of Erakis territory six years ago, and the elf twins were said to have participated in His Highness Alfort's parent conquest.

''Old man, they're nobles.''
I thought you were a commoner for not acting so high and mighty.
They don't come from a prestigious family.

　In fact, it's not much of a family.

''What business did you have in the Marquess of Erakis?''
"...I was actually laid off from the job I was working at and an old friend offered me a new one.
So you're saying you know the Grand Master?

　Arthur couldn't understand who the Grand Master was referring to.

'You are an acquaintance of Master Claude, aren't you?
Yeah, well,

　Arthur nodded.

'Most importantly, I don't know if I'll be able to get you to hire me without seeing you, Crono.
Mr. Crono?
Oh, I'm an assistant teacher at the military academy, and I teach Mr. Crono's no, no, I teach Mr. Crono to study.

　Arthur hurriedly added as Leila's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

''Oh~, Crono-sama's teacher,''
'I understand the situation, but Master Crono is on his way to inspect Count Caddo's territory, so I don't expect to see him anytime soon.
Since I still have some money in my pocket, I'd like to stay somewhere suitable...........cheap lodging and wait for Crono-kun's return.
The cheapest place to stay in Herschel is here.
But they're also a getaway.

　Ah~, Arthur let out a voice.
　It's not uncommon for a diner to serve as an inn, and it's also rather common for a diner to serve as a bring-in inn or brothel.

''Uhehe, it might be too noisy for you to sleep.
'You didn't mind sleeping here with Leila?'
No, not really.

　He's blushing slightly, so it's not like he wasn't bothered enough to say it with his mouth.

''You went into Crono-sama's room right after that, right?
'You were whining about how you couldn't understand the love of Lord Crono.
I mean, you know, not in public.

　Leila squirmed and looked down in embarrassment.
　Apparently, Leila was Crono's mistress.
　It doesn't sound like he's messing with her for fun, since he's that sincere Crono.

''Oh, well, that's new.''
But do I long for a bit of that?

　The twin elves looked at each other.

Hehe, does that mean you want to run away?
Like sometimes you just want to keep Master Crono to yourself?

　Heh, heh, heh, the twin elves let out an eerie laugh.

''Let's not.''
'It's enough as it is I'd rather not have any time between you and Crono-sama if you're alone with him.

　Apparently, both Deneb and Alideed are also Crono's mistresses.
　As for that sincere Crono... what has happened to him in the past year?
　Arthur revised Crono's assessment downward significantly in his mind.

''........I can't leave Crono-sama's mentor alone, can I?
So why don't you ask Alyssa to help you?
You're the head maid of honor. I'm sure they know what they're doing.

　'Well,' said Leila, taking out a transparent sphere ... a magic item for communication and announcing her errand.

I'll prepare the guest room for you, so please check your letters and other documents just in case.''
I understand.

　Leila looked at him and Arthur took the letter that Claude had given him from his bag.

'Oh!　Paper!
"Mmm, this feels like paper from the Marquess of Erakis!

　The twin elves took the letter from Arthur and said in an acting tone.
　Claude's letter was made of paper rolled into a tube, wrapped in string and sealed with wax.

'This paper is in the Marquess of Erakis?
I remember that Mr. Crono knew how to make it and he built the workshop to ensure employment.

　Arthur sighed in his mind, wondering why he had fallen away with so much knowledge.

'It seems to be a letter from the Grand Master, no doubt about it.
How do you know?

　Leila said, and the twin elves tilted their heads in wonder.

''Because when I trained as a maid, my instructor showed me the Crawford family crest and the Inji,''
Do I get to see any of that stuff?
Do you feel like you've been pissed off a lot?

　The twin elves again tilted their heads curiously as Leila pointed her finger at the pattern pressed into the sealing wax.

'Didn't they both train as maids?
I did, but that's about it, cleaning, cooking, shopping, that's it.
"As a maid likes to do, she tries to sneak into Master Chron's bed and is discovered and chased.

　Huh, Leila let out a sigh and returned the letter to Arthur.

*

　Arthur was guided by Leila, Deneb, and Alideed to the Marquis of Erakis mansion, and from there, a human maid showed him to his guest room.
　The human maid is called Alyssa, and she was protected by Crono when she was sick and in need, and now that she's recovered, she's working as the head maid.
　The rooms were larger than the rooms Arthur had rented in the Imperial City, and the furnishings that were installed were of the highest quality.
　Arthur felt the weight of his wallet unreliably heavy, wondering how much it would cost to stay in an inn of this level.

''Well I'll have to rent a house once I get a job.

　Later, Arthur went to the bathroom to scrub off the grime of his journey and returned to his room to open a book.
　It was a book about past tactics and Arthur added sentences to it based on his experience and knowledge.
　A short time later, Arthur sat up when the dwarven maid informed him that the meal was ready.
　The moment he stepped into the dining room, Arthur couldn't believe his eyes.
　As soon as he was convinced of the person's identity, Arthur threw down his staff and knelt down on his knees as Princess Tyria carried the soup to her mouth.
　It was a knight's.......vassal's courtesy.

''........Princess Tyria.''
Who are you?

　Arthur felt weak at Princess Tyria's words.

'My name is Arthur Wiseman, I'm an assistant teacher at the military academy.

　'Mu,' said Princess Tyria, raising her eyebrows thoughtfully.

''Princess Tyria doesn't remember, does she?
Oh, you're Faye, Faye Murifine, aren't you?

　Ugh!　Faye was at a loss for words.

'Even you don't remember that.
I'm sorry, sir.

　Faye hung her head apologetically.

''I have heard that you have not been in good health since His Majesty Ramal V collapsed, why are you in the Marquess of Erakis?
I'm not sure why.
Princess Tyria was deprived of her right to the First Crown and exiled to the Marquis of Erakis.

　When I looked at the direction of the voice, I saw a girl bringing a small piece of shredded bread to her mouth.

''........Viscount Eryl Sardomelik?''
Do you know who I am?

　Arthur nodded as Elil's eyes widened in surprise.
　So to speak, Viscount Elil Sardomelik was a child prodigy.
　Born a commoner's son, she was adopted by Viscount Sardomelik, a court scholar, who had discovered her talents.
　Elil studied with him and her interests turned to witchcraft.
　
　She developed several magic techniques that had never existed before, techniques that used multiple activations of magic that were inherently life-threatening in a relatively safe manner.
　However, many people argue behind her back that the reason she was able to accumulate so many achievements is because she was a favorite of the former Emperor Ramal V.
　Normally, this would end up as baseless gossip and a laugh, but in her case, there is a part of her that cannot be denied.
　Despite the fact that she is the leader of the Eleventh Order, she has never even been enrolled in a military school, let alone experienced in actual combat.

''Why is even Erill-sama in the Marquess of Erakis?''
I've been sent to watch over Princess Tyria.

　Arthur couldn't understand why Eryll had been chosen as a watchdog.
　At best, it was a decoy to distract her from the real watchdog role, or perhaps he had been forced into an appropriate role because he was having trouble treating her after losing his backing.
　When Arthur was silent, he lost interest, and Eryl resumed his meal.

Well, that's why I'm in Crono's good graces.
...Any knights in the Kingsguard?

　Princess Tyria shook her head weakly.
　Why?　And such words loom up to my throat.
　Why did I overlook the usurpation?
　Are you saying that the meaning and value of a knighthood has changed, and that the meaning and value of a knight has changed as well?

'Assistant teacher Arthur, no, Knight Arthur. I am flattered by your feelings, but I had it coming to me that I lost my claim to the throne. I only thought that as a princeess I would be able to get her to pledge her allegiance to me.
...arrogance.

　Elil blurted out, and the Princess Tyria smiled bitterly, as if to say she had been hit in a sore spot.

'Yes, I was arrogant.'

　Princess Tyria rose from her seat and knelt there so that her gaze was locked with Arthur's.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has been loyal to the empire," she said, "I'd rather question your name than work on your loyalty to the empire, even after you've suffered so many wounds. I had no right to be emperor from the beginning. Nevertheless, if I may be allowed to say this as the daughter of King Lamar V I am pleased with your loyalty, Knight Arthur.
...Oh, Princess Tyria.

　Arthur cried aloud.
　With those words, he felt as if his life had been rewarded for all he had been through.

'I'm sorry to be watered down, but can't you eat it sooner?　Your food is getting cold.
I'm sorry, ma'am.

　After apologizing to the woman who had been standing behind her for some time, Princess Tilia sat back down in her original seat.

''The landlady's food is quite good,''
Not bad. I suppose it's a compliment to the princess, but I don't feel like I'm being complimented.

　Princess Tilia elegantly cut up the chicken and brought it to her mouth.

''Don't worry, the landlady's food is very good.''
That's a nice thing to say.

　Service, service, the landlady added the chicken to Eryl's plate.

*

　The next day, Arthur was accompanied by Princess Tilia and went out to Count Caddo's territory.
　Princess Tilia and Faye were on horseback, while Arthur and Eryll were traveling in a covered wagon.
　It felt chilly when they left the Marquis' mansion, but after a while it didn't matter.
　I don't dislike the freezing winter air that irritates my tweaked nostrils, but I also don't dislike the warmth of spring that makes me feel like I'm floating.

'You're giving me a carriage for someone like me,'
Princess Tyria only wants to see Lord Crono.

　Gohon and Arthur cleared their throats.
　If you ask me, I feel like I've been too buoyant when I haven't even gotten a job.

''Viscount Sardomelik, what does Princess Tilia look like to you, Knight Commander of the Kingsguard?
Just call me Eryl. And no need for a salutation.

　Eril replied without moving his gaze from the book.

'Princess Tyria is a very disappointing person.
....

　A few more words would be better, Arthur thought.

He wanders around the city without work, trains in swordplay when he feels like it, and writhes with his head in his hands the day after he shares a bed with the Marquis of Erakis.
Princess Tyria was with Mr. Crono?
I got pushed down on the fifth day.
Princess Tyria?
No. The Marquis of Erakis was overpowered by Princess Tyria.

　Even though it was hard to imagine Crono attacking Princess Tilia, it was relatively easy to do the opposite.

Very, very, very disappointing.

　Eril let out a long sigh, and Arthur almost let out a sigh as well.
　It's better than being depressed and losing the will to live, but isn't that too penetrating for an imperial princess who was deprived of her right to the first throne and washed away to the frontier?
　No, Princess Tilia is learning again.
　She is in the midst of searching for what is important to the emperor, to the person in charge.

''The ... positive thing is...''
You're going in the wrong direction.

　There was no island to get to.
　The sound of a cone, cone was heard just as Arthur was about to open his mouth to defend Princess Tyria.
　Moving from the cart to the guru's seat, Arthur's eyes widened in surprise.
　More than a hundred sub-humans-most of them lizardmen and minotaurs, but a few dwarves mixed in here and there-were working on the construction.
　The lizardmen would take several men to carry the logs and the dwarves would cut them down to make wooden stakes ten meters long.
　The wooden stakes were carried into place and carried to the shore by a rather diminutive minotaur.
　The sound of a cone, a cone, came from the sea, about a dozen meters from the shore.
　There was a huge scaffold with a hole in the middle - a combination of barrels, small boats and planks supported by logs stretched out from the shore - that had been built.
　There were four minotaurs on the scaffolding floating in the sea, one supporting the stakes and one swinging the mallet.
　The remaining two were holding the stepladder and looking bored.
　After finishing driving the wooden stake, the minotaur wielding the mallet sits down on the spot, and the minotaur waiting on the shore pushes the log to move the foothold.
　The wooden stake is carried to the scaffold by a human... perhaps a man from the fishing village who has been hired... and the minotaur receives it.
　The Minotaur threaded a new wooden stake through the hole in the middle of the scaffolding so that there would be no gap between it and the wooden stake he had driven in earlier.
　What is he going to do?　And as Arthur looked at the wooden stake that protruded more than five meters above the surface of the sea, the two minotaurs, who looked bored, placed a stepladder across the hole and supported it from both sides.
　The minotaur holding the mallet climbed onto the stepladder with a familiar motion, sat down on the top part of the stepladder, and swung the mallet down.
　Conn!　Cone!　and the sound of stakes being driven echoed off the shore.
　Apparently the same work is being done in two places instead of one.
　A right-angle line is drawn across the sea with wooden stakes, now about fifty meters in all.
　Further away, minotaurs were throwing rock after rock into the sea.
　What about you, Crono?　Arthur looked around and noticed a figure that looked like Crono standing near what looked like the frame of the house.
　It seemed to be the same for Princess Tyria, and she quickened her horse's gait a bit as she approached Crono.
　As the covered wagon approached Crono, the full extent of what appeared to be the skeleton of the house was revealed.
　It wasn't the skeleton of a house but if you ask me what it was, I can't help but nod my head.
　It was a cube made of wood with a lattice set up on the inside of it so that the lattice was parallel to the ground.
　I could guess that it wasn't a house by itself, but why there were bundles of straw tied to a grate and a concrete cistern underneath it was beyond comprehension.
　On the outside of the mysterious building there was a stairway-like structure built perpendicular to the sea.
　I describe it as a stair-like structure because only half of it was stair-like and the other half was a water tank.
　I don't know why, but the number of water tanks and stairs is not the same.
　If you go up the ten steps of the steep stairs, you will find the next water tank, as it were.
　A log-like object was placed to connect the water tank to each tank, which was also beyond Arthur's comprehension.

'Crono, what did you build?'
Oh, you're here.

　When Crono turned around, Princess Tyria dismounted from her horse with a flourish, and the Fae followed her lead.

''Here they come.''

　Ehem, Princess Tyria puffed out her chest like a child.
　For a moment, Crono's expression relaxed, but Arthur pretended not to see it.

''The Marquis of Erakis is obsessed with Princess Tilia's breasts. I don't understand why he is so obsessed with a mere lump of fat.''

　Eril squinted grimly. Maybe she was simply squinting due to poor vision, but she looked grumpy anyway.

'So, what's this?'
...Prototype salt field number two.

　It was not Crono who answered, but a dwarf who appeared from the shadows of the stairs.

'Silva-san, you are jaded, aren't you?'
No, I'm fine.

　The dwarf laughed as he gave a subtly disagreeable answer.
　It wasn't a laugh caused by external stimuli, but rather resembled the laughter of a soldier who fought on a battlefield where there was no water, no food, and no hope of reinforcements.

When I was working on the first prototype salt field, I was troubled by its inefficiency. After worrying and worrying and worrying and worrying and worrying, I saw a bundle of straw to be used for the roof. And I got the idea of this three-dimensional salt paddy.

　Dwarf........Silva ran out like a madman and reached for the log propped up against the water tank.
　Turning a lever at the end of the log, water overflowed and filled the stair-stepped water tank.
　

'Seawater!　Dripping down through the straw!　The sea breeze evaporates the water, and the seawater increases in density to the cistern below.　Pile up!　If we repeat and repeat this, and boil down the thick seawater produced, we can make salt efficiently, effectively, efficiently!

　The sight of her running down the stairs as if she were tumbling down and screaming with her eyes bleeding was maddening.

It's a pity that Silva-san has become such a disappointment. However, if his name will be remembered in history as the Silva-type 3-D salt field, Silva-san must be eagerly waiting for it.
'It's just lack of sleep, I'm sure it'll go back to normal once you're asleep.
Next, we're going to set up silva-type salt pits in each fishing village.　I'll be overseeing the construction of the port, too, and I won't have time to sleep!

　Silva shouted and started to run towards the shore.

'Can you sleep, that dwarf?'
I'm going to try to convince you that being knocked down makes you less efficient or something like that.

　Princess Tyria pointed out to him, and Crono replied with a sigh.

''Crono, you have a guest here, don't you?''
"...slavers?　Or Miles, the whorehouse manager?

　Suddenly, I met eyes with Crono.

'Wow, Dr. Weissman!'
Hey, long time no see. Crono you.

　After some hesitation, Arthur called him Mr. Crono.

'Really, it's been a long time!
....

　Crono ran up to the covered wagon and clasped Arthur's hand in both of his hands as if he was overcome with emotion.
　My heart is burning.
　I wonder how many graduates of the military school are like him, who call Arthur their teacher.

'Crono-kun, what is that wound?'
It's my first battle.

　Crono covered the wound in his right eye with his hand, looking embarrassed.

'I've been through a lot, but the only reason I'm alive like this is because of Dr. Weissman.
'Crono, Knight Arthur was just making up for the fallen, wasn't he?　What part of this is thanks to Knight Arthur?

　Crono looked at Princess Tilia sullenly.

'Tilia, punishment.'
Phew, that's what I want!

　As Bosori and Crono muttered, Princess Tilia arrogantly threw out her chest.

''After all, no spanking,''
What the f*ck?
Why is Dr. Weissman here?

　Crono said, ignoring Princess Tilia, who was raising her voice.

'I think the sooner you get this looked at, the better.
Yeah, it's my dad's.

　As Arthur handed him the letter, Crono untied it and looked down at it.

''I think it would be quicker to learn from Dr. Weissman.

　With that, Crono directed the letter to Arthur.
　There was one word in it: 'Hire! The only thing it said was.

*

　They must have been very careful.
　Crono gave a few instructions to the dwarves, and then he and Arthur were to return to the Marquis of Erakis in a covered wagon.
　After explaining how he was dismissed from the military school and arrived at the Marquess of Erakis, Crono said he would immediately hire Arthur as a teacher.
　His monthly salary had increased by one gold coin from his time as a teacher's aide at the military school, to three gold coins and ten silver coins.

If you would like, I can give you a room in the Marquis' mansion.
No, no, I'm not that good to you.

　It's an unbeatable treatment that I couldn't have hoped for just to be hired at a higher salary than the military school.
　I can't afford to be indebted to you any longer.

How's the harbor construction going?
It's been a lot of trial and error. Well, the prototype Shiota No. 2 has finally settled into that shape, so I think it will reduce the burden on Silva a bit.

　If the Silva-type salt pits spread to the fishing villages of the Count of Caddo territory, the people of the territory would be able to earn a stable income.
　After that, Crono could buy the salt and sell it, or he could leave the transaction to a trusted merchant to collect the tax.
　It's not defrauding, nor is it charity.
　The idea of revolving around profit is not like an aristocrat, but I foresee that it will therefore be successful.

'Mr Crono, what am I to teach you?
''Yes, that's right. Right now, I'm asking the priest of the Ochre Temple to teach me the basics ... reading, writing and arithmetic, but I hear my day job is pretty busy.
Oh, I see.

　Since it's almost time for farming to begin in earnest, it's only natural that the work of the priests who serve the 'Mother Goddess of Yellow Earth and Fertility' will increase.

''Since we can leave the agrarian reform of the territory, the management of the Rescue and Poor House, and the negotiations with the headquarters to them,''
...Crono, I think you're working them too hard.
We're short on people.

　Oh, Arthur nodded.
　Running a fiefdom requires manpower.
　An old noble would be able to rely on his relatives, but Crono, an upstart new noble, had no relatives to rely on.

''I thought I'd ask Dr. Weissman to train my subordinates, as well as train my personnel.
'So you're saying we have to give them a basic education and train their officers.
Well, something like that, please.

　Crono's reply was vague because he himself didn't have a clear answer. Either way, if we don't recruit and train people who have the basic education, we won't be able to manage our territory well.



　While he was relieved to find a job, Arthur had to work hard in his sleep.
　First of all, he had to find a place to live.
　Although he made it look like he couldn't be taken care of until he had a place to live, it was difficult to find a residence in a strange land, and he had to rely on Crono.
　
　That's because I was able to refer to the curriculum created by Crono and the Priest Zion of the Yellow Earth Temple.
　It was only a matter of grasping the whole process, though, and he had to figure out how to teach them on his own.
　The one thing that bothered Arthur to the end was about officer training.
　Since Crono's goal was to secure the personnel to run the territory, he felt that there was no point in educating officers in a military school style.
　After much deliberation, Arthur decided on a policy of training people through tactical education.
　As soldiers, their tactical education would not be wasted on them.
　Arthur chuckled at the thought that in the future he would like to select the right people from among the soldiers who had been given officer training and increase the number of teachers.

''Well now, let's get some sleep for tomorrow.

　Arthur cleaned up the desk and crawled into bed.
　Arthur quickly fell asleep, feeling exhausted.

　In April of the four hundred and thirty-one years of the empire, Crono's territory was peaceful.