Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 2===

In the early hours of October 2nd, at the darkest moment just before dawn...

Fire broke out in Suruga City, the north part of town, near the foot of Mount Ryuusou of the Southern Alps.

This included a central wholesale market and the warehouses of many logistics companies.

The fire started in this neighborhood.

The blaze spread instantly, burning down a number of warehouses.

After firefighting efforts, the warehouses were almost completely wrecked, leaving only steel frames.

The greatest loss was the food stored in these warehouses.

Due to the blockade, ordinary shops had run out of fresh food such as vegetables, meat, and fish a long time ago.

However, non-perishable food such as rice, wheat flour, potatoes, carrots, tubers, and canned food had been requisitioned by the Suruga municipal government beforehand to be managed and distributed to the masses through rationing.

Unfortunately&mdash;

The incinerated warehouses were storing ration supplies.

Since vast quantities of food were needed to feed Suruga, transporting it was laborious and time-consuming, which was why the food was stored directly at logistics hubs.

As part of the management system, infantry from the tutelary fort were stationed in the surroundings for security.

However, someone had slipped through the security net and committed arson against what was the Suruga residents' life line.


"Well, supplies are kept all over the city. It's not like that was the only location."

Okonogi Taisei said in a voice lacking in energy.

Masatsugu's best friend was talking to him, staring at the stories in the newspaper.

"The report said... the incinerated food amounted to slightly less than 40% of supplies. This is a very serious situation."

"Suruga cannot rely on relief supplies from outside, after all," Masatsugu agreed with his friend's lament.

"The Restoration Alliance has secured naval superiority in Suruga Bay, blocking sea routes. The railway has stopped running while roads are sealed off. Unless we find a solution soon, surrender is the only option."

"What an ordeal, seriously."

Two days after the fire, the two of them were near Suruga Station.

This was where Richard I had visited three days earlier. After school, Taisei mentioned he wanted to go there and Masatsugu volunteered to accompany him.

Their destination was the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Serving as student council vice-president, Taisei also worked part-time at the Suruga branch office of Tōkaidō News.

Today, he was here to read the newspaper that was in limited circulation rather than coming in for work. To save on paper, ink, and other supplies, normal newspapers were not being published currently. But once every few days, a hundred copies were distributed among community centers and libraries for people to read.

Taisei had pleaded with the receptionist and picked up a copy of the newspaper to browse casually.

"If this 'internet' invented by the Americans becomes widespread, we'll be able to read news from our computers at home."

"What is that?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but simply stated... It seems to augment a computer's communication functionality, an information network that links up the whole world. But like the telephone, it's easily affected by noetic disruption, which is why progress has been slow."

"Sounds like something very complicated."

"There are rumors that militaries have constructed similar network systems using noetics."

After reading the newspaper, the two of them left the newspaper office.

Their mode of locomotion was the healthy bicycle. They decided to take a stroll in front of the station instead of heading to the parking lot directly.

"By the way, Masatsugu-kun. If you're not too busy with your knight duties, how about working as a volunteer? Tomorrow morning, the boys at our school are going to the fisherman's association to help bring in nets and catch fish. We'll be rewarded directly with some of the catch. After that, we'll organize a sea fishing tournament that's open to anyone interested. The intention is to catch more fish like girellas or horse mackerels and improve Suruga's food situation."

"The filefish is currently in season. Catching them is pretty fun."

"Also, I'd like to use the gardening club's contacts to help out the farmer's association in exchange for fruit and vegetables."

Their enthusiasm for volunteer work with impure motives was boundless.

Meanwhile, there were substantial crowds in the streets today, a rather rare sight lately. The reason was evidently the "event" that had been held in front of the station.

Men and women, young and old, all kinds of residents.

There were roughly thirty or forty people, even housewives bringing children.

They were passing out flyers to pedestrians in front of the station, hollering "the Suruga tutelary fort needs to hurry and make a decision, to join the Restoration Alliance!" "We don't want to keeping suffering due to war!" "Please give the children enough food!"

They called for signatures for a petition demanding the Suruga tutelary fort's surrender to the Restoration Alliance.

"For the past half a month... Ever since Suruga's blockade, people have been secretly carrying out such activities from time to time."

Watching the disruptive proceedings in disdain, Taisei sighed helplessly.

"It has gotten worse these few days. The city's residents seem to be accepting them with a more favorable view."

People were frequently accepting the flyers from the activists' hands.

People who ignored them turned out to be the minority instead. Some people even gave their signature at the table prepared by the organizers.

"The food burning incident happened recently, so people can't help but feel afraid."

"That was very likely to be arson, right? Rumor has it that the culprits are spies of the Restoration Alliance&mdash;"

"That's hard to say. The Restoration Alliance currently wants to leave Suruga alone."

"In that case... Another rumor says those guys are responsible."

Taisei threw a furtive glance at the participants in the "petition signing."

"If the food situation worsens, weighing to decide the lesser of two evils, more and more people will support surrendering. This is their objective&mdash;That's what some people say."

"There's no proof, but it's very compelling."

"Right, Masatsugu-kun, aren't you going to suppress these kinds of activities?"

"That's not my job. Besides, similar activities are happening all over the place. Dispersing just this lot isn't meaningful."

"True. Say, it's hard to imagine you saying something so reasonable, Masatsugu-kun, when half a month ago, you were still fixated on the beauty contest."

Taisei nodded and remarked poignantly.

"Nowadays, you really act like a Chevalier. I'm so touched."

"I haven't forgotten the beauty contest, it's just that I currently can't focus on organizing it, which is why you mistakenly thought I'm neglecting it... In truth, I haven't given up on holding the beauty contest in December."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna object even if you give up on it."

Rinzai High's school festival was scheduled to be held in early December.

One of the events was a beauty contest. After expressing his determination as the executive committee member in charge of the contest, Masatsugu changed the subject.

"Let's put that aside. In truth, I actually need to ask you for a favor today."

"Is it related to the beauty contest?"

"Unfortunately, it's not a fun request."

Masatsugu took out a map of Suruga from his schoolbag.

A few circles had been drawn on it, all indicating warehouses involved in logistics. They were where food was kept for rations.

"Please gather twenty to thirty students in the name of the student council and set these marked locations on fire. After that, they will be arrested by either the military or the police and detained for a few days&mdash;That's the kind of volunteer I need. Use boarders, otherwise explaining to family will be a hassle."

"Huh?"

His best friend, the student council vice-president, tilted his head, stupefied.