*

　Sion smiled and handed the man his soup and bread.

　The man was a vagrant.

　He must not have eaten for days now.

　The man's throat moved up and down.

　I can't wait to eat.

　He could feel that feeling.

　Sion didn't blame the man for starting to eat on the spot.

　Humans could only be civil when they could afford it.

　But Theon's expectations were confirmed.

　The man put civility ahead of satisfying his hunger.

　The man hung his head deeply.

'Thank you, Priestess.'

'No, I'm just following the teachings of the 'Mother Goddess of Yellow Earth and Fertility'

　The man looked at Sion curiously, but quickly moved away from him.

　Sion unexpectedly remembered the time when he had been cooking in Hachel.

　The vagrants in Hachel were dressed in dingy clothes, but the vagrants in the Holy Argo Kingdom were wearing tired clothes, but the smell wasn't so bad.

　They only smelled a little sweaty.

　Theon wondered, but the mystery was soon solved.

　The Holy Argo Kingdom is rich in water.

　There are several wells in this city of Carina, and if you walk a little further, there is also a lake.

　It's not difficult to keep your body and clothes clean.

　Still, if they are dressed in a dingy outfit, it's probably because they have a reason for wanting to keep others away.

　There were other questions.

　The vagrants call Theon a priest 'Sama', and they look at me strangely when I tell them that Theon is following the teachings of the 'Ocher and Fertility Mother God'.

　The mission of the priests of the Temple of Loess is to spread agricultural knowledge and skills.

　The purpose of this mission is to share the blessings of the earth with more and more people.

　As a part of this mission, the Temple of Loess is organizing a soup kitchen.

　The line of vagrants broke off and Theon looked next to him.

　Then, he met eyes with the Blue Knight........and General Aqua.

　General Aqua smiled softly.

　It was as if the surroundings suddenly became brighter.

　It was that kind of smile.

''Good job.''

No, it's my job.

　Aqua's presence stimulated Theon's sense of inferiority.

　General Aqua works for his country, but Theon works for money.

　Crono promised that he wouldn't reduce the donations or the budget of the Salvation Hospital without Theon's help.

　But Theon was worried.

　If the donations were reduced, Granette and Plum would be transferred to another appointment.

　If the budget of the Relief and Poverty Institute was cut, they would have to lay off staff.

　The poorhouse's users would be left on the street.

　They would be disappointed by everyone.

　That much had to be avoided.

　Sion glanced at General Aqua and stole a glance at him.

　He's a beautiful man.

　He also said that he must be a very capable person, since he is serving as a general.

　Why did he become a military man?

　Do you have any regrets about being in the military?

　Do you feel that you made the right choice?

　These words are close to my throat.

'Ignis, I need you to help me.

My job is to oversee soup kitchens.

　When General Aqua's lips twitched in frustration, General Ignis replied with a mushy expression.

''Yes, well, General Ignis helped me with that, and...''

'You lit the wood for me, didn't you?

　General Aqua said teasingly.

　Theon was preparing for the cookout when he noticed that the flint was missing.

　He checked it several times, but he forgot to put it in.

　As Theon looked for the flint with tears in his eyes, General Ignis lit the firewood without saying a word.

''How dare you light the firewood with divine majesty techniques? You're going to get complained about by the people in the 'temple' again, aren't you?　What do you think of God's power?

Let the people who want to say it say it.

　Even though General Aqua emphasizes the 'also' part, General Ignis is not a fan of it.

　The Temple warns us not to use the Divine Authority Technique lightly.

　This commandment is easily loosened when donations are made, but using divine authority is considered a lack of reverence to use it lightly.

'I have no shame in it. It's wrong to accuse me of using divine majesty arts for the benefit of a hungry people.

　General Ignis said without moving slightly.

　Such a General Ignis looked one or two times bigger to Theon.

　No, maybe he should say that he was reminded of his own diminutive size.

　From a young age, Theon had felt that he had to become a priest.

　If his mother had lived, he might have been able to consult her, but she had returned to the earth before Sion could remember.

　It was an epidemic disease, apparently.

　When I learned that Theon could use the Divine Majesty Technique, my father was pleased when I decided to become a priest.

　And my father had graciously sent Sion to the imperial capital.

　Sion studied agriculture and theology in the temple of the imperial city.

　It was there that he felt uncomfortable.

　The boys and girls who were apprentice priests were like ordinary children.

　The girls in particular seemed to prefer talking to their peers rather than thinking about God.

　Sion tried to avoid getting involved with such girls as much as possible to study, but he felt that those girls enjoyed life more than Sion did.

　That feeling has become stronger and stronger now that he has lost his Divine Majesty Technique.

　I may have taken the wrong path to go down, Sion let out a small sigh.

　I think I thought of becoming a priest because I didn't want to disappoint my father.

　If he wanted to live a life other than as a priest, he might clash with his father.

　Fearing that possibility, he simply took the easy way out.

　There is no self-will anywhere.

　If there is anything, it is only the weakness of trying to avoid 'pain'.

　That's why the Mother Goddess of Fertility and Fertility has stopped lending her strength to Theon and has become dismissive of him, isn't it?

　Maybe it's time to consider a way of life other than that of a priest.

　However, Theon realized that he didn't have the 'strength' to abandon his faith, and he let out a big sigh.

　Crono looked at Sion from the second floor of the inn, saying that Sion-san is in trouble mode today, too.

　Sion let out a sigh with a gloomy expression.

　The cookout was a success, despite the accidental failure to find a flintlock.

　If I wanted to, I would have liked to have done a soup kitchen in a larger city.

　Crono and the others are in a city called Karina.

　The city of Kalina is a rather large city located north of Ignis' territory.

　Even though it's there, it's bigger and more developed than the city where Ignis's mansion is located.

　The city where Ignis' mansion is located does not have a single inn, but the city of Karina has two.

　The number of vagrants who have come to the soup kitchen is just over ten.

　It's a smaller number than Crono had expected, but the number should increase if they continue to work steadily.

　They might even be able to get the poorest of the poor to join them.

Crono, why don't you just let us do our job and find out what we can do for you?

Well, it sounds like I'm slacking off then.

　Crono turned around and looked at the entrance to the room.

　Then he saw Rio leaning against the wall.

　Today Rio wasn't wearing a military uniform, but a pair of linen trousers and a loose-fitting jacket.

　The collar of his jacket was wide open, exposing his collarbone.

'What was Crono doing in there?'

I was just carving a plate.

　Crono picked up the wooden plate on his desk and stuck it out to Rio.

　On one side of the plate was a posed Night Ranger, and on the other a carved image of a priest sitting on a king-like figure.

'So the Night Ranger is surrounded by an X and the other side has an X on it.

You don't need to be able to read to understand this.　All I have to do now is print, color, and scatter them around. Oh no, I had a hard time carving the X's and X's!

　Why don't you just add the circles and x's after you've printed them?　Crono realized as he was carving, but that was a good memory now that it was finished.

'Did you have to carve it here?　Besides, you brought the prints with you from the estate.

'The one I brought from the estate was the first one, and this print is the second one.

　The first print is by a dwarven artisan and is very well done.

　There are two patterns: one of a priest sitting on the king on all fours, and another of a giant priest eating a commoner with a spoon.

'Sometimes I think, Crono is quite versatile,'

Well, that's something.

　In case you're wondering, Crono has almost finished the compulsory education course.

　He can do rudimentary crafts, cooking and sewing.

　However, I don't feel bad about being praised.

''How was it with Rio?''

'There's been a lot of talk about the Night Ranger in its own right. Rumor has it that General Ignis is hiding his face and fighting the sub-humans.

　Rio cowered lightly.

　''I'm sorry for Ignis, but it's a shame if the people don't realize who the Red Knight is.

''Apparently, the information I've gathered isn't much different from Rio-dono's, is it?

　With that, Leonhardt walked into the room.

　A slamming sound echoed from downstairs, and Leonhard let out a small breath as if to say, "Oh dear.

　Then he moved away from the door to give way.

'Master Crono!　It's a big deal!

　Faye skidded and walked past the door.

'It's a big deal!　Master Crono!

　Faye almost skidded again this time, but she grabbed the vertical frame of the door and stopped.

　Today Faye is not armed.

　She's not wearing a military uniform, but a skirt.

''It's refreshing to see Faye in a skirt~''

Is that so?

　Faye scratched her head in embarrassment.

　'You look a little happy.

'I'm sooooo uncomfortable, sir.

　Faye picked at her skirt and twisted around.

'No, it looks good on you. I'd like to see Faye in a dress too~'

Mmm, I wish to be of service to Master Crono as a knight.

　Faye, despite her words, does not seem to be full of it.

　Crono was adamant that he would tailor a dress for Faye if he had the opportunity to attend the ball.

'Are you sure you're ready to report?'

'Yes, sir!　Master Crono, it's a big deal!

　Faye seemed to remember her errand at Rio's prodding and uttered the same line as when she walked into the room.

'Yes, what?'

It is a fake!

　Crono couldn't understand Faye's overly straightforward report and asked back.

'Of what?'

It is a fake Night Ranger!

It's happening so fast.

　Crono couldn't help but shout.

　Leonhardt, Rio, and Faye didn't seem to understand why Crono was yelling.

　The appearance of the fake is a story you see rather often in special effects and anime, not just Sentai stuff, but it's an episode that should be aired in the middle of the show.

　The Night Ranger has just gotten its members together, and yet the impostor makes an appearance.

What do you think?

Of course I'll crush you!

　Crono bit his teeth, wondering if hiding his face had backfired on him.

　If he pretended to be a night ranger and did whatever he wanted, the mission could be foiled.

'Faye, show me around!'

I understand, sir!

Leonhardt, get ready to go!

　Crono poked at Leonhardt, who stroked his chin thoughtfully.

'Hmm, I think I've read what's coming next, though.

　Leonhardt exhaled as if to sigh.

*

Master Crono, it is a fake!

....

　Crono was pouting in the town square where Faye had led him.

　Rio and Leonhardt giggled.

　A wooden stage had been set up in the town square.

　Quite a few people were gathered in the square.

　It seems to be a traveling entertainer's business.

''Crono-sama, are you going to crush them?

No, it's not.

　Faye readied her fists.

　As if appealing to his inner fighting spirit, Faye swung his lowered left arm like a pendulum.

''It's fake, right?''

We'll have to wait and see.

I understand, sir.

　Faye lowered her fist in a reluctant manner.

　Crono looked at the stage and saw the six actors standing on the stage.

''I am the Knight of the Flame!　Red Knight!

　The Red Knight announced himself high in the center of the stage and raised his fist in the air.

'Water Knight, Blue Knight!'

"Knight of Light!　White Knight!

"The Dark Knight!　The Dark Knight!

"Knight of the Wind!　Green Knight!

'Priest of the Earth!　Yellow Priest!

　The other five came forward one after another of the Red Knight's and paused to pose around the Red Knight and Blue Knight.

　Oh oh oh!　And the big friends shouted with delight.

　It was an easy to understand reaction.

　The night rangers on the stage are all women.

　Moreover, the skin color rate is high.

　Their breasts are covered with a long, thin cloth and their lower bodies are covered with pareo.

　You know what I mean!　And Crono shuddered.

　A long, thin piece of cloth was digging into his chest.

　It was biting into it.

'You're f*cked!　You guys!

Oh, the evil b*tc*!

　Crono shuddered with too much shock.

　The woman playing the role of the enemy was wearing a crown reminiscent of a bull's horn.

　But it wasn't the crown that was noteworthy.

　The hostile woman was a bikini armor.

　In addition, she was the owner of explosive breasts.

　Her breasts shook.

　The breasts shook when she stood up hard.

''I am going to complain about it!

Wait, wait, Faye!

　Crono grabbed Faye's wrist and tried to keep her back, but the cheating Faye dragged him back.

　Faye stopped after a few meters or so.

'That's a fake, isn't it?

Let me finish.

　Crono pleaded with Faye.

'Oh, does Crono like big breasts?'

I like small breasts, too, although I do like them.

　I like it?　And Rio smiled kindly.

　His lips formed a smile, but his eyes were not smiling.

'Lord Leonhardt!　Lord Leonhardt would understand how I feel, wouldn't he?

He's back at the inn.

　Crono looked around, but Rio's words cut off all hope.

　Leonhardt's instincts seem to be terrifyingly clear.

　As I thought, the man who has it is different.

''Nightblade!''

　The Red Knight drew his sword and slashed at the Evil Female Executive.

　Ha, the evil female cadre smiled ferociously and greeted the Red Knight.

''Heh, fascinating.''

　Rio muttered admiringly.

　The Red Knight and an evil female cadre were performing a fancy kill on the stage.

''We look more fake than you do, don't we?

　Crono had no choice but to admit that the original Night Ranger was defeated.

　If the fake Night Ranger is entertainment, the original Night Ranger is a school play.

　The only thing that wins is the realism of the antagonist and the special effects.

　But why is it the Night Ranger?　Crono nodded his head.

　The Night Ranger has just started working and is not well known.

　I don't understand why a traveling entertainer who can perform such a mesmerizing killing act would choose a Night Ranger.

　In the future, in order for Crono and the others to feel safe to act, they should check the other party's intentions.....................whose orders they are working under.

'Rio, Faye, let's move around a bit.

　Crono moved to a corner of the square and bent down in a suitable spot.

　Rio and Faye followed Crono's lead.

''What's wrong?''

I'm thinking of doing a night raid.

　Rio and Faye fell silent as Crono replied.

'Crono, what you're saying earlier is different?

I don't like the word "night raid", sir.

　Faye's words are harsh.

'I just want to make sure I know why you took a crack at the Night Ranger. I suppose we could gather information steadily but...'

But?

　Rio tilted his head curiously.

'The information isn't always correct.'

　Crono assured him, and Rio laughed with amusement.

　Rio Chiron was inexplicably fond of the negative side of humans.

'I don't even think he'll answer me with an honest question. That's why I want to launch a night raid and choke them out with a huge advantage.

Master Crono, what will you do if you can't get the back end of the story?

No problem.

　Mu~, said Faye, looking at Crono with half an eye.

''Crono-sama, it's not too late to do something. If you can't back it up, Crono-sama is a criminal who attacked a traveling entertainer in his sleep, right?

'Faye, thanks for the casual self-protection line. I would have liked to hear some knightly words if I could.

　Faye looked up into the void thoughtfully as Crono uttered a sarcastic remark.

'Master Crono, that is a crime!　As a knight, I cannot overlook the fact that Master Crono is trying to get out of the way!

'The admonition hurts my ears!'

　Crono held his ears at the knightly correctness of the argument.

'Then what are you going to do?'

That's what Crono-sama is good at, laying the groundwork. If you make the necessary arrangements first, there will be no problem even if you accidentally attack a good traveling entertainer.

Black!　And it's not like being a knight!

　He might not be blameless, but Faye's statement was a big deal.

''Authentically, I am a knight of Crono-sama, right?

d*mn it, you're right.

　Faye was Crono's knight in the sense that she knew the ways of the Crono.

*

　Crono returned to the inn and laid the groundwork.

　He asked Ignis flatly to let his lord pass the story on to him, as he wanted to attack a troupe of traveling entertainers to find out why he had cracked the Night Ranger.

　Sure enough, Ignis made a disgusted face.

　He even clicked his tongue.

　But Crono's hour-long persuasion paid off, and Ignis sat up heavy.

　Don't get your hopes up, Ignis said, and headed to the lord's mansion.

　A short time later, Ignis returned from the lord's mansion with a reluctant look on his face.

　Was he being sarcastic because the negotiations had failed?　Crono thought, but it was different.

　The negotiations were successful, and Ignis returned with a handful of information about the traveling artist.

　According to Ignis, the lord was willing to accept the request for cooperation.

　Not only that, he said, but he also gave him information about the traveling entertainers.

　Crono left Sion and Aqua at the inn and ran off into the night city.

　Crono and the others lost themselves in the shadows of the night and headed to the inn where the troupe of traveling entertainers were staying.

''It's about time you got in a good mood.

I'm not angry with you.

　Ignis replied in an exasperated tone.

　Perhaps Ignis thought that the lord would refuse to cooperate with him.

　However, the lord was willing to cooperate.

　Of course, he didn't want to cooperate with Ignis out of good intentions.

　The lord's objective was to maintain the trade routes.

　By going through Ignis' territory, he could obtain salt and spices far cheaper than when he went through the East-West Highway.

　They would at least pay some convenience.

　Well, maybe that's not so interesting to Ignis.

"...here...

　Crono looked up at the building and checked the signs.

'Hey, what's the plan?'

Let's hide in here. It's gonna be quite public.

　Crono stepped into the alleyway between the inn and the next building and stopped at a suitable spot.

'Then let me explain the plan.'

　Crono looked over the faces of all of them and said in a low voice.

'It's me, General Ignis and Lord Leonhardt who are going in. On the count of three, I'll throw this in, and Rio and Faye, please back up.

What's that?

　When Crono took out a jewel the size of a thumbnail from the pouch at his waist, Ignis gave him a quizzical look.

　Even if it's called a jewel, it's not worth much.

''It's a magic item 'Stun Grenade' that generates flashes and explosive sounds. It temporarily deprives the enemy of sight and hearing, disabling them.

　That should be the case, Crono added in his mind.

　'The stun grenades are prototypes, and we don't know how well they'll work.

'I'll throw it in one, two, three, so Rio can make sure no sound leaks out of the room, and Faye can make sure no light leaks out.

It's not going to be easy, is it?

I understand, sir!

　You're both reliable~, Crono nodded, just as Crono heard a clatter from above.

　Crono reflexively looked up and met eyes with the evil female executive.

　The evil female cadre opened the armor door.

''Three!''

Crono!

You're missing one or two!

　As Crono threw the stun grenade at the window, the evil female executive turned herself around.

　Immediately after, the stun grenade jumped into the room.

'God!'

　Rio and Faye's voices overlap.

　The stun grenades must be in effect, but there's no light and explosions.

'Enter!'

　Crono activated the imprint.

　A jet black light colored Crono's body like a barbarian's war makeup.

　The imprint draws out Crono's physical abilities to the limit.

　The corners of Crono's mouth lifted at the corner of his mouth at the temporary beginning of his versatility, but the temporary beginning of his versatility soon disappeared.

　He could only use it for a short period of time because his body would break down, and even if he paid that much risk, he couldn't match the real thing like Fay.

　Crono alternately kicked the walls of the inn and the adjacent building and ran up to the window.

　Finally, he kicked the wall hard and jumped into the room through the open window.

　Maybe it was too powerful, Crono looked around the room and broke out in a cold sweat.

　The fake Night Ranger and the evil female cadre were down.

　All of them didn't move a muscle.

　What to do, Crono was at a loss, and looked up at the ceiling.

　At that moment, the evil female cadre rose up like a spring-loaded toy and flashed her arms.

　A silver glow passed in front of Crono's eyes.

　The true identity of the silver light is the dagger that the evil female cadre held in her hand.

　The reason he was able to duck the dagger wasn't because of his training, but because he was keeping his distance from the false night rangers.

　Can we successfully neutralize them?　And Crono held up his fist as he heard the gritty, gritty sounds that echoed from inside his body.

'Lord Crono, wait for me.'

　Crono released his stance with relief at the sound of Leonhardt's voice.

　The reason why the evil female cadre didn't attack was probably because of Leonhardt and Ignis' presence.

　Crono turned his gaze to Leonhardt and Ignis while being wary of the evil female cadre.

''........You guys are from the Empire, right?''

　Leonhardt pointed out, and the evil female executive knelt down.

*

　You don't have to stare so much, Crono leaned against the wall and turned his gaze away from the fake Night Ranger and the evil female cadre.

　They all stared at Crono with eyes that looked like they were avenging their parents.

　Leonhard-dono is a bad person, too.

　If you knew, you should have told me, Crono crossed his arms.

　However, they didn't belong to an imperial institution, but rather a troupe of traveling entertainers with a nobleman as their patron.

　They receive funding from the nobleman, perform plays on the themes that the nobleman requests, and tell the stories they hear on their travels.

　In short, they play a part in the gathering and manipulation of information.

　No matter how you look at it, the patron noblemen are from the military service bureau or a similar department, but the girls seem to understand that.

　They say that they are grateful for the support of the nobility, even if there is something behind it.

"But why are you a Night Ranger?

....

　When Crono asked, the fake night ranger and the evil female executive turned away puissantly.

　Apparently, they are rooted in the fact that Crono threw a stun grenade into the air.

''Will you answer me?''

Yes, Master Leonhardt.

"Do you understand that we are at least gathering information?

I don't know!　I'd say, "But I don't want to be noticed in The Temple, so I feel like I've chosen a subject that I can get away with?

　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends.

　It's not as if this guy isn't an idiot.

You're not going to be able to get your hands on it.

Why are you asking me?

No, well, sort of.

　Crono was questioned back by Ignis and answered vaguely.

　Ignis must know that they are agents from their previous interactions, but they don't seem to have any intention of taking care of them.

　Well, they are agents who talk about themselves in a flippant manner.

　It's possible that they're actually good agents, but Ignis may have thought he should use them rather than kill them.

'What do you think?'

'I don't know how well it will work, but it might help raise the profile of the Night Ranger, and I think I'll let him continue in the box office.

　Ignis stared at the false night ranger and the evil female cadre.

　The fake night ranger and the evil female cadre trembled as if they were pressured by Ignis' power.

'I will respect your opinion.'

Are you sure?

Isn't that what you said?

　'Yes,' interrupted Crono.

'Well, all right. I'll give you the script so you can link it to our activities. Then I'd like to talk to the scriptwriter.

*

　The next day, Crono stared at the stage from a distance and gnashed his teeth.

　The stage was just as busy as it was yesterday.

　No, the audience was larger than yesterday.

　The addition of the comedy element had captured a new audience.

　The comedy element is the support characters.

　Their appearance is a faithful reproduction of the illustration, a barrel with arms and legs.

　The face is drawn on the barrel, which could be described as cute, but for some reason, the right eye is an "x".

　This support character, for all his comical appearance, has a ghastly personality.

　He's a prick who stalks the evil female leadership and tries to attack them in their sleep.

This magic item would be a prick in one piece.

　The barrel swung his arms around.

　But the barrel lost its balance and fell down and began to roll around in a rumble.

　As it was, the barrel left the stage.

''De, de Gesu~!

　Immediately after I heard a voice inviting pity, a roar rang out.

　For some reason, it's an idiot's delight to the audience.

Master Crono, it was all an act.

Yes, Crono.

　Faye and Rio tapped Crono on the shoulder.

　The words were caring, but they were both desperately trying to hold back their laughter.

'It's an act, but it feels terribly malicious!　Using my name for that prickly support character is a level of harassment that makes me bellyache!

　Yes, the support character's name is 'Crono'.

　Crono gnashed his teeth.

　He didn't ask for copyright fees, and he had to return the favor for providing the script.

　It was an abusive word or two.

"Play, play, play.

We're busy on our own.

"Rio, Faye, let go!　I won't be happy unless I say a word to those women!

　Rio and Faye took Crono's arm and began to walk away.

　Crono resisted as best he could, but Rio and Faye's speed didn't change at all.