Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Battle between Lion and Hound (1)

Part 1

15:27, October 31st.

This was the moment when Richard the Lionheart arrived in Suruga City.

Riding his white wyvern, he slowly descended with a crimson British "Escalibor" Legion by his side. The Legion landed with a heavy thud.

The location was in front of Suruga Station.

The high-speed rail terminal was huge and the area in front of the station was also very prosperous.

There were department stores and grand buildings in the style of office districts. It was rare for a quiet regional city to have such a "metropolitan" area.

The wyvern and the Escalibor had suddenly appeared at the bus terminal here.

Soon after the alarm sounded in the city, the ancient King of England and his Legion invaded Suruga City swiftly, flying like a shooting star.

...There were still civilians around the station who had not escaped in time.

Roughly a hundred and fifty people. The red giant raised its bayonet rifle and fired.

Rather than the civilians, the rifle was aimed up at the white clouds in the blue sky. The scorching beam tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous noise of gunfire.

Nearby crowds were all fixated on the red Legion and the wyvern's rider.

"People of Suruga, I am a Chevalier of the British Empire as well as a King of England in the past, Richard the Lionheart. Be at ease and raise your heads."

The English king's Legions, the Escalibors, stood over eight meters tall.

Richard's wyvern was hovering near the red giant's shoulder. Overlooking the scenery in front of the station, Richard nodded with satisfaction.

This Resurrectee's voice was not very coarse. Instead, he sounded magnanimous.

A sonorous and beautiful voice, it was clear and deep.

"Hohohoho. There is no need to scurry away like rats, people of this city. I did not come today to fight. I am here as a knight to inform the people of Suruga who have been fighting valiantly."

The Escalibor behind Richard emitted the same voice and words from behind its mask. More precisely, it was not a voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

Hence, that was why the sound was spreading like a wave.

The volume itself was not too great, yet every resident within a radius of several kilometers could hear it clearly.

"Now then... It pains my heart to hear of your harrowing plight. The Chevaliers of Suruga have fought bravely against us of the Restoration Alliance, but the result is that across the land of Shizuoka, this is the last city that has yet to come under the British Empire's protection. Listen to me, people of this city!"

Riding his wyvern, Richard advanced slowly along the main road in front of the station.

He was flying at an altitude around three floors high. Advancing in leisure, it was almost like a parade of triumph.

The Escalibor was also hovering in the air, following its master.

"Who are the ones who suffer in war!? Isn't it you, the people of the city? So long as the knights of Suruga continue to resist, you will be imprisoned in this city, unable to satisfy your stomachs, enduring hunger, fear, and uncertainty. I sympathize with your plight from the bottom of my heart!"

Richard looked down upon the streets haughtily while delivering a passionate speech.

The Lionheart's voice included elements of rapture. It seemed like he was very moved by his own speech.

"I hereby promise you that I shall be the one to liberate you. I shall conquer Suruga without fail and guide all of you to come under the British Empire's protection. When the time comes, I shall send a gift of ten thousand casks of wine to hold a glorious celebration lasting three days and three nights. I welcome all of you to join me in sharing this fine wine of victory!"

Richard raised his fist up high, adding to the climax of the speech.

At that moment, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "However, I do beg for your understanding regarding one matter. Next, I shall be resting for five days, and once I am rested, the first target to fall to me shall be Nagoya. It is Nagoya where I shall bring an end to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom."

There was a layer of gloom on the passionate Lionheart's expression.

With a face of anguish that befitted a tragic protagonist, he raised his arms and shouted to the people, "Please bear this in mind. I shall conquer Nagoya within ten days then return to Suruga the next day to liberate you. In the mean time, please wait patiently for my second coming. See you again!"

After saying everything he wanted, Richard gently kicked his wyvern's side.

The wyvern flapped its wings and flew east, towards Fuji City. The Escalibor followed.

The crimson British Legion was holding a wooden bucket in its left hand.

While flying, the Legion opened the bucket's lid, dropping thousands of pieces of paper.

The huge amount of paper was scattered all over Suruga City by the wind.

...This was the beginning of "The Attack of Richard I." The crowds at the scene watched in mesmerization, completely forgetting to escape.

In fact, there was a Chevalier on standby near the scene.

"What on earth is that man thinking?"

The four-wheel-drive military vehicle stopped its engine on the road in front of the station.

Castellan Akigase Rikka frowned from the back seat.

The genie at the Suruga tutelary fort, Sakuya, had issued a warning—A single Escalibor was approaching Suruga at high speed. Rikka rushed out as a result.

This was to allow her to destroy the enemy instantly if they engaged in destructive activities violating the Charter of Chivalry.

However, what she ran into was an unexpected speech.

"To be honest... I am not really concerned about the repercussions of that speech," Rikka said solemnly.

It was the next day after Richard I visited Suruga to deliver a speech.

"After all, he promised to rescue the people of the city then talked about resting before attacking Nagoya. Totally disorganized."

November 1st. On this day, Masatsugu excused himself from school and came to a conference room at the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka had invited him to join a war council.

"Since he is a reborn hero and a legatus legionis surpassing ordinary Chevaliers, I am reluctant to say anything too harsh—"

After using a term used to honor Resurrectees...

She said it outright.

"I suspect him of being a complete idiot."

"R-Rikka-sama, you are being too direct," said Hatsune, somewhat troubled, who was at the table.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, also smiled awkwardly. This war council had gathered all Chevaliers in Suruga to discuss their next step.

Furthermore, the ancient English king's speech had been under yatagarasu surveillance.

Masatsugu and the others had watched the video after noetic processing.

"However, I dare not call him an idiot now. After reading the flyers distributed by Richard I at the end, some of the residents are wavering. Some have even proposed 'it might be better to just lose to the Restoration Alliance'," Rikka analyzed the situation.

Masatsugu was reminded of the flyer's contents.

It stated the facts that Shizuoka Prefecture and Nagoya were about to fall to the Restoration Alliance. Its concluding sentence was the prediction that 'soon, the people of Suruga will come under the protection of the Lionheart of England'...

"Sigh, this cannot be helped either. It is true that we of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom are unable to provide sufficient food to the people of the city. The battle situation is clearly tipped against us."

Rikka admitted candidly and shrugged.

"There is no problem at the moment, but riots might start eventually."

"This Richard I—"

The most noble attendee at this conference suddenly spoke.

All eyes focused on one person, Princess Fujinomiya Shiori of Imperial Japan, who continued, "Undeniably, he is a man who lives life very impulsively. As a fierce knight, he also has an artistic side to him with a love for poetry... Perhaps due to this, he often acts capriciously, changing his mind on whim."

Neither a warrior nor a high-ranking officer, Shiori was also attending this war council.

This was the first step in the shunned princess' "ascension."

The two Chevaliers, Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune, were in her personal service, making her currently the Suruga tutelary fort's "most important ally." Furthermore, the princess had already demonstrated her outstanding mystic abilities and insight to these people present. As a result...

'May I attend this war council?'

When Shiori asked tactfully, Rikka did not refuse.

The three young men Chevaliers at the table and the military officers of the tutelary fort also respectfully accepted her.

Having obtained respect befitting her status and ability, the imperial princess explained in a wise tone of voice as always.

"As soon as the militant Richard I was crowned the King of England, he sold off many things to raise funds for war. This included precious possessions, national treasures, castles, territories, noble titles, and townships."

"How could a ruler of a nation act so irresponsibly?" Rikka was aghast.

Shiori nodded and continued, "Yes. Dismissing local officials then forcing them to buy back their posts was a trick that he frequently used. It was said that he almost sold away the capital of London."

"What an irresponsible man..."

"He probably felt no attachment to England. The royal family ruling medieval England were originally nobles from France who crossed the sea to conquer the island of Great Britain."

Masatsugu was very surprised to hear the name of France.

"Richard I's Plantagenet family was high nobility in France, holding lands including the Duchy of Aquitaine, the County of Anjou, and the Duchy of Normandy. England itself was simply one of the Plantagenet dynasty's territories."

The well-learned Shiori spoke fluently.

"The Plantagenets essentially made their residence in France, living as French nobles, only visiting Great Britain when it was necessary for them to wear the identity of 'the English royal family of the Plantagenet dynasty. They almost always used French and never spoke English."

The names of Richard and Edward should be pronounced in French as "Ree-shaar" and "Ay-doo-waar"...

When Shiori added this last bit of trivia, Hatsune remarked poignantly, "It's like running a side business while having a day job."

"A very apt description. Indeed, the Plantagenet family was a great landowner that even surpassed the King of France himself. France was their true stronghold while the King of England was just a part-time job. But after the death of Richard I, his younger brother John Lackland's failures led to losing virtually all of their holdings on the European continent, forcing them to flee to England."

Masatsugu remembered. He had heard an anecdote during history class.

Losing his territory was what earned King John the nickname of "Landless."

"These problems erupted during the generation of Black Prince Edward's father, resulting in the Hundreds' Year War between England and France. In truth, the two royal families at the time were relatives..."

"I see, so that is the personality of King Richard." Rikka sighed.

"Now the problem is... This tyrant was very good at war, personality aside—or rather, that type of personality is probably a factor contributing to his peerless ferocity. Easily employing methods that normal people would not dare to use, he achieved victories through flashy ostentatious shows of brute force."

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Chevalier princess said gloomily, "The next time Richard comes to Suruga will be after he has conquered Nagoya, right? Naturally, I have informed my father of his declaration... But will Nagoya be able to hold—The situation is not optimistic."

"Rikka-sama, there are additional points of worry," Shiori shared her views again. "Once Nagoya falls and Tōkaidō is officially extinct, the Restoration Alliance will then have free rein to deploy all Chevaliers to attack Suruga. Confronted with Richard I and multiple Knights of Her Majesty—We will face inevitable defeat."

"Yes, in which case our only options are to retreat or to surrender."

Rikka fell silent, arms crossed before her chest. She was pondering their course of action.

Five minutes later, she still had not said a word, probably because she could not come up with any good ideas. The three young men Chevaliers, Hatsune, and Shiori also had nothing to say.

Under this grave atmosphere, Masatsugu spoke up, "Sure enough, Prince Edward is the impressive one here."

"Onii-sama, our discussion here is about Richard."

"I know, but the reason why that hot-blooded idiot is a nuisance is mainly because Prince Edward's chain is firmly attached to his collar."

"What do you mean?" Hatsune was puzzled.

Masatsugu calmly explained, "Think about it carefully. Why did Richard go out of his way to deliver a speech in Suruga?"

"Uhh... On a whim?"

"Possibly, but according to Her Highness, he is impulsive to the point of irresponsible... A man like that cannot be expected to exercise restraint, right? In fact, I felt he would take the speech as a chance to launch a surprise assault. Especially since he views Suruga as 'special prey,' all the more reason he should do that."

The lion was not the only one who knew how to hunt—

Currently, Masatsugu was also taking a hunter's perspective to analyze and examine the habits and tendencies of the Lionhearted beast, so as to draw his conclusion.

"Someone persuaded Richard to hold back and he is very unhappy about this. Very frustrated. Hence, that was why he flew all the way to Suruga to deliver a glamorous speech, to vent his displeasure."

Masatsugu shrugged slightly and said, "What a shame. If Richard were to attack Suruga in full force... It would be the best opportunity to defeat him."

"Ehhhh!? No way, that guy's Chevalier Strength is over a thousand, you know!?"

Hatsune was very shocked. No, everyone attending this war council felt the same. On behalf of the group, the Tachibana girl questioned Masatsugu, "Also, his Feat of Arms is powerful, and he is talented at commanding Legions..."

"This simply involves a question of comparison. Richard attacking alone versus facing a large group of Chevaliers in a fierce offensive after Nagoya falls—Which do you think is easier to defeat?"

"Of course facing Richard alone. But even by himself, he's quite formidable, right?"

"On that point... It seems that I'm very good at handling opponents like him."

The little sister warned Masatsugu, prompting him to mutter.

Without raising his voice deliberately, his quiet words conveyed clear confidence.

"Against a man like him, I know a number of effective traps."

"Really, Onii-sama!?" Hatsune leaned forward, her eyes glimmering brightly.

"Th-Then why don't we take the initiative to attack!?"

"That would be difficult. The troops I can currently use won't exceed two or three hundred. If I had to rely on such numbers to engage him... I need to lure him into attacking Suruga aggressively."

Masatsugu shook his head.

"Otherwise, there is no way to lead him into a trap in a natural manner."

Perhaps the Black Prince had also considered the risk of a "hunting trap," which was why he persuaded the lion to "wait."

Edward was truly remarkable. Not only did he skillfully commanded troops on the battlefield but he also had the capability to control a subordinate who was like a savage beast.

Masatsugu was catching a faint glimpse of the Black Prince's prowess. A formidable foe surpassing Richard.

"We need bait. And this bait needs to lure the impulsive Richard to Suruga before the British forces attack Nagoya. Otherwise, both Suruga and Nagoya will be crushed."

"In that case... I have an idea."

The one who offered—was precisely Shiori.

"This is a dangerous gamble. But since our defeat is sealed unless we go all-in and take the plunge, let us put on an extravagant show of fireworks to attract that man's attention."

With the gazes of every knight focused upon her, Shiori explained her plan methodically.

Her dignified tone of voice was as though she were a nation's leader or military adviser.

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—

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 instea. 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—"

"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—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—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.

Part 3

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