We stay at the hotel which we used last time. Then, after Dianneās breath and sighs, she regains her cool look as a 100-man commander.
āWe will fight. Our policy as a crossbow corps wonāt changeā
The kingās plan for revitalizing his Trot, with or without the king, with the same outcome at the end. However, Dianne is in a position to be on time. I was exhausted.
āAs far as possible, we can only go in the direction of the Sword Saint Brigade. ā¦ā¦As long as it is in the form of revolt, whatever the historical significance is, itās a force that canāt be overlookedā
āVictory or defeat? There are no avant-garde troopsā¦ā¦ā
āThere is certainly no effect of crossbow and illusion against Bonaparte, but the other Great Sword Saints should be different. The danger is big, but dividing the corps into two platoon units and operate it as much as possible with tactics using the terrain. And Sir Bonaparteā¦ā¦I somehow will hold him backā
āDianne alone is the avant-garde?ā
āItās more of a diversion than that. I donāt think I can fight Sir Bonaparte aloneā
Tentatively, Dianne seems to have a plan.
āAnzerosĀ“s team will be in charge of protecting the front guard unit in a row. Even if they got old, they are still Great Sword Saints, giving priority to the support of friends while not overdoing it. Itās going to be an endurance fight. ā¦ā¦And Aurora will be your assistantā
Dianne gives quick instructions and measures. Then she looked at me suddenly.
āā¦ā¦Andy, you will rest this timeā
āEhā¦ā¦ā
āThere is also a provision. Exceptions are permitted to target specific areas or targets in combat missions and to remove the person from such missions if they have a significant impact on soldier moraleā
āEh, noā¦ā¦ā
āNow youāre going to interfere with the operation. Look in the mirrorā
It is said by Dianne and I see my face in the mirror which was in the room. ā¦ā¦Certainly, I was far from being calm and tense to fight by any means.
āButā¦ā¦Iā
āI donāt care if the battle starts. The other party is strongā
āā¦ā¦ā
āAnd itās better not to be at risk of dying from the beginning on the battlefield. You will know which of the hundred soldiers who are not at a loss and those who have fallen from two hundred to one hundred are worth itā
Soldiers who lost their allies in front of them lose their morale anyway. If you are ruled by fear, sadness, or anger, your ability to operate will be lost. Even if a soldier loses the role assignment originally expected due to such rubble, the combat power will be halved. Thatās the way the patterns are overwhelmed by a few. If you have bearless soldiers or useless soldiers, you will only cut down your entire strength. It is better not to have a bad friend. And I was now like that classification.
āHave a rest. ā¦ā¦And donāt worry about it. Itās not your faultā
āā¦ā¦Yesā
āāāāāāāāāā
Dianne returned to Basson with Laila, when only the outline of the operation was given. I donāt know how many dragons can carry a troop at one time, but so many round trips wonāt be necessary. The corps will probably gather in the capital city tomorrow. ā¦ā¦And Iām not participating.
āHaaā¦ā¦ā
āDonāt be discouragedā¦ā¦is it impossible to say?ā
āā¦ā¦If you can control yourself, you wonāt be notified outside the fieldā
I canāt help complaining to Anzeros, but I am sorry.
āAndyā¦ā¦ā
āJust a littleā¦ā¦I will go and drink somethingā
I dropped my shoulder and left the hotel.
āI, I will go tooā
āAndy-san!ā
āSorry. Just a little, leave me aloneā
I refused to be accompanied by Apple and Selenium and I went out to the royal capital at night.
-
The royal capital is my second home. I have been living here for 7 years. Reasonably I was aware of it. However, due to my age, there was no edge in the bar area. I notice it after I walked out of it. There is a certain level of knowledge that āa bar is gathered around hereā, but I didnāt know what nature, what kind of alcohol, what atmosphere, or what kind of bar.
āā¦ā¦Well, fineā
I felt like I was a little betrayed by this selfish city, but I still felt like drinking, so I entered a bar that I could see at hand. I donāt care otherwise. I only want to drink alcohol. Even if a woman was told to buy, by the way, I felt that I would buy now.
āOh, an unknown faceā
āOne beer and a side dish to suit to itā
Instead of being addicted to the bar-owner, I just sit back at the counter and say my order first. The barkeeper looks a little strange, but he does business with a lot of different customers, therefore he pours beer without hesitation.
āHere for you, travelerā
āThank youā¦ā¦ā
āTake care. This is ćTrotianās areaćā
āTrotianā¦ā¦area?ā
The barkeeper sighed with his nose while serving hot fried potatoes.
āAfter the previous war, we started the segregation in the place of the taverns without permission. The neighborhood where only the Trot people gather and the foreigners gather, the thugs began to draw a line. Iām doing a shop here and if the money is good and the drinking habit is not bad, anyone can come to my shopā¦ā¦well, segregation is a good way to drink alcoholā
āā¦ā¦Iām a Trot personā
The barkeeper shrugged. If I thought that it was bad, there were a couple of thugs behind me.
āDo Trot people have a bad sense of clothes?ā
āYouāre from Celesta, get out of hereā
ā¦ā¦Uwaa. Seriously the worst.
āIĀ“m from Trot. I grew up in Polka. ā¦ā¦I was pulled in by Celesta after the warā
āHaaā
āEven so you seem like a Celesta person. Anyway, last time there was a pseudo-beast companion who saved money by fraudingā
Pseudo-beast means human beasts. It is a nickname for elves and ogres in a broad sense. ā¦ā¦Really the worst.
āShut upā¦ā¦ Iām not a bratā
āYou, itās your existence itself, that is botheringā
āYouāre out within three seconds or Iāll crush your noseā
The thugs have been threatening me for a long time. ā¦ā¦I felt that I will be thrown out anyway, so I ignored them and picked up my beer. And, I was blown out in exactly three seconds as predicted.
āGugaaā
I just fall down with the chair. ā¦ā¦The taste of dry potato and blood is mixed.
āIām too familiar with the Celesta valve and I canāt even hear Trotās dialect from youā
āMaybe he is drinking without any money, I will check insteadā
The thugs reach out to my pocket while saying what they want. A stick was put in the hand.
āIt hurts!ā
āWh, Whatā¦ā¦ā
I also look up as the thugs look up. There is a middle-aged man in a cape dressed in a superior cloak, andā¦ā¦a swordsman with a beautiful breastplate. The swordsman is known at a glance. That person isā¦ā¦ Erik Randall. And the cloakās uncle.
āGood grief. So youāre telling me to put down the bouncer, barkeeperā
Stunningly swinging the cane, putting it on his shoulder, the cloaked old man talks to the barkeeper.
āOld man, donāt disturbā¦ā¦ā
āItās a polite manner for elders. ā¦ā¦You guys should get out!ā
Suddenly a roar. The customers in the store shook their shoulders for a moment, also the thugs and me.
āY, Youuu!ā
It is shameful to be scared by it, so the thugs attacked the uncle at once. ā¦ā¦And, as Erik and the uncle nod to each other, they put their shoulders together and prepare for the attack.
āItās time for a lectureā
āYesā
And the thugs were beaten down by those two.
-
The man in the cloak is 100-man commander Grants. Or rather.
āAssistant professor Grants, Iām sorry for the troubleā
āIf you think so, hire some guards who can kick back such young people as soon as possibleā
He was called assistant professor and I just couldnāt understand it because it was an intellectual person.
ā100-man commanderā¦ā¦Grants?ā
āTrainee Smithsonā¦ā¦no, youāre now a 10-man captain. Come have a treat, this is my familiar shopā
100-man commander Grants sit at the counter seat gallantly. Erik sat on the other side.
āWe promise to have a drink togetherā
āWhatās up, Smithson-san. How is, Angelina-sama?ā
āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I took a sip of the beer on the counter and frowned on the cuts in my mouth and stared at the two people who made an unexpected appearance.
āā¦ā¦No, thatā¦ā¦ā
āWhatās wrong? No way you already break up with Angelina-samaā
āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
ā¦ā¦Ah. What should I talk about?
āā¦ā¦If you mean Anzeros, she is in the capital. Aurora and Dianne will come tomorrowā
For now, I decided to answer the two peopleās interests. Then.
āHmm, is it true? If so, can I not meet her?ā
Erik is overly pleased. And then, 100-man commander Grants stopped his movement to drink his Brandy.
āā¦ā¦What?ā
āEhā¦ā¦ā
āWhatāsā¦ā¦no, I see. You havenāt heard itā
Subtle reaction. I and Erik align our faces in ā?ā.
āā¦ā¦Barkeeper, can I borrow a room?ā
āAssistant Professor Grantsā¦ā¦ye, yes, itās fine. Rooms 1 and 5-7 are openā
āLetās borrow room number 1. ā¦ā¦Follow me, 10-man captain Randall and 10-man captain Smithsonā
Suddenly, with a brandy bottle and a pottery cup, Grants stands up and take the stairs to the hotel room. I and Erik look at each other and follow him with each alcohol and side dish in our hands.
-
āAt this time, the crossbow corps is here and not even selling oilā
āā¦ā¦Grants-sensei?ā
āOn top of that, you were caught up in the monkey show of the king and Sir Bonaparteā
ā100-man commander Grants, how much do you knowā¦ā¦ā
āI seem to know quite well when you think of me saying monkey show!ā
āEh, butā¦ā¦what?ā
The kingās plan isā¦ā¦was it known to be so well known? I thought so, but apparently, it was obvious to this 100-man commander who has a decades-long career as a resident of the royal capital, as a Sword Saint.
āThe engagement of the young noble Ruth and Princess Reina and when they were all together In Duke Gardnerās house, there was something I could see through, as Iām one of those who knew him well, such as Sir Bonaparteās revolt against the king. Is exactly the sameā¦ā¦when you understand the 600 years old history of Trot kingdom, it seems that there was a similar case beforeā
āā¦ā¦In, In that wayā¦ā¦what is itā
āWait, what do you mean? Bonaparte will defeat the king and makes a revolution, something elseā¦ā¦ā
āHaha, you donāt know it 10-man captain Randallā
āTh, Then what is the purposeā¦ā¦ā
āEverything is for the future of the kingdom and the political show for their childrenā¦ā¦which is foolishā
100-man commander Grants gulps down his brandy and throws the bottle away as he says so. ā¦ā¦Thatās true. It is a silly monkey show. A lot of alumni standouts kill each other with a smile and there is a soul and a mind that remain. There is no such thing that they have to sprinkle blood and leave on purpose.
āAfter all, itās foolishā¦ā¦the monkey show, isnāt it?ā
āYou also think so. ā¦ā¦I think thatās a normal nerveā
āā¦ā¦But, I canāt stop it. I canāt stop the monkey show by any meansā
Both winning and losing converge on one result. There is a way to dispel the plan itself to the people, but it canāt stop them simply by wasting their death. However, the 100-man commander Grants shrugged his shoulders before he poured alcohol into his cup.
āI thought you were a supporter of the soul of Trot kingdom. But you say a lot of cowardly thingsā
āā¦ā¦Even if you say that, if you win or lose it, it is nothingā¦ā¦a futile situationā
āOh yes. If you kill Bonaparte or if you give up the king, the winner will be convicted and will be the foundation of the next era. Both sides are aware of it and itās a fight they wantā
āā¦ā¦Yes. So this fight canāt be helped by interventionā
āSo you give up. The enemy is strong, there are no weapons to win, no stones and no sand, so are you satisfied that you have done well? So you can forgive yourself. Without standing on the battlefieldā
āThen what do you want me to do?ā
āWhat do you want to stop. What result do you want? Think about what is wrong and try to raise your justiceā
Kan, 100-man commander Grants slammed his ceramic cup on the desk.
āDonāt you leave everything alone? Do you think that with just a handful of help, everything is going to work, you just end up with the problem you want? You think you can save the person who really bet on life with just one arrow. Donāt give up, itās nothing like a coincidenceā
āā¦ā¦What should I do?ā
100-man commander Grants murmurs a bit more and bears me.
āWhat should you do? It depends on your justice. What does your justice want? What kind of future is good. Have you ever considered the means to do so?ā
āThat isā¦ā¦ā
I donāt want the king, old man Bonaparte and the Sword Saints to die without permission. Parents have a duty to be respected until their death. They have an obligation to see the future of their children. They have a duty to be happy with the birth of their grandchildren. They have a duty to die peacefully, telling their children that they had a happy life. ā¦ā¦It should be so. It should have been so. My dad is an idiot who couldnāt do that, and old man Bonaparte is a fucking bastard trying to give up.
āI donāt think youāll be on time. ā¦ā¦All right, 10-man captain Smithson. Human hands arenāt attached to wield weapons. You can also make something. Holding someoneās hands. The voice can talk about any dream and love and the feet are able to go anywhere. Youāre not so clumsy that you canāt understand itā
āā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā
I watched 100-man commander Grants who continue to drink alcohol at a high pace. I felt awake.
āYes, thatās rightā
āā¦ā¦Hahahaha. What did you forget?ā
āI forgot. ā¦ā¦Yes, thatās right. Iā
ā¦ā¦Not a human who is good at killing and solving, nor a nobleman who carries a nation. There was no need for such means and reason.
āThank you, 100-man commander Grantsā
āā¦ā¦Umuā
I leave 100-man commander Grants who is about to close his eyes and Erik alone and hurry back to the inn.
-
āSelenium! Hilda-san!!ā
āWaaā
āAndy-kun!? ā¦ā¦Yo, You look revivedā
I went back to the inn and hurried to talk to them
āWhat?ā
āI want you to make poisonā
āWh, What poison!?ā
āYes. ā¦ā¦If possible, itās easy to paint on arrows, not detoxify so easily and it numbs the target instead of being lethalā
āā¦ā¦What are you going to doā¦ā¦what is all this aboutā
āWill you use it for the Sword Saint Brigade?ā
āYesā
I nodded strongly.
āFirst of all, we will stop the Sword Saint Brigade without dyingā
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