*

　The day after the Imperial Army set up the camp - the sound of an explosion could be heard in the distance.
　It's likely that the Imperial Army blew up the mercenaries who were closing in on the obstacle made of iron thorns with magic items.
　The main force of the Imperial Army is the volunteer soldiers.
　Not to say they were amateurs, but they had no white army fighting ability at all.
　Originally, the reason why the Imperial Army on the offensive side was fighting a defensive battle was to compensate for their white army fighting ability.
　Not only do they use magic items, they even use a strategy.
　They are struggling to not lose.
　In contrast, the Imperial Army is on the defensive.
　Of course, this also comes with a proviso that it should have been.
　The imperial army, which should be on the defensive side, is attacking.
　This is in spite of the fact that they can reduce the wear and tear on their troops if they are holed up in a castle.
　The reason why this is not possible is because of the disruption in logistics.
　The cooperation of the neighboring lords and ladies cannot be expected either.
　According to the soldiers, it's because of the emperor and his cronies.
　It reminds me of my home.
　It has a reputation as one of the most important breadbasket areas of the Empire, but in short, it's the countryside.
　To be honest, I didn't like my home town.
　I didn't like the feeling of entrapment, as if the future was closed to me.
　But I had never been hungry until I trained there.
　Perhaps it was a feeling common to their generation.
　When he said that, his masters laughed at him.
　It must have been very strange for that master to laugh.
　After all, I am a fool, I think.
　However, even I know something.
　A person who cannot make his subordinates eat is not qualified to be in the top position.
　In that sense, we must be blessed.
　You can't do that," he said, shaking his head and thrusting his stick into the ground.
　It's just a stick with a diagonal slice at the tip.
　It is not possible to dig into the ground like a shovel or pickaxe.
　It just sticks into the ground just a little bit.
　But it repeats itself.
　I repeat, I repeat, I repeat--.
　He throws the dirt behind him, repeating it so repeatedly that he feels like he's reaching a state of selflessness.
　I lean on the stick and let out a sigh.
　The sigh was louder than I thought it would be.
　I look around in a hurry.
　Around the perimeter, Imperial soldiers were digging the ground in a line.
　With wooden sticks, of course.
　Fortunately, or should I say, they only seemed to be interested in their own work.
　But still--''

"It's insane to build a moat with this stuff--
Hey.
No, I'm not skipping work!　One, two, one, two!　Ahhh!　Digging holes is fun!

　Suddenly, he is called out and resumes his work.
　I was caught off guard.
　This is despite the fact that my mentor had warned me about it.
　Really, I think I'm a bad guy.
　A poof sound is heard.
　I turn around to see a bearded man holding his mouth.

'Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he says, "I didn't mean to scare you. We're ready to eat and you've been quietly digging in the ground.
I'm sorry to hear that. I've got a lot on my mind.

　The man gave me a bum look and I apologize.
　I feel like I don't need to apologize, but politeness is important.
　My mentor taught me that politeness is important.

''Then let's go.''
Where are you going?
...you.

　The man let out a sigh of dismay.

'Didn't I tell you the meal was ready?'
Is it okay to eat while I work?
I'm not surprised.

　The man let out another sigh.
　This is bad.
　After all, it was impossible for him to be a spy.
　A cold sweat ran down his face.
　Should I kill the man and escape?
　This is outside the camp.
　It's not that hard to escape.
　You won't be able to continue spying, but it's better than being tortured and spitting out information.
　He reaches for the dagger at his waist and stops it.
　Killing it is the last thing I want to do - after assessing the situation to the last minute.
　The man stares at you and suddenly smiles.

'Don't be so scared. Are you new to the military?
Yeah.
Well, I guess so.

　The man scratched his head as if to say he'd lost it.

'This is the situation. Everyone likes to have a veteran on hand, don't they?
Oh, yeah.

　The man crossed his arms and nodded repeatedly.
　Apparently, he agreed with me on his own.
　I followed him, patting my chest inwardly.

''Let's go then.''
Where is it?
So, we're eating.

　The man says disgustedly.

It's not much of a stretch. This is a fate. I'm going to teach you how to be a soldier.
'It's okay!　I can do this on my own!
Don't be.
No, I'm not being modest!　Not at all!　Not one bit of it!
No, no, no, don't be shy. You should just accept your seniors' kindness.
I'm fine. I'm fine.
You know what?

　The man said with a sigh.
　The forcefulness of the previous moment seems to be a lie.

'What is it?'
I can see why you're so cautious. That's what happens when you're too stubborn.

　Then the man scoffed his chin.
　Ahead of him was a group of people charging into an obstacle.
　They were shot with machine gun bows and crossbows and blown away by magic items.
　Their appearance was nothing short of miserable.

''I'm not a mercenary.

　Oh," the man let out a voice.
　Is he impressed?

'What?'
Don't be angry, don't be angry. I'm just relieved that you seem to know more than you think you do.

　The man raised his hands in a theatrical gesture and leaned forward.

'So, what do you know about these guys?'
For money, well, at least he's a bum.
You knew him well.
If you're a normal person, I can hear you.
That's not him.
What's the difference?
It's...

　The man punctuated his words and withdrew his body.

'I'll teach you over dinner.'
What--

　Just as I opened my mouth to complain, I heard a gurgling sound.
　A stomach bug buzzed.
　I turned over to look down, even if it wasn't this time.

'Your stomach bugs are honest. We're going to make a meal out of you, for food.
Okay....

　I answer after a short pause.
　I was interested in what the man had to say, and I was hungry.
　It wouldn't be a beehive to talk to him while he ate.

'Before we eat...'
Oh, handshake.

　The man squeezed back the hand he held out.
　Then the man looked surprised.

'I forgot to tell you. I'm John.
"I'm Johnny.
Jonnyce?　That's an odd name.
Johnny, d*mn it.

　The man - John asked back, and Johnny was miffed and said back.

'Yeah, Johnny-na,'
Yes, Johnny. It's not Johnny's.
Bad, bad.

　John scratched his head.
　It couldn't be his imagination that he didn't seem to feel bad.



　John led me to the tent.
　It was a fairly large tent with a row of tables inside.
　The seats were noticeably empty, but there were a good number of people there.
　There are several groups of people there.
　So to speak, they are what you might call a bosom buddy group.
　When I sat at a table at the end of the table, I felt alienated.
　I can't help it, considering my position.
　After all, he's a spy.
　If I convey the information I collected to Miss--Princess Tilia, the Imperial Army will definitely be harmed.
　However, I haven't done anything yet.
　It's hard to be alienated from this stage.
　At the very least, I wish John was here.
　If only he were here, I wouldn't have to think about this pathetic thing.
　But he's not here.
　He told me to wait here and then he went away.
　I hope he comes back soon.
　I'm praying - and I'm praying.

'I'm sorry to keep you waiting,'
You've been waiting too long.
Don't be angry.

　With that, John placed the tray in front of Johnny.
　There was food for two on the tray - cloudy white soup and bread.
　Apparently he had gone to get a meal.

'What's up?'　You're not going to eat it?
Eat.

　John chuckled as Johnny took the soup and bread.
　He slides the tray down and takes a seat facing him.
　Johnny scooped up the soup with a spoon--.

'There's no garnish.'
Look closely.
Well?

　Tilting my head, I looked at the spoon.
　Then I saw what looked like brown strands sinking into it.

'There's meat in there, isn't there?'
It's not called meat.

　Zuzu, sipping the soup.
　The soup was rather salty, or rather, it tasted only of salt.

'Wait.'
What is it?

　Johnny looked up, sheltering his soup and bread.
　John laughed.
　What fun.

'Soup's a bit of a stretch,'
Why?
Watch.

　John picked up the bread and tapped it lightly on the table.
　A cocking sound sounded and Johnny's eyes widened.
　He had heard that they sometimes hardened the bread to keep it for days.
　But I didn't expect it to go this far - I didn't expect it to go this far.

'You'd be surprised, wouldn't you?'
It's a surprise.
So, yeah.

　John pulled out the dagger at his waist and struck the pan with the pommel head.
　There was a fairly loud sound.
　I looked around hurriedly and saw that the soldiers were looking at us.
　I thought it was bad, but they quickly turned their faces away as if they had lost interest.
　All the while, John was tapping the bread with his handle head.
　After a few slaps, the bread broke in two.
　He repeated the same thing again, dipping the shattered bread into the soup.

'Here's the thing,'
I see.

　The bread is hard, so you mean to soften it with salt soup.
　Johnny drew his dagger.
　Then--'

'Oh?　A dagger by Kanuchi? You have an expensive looking one.
"-Oh!

　Johnny looked at John in surprise.

'I ain't gonna steal it,'
Of course.
'Having a dagger made by Kanuchi means...'

　John looked at me and snickered.

'Why are you snickering?'
I thought you were rich, but I thought you didn't sound rich.
I'm sorry.

　Johnny frowned.

'Most likely you stole it, or picked it up. You look poor, you know.
I got it right.

　I'm miffed and say it back.
　It's true that my parents are not rich.
　But they're not poor either.
　It's an average family in the southern frontier--the Barony of Ekron.

''Well, it's a bit of a tall order for a new recruit.

　Gulp, Johnny grunted.
　It was a mouthful, but he was right.

'You were thinking about being as active as Leonhardt or something anyway.
Well, yeah.

　It was a lie.
　Johnny had imagined himself as his brother - Crono's subordinate.
　He was delighted with the fantasy of dashing into Crono's pinch and defeating his enemies.
　He knows it's a dream that won't come true, but his desire to be useful hasn't changed.
　Right now, I'm being of use to Crono.
　That makes me feel proud.
　But if I could talk to my past self, I would advise him to revise his fantasy downward.
　The gap between reality and delusion has enough power to break your heart.
　Well, my master would have broken my heart anyway - but I'm not sure.
　I remember.
　The days of my training in the Areos Mountains.
　The day I graduated as a thief and a virgin.
　I shouldn't think about it now, ssss, he shook his head and broke the bread with the pommel head of his dagger.
　Oh," John let out a voice.
　Ignoring him, he breaks the bread.

'You're good at that,'
Of course. I'm going to be the best dagger-wielder in the Empire.
The dagger man?

　Johnny put the bread in the soup and looked up.
　Then John had a look on his face as if he'd bitten down on a bitter bug.

'Why do you look at me like that?'
A dagger is just a backup backup weapon.
What's wrong with that? Dagger wielders are so cool.

　Isn't it cool if you can beat a swordsman with a dagger?
　Looking good is justice.

"And that's why you're so young.
It's okay. I'm a dagger man.

　Johnny sheathed his dagger and stirred the soup.
　It's hard to see the ingredients except for the bread.
　I feel like crying when I remember my training days.

'Don't look like you're about to cry,'
I'm not.
'You don't have to look like that, your supply should arrive tomorrow.
Are you refueling?
Yeah, they may not know how long they'll be able to ferry us back, but they'll be better than this.

　I've heard good things about this.
　I don't know much about the military, but I at least know that food is important.
　If you interfere with the supply, your soldiers are bound to starve and not be able to fight.
　But still--''

"I've heard it all before, but it's just awful.
Otherwise, they'd be caged up in the Imperial City.

　John chuckled and brought the spoon to his mouth.
　The hard bread was blistered with soup and turned to mush.

It's a matter of national security and all I can eat is this stuff. It's a real mess.
"-Oh!

　John spat, and Johnny looked around in a hurry.
　It's not good to criticize the upper echelon when you're at war.
　He thought, but the soldiers around him were unperturbed.
　Some were even smiling bitterly.

''Don't get so upset. I don't want anyone to talk to the top for complaining a word or two.
Why?
If you complain and slack off, I have a problem with that, but if you're doing a serious job, you keep your mouth shut.
Is this a tacit understanding?
No one likes a snitch. It's horrible to imagine being isolated on a battlefield where you can't survive without everyone working together. And also...

　Suddenly John leaned forward and Johnny freaked out.

'Between you and me...'
What is it?
There's a report that someone in command is in touch with the Princess Tyria.
Really?

　Johnny couldn't help but ask back.
　Princess Tilia is at the base.
　And yet, how is she in contact with the enemy commander?
　If there are spies other than himself?
　It's not impossible.
　Even we - the Southern Frontier Army - have been preparing to fight.
　Crono would have done at least that.

Yeah, I heard that the guy who was taken prisoner had a letter for me.
How does that lead to not tipping off?
People don't know who they can trust and they call the cops. It's just a ridiculous thing to do, isn't it?

　John just says what are you talking about?
　If you ask me, I'm not so sure.

'But then again, you're well-informed.
It's...

　An explosion sounded and John scowled.

''Well I don't want to be like those guys.
A mercenary.
The only thing worse than not doing what you can do is dying.

　John let out a small sigh.

'You should be doing everything you can, too. Especially when it comes to gathering information.'
Yeah, so?

　Finally, he felt like he understood why John had said, 'That guy's different.
　He must have appreciated the fact that Johnny had been gathering information.
　If that was the case, I could see why he had invited me to dinner.

'You mean to tell me it would help me gather information?'
It's all about the exchange of information.
I'm okay with that.
I see.

　John let out a breath of relief.
　A thought occurred to him.

'....maybe...'
That's what I'm talking about. These people here are here to gather information.

　John grinned.



So, it looks like the supply is about to arrive from the Imperial Capital.
I see.

　Hearing Johnny's report, Tilia crossed her arms.
　She looked over at Myra, who stood beside her.

'I'm sure of it. We've received information from the Imperial City that confirms Johnny's story as well.''
Then it's settled. The Imperial Capital will be sending a supply team in the near future.

　But then Tilia looks to the other side.
　Kane, Gaul and Robert are standing across the table.
　Kane commands the cavalry, Gaul commands a death squad, and Robert commands the Southern Frontier Army.
　Here's your chance.
　When will they not attack here and when will they attack?
　But Tyria and the others are the troops that are meant to capture the Imperial City.
　We don't want to make our presence felt with too much fanfare.
　Shouldn't we be cautious?
　When I was troubled, Myra raised her hand.

'What?'
'I understand your wife's feelings, but I think we should attack this place.
Why?
''The mainstay of the Imperial Army is the volunteer army. If the Southern Frontier Army attacks the supply units, the Imperial Army will be exhausted and we can expect some relief from the pressure.
It's like a barrel man making money when the wind blows.
"...Johnny.
Wow, I know. I'll shut up.

　Myra spoke in a gentle tone, and Johnny held his mouth with both hands.
　He was sweating fat.
　Perhaps it was psychogenic.

'If we can get him to use his trump card early on, we can fight with relatively little extra power left.
I see.
...and...

　Tilia nodded and after a moment, Myra spoke up again.

'We should have her throw away her virginity as soon as possible.
You're a virgin.
'Of course, being a virgin means your first murder.
I know!

　Tyria coughed out a hoarse, gurgling cough.
　She regained her composure and turned her attention to Kane, Gaul and Robert.

'How's it going?'
I don't see a problem with my place. We've got a bunch of veterans and some real-world experience.
We're already prepared. However, we want to make sure we're ready.

　Kane answered, followed by Gaul.
　Huh, Myra let out a voice.
　Then Gaul glared at Myra.

'What?'
I think you've become quite reliable.
I can't just think about myself, you know?

　The mannerisms were almost ridiculous, but Gaul only smiled thinly.

'How about you, Robert?'
I'd like to see you try out your communication magic item.
...I see.

　Tilia nodded after a slight pause.

'Alright, we will assault the Imperial supply force. However, Kane and Gaul's troops will be the main force.
Wait.
What?

　Tilia turned her gaze to Kane.

'Me and Gaul's squad combined is a little over a hundred men.
I know. So don't go after it too hard.
There's another problem.
I know that too. We're stranded.

　Oh, Kane nodded.
　If they wanted to do some damage, they'd have to strand the supply units.
　But it wouldn't be wise to divide a force of only a hundred or so men.
　Moreover, if the roads were blocked in front and behind, the enemy would be desperate to resist.

"Let's throw stones along the road.
A rock?
Yeah, you're right.

　Kane parroted and Tilia nodded.

'Oh, by the way, Master Crono said you were stranded by a stone during the parent conquest.
That's what I'm talking about.

　Honestly, I wish you hadn't told me that you stole the Holy Argo Kingdom's operation.
　But I'm sure you have a track record.
　It was then that Robert opened his mouth.

''By using the Divine Authority Technique?''
That's not necessary.

　Tilia responded with a wry smile.
　'Robert is a divine master of the Mother Goddess, who is a yellow earth and fertility controller.
　With his help, you can easily scatter stones.
　But it would be negligence to spare yourself the trouble here.
　Besides, Robert had other work to do.

'Scattering stones on the roads will slow down the supply party. Plus, the smoke will block their view and prevent them from giving us any information about us.
....

　Kane crossed his arms thoughtfully.
　After a moment--'

'Not bad. But...
'So blocking your view with smoke won't do you any good if the fight drags on.
In the first place, the reason for attacking the supply trains is to starve the main body of the enemy and weaken its strength. With a little over a hundred men, it's tough to fight and rob them of their supplies.
Now, the magic item...

　I swallow the word "use it".
　We have magic items, but we should save them for when we attack the Imperial City.
　Is there a replacement?
　When I thought about it, something sparked in me.

''How about using the elven elixir?''
The elves' elixir.

　Kane parroted and turned his gaze to Myra.
　The elves' strange potion - its true nature is a liquid called alcohol, which is extracted from alcohol.

''In that case, I'm ready.
That's fine.
It can be used to heal, to fight, to drink.

　'Three birds with one stone,' Myra muttered quietly.

'Is everything all right?'
No problem. We can make it if we have to.
Can you make it?
Yes, I have a stewardess to see to it that this happens.
It's good to be prepared.
It's just a way to earn a little extra money.

　Myra said quickly.
　I was curious if it was hers or the Barony of Crawford's, but I should probably keep quiet.
　I can't bear it if they want me to use Tilia's name again.

''If you're going to use the Elf's Strange Medicine, then you're not going to rob us of our supplies?
I don't see why not.
'This is still a former farmer, you know. I don't like the idea of wasting food.
"I can't sacrifice my men's lives for something I don't even know if I can take.
Okay.

　Kane cowered his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture.

'Anyway, we've got a certain amount of ingredients now. All we need to do now is boil it down.

　Tilia turned her gaze to Johnny.

'....Johnny.
What is it?
Thank you. Now, you must continue to return to duty.
Yes, sir.

　Johnny raised his voice and turned on his heel.

*

　The next day - the Imperial Army's supply convoy lined up and proceeded down the road.
　Gaul hides in the shade of the grass and looks at them.
　The distance is close.
　It's a stone's throw away.
　They are bathed in mud and camouflaged with grass, but it's not surprising if they are noticed.
　No, it's more likely that they will notice us.
　If that happens, we're done.
　We are a small army.
　We don't even have fifty men, and we're further divided into four squads.
　There are four hundred men against us.
　We'll be swallowed up and killed for nothing.
　They will die for nothing.
　I volunteered for the suicide squad.
　I'm willing to die for my family.
　But I also want to live to return to my family.
　Death is horrible.
　But it's even more terrifying to die in vain.
　Dying with nothing and leaving nothing behind.
　What could be more horrible?
　I wouldn't have felt this way when I was so desperate for my father's approval.
　Please, go quickly, Gaul said, looking at the supply team as if in prayer.
　The supply team stops moving.
　I wonder if they've noticed.
　Gaul's hand gripped the hilt of his spear with all his strength.
　Now he could take the first move.
　If we do so, we can at least kill the enemy.
　You can meet a meaningful death.
　It was a sweet temptation.
　Just then, I heard a cracking sound.
　I looked next to him and saw my subordinate looking at me.
　A look of determination.
　Perhaps I would have the same eyes.
　But the moment I saw those eyes, Gaul had regained his composure.
　I'm an idiot, Gaul bit his lip.
　Is this a fight for me?
　No, this is not a fight for me.
　This is a fight for my family.
　I joined the rebellion for my family.
　Yes, for my family.
　He decided to fight even if it meant trampling on other families.
　Gaul shook his head from side to side.
　Is it because of the astonishment?
　His men opened their eyes wide and nodded quietly.
　Gaul looked ahead.
　The enemy supply team remained in motion.
　That's when he finally realized that the lead team had reached the area where the stones had been scattered.
　He exhaled loosely.
　That's when--.

"This is Kane. We're going to launch an attack.

　The voice echoed from the communication magic item attached to the basket hand.

"I'll round up after a reasonable amount of arrow fire. I'll let you know when I'm ready.
I know, I know. I don't want to go into it too much.
Don't die?
You too.

　Gaul quietly waits for the moment.
　His mood was much easier than it was earlier.
　But the tension has not faded.
　The passage of time seems to be slowing down.
　Suddenly, the smell of burning irritated my nostrils.
　When I looked at the rear of the enemy supply team, I saw smoke rising.

''It's Kane. We're attacking.''
I'm sure.

　Immediately after Gaul answered, the horses disappeared.
　A short time later, more than ten horsemen passed in front of him.
　They put the magic item for communication close to their mouths.

''This is Gaul. More than ten of the enemy have moved backward.
Copy that.
Second, third, fourth team, smoke.
"'Got it!

　A voice rang out from the magic item for communication, and a fire rose in the grass along the street.
　The flames quickly grew and the vision turned white.

'Alright!　Get up!

　As Gaul stood up, his men stood up in unison.

'Prepare the elves' elixir!

　He stood to protect his subordinate and gave the order.
　The subordinate looked flustered and inserted a cloth into the jar containing the Elf's Strange Medicine.
　That's when.
　The enemy broke through the smoke and came towards us.
　It was a soldier with a spear at the ready.
　He seemed to have noticed our location because we shouted so loudly.

'You guys keep working!

　Gaul jumped out and raised his spear.
　The enemy soldiers slowed down.
　Do they know each other?
　No, no, it can't be.
　No, no, no, even if they were acquaintances, what are they going to do?
　Are you trying to warm up our friendship?
　That's ridiculous.
　It's not that kind of situation right now.
　There is no choice but to kill him.
　That's the path I've chosen.

"Whoa!

　Gaul yelled and swung his spear down.
　The enemy soldiers look up at the sky.
　But that's it.
　In the next moment, the spear had struck the enemy soldier in the face.
　The spear dug into the middle of his face.
　It's a disgusting feeling.
　The enemy soldier had stopped moving in a posture that kept him looking up at the sky.
　One second passed, two seconds passed, and the enemy soldier went out of shape.

Captain!
Throw it!

　A subordinate throws the jar at the enemy supply team.
　A cracking sound is heard, and the white smoke turns light-colored.

''Geez!
Fire!
"Enemy attack!　Enemy attack!

　A voice rang out from behind the smoke.

'Keep going!'
Ha!

　Gaul shouted, and his men raised their voices and threw the bottles in a continuous manner.
　Each time they did so, flames dyed the smoke and there was a scream and a shout.