[Landlady and Alyssa]

　In January of the 43rd year of the imperial calendar, the Marquis' mansion was silent.
　The end of the year and the New Year is a special holiday officially sanctioned by the Chronosphere.
　If you take a break during this period, your salary will not be reduced and if you work, a special allowance will be added to your salary.
　Some of the workers return home during the special leave, but their numbers are small.
　The majority of them are not attached to their homes due to the poor conditions under which they were brought up, or are forced to abandon their visits due to the remoteness of their homes.
　Sheela Ekron, the landlady, is rather the latter.
　She has a certain amount of feelings for her hometown, but the Marquis of Erakis and Baron Ekron are too far apart.
　Well, there's no small amount of feeling that it's hard to see my impatient sister (Canaan).
　It's not a bad idea to have some free time on occasion, the landlady says, sitting in the empty dining room by the window and thinking about such things.
　Normally, she even cooks meals for the maids who work at the Marquis' mansion.
　Even the dwarves and clerks who work in the workshop during lunchtime join them, so it's unbearable.
　If it weren't for the support of the maids, they would have been screaming long ago.
　No, I would have pushed forward until I collapsed.
　It's a bad habit.
　I've always been bad at relying on others, but it seems to have gotten worse since my husband died and left me.
　So I racked up a hundred gold coins in debt.
　Her vision faded unexpectedly and the landlady looked up.
　Then she saw Alyssa standing across the table with a tea set.
　Alyssa poured the fragrant tea into two cups, placed one in front of the landlady and the other in front of her, and then sat down in a chair.

'As I recall, the biscuits I made up...'
No, no, not at all.
Oh, yeah?

　The landlady tried to get up, but Alyssa told her to sit back down.

'Master Crono has given me permission to do so.
'I know that, but I know you usually take care of me.
I'm sure the twins will hear about it.

　The landlady chuckled.
　Even now, there is a lot of pioneering going on in the south of Hachel.
　At first it was to grow trees for paper, but as soon as it was discovered that they were not a very rare plant, the purpose was changed to growing sugar beets.
　In addition, Crono apparently had no intention of selling sugar.
　This sent the elven twins the elven twins - Aridid and Deneb - into a frenzy.
　They began to visit the kitchen for biscuits on their off-duty days.
　This is allowed because of the two of them' humanity, or perhaps because of their silly words and actions.

'Speaking of which, are you good with your daughter?'
I can't take a break when my men are working.
You're still so uptight.

　It's a lot easier to get to know than it used to be, the landlady adds in her mind.
　Before, Alyssa seemed to be very cautious, even of people she knew.
　Now it feels like that has softened.
　There's no doubt that Crono has something to do with the change in Alyssa.
　と言うか、クロノと男女の関係になったことで心境に変化があったのだろう。
　狭い街のことである。
　二人が密会しているなんて黙っていても耳に入ってくる。

「……ふぅ」

　アリッサは香茶を飲み、息を吐いた。
　かなりリラックスしているようだ。
　これも以前は見られなかった姿だ。
　子どものいない女将には想像するしかない領域だが、女手一つで子どもを育てるのは重圧が伴うのだろう。
　ましてや、アリッサは体を壊して働けなかった時期があるのだ。
　必要以上に重圧を感じていたとしても不思議ではない。
　アリッサはクロノと関係を持つことで重圧から解放されたのだ。
　まあ、クロノの人となりを知らなければアリッサが弱みに付け込まれたと考えるだろうが。
　下心を持って近づいて深みに嵌まっちまったんだろうね、と女将は自分のことを思いっきり棚に上げ、そんなことを考える。
　クロノは変な男だ。
　誘惑しても乗ってこない。
　こちらが困っていると知れば無償に近い形で助けてくれる。
　正直、下心を持って近づいたのにそういう対応をされると困惑してしまう。
　困惑しながらクロノの肩書きや財産ではなく、クロノ自身を見るようになり、情が湧く。
　クロノはそこで一気呵成に攻めてくるのだ。
　砦を攻略するために手を尽くし、万策尽き果てて、士気がガタ落ちになった所を背後から襲われるようなものだ。
　一度、関係を持ったら最後である。
　ただでさえ突き放しにくい状況ができあがっているのだ。
　男女の関係になったら尚更である。
　そこでようやく気付く。
　クロノが蟻地獄か、泥沼のような男だ、と。
　ったく、どれだけの女に手を出せば気が済むのかね、と女将は頬杖を突いた。


【レイラ、アリデッド＆デネブ】

　白々とした光が手元を照らしている。
　照明用マジック・アイテムは読書に十分な光を提供してくれるが、その光は何処か寒々しい。
　レイラはページを捲る手を休め、仕事でピクス商会を訪ねた時に見たガラス製のカバーを思い出した。
　もちろん、その時は仕事を優先させたが、ニコラによれば僅かながら需要があるらしい。
　多分、照明用マジック・アイテムを購入するだけではなく、部屋の雰囲気作りにもお金を出せる富裕層に需要があるのだろう。
　ガラス製のカバーがあれば……いえ、贅沢すぎます。
　そんな物にお金を使うくらいなら貯蓄するべきです。
　贅沢は敵です、とレイラは自分に言い聞かせた。
　全く手が届かないほど高額であれば諦めもつくのだが、少し無理をすれば買える価格が曲者だった。
　クロノが領主兼指揮官になってから、お金は貯まる一方だ。
　これは他の兵士にも言えることだ。
　まず、食費と家賃が掛からない。
　無料で読み書きと算術を教えて貰えるし、本だって無料で借りられる。
　贅沢は本当に恐ろしい、と改めて思う。
　Three years ago I thought it was a luxury just to be able to eat three times a day, but now I take the generous treatment for granted, and on top of that, I want things I don't need much.

'By the way, how long are you two going to be drinking in my room?
He never talks to me.
Sometimes you feel ignored, sometimes you don't.

　When Leila turned around, Aridid and Deneb were drinking on a cloth spread out on the floor.
　The liquor was not grape or barley wine, but a spirit made by extracting alcohol from them.
　It is known in the tavern as the elves' elixir.
　The name comes from the fact that Aridid and Deneb taught others how to extract alcohol.
　While I have some feelings about leaking the technology, I think we should be happy that the concept of disinfection is spreading... if you pour the elven elixir on a wound, it's less likely to fester...

Today's snack!
Like a fishbone!

　Alideed and Deneb held up a fish bone.
　They weren't just fish bones, they were fish bones grilled until they were crispy.
　It's a great feat of skill by the two of them to collect the parts that would normally be thrown away and turn them into a snack for drinking.
　It's not easy to be hit and miss, though, since it's made in a haphazard way.

'Is Leila like a study in this kind of situation?
Like I need you to join me for a drink every now and then.
We're always together.

　Leila let out a sigh and sat down on a cloth spread out on the floor.
　The two of them would have a drinking session in Layla's room about once a month, and sometimes they would go out for a drink with their subordinates.
　Seeing the two of them actively communicating with their subordinates made me keenly aware of my own inadequacies.

'Oh well, don't look so gloomy!

　As Leila picked up the empty cup, Alideed quickly poured out the Elf's Strange Potion.
　A sweet and sour taste spread in her mouth as she put the Elf's Strange Potion in her mouth.
　It seemed to be mixed with fruit juice as usual.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.
''I really wanted you to stop fighting the users of the Divine Majesty Technique, like I really wanted you to stop fighting the users of the Divine Majesty Technique.

　Deneb went down and said in a rather low voice.

'This is the year I want to be of service to Master Crono.

　Leila said, looking down at her cup.
　She was a standby team in the parent expedition two years ago, and she was not useful to Crono at a crucial time on the southern frontier.

'And Leila has been useful to Master Crono in troop management!
We don't want to serve Master Crono outside of battle.

　Alideed and Deneb held their heads up.

'Honestly, it's like I don't want Master Crono to fight me.
Master Crono, you're being very reckless.
.... that's for us.

　Leila stammered.
　Looking at Crono's body, it was easy to imagine how much he was pushing himself.
　I shouldn't have said that I wanted to be useful lightly.

'I'm a little sanguine about it, though.
"For the health of Lady Crono and the prosperity of her domain.
"...Cheers.

　Leila lightly raised her cup.


[Snow, Sue, Eryl]

　Sue's room is the most unusual in the Marquis' mansion.
　First of all, the smell is different.
　The medicinal herbs collected from the Coma Forest had been polished, dried, stewed, and burned, so there was an odor in the air that Snow's meager vocabulary could not explain.
　It's not a stench, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.
　Next on the list is Eryl's room, which is within Snow's understanding.
　It's full of books and magic items.
　The one that most resembles it is the dwarven workshop.
　That's how cluttered Eriel's room is.
　Snow's room is normal compared to Sue and Eriel's. It's a double room, so it doesn't look too strange.
　Since it's a double room, you can't bring in too many strange things, and since storage space is limited, you have to leave only the things you really need.
　The half-elf in the room with us has a quality of not caring about the details, but I don't think it's a good idea to be too picky about it.
　Snow stood by the wall of Sue's room and repeatedly took a deep breath.
　By the way, the reason he was standing by the wall was because there was a tent made of fur in the middle of the room.

''No... well, I forgot how many times, but I'd like to say thank you to Crono-sama for this meeting!
....
....

　Eryl and Sue crackled and clapped as I announced the start of the meeting.
　Eril's eyes are empty.
　Sue doesn't seem to be very interested.

'I have a suggestion,'

　Eril held up his hand.

'What, do you have a better idea?'
'We will have a dinner party with Master Crono. I'll have the landlady prepare plenty of food to show my gratitude.

　The diet was successful and the diet restrictions should have been lifted, but Eryl's eyes were glazed over.
　Apparently, the diet had left a bad effect on Eryl's mind.
　Snow clenched her fists, saying that Boku had to work hard to prevent her from getting chubby again.

'I have to thank you, Crono-sama, don't I?
No problem. Master Crono will be pleased.
Do you have anything for Sue?

　Snow spoke to Sue.

'Ole, solo solo, role, katas.'
What's your role?
"Baby, I'm alive.

　Huh?　Snow froze.

'Da, no!'
"Ole, sonota, il.
Well, never the three of us!

　Snow imagined a scene where the three of them were making babies with Crono and said in a hurry.
　Sue tilted her head curiously.

'Three, different. I'm the only one.''
Yeah, well, that's what Sue is there for, isn't it?

　'Haha,' Snow laughed and fooled around.

'The idea of the three of us makes sense.
'What?　What?

　Snow looked at Eryl.

'I've heard that the Marquis of Erakis has a high s*x drive. We are.........

　Eril looked down at his body, then at Snow, and finally at Sue.

'We're not stunted enough,'
Oh, really?

　'I think I've grown up a bit,' said Snow, holding his chest.

'Even the three of us - the landlady, Princess Tilia and Cecily - can't compete with one person. If that's the case, it's best for the three of us to deal with them and take the burden off one head.''
"Danger, no.
Is that what a good plan is?

　Snow nodded his head unconvincingly.

'We should think rationally.'
"The enemy is strong. It's a force to be reckoned with.

　Ugh, Snow grunted.
　It's strange because talking to the two of them makes me feel like I'm wrong.

'I knew it, no!
Snow is not rational.
....

　Sue nodded at Eryl's words.

'I wasn't talking about being rational!

　Snow tried to persuade them with his scarce vocabulary.
　Apparently, the rift between the two of them had to be bridged before the meeting could begin.


[Elena, Faye]

　Elena sat up and zoned out on the bed.
　The time is probably past noon.
　Normally this would be a huge blunder, but the New Year's holiday period is a special holiday period set by Crono.
　During this period, even if you take a day off, your salary is not deducted, but if you work without taking a day off, you will receive a special allowance.
　The servants in the Marquis' mansion and the clerical staff are half-empty, the dwarf workshop and the paper workshop are closed until school, and the only people working are the military personnel.
　That was my first dream, Elena thought vaguely.
　She dreamed that she slapped money on Crono and bought herself back.
　In fact, I have enough money to buy myself back, but my hesitation is stronger than my desire to buy myself back.
　A vague sense of insecurity is one reason, but the thought of losing Crono's protection is unbearably terrifying.
　Elena shuddered as she remembered her time with the slavers.
　I never thought it would be so horrible to have no one to protect me.



　As Elena shelved her doubts and crawled under the covers, the door slammed.
　She covered the covers and ignored it, but the thumping didn't even seem to stop.

'Oh God!　I get it!

　I finally lost my roots and got out of bed.
　The sleepiness was completely blown away.
　When Elena opened the door, the person who was banging on the door.......................Faye had stopped moving in a raised fist position.

'Good morning, Elena-dono!
Fay...

　Faye held her left breast with her right fist.

'It's a perfect day to be out and about, sir.
I don't want to be lazy.

　Elena tried to close the door, but was interrupted by Faye.
　She inserted her foot into the door to prevent it from closing.

'Ha, I need you to talk to me!
You have a friend in the army!

　Faye must have been friends with a half-elf named Snow.
　When Elena pointed it out, Faye grunted as if she'd been hit in a sore spot.

''I have become estranged from Lord Snow due to the lack of time off!　Lord Suu and Eril have taken it away from us!

　Faye was a bit teary-eyed.

''Well, if that's what you mean,''
We are so grateful!

　Elena opened the door and Faye walked into the room, looking happy.

'Well, go sit somewhere appropriate,'
I understand, sir!

　Faye sat in one of the only chairs.
　'Well, fine,' said Elena, scratching her head as she sat on the edge of the bed.

'You don't need to come to me to talk to my men.
I am not very good at gambling, sir.

　Faye said in a low voice that echoed from the depths of the earth.
　Apparently, he had been ducked by a bet between his friends.

'You're getting licked by your men, aren't you?'
They are usually very well-behaved. But on the weekends, they tend to gamble with their friends, drink, and get lost in the shuffle.

　Faye hung her head in a shovel~.

''Speaking of which, isn't Faye going home?
There is no place for me to go home or anything. If anything, this is my home.

　Heh, Elena was impressed.

If you must know, this is my home. It's important to me and I've told you twice.
You'll ruin it.
This will be my home away from home.

　That might be true, though, and Elena was a bit taken aback by Faye's forwardness, which was a bit beyond her expectations.

'Thanks to my swimsuit, I have a perfect night out!
Well that might be fine from a Fey perspective, but...

　Elena looked out the window.
　The sun was still high in the sky.
　It was too unhealthy to talk about nightlife in broad daylight.

'It's just that Crono-sama doesn't seem to like his swimsuit.
No, well, Master Crono.

　Elena squirmed and moved her mouth, "I know you want to see your embarrassed face," she said.

''Speaking of which, where is Crono-sama?''
Yes, Master Crono has gone to the Count of Caddo.
'What?　Does he work?

　'Mmmm,' said Faye, wrinkling her brow.

''I didn't go to work, I went to pick seaweed. Anything, like making something called 'roshon'?
Hello?

　Elena tilted her head.

'If you boil anything,' she said, 'when you boil seaweed, it turns into a slippery liquid.
The slimy liquid?

　Elena stood up in total hair.
　It was because she understood the use of that slippery liquid.

'Faye, where is the string?'
It should be in the workshop.
I'm going to borrow it.
I'm with you, sir.
　Elena and Faye got up.
　The next day, my lotion!　Crono's scream echoed through the Marquis' mansion.


[Tilia, Cecily]

　After reading the letter, Tilia closed her eyelids and lightly rubbed her eyeballs.
　As I thought, things don't go as I thought they would, she opened her eyes.
　There was a bundle of parchment on the desk.
　It was a reply to the letter I sent to the surrounding lords.

''Princess Tilia, what is wrong?''
The neighboring lords are not happy about it.

　Tilia let out a small sigh and answered Cecily's question.
　''I've been sending letters to the surrounding lords for the sake of expanding the market by removing tariffs and thus economic alliances, but the situation hasn't made much progress.

'And my father?'
'Yeah, Bond has offered to help. Tina has been very helpful. The neighboring lords are also interested, but they're not so sure about that.

　Removing tariffs and introducing a system of stalls would stimulate commercial activity.
　It's been successful in Viscount Hammar's territory, and it's not a bad bet for the minute.

'No, I should say that what I thought would be the deciding factor has not been the deciding factor.
The deciding factor, you say?
The wool of the Holy Argo Kingdom. The wool from there is of good quality. I thought it would make the conversation go more smoothly if I knew I could get it cheaply.

　Tilia looked at her chest and clicked her tongue.

''It didn't seem to be a matter of getting high quality wool cheaply. Like, for example, the artisans of the Free City State group made it out of high quality wool... in short, maybe the added value was important.

　It bothers me that I can't question you directly, Tilia crossed her arms.

''Do you have a solution to the situation?
Sort of.

　I don't want to use it too much, but I add in my mind.

'I counter value-added with value-added. In other words, you can get high quality wool cheaply and pretend it's worth it to process it in your territory.
It's Princess Tyria, of course!

　'Mm,' nodded Tilia.

'What method will you use?'
That's a tough call, but we'll take him up on it. He's in charge of the security of Alfiruk Castle.

　Tilia picked up a quill and began to write a letter to Rio in a determined manner.