*

　Mid-October, 43rd year of the imperial calendar--Duran was facing a boy in a stuffing station near the city walls.
　He was not a criminal, but a volunteer for a volunteer army.
　Volunteers are sorted at the city gate, and after filling out the paperwork at the stuffing station, they become volunteer apprentices.
　After further training for a certain period of time, they become an official volunteer soldier.
　Or should I say become a member of the Thirteenth Order of the Kingsguard?
　Duran looked at the boy again.
　His skin was red and burnt, and his body was toned.

''What's your name?''
It's John.
How old are you?
I'll be 15.
Where are you from?
Mimas Village.
Ah, the village of Mimas.
Do you know him?
I'm on the level of saying I've heard the name before.

　If you do office work, you'll naturally learn the names of villages.
　Now he can even recite the names of villages in Crono's territory.
　Perhaps the fact that he knew the name of the village gave him a sense of familiarity, but the boy - John's expression softened.

'What have you been doing?'
I was helping out in the village with the farm work.

　Duran fills out the paperwork while asking John questions.
　The format of the paperwork created by the seniors is functional.
　This makes it easy for Duran to fill out the paperwork by simply asking the questions from the top.

''Do you have any martial arts experience?''
No. I knew it was a bad idea to have some experience, right?

　John asked, unafraid to ask.

'It's nice to have, but we can do without.
Good.

　John patted his chest.

'Oh, it's not like you're trying to make me feel better or anything, is it?'
I wouldn't lie to you.

　Duran replied with a wry smile.
　It's true that you don't need to have any martial arts experience.
　Many of the volunteers are from rural areas and have no martial arts experience.
　Some had only played chambara as a child.

''What is your motivation?''
I'm a third son, but I wanted to do something big.

　John smiled shyly.

'There aren't many guys like me?'
There's a certain amount of them.

　Some of the applicants are upwardly mobile, while others, like John, apply with a vague idea of what they want to do.
　I was surprised when he told me his motivation was because it sounded quirky and cool.

'So, what do you think?'
We won't know for sure until after training.
'Oh, yes. But they're going to let you train, right?
Of course.

　As many volunteers as possible will be recruited and the training will separate those who can fight and those who cannot.
　The selection criteria are going to be pretty loose, but that's not something I'm going to talk about here.

Good.
What?

　John patted his chest again and Duran asked why.

'I dressed up when I left the village. But if I was turned away without training, I wouldn't be able to return to the village because I wasn't dressed well.
...I see.

　Duran nodded.
　Pride must be important even for a boy of this age.
　How would I have been?
　He couldn't quite remember, but it must have been something similar.

''I just want to say one last thing...''
What is it?

　John gulped and cleared his throat.

'That's after the training is over. You don't have to get so defensive.
Okay.

　John looked relieved.

'As for the assignment, you won't necessarily be assigned to a department where you'll be fighting the enemy.
Really?

　John looked discouraged.
　I know how you feel.
　Young people believe they have great power.
　You could say that he has blind faith.
　He believes that he can perform spectacularly on the battlefield.
　Well, I'm not going to correct the young man's hubris at this point.
　As soon as he joins the training, he'll realize how tall he is.
　Until then, it's okay to be delusional.

Whichever department you are assigned to, I want you to do your job without corruption.
Can't you fight?
Not true. I'm just saying that wielding a weapon is not the only way to fight a war. It's also about securing supplies in the rear and sending them to the front lines.
Ha, ha.

　John has a puzzled look on his face.
　It's not unreasonable.
　The war as he knows it is in the story.
　You can't explain the logistics to them and they won't understand.

'I will do my duty. If you can do that, you are a volunteer apprentice.
''- - Oh!　I can do it!

　John gasped and stood up as if he was going to burst out.
　Duran stood up and held out an armband made of black cloth.

'What's this?'
It's like a badge of honor for being a volunteer cadet. Now, let's put it on.
Oh, thank you.

　Duran walked over to John and gave him the armband.
　John proudly puffed out his chest.

'You'll have a good night's rest at the inn today. Your training will begin tomorrow--
I understand!　I will do my duty!
"John the Volunteer, apprentice!　I'm looking forward to seeing what you do!
Yes!

　Duran straightened his back and saluted, and John mimicked it with an awkward gesture.

'And I forgot to mention, you'll be paid if you become an official volunteer soldier.
Do you get paid?
Yeah, two gold pieces in a month.
So much!

　John's eyes widened and his lips quirked up in a sultry manner.

'Not happy?'
No, I just thought that if you were going to be out so much, you should have invited some friends.
I'm sorry about that. It was a last-minute decision.

　It was a sincere apology.
　I wish he'd boiled down the terms from the beginning, but it would be terrible to demand perfection.
　Even Duran can't always do his job perfectly, so he should cover what he can.

'Looks like we've got a pick me up,'
Ugh!

　John stared out the window and cowered with a jolt.
　A black panther beastman was staring out the window at us.

'He's our guide. Follow him in peace.
Okay, I understand.

　John ran outside with his pack and saluted the black panther beastman himself.
　Then the black panther beastman saluted back.
　The two men disappeared into the crowd.
　Duran saluted John's back again and returned to his seat.

''Well being a recruiting officer is a tiring job.

　I let out a small sigh.
　It's a job that sends children who are not old enough to be sent to war.
　It's excruciating, even with the appearance of volunteerism.
　Perhaps the fact that he had a child was a factor.
　Duran shook his head and looked up.
　Then, there was an old-fashioned sheet metal armor standing there.
　He even had an assault spear.
　He looked at the window and saw an old horse.

''This is the recruiting station, isn't it!

　The sheet metal armor jumped up the visor, and underneath it was a wrinkled face.

'I am Knight Manchausen!　I came to you in the autumn of my life.
....

　Was there an age limit?　Duran looked up at the ceiling.

'Knight Manchosen?'
Manchausen!

　Manchosen, or rather, Manchausen, said furtively.
　Well, this was my own fault for mishearing the name.

'Knight Manchowsen. 'Excuse me, sir, but how old are you?'
I'm 70 years old!

　Kaka, Manchausen laughed.
　Some of his front teeth were missing.

'....Are you sixty-nine years old now?
I may be an old man, but I'm still no match for a young one!

　Choir!　And Manchausen swung his assault spear.
　After a moment, he stopped moving.
　He was breathing hard.
　Anyone wearing an old type of sheet metal armor and wielding an assault spear would be out of breath.
　In the first place, an assault spear was not a weapon to be wielded.
　In that sense, Manchausen can be said to have strength for his age.

''Knight Manchausen. Why do you become a volunteer soldier at your age?''
Princess Tyria comes to you for help, don't you agree?　How can a man who is a knight not fulfill his true purpose?

　Duran felt a headache and held his temples.
　Manchausen is an old knight.
　They have different senses than Duran and the others.
　Nevertheless, they are the ones who should be respected.
　Duran straightened his residence.

"Knight Manchausen. "Knight Manchausen, what have you done since the civil war in the 400 year imperial calendar?
....

　No reply.
　Perhaps he lost his job in the reorganization of the army that took place after the end of the civil war.
　It also means that the empire has beaten him to a pulp.
　Despite this, he remains loyal to the Imperial family.
　Duran looked at Manchausen sullenly.
　The sheet metal armor was old, but well cared for.
　He had taken care of his equipment in case of an emergency.
　It was no longer loyalty, but faith.
　He had come to die, hadn't he?
　I feel like it.

'Knight Manchausen. We are--
'Wait!　I may be old, but I can still fight!　My strength has declined, but I have the wisdom to make up for it!

　Manchausen interrupted Duran's words and pleaded with him.

'I can fight for Princess Tyria!　Don't take away my place in death!
"...Knight Manchausen.

　Duran spoke quietly.

'We do not fight to die. We do not fight for our children. And it is not chivalry to bloom and scatter.
Do you want me to grow old and die?

　Manchausen said, turning red in the face.
　I want him to spend the rest of his life in peace.
　But he might take his own life if he uttered such words.

'No, no. I want you to scramble ugly for the sake of your children. If you will promise me that, I hope you will join me in training as an apprentice volunteer soldier.
So?
There is no guarantee of an outcome, and you may be assigned to a department that does not conduct combat.
I don't mind!　I don't care!

　Manchausen said with tears in his eyes.

'Then please take a seat and--'
'Well, well, well, my knight Alonso!　By righteousness I will help you!

　He looked at the source of the voice and saw a sheet metal armor standing there with a mace in his hand.
　Duran let out a big sigh.



　Crono stamps the papers and stacks them on top of a stack of papers.
　The papers are documents regarding volunteer volunteers for the volunteer army.
　I'm glad that they agreed with our ideals.
　But it's a different story when they are of an age where it's safe to say they are children.
　I feel as if I've swallowed lead on the fact that I have to mobilize a child.
　Crono let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes.

'If you're tired, why don't you get some rest?'
No, I'm fine.

　Crono looked at the direction the voice had come from.
　There, Tilia was staring at the parchment.
　It's a proclamation to the surrounding lords.
　The fact that he's using parchment instead of paper is out of respect for rank.
　I don't think it's rational, but nobility is an irrational thing.
　Well, if it saves you from making enemies, you shouldn't spare the money and trouble.
　By the way, the desk and chair Tilia is using belong to Crono.

''........Tilia.
What?
'How is it that Tyria is using the lord's desk and chair and I'm using the hastily brought in clerk's desk and chair?'

　Crono patted the desk.
　It was solidly made by a dwarven craftsman.

'Crono, I'm still the rebel flag-bearer in this,'
I know that.
'You must have the best seat in the house because you are the greatest. Besides, I like the comfort of my chair.

　Tilia rested her hands and leaned back.

'How's Operation Letter working?'
It's not good.

　He crosses his arms as he leans back.

'Was I being too mature in my writing?'
No, we'll see.

　Tilia said in a tone of conviction.

'Did I mention that we promise honorable treatment if we side with them, and relief of the territory to those who remain neutral?
'It says a lot about our ideals and how we'll run the state after I become an empress.

　Tilia said, sounding miffed.

'It's scary not to write about what happens when you're hostile, isn't it?
'Any hostility and the territory will be confiscated. You need money to rebuild the empire that Alfort has ruined. In the first place, they are responsible for Alfort's rise to power, and they must pay for it.

　Apparently, Tilia is already looking ahead to the post-war period.

'I've got my hands full with the immediate future.
It's just a simple matter of stamping and flushing the paperwork from right to left.
You can't do this.
Where are you going with this?

　Tilia stood up and walked over to Crono's desk.
　She picked up a stack of papers and leaned against the desk.

'The volunteers for the volunteer army are coming in nicely. How many are there now?
That's about 2,000 people.
'I was thinking we could get at least five thousand people, and if we don't, we're going to lose our plans. Do you want me to have a traveling entertainer to leaflet them?
Like what?
'Of course it's a leaflet that says Princess Tyria is awesome and Emperor Alfort is hated.

　You're telling me not to ask the obvious.

'I'll make arrangements,'
"When the cavalrymen of the order return, we'll scatter them wherever they go.
Okay.

　Crono jots down an idea in his notes.
　Suddenly, Tilia stops moving.

'What's wrong?'
I have an old man among the applicants.
We didn't set an age limit. What do you think?

　'Hmmm,' growled Tilia.

'No, we'll have you join us in training as we go along.
Is he okay?
'I'm like a knight who lost his job when the army was re-organized. I'm counting on your experience.
And if it doesn't work?
I'll be able to help you out on the march.
"You're going to make a wall of meat?
'I'm not a demon, you know. I just wanted to give you the honor at the end.

　Tyria put down her papers and picked up another one.

''Looks like the crossbow and iron thorns are being mass-produced well.
It's the heart of the operation.

　The volunteers were provided with crossbows to be used as a defensive force.
　Crono and the others - Tilia, Dr. Weissman, and Sitter - thought that the Imperial Army would attack in December.
　It could be even earlier.
　In Tilia's case, it was a hunch, but in the case of Dr. Wiseman and Sitter, it was based on knowledge and rules of thumb.
　Aside from that, it's hard to turn an amateur into a full-fledged warrior in just a month and a half.
　That's when I turned my attention to the crossbow.
　You can learn to use the crossbow in a month.

You'll be able to prepare the necessary number of crossbows in October. You have done well.
Praise Goldie, not me.

　It was Crono who came up with the idea of having craftsmen in the territory make the parts and assemble the crossbows in line work, but it was Goldie who brought it down to a workable level.
　He said his experience with the papercrafters helped him.

'It hurts to be in a defensive fight,'
'It's better to be able to fight defensively. We couldn't even hope for that without the iron thorns.
Yeah, but...

　With the iron thorns, you can quickly set up a horse-proof fence.
You can save even more time if you use the divine power technique of the 'Yellow Earth and Fertility Mother God'.
　Tilia picked up another document.

''As for the carriage ... it's a matter of securing the horses.
I'm having trouble negotiating with the former Viscount Hamal.

　A carriage would speed up the invasion and reduce the burden on the soldiers.
　It's an indispensable piece of equipment, considering the current situation where we have to rely on volunteer soldiers.

Only time will tell.
What time?
'Because if Leonhardt returns to the imperial capital, Alfort will punish Blood for his actions. He could be hung up by now.

　'I don't mean you're being hanged,' Tyria said in bad taste.
　Crono let the statement pass.

'Why?'
'Because we rebelled. That foolish brother should have been punished with a random complication.
Are you really that stupid to try and make this up as you go along?
The man who framed you for a crime you didn't commit?
Yeah.

　That makes me think it's possible.

''If Blood escapes, it's as good as solved. In addition, if you bring the Fifth Konoe Guards with you, then the capture of the imperial capital will proceed.
"Super optimistic,

　'Hahaha,' laughed Tilia, but Crono's stomach hurt.

'You're the pessimist. What the hell is worrying you?'
"Not getting a good response from Sylvania,
'Well, they're merchants, you know. I guess they need to lay the groundwork.
'If only the Chamber of Commerce were on our side, we wouldn't have to worry about the finances!
'Because you say you'll even give a salary to a volunteer soldier. In the first place, a volunteer soldier is supposed to work without pay.
I don't like exploitation.

　You have to fight for your life.
　It's not enough to keep it worthwhile.

That's the kind of thing you say before you put out a call for volunteers.
You apologized for that.
I'm sure I've received an apology.

　Tilia let out a small sigh.

'Well, it's better than being called all talk. Besides....'
And?
It's nothing.

　Tilia shook her head.
　Maybe she felt guilty about sending her children into battle while talking about her ideals.

'Is there anything else?'
'And then ... is it about the speech?
'Yeah, the one about how you never wished for your own child to be happy. I think that one worked well, even though it was improvised.
Not there.
What, not there?

　Tilia's lips quirked up in frustration.

'It's a commoners' association. It's an act of throwing away a vested interest, even if it means a twenty-year education period.'
That's something I've been thinking about for a while.
When was the last time?
'That's when you're laddering up the stalls.
It's pretty early in the year, isn't it?

　Mm, said Tilia, nodding hawkishly.
　If you think about it, it's something that could convince Leila and the others - the ones with an officer's education - that it's not something they thought about overnight.

'As I laddered up the stalls, it occurred to me that from now on, the commoners would have power. When they have power, they'll want to meddle in politics.
'Well, I'm sure they'll start appealing to us to take the measures they need to take.
"I thought the future was coming. But the future that comes doesn't always look so good, does it?
Yes.

　They might resort to force for political participation.
　There could even be a revolution.

The only way to prevent an unfavorable future is to take preemptive action, which means reform from above. In other words, reform from above.
You wanted to minimize the amount of vested interest you'd lose?
Don't say that.

　Ha~, Crono couldn't help but let out an audible cry.
　It seemed that Tilia was a capable child to anticipate a revolution when she saw the bustle of the stalls.

''Do you have any other questions?''
No.
Now, let's get back to work.

　With that, Tilia went back to her seat.