*

　A little more than last year, Kane stroked his chin as he stared at the manservants hauling sacks of wheat to the granary ... many of them Crono's men, but some were hired on a temporary basis ....
　Joli joli and stubble irritated his thumb.
　When he was a mercenary, he used to take care of his appearance there, but since he started working in the Marquis of Erakis, he didn't even care about his beard.
　It's also a problem if my boss is too understanding.
　Maybe he just thinks he's that kind of guy because he had stubble when he met Crono, though.
　Anyway, would you carry out an idea, normally?　And Kane rests his hand.
　Cavalry is an expensive branch of service.
　It's also expensive to maintain and equip a horse.
　It's a little late for that," Kane chuckles.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　It's no use discussing normalcy with such a person.

''You're kind of serious, aren't you?

　The foul-mouthed accountant....Elena said as she muttered.

''Well you're a former bandit.

　I thought he was trying to pick a fight with me, but Kane stroked his chin with a thin smile.
　I know how Elena feels.
　Her family has been killed by bandits or by mercenaries posing as bandits.
　It will inevitably be hard to evaluate someone with a background like Kane's.
　I'm prepared to take it easy.
　No, I am aware that I deserve to be abused.
　After losing his family as a child, Kane was picked up by a group of mercenaries and his life there was painful.
　He was able to dismiss the mercenary work as a way of life, but he just couldn't get used to the work of the bandits, so he gathered a group of people who were in a similar situation to himself and set up his own business.
　He went to the Free City State Cluster and joined the mercenary guild and then spent his time as a straightforward mercenary.
　A straightforward mercenary a combination as unlikely as an honest con man.
　At least in the Cepheus Empire.
　The mercenary's status in the Empire is low.
　The reputation of a mercenary is that he is a criminal who is willing to kill and loot for money.
　However, in a group of free city-states, mercenaries are considered to be a legitimate occupation.
　High demand is one of the factors that boosts the status of mercenaries, but the main reason is the thorough management of the mercenary guilds.
　The role of the mercenary guild is to mediate jobs.
　Of course, it's not free.
　They earn a brokerage fee by mediating work to the mercenaries and mercenary groups that belong to the guild.
　I don't mean to call it dirty.
　If the mercenary guild is backed by a mercenary guild, they can take on the work of a large merchant who cannot even meet them on their own.
　If they like you there, they'll pick you again, and if you do your job without incident, you'll be reasonably valued by the guild.
　On the other hand, if you don't do your job properly, you will be hung out to dry, and if you break the rules of the mercenary guild, you can be purged.

''I'm praising you.''
'Well, I'm still from a rural area. If you're going to call me serious, that's what's affecting you, isn't it?

　Grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather - maybe his own family must have been farmers for generations.
　Even Kane would have been hard at work in the fields if nothing else.
　I'm not complaining about my life now, Kane strokes his chin.
　'I'm not dissatisfied, but I do sometimes dream about what would have happened if nothing had happened back then.

'Speaking of which, where's Master Crono?'
He's just returned from Count Caddo.
What's he doing there?
How could I possibly know that?

　Elena said grimly.
　It's a good place to take it out.

''Well I'm worried that Elaine Sinner is here.
Do you know that woman?
You don't say you know someone if you know them one way or the other.

　If a mercenary has money, he drinks or buys a prostitute.
　They get drunk and talk about which brothel's girls are pretty or good.......that kind of thing.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

It's because ... the more serious the guy is, the more he falls for it.
You don't have to worry about that.

　

''Ahhh, bad.''
I find it more annoying when you act like that?

　This guy was also Master Crono's mistress, Kane scratched his head.

'Does that mean you're inspecting the port?
No, it's not like they're all that rare.

　I turned around when I heard a familiar voice and Crono lightly raised his hand as if to greet me.

''Did you go to Count Caddo's territory for such a thing?''
I think it's important,

　As Elena's voice trailed off, Crono said as if to make an excuse.

'So, what did you find?'
'Hmmm, there were no potatoes and no corn. And pumpkins. But there is rice and buckwheat.

　Potatoes, corn and pumpkins - vegetables I've never heard of.

'Corn sounds American, but aren't potatoes and pumpkins native to Europe?
America?　Europe?

　Again, the name doesn't sound familiar.

'Potatoes were Russian and pumpkins were European,'

　Kane could only cross his arms and tilt his head back.

'Do you understand?'
'I don't think we've covered all that much otherworldly knowledge.

　Right, Kane nodded.
　In the past, he could have been delusional, but the bicycle and books Crono had brought back from the southern frontier had been convincing enough to prove the existence of the other world.

'What the hell is a potato?'
'It's a round vegetable that forms under the ground. It's cold hardy, can be grown in rough terrain, and tastes great with butter.

　It's like a root vegetable, Kane imagines something like that from his knowledge.

'What about pumpkins?'
It's about this big, dark green on the outside but dark yellow on the inside.

　Crono indicated the size with a gesture as if he were holding something.

'I don't know, but if you have some unusual vegetables to show me, do you want me to go show them to you?
I've asked Elaine to do the same, but I don't want to owe her too much.

　Crono's shoulders slumped weakly.

*

　Was it potatoes and pumpkins and then corn?　And Kane walks through the streets of Hachel, chanting the names of vegetables in his mind.
　Most of the interest is in potatoes.
　It's interesting that they grow in the cold and can be harvested even in the roughest of places.
　If Crono's story is true we should be able to increase the amount of land under cultivation by leaps and bounds, aside from the availability of labor.
　That's probably why Crono is also trying to get potatoes even if he has to borrow them from Elaine.

''You don't think they're going to have a monopoly, do you?　It's not even possible.

　Otherworldly knowledge it's fascinating in bits and pieces.
　If you only touch it a little bit, you might hold an undeserved hope.
　However, if you talk a little bit in-depth with Crono, the plating (plating) comes off instantly.
　Crono's knowledge is full of holes.
　I have no idea how long and how much time and money it will take to supplement his knowledge of all the holes and put it to practical use.
　I can't help but think about it, Kane says as he steps into the street.
　The back of his nose ached at the smell of cheap makeup.
　With a thin smile, Kane walks through the entertainment district.
　He waves lightly at the prostitute who uses her s*x appeal and ducks the prostitute who rubs up against him, asking him to serve her when he becomes a customer.

''Well there's a lot more people here.

　I mutter to myself.
　The city of Hashel is bustling with activity.
　Not only the big merchants, but the peddlers as well, even the commoners with only a crude wagon can make money if they do well.
　When their pockets are warm, they want good food and drink.
　Now that you have made so much money, you are motivated to buy a prostitute.
　It takes courage, a certain recklessness, to buy a prostitute in a strange city, but Herschel's brothel requires a permit and the prostitutes receive regular medical examinations.
　Even if a prostitute receives regular checkups, she is still infected (infected) when she is infected (infected) with a disease, but the psychological resistance is much less.
　If you want to buy a prostitute who is not sick, go to the Marquess of Erakis, it is whispered, which is one of the reasons why the pleasure quarter of Herschel is so busy.
　In front of one of the brothels, Kane stops and looks upstairs.
　He sees a woman standing at the window and enters the brothel.

'This is, this is Master Kane,'
It's going up all by itself.

　I handed him a few silver coins and went upstairs.
　Perhaps it was because of the early hour, but we didn't seem to rub against the other guests.
　I can't get used to it," said Kane, scratching his neck.
　It's a good thing that you're able to play with women without losing your shit, but you can't get used to the air that flows through you the moment you cross paths with another customer or make eye contact.
　You'll be able to see that you are, at heart, a farmer's son," he said with a wry smile.

I'm going to open it.
The door is already open.

　When she entered the room without knocking, the woman ... Violet said, her narrow eyes narrowing further.
　Violet it's just Violet.
　Her age is around thirty.
　She has good style for a prostitute employed in a whorehouse of this rank.
　Her face is also reasonable.
　It may be that your eyesight is poor because you always squint, but I have never questioned it.
　If you know what's going on with the other person, you'll have compassion.
　Violet might use that to her advantage.
　If she couldn't afford it, she could push it away, but unfortunately, Kane has plenty of room in his pocket right now.
　The cavalry quarters are rent free.
　Free food, free booze.
　The equipment is of high quality and is provided free of charge.
　Kane, who has no hobbies that seem to be hobbies, has been accumulating money.
　It's a drab room as usual, Kane looks around the room.
　There's one bed, two chairs, and a table in the room.
　Kane placed a piece of silver on the table and sat down in the chair.

'You're paying a price that isn't cheap, so why not play along?'
Sorry, I'm just trying to do my job.

　Violet didn't even look at the silver coins on the table, but sat down in her chair and poked her cheekbones in the air.

'Are you still collecting information today?'
Well, you know.

　Violet smiles with an amused smile and recounts the information she has seen and heard in the brothel... much of it is unsupported gossip....
　Kane doesn't have much hope for the information he can get for a single silver coin, but it's important to know what kind of rumors are being spread.
　In addition, you can learn a lot about Violet, the person she is, by what rumors she tells us.
　Violet is not a whore-like woman.
　The gossip that Violet tells me is widespread and leaves an ambiguity that seems unreachable and unreachable.
　The lack of interest in the silver coins on the table also makes Kane wary.

''And...I wonder if it's like this?''
Yeah, that's enough.

　When Kane tried to stand up, Violet stood up faster than she could.
　Violet leisurely walked over and sat down on Kane's thighs.

'Aren't we going to play?'
I come here as a job.

　Honestly, I want to play along.

Couldn't it be part of the job?
It's not so bad, on the contrary.

　Huffing, Violet exhaled and pulled away from Kane.

'You're serious.'
It's the only thing I'm good at.
"Irony, irony.

　You're right, Kane scratched his neck.



　We sit down at the counter.
　The shop is a bit cramped, and the interior is so grimy that it wouldn't feel strange to describe it as a place of death.
　The second floor is an inn........a type of inn where you can choose between rest and lodging, and it's still hard to shake the impression that it's a restaurant and inn at the end of the day.
　Kane chooses such a restaurant because he can eat in a relaxed manner, and both the owner and the customers maintain a moderate level of indifference.
　Kane's reputation is high.
　He is considered to be Crono's right-hand man by the people of the territory because he is the captain of the cavalry, audits the tax collector during harvest season, and even acts as the acting lord when Crono is absent, so he is considered to be Crono's right-hand man position.
　That's why it's impossible to eat in any other restaurant in a calm manner.
　The shopkeeper takes more care than he should, and the serving girls come to him.
　You meet a merchant who you know, but at the end of the meal, you are forced to sit with him and listen to him talk for a long time, and even get a bribe from him.
　When he was young, he might have done something foolish, but now Kane has learned to be sensible with his age.
　However, it's sensible to the extent that you can rob a client you don't like of their cargo of slaves.
　At first, I had to put up with it because it was also a way to gather information, but after I got to know Violet, the frequency decreased.
　The aim is not 'me', but Crono-sama, though, and Kane gulps the barley wine (beer) that has been brought to him.
　Crono is a young man with the inexperience of his age.
　You won't feel bad about being courted by a woman, and you can't deny the possibility of being made to feel good by a merchant of the sea and mountains.
　I........we have to get our shit together, Kane bites the bread.
　Protect Crono and make up for his immaturity.
　I owe him a debt of gratitude for saving my life.
　I'm sure I've grown attached to Crono's territory.
　But more than that, Kane felt Crono was like a brother to him.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but you'll need to be able to find a way to make it work.

'Uho~ That's Captain Kane!
Don't you eat in your quarters today?

　The twin elves ... Deneb and Alideed sat on either side and patted Kane on the back.

'Yo, it's done.'
"Uh-huh, Captain Kane, have a drink with me.
It's pouring, pouring, pouring.

　Feeling his earlier resolve fading, Kane looks at the liquor-like substance that was handed to him.
　In your mouth, a sour and sweet taste spreads across your mouth.

'Is that an apple?'
Heh, heh, alcohol with juice.
It's all the rage for us.

　We're both drunk with giddiness.

'It's not just burning, is it?
That's more than wine or beer.
Like it would get you drunk quicker!

　'Uhihihi,' laughed Deneb and Alideed as they plopped down on the counter.

'I don't see any prospect of converting it into a weapon, though.

　A container of alcohol is thrown, and when the impact of the bullet breaks the container, the flames spread.
　It seems that his second-in-command, Mino, is aiming for such a weapon, but the container doesn't break or light up, so the results are not as good as they could be.
　After downing the cider, Deneb and Ariddo try to pour the alcohol and apple juice into the bottle.

'Oh come on, that's about as good as it gets,'
Well, I had to make it all snotty and sweaty.
Like you want your share of the happiness.

　I appreciate the sentiment, but Kane isn't that strong of a drinker.

'I've got to work tomorrow, you know.
We're off!

　I know, Kane said, resuming his meal with the two men drinking at a high pace beside him.
　By the time they had finished their bread, soup and stringy meat, Deneb and Alideed were plopped down on the counter, motionless.

'Take care of these guys, man.
Well, we're all rotten together.

　The owner of the elf shop smiled bitterly behind the counter.
　The owner of the shop was about twenty years old in appearance.
　The word "gentleman" is a fitting description, but the old scars on his arms and chest tell us that he hasn't lived a life as peaceful as he looks.
　In fact, the shopkeeper... no, not only the shopkeeper... no, not only the shopkeeper, but the female elf who served him is a former Imperial soldier.
　In other words, he is a colleague of Deneb and Arididid.
　He was severely wounded to the point that he was left with permanent injuries from the battle when the Holy Argo Kingdom invaded the Marquis of Erakis' territory.
　If he were a nobleman, he would be praised as a wound of honor, but the future of a soldier who is no longer able to fight is one of misery.
　The reason the shopkeeper didn't despair about his future was because he had a sum of money on hand ... the unpaid salary that had suddenly been paid out ...
　After that, he set up a restaurant that doubled as a diner, a tavern and an inn where sub-humans could come without any unpleasant feelings.
　The reason why it also doubles as an inn is because he felt that there was no place to do such things and it was inconvenient.

...The air is getting cold, isn't it?

　After leaving the shop, Kane gave a small shudder and headed straight for his quarters.
　Perhaps because he knows the bustle of the daytime, the air feels even colder than it already is.
　As he walked down the street, he rubbed against a pair of soldiers who were on night watch.
　The beast's expression is hard to read, but they must not be alarmed by Kane's lack of change in pace as he approaches.
　Kane strokes his chin, "I used to be a bit more tense," he says.
　When he first arrived here, Hachel was not safe.
　Especially near the city walls, it was so bad that even Kane felt he was in danger.
　In a little over a year, that was a dramatic improvement in the security of the city.
　Of course, the driving force behind this improvement was Chrono's measures, but we felt proud of our own contribution to the improvement of security.
　Another drink or two would have been nice, Kane said with a smile.



　The next day, when I went to the stables of the Marquis' mansion with my harness under my arm, Leila was waiting for me, ready and waiting.

''Captain Kane, good morning,''
Oh...

　Didn't Leila have the day off?　And Kane strokes his chin.
　He had just shaved his beard, so he could feel the smoothness of it.
　Leila turned her gaze to Kane to see if he could sense her upset.

'Crono-sama has a message for you. He has a visitor today and wants you to be present.''
Yeah, that's fine. I don't mind. Do you feel good about it?
'Yes, I'm fine on my end.'

　Kane asked, and Layla replied in a firm tone of voice.
　In Leila's case, a firm tone is a curmudgeon.
　As far as Kane can see, Leila is a picture-perfect, serious soldier.
　She is understanding and tactful.
　She doesn't show her emotions and is reserved in her self-assertion.
　But that's why it's difficult to discern where the limits are.
　Should I say that I'm afraid that I'll reach my limit and fall over all of a sudden?

You're not pushing yourself too hard, are you?

　'Yes,' said Leila, nodding.

'When do you think the guests will be here?
He told me it was lunchtime.

　
　Well, let's hear a lot about Layla, Kane thinks about what he should do now.

'I'll go to Crono-sama's, but don't push yourself.
Thank you for your concern.

　Leila smiled so small that Kane's concern was amusing, and she almost missed it.
　Leila mounted her horse and walked out of the gate of the Marquis' mansion.

''Well.....

　I have to see Crono-sama first, Kane said as he headed for Crono's room.
　Oh, and Kane stopped in the middle of the stairs.
　It's early morning now.
　Whether Crono is sleeping or not is not a big issue.
　From a standpoint, it should probably be an issue, but if he's bringing his mistress into his room, that's more of a problem.

'Good morning, Kane.
Oh...

　As Kane was lost, Crono came down the stairs with a refreshed look on his face.

'I was going to go see you now,'
'Good timing. Normally I'm in bed, but today I asked Leila to do some work for me.

　For a moment, Kane didn't understand the meaning of the words, but he soon realized that Crono was in bed with Leila.
　Kane tore his gaze away from Crono and

'Oh, it's not good to have a job, is it?　We've been putting you in charge of guarding the streets lately. Well, well, you know, in Leila's position.
'It's nice of you to be concerned about Leila, but I'm not that unthinking.
Well that's the scariest part, having so many women around and being so calculated.
No, I don't do the math.

　When Kane donned and prodded him, Crono waved his hands from side to side as if in denial.

'So much for the joke, huh?'
He had a hell of a straight face.

　Kane gave one coughing fit.

'So much for the joke ... are customers a nasty guy?
Hmmm, well, speaking of awkward.

　Crono slurred his words as if he was having trouble saying it.

'Shall we move to the cafeteria and talk?'
Yes.

　Since Crono was apparently asleep at this time of night, breakfast would not be prepared, but they could talk now without being disturbed.
　However, Kane's intentions would be far off.
　Because when I went to the dining room with Crono, Princess Tilia and Viscount Eryl Sardomelik were drinking incense tea.

''Crono, you're early today, aren't you?''
Tilia.
I'm always up early.

　Princess Tilia tilts her cup to enjoy the scent.

'What do you think?'
Master Crono will take care of it.

　Crono snorted thoughtfully.

I'll tell you about it here, if you let me.

　As Crono sat next to Princess Tilia, Kane sat next to her face-to-face....next to Eril.

''Well I'm a guest, but I'm the guildmaster of the Mercenary Guild.
That's not a good idea.
What's wrong with it?

　Huh?　Crono and Kane looked at Princess Tilia who said curiously.


So what's wrong with that?　The laws of the Free City States don't extend to the Empire. We don't even have a treaty to extradite criminals, so there's nothing wrong with that.

　With that, Princess Tilia put her cup on the table.

''In the first place, it's the Marquis of Erakis' territory that you guys have committed a crime. Even so, it doesn't matter since Crono, the lord, doesn't charge you with a crime. What did you do then, Crono?
He handed the slaves over to the slavers and lightly threatened them not to treat the slaves harshly while settling the matter quietly and with the help of money.
So it's not a problem.

　Princess Tilia nodded in satisfaction.

''No, there's a moral problem with that, isn't there?''
'Morality?　Now, we're talking about the law.

　Princess Tilia crossed her arms and said grimly.

'When they bring up an unrelated story and make it seem like I might have been wrong, they cheat and draw concessions out of me.

　For some reason, it was an oddly compelling line.

'Tilia, I still hold on to the fact that I took a reverse drop.
'Phew!　 That was an ordinary match!

　When Crono blurted out a blur, the Tyria Princess excused herself sluggishly.

''........That's right. You did a reverse drop with full armament against a lower class nobleman who didn't even have any real armor.
Well, now that you mention it, I think we may have gone a little overboard.
A little?　A nice joke, really.

　Crono poked his cheekbones and smiled.
　It was a smile that didn't think it was a nice joke, not an ounce of it.
　'I see, so this is how the Tyria Princess is being drawn out for concessions without limit,' Kane agreed.

─ You mean that you don't have to talk about what I did, but you can just shove it in their face when they shove it in your face?
Well, well, yeah. No, no, Crono!　I'm remorseful.

　Princess Tilia nodded at Kane's words and excused herself to Crono.

''We'll talk about the reverse drop when we're alone.
Okay, okay.

　'Oh come on,' said Kane, uneasy at the sight of Princess Tilia.

'But hey, what if they go hardball?

　I hear that the mercenary guild's punishment unit is an elite group.

''If they can be forced to fight, we'll have to fight them too.
Are you sure?

　Kane asked, and Crono poked him in the cheek as if he wasn't amused.

'It's not good, but if you don't resist, it means you've made your point, and...'
I'm sorry.

　I truly and sincerely agree. It makes me want to cut my head off at my own inadequacy.



　At noon, the door to the reception room opens.
　A man in his mid-thirties walks in alone.
　His body, wrapped in plain clothes, is toned and toned, and his seamless body language tells us that he is an extremely talented warrior.
　The man's name is Sif he is the guildmaster of the Mercenary Guild.
　When he was a member of the mercenary guild, Kane had only spoken with Sif once, when he was a member of the mercenary guild.
　It was just idle chitchat, but he thought Sif was a rational person.
　He hadn't changed his impression of Sif then, nor had he changed his mind now.
　No, I can assure you now that the essence of Sif is reason.
　For a moment, my eyes meet with Sif's.
　A moment, really.
　Sif turned his gaze away from Kane as if nothing had happened.
　Kane patted his chest in relief.
　He didn't know what he really meant, but he wasn't going to do anything about Kane right now.

'Please, have a seat.
...thank you.

　When Crono urged him to sit down on the couch face-to-face, Sif stiffened, as if upset, and sat quietly on the couch.
　It's scary that he's f*cking with the bare minimum, Kane said, struggling to hold back the almost bitter smile behind Crono.

''Elaine-san asked me to meet with the guildmaster of the mercenary guild, and I promised him, but I didn't get the details of the meeting.
"We're going to...

　Sif punctuates his words and hangs his head, trying not to let his intentions be realized.

''Well to put it simply, I'm here to make a sale.
Oh, I can't do that.

　Crono rejected Sif's proposal without an island to cling to.

''Directly, if I hire mercenaries, it might look like I've got a private army of people with rebellious intentions.
But I suppose a merchant needs a bodyguard.

　Certainly, Crono nodded.
　Maintaining security is a lord's job.
　Crono will have fulfilled his responsibility as long as he can protect the security of his territory, but Crono's goal is the development of his territory.
　For that reason, it would be a bad idea to be attacked by bandits as soon as you leave Crono's territory.

''Kane, what do you think?''
''Isn't the most realistic way for Crono-sama to authorize the Mercenary Guild to operate and for the merchants to hire their own mercenaries?

　Crono asked Kane deliberately, even though he could have come up with that much himself.

'Question number two, can you trust the Mercenary Guild?'
Aside from the people at the end of the line, I think we can trust the Bethel Range guys.

　The mother of the mercenary guild is a barbarian tribe that lives in the Bethel Mountains.
　Since the Bethel Mountains have little land suitable for cultivation, the men work as mercenaries to earn money and buy food.
　To put it bluntly, they are migrant workers.

''I understand. If Kane says so, I'll give the mercenary guild permission to operate. But you must pay the taxes.
I appreciate it. Now, would you like to decide on the broad strokes?

　The discussion between Crono and Sif lasted about two hours.
　Where to base the activities, how many mercenaries to call, and how much tax to pay.
　It was even decided to have a deputy in Count Caddo's territory to prevent trouble, and in his presence, the merchants and mercenaries would sign a contract, and three copies of the contract would be drawn up, including one for the deputy to keep, and other oddly specific details.

''Well, something like this?　It's just a general story, so we'll just kind of boil down the details as we go along.
I can't argue with that.

　Limping, Crono leans back.

'Kane, see me off, please.'
Yeah.

　You want to impress me that I'm being relied upon," Kane said as he led Sif to the gate of the Marquis' mansion.
　During this time, Sif did not open his mouth once.
　I'm not sure if it's because I don't want to say I'm silent, but rather I don't want to imitate the way I'm leaking information inside the Marquis's mansion.
　After leaving the grounds of the Marquis' mansion, Sif turned around and looked at Kane.

''Well it was Kane, wasn't it?''
How do you remember all these people when you only talked to them once? Do you have to remember everyone's face?

　The sound of kernels and hammering echoes through the air.

'It just happened. I just happened to be impressed, and I was just curious to find out how they operate.
'If you're trying to extract concessions from Master Crono using me as a story, don't do it.

　Kane glares back at Sif and smiles.

'Why?'
I'm ready to cut his head off rather than make him look weak.

　Kane is serious.
　Originally, he was going to die instead of having his men save his life.
　He laughs that it's only now.

''Well we won't tolerate anyone breaking the guild's laws.
You know what I mean?

　Sif is expressionless.
　I'm sure this guy will kill people with this expression on his face.

''It's because if we don't work as mercenaries, our people will die. The mercenaries of the Bethel Mountains who are brave and courageous and will not betray their employers even in death they must continue to be perceived as such.

　'But,' continues Schiff, 'there are always exceptions.

'But there are exceptions to everything. If it's in our favor, we can overlook those who break the guild's laws.
So what about me?

　I challenged him, but Sif was expressionless.

'I told you, if it's in your favor, you'll miss it.
I'm so grateful I could cry.

　Sif turned away, not answering Kane's flippant remark.

*

　Wordlessly opening the door, Violet greeted Kane as she always did.

'Two days in a row and you've got nothing new to tell me.
Yeah, we're on different business today.

　Kane walked over to Violet and gently stroked her cheek.

'Aren't you working today?'
I'm sorry. We're working today. Hey, Elaine Schinner.

　Giggling and creeping laughter, Violet rubbed Kane's arm.

'How long have you been aware of this?'
You're sure it was Elaine Sinner?

　Violet ... Elaine Sinner leaned against the window sill and opened her eyes.
　In short, she just stopped squinting.

'Oh my God, did you put a cama on?'
It's pretty much the same thing.

　Violet handled too much information on a wide range of subjects.
　It was too much for a mere prostitute to handle.
　The fact that she was too skillful in choosing the right information to give and take, was also a factor that made me feel uncomfortable.
　Without a certain level of education, it is impossible to make a good selection of information.
　It is unnatural for a person to become a prostitute while having that much education.
　If an educated woman became a prostitute, it was also unnatural that she didn't show any interest in money or that she didn't smell like it even though she worked here.

'You were selling information to Sif and Master Crono as well, weren't you?

　Elaine sold Kane's information to Schiff as a bargaining chip.
　It's possible, though, that he was just passing on the information.
　That's why Sif wasn't upset when he and Kane met face to face.
　Crono also knew that the conversation wouldn't get complicated, so he didn't put any soldiers other than Kane in the reception room.

　Who was acquainted with Crono, Sif, and Kane?

　Violet is the most likely, but Crono doesn't buy prostitutes.
　Even Sif wouldn't do anything to buy a prostitute from the Free City State group to the Marquess of Erakis.
　When you think about it, Violet's true identity becomes apparent.
　That is, the guildmaster of the Free City State Cluster and the head of the Sinner Trade Association.......Elaine Sinner.

''It's true that I was the one who passed on your information to Sif, but I guess I didn't use that much.
I'm pretty sure I've given you some pointers.

　As a result, Sif didn't say anything.
　This was probably because he decided it was more beneficial to negotiate normally than to threaten.

''I mean, didn't you also know how Crono-sama would respond?
She's more discreet than I thought.

　'Maybe,' said Kane, scratching his head.

'So, well, one last question. Why me?
Because I'm in love with you.
"You don't talk in your sleep.

　Kane said to Elaine, who turned away in embarrassment.

'If you're going to a bar when you don't drink, or buying a hooker when you don't cuddle, I'll know you're gathering information.
That's part of the point of looking for someone with a good ear for words, you know?

　And then," Elaine smiled lustily, "I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to get to know you.

'I decided it wouldn't be so bad to get to know you.
Women are so scary.

　Elaine's 'not bad' doesn't mean it's an emotion or a mood, it means it might be in her best interest.
　Good grief, Kane turned his back on Elaine and walked towards the door.