*

'Huh...'
You're in the middle of a war council meeting.

　Algena said with a frown as Roy gave a big missive.
　Treasurer Bawties also frowned uncomfortably.

'Sorry. I couldn't get to sleep last night.'
Nevertheless, as a commander, you should discipline yourself to be an example to others.
Hey, yeah.
You only have to answer once.
Yeah.
'Don't talk in a sloppy tone. And don't say 'hei', but 'yes'.
I know.

　Tsk, Argena clicked her tongue.
　I want to sarcasticly tell her that you should discipline yourself too, but she gingerly held back.

''Today--''
That's what I'm talking about.

　Argena glares at me with a snap.

''.......what?''
You've got ears to hear, haven't you?
Do you have to be a dick to get a word in edgewise?
It's not like that.

　Roy cowered lightly.

'Get on with it.'
We need to reinforce our position and I could really use some help.
Dismissed.
Hey, wait a minute.
Didn't I say no?
You could have at least listened to me.

　Roy muttered in disgust.

'No such orders have been given.
There's a judgment in the field, isn't there, a judgment in the field? As a matter of fact, the reason we were attacked in the night, the reason we lost so many people, was because our position was easier to attack.

　The rebels are not only defending their position with a number of obstacles, they are also using the surrounding forest.
　And yet, we are only storing supplies in a dispersed manner.
　If they don't attack us in this way, they are very good-natured.
　It's better to quit being a soldier and go to the countryside to work the fields.
　Unfortunately, the rebels - Crono is not a good-natured person.
　He may not be good at fighting, but if he's going to do it, he's the type to go all out.

''Well what are you going to do about it?''

　Arjena asked with a miffed expression.

'Are you finally ready to listen?'
If you have an idea, tell me. I'll think about it when I hear about it.

　Roy let out a deep sigh.
　I feel like I'm hitting on a woman.
　It's also a cumbersome woman perched on a hill.
　No, I don't care if it's perched on a hill or smelly, as long as it's a woman.
　Picking up a woman is fun, similar to combat training.
　But it's no fun to seduce Arjena.
　Successfully seducing her will only enable you to do what you should be doing.
　Bringing the negative back to zero.
　How can you enjoy it if you have nothing to gain?
　However, the hardest part is that you can't just give up because you don't enjoy it.
　After all, the lives of my men are at stake.
　Especially Richard.
　The man who said he was going to marry her must be returned to his hometown.

'What's the matter?　Say it now.
Yes, sir. What I'm proposing isn't much of a plan. The position is surrounded by a moat. That's all.

　I finally got it out, Roy rubbed his eyes drearily.
　This is what's causing the lack of sleep.
　After getting rid of the rebels, Richard and I discussed the future.

'Are you asking me to imitate the rebels?
It's not.

　Roy, feeling disgusted, dismissed Argena's words.

'The rebels ain't a moat.
How useful is the moat?
It's better than nothing.
....

　Offended, Arjena fell silent.

'On what grounds?'
"The commander I met with last night was very careful.

　He has a high level of combat ability and is very bold.
　Either he has a lot of combat experience, or - is he highly educated?
　Either way, they must be a troublesome enemy.
　That's why they shouldn't approach the moat unguarded.

''........''

　Argena fell silent again.

''Well I understand what you mean, but it's hard to execute.
Why?
I don't have the tools.
We'll take care of that.

　Roy let out a small sigh.
　It was probably because he didn't want to leave the mercenaries to build a position and cause a mutiny.
　But then you can take away the tools when you're done.
　That's all there is to it.
　Nevertheless, they don't do that much.
　One sigh.
　That said, it's an expected reaction.

'I'd like to have someone to help in return.'
How many?
10,000 ordinary soldiers.
I can't.

　Algena said without a pause.

'All right. Five thousand. Five thousand will do.'
Five thousand.

　Arjena snarled and made a pretense of thinking.
　Nine times out of ten, it should break.
　That's why I mentioned ten thousand in the first place, because I thought about it.
　But it should be a good idea.

'Oh, come on, give me a break. You're making all these concessions and you're still thinking about it.
All right!　Five thousand is good enough for you, right?

　Algena easily took advantage of Roy's provocation.
　I'd like to tell you to think about it a little more, but she went along with our intentions.
　It would be out of line to complain.

''Oh, five thousand is fine.
I see. The 5,000 ordinary soldiers are yours to keep.
Thanks.

　It's a great feeling to feel that a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
　Just as he thought he could get on with his work, he heard the soldiers' voices from outside.
　A few moments later, Richard came in with an unknown soldier.
　The stranger soldier was dressed in a dirty outfit.

'Excuse me!'
What?　We're in a strategy session right now.
'Ha!　The soldier who had been missing since last night was down, and I brought him to you.

　Algena said uncomfortably, but Richard didn't show any signs of being offended - which was unavoidable given his position in the army - and replied.

'Didn't you run away and come back?'
Yeah.

　Richard controlled the soldier who was about to defend himself with his hand.

'It won't happen,'
Why?
He was bound hand and foot, blindfolded and gagged.
...I see.

　If it was Alfort, he might say something absurd about tying himself up, but Argena didn't seem to think so and nodded honestly.
　It's a natural response if you ask me.
　If you say you tied yourself up in this, you will have no choice but to stop being friends.
　He thinks he's smart enough to do this.

"So, you're sure that guy is the soldier who went missing?
I'm sure of it.
Okay.

　Algena nodded and looked at the soldier.

''Well being kidnapped means you're a prisoner of war, but you're not leaking information, are you?''
'Yes, of course. I wouldn't tell you if they tortured me.

　The soldier answered immediately.
　Probably a lie.
　Although ordinary soldiers are better than the self-proclaimed mercenaries, they still do not have a high level of professional ethics.

''Why were you released?''
'Because Princess Tyria ordered the rebel commander to release her.
Princess Tyria?

　Algena's eyes widened in surprise.

'He doesn't like the blood of his subjects in anything...'
I see that you have not abandoned your pride as a member of the royal family, even though you have become the leader of the rebel army. This must be defeated with respect.
No, don't get me wrong.
What did you say?
Don't let that convince you that you've heard the story.
But no one can give the Marquis of Erakis orders but the Princess of Tyria.
In the first place, a common soldier a commoner wouldn't know the face of the princess.

　Roy turned his gaze to the man.

'How did you know it was Princess Tyria?'
'It's because ... the rebel commander was following, and the old men said she was Princess Tyria, and she smelled good.

　The man goggled and looked down.

'You see,'
What?
You're a slow learner. He could be a double agent.
...for sure.

　Algena nodded, thinking she was going to be furious.

'No, but you must have seen the face of Princess Tyria.
Did you see it?
'No, no, he was wearing a white robe and I couldn't see his face.

　Richard asked, and the man shook his head.

'A white robe?'
He said he was in mourning.

　The man replied to Roy's question.

What do you think?
"If you're going to ask a question, ask it correctly.
I mean, of course that's what the followers of the royal family, the 'pure and orderly gods' have a habit of doing.
Why are you asking me?
I don't know anything about that stuff.

　I wasn't interested in the episodes associated with previous emperors, and I'm not a religious person, so I don't know if there is a custom of mourning.

''Well I've never heard of it either, but it doesn't seem to be an unnatural thing to do considering the circumstances.
Well, yeah.

　It may be an appeal that she is rebelling against Alfort and the nobles that rule over it, and not hostile to the rest of us, but it doesn't seem too unnatural for her to mourn the death of her subjects as a royal family.
　After all, I still don't recognize Princess Tyria in her white robes.

''Is there anything else?''
'Oh!　I have a letter for you, Mr. Bawties, the Director of Finance.
Me?

　Treasurer Bawties raises his eyebrows quizzically.
　This doesn't seem unnatural either.
　The man pulls a letter out of his pocket and offers it to Treasurer Boutis.
　The director of finance reaches out and Roy thrusts the tip of the spear into his neck.

'What the hell are you doing?'
Why would I give it to you if you don't know if it's a ruse?
Wait!

　As Roy went to take the letter, Algena shouted sharply.
　'What happens next is predictable, but I'll follow.

'What?'
You know the Marquess of Erakis, don't you?
You mean you don't trust me?
Yes.
A guy who doesn't have any friends.

　Nevertheless, I know how Arjena feels.

'Then you should read it,'
Okay.

　Arjena took the letter from the man and carefully unfolded it.

'What did it say?'
I can't read it.
What?
'I said read it. It looks like a letter, but it also looks like a picture. Maybe it's a code.

　Arjena turned her gaze to the Director of Finance Bowties.

'Well, you don't think it's me you're suspecting, do you?
No, not really. Any ideas?
'I am!　He killed his beloved wife and child!　Why do I have to get through to the rebels?

　Treasurer Bawties shouted hysterically.
　He appears to be telling the truth, but the possibility that he is acting is undeniable.
　None of these men saw the murder of Treasurer Bouthees' wife and child.

If you're going to say that--
I'm sorry I doubted you.

　Arjena interrupted the treasurer Bawties' words and bowed her head.
　It wouldn't be by calculation.
　For better or worse, Arjena is the type of person who doesn't do calculations.
　She has a head for calculations, and she can do them.
　But I don't.
　She disciplines herself that way.
　Unfortunately, it's not a virtue or an advantage.

'Wow, you just have to understand. So what about the letter?
I'll do this.

　Algena tore the letter in two and broke it into even smaller pieces.

'Nah, what are you doing!
'As you can see. I don't know what Princess Tyria's intentions are, but I'm sure this is how it will be done.

　Algena has a point.
　It's useless to think about it because there's no way to verify what kind of intentions they have, because there's no way to verify it.
　If that's the case, it's better to focus on the events in front of us.
　But if the other side is trying to make Roy and the others distrust each other, then it's a success.
　At least Algena is suspicious of the Director of Finance Bowties.
　I'm sure she knows I'm suspicious of Treasurer Bawties, too.

"The matter of Princess Tyria...
I think I'm a shadow warrior.
I think it's real.

　Roy looked sideways at the Director of Finance Bowties.
　His opinion was split in two.
　When he looked at Richard, he looked like he wanted to say something.

'Hey, do you have an opinion?'
What are you asking a common soldier?
I'm a big believer in hearing from a lot of guys. What's up?
Ha, I'm afraid...
All right. Permission to speak.

　Argena said disgustedly.

'With all due respect, I'm afraid it doesn't really matter whether Princess Tyria is real or fake, does it?
What do you mean--
I'll ask the questions.

　Arjena interrupted Roy's words as if irritated.

'What do you mean by that?'
''Ha, even if it's a fake, we can still claim it's Princess Tyria, can't we?
'So you're saying that if the real one shows up, we're going to declare it a fake and diminish the insurgency's centripetal force?
Yes, sir.

　Richard's eyes widened in surprise and affirmed Arjena's words.
　He must have thought Arjena was a fool.

'That of yours is beyond the realm of a soldier.
I'm sorry.
But we'll keep that in mind.
Ha, thank you.
Good. Then get back to work.
'Ha!　I'll get back to work.

　Richard turned on his heel, and the man who had been turned into an ornament followed.
　It was then that Roy's ears caught a faint sound.

'....Wait.
Ha!
It wasn't you.

　Roy thrust the tip of his spear at the man.

'Wha, what are you doing?'
Give me what's in your pocket.
There's nothing there!
Just let me out!

　Roy yelled, and the man put his hands in his pockets with a sense of reluctance.

''--!''

　I gasp, and immediately afterwards, my face turns pale.

"Take your hand out of your pocket. Take your hand out of your pocket or you're going to die.
Okay, I understand.

　As the man pulled his hand out of his pocket, something fell to the ground.
　It was a gold coin.

'What is this?'
I don't know!

　The man shook his head violently as Treasurer Bawties picked up the gold coins and said.

'The rebels put it in my pocket!　I really don't know!
Do you really think I believe that kind of nonsense?
'I really don't know!　Trust me!

　The man went to his knees and folded his hands in prayer.

'....Keep that man locked up.
Ha!

　Richard straightened up as Algena commanded with a sigh.

'Come on, come on!'
'Trust me!　I didn't do anything!
Come on!

　Richard grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and tried to get out of the tent.

'Hey!'
Ha!

　When Roy called out, Richard stopped.

'Once you've got that guy locked up, lead five thousand ordinary soldiers and dig a moat.
'Ha!　Yes, sir!

　Richard saluted Roy and this time he left the tent.

'Director of Finance Bowties, please prepare for the attack.
Okay.

　Treasurer Bawties nodded hawkishly and walked out of the tent.

'Are you sure?'
If it means we don't have to punish the soldiers, then I can't blame you.

　Hmmm, Roy countered.
　He suspected he had a relationship with Crono, but he didn't really mean it.

'I think he's telling us the inside story over here, huh?
There is no evidence.

　Oh dear," cowered Roy, "I wish I could have served in the Book Depository instead of the military.
　I don't wish I was in the military, I wish I was working in the book bureau.
　It's not good luck for anyone that their wishes don't match up with their aptitude.

'These people will insist to their deathbed that they are not to blame.
Well, don't let it affect your morale.
That's what I'm talking about.

　Algena said in a disgusted tone.

''You believe the ... Director of Finance Bowties?''
There is no evidence.
There you go again.
But we can't just take it on faith.
What are you going to do?
'No different than yesterday. You'll be leading the mercenaries.
...that's how it works.

　Arjena must be planning to use up all those mercenaries early.
　Good grief, Roy let out a sigh.



Come on, gentlemen!　Today is the day to neutralize the obstacle!　Incapacitate the obstacle and I will pay you as promised!

　Whether he knew what Algena had in mind or not, Treasurer Bowties raised his voice on his horse.
　Maybe they don't know, Roy scratched his head and looked up at the sky.
　The sun's position is still high, but if we can attack it as many times as we did yesterday, we'll be fine.
　It took too long to form a formation.

''What do we do?''
You don't have a choice.
d*mn it, you should have run off.

　The mercenaries blurted out and stepped forward.
　The morale of the mercenaries is low, perhaps because the day has passed.

''Hey, shut up.''
Come on, man, don't be such a pussy now.
They'll kill you.
Tsk.

　Similar conversations can be heard all over the place.

'Six hundred!　Come on out in front of six hundred people!

　Treasurer Bawties shouted, and Algena's men moved in and thrust their spears into the ground.

'Whoever is ahead of the spear, advance!
Shit!
What the f*ck am I standing here doing here?
I wish I could have eaten a full meal before I died.

　Most of the mercenaries complained and obeyed the orders--''

''No, no!　I don't want to die!

　One of the mercenaries called out and ran away.

''You!　Don't run away!
'Yes, yes, yes!　What if we're involved too?

　I thought they were going to overlook it, but the mercenaries caught them.

'No way!　I have a mother, you know!
I don't know!
If you're a man, you're going to die with honor!
"d*mn it!　Why do I have to die just because I'm a man!　Mother!

　The mercenary who began to whine and cry was dragged to the front row by his friends.

''........Is this hell?''
You're just finding out now?
Come on, move along!　Brave men!

　The mercenaries began to walk away with a sense of reluctance as the Director of Finance Bawties shouted.
　The reason why they didn't start running out of nowhere was because they knew the rebels' attack pattern.
　First, the rebels would attack after passing the obstacle in front of them.
　Next, they will use a magic item near their target obstacle.
　You can save your energy until the closest obstacle.
　It's possible that the rebels aren't showing their hand, though.
　Roy stared at the target obstacle and tilted his head inwardly.
　An overturned cart is abandoned, bodies are lying on the ground, barrel lids and blankets are scattered about.
　I could tell so far, but even the blankets hanging over the obstacles were in the same condition as yesterday.
　It's strange that they didn't put away the barrel lids and blankets, if not the carts and corpses.
　Just when I was thinking that this was like--, a crying voice sounded out.

'No!　I don't want to die!
"It's over!
d*mn it, why do I have to take care of this guy?

　The said mercenary cried out, but the two mercenaries dragged him away.
　They finally arrived near the obstacle--.

''Go back, go back!

　The mercenary shook off his comrades and ran away, as if by sheer stupidity in the fire place.

"Run--!

　The mercenary reached out to catch him again and stopped moving.
　He touched his back and looked at his hand.
　Then his hand was covered in blood.
　An arrow had pierced his back.
　The mercenary fell forward--.

''Whoa, whoa, whoa!
And stop, stop, stop!

　The mercenaries ran out with a yell, and the mercenaries who were trying to escape were swallowed up.

''The attack is coming!
Shield!　Pick up the shield!
That's mine!
Give me that!

　A fight began over the lid of the barrel.

'd*mn it!　Run, run, run!
"d*mn it, d*mn it!

　The mercenaries split into two groups.
　One group is fighting for the lid of the barrel, and the other group is running with a blanket.

''Gee!''
Oh, my God!

　A series of short screams went up.
　Arrows rained down on the group that was fighting for the lid of the barrel.

'Good!　Good!
He's not on the hunt for me!
"Run, run, run while you can!

　The group that was running with the blanket is gaining momentum.
　They were almost to reach their goal.
　Just then, there was an explosion.
　The mercenaries soared high into the sky or were blown away and fell to the ground.
　It was an attack by a magic item.

''d*mn it, a blanket!
Just neutralize the obstacle!

　The second time the mercenaries draped a blanket over the obstacle, a second explosion occurred.

'I'll miss a few. Take care of the rest.
I'll take care of it.

　Roy left his second-in-command in charge and headed down to Richard, who was overseeing the operation.

*

　At the outer edge of the main camp, the general soldiers were digging the ground.
　The work didn't seem to be progressing, though, probably because they were using lumber with the tips cut at an angle.

''Oh, how's it going?''
Ha!

　When Roy called out to him, Richard straightened up.

'Make yourself comfortable,'
Yes, I understand.

　Richard let out a breath of relief and lost his posture.
　His posture was much more correct than Roy's, even if he did break down.

'So, what do you think?'
As you can see.

　Richard turned his attention to the soldiers.
　The moat was about a meter wide, ankle deep, and maybe two hundred meters long.
　Then he noticed that there were too few soldiers engaged in the work.

''Half of the soldiers are resting.
You mean, we'll be working on it all day long?
That's right. If the problem is--
Nope.

　Roy interrupted Richard's words.

'If you think it's optimal, it's optimal. Besides, you intend to keep the rebels in check by having them work at it all day long, don't you?
Ha, thank you.

　Richard straightened up and saluted Roy.
　It was a beautiful salute, just out of military school.
　Roy is also out of military school, but he can't salute as nicely as this.
　It was ridiculous and he had to cut corners.
　The only thing I took seriously was the practical skills.
　I still managed to get a decent score in the classroom, though.

I should have studied a little more diligently.
'I'm sure Master Roy is fully capable of doing so, but...'
Flattery is fine.
No, sir, I'm not flattered.
It's making my back itchy.

　Roy raggedly scratched his head.
　In context, Richard's idea of sufficient competence seemed to be to throw the job to his subordinates without saying anything extra, but he didn't feel bad about being praised by a decent guy.

'How's the war going?'
Not much happened yesterday.
Okay.

　Richard said, somewhat discouraged.
　I could have ignored it, but for some reason it bothered me.

'What's going on?'
Yes, sir. I'm worried about some military provisions...
A military cavalry horse.

　Roy crossed his arms and muttered.

''Imperial City is just a stone's throw away, so I guess it's not a problem...''
I think so, too.

　But," Richard continues, "I think we all estimated that we would have enough for the mercenaries.

"I believe he estimated that this is how many mercenaries we would need.
Sure.... but the rate of attrition for a mercenary is quite high.
'Yes, I know that, but...'

　Richard clammed up.
　The mercenaries are dying in a flurry, but he thinks it would be faster to consume their sustenance fodder.
　If something happens in such a situation, the imperial army will have to fight not only the rebels, but also hunger.
　That's what he's worried about.

I understand. I will check on the fodder and see how much is left.
Nice to meet you.
No, I don't mind.

　Then Roy looked up at the sky.
　He had a bad feeling about this.

*

　Night - Aridid looked at the enemy camp from behind the trees.
　Bonfires were burning around the enemy camp, and a large number of soldiers were digging into the ground.
　He wondered if they were digging a trench, but he quickly reconsidered.
　The enemy's main force is infantry, but they don't have crossbows.
　In other words, the enemy soldiers are digging a moat.

"This is Arid, the enemy soldiers are building a bonfire and digging in the ground. I think they're digging a moat.
They're digging in the ground with wooden sticks, so it's not very efficient.

　Aridid muttered into the magic item for communication, and Deneb added.

'Can we harass them?'
I'm sure there's nothing I can't do, but after what happened yesterday, I'm a little worried.

　Crono's voice rang out from the magic item for communication, and Alideed gave his impressions.

''No need to push yourself.''
Are you sure that's all right? (Guru?)
"as long as there are no more of them left to fight.

　Crono said in a troubled tone at Tyga's question.
　I could see him smiling bitterly.

'Well, like maybe I killed a little too much today.
Oh, you sound like you took it too far.

　Alideed muttered, and Deneb rushed in with a shaky voice.
　I know what you want to say, but they killed three thousand people yesterday and today.
　The damage here is zero.
　It's not a bad thing, but it's so easy to kill them that we're going to be indifferent to the value of their lives.

Like insensitivity is a bad thing.
Hey, sis.
It's not.

　Alideed slapped Deneb's chest with the back of his hand.

'It's like being a soldier is a physically and mentally draining profession. When this battle is over--'
Sis!
No! (GASP!)

　Alideed covered his mouth with his hands as Deneb and Tyga ran into him.

'Watch out. It's like I almost put a death flag on you.'
Like you want me to be careful.
Guru.

　Huh, Arid wiped the sweat off with the back of his hand and looked around.
　That wouldn't help him see anything, but it would help him change his mind.

'Huh, it was a close call, and...'

　Once again, I exhaled and looked up at the sky.