*

　A shabby hut on the outskirts of the village is the base of the Baron Ekron's vigilante group.
　I don't know the history, but it's owned by Baron Ekron's family and is packed with around ten vigilante members the third and fourth sons of some house who were walking around and were recruited by a Missus to help them.
　Whenever there's trouble, such as a livestock runaway or a fight, I'll rush over before anyone else to solve it, and if the barbarians steal the livestock, I'll go and complain on behalf of the Barony of Ekron.
　That's my main job.
　I never questioned it until now.
　Miss Miss protests to the battalion commander with her shoulder to break the wind.
　It was painful to see successive battalion commanders shushing each other, unable to say anything.
　But, I think now.
　Crono's brother was terribly strong.
　He was so strong that he couldn't understand beastmen, humans, and even childlike half-elves.
　That rookie battalion commander's men must be as strong as Crono's men.
　If that was the case, then how strong were the barbarians?
　No, the only thing more frightening than the barbarians would be to be repulsed to death by the military guys.
　I'm afraid that the Baron Ekron family will be demolished because of me.

"Oh, come on, Johnny. Are you worried about getting beaten up yesterday?
That was a coincidence. You just happened to miss your dagger and landed a swift and painful kick.

　It wasn't. My brother went easy on me.

Hey, could we stop this whole messing around with the military now?

　Johnny looked up at the ceiling and suggested to his friends.

*

Why would you go to see Battalion Commander Gaul when you were told to go home?
It's my job.

　Crono replied to Snow, whose lips twitched in frustration at the governor's seat.

'I don't want to see that woman. She made fun of Faye and called me a bug and tried to cut me down.
Me too.

　Cecily can pass off sarcasm and provocation as much as she wants, but Cecily is going to use her power.
　If a sword is drawn, Crono will have to protect his subordinates, and Leila and Faye will have to raise their weapons to fulfill their duties as guards.
　Yesterday, I was just there to greet them, but I almost got a blade wound.
　Maybe we should be more wary of Cecily than the barbarians we haven't seen yet.

The first thing that comes to mind is that Crono-sama doesn't like it either. Then let's go home.''
Yeah, well, I can't just work like that, you know.
...and so are the nobles.

　'The nobles too,' as they say, so Snow must be aware that work is something he has to do even if he doesn't want to.

''Nobles also have a hard time. Court nobles lose their income when their master dies.

　Faye said, letting her horse run alongside the covered wagon ... or more accurately, the groom's seat.

''Fay is a fallen aristocrat, you know.
We are not at the end of the world, sir.

　Snow muttered sincerely, and Faye's lips twitched in frustration.

'What difference does it make?'
The chance to rebuild the house.

　I think it's a worthy downfall when the income has been disrupted, but it's better not to point this out because the only thing you can get from making Faye cry is a bad aftertaste.

'How is Faye going to rebuild the house?
Of course, you must do your duty.

　Snow tilts his head curiously, as if he doesn't understand the relationship between rebuilding a house and setting up a military service.

The nobles get money and territory when they set up a military service. If you can get your face remembered by high and mighty people, you can be appointed as a battalion commander, and as a battalion commander you will have connections in various fields. Depending on how you do it, you can earn more money than your salary.
'It's a bribe, isn't it?　When I was in the slums, the soldiers on patrol would take money and miss the pickpockets.
I wouldn't do that, sir.

　Faye said grimly, but according to Kane, who is the acting lord in the Marquess of Erakis territory, there are many cases of accepting bribes instead of overlooking crimes in unsafe areas, according to Kane.
　Incidentally, bribes are used for promotion and transfers, and sometimes they are passed upwards.

'Didn't Master Crono take any bribes?'
I strictly order my people not to take bribes because of the total negative impact, and I've said no myself.

　The bribery is being strictly enforced by the clerical people who used to work for Kane and Tilia.

'Total negative?'
''If you let crime go unnoticed, the security will deteriorate, and if you favor one particular merchant, the other merchants won't be able to make money, and the commercial district will become desolate. See, if you look at the territory as a whole, you're clearly losing money.

　Snow's eyes widened in surprise.

'Master Crono is amazing.'
I haven't been a lord for a year, you know.

　Crono's chest heaved as Snow gave him a look of respect.

'I thought Crono-sama was just a naughty person, but I guess I was wrong.
Snow!

　Reprimanded by Leila from the other side, Snow cowered her shoulders as if she was frightened.

''Because........I heard in the imperial capital that you were taking sub-humans to bed every night, every night.
Indeed, rumors of Master Crono have spread to the Imperial City.

　New revelations to be revealed now!

He's calling out his mother and the Deneb centurion and the Arid centurion, and so on.
'No, no, I don't force you. Oh, no, I do make a few unreasonable requests, but I basically respect your wishes.

　Kohon and Leila coughed awkwardly.

'Snow I serve as Lady Crono's night owl of my own volition. Deneb and Alideed are the same as me.

　Although she said it matter-of-factly, Leila turned over a little bit, looking embarrassed.

''Does Crono-sama like your mother?''
Of course.

　Crono answered immediately.

'What do you like about it?　I'm half-elf and so is my mom.
Master Crono, you don't have to answer.

　Leila's eyes sparkle with anticipation as she says this.

''Is it a little hard to answer that question?''
....

　Leila pretends to be disappointed.

'I think there was a misunderstanding or momentum at first,'

　If Leila hadn't misinterpreted Crono's decision to keep her in the military as out of love, they wouldn't be in the relationship they were in now.

'But Leila was so painfully desperate I was willing to believe her. Even though Tilia cursed me out a lot.
I've never heard of it.
It's not really something to talk about, you know.

　Crono replied to Leila, who cowered her shoulders and rolled her eyes.
　The dwarves working in the workshop must have witnessed the scene of being beaten and cursed by Tyria, but it seems that even if you can't put a door in a person's mouth, you can put it in a dwarf's mouth.

''Master Crono has made love to Princess Tyria by turning her into an enemy, hasn't he?
Mr. Crono.

　Leila's eyes welled up at Faye's words, as if she was impressed.

'It's about time.'

　We reached the front-line base and parked the wagons and horses outside the fence, just as we did yesterday.
　The Baron Ekron's vigilantes were gone.
　The battalion was in the middle of a training exercise.
　
　Gaul was soon to be found.
　Gaul Battalion Commander was clutching his wooden sword and teaming up with a large sub-human.
　The wooden swords were struck together.
　His opponent was a minotaur, but he didn't seem to be going easy on him.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

'Is Captain Gaul Battalion Commander strong?'
''He's a competent person who could be called a candidate for the head of the Kingsguard. There aren't many people in the Kingsguard who can overpower a large subhuman without the use of magic or divine power.

　With a thud, the minotaur falls to the ground.
　Captain Gaul looked down at the minotaur and exchanged a couple of words, and then the next person stepped up.
　Crono stared at the training scene and commented that he didn't seem to be interested in troop management.
　Many of the soldiers had not been treated for their wounds, and many of them were poorly groomed or thin.
　The problematic soldiers are all sub-humans, so maybe they are assigning supplies to humans first.

''........Someone is here....
Isn't that Cecily?

　The cavalryman, armed with plate metal armor (plate mail), stopped in front of Crono and the others and jumped up his visor.

''Oh, aren't you Fey-san?''

　Apparently, I've stopped calling Faye a horseshit woman.
　Cecily's gaze darted deliberately back and forth from Faye's face to her feet.

'You haven't been provided with proper armour or a horse, have you?
This armor was made with great care by Goldie and his men. The Black King is a fine horse.

　Hoon and Cecily snorted foolishly.

'It's quoted that cavalrymen wear sheet metal armor (plate mail).
''Fey is a light cavalryman and can use the Divine Majesty Technique, so there's no need for it.

　The Fay who can use the Divine Wielding Technique is a light cavalryman, but boasts a rushing power greater than that of a heavy cavalryman.
　If he linked up with other cavalry, he would be able to act like General Ignis of the Holy Argo Kingdom.
　Cecily stared at Crono with a devil-like appearance and humph!　I sniffed and went back to training.

Was Cecily always like that?
'I was often beaten up by other knights for my poor cleaning skills. Nevertheless, I continued to clean the stables, believing that my efforts would be rewarded.

　The other knights were wary of Fay, who had outstanding abilities, and Count Piske probably stepped on the fact that it wouldn't benefit him to bring out the fallen nobles.

''........I would like to meet up with them.
I don't mind.

　It feels like Battalion Commander Gaul is ignoring us, and if only Faye would take a cue, Crono allows him to do so~.

''Gaul-dono, I ask you to join hands with me!
....

　Gaul looked at Faye in confusion.

'....Hey, give him the wooden sword.
Thank you.

　Receiving the wooden sword from the nearby beastmen, Faye lightly swings the wooden sword as if to check its condition.
　Out of the blue, Gaul and Faye hold their wooden swords.
　Gaul is at the upper level and Fay is at the middle level.
　Gaul uses his blessed physique to unleash an attack of maximum power, and Faye is probably for dealing with any situation.
　Fay has learned to deal with tactics such as bluffing, bluffing, and bluffing, techniques that do not exist in regular swordsmanship, and anticipation cultivated by her vast combat experience, and Fay has learned to be flexible in order to fight her adoptive father, who uses all kinds of moves.
　It was Gaul who set up first.
　Gaul closed the distance in one fell swoop, and without any hesitation, he swung his wooden sword down.
　Gaul's wooden sword cut through the sky.
　Faye ducked Gaul's blow by diving diagonally forward instead of sideways or backwards.
　Attacks from the upper level are limited to a trajectory of 'swinging down' and if the attack is ducked, there is a disadvantage of not being able to immediately move on to the next attack.
　If it was an ordinary opponent, the game would have been won as soon as we ducked.
　However, Gaul slashes upwards diagonally from the state of swinging the wooden sword down to chase Fay.
　That's also faster than Fay can attack.
　Faye didn't receive the wooden sword and ducked with a light backstep.
　If you're using the divine power technique to improve your muscle strength, you still can't compete with pure muscle strength.
　If he was brought into a battle with a sword, he would definitely be crushed.
　As it was, Fei tried to jump into Gaul's bosom, but he stopped suddenly just before he could.
　In the meantime, Gaul leisurely resumed his upper level stance.
　Crono couldn't understand why Fay didn't jump in.
　Then, just as before, Gaul swung his wooden sword down, and Faye ducked lightly.
　Gaul attacks and Fay ducks, a fight that looks like a routine job.
　Moreover, even though Gaul showed an obvious opening, Faye didn't attack.
　He just stops when he thinks he's about to attack.
　After more offense and defense, Crono finally understands why Fay can't attack.
　A feint.
　The moment Fay was about to attack, Gaul was moving his arms, shoulders and gaze to block her movements.
　I'm not an arm strength idiot, Crono thought rudely to Gaul.
　If that's the case, then it's a speed game..................I have no choice but to strike the wooden sword faster than Gaul.
　Faye is the first to set it up herself.
　
　I wonder if the reason I ducked so greatly was to prevent him from jumping into my pocket.
　The attackers ducked, and Faye held her wooden sword at mid-level.
　Again, Gaul's stance is the upper level.
　Fay and Gaul were smiling.
　It was a smile colored by the joy of being able to clash their techniques at the same level as themselves.

''Whoa!''

　Gaul lets out a yell and swings the wooden sword down in one go.
　It's an all-out strike that makes his body look a size or two bigger.
　Faye catches Gaul's wooden sword as it is swung down with his own.
　No, just before the wooden sword was about to collide, Fay tilted the wooden sword at an angle.
　Gaul's upper body swims.
　The blow that he fired with all his strength, and the fact that he was swept away by it, caused him to lose his stance.
　Faye kicked the ground and slammed the wooden sword into Gaul's side in a scraping manner.

''........Wow, I've won.

　Crono's muttering may have represented the feelings of everyone who was there.
　The scene and the surroundings fell silent.
　Guillory and Gaul stared at Faye.

Ha-ha-ha, you're awesome.

　He laughed with pleasure.

"You're the strongest woman I've ever met. What's your name?
Fay M'Refine, sir.
Well, why don't you come work for me?

　You son of a b*tc*!　You're going to pull our precious cadets out of the ground!　And Crono tried to run up to him.

''I'm ... sorry, sir.
I don't want to force you, but why?

　'Mmm,' said Faye, raising her eyebrows with difficulty.

'There are many reasons.
Well, then, I guess I'll have to do it.

　Gaul looked at Crono and clicked his tongue in displeasure.

'What a day,'
No, I'm just trying to support you with food and medicine.

　'You bastard,' he thought, but Crono replied with an affectionate smile.

'No, I don't want it, go home.'
'No, no, no, I don't want to be told to go home I feel like I'm going to get angry from above if I go home empty-handed.
I'll write you a stroke, and you can leave Faye alone.
No, no, no, no, I just thought, you know, if I have to go home, I'd like to have a record of assisting you.

　'I'm not going to leave, though,' Crono adds in his mind.

'....tch, do what you want.
Thank you. Well, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm going to need to check on the deliveries of goods in and out of the city, and I'd like to see the delivery receipts and account books.
Come with me.

　Thinking he'd be told to look for it on his own, Gaul started to walk away.
　As I reached Gaul a little later, Layla and Snow flanked Crono.

''Crono-sama,''
How did it go?

　Crono asks as he walks away.

'Yes. Battalion Commander Gaul's reputation is not so bad. The last time he engaged the barbarians, he rushed in to support the collapsing front line and held them back.'
Hmmm, but people want to eat their fill. When I told them that I worked for Master Chronos, they were envious when I told them that they got to eat and drink a lot of wine.

　I see, Crono nodded.
　Entering the room in the center of the forward base, Gaul brought a box from the back room and set it down on the table, slamming it down on the table.
　The box was stuffed with a mess of parchment, and it was impossible to tell which was which.

'For now, shall we arrange the sustenance and the rest of it by month?　Leila, help me.
I understand.

　Gaul rolled his eyes as he spread the parchment out on the table.

'I've never heard of a half-elf reading,'
I taught him one-on-one.

　Crono replies as he separates the parchment more.
　

'I think Leila knows more about market prices than I do, don't you?
Yes, sir.

　As Crono handed over the delivery note for sustenance, Leila quickly looked over the new delivery note.

'The market rate?'
We have a second-in-command and Leila in charge of receiving rations and negotiating with the merchants.
"....grain is about 20 to 30 percent more expensive than the market price. If we assume that we buy our food at an increase of twenty-five percent over the market price, we will only be able to buy 80 percent of what we need.

　The military expenses to maintain the battalion are provided by the Empire, and the battalion commander is given a great deal of discretion as to what to use it for other than labor costs.
　However, the military budget is an amount of money that would be insufficient if they did not purchase armor and protective gear at a reasonable price and food at a price close to market rates.
　In other words, the amount of money that can be spent freely is very little.
　Crono pays for everything but his salary and provisions, so his men enjoy one of the best living conditions and food habits in the Imperial Army.

'As far as I can see, the ratio of humans to subhumans in this battalion is three to seven. If we allocate rations to ensure that humans have enough to meet their needs, the rations allocated to the sub-humans will only be 70 percent of what a soldier needs per day.
...I see.

　I knew it was a good decision to hire Dr. Weissman, Crono thought as he listened to Leila's report.

''I suppose we can get the sustenance we need if we have a merchant from Baron Crawford's or Baron Ekron's estate make an estimate.
What are you going to do?

　Gaul seems to be unfamiliar with every negotiation.

'I show him the quote and ask him to give me the same or lower than this. If it's the same, continue with the deal, if it's even a little higher, we'll just deal with another merchant the next time. Do you know of any other places where we might be able to get a better price?

　When Crono was checking the market price with Layla, Gaul looked dismayed.

''Everyone, now you'll be able to have a full meal.
.....

　Gaul glares at Snow with a demonic look on his face.
　He stepped on a land mine!　Faye, where's Faye!　I looked around and saw that Faye was not in the hut.

Don't think it's your job as a boss to make sure your men have a full meal.

　Crono looked at Gaul as he moved to shelter Snow.
　His legs trembled as if he was about to sit down with a wobble.

''Well you're right. It's my fault for starving my men. There's no excuse for it.

　Crono patted his chest as Gaul frankly admitted his disapproval.

*

　Back in his room at the Crawford mansion, Crono laid out the delivery note Gaul had left him on his desk.

'Sounds like it was a fruitful negotiation.
"Thank God Battalion Commander Gaul can talk.

　Crono sat back in his chair, making a light remark to Myra, who had been creeping up on him before he knew it.

'Myra, where is this Bailey Trading Company?'
'The Bailey Trading Company is a fairly large trading company with a branch in the Earl of Burkmeier, north of the Barony of Crawford.

　I asked, pointing to the name of the trade association on the delivery note, and Myra replied matter-of-factly.

'So, what's your reputation?'
I hope we're all dead, sir. What is it?

　Myra gave a smile that sent a chill down her spine.

'What have they done to you?'
That's it!　Every time I sold my crops, I was priced out!　Once the reclamation got going, though, I switched to a different trade association and did it!　Uhahahahaha!

　'You're stressed out,' Crono said, turning away from Myra, who was smiling high.

'Sometimes, boy.'
What can I do for you, Mr. Myra? I have a job to do now, don't I?

　Before I knew it, Myra was hanging on to Crono.

'.........tch, I think someone's coming.
Will you excuse me?

　Bang!　The door opened and the voice of the landlady, who sounded very much like Kanan, was heard.
　The landlady walked over quickly and sat down at her desk.

'Long time no see, landlady.'
I know it's early days, but I need a little favor from Master Crono.
'I'm willing to negotiate a pay rise. You're a good worker, how about five pieces of silver plus?
This is not the time.

　The landlady shushed awkwardly and looked at Crono.

'No, my business.'
It's not even what you think it is.

　'Ah, but patience is bad for you,' said the landlady as Crono sat up, shoving her away.

The vigilante of Baron Ekron's territory said something about driving out the army. Can you help me out a bit?

　Crono held his head in his hands.
　Yesterday, today, there was an emergency.
　Did I underestimate the vigilante's hostility towards the military too much?

''I'll cooperate with you because I don't want the relationship between Baron Ekron and the military to become sullied, but where did you get that from?''
This is Lady Shera, daughter of the Baroness Ekron.
How can you remember that when you've only seen each other once or twice?

　When Crono asked, Myra easily revealed the landlady's identity, and the landlady............Sheela scratched her head as if to say she was overwhelmed.

''........I see, and that you have a similar atmosphere to Kanan-san in the street.''

　I thought it might be the other way around, but now I should move.

'Landlady would you rather be Shelah?'
I don't mind.

　Cohon and Crono coughed.

'Well, then, Shelah,'
Do you know, I get embarrassed when people say my name.

　Shera's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

'Shera, do you know what route the vigilantes use and when they arrive?'
Yeah, I showed up on the route with Canaan. Johnny's guy is supposed to delay it as long as possible, but the evening is the limit.

　If you can convince them, that's the best thing you can do, but even if you do, it's an armed uprising.
　You have to be prepared for a certain amount of blood loss, and in the worst case scenario, you might have to kill all the vigilantes.

''Well I don't want to take any chances.

　Crono stood up and gave the order.

*

　Hugu, I can't believe this happened as soon as my sister came back.
　Even if I say I won't go, she will probably go off on her own, saying something like 'Miss, please wait for good news'.
　Huh-hey, they would be wiped out easily and I would be responsible for their deaths, and I would be locked up.
　The dirty guards would rape me by force, like they were going to entertain me before I died.
　Wheeeeeeee!　And Canaan fainted at his own delusion.
　Of course, he wouldn't show his face.
　As usual, he rode his horse with a miserable expression on his face and led the fifty vigilantes.

''Ah, Miss!''
More poop!　I'm going to leave you behind if you don't come up with something to do!
I'm sorry.

　Johnny went apologetically and jumped into the bushes.
　Oh, poop. I feel like an a**h*le for shouting such a vulgar word in public but you're okay, sister, right?　I'm sure you've been able to convince Crono that he's right.　And if you can't convince them, if you're ever in doubt, or if the guards are that many?　.........and Canaan couldn't bear his own delusion and almost fell off the horse.

'Johnny!　It's not over yet!

　Canaan shouted, but there was no reply.
　It's funny, earlier, he always answered when I called him.
　No. Did he get away?

Somebody go check on Johnny!
Ooooh!

　A vigilante with an old sword strapped to his waist parted into the bushes.
　The bushes ... both sides of the path are covered with waist-high grass.
　Step by step, the vigilante takes a step forward.
　The moment he takes the tenth step, the vigilante suddenly disappears.
　Zazazaz!　And all at once, the grass shook.

'Hey, there's something in there!'
What do you mean "something"?

　The vigilantes scream.

'Ta, help!'

　A vigilante emerges from the bushes, having gone to check on Johnny.

'Chi, blood!'

　True to his word, the vigilante emerged from the bushes and was covered in blood.

'Ta, help, help!'

　Pow!　and the bloody vigilante falls over.
　No, he was grabbed by his ankles and dragged down by a yellow and black hair-covered arm that stretched out from the bushes.

'Ahhhh!'

　Leaving claw marks on the ground, the bloodied vigilante was taken away behind the bushes.

'Chi, d*mn it!'
Hey, what the hell's going on?
Miss, we're surrounded.
What?

　Zah zah zah!　and the grass swayed and the beastmen and elves stood up.
　When they turned around, the retreat was blocked by the beastmen.
　Hey, sis, I've convinced you, haven't I?　And Canaan looked around in fear.

'Tsk!　I'm going to run through it all at once, boys!

　Just as Kanan was about to run his horse, an arrow that flew out of nowhere pierced the ground.

'Who are you?　Stop hiding and come out!
I'm not trying to hide, though.

　Waveringly, the landscape ahead flickered, and a black-haired young man...Crono...appeared.
　He was accompanied by a silver-haired half-elf and a human woman.

''Miss!''

　At Crono's feet was Johnny, bound with a rope.

Don't let go of Johnny!
But if we let him go, how will your sister Kanan attack the base?

　Canaan was at a loss for words.
　Even if Canaan promised, the vigilantes might renege on their promise, saying that as long as there were no hostages.

It's not a bad idea, but it's not a bad idea. It's a good thing that we are neighbors, and we don't want to leave a grudge by shedding blood. So, why don't we just have a duel like noblemen?
A duel?

　Crono nodded and smiled.

'If I lose, I'll give Johnny back, and I won't interfere with sister Canaan. If I win I'll give Johnny back either way, but I want sister Kanan to return to Baron Ekron quietly. You can stand in for me if you want, ok, I'll stand in for you too. Win or lose, you either surrender or you won't be able to fight.
What if I say no?
For now, I'm going to chop Johnny to death and kill all of Sister Canaan's men and make Sister Canaan regret being born a woman.

　Scary!　And Canaan couldn't help but scratch himself.
　He has such a pretty face and his eyes are serious.
　This girl is seriously going to make me regret being a woman in her eyes.

'I'll take it. Robert, rub it in!
Fay, win.

　Robert silently drew his sword and released it, and the woman called Faye drew her sword in response.

*

I'll take it. Robert, give him a good rubbing!
Fay, win.

　Okay, he accepted!　And Crono clenched his fists tighter.
　He doesn't show it to his face, but stands in human form with his arms crossed.
　A duel is a brilliant way to sacrifice little because the winner is obvious to everyone.
　He could have been shoved, but it would have been good to surprise him and make him panic halfway through.
　Splashing that vigilante with the blood of livestock would have worked well, too.
　It's a nice miscalculation that the magic I acquired to sneak into Elena's room was useful, and I have to give Eril credit when I get back to the territory.
　The odds are against us.
　Johnny, the best dagger user in Baron Ekron's territory, is at that level.
　That man with a scar on his lip called Robert would not be an enemy of Fay either.
　After all, Faye is learning her adoptive father's real-world swordsmanship in addition to the regular swordsmanship.
　But such was Crono's intentions.

'God, bless my blade!　"Celebration of the Holy Blade!

　It was shattered by the yellow light that covered Robert's sword.
　Yellow is the color that symbolizes the 'Mother Goddess of Yellow Earth and Fertility'.

'Master Crono, since you have ordered me to win, I will win even if I have to pay with my life.

　Darkness rises from Faye's body like smoke, and in response, particles glowing in yellow are released from Robert.
　Robert points the cutting edge at Faye.
　The composition is a stab........but the distance is too wide open.
　In the next moment, like an unleashed arrow, without any warning, Robert had instantly accelerated to top speed.
　Squeak!　And sparks flew in Faye's chest.
　Robert's sword snatched at Faye's armor.
　Why?　And the thought flies in the face.
　It should be impossible for him to launch an attack with no motion, even if he strengthens his physical body with the Divine Majesty Technique.
　But even though Robert hasn't moved his feet, he explodes on the ground and unleashes another bodily thrust at Faye.
　As soon as the second thrust was released, Faye sank to the ground.
　In the blink of an eye, the distance between Faye and Robert was closed and something exploded between them.
　As if it was a bullet, the two men separated and held their swords at the ready.
　When they reached this point, Crono understood why Robert was able to accelerate with no motion.
　Robert had made the ground explode with his Divine Majesty Technique, and the reaction to it made it possible for him to make a no-motion stab.
　If this was the 'Crimson and the God of Destruction', he would have been able to detect the true nature of the technique right away because of the grand flames.
　I'm used to fighting, Crono realized that he had misjudged Robert's abilities.
　But the truly frightening one was Faye, who ducked the first blow and found a way to deal with the second.
　Faye realized that Robert's acceleration was a reaction to the explosion, and she saw a weakness in Robert's ability to advance only in a straight line.
　So Faye held her sword in a low position so that Robert could plunge in and wound himself.
　Robert must have realized that he had spotted the weakness and exploded on the ground just before he was attacked, putting distance between him and Faye.
　Faye chased after Robert, not wanting to let him get away.
　However, Robert used his boxer-like footwork to get around to Fay's side and swung his sword down just to return the favor.
　Ginn!　And a metallic sound echoed.
　Like Gaul, Faye raised her sword from her swinging stance and surpassed Robert's attack.

'God!

　In response to Robert's shout, or no, prayer, a stone spear extends from all directions to skewer Fay.

''Nah!''

　Faye flashed her sword, spearheaded by a stone spear, destroying part of it and narrowly escaping.

'God!'

　Don!　Boom!　Boom!　And by prayer to Robert, stone pillar after stone pillar towered up, blocking Faye's path.
　If he had hesitated even a moment, the stone pillars would have launched Faye's body or crushed her jaw.
　But Faye escaped the onslaught of the stone pillars as if she had foreseen the future.
　Robert swung his sword down and Faye ducked with a light step.

'God!

　The sword extended as Robert released a slash of sidenagi after Faye.
　Unlike the darkness that Faye had extended the darkness that covered the blade against Rio before, the blade itself extended.
　''The Mother Goddess, who is the yellow earth and controls fertility, is the earth god.
　Then what wonder is it that the iron born from the earth grew out of the earth through his prayer?

''Ha!''

　As soon as he could, Faye held her sword vertically and caught Robert's blade, but kink!　And with a clear sound, the sword snaps and the hilt falls from her hand.
　The broken blade sticks to the ground as it spins around and around.

''Oh!''

　Robert swung the sword, which had grown to a size greater than the large sword, at Faye.
　Faye didn't move as she slumped back down.
　That posture was similar to that of an iaidou.
　But Faye was missing her sword.
　What do you call pulling out of it, from which only the scabbard exists?

''Divine weapon summoning, pull out sword!

　Darkness bursts forth.
　Out of the exploding darkness came a sword that shone jet black.
　A sword of the most exquisite workmanship, it cuts Robert's sword without any resistance, slicing deep into his upper arm.
　The sword falls from Robert's hand.
　But no blood flows.
　For a second or two, just when he suspected that the slashing of his arm was an illusion, blood gushed out of Robert's arm like a nightmare.

'Robert!'

　Canaan runs over and supports Robert, who is about to collapse.

'Come on, come on, use your divine art to stop the blood!
Miss, I'm afraid I've used my divine power too much.

　Struggling, Robert breathes on his shoulder.

'Retreat!　They've got Robert!　I'm pulling out!
My brother!
Godd*mn you, my brother!
Remember that!

　The vigilantes shouted at each other and headed back the way they came from.
　Well, they winked at us, so Robert would never die.

'Fay!'

　When Crono looked at Faye, she was slumped on the ground.

'Um, Faye?'
My father's sword has been broken!

　Hawaawa, Faye clenched her sword with an expression full of despair, as if the end of the world had come.

*

　A nobleman's mansion, its treasury, is often thought of as a place where gold and silver treasures and the like are stored, but in the case of the Crawford mansion, it's simply a warehouse.

''Leila, was it over there?''
No, what about Snow?
No. Where's Johnny?
I don't have one either!

　What Crono, Layla, Snow, and Jonny are doing is looking for a sword for the Fae.

'Hmmm, I thought I had a sword or two.

　The only things the four of us were able to find after a desperate search were a spear, a shield, and some chest armor (Breastmail).

'Hey, son!　What the hell are you doing without food!
Faye's sword is broken and I'm looking for a replacement.
What?　A sword is just a consumable item.
'No, actually...'

　As Crono explained, his adoptive father gave him a pained look.

''You don't have a spare sword with you?''
'There are some but what can I say, the fey dents are not half as bad as they could be. I thought something like one of the master masters would cheer me up.

　It's a childish idea, even for me, Crono said with a bitter smile.

'd*mn, that's no use. Wait for me.

　And with that, his adoptive father walked out of the warehouse.

'Oye, give him this,'

　When his foster father returned a short while later, he held out a sword to Crono.
　It was a splendidly crafted sword, though it was not quite as good as the divine weapon that Faye had summoned.
　When pulled out of its scabbard, the blade shines wetly and is chillingly s*xy.
　If it were just the blade alone, it would have a presence that rivals that of a sacred artifact.

''What is this?''
My wife was Elr's. I don't know how it came to be hers, but it must have been quite a feat.
Are you sure?
My wife's memory is right here.

　Don!　'I don't know,' said his foster father, thumping his chest.

'The old Crawford house in the garden, the fields, the bridge. The estate itself is my wife's mementos, if you ask me. So go ahead and hand it over!
Thanks, Dad!

　Hugging his sword, Crono ran out of the warehouse and headed for Faye's room.
　He knocked, but there was no answer.

'Faye, are you coming in?'
....

　When I entered the room, the lights were off and the dimness filled the room.
　Is he asleep?
　No, Faye is sensitive to signs.
　Even if she was asleep, she would have woken up the moment Crono entered the room.
　Crono sat down on the bed and stroked Faye's head.

'Faye?'
....

　Faye didn't answer.
　'Spee, spee,' he heard a peaceful sleep.

'You're sleeping!'
What was that, sir?

　When he pouted, Faye raised herself up in surprise.

'Kuh, Master Crono, yo, are you crawling at night?'
No, it's not that, it's just I was depressed and I needed a replacement sword.

　Crono held out the sword, and Faye sat upright on the bed and took it.

'This is a wonderful sword, isn't it?'

　Faye said, pulling the sword out of its scabbard a bit.

'Yeah, it's my mom's ... well, I've never met her, but it seems to be a memento sword.
Shouldn't you be allowed to take something so precious?
'Dad said the memories are in his mind, but I think he wants Faye to use them because they're important to him.

　Faye is busily comparing swords with Crono, seemingly unable to tread on them.

''Okay then.''
Oh, you are angry, aren't you?

　Crono took the sword from Faye and stood in the center of the room.
　The pale moonlight brought up a corner of the room.

'Fay, fay m'refine.'
Yes, sir.

　Faye jumped off the bed in a panic and knelt at Crono's feet.
　Crono drew his sword and released it.
　In the moonlight, Elua's sword shone.

'My departed mother by the sword of Erua, I make thee my knight.
.....

　Crono touched Faye's shoulder with his sword as her eyes widened in surprise.



　Faye's oath surprised Crono this time.
　As the words go, the knight must keep his vow.
　A lifelong, unchanging love........love is neither constant nor eternal.
　To such uncertain emotions, Faye said she would stake everything on it.

'The sky may fall, the earth may split open, and the sea may swallow us up, but our vows shall never be broken.

　When Crono held out his sword, Faye reverently received it with both hands.

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

　Wordlessly, Faye stared at him and Crono swallowed raw.
　A lifetime of unchanging love and loyalty.
　It's a heavy, too heavy pledge.
　That's why Crono must respond to Faye's feelings.