*

　Late December, 43rd year of the imperial calendar - Leonhard was enjoying a cup of fragrant tea in his house.
　The smell of ginger irritated his nasal passages.
　It's a consideration so as not to cool the body, but it's warm enough inside the mansion to stay in long, thin sleeves.
　I doubt very much that consideration is necessary.

'.........You're here.

　A slamming sound approaches.
　There is only one person in the mansion who walks so unrefined.

"A grown man who doesn't even work and drinks too much fragrant tea!　If you're not careful, you're going to get your eyeballs blown out!

　Leela's voice sounded and Leonhardt cowered his shoulders.
　She stood next to him with a thud of footsteps.

'In a manner of speaking, this is also my job.
Work is a sweatshop job.

　Leonhardt lightly cowered his shoulders.
　It seems that work is work for the poor farmer Leela.

You don't get a free tea either!
I know that.
No, you don't get it.

　Leela put her hands on her hips and shook her head exaggeratedly.

'Do you have any idea what state the Imperial City is in right now?
I hear things are back on the streets.
How many months ago did you say that? I mean, things were better in the past. But now things are back to normal, or worse, even worse.
What's going on?
It's not like we're working a job, there's a bunch of guys in dirty clothes hanging around, the stores have gone bad, the bureaucrats are all over the place.

　'So you're saying that the number of vagrants has increased, circulation has been slowed down, and the quality of officials has declined.

'I hear you have cleansed the slums?
Purification?　That was just a killer. It's nothing more or less than that. No, it's just a bad quality to hide your guilt with words.

　Leela said as she wound up.
　She's certainly right.
　A murderer is a murderer, and a betrayal is a betrayal.
　We shouldn't fool ourselves.

'I heard the slums are gone?'
Just like locusts, even if you chase them away, of course they'll come back. They're worse than locusts because they're intelligent.
...I see.

　Leonhard leaned back.

'It's the country, I want to go home.
I'm sorry, but I'm not going home for a while.
We can go home when Leonhardt comes home. I mean, he's earned the time. You should go home.

　Leela puffs out her cheeks in frustration.

Do you miss the country so much?
Of course I miss it.
I don't know.
Yes.

　Leela nodded snidely, but Leonhardt couldn't understand.
　I understand that he misses his home.
　I understand--''

''I don't think there were any good memories to miss, though.
That's right, life was hard for me in my house.

　Hmm, Leonhard nodded.
　He was so impoverished that he offered his daughter in exchange for taxes.
　I don't understand the sensibility of getting away with it because it was painful.

But it ain't just because I was in pain, either.
Oh.

　A small voice.
　That's it.
　I honestly don't know how to react.

'Like ... like ... like ... what happened?'
So, what can I do for you?

　It's going to take a long time, so I break off the conversation.
　I'm curious to see what memories I have of it, but if I had to keep up with Leela, the sun would go down.

'Oh, yes!　I received a letter from your mansion.

　Leela randomly offers a letter.
　It is sometimes said that the other servants may not be as vigilant, but they are more trustworthy than those who turn their wits around poorly.
　Leonhardt grabs the letter, but Leela doesn't let go of it.
　She smiles.

'Thank you.'
No need to thank me.

　Leela smiles shyly.
　I feel like I've been forced to thank her, but it's cute that she's satisfied with this level of gratitude.
　Leonhard untied the string and unfolded the letter.
　I'm going to be able to follow the text there with my eyes and let out a small sigh.

''What did it say?
They said the same thing about Leela.
You're my lord. I knew this wasn't right for a grown man to be lounging around in the daytime.

　Leela crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction.
　It's not so simple, though, Leonhard replied in his mind.
　This was a reply to the letter he had sent right after he was sentenced to house arrest.

'Could you bring me some writing materials from my room?
Okay.

　With that, Leela began to walk with a thumping footstep.
　It was an unrefined walk, but I didn't dislike it.

''........not at all.''

　Leonhardt poked his cheekbones.
　He remembered the contents of the letter and let out a small sigh.
　You worry about yourself.
　That was the answer to his advice to distance himself from Alfort.
　The head of the family and his legitimate son must put the family's interests first.
　That's what my father taught me.
　I want to believe that he won't do anything foolish, but I can't shake off my fears.
　He has not been thorough in his teachings.
　Basically, he has the family's best interests at heart, but he is often driven by emotion and blinded by greed.
　As a result, his father has caused the Duke of Palatium's family a small amount of damage.
　Perhaps he - even the servants must not consider it a damage.
　So, he doesn't learn.
　He repeats the same mistakes.

''Well, if he is...''

　Is it about time he learned that a local nobleman was running the empire and was driven by righteous indignation?
　Or is it about the time that he is giving instructions to his children's subordinates?
　There's no chance that they're thinking about how to behave when they learn that Princess Tilia has raised an army.

''I'd be grateful if they would stay put until the trend is clear.

　Princess Tyria or Alfort - I decide to see who will win and decide how to swing myself.
　I think about such things and mock myself for my own prickliness.
　The world is filled with cynicism because such a man is called a 'holy knight' and so on.
　If he was a true 'holy knight' he would have fought for his friends.

''........Even if you decorate your words, is betrayal still betrayal?

　A slamming sound echoes to drown out the muttering.

''I've got it, Leonhard-sama, I've got it.
Thank you.

　Leela bared her chipped teeth and laughed, and put her writing utensils - a quill and an inkwell - on the table.
　Now," said Leonhardt, picking up the quill - "I'm going to take the quill.

'Dear Leonhardt.'
What is it?

　I stop my hand when Leela calls my name.

''Don't write too many horrible things to Mikan-sama, okay?
How so?
I've got a little brother in my house, but....
...hmm.

　You put your quill on the table.

"My older brother gets very unhappy when his younger brother pays attention to him.
Did he say something to you that was misguided?
Yeah, well, it looked like I was giving him a fair warning.
Why then?
It's always annoying when my brother says something that makes sense.
That's unreasonable.
That's the way it is.

　Leela said with a sullen look and fell silent.
　She looks at me as if she wants to say something.

You don't get it yet, do you?
'I'm not that stupid. Leela wants me to stop my admonition to your father, doesn't she?
You don't know shit, do you?

　Leela let out a deep sigh.

'I said choose your words,'
I wish I had a choice of words, too, don't I?
Don't try to rip me off.

　It's not a false feeling, but Leela's eyebrows are knitted together in a disgusted manner.

The first thing you need to know is that you're family, and you don't have to be afraid.
Some families get very twisted, don't they?

　I can't help but let the irony leak out.

Well, I don't care about that.
Does it matter?
All that matters is now.
Oh, God, you female creatures.

　She's really tough.
　Or maybe Leela is special.
　In any case, I'm sure it's an amazingly bold move.

"Leonhardt-sama may look like a fool to the people around him, but people have feelings.
You mean, decorate your words?
That's what I'm talking about.

　'Ehem,' said Leela, puffing out her chest.

'I wonder why. I seem to remember hearing the exact opposite opinion just now?'
That depends. Master Leonhardt is a roundabout fool, isn't he?
Totally earsore.

　Leonhardt cowered his shoulders, but he felt it was a plausible opinion.
　He hadn't taken the approach of admonishing euphemistically until now.

''Now, what kind of sentence should I make?''

　Leonhardt crossed his legs and began to formulate a sentence plan.

*

　Crono climbs the stairs of the control tower, checking his footing.
　This command post was made by a dwarven craftsman.
　The quality is unmistakable.
　It must be able to support the weight of a minotaur or even a lizardman without difficulty.
　In spite of this, I felt like I was walking on a thin plank, unreliable.
　It was the strain.
　Halfway up the stairs, I looked up and saw people popping into view.
　People, people, people, people as far as I could see.
　If it was just my own men, I wouldn't have been so nervous.
　But here - it's not just my own men who are in the hall for the launching ceremony.
　Old knights, volunteer soldiers, mercenaries of the Confederation of Tribes, knights of the Kingsguard, regular soldiers from the five territories, peddlers in charge of logistics, women who do the cooking and laundry - there are about fourteen thousand of them.
　If you include the spectators, the number of people would swell to more than double.
　That's how many people are watching Crono's every move.
　It's natural to be nervous.
　Your mind is about to go blank, but you take a deep breath and regain your composure.
　I don't know why my mind didn't go completely blank.
　Is it because of the many times you've gone through the rage?
　Or is it because I've gained experience standing above others?
　Or is it because you don't want to look disgraceful?
　How can everyone talk normally, Crono chuckles.
　Brad, Tina, Baron Treis, Baron Mesartim, and Baron Bossain seemed to be talking normally.
　No, said Crono, his smile deepening as he remembered Baron Treis.
　What can I say, he had gone too far.
　Sweating, spitting, and gesturing, he called out Alfort's outrageousness and praised Tyria for her.
　He looked like a dubious religion or a street vendor's cherry-picker.
　Crono climbed the stairs and stood in the center of the command post, wondering if he looked decent compared to Baron Trace.
　There is a microphone and a microphone stand there.
　The microphone was made by Eryl and the microphone stand was made by a dwarven craftsman.
　Crono took the manuscript out of his pocket and went to open it, which he had folded up.
　That's when the wind blew.
　The wind was so strong that it made the dust fly.
　The manuscript was being swept away by the wind.
　When Crono looked up, even the onlookers were trembling with laughter, as if they were trying to hold back their laughter.

'Oh dear. The wind blew me away.

　Some of the generals who couldn't bear it anymore erupted.
　Furthermore--.

''And it's super cool that the wind blew me away!
You're the man, Mr. Crono!　A man who will not fail you!

　I heard Aridid and Deneb's voices.
　'Remember,' he said, vowing revenge in his mind.

'Well, the others have said what I wanted to say, and I didn't mean to say much of anything. You all want me to cut the story short as soon as possible, don't you?

　When Crono cowered his shoulders, the generals laughed.
　It was a lie.
　They were thinking of a speech that was as good as the other lords for this day.

'I don't have a lot to say. First of all, I don't approve of looting or rape. The Chamber of Commerce and the Peddlers Guild are working with us so that we don't have to loot and we don't have to rape... well, what can I say, we have the prostitutes working with us.

　The general laughs with a thud.
　More than a few of them are looking at the women in their fancy costumes, though.

'Next, of course, is to value your life. I hope you don't give up on life, no matter what the circumstances.

　Crono spun his words while remembering the parent conquest.
　He lost a lot of men in the parent conquest.
　I don't believe that you can survive if you have a strong will.
　No matter how strong your intentions are, no matter how noble your ideals are, when you die, you die.
　On the other hand, I believe that sometimes strong will can keep you alive.

The battlefield is ruthless. I can't lie and tell you that if you don't give up, you will survive. But sometimes, if you give up, it ends there.

　Crono tightened his grip on the necklace.
　The first thing he remembered was the parent conquest - when he was on the road to return to the Empire.
　Many of them died as their wounds worsened, but many of them died as their spirits wilted.
　Next I remember the ordeal of death.
　The only reason they were able to maintain their sanity in the midst of such intense pain must have been their strong will.

So don't give up until the end of your life.

　Crono looked at the generals.
　In this battle - many will die for the ideals that Crono and the others have set forth.
　If only it were possible.
　I wanted to take more time and fulfill the ideals without making any sacrifices.
　I didn't want to use my ideals as a tool.
　But now it's too late.
　There was no turning back now.
　Many generals will die in this battle.
　If the sacrifices are inevitable, then we must build something worth it.

''This is all I have to say. Let's all get out of here alive.

　Crono turned on his heel and descended from the command post.
　Tilia was standing at the bottom of the control tower.
　She was dressed in the same white military uniform as usual.

'That was a brilliant speech!'
For ad-libbing?
Well, you know.

　Tilia gives a wry smile.

'I just wanted to warm the place up a bit more.
No, it's good enough.
You're in good hands.
Of course.

　I was about to score a high five, but we just scraped past each other.
　Tilia stopped in front of the control tower and slowly went up the stairs.
　She stopped in the middle of the control tower and said.

''Gentlemen!　The time is ripe!

　I raised my voice.
　A zap sound resounded.
　Hearing Tyria's words, the generals straightened their posture in unison.

''The alliance's unity is strong, and our troops' skill level is high!　No need to worry about running out of supplies with the help of subjects who care about the future!

　Oh, and the generals groaned.
　Aside from the soldiers, the information should have been passed on to the centurion class, but hearing it from Tyria's mouth, it seems to have a different meaning.

''The new nobles on the southern frontier resonate with our ideals, and the nobles governing the territories on the march route, with the exception of Baron Bowties, have promised to cooperate!　The only people who stand in our way are the false emperor Alfort and the rascals who have deep pockets!

　Quirky, Crono looked at Tilia.
　Tilia's words contain lies - things that aren't true.
　The nobles ruling the territory on the march route have not promised to cooperate.
　If I had to say, they only promised to be neutral - they promised not to interfere with the march.
　And that too unofficially.
　If the imperial army were to be defeated, there is a strong possibility that they would renege on their promise.

''It's time to abolish the false emperor and fulfill our ideals!

　Oh!　And the generals shouted heroically.
　The air trembles and my body heats up.
　Even though I knew I had to keep my cool, I wanted to surrender to the impulse.
　The one who poured cold water on such feelings was none other than Tilia.

'But!　But but!

　The scene falls silent for a change.

'We must fight the right fight. Looting, murder, rape we must not commit barbarism. If we commit barbarism, our ideals will be tainted and we will go down in history as plunderers.

　Tilia spoke quietly.

'This must be understood by one soldier, or rather by everyone involved in this battle. We want to believe that no one will commit barbarism, but if they do, even in the unlikely event that they do, they will be severely punished. Of course, we are doing our utmost to prevent that from happening. Well, as to what efforts we are making, you will remember what Crono said.

　When Tilia looked down in embarrassment, the generals laughed in a thud.
　When the laughter died down, Tilia looked up.

''Come on, let the battle begin.

*

"Bicentennial. Where's the wagon for number two hundred? (GAGU?)
Hey!　We're one man short!
Live and come back alive!
Who are you?　You stepped on my foot!
'Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm the number three hundred. So come on over and have fun. I'll give you a service.
"One hundred and five, one hundred and five." (Bumobumo)
.....
Hey!　Stop touting and get your ass over here!

　The carriage ramp we had set up near Sylvania was crowded with people.
　Less than seven thousand people would join the southward march.
　The number of covered wagons was nearly seven hundred.
　Anticipating the confusion, we conducted a forecasting exercise, and it went well at the time.

''I knew we should have dispersed the boarding area.
Yeah.

　Crono blurted out, and Tilia nodded.

''You're ... lost?''
What could possibly go wrong?

　Tilia raised her eyebrows as if miffed and pointed behind her with her thumb.
　A four-horse box carriage was staying at a considerable distance.
　The box carriage that was prepared for this day was a camper's blue performance.
　There were old knights around it.
　They are the ones who have been chosen to serve as the coach's attendants and the ones who have not been chosen to serve as the coach's attendants are saying their goodbyes.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one.
Keep them quiet. It might be the last time they'll ever have their day off.

　No one is wearing sheet metal armor, as expected, but they are wearing very fancy hats and some kind of a camp cloak.

'Manchausen, Alonso, I want you to protect Princess Tyria for me too!
Of course!
Good luck to you all. I look forward to seeing you again in Emperor Kai's domain!

　Then the three of them hugged each other.
　It's not as if the three of them were the only ones getting excited.

''Don't be in a hurry to die. We have to protect Princess Tilia.''
I know. But if things go wrong...
Yeah, I'll see you on the other side.

　The old knights are sobbing all over the place, their faces crumpled up with tears and snot and crying like this.
　A man in a white uniform approaches, avoiding the old knights.
　For some reason, Cecily is with him.

''Crono-dono!
Sir Brad!
You can call me brother-in-law, if you want.

　Brad smiled kindly.
　That smile sent a chill down my spine.

'My sister's told me all about you.
That's not...

　Cecily turned her head away as Crono turned his gaze on her.
　'What are we going to do?'　And Tilia poked me with her elbow.
　The time to go into battle is now, and what a mess.
　The only way to get down on your knees is to get down on your knees, and Crono jitterily retreated.

'I'm so relieved to see you're doing so well.
What?

　I stare at Brad without a second thought.
　But he's smiling an insincere smile.

'Cecily?'
I told you honestly how shameful your behavior was.　

　Cecily bit her lower lip.

'I'm not sure this is the right time to tell you.
If we don't say something now, when do we say it?
At least wait until the fight is over.

　She's a hell of a woman to do something that would crack the alliance.
　When this fight is over, you will be punished.

"You're so close.
Does it look like that to you?
'Ah, I see my father and mother. Well, unfortunately, my father wasn't as talented as Lord Crono, but...

　Tilia gave him a look that said she had seen something incredible.

'Talent, talent....yeah, well, it's good.'
Princess Tyria!

　Cecily let out a shrill scream.

''Then we'll go ahead. Next, in the Imperial City...''
Good luck.
Make sure it stays that way.

　Brad saluted, and Crono and Tilia returned the salute.
　The role of the Fifth Kingsguard is to load the lords' nostalgia and backward disturbance - to load the distribution.
　It would be nice if they could penetrate the hinterland of the Imperial Army, but this would be too greedy.

''Come on, let's go.''
My brother!　Your brother is mistaken, sir!

　Brad dragged Cecily along with him.
　'Brother!　After a while, I didn't hear a voice saying, "I'm sorry.
　Slightly later--

'Cecily!　Cecily!

　Verna came over.

'Master Crono, have you seen Cecily?'
They took me over there.
You're a cold-hearted bastard in the middle of what could be your last goodbye.

　Tsk, Verna clicked her tongue adorably.

'Maybe it's not too late?'
Yeah, I'm gonna take a little walk.
Don't be late again.

　Verna disappeared into the crowd, and Tilia blurted out.

'Master Crono!'
"Oops!

　Crono took Snow in.

'Are you lost?'
'No!　I'm here to say hello!

　Snow looked up and puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

'You can always see me.'
How far away do you think my carriage is from Master Crono's?
Yes.

　Crono's carriage is at the front, and Snow's carriage - I believe it was the hundredth carriage.

'Besides, I'm not a child either, and I know I won't be able to see Crono-sama.
Say it again.
I'm not a kid.
Oh,

　As Crono shuddered with emotion, Tilia grabbed him by the shoulders.

'When the fight is over, you'll be admitted to the hospital.'
Why?
I think you might be sick.
No, it's not.
So it's a mandatory stay.
Well, we'll take care of you.
"We?

　Tilia's eyes narrowed as if she sensed something.

'Snow, pull out, deke deke, no.'
...we are in the same carriage, so there should be three of us.

　Sue and Lizardman, who was carrying a large backpack, walked up to Snow.

'Where's Eryll?'
"...on your back.

　When the lizardman turned his back, he saw Eryll riding a backpack of some sort.

'I'm getting fat again, okay?'
"...no problem. I'm maintaining a reasonable weight.

　His tone was matter-of-fact, but his eyes were swimming a bit.
　Maybe he'd gained a little weight again.

'How did you get to be a backpacker?'
''........I have successfully lost weight, but my mobility is not high. Therefore, I have Drago the Lizardman to make up for it.

　Eril puffed out his nose in a proud manner.

'Are you okay?'
"...no problem.

　Lizardman - Drago said as he let his tongue dart in and out of his chirping.

''Well he's quiet, but we're communicating well,''
Yeah?　I hope so.

　I'm worried that the Lizardmen are doing whatever they want with their silence as a good thing.

''........It's okay. Eril, I'll protect you.'' (Shuu~)
You're on it.

　Drago nodded firmly and began to walk away.
　Snow and Sue followed.

'See you later, Master Crono!
"Mata.
....

　The three of them waved and Crono waved too.

'You too--'
Lady Crono!
Half-elf.

　Tilia frowned as Leila interrupted her words.

'Are you going to go now?'
Yes, I--
Like we're part of the advance party!
It's been a long time since I've been an archer again!

　Alideed and Deneb hugged Crono from both sides.
　It's quite a shock.

''........''
"...phew.

　Leila raised her eyebrows slightly and Tilia smiled to say it was a good spook.

'What about Kane?'
It's like they're getting ready to go a little off the beaten path!
He said he was bummed because he came out dressed up!
Well, I guess so.

　I left Sylvania prepared to leave Sylvania, but I came back.
　It's not a good idea to be a buzzkill.

'Where's Faye?'
I'm already on horseback.
It's a chance, it's a chance, it's a chance, it's a chance, it's super scary.
Chance?

　Personally, I don't want to see a situation where the advance team is active.
　When Crono turned his gaze to her, Leila nodded as if to say to leave it to her.

''........Crono-sama. See you later.
Be careful.
Yes!

　Leila nodded emphatically and turned on her heel.

'Master Crono, for us?'
Like a hot smooch is what I'm looking for!
You'll remember this when this fight is over.
It's like a confession of love!
No!　And this is just a warning for a sermon!

　Alideed was perverse, but Deneb seemed to get it right.

'And it's okay!　And Crono-sama doesn't act like he's going to preach after the fight is over!
'Maybe!　And Master Crono is a kind man!
Really?
I do and I believe in you!
And it's important to believe!

　When Tyria tilted her head, Aridid and Deneb said in dismay.
　How could I not believe it with just one word--''

''Both of you get the hell out of here.''
And that's just one word: ruthless!
Do you mean like a rescue ship?
What if it's a mud boat?
Muima!
But we have to get out of here!

　Tyria grinned and Aridid and Deneb fled.

'Arideed!　Deneb!
We just got out of here and we're standing still!
But I like being like that!

　When Crono called out to them, Aridid and Deneb stopped.
　He smiled at them.

''Be careful, you two.
You know, that smile makes me nervous!
We're not giving up until our last breath!

　With that, Aridid and Deneb took off running.

'Well, let's go too,'
Speaking of which, the guys from the Marquess' house never showed up.
I've already said goodbye to everyone.

　Mufu, Crono laughed.
　It was really a passionate greeting.

'You're talking to me and another woman's--'
Master Crono, you're in a place like this.
.....

　The landlady walked up to Crono and Tilia's face contorted.
　By the way, the landlady will also join in as the cook.

''What's the trouble?''
It's not like that. Well, you know, I'm the cook when I say I'm going on the march. I'm not free to see you, so I just wanted to say hello.
I'm sure we'll see each other on occasion.
I hope so.

　Then the landlady chuckled.

''........A battle with the Empire, huh? The little boy who doesn't know anything about the world has grown up.
I'm growing up and she's taking it in stride.
'Don't talk like that. You're looking at Princess Tyria with a scary look in your eyes.

　I looked next to her and saw that Tilia was smiling.
　But her eyes weren't smiling.

'That's why I'm going to my carriage.
I'm sure you'll be fine, but be careful.
I'm not as dangerous as Master Crono.

　The landlady fluttered and waved her hand and walked away.

'Right. I'm not as dangerous as you are.'
I'm feeling a little fearful for my life.
Excellent hazard detection. Well, just because you can sense it doesn't mean you can respond to it.
A death threat!
Don't worry, I'll keep you alive until the baby is born.

　Tilia grinned and suddenly turned serious.

'Crono, be careful,'
You too.

　He laughed from either side and headed for his own carriage.

''I knew we should have split up the ride,''

　Crono made his way to his carriage with a sideways glance at the generals.
　White and Hiilo were saying goodbye to Alyson and the other children, while Taiga was saying goodbye to the tiger beastmen.

''General, over here!'' (BUMO!)
Okay!

　The deputy shouted from the wagon and Crono quickened his pace.

'Have you gotten lost?' (Bum?)
It's a long story.

　Crono rode in the wagon with the help of his deputy.

'Has Mr. Mino finished saying goodbye to his family?
"I can't say it was a very emotional goodbye, but...

　The deputy bared his teeth and laughed, and Crono moved to the back.

'Good work,'
You're not tired yet. Oh, no, no, no. "We shouldn't be fighting.

　Zion bowed his head as he sat in his seat, and the priestess shook her head.
　By the way, there's an empty bottle of liquor lying at the priest's feet.
　Crono let out a small sigh.
　When he thought that the priestess was one of his trump cards, he was filled with anxiety.