*

"...so here's what I was told to do...
Wow, you're moving fast.

　Crono heard Kane's report and exclaimed in admiration.
　According to Kane's report, a peddler and his companion had been killed by the Banded Wolf, a barbarian wolf.
　Their deaths must be important, but the countermeasures against the Barbarian Sword Wolf cannot be neglected either.
　Any beast that has acquired a taste for humans must be exterminated.
　Especially if it is a beast that has a strong attachment to its prey.
　I want to deal with it right away, but professional hunters are not under Crono's command.
　If I had to say, it would be Suu, but I don't think he can handle it all by himself.
　Fortunately, or should I say, the leading merchants in Sylvania have proposed a countermeasure against the barbarian sword wolves through Kane.
　That proposal was to increase the number of mercenaries belonging to the Mercenary Guild and invite experts.
　They said they would reduce the number of caravans and ensure the safety of the territory's people until the number of mercenaries and the experts have been invited, and they would bear the costs themselves.
　That's a neat proposal for Elaine-san, Crono crossed his arms.
　Elaine would try to take advantage of this opportunity and take the initiative.
　'If it's not Elaine-san,' he chuckles, 'then it's Nicola-san.

''What do you think?''
'I'll drink. I don't even know where to start when it comes to mountain hunting.

　Kukuku, Kane laughed in a stifled voice.
　A normal nobleman would be concerned about his face, but he had no intention of weighing his face and the lives of his men.

''But, isn't there a problem with accepting too many people from the Bethel Mountains?　You'll accept their families after this, won't you?'
That's a bit of a headache, isn't it?

　If you take in a family of mercenaries, the ratio to the current residents will be reversed.
　The residents we have now are also all people who moved here from other places, but even so, they won't feel good about it.

'Sif says he wants to move to a richer land and farm or something.
It's not going to happen overnight.

　Kane said in a dumbfounded tone.

'Aren't you surprised that he wants to settle down?
Well, yeah.

　Kane didn't seem too surprised.
　Crono wasn't too surprised when Sif told him the story.
　Oh, I knew it, that's all I thought.

'So you accepted it, right?　No, that story went through first, so you easily swallowed Elaine and the others' proposal.''
That's what I mean. I was pretty torn about it.
Of course it is.

　Kane's tone is simple.

'Why did you decide to accept it?'
"Trust Sif.
At worst, we can use force to subdue it.

　Kane said in a tone of voice that said he was convinced. It's a dialogue and tone of voice that completely ignores the flow of the conversation.
　In short, he doesn't believe Crono's words.
　When Sif and the others revolted in Count Caddo's territory, it's possible to put down the rebellion.
　Of course, they don't think it will be easy, but if they take it to a war of attrition, Crono will ultimately win.
　Even if the mercenaries in the Bethel Mountains are elite, it's impossible for them to continue fighting without resupply.

''I'm not lying when I say I trust Sif.

　The ability to lead without causing problems for your staff in a foreign land, the patience to choose a surefire way to achieve your goals, even if it takes a long way, and the patience to wait until the time is ripe...there are many other things to learn.

Well, that's why we got screwed this time!
We'll need guards to trade with the Holy Argo Kingdom. If the outer moat is filled in, we won't be able to negotiate forcefully.

　Kane seemed to understand.

Well, well, the Union of Tribes is paying for the settlement, and they're willing to pay the taxes, so it's a win-win situation for us.

　Crono adds in his mind, "There are some benefits I can't say, though.

'Now, if only Sif would join the leading lights of Sylvania, I'd have no complaints.
'It's just a matter of time, right?　No matter how many mercenaries you are, you can't expect them to risk their lives for the city and not have a say in it.''

　'Oh,' Kane muttered quietly.

'Are you going for that too?'

　'Correct,' said Crono, clapping his hands.

'I want Sylvania to be a city where everyone is free to do business, but I'm worried about not knowing what's going on in the city, and I'm even more worried about not having any room for my own interference.

　Crono leaned back in his chair.

'Back to the beginning, though. You're not going to do anything until more mercenaries and specialists are recruited?'
Don't tell me you've already picked someone.

　Crono raised his body.

'Early tomorrow morning, I'm sending fifty heavily armed infantry, a hundred infantry and fifty archers. The captain will be Nasr and the second-in-command will be Zag.
"Two days' notice before they get here?
I've already sent out the wagons. I'll be there in half a day.
'Normally it's ... well, it's a bit late for that.

　Did he mean to say that soldiers must march on foot?
　If you ask me, soldiers were marching on foot during the parent conquest.
　Ah, so, Crono agreed now.
　Two years ago, Crono had been able to easily surround a bandit group led by Kane.
　It was because of the preconceived notion that soldiers marched on foot.

''How about........marching soldiers in a carriage?''
''I don't care if it's a battalion size or not, we won't be aligned when we form an army, will we?''
Hmmm, I thought it was a good idea.

　Crono snorted.
　'We'll have to make a massive reform to overturn the common sense that soldiers march on foot.

''Can't we do something about it being the exclusive equipment of the Thirteenth Order of the Kingsguard?
''Wouldn't it be better to send a letter to the imperial capital instead of asking me?''
Okay. I will.

　Crono nodded honestly.

Okay, bye.
I'll see you tomorrow.

　The regular call ends.
　But if you listen carefully, you can hear a faint noise.
　Convenient, but there's room for improvement, Crono said, standing up.
　Looking outside, he saw that the sun had already set.



You're late, Crono.

　As Crono entered the dining room, Tyria said in a gruff tone of voice.
　The food wasn't laid out on the table, so she must have been waiting for him.

'I'm sorry. I've had a long day of work.'
Well, I guess I'll have to do it.

　If you're going to get away with it because you have no choice, I hope you don't tell me in the beginning~, Crono said as he took his seat.
　Eril, who was propped up at the table, gave him a resentful look, but he dared to ignore him.
　Currently, Eril was on a diet.
　He is working on moderate exercise with a kind friend.
　When I say moderate, that's for soldiers and wild children.
　Even the word harsh is lukewarm for Eril, who has never exercised.
　The reason why Eril chose the thorny path is because he refused to restrict his diet.
　It's not that he didn't want to, it's that he stubbornly refused.
　Aside from the motive, if he continues to hone his skills, it would not be a dream to change classes from a fixed turret to a mobile turret.
　Well, it doesn't seem to be expected to have any defensive capabilities either way.

'How about the Tilia?'
''Mm, the stall area and the commercial district were busy again today. Speaking of which, I heard a rumor that the security situation in Viscount Sheraton's territory is getting worse.
No, no, not that.

　Crono waved his hand in a patter.

'I know. If it's about the meeting, it's fine. Next week, the former Viscount Hamal will be in Hachel.
What took you so long?

　It was late September when I talked with Tilia about expanding the market, and now it's December.
　I calculated that it took me more than a month to set up a meeting appointment.

''It's not like I was only dealing with the former Viscount Hamal, you know.
What do you mean?
'Crono, the only reason you're meeting with the former Viscount Hamal is to convince the other lords to meet with you.

　When Crono asked back, Tilia sounded miffed.

'That's true, though,'
''That's why I've sent a letter to the surrounding lords. If they are in a state of interest, it will make the former Viscount Hamal's job easier.

　Oh," Crono exclaimed.
　Tilia smiled her best smile.

''You finally understand the importance of rooting around, don't you?
'Can't you give me honest praise?'

　Tilia turned away with a sultry pouty look.

All right. I'll start over.

　Tilia keeps her face turned away, but she is stealing glances at us.

'Oh, Tilia!'

　Crono raised his voice and spread his arms.

'Tilia, two years ago you were...'
What's in between?

　Crono recalled the events from the day he met Tilia until today.


So what's the point in the meantime?

　Tilia shouted as if she couldn't stand it anymore.

'Was I really that bad?'
Yeah, no, that's not true.
"Don't lie to me!

　Tilia stood up and banged on the table with a bang.

'Come to think of it, you've stopped hitting me when you're angry, haven't you?
Ugh!

　Tyria held her chest as if to say she had been hit in a sore spot.

''Although I was suddenly appointed as a lord, there were times when I didn't have anything ahead of me. There were times when I revealed that I came from another world and they almost killed me.
'Don't be a prude!　That was a move for your own good!
'Yeah - Rio said they just think you're crazy?
Well, that's, you know, a matter of opinion.

　Tilia gave a painful excuse.

'So that's why the war never goes away. After all, you'll be slammed into a desk and held to a dagger for disagreeing with me.
It would have been nice to get stabbed straight in the heart.

　Saying that, Cecily put the food on the table without making a sound.
　She's a maid who looks like a different person from when she came to the mansion.
　Well, her face was twisted as if she was about to cluck her tongue.
　The menu consisted of bread and bean soup, white fish with egg and pickled vegetables.

'Itadakimasu,'

　Crono reached for the spoon and stopped moving.

'What's going on?'
What kind of food should I prepare for the last time Viscount Hamal came?

　Crono tilted his head.
　It's been six years since I came to this world..............Next February will be my seventh year here, and I have no idea how to entertain.
　However, I can at least understand that hospitality in the Baron Crawford family.......drinking and debauchery is not the norm.

It's a good idea to have a six-course meal when talking about aristocratic hospitality. It's common for them to serve a six-course meal, including dessert...
But what?
Wouldn't it be quicker to ask Cecily about it than for us to fret about it?

　'It was a blind spot,' said Crono, tapping his forehead.

'So that's why, Cecily,'
If you want me to tell you, I'll tell you as much as I want. But wouldn't it be better if we ate quickly?

　Then Cecily glanced to the side.
　Then, there was the landlady standing there with her arms crossed.

*

　According to Cecily, her father, the former Viscount Bond Hamal, is an eccentric man.
　He doesn't like luxury and has no desire for authority.
　He has a gentle temperament.
　It's not so much that he is a coward.
　During the civil war, he led the cavalry and won a number of military victories.
　When the civil war ended and the army was reorganized, he was nominated as a candidate for the head of the Kingsguard, but apparently declined the nomination and became the heir apparent.
　He must have been mediocre as a lord because there were no good or bad rumors left about him.
　The reason why Cecily doesn't know about her father's work is that Bond, the former Viscount Hamal, married a few years after he took over the governorship and gave his wife the entire task of being a lord.
　Or rather, he decided to leave her in charge because she wanted to do the job.
　So, in his spare time, Bond, former Viscount Hammar, is said to be working hard on breeding horses...breeding horses.
　I heard that the horses he raises are sold at a high price.
　However, it seems that the reason they've come to be sold at a high price is because of his wife's good production skills.

Well that's pretty much it.
Thank you. You've been very helpful.

　Crono said as he sat in a chair in his room.
　By the way, Cecily is not kneeling at Crono's feet.
　He is standing a little farther away.

''Don't you already have this level of information?''
Well, in its own way.

　Crono avoided stating the obvious.
　It wasn't that Tilia hadn't done anything until she had arranged a meeting with Viscount Bond formerly known as Viscount Hammar.
　Cecily's character assessment of her father is consistent with that of Dr. Weissman.
　According to Elaine's information, Bond, the former Viscount Hamal, and his wife, Sophia, married later than most noblemen.
　Bond the former Viscount Hamal was so immersed in his lord's work and breeding horses that his wife Sophia missed the marriage due to her violent temperament.
　Crono chuckles, though it's probably not just because of his temperament.
　The matter of producing a horse to be sold for a high price alone shows that he has excellent talent.
　It would be hard for the man-to-be to handle a wife who is more capable than he is.

'What do you think of your father, Cecily?
I'm not really good at this.

　Cecily said, stroking her hair.

'Why?'
'Of course it's because I don't know what he's thinking about. Your father is all about the horses, and he doesn't say a word to me.

　Cecily's lips twitched in frustration.
　She understood that her father was that kind of person, but she wanted him to show her affection as a parent.

'Don't you ever feel the way I do?'
I'm, well, I don't know.　I haven't thought about it much.

　Crono thought of his biological father in his former world and his adopted father on the southern frontier.
　He felt nostalgic from time to time, but he couldn't remember how he felt about his family.
　The feelings I had for my adoptive father were too complex to describe in one word.

'He's thin-skinned, isn't he? Or is that what all people from another world are like?
Cecily.

　Crono called Cecily in a strong tone.

'Don't worry. I won't tell you if you don't tell me.'
Why?
I don't want you to think I'm crazy.

　Crono asked, and Cecily said with a sigh.

'Well, I suppose that's usually the case,'

　Crono let out a sigh.
　I understand when I put myself in someone else's shoes.
　
　Cecily looks at Crono with dumbfounded eyes.

''What?''
No, nothing.

　Cecily turned on her heel and headed for the door.

*

　As Crono was laying in bed with his work cut short, he heard a tap on the door.
　It's a pretty modest tapping.
　Is this banging Leila?　And Crono raised himself up.
　After a while, the door opened and Leila entered.
　She took off her armor, but the special equipment she had just provided was still on.

''It looks like they liked your winter special equipment.

　Yes, said Leila as she repositioned her winter special equipment .......woolen scarf.
　By the way, there is another winter special equipment that I provided.

''But is it good?''
'Hmmm... I've got some wool coming in now.

　Leila raised her eyebrows in annoyance and looked down at the woolen sweater.
　The scarf and sweater were made of wool imported from the Holy Argo Kingdom.
　The wool produced in the Holy Argo Kingdom is of high quality and is traded at a high price in the Cepheus Empire.
　It's an amount of money that a soldier's salary can't easily afford.
　I'm sure there is no commander who would issue it to a soldier, even if it was for his own wear.
　But that's only if you buy them through the proper channels.

Well, sit down.

　'Yes,' Leila nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.

'So, how was the village?'
'Yes, it's...'

　Leila answers Crono's question with a pretense of thinking it over.
　If you want to know about Hachel, you can ask Leila, and if you want to know what's going on in the territory, you can ask the cavalrymen.
　Crono questioned Leila for an hour or so, and then slept in the bed with her.