*

　It's easier to be comfortable compared to Japan, but what's hot is hot... Crono looked up at the sun in a disgusted mood.
　The Cepheus Empire and the Holy Argo Kingdom are less humid than Japan, and you can get cooler in the shade of a tree.
　I'd like to cool off, but it's my job, Crono said as he headed to the cafeteria and tavern to gather information today.
　Crono entered the diner-cum-tavern through the open door and took a seat at his designated seat.......at the counter.

''Welcome~''
Tex.

　Crono ordered from Milay and looked around the diner-cum-tavern.
　The cafeteria-cum-tavern was crowded.
　The seats were probably eighty percent full.
　The people sitting there were not city dwellers, but merchants who had come to buy salt and spices.
　I'm sure you'll find that the counter is empty, even though it's reasonably crowded, because the merchants are paying attention to Crono.
　However, the merchants are concerned about Ignis' relatives, not Crono personally.
　A month has passed since Crono came to the Holy Argo Kingdom.
　It seems that the distribution of the East and West Roads has declined due to the activities of the separate forces.
　It's unclear how much damage has been done, but it seems that the price of salt and spices have skyrocketed in some territories and the distribution of salt has stopped.
　Arideed, Deneb, aren't you trying too hard?　Crono felt uneasy, but according to Elaine, the reason why the price of salt and spices skyrocketed and the distribution of salt stopped was because overreacting merchants were reluctant to sell or buy up salt and spices.
　Some people may have been agitated, but the economy is so fragile, Crono felt such an emotion.
　He had an idea of who had agitated him, but he should probably dare to ignore it.
　Come to think of it, I think I heard a story similar to this somewhere, Crono poked his cheekbones and suddenly remembered the history lesson.......the toilet paper riot.
　The toilet paper riot was an incident in 1973 when rumors started that there would be no more toilet paper and panicked people went on a toilet paper hoarding spree.
　Toilet paper riots are said to be caused by anxiety, and the fact that merchants came to buy salt and spices in Ignis's territory may be an expression of their desire to ease their anxiety by securing new trade routes.

'I see~'
'What?　What?
No, no, no.

　Weird, Milay muttered softly and put the plate on the counter.
　It's not a warm soup, but a hot one.
　The saltiness is perfect.

'How's the economy?'
As you can see, business is booming.

　Milay smiled.
　Not a very happy one, but a weak smile.
　Crono brought the shredded bread to his mouth and sipped the soup.

'What's going on?'
Look, a lot of things have changed, and I'm a little confused.

　Milay stroked her threaded bracelet.
　Since the merchants started coming to town, the diner-cum-tavern had become more focused on noon business.
　It's unsettling to see the situation change when you don't know what's going on~, Crono reflected on his lack of thoughtfulness.
　He had asked someone he could trust in his territory to root around, or deliberately let the information out.

'Mirei, I'd like to keep this between us.
What?

　Crono leaned forward and said, and Milay asked back, puzzled.

'Will you promise me?'
I promise.

　Mirei nodded with a serious face.
　If you think about it calmly, you would know that he wouldn't confide information that had to be kept secret in a public place, but Milay's mind didn't seem to be working on the suddenness of the situation.

''........Little Father Ignis is trying to strengthen his influence.
Influence.

　Milay gulped and swallowed raw.

'Why?'
Yes, little Ignis.

　Crono cuts off the words and looks around.
　It's an appeal to be vigilant.

'Father Ignis seems to think it's not a good idea for the 'temple' to have too much influence. That's why he's trying to develop trade.

　Milay tilted his head as if he didn't understand.

'You see, if Father Ignis set up a trading post, not only will he make money, but he will also have a stake in the merchants, right?　If they're not involved, or if they are, they'll cooperate.
Does that have anything to do with us?
Of course.

　Crono puffed out his chest.

'If the merchants come, we could make money on the dining room and tavern, rent out the empty rooms and maybe even have an inn. That's not all. Little Father Ignis is also thinking of spending money for the benefit of the lords.
That's right.

　Milay seemed to be dismayed by the size of the story, but there was no accusation against Ignis.
　This was probably thanks to Ignis's good government.

'It's a secret between us, you know.

　Yeah, Milay gave a small nod.
　Well, even if Milay is silent, the merchants will tell them off.
　It's because trade that isn't affected by the 'temple' is also profitable for the merchants.



　After finishing his meal, Crono headed out of the city.
　When Crono walked out of the city, he found a row of tents there.
　It was a wholesale market that Elaine had made possible.
　The deal was already done and all that was left was to clear the tents.
　Crono was impressed with Elaine's ability to make the wholesale market a reality in just one month.
　I knew it was probably Elaine's fault that the price of salt and spices had skyrocketed and distribution had stopped, though I also thought that it was Elaine's fault.
　Crono looked at the 'Sinner Trade Union Counselor Shop'.
　Elaine had her back to him and was sitting in a crude chair.

''How's the economy?''
It's all right. God, I thought I'd have a little more monopoly on the profits.

　Elaine is complaining about the merchant's light footwork.
　Just before the wholesale market was to be held, merchants from the Count of Caddo arrived.

''You're not the one who gave them the information, are you?
You've made the rounds.

　Elaine's cheeks twitched.
　'You little brat,' she said, a look that could have made her say.

'Even if I hadn't told you, you would have found out sooner.
I know.

　Elaine spat.
　''The 'Sinner Trade Union' is getting a lot of attention from our peers.

''You could have at least waited until our business was up and running.　We're taking a risk for free.
It's the fate of the trailblazer, I guess.
'Normal pioneers don't have a rival standing right behind them.

　Elaine let out a sigh and shook her head in an acting gesture.
　Ignis has exempted her from the wholesale market entry fee for ten years, but it's a small advantage.

''........Lady Elaine.

　A voice, like the ringing of a bell, came from outside the tent.
　Crono turned around and saw a woman standing outside the tent, dressed in travel gear.
　The woman was probably younger than Elaine.
　Her brown hair was neatly tied up.
　Her body lines are smart.
　She's not flashy, but she's quite beautiful.
　However, her expression is subtle.
　Can we call her a stunned expression?
　If you call her sleepy, she looks sleepy, and if you call her grumpy, she looks grumpy.
　If you say they look happy, they can't help but look happy.

'Elaine-sama, is this all the cargo you have?'
Siana.

　Elaine called out the woman's name and let out a sigh.
　Several loaded carriages were lined up behind the woman called Siana.

'I'm just curious, what are they carrying?'
'Wool. The wool of the sheep raised in the Holy Argo Kingdom is of good quality and fetched a high price in the Free City States.

　Siana explained matter-of-factly.
　If we transported them from Ignis' territory to the Free City State group via Crono's territory, there would be no tolls, so we'd make a raggedy profit.

''Elaine, Elaine Sinar?　I thought you said earlier that the economy was in good shape?
Oh, I just said that's about right.

　Elaine said without seeming to take offense.
　A chill crawled up his spine and Crono reflexively turned around.
　Then he saw Siana tilting her head slightly to look at Crono.
　Crono retreated without taking his gaze away from Siana and hid behind Elaine.

What's going on?
I have a bad feeling about this.

　Crono saw something ominous in the light in Siana's eyes.
　How shall I cook this fish?　Siana looked at Crono with her eyes.

'Siana, you can go now.
I understand.

　Elaine said, and Siana gave a small nod and got into the wagon.
　The wagon that Siana rode in went on, and the other wagons followed.
　Crono peeked out of the tent to see that Siana was far enough away and patted his chest in relief.

'After all, I wonder if your senses are honed after you've ducked under the dead line so many times?
Just because you can see the danger, doesn't mean you can't respond to it.
That's true.

　Crono said, and Elaine let out a sneaky laugh.

'What kind of person are you?'
'Sorry, but I have no taste for exposing my hand.

　I'm sure they're combat personnel, but just making them think they might have a hand like that would make it hard to bypass them.
　Crono scratched his neck, "There's not always one combatant," he said.

'What about that one?'
'A lot of people seem to be anxious about the sudden change. I've been giving them a little bit of information, so I think that's going to ease their fears a little bit.
It's not very reliable.
I'm a soldier and a lord in my day job.

　Crono added in his mind, "Both of them are at a level where they're managing to serve with the help of their subordinates.

'Now we can move on to the next step in the operation.
Another skit?
We're doing a soup kitchen this time.

　Muhu, Crono exhaled through his nose.
　He had been rooting around for skits and cookouts in the surrounding territory until now.
　Well, it was Ignis who actually did the rooting.

''At this rate, we're going to end up with a faction of General Ignis.
....

　Crono smiled, not answering Elaine's question.



"Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone today. Oh?

　When Crono entered Ignis's room on the third floor of the mansion, he saw the first guest.
　It was a woman with a blue tassel pulled down from her shoulders.
　She was probably about the same height as Crono, or maybe a little shorter.
　She was out where it showed and retracted where it retracted.
　She has a well-built figure.
　His dark brown hair is short like a boy's, and his horizontal hair bounces inward.
　He wears a military uniform, so he's a colleague of Ignis'...or maybe a bit closer to him.
　The always grumpy Ignis had a soft expression on her face.
　The woman looked at Crono.
　This is bad, Crono thought.
　After all, Crono was in the middle of a top secret mission.
　There is nothing good about having a military man remember your face.
　Crono took a step or two back, stepped out of the room and hid himself behind a wall.
　However, he only hid the right half of his body.

'You always seem to be in a bad mood when you're with me, Jae, Geraci!
"...what are you doing?

　Ignis covered his face with his left hand and let out a sigh.

'It's nice to meet you, my name is Crono, a relative of General Ignis!

　Crono quickly closed the distance and tightened his grip on the woman's hand.
　The woman looked at Ignis with a puzzled look on her face.

'Ignis, when did you get more relatives?'
'No!　They're distant relatives, and I only recently found out that General Ignis is a relative of mine too!

　Crono said as he wound up, expecting Ignis to cover him.
　If Ignis is covering us, we can fool him.

''This is the reinforcements from the Cepheus Empire.
Don't take the ladder off all of a sudden!
Calm down.

　Ignis controlled Crono with his hand as he tried to crowd him.

'I'd like to introduce you. She's Aqua Alphard. She's one of the six generals, and at the behest of King Magnus she's agreed to help us, albeit unofficially.
'Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.

　Then the woman........Aqua smiled.

''What does this have to do with the 'Goddess of Blue and Life'?''
That's right. Aqua is a master of divine magic.

　'Hmmm,' nodded Crono.

'So there's another Terra of the earth, Wentz of the wind, right?
What about it?

　'Nothing,' said Crono, the corners of his mouth hanging up.

'If you have something to say, speak up.
Ignis, don't do that. You're hot. It's a bad habit.

　Aqua chided, and Ignis obeyed with a sense of reluctance.

'Lord Crono, it is a pleasure to meet you.
Honorable?
Yeah, I was just curious about you.

　Aqua looked down in embarrassment.
　Crono was in a strangely cold mood.

''It's an honor on my part. I didn't expect that a user of the Divine Majesty Technique of the 'Goddess of Blue and Life' would appear so quickly.

　Crono grinned, and Aqua backed away.

Aqua, run!
'What?　Huh?

　Crono blocked Aqua's bewildered retreat.
　Well, there was a good chance that Crono would be kicked out by Aqua with a blow.

'You, Blue Knight!

　The chrono is zubizzy!　He pointed at Aqua.
　Aqua doesn't seem to understand what it means and is pouting.

'Blue Knight?'
'Let me explain!　The Blue Knight is a member of the Night Ranger. By the way, the Knight Rangers are six knights who have received the blessing of the Six Pillar God. Their purpose is to go beyond the confines of the 'Temple' and engage in vigilante activities!

　Aqua turned her gaze to Ignis.
　Is she okay?　He looks as if to say.

'Night Ranger, go!　Before ... how about laying the groundwork?

　Ignis grimaced and lightly tapped the bundle of parchment on his desk.

'Heh, that's going well.'
How do you know?
'No, General Ignis was in a bad mood, so the surrounding lords must have given a good response~'

　Ignis looked like he was about to cluck his tongue.

'As soon as you see that it's profitable, this is it.
Ignis, you shouldn't talk like that.
'That's right. I'm not so much concerned with future disadvantages as I am with short-term gains. That's the way it is with ordinary people.

　When Aqua and Crono said that, Ignis looked more and more reluctant.
　Crono could understand Ignis's feelings, but he could also understand the feelings of the lord who offered his cooperation.
　Even lords have things to protect.
　If it's necessary for that reason, he will even flirt with the 'temple'.
　Rather, people like Ignis are in the minority.

''The trade over here isn't on the right track, so I think it's a great decision.
I know that.

　Ignis didn't say anything more.

'Then again ... the Night Ranger sails!

　Crono shouted, and Ignis let out a deep sigh.

*

The Night Ranger.
　Lyricist and composer Crono

　Earth is in trouble!　Go, go, go!　Effen Effen!

*

　The village was under threat.
　Three sub-humans - a minotaur and two werewolves - had appeared and demanded money and food.
　Of course, the villagers resisted, weapons in hand.
　Because if they were deprived of their gold and food, they would have to die or become slaves.
　But the villagers were not able to hurt the sub-humans.
　It was a natural result.
　There are countless hurdles to overcome in order to fight.
　It's a mistake to think that you can fight just by picking up a weapon.
　The weapons that the villagers unleashed cut through the sky and the sub-human's attacks made the villagers crawl to the ground.
　No, for the sub-human, it was probably just a little poke in the armor.
　In fact, none of them were seriously injured.
　The sub-human is holding back.
　And that too with all their might.
　That fact easily broke the hearts of the villagers.
　When the villagers were piling up their food in the middle of the village.

That's enough, sir!

　A woman's voice rang out.

'This, this voice!' (BUMO!)
"Master on the roof! (GASP!)
He's here! (GASP!)

　The two werewolves pointed to ... a woman on the roof.
　The woman was dressed in a jet-black costume and had a mask covering half of her face.

''Da, Dark Knight!　You're in my way again! (BUMO!)
'When the innocent are suffering, the Night Ranger will appear!　Toh-oh!

　The woman ... the Dark Knight landed on the ground with a spectacular leap.

'Does that mean the Dark Knight is here?' (BMO?)
Yes, sir!

　The Dark Knight shouted, and men and women dressed in red, blue, white, green and yellow costumes rushed to the Dark Knight.

'I am the Knight of Fire!　Red Knight!

　The Red Knight came forward in desperation and thrust his left arm up.
　Shugor, a red light rises from the Red Knight.

''I am the Knight of Light!　White Knight!
"Knight of the Wind!　Green Knight!
'Priest of the Earth!　Yellow Priest!

　White Knight, Green Knight, Yellow Priest, and Yellow Priest come forward one by one, posing around the Red Knight and another... the woman in the blue costume.
　Since she is wearing a blue costume, she must be a blue certainty, but the woman in the blue costume is looking down in embarrassment.

''Who the hell is that guy!'' (BUMO!)
I'm a water........

　The woman in the blue outfit said in a voice that sounded like a mosquito buzzing.
　'Ahhh,' the Green Knight said, 'I knew it.

'Don't think about it,'
Good luck to you.
It is a fight.
Uh-oh.

　As the Red Knight, White Knight and Dark Knight encouraged her, the woman in the blue costume turned red and moaned.
　She looked like she was about to start crying.
　A small stone flew at the feet of the woman in blue.
　The woman in blue looked up with a huff and stared at the shadows of the building.

'I am!　Well, the water.........

　The woman in blue raised her voice, but it didn't last long.
　By the time she finished saying her name, her voice had reverted to the buzzing of a mosquito.

''Master, water knight!'' (GASP!)
Blue Knight, I said! (GASP!)
"What!　The Blue Knight!' (BUMO!)

　The villagers shuddered.
　Sub-humans ... especially beastmen are supposed to have a good sense of hearing and smell, but the two werewolves had heard such a small voice.

''Ah, yes, yes.''

　Blue Knight looked up happily and posed.
　This was another really shy pose.

'Do it!' (BUMO!)
Yeah! (GASP!)

　Two werewolves followed the Minotaur's orders and attacked the Dark Knight.

'Nightblazeade, that is!

　The Dark Knight drew his sword and cut loose with the two werewolves.
　The two werewolves were a great combination, but the Dark Knight was one or two better than the other.
　The two werewolves were cut down by the Dark Knight.
　There was no blood, though.

''The Nightblade is a non-lethal weapon!　By God's grace ... even if you slash it, you will not die!　Reynolds!　Is the Night Bazooka ready enough!

　When the Dark Knight turned around, the other five were carrying what looked like a ragged and decorated log.

''Night bazooka, shoot!''
It's too soon!

　Red, blue, white, and green lights were emitted from the log with the Red Knight's cry.

''Guhya~! (BUMO!)

　When the light hit, red, white, green, blue, dark, yellow.......six colors of light blasted out of the minotaur's body.
　As the minotaur fell to the ground, the two werewolves stood up as if nothing had happened.

''Master!'' (GASP!)
Boys, I remember! (GASP!)

　The two werewolves carried the minotaur and staggered out of the village.

The two werewolves carried the minotaurs and staggered out of the village.

　Crono greeted his second-in-command, White and Hiilo with a smile as they returned to the boxcarriage.

'No! That was a great performance by all three of you!　Especially the follow-up with White and Hairo was great!
"We did our best.
The play didn't stop.

　White and Hiilo were proudly puffing their chests and wagging their tails.
　After a while, Ignis and the others returned.
　Ignis isn't as exhausted as she was at the beginning, but Aqua is in a state where she's finally walking with Ignis' shoulder.

''After all, it looks like it was the right decision to incorporate a sword fight.
It takes a long time to prepare for the Night Bazooka.

　Leonhard nodded with satisfaction and Rio cowered his shoulders.

''Mmmm, I wish you had waited for me to return. It's a failure, isn't it?
'But it was a great sword fight. I was mesmerized by it.
Is that so?

　Faye looked unhappy, but a big smile appeared on her face at Sion's praise.

''........Aqua-san.
Yes, sir.
Wait, Aqua's tired.

　Crono ignored Ignis's words and stood in front of Aqua.

'You'll have to say your name properly. I'm in trouble. White and Hiilo followed through this time, but if you can't do it properly, I'll drop you from the role of Blue Knight.
What?

　Can I quit?　And Aqua looks a little pleased.

'In return, you will play the role of an evil female executive.
Female officer?
Exactly!

　Crono picked up the script and thrust the setting page at Aqua.
　It's a simple illustration, as I'm not much of a painter.

'Hee!'
"Bioneer armor!　With the increased exposure, your big friends are going to love it!

　Haha~!　Crono laughed.

I'm so embarrassed I'm going to die. Oh, please!　Next time, I'll get it right the next time!

　Aqua paled and clutched at Crono.

'You prick,'
Thank you, that's the best compliment I could ask for.

　Ignis swore at the illustration of the female executive, but Crono's chest heaved.

'Lord Crono, this is...'
It's not really your armor, is it?

　Leonhard drawled, and Rio seemed to think it was none of his business and said in an easygoing tone.

''It's ... impossible, sir.

　Faye compared her breasts to the illustration of the female executive and blurted out.
　Theon looked down in embarrassment.

'Well, since you seem to understand the penalty, let's go to the next village.
Wait.

　Crono clicked his tongue when Ignis stopped him.
　He was quite a sharp man despite the fact that he flushed it out so smoothly.

''You mean the penalty is us ... guys too?''
Ignis, you're crazy!
That's important.

　Ignis said back to Aqua, whose eyes widened in astonishment.

'Well?'
Men, this is it.

　Crono opened the script and thrust a page of settings at Ignis.

''A ... barrel?''
It's like a barrel.
It's a lot of color.

　The men ... Ignis, Leonhardt and Rio muttered as they looked at the illustration.
　On the paper was an illustration of a barrel with a limb growing on it.

''Crono-sama, what is this?''
'It's a support character. When the men are relegated, they will play this character. His name will be 'Rock' and the word will end in 'Guess'.

　A shiver ran through the men.

'Come on, let's get on with the next village.

　Crono lifted the corners of his mouth.