*

I can't-- get down!

　Lucas screamed as his throat split open, but he understood the pointlessness of it.
　The spears thrown by the imprinted artificers pierced the archers' rear one after another.
　The next moment as the light surrounding the spears flickered violently, a shockwave blew away the archers and the heavy infantry.
　The arrows fired by the enemy archers rained down there, and short screams echoed intermittently.
　The imprinters threw more spears.
　The spears stabbed into the rear of the troops, and the shockwave blew away the archers and heavy infantry.
　Short screams echoed intermittently as the arrows fired by the enemy archers rained down.
　It was as if time was repeating itself.

''Infantry!　Charge!
Legionnaire!
What?

　Philip shouted and Lucas turned around.
　What did he say had happened this time?

'You're too far forward!'
"-Oh!

　Lucas gasped and looked around.
　Philip was right, and before he knew it, they were close to the front line.
　But how could he tell them what to do without moving forward?
　Pang!　The sound of "I'm sorry," echoed from overhead, and Lucas reflexively shielded his face with his arm.
　A pain shot through the back of his hand.
　A muddy nail was impaled on it.
　He pulls the nail out and sucks the blood out of it, spitting it out.
　I stared at the imprinting surgeon to see what had happened, and they were throwing something at me.
　In a word, it was a ball with a stick on it.
　The ball exploded in the air, sending pieces flying.

''Legion Commander!''

　Ignoring Philip's restraint, he picked up a piece that flew near him.

''........Is this pottery?''

　The inside is caked with mud.
　Perhaps they had stuffed the inside of the pottery with mud and nails.
　In the air, a sound rang out in the ranks, and an infantryman pierced by a nail screamed.

'Charge!　They're few and far between!　Remember that your actions will limit the damage to our friends!
"Oh, oh!

　Obeying Lucas' orders, the infantry rushed in with a heroic shout.
　I was moved by the bravery they showed in spite of all this.
　The imprinters formed up, as if they thought they had to deal with it.
　Lucas narrowed his eyes.
　The landscape around him wavered.
　A chill crawled up his spine.
　He had fought against the barbarians who had invaded during the civil war.
　Back then, it was basically one on one against many.
　Perhaps to show their bravery, the barbarian warriors preferred to fight alone.
　From the information and equipment he had obtained beforehand, he could tell that the imprinted magician was a mercenary from the Bethel Mountains.
　A mercenary - that meant he might fight differently than the barbarians he knew.
　Lucas hesitated to stop him.
　He was almost ready to reach the imprinted magician.
　That was a mistake.
　Flames swelled up and rushed the infantry.

''Gah!''
Heeeee!

　A scream goes up, and the infantry rolls around on the ground.
　It looks gaudy, but no one seems to be dead.
　As the flames subsided, the imprinted magician turned his back to us and ran towards the forest.

''Let him go!''

　The infantry who were in the back row and escaped damage chased the imprinted magician - and the next moment, they were swallowed by the ground.
　Suddenly, the ground caved in.
　Fortunately, I should say, the scale of the sinking was small, and only a few infantrymen fell.

''I see........''

　The flames from earlier served as a dazzle to create a pitfall.
　Lucas clicked his tongue and looked around the battlefield.
　The heavily armed infantry and archers were decimated, and half of the infantry he had prepared as a backstop were killed or wounded.

''........Legionnaire.

We're going to get ourselves back on our feet.
Hold your fire. (BUMO!)

　It was as if the minotaur had heard our exchange and called off the attack.

''Tsk........''
Ugh.

　Lucas clicked his tongue and heard a grunt.
　When he looked at the direction the voice came from, he saw the heavy infantry and archers moving.

'd*mn, I can't believe we're falling into a pit.

　An infantryman, swallowed by the ground, crawls out complaining.

'Rescue the wounded!'
It's a trap.
You f*cking coward!

　Lucas shouted at Philip and headed down to the heavily armed infantry and archers.
　They didn't seem to intend to trick him into attacking the quarry.
　An infantryman scrambled past the side and ran to the wounded.
　Lucas stopped and looked around the battlefield again.
　It was a horrible sight, but the dead seemed to be few and far between.

''What do you mean...?''
You like subhumans.

　I meant to talk to myself, but Philip said with a hint of disgust.

'What are you talking about?'
'I mean the Marquis of Erakis. The man is famous for his love of women.
What are you talking about?

　Lucas repeated the same question and looked at Philip.
　I remember hearing rumors that the Marquis of Erakis was a womanizer.
　But there's no way he's going to take care of himself with that when he's exchanging lives.
　Besides, there were not only sub-humans among the infantry, but humans as well.

'It's true. There are even female slaves.
So what's the problem?

　I have no idea what Philip is trying to say.

'I'm just giving you the facts,'
"Subhumans can't be killed?　What do you mean?

　One of his men walked up to Philip.

'The Marquis of Erakis--'
Don't you dare!

　Lucas interrupted Philip's words.

'How can a man who is also a knight of the Kingsguard be speculating!　Don't ever speculate about it again!　That's an order!
Yes.

　Philip nodded with a dissatisfied expression on his face.
　Quotidian speech is a part of the battlefield, but even if it were, it would be difficult for a kinsman knight to speak quotidian speech.
　It is true that I let the young man rot, but there is a limit to that.
　What kind of education does the military academy provide for its students, whether it's with their second in command or with Philip?



Captain Kane, the enemy Transportation Corps has left the village.
That's pretty good.

　Kane stared in the direction Leila was looking from his horse.
　It would seem that way if he saw that the enemy Transportation Corps had left the village, but to Kane's eyes it looked like a black mass moving southward down the road.

'Even this one has elven blood in it.
I see.

　Even though she's an elf, Leila is a half-elf.
　I'm not going to say what it is because she's a half-elf, but I can't seem to get the words out.

''Is it a chase?　It's a chase!
No.

　Faye exhaled through her nose with a mufu and Kane plunged in.
　His men said that Faye was growing as a commander, but he wondered if she was really growing.
　Well, maybe it was because Kane was back in the game that the tag was off.

'Layla, how many enemies do you have?'
I think it's about 500 people.
They will be well taken care of.
Not only do we have to have it all, we have to have it all.

　Faye is ready to do it, but our strength is fifty-six cavalry - thirty light cavalry and twenty-six bow cavalry.

''It's not too many to do.
I could do that.

　You can do a lot of damage depending on your strategy, but annihilation is difficult.

''But we're tied up over here.
Supplies.
That's what I'm talking about.

　As a result of the negotiations, they were able to move around the Baron Treis territory freely, but this was only a promise made in secret.
　Baron Treis must avoid any actions that would make the Imperial Army suspect him - such as building a collection point for goods or receiving goods from the peddlers' guild on the streets.

''Calling it Baron Melsatim's Domain and Baron Treis's Domain, it's very troublesome, isn't it?
Don't say that.

　Faye sighed and Kane chuckled.
　Kane and the others had come through the Baronial Domain of Melsatim, but they had to keep their promise to move under the shade of night.

'The Imperial Army has to be seen as a well-behaved army. The smaller and cleaner they are, the more they'll be supported.''
Master Crono is in charge of the dirty work?
'Because all we want is the support of our lords and the people.

　Kane looked up at the heavens.

'It's kind of a double standard, isn't it?
Harassment of our troops is acceptable.

　In short, it's about which one of us looks cleaner.

''I'm not just harassing you, I'm taking on the dirty work to put you on the throne, Princess. If you win, it'll be a beautiful story.
Mwah!
What's going on?
Then the truth will be revealed and Master Crono's fame will fall to the ground, won't it? Up and down, up and down. I understand.

　Faye nodded with a divine look on her face.

'Well, what do we do now, sir?'
'Leila, have they been drawing water from the well?'
No, sir, I'm not pumping.
Well, I guess so.

　At present, the Imperial and Imperial troops are fighting in the forest, but there are no wells there.
　The Transportation Corps has to carry water, but fetching water on the outward journey would be an extra effort.
　It would be reasonable to fetch water on the return trip.

Shall we go?
You mean to attack me from behind?
"Fay, you're a knight, aren't you?
Of course, sir.

　Faye proudly puffed out her chest, but she wasn't sure if the knight was going to slash at her from behind.
　No, she would have insisted that she would meet him from the front when they met, so this might be growth.
　But still--.

''You're beginning to resemble Crono-sama.
I'm extremely flattered by the compliment.
I didn't mean it as a compliment.

　Kane held his temples.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I have known Crono-sama for a long time. He will be affected to some extent.
Some?
Some, sir.

　By all accounts it seems to have had a tremendous impact, but Faye's argument seems to be different.

'By the way, when will the raids take place, sir?
They were attacking military bases while they were bringing in military provisions.
Then why are you going to the village, sir?
"We're going to disable the well.
Poison, isn't it?

　Faye gives him a villainous look.

'Are you really a knight?'
As I said before, I am a knight, sir.
I see.

　Kane looked up at the heavens.
　Well, come to think of it, Elaine is more refined in her behavior and knows more about etiquette.

''It's not all about blooming and scattering, it's not all about being a knight.
Who's telling you that?
Lord Manchausen, sir.
...that old man.

　Kane grunted as he remembered Manchausen.


'Captain Kane, how do you make the well unusable?'
'At first I was going to throw shit in your face, but...'
You are far from a well-behaved army, sir.
Yeah.

　Kane nodded at Faye's words.
　'If we make the well useless, the village will not be able to recover.

''So I thought I'd put a couple of larger stones in it.
'Wouldn't that make it readily available?'
The point is, we're just trying to buy ourselves some time.

　It's possible that they could split up the troops to restore the well, but that's fine with me, since I can make the Imperial Army suffer through the water shortage.

''Let's go once we know.''
Yes, sir!
Yes, sir.

　Caine led his men to a village that had been destroyed by the Imperial Army.

*

　Lucas sits down on a fallen tree and glares at the battlefield.
　The two armies are staring at each other as well.
　The imperial army had been staring at the rebels since the first failed attack.
　No arrows flying around, no dry swords, but it's another war.
　It's about time, he said, looking up at the reddish sky.

'Retreat for once!　Get ready to make camp!

　Lucas stood up and shouted, and the infantry began to retreat in a lumbering manner.
　It was not an orderly retreat.
　If the rebels attacked, they would suffer greatly, but Lucas was confident that the soldiers in the field positions would not attack.
　Lucas turned his back to the battlefield and walked away.
　After a while, about a hundred infantry soldiers were sitting on the side of the road.
　Their entire bodies were stained with mud and blood.
　He walked up to an older man - the man he had appointed as his troop leader - and knelt beside him.
　Lucas controls the man with his hand as he tries to stand up.
　While the two armies were staring at each other, they were carrying out their mission.
　'It would be terrible to make them stand up,' he said.

'I don't mind sitting down. Report.
The woods are full of traps.
Okay.

　The man grunted and Lucas nodded quietly.
　It was half-expected.

'Can we bypass it?'
It's going to be difficult. We're not trained to detect traps. This is what it looks like, even when we're careful.

　The man turned his attention to his men, covered in mud and blood.

''Half of them were killed. Still, we managed to get to our base deep in the forest...'
After they've already pulled out.
Yeah, I was out of the woods. I destroyed it, just in case.
Counting on the numbers but no, this is a bad idea.
I think so, too.

　If it's just a trap, we might be able to break through by numbers, but if they set a fire meter, we're done.

''Thank you for your efforts. You have a good day's rest.
Thank you.

　He got up and went to his tent.
　Then Philip came running up to me.

''........Legionnaire.
What?
There's not enough water.

　Philip said in an accusing voice.
　He blamed Lucas for instructing him to cleanse the wound with water.
　But that was a necessary step.
　Leaving the wound intact would result in tetanus and possibly even death.

'Don't you think of going to get it yourself?
The Transportation Corps took the Grand Eight Carriers.
Then use the fog.
What do I do with it?
'Why don't we just squeeze the foggy tent?
....

　Philip frowned, but this was the way he used to quench his thirst during the civil war.

'It makes me sick,'
No. It's just a little stomach bugger at best.

　Philip looked miffed.

'What do you plan to do about the wounded soldiers?'
....

　When Lucas shushed him, Philip gave him a look that seemed to mock him.

'They're a liability. Not only are they unable to fight, but they're wasting their time eating food.''
Will you still be an officer?
I'm trying to make a winning proposition.
"...you're a man.

　Lucas was even giddy at Philip's suggestion.
　His statement was meant to make Lucas feel false, not something he would have thought deeply about.
　It was a statement that would never have come out if he had considered the possibility of being stabbed in the back by his subordinates.

'All right. I'll tell the wounded soldiers to fall back from me.
Thank you.
....

　Lucas resisted the urge to slam his fist into Philip's scowl and went to the tent to write a letter to Baron Treis.
　He didn't know how many favors he would receive after so much brutality, but he had no choice but to entrust his wounded soldiers to him.



Haze Dance!
"Fast and furious!

　A thick fog created by magic flowed towards the Imperial Army's camp on the street.
　The imperial soldiers were moving in the thick fog.

''Unexpected.''

　Crono muttered as he hid himself in the bushes.
　The imperial soldiers were squeezing their tents of moisture and making water.
　If that was all they were doing, he wouldn't have been surprised.
　What surprised Crono was that the legion leader, Lucas Lesato, was drinking the water made by squeezing the tent.
　Although he said he was taking the initiative, he was impressed with how well he could put it into practice.

What's so unexpected about it?
'They're squeezing tents to make drinking water. I think that's great for a nobleman.
....

　I answered Alideed's question, but the response was nowhere near enough.

'Isn't that great?'
Master Crono, would you like to see what you're wearing?

　He looks down at himself as he is questioned back.
　Except for his uniform, which is smeared with mud, he's normal.
　Alideed and Deneb - all of his men look alike.

'What's wrong?'
'Like Master Crono, who hides in a hole to get past the enemy, is no better than an imperial high priest.
There's no point in fighting it.

　The base we built deep in the forest has been destroyed, but we have other bases, and most importantly, the holes we dug here and there.

'If we had a little more time, we could have built a full-fledged underground base.
It's like building an underground base but not getting any use out of it.
Boys seem to love hiding places.
No, well, yeah.

　Crono grunted at Aridid and Deneb's relentless prodding.
　I wouldn't say the underground base is a ramble, but I'd like to see a little understanding.
　Perhaps this is the insurmountable barrier between men and women.

'Like what are you going to do with the drinking water you're going to provide?
Like I need you to decide if you want to stop or continue.
Continue.

　Crono replied after a short pause.
　'We're going to provide the Imperials with drinking water, but I think we should continue considering the stress we put on them when building the fire and the lowering of their body temperature.

'By the way, what's the plan for today, like?'
I'm expecting a surprise.
Operation Printmaking is about to begin.

　Crono took the print from the pouch.

'I'd like to lend you some!
I want to see it too!

　Alideed snatches the print from Crono's hand and Deneb moves on.
　The print shows a human and sub-human holding hands in harmony under Tyria, who has a compassionate expression on her face, and a human and sub-human gasping in pain under Alfort and the Kinsman Knight.
　The former is overlaid with an X indicating affirmation and the latter with an X indicating denial.

'Oooh, it's a craftsman's job!
Like how much a piece of paper?
It's a secret.

　They used recycled paper and the boards were made from trees cut down in the pioneer village.
　The craftsmen are Goldie's men, so they are just as good.

It's good, but Princess Tyria's tits are all over the place and she's wearing a uniform. Or, rather, you want us to smile at you charitably, too.
If we lost, the craftsman would be imprisoned for impoliteness.
Shall I ask Tilia to be nice to you both?
Like, no thank you!
Like, does that mean you're going to crush his head gently?

　They rejected Crono's suggestion with all their might.

'So what's the point of being kind in some places and not in others?
And it's not a follow-up!
I don't remember him being nice to me!

　I thought they were both good friends with Tilia, but I may have been mistaken.

''By the way, why is this the right time?''
I thought it could be later, but I figured the sooner I could prepare it, the better.

　In today's battle, the Imperial Guard suffered nearly 2,000 casualties.
　As we had intended, the rift between the Kingsguard and the ordinary soldiers is deepening.

''But I doubt that these prints alone will accurately convey the meaning.
It's like you have no idea what you're talking about.
'It worked in the Holy Argo Kingdom, and it's fine if the common soldiers are bothered by it.
'Like Princess Tyria doesn't have as much of an impact as the Night Ranger.
'And I don't think any of the soldiers knew the face of Princess Tyria before that.
Do you feel like you're going to get your head squeezed in a knot for saying that?

　I've often said that the mouth is a recipe for disaster.
　And I don't think it's a good idea to compare it to the Night Ranger.
　If you compare it to the Night Ranger, everyone loses impact.

I've heard that you're going to get your head crushed by a light-headed person!
It's not equivalent at all!
So I'm asking you to be nice to them.

　They looked at each other.

'It's like if you're being nice to me because Master Crono said so, you'd have been nice to me a long time ago.
It's like I can't see a future where Princess Tyria is being nice to me.
After all, do Aridid and Deneb love or hate Tilia?
Well, he's not very good at it, but he likes it.
I'm rather fond of that groove.

　They said as they played with their side ponies.
　Apparently, Tilia has mixed emotions.
　Maybe she has some humanity because she doesn't hate me while acting as she pleases, so she has some humanity.

''Well, Operation Arrowhead--''
"Master Crono, please respond.

　Tyga's voice echoed from the porch and Crono pulled out a communication magic item.

'Yes, this is Crono.'
'It's a taiga, that it is. The soldiers are moving southward on the road, that they are.' (Gagau)
...as part of the operation.
"It looks like wounded soldiers, that it is. There are many of them, that they are.
...wounded warrior?

　Crono covered his mouth, wondering what to do.
　Probably they intend to move the wounded soldiers back to the rear and reduce their consumption of food and drink.

'I'd like to leave them alone if they are willing to bear the burden of the imperial army.
It's a long shot without a base in the rear, that it is.
Yes.

　If you can get to Greenwich, where the Barony of Treis is located, you may be able to get protection, but there's a good chance you'll die in the wild by then.
　If you're not good at it, you'll be hunted by fallen warriors.

''Protect them if they agree to disarm.
Is that all right? (GASP?)
''As dangerous as it sounds, the Imperial Army aims to be a well-behaved army.

　Guru, Taiga gave a small snort.

''Can I also add the condition that you will kill me mercilessly if I show any suspicious behavior, that I can add? (GASP?)
Good.
Yes, that I do. End of communication, that it is.

　I didn't hear Tyga's voice again.
　He would do well.

Like getting a new prisoner?
It's not an easy choice to get a prisoner of war or to be a prisoner of war.
Well, it's true that the treatment of POWs is determined by the size of their captors' breasts, isn't it?

　Crono and the others are considered rebels by the Empire, so we shouldn't expect a humane response.

''Well, let's get the mission started, shall we?''
Like you understand.
But first, I have to get the prints folded!

　Crono couldn't help but look at Deneb.
　It was an excellent point.

*

　Lucas woke up with a pain in his chest - no longer what he would describe as a shock - that had turned into a shock.

'Guh, g--!

　He was choking, and his body was so strong that he couldn't move, as if he were in a tug of war.
　He thought he understood and accepted that death was imminent, but what dominated Lucas's mind was the thought that he didn't want to die yet.
　The thought probably didn't get through to God, but the pain was slowly easing.



　Lucas exhaled heavily.
　The breathlessness and pain left him feeling as if his chest was tightening, but this would be able to fool him.

''You ... rebels.''

　A creaking pain in my spine and a small exhale.
　His breath is white and his fingertips are numb.
　Abominably, the rebel campaign is working.
　Repeated nightly harassment is eating away at their energy and strength, and the handfuls are creating discord between the Kingsguard and the common soldiers.
　Their strength is a hundred cavalry and seventeen thousand or so infantry - considering that the Kingsguard is useless, they have to fight with infantry alone.
　Lucas got off the bed and put on his jacket.

....

　Wordlessly, I stare at the desk - a print that was strapped to an arrow that had been shot by the rebels, to be exact.
　It's a print of humans and sub-humans holding hands under Princess Tyria, and Emperor Alfort and the Kingsguard Knights trampling the people.
　This is probably part of a strategy to create discord between the Kingsguard Knights and the ordinary soldiers.
　Or is it to encourage people to desert?

''There's a lot to think about,''

　There is anger at the rebels, of course, but there is also a desire to admire them.
　As Lucas exited the tent, Philip ran up to us.
　Perhaps because he has moved the wounded soldier to the rear, he has a look on his face as if he is poking fun at us.
　And yet, he pretends to be his second in command.
　If it were a fox or a man with a tiger's authority, it would still be cute, but if they take a licking at you to this point, you might as well elect a second-in-command from among the regular soldiers.

''What kind of operation do you plan to conduct today?''
We're going to stock up today.

　If Philip and the other members of the Kingsguard could be used more, we could let them command the infantry, but since we can't do that, we can only rely on our numbers to break through the field position.
　However, if we think about what happens after we break through the field position, we want to minimize the damage as much as possible.

"The name of the operation is 'Ripples.'

　Lucas lifted the corners of his mouth.

*

　Mino stood in the center of the camp, staring at the battlefield - the imperial army far ahead of the obstacle made of iron thorns.
　As if intending to go on the offensive, the imperial army is forming a line.

''Bastards, don't let your guard down!　I'm fine!　We can win! Buh-buh-buh-buh!
'That's right!　We'll be fine!　They are so hungry for Lord Crono's schemes!　A starving soldier is like an infant!
"Princess Tyria is watching you!　If you do the credit, you might get a compliment!

　As Mino raised his voice to reach every corner of the field position, Manchausen and Alonso cheered like a clown.
　His men smiled with a thud.
　The old guys do a good job!" laughed Mino, too.
　Laughing makes you feel energized and convinced that you have the energy to spare.

'They're getting closer!　Archers, get ready! Bummo, bummo!

　With a battle cry, the Imperial Army charged in.
　Even though they were all infantry, the pressure was not half-hearted.
　In a few moments, they would be in range of the archers.
　However, if the imperial army seriously attacked us, we would not be able to hold them back with the archers' attacks.
　There are one hundred and twenty-four archers in the field position, and two hundred and forty-seven archers in the late shift combined.
　In order to hold back this many enemies, we have no choice but to rely on the crossbowmen - the volunteer army.

"Archers...

　Mino interrupted his orders.
　This was because suddenly the enemy infantry reversed and ran away.
　Just as he thought he was going to escape, the enemy infantry reversed and charged again.
　They were faster than before.

''Archers, release!'' (BUMO!)

　The archers fired their arrows, but the enemy infantry flipped again and escaped their range.
　They were uneven due to their lack of skill, but there was a clear intent in their movements.
　The enemy infantry went back and forth in waves, and each time Mino had to give orders.
　What aim?　Mino asked himself, his eyes widening.
　The Imperial Army is trying to force tension on us.
　The main body of the Imperial Army is the volunteer soldiers.
　I think they are doing well for the short time they have been trained, but they are still not as good as the soldiers in their real jobs.
　They don't know how to relax their strength.
　That's why they get exhausted faster than the real soldiers.
　The enemy commander saw through this and launched a strategy of repeated assault and retreat.
　The same is true for the enemy--the difference in military strength is more than three times greater.
　When it comes to a war of attrition, we are at a disadvantage.
　They're going to do it, Mino gritted his teeth.