*

　In March of the Imperial calendar four hundred and thirty-two the peasants begin to plow their fields at this time of year.
　Well, if Kane's memory is correct.
　Kane was a farmer more than twenty years ago.
　My memory of those days is pretty faded, and I can't even remember how to hold a hoe now.
　The hope is that holding the hoe will bring back the clarity of my memory, but I feel more like it's too late now.
　I can't just throw my work away, Kane said, scratching his hair.
　This is an important year for the success of agricultural reform.
　Kane knows about the three-field system - in short, the fields are given a break once every three years.
　The fields that are rested are used as grazing land, meaning they don't produce crops.
　Otherwise, the land would be ruined and unable to produce crops.
　Crono's agrarian reform is to grow clover in fields that would otherwise be left to rest.
　I don't understand the logic, but it is said that by cultivating clovers, the land strength of the fields will be restored.
　Originally, this idea was proposed by the father of Priest Zion of the Ochre Temple, but the peasants refused to listen to his words.
　Well, well, that's just the way it is, Kane thought.
　Farmers can't fail.
　Whether it's a natural or man-made disaster, a single failure can cost a farmer everything.
　Kane's parents were killed trying to appeal directly to the lords for tax relief during a bad harvest year.
　You can't blame the farmers for that.
　Theon's father's idea finally came to fruition when Crono promised to waive the tax on Clover's arable land when it failed.
　Right now, it's only being introduced on a trial basis, but if it's successful, it could spread throughout the entire Marquis of Erakis' territory, or perhaps even the entire Cepheus Empire.
　The effects of the agrarian reform are beginning to show.
　A village that grows clover on fallow land - a village that once became a nuisance to Kane when he was a bandit - apparently the cows are now producing more milk.
　The village is said to have been able to produce more cheese than the previous year, so the village is richer.
　Well, one of the reasons is that they can easily set up a stall in Hashel.
　It would be too soon to be convinced of the success of agrarian reform just because the cows are now producing better milk.
　I think agrarian reform is going to be a success.　And Kane can't hide his smile.
　Kane is more content than ever before.
　It's almost as if he hadn't been alive before.
　While thinking about this, Kane was facing Crono in the office of the Marquis' mansion.
　As usual, Crono seemed to be busy.
　After all, he is the lord of the Marquess Domain of Erakis and the Count of Caddo.
　In a few more days, the communication magic item connecting the Caddo Count territory and the Marquis of Erakis territory will be completed, so he will be able to reduce the number of visits a little.

''What's the good news?''
Never mind. So what's the story?
Well, come on.

　At his beckoning, Kane walked up to Crono.

''From today, I appoint Kane as the deputy of Count Caddo's territory. By the way, Kane has been retired from the Cepheus Imperial Army.''

　Kane's smile disappeared.
　The sense of contentment he had been feeling on the verge of feeling was gone somewhere.
　I wasn't sure I was alive.

'Why me?　Mino and Leila you wouldn't be without a choice of fey, would you?
'We won't be able to keep the battalion together without Mino-san, and Leila and Faye....there are seniority implications.

　Kane stroked his stubble.
　Even if Mino was unavoidable, Leila was quite capable, and considering her family's background, it was no wonder that Faye was chosen.
　Rather, I don't understand why they would appoint Kane as a deputy.

''But, do you think the other guys will be satisfied with seniority?
'If seniority isn't enough for you, maybe a performance evaluation?　Kane acted as acting lord while I was away.
It was a good office job, not me.

　Twice he served as acting lord, but the first time he tried to do everything himself and failed.
　The second time I just cut corners where I could, and as a result there were no major problems.

'What's the real reason?'
I don't like the idea of having my mistress as my deputy.

　Crono swept his gaze awkwardly across the room.

'What if I say no?'
There will be an unemployed thirty-something.
I don't think that's a good idea.

　Kane stroked his chin.
　What can I say, the word unemployed makes me uneasy.
　I can't imagine myself not working.

'I get that there's no one suitable for the job. And I know that if I refused, I'd be unemployed. But will those guys agree?
"They?

　Kane muttered, and Crono tilted his head curiously.

'Of course he's my man, right?'
My people said they wanted Kane to be happy.
Are you already on the ground?

　They'd say that.
　I mean, aren't they too good at it?　Kane put his head in his hands.

'By the way, what am I supposed to do?
Your main job is to witness the signing of contracts.

　After all, that's the main reason to make me a deputy, Kane scratched his neck.
　When he was a mercenary, Kane got into trouble with the guild.
　He had taken slaves from the slavers.
　Normally, he could have been subject to a purge, but Sif, the guild master, said he would let it go if it was in his interest.

''I understand about the deputies. So, how much of a subordinate are you going to put on me?
....

　Kane asked, and Crono looked down apologetically.

'C'mon, what do you want me to do on my own?
That's Kane's caliber.
I've got a bunch of happy-go-lucky people in my kitty.
'Of course, I'll give you the money as much as is sensible, and if you have one or two, you can pull the clerk out.

　How much is a common sense range?", Kane was about to poke his head in, but stopped himself.
　Originally, it was a seed I sowed myself.

'When do I need to get people together?
The deputies' office is scheduled to start on April 1.

　Only two weeks to go, Kane let out a sigh.



What are you doing here?

　When Kane visited his office on the first floor of the Marquis' mansion, Elena, the owner of the room, said so at the opening.
　Elena glares at Kane through a stack of papers.
　Elena's attitude is stinging, but Kane takes it for granted.
　Until he joined the mercenary guild of the Free City State Group, Kane had been a member of a mercenary guild posing as bandits.
　It's not as if he had no choice but to live.
　If he just wanted to live, he could have just begged for money.
　Kane chose a life of being a taker.
　Since he chose that life for himself, he has no right to talk back. At least that's what Kane thinks.
　Kane moved to the window and picked up the vase that was placed there.

'....Good flower petals.
'It's a cheap one I bought at the Pix Trading Company. The flower died, but it's just sitting there because it's a pain in the ass to clean up.

　You're a thief and you can't even understand that?　I was going to start with small talk, but when I thought about it, Kane is not the kind of person to make small talk with Elena.
　I was going to start with small talk, but on second thought, Kane didn't have a relationship with Elena to make small talk with.
　Kane put the vase back in place and looked at Elena.

'I have a favor to ask you.
No, I don't want to. You don't have much time.
I'm going to be the Count of Caddo's deputy. Do you know any clerks who can pull it off?

　When Kane ignored him and said it, Elena looked like she'd bitten down on a bitter worm.
　Perhaps Crono had instructed her to cooperate.

''The only one who can pull it off right now is Wester.
Wester?

　Kane asked for the name back.
　He was close to the office staff there, as he was a tax collector as well as a street guard, but he couldn't remember Westa's face.

'She's the girl (Ko) with the big chest and always walking hunched over.
Oh, that stinky-looking bastard.
It's that dumbass-looking guy.

　Elena spat out, as if it wasn't funny that she found out just how big her breasts were.

'Is he a useful guy?'
He doesn't have a lot of experience and he's not very good at it, so he's a janitor.
Better than raising them from scratch?

　Kane stroked his chin.
　You can gain practical experience from this.
　If you don't like the way things are done, you will have to do more than others.

Let's talk to him.
You have Master Crono's permission to pull him out, right?
Just in case. But if you don't talk to him about it, he'll leave a bad taste in your mouth.
You're not just a hard worker. You're also a disciplinarian.

　Kane said, and Elena gave a sarcastic smile.

'Wester is Master Crono's slave, right?　Well, so do I.
You're not my slave. Bye.
　With that, Kane left Elena's office.

*

　Janitorial work.......that is to say, the menial tasks related to the office.
　Some of the chores include transporting documents.
　After asking where he was going in the office, Kane ran into Westa in front of Crono's office.
　He's definitely big-chested and hunched over, Kane thinks as he looks down at Westa.
　Westa looks up at Kane anxiously.
　His age is probably before twenty.
　His chest is huge.
　He hugs his papers to hide those breasts and is hunched over, as if trying to look as small as possible.
　He has a rather childish face, giving him a loose impression.
　Her hair is bright brown, and she keeps it in one bun, perhaps because it gets in the way of her work, but it's tied up in a very appropriate way.
　The eyes that look up at Kane are also brown.
　The emotion in them is frightened, or perhaps anxious.
　Kane doesn't intend to dress to be frightened, but since he didn't shave his beard for the good of not being pointed out by Crono, he might feel uneasy.
　Kane stroked his chin, wondering if he had to worry about looking better than before since he was now a deputy.

''Yo.....
Why, sir?

　I've frightened him, and Westa puts his arm holding the papers in a strong position.

''I'm Kane. This time, Count Caddo's ... actually, I'm witnessing a contract between a mercenary guild and a merchant in Sylvania, but I'm going to be a deputy anyway.
Kane, I've heard of you. Elena told me.
Isn't that a bad idea?

　Westa shook his face and denied it.

'I hear you're a serious man.
Really?

　Yes, Westa nodded.
　He couldn't imagine where Elena was evaluating him.
　Through Westa's subjectivity, the innuendo could be a compliment.

'The others, and Crono-sama, say so too.
Yeah?

　Hearing a compliment from someone else's mouth is an embarrassing thing, Kane scratched his neck.
　I don't think it's a good idea to go out of your way to tell him.

'Well, what do you want from me?
Sorry. Sorry, but I digress. I'm going to be a deputy and I need someone to support me in my work.

　Westa tilted his head curiously, as if he didn't understand.

'So I called on you for support.
'I can't work like Elena, can I?　And what will Master Crono say?
'Master Crono will be fine. As for the job don't worry about it because I'm just starting out with a hobby. To be honest with you, I'm not sure I'm up to the task, either.

　Kane laughed, and Westa laughed awkwardly, as if caught in the act.

'A little surprising,'
I'm surprised you think so. Anyway, I'm not so sure. You're doing a completely different job than what you're used to, and that's all the more reason to be anxious. But, if there is someone who is good at office work, it will allay some of your fears.　So I called out to him.

　Westa blinked at him in surprise, as if he wasn't used to being in a situation where he was needed.

'What will you do if I say no?'
There's no problem. You just keep your paperwork on, and I'll take care of myself.
Are you sure you're okay?

　You're biting off more than you can chew, Kane said, looking up to the heavens.
　But all you can see is the ceiling.

'If you're asking me if I'm okay, I'm not okay. But I'm not expecting that much from the start.'
Don't you need me to do it?

　When Kane cowered lightly, Westa said in a slightly sultry tone.

'More or less, I said.　But yeah. I think there's a difference between being thrown out on the battlefield unarmed, or being thrown out with a single knife, and that's about the extent of it.
I'm not sure, sir.
Well, picture it. This is a battlefield and you only have a knife. If you look around, you'll see a lot of people with swords and spears.
I don't think the knife is going to help.
'Yes. But one knife might save your life.

　Kane pulls up his sword belt.
　There is a sword engraved with the imperial coat of arms and a dagger forged in Goldie's workshop.

'Let me hear back to you in a couple of days.

　Tapping Wester's shoulder lightly, Kane left the scene.

*

　A little overdressed, Kane heads for a late lunch in the dining room - not the dining room of the Marquis' mansion or barracks, but the dining room run by an ex-soldier of the elves - to have a late lunch.
　My footsteps are heavy.
　After parting with Wester, I approached the Wiseman teacher, the head of the office, the landlady, and even Goldie, but with no success so far.
　Especially surprising was the head of the office.
　He looked like he was going to cry, just to get Westerns pulled out.

'Oh, are you eating now?'
"You?

　When Kane frowned, Elaine smiled lustily.
　I looked up and saw a sign for the 'Sinner Trade Association' - I usually avoid it, but I guess I was too absorbed in my thoughts.

'Do you enjoy disguises?'
I'm just using different things.

　Kane looked at Elaine.
　Unlike when she called herself Violet, she was less exposed.
　Her hair and her clothes are clean but plain.

''I'm taking a break now too. If you want, we can have dinner together.
I'm sorry...

　

'It's settled,'
Hey.

　Pan!　And Elaine clapped her hands together and pulled Kane's arm back.
　She could have shaken it off, but there were too many people watching her.
　Kane was taken upstairs to the second floor of the shop, unable to put up any kind of resistance.
　
　The room that Kane was taken to was probably being used as a resting place, with chairs arranged around a large table.
　This time of day seemed to be a late hour for the clerks working at the second shop of the 'Sinner Trade Union', so there were no clerks taking a break.

''I'll get our food right away. But don't expect much in the way of taste.''
Oh.

　Gui-Yin tugged up her sleeve and left the rest stop.
　Poke~ Kane waited for Elaine's return in a rambling manner.
　Elaine came back just as Kane poked his cheekbones to think about work.
　The only thing on the menu was soup and bread.
　Naturally, it was prepared for two people, but the amount was greater than the one offered to Kane.
　Kane brought the soup to his mouth, thinking that this kind of caring presentation would fool the man.

'How's that?'
It's not that bad.
Yeah?　I'm so relieved.

　It was easy to imagine what would happen next, so Kane silently scraped his soup and munched on his bread.
　Unlike Kane, Elaine continued to eat quietly.
　She ate elegantly, like an aristocrat.
　For a moment, the image of Fay stuffing her mouth full of food with munchies and Princess Tilia buying and eating at a stall passes through my mind, and I correct myself in my mind that this is a more elegant way of eating than a nobleman.

''That's a classy way to eat,''
I've been studying.

　Kane said when he finished eating, and Elaine wiped her unstained mouth with a napkin.
　Why did I have to eat with this guy?　And Kane let out a sigh.

'If you keep sighing all the time, your happiness will escape you. You've just come up through the ranks, haven't you?
How do you know this?
Master Crono told me.

　'That bastard,' said Kane, clenching his fists.

'Don't be angry. She's thinking about you in her own way.
I know what you're talking about.

　I guess he appointed Kane as a deputy and leaked the information to Elaine to keep Sif in check.

'It's not easy being your brother when you have a well-made brother.
He's the boss.
'But you're in the mood to be my brother, aren't you?　A bit wild for your brother, though.
"Don't be a seer. Yeah, you're right. I don't think he's too smart for his age.

　Kane admitted honestly, and Elaine snickered, as if to say it was funny.

'I think your brother's in trouble, don't you?　For example, we're short-handed or something like that.

　Elaine makes a lash and looks at Kane in the stream.
　It's a creepy, s*xy gesture, but Kane's instincts are alarming.

'If you can read, write and calculate, I can introduce you to someone who can read, write and calculate.
You're not going to charge me for this in the White House, are you?

　Elaine also has the face of an informant.
　There is a high probability that the person he was referred to will pass on information to Elaine.

'They don't trust you.
It sounds like you're asking me to be suspicious.

　It looks like he's checking my reaction, though, Kane added in his mind.
　Maybe I'm falling into Elaine's trap when I'm thinking about such things, though.

'So what do we do now?'
'You could buy a slave. But that doesn't mean you should try to blend your own people in, does it?
I wouldn't do that. After all, who would buy a guy you're blending in with?
You're going to root for the slavers, aren't you?
I don't have that much time. Besides, it's not hard to get the information we need to deal with the agency when we've got people standing in the harbor.

　'Excuse me,' said Elaine, puffing out her cheeks like a child.

''If you ask me, that's true. You can even find out the amount of money to hire a mercenary if you want to. Let's just release the information to the public.

　The role of the mercenary guild is to mediate work for the mercenaries in the guild, but this includes negotiating the amount of compensation with the client and dealing with problems.

''Won't the mercenary guild stare at you?''
If it was Sif's people, it wouldn't matter.

　Sif's people the barbarians of the Bethel Mountains, the mother of the mercenary guild, are so sanguine and disciplined that Kane would shudder.
　If Sif would bring them to them, it wouldn't be a problem to release the information to the public.
　Even if there was a problem, Sif would take care of it.

'If there's a problem,'
What?

　Kane said, and Elaine leaned back slightly.
　There was a cold light in Elaine's eyes that priced Kane out.

'That's where I don't quite understand Sif's purpose. I get that it's about opening up new markets, but I get the feeling that he has other purposes.

　Hmm, Elaine nodded disinterestedly.
　Since it was Elaine, she would have some information about that area.

''Just in case, could you tell Sif that, please?
It's about disclosure. I'd like to say I understand, but that's a request that assumes I'm in contact with Sif, right?
Isn't it?
It's the same.

　Kane asked back, and Elaine giggled.

'So I wonder if you'll hire my men?'
At least two of them.
You're just saying that.
You don't have a choice. You don't know how many people you're gonna need.
Well, that's okay.

　'Then don't say it,' said Kane, glaring at Elaine.

'At any rate, I'm glad my man has gotten a new job.
Oh, really?

　Kane stood up.

Thanks for the food.

　I thanked him and left.

*

　In the meantime, Kane headed back to the Marquis' mansion to report.
　At the gate of the Marquis' mansion, Kane stopped as he bumped into a woman.
　A woman ... a pair of women.
　Their clothes are plain, and their makeup seems to be heavy.
　They don't seem to be carrying concealed weapons, but their walk is somewhat awkward, perhaps because they are nervous.
　After wondering whether he should call out to them or not, Kane decided to leave them in silence.
　Of course, he was going to ask questions about the pair of women when he reported to Crono.
　He walked up the stairs and opened the door to the office, where Crono and Teacher Weissman were in the middle of talking about something.

'Should I come back out?'
This won't take long.

　Oh," Kane nodded lightly and stood by the door.
　Crono and Teacher Weissman seem to be discussing education.
　Kane half-listens to their conversation, saying that if he pushes his work any further, he'll die of quicksand, and Kane half-listens to their conversation.
　Teacher Wiseman Arthur Wiseman is the only teacher in the Crono territory.
　His flaw is that he is too good-natured, and because of this, he has to teach Crono's subordinates more than five hundred subhumans to study.
　The Wiseman teacher works diligently.
　It can be described as a great effort by the lioness.
However, inexplicably, there is a shortage of people, and the demand to be able to read and calculate is only growing.
　Well, part of the reason for this is the twin elves.
　Those two are already so happy about it that they boast about their cultivation.

''Then, please.''
I'll have it in shape by the end of the week or so.

　Kane's eyes widened in surprise.
　There was a whole stack of papers that Crono had handed to Teacher Wiseman.
　Oh, he's dead, Kane had a feeling that Teacher Wiseman was dead.
　He was still working, looking like he was going to die.
　If he worked any longer, he would die.
　Humans are not as stubborn as dwarves.
　But it would be a bad idea to give Crono an opinion in front of him.
　Especially since Teacher Wiseman is an old-fashioned knight.
　Kane resisted the urge to complain, and as soon as Teacher Wiseman left the office, he packed up with Crono.

'Oh come on, if you make him do that amount of work, Teacher Wiseman is going to die, right?　Is that it, or do you have a hobby of making your mentor overworked?
Well, relax.

　Oh, was I out of line?　And Kane reflects.
　Crono's hands are shaking in small increments.
　In short, he's scared.

'Sorry, I was out of line. But hey, Dr. Weissman works too hard, you know?　If you work any more than you do now, you're dead for sure.
'Well that's about it, I've decided to hire a new teacher.
I don't have to use honorific language, but... is it true?
'Yes, it's true. They have no experience as teachers, so I'm going to ask Mr. Weissman to take a two-week break from teaching the girls.
Yeah, those are the ones who crossed me. How did you find people like that?

　When Kane asked, Crono looked down.
　An unpleasant feeling........For some reason, what passed through his mind was the image of Elaine smiling high.

''Are you Elaine's man?''
Yes, that's right. No, no, I thought about it, but I couldn't bear the increasing demands of my subordinates and the exhaustion of Dr. Wiseman, who was getting more and more emaciated every day.
Are you sure you have the information you need?
'Oh, that's no problem. I'm going to convert one of the main towers into a school, and I've instructed the clerical people to take any paperwork they've missed out on to the workshop immediately, just in case.

　'You could have physically kept them away,' Kane chuckled at his lack of imagination.

'How's the gathering going?'
'I don't see any immediate results. Well, I think we can expect a good response from Wester. Other than that, I've decided to hire a slave and ... Elaine's men. Oh come on, don't look at me like that.
I haven't seen him.

　Crono turned away, and Kane couldn't bear to look away either.
　There was a strange sense of defeat, like being rolled in Elaine's palm.