Kakei Senki Wo Kakageyo! Chapter 2

While stepping firmly on the lush summer gra.s.s, the children are playing and falling down. Raulee can’t help it to lower the corners of his eyes seeing the charming appearance of the children who are laughing each and every time they discover wild flowers and insects.
But, if he tries to s.h.i.+ft away his view, he cannot help but plunge into this sight by drawing his eyebrows close. This is Kikomura. Another season has pa.s.sed since he has arranged to visit frequently as peddler. Each time he comes, Raulee is surprised one way or the other.
(Is that person playing as well? … But he is quite absorbed in it.) (Raulee)
The children et al. are repeatedly throwing stones facing something like a wooden framework. The ratio of boys is high. They are separated by around 5 adult steps as they are throwing, aiming with a serious expression. It is a fairly quick throwing. A sound of striking damage is particularly audible if they hit their target.

“At this distance it is a match of speed. First you have to hit. Next you have to hit consecutively. For that goal there is something necessary. Your way of throwing has to be without any pointless waste. The trick lies in your wrist.” (Marco)

It is of course Marco who says this and demonstrates an example. Raulee isn’t surprised about that any more. Picking up 3 pebbles, he sharply threw the 3 in succession by turning his wrist upside down. *Snap* *Snap* *Snap*, they popped with a gratifying hitting sound. The surroundings, ascertaining this with a face of marvel, immediately resume the throwing in order to copy his actions.
Collecting the stones a short while later, they increase the distance by around another 5 steps and once again start to throw. Undergoing stages like that, the event finished once the majority of stones didn’t reach the target any more.

“You came, Raulee-san?” (Marco)

“Good day, Marco-kun.” (Raulee)

Raulee doesn’t ever make light of the charming child doing a refres.h.i.+ng greeting. The reason he visits this village frequently is also for the sake of meeting this young boy. He spends time to build a friendly relations.h.i.+p… and in addition that’s his sole investment.

“It completely looked like a scene from a military drill. Is it for the sake of defending the village?” (Raulee)

“By no means. The goal is individual self-defence.” (Marco)

“Is that so? I think if it’s a group like that, stone throwing will become a threat too, but…” (Raulee)

“If the objective was to be group combat, we would train with slingshots. We can get those ready right away if we knit some strings. If it’s in the shape of the previously installed rod, you can expect an even higher distance. It will become even more effective depending on the method of manufacturing and by also sorting the stones in regards to their shape and size to a certain extent.” (Marco)

“Eh, ah, uh huh… that’s right…” (Raulee)

With a friendly grin the child is talking about military affairs.

“Leaving that aside, did you get your hands on the thing I asked you?” (Marco)

“Yea, just as you told me, I went and checked up on the remains of the battle front. There it really was. Take a look and confirm it since it is in the back.” (Raulee)

“You have saved me. With this I will be able to comfortably pa.s.s through the winter.” (Marco)

“If you are saying this, I guess it has to be like that. However, you know about it quite well…” (Raulee)

“Both armies pa.s.sed through the winter there. After that the war situation s.h.i.+fted greatly. It would be strange if nothing was left in the area.” (Marco)

While harmoniously talking, both of them headed towards the house of the village headman. A large group of buildings is located within the village surrounded by a mud wall. Firewood and large cooking tools, mixed together with a single heavy-looking jute bag have been placed in an extended room covered by a s.h.i.+ngle roof for buildings. As Marco approaches and opens it, there is black soil, withered weeds and a countless number of grains that flew in.

“Did you carry it all inside including the soil? I am sure it was heavy.” (Raulee)

“Noo, I am not really well-acquainted with agriculture. It’s the dreadfulness of collection mistakes.” (Marco) (T/N: The collection here is pointing to the collection of taxes the village headman overseas, I think)

“It seems that you ended up being put through various troubles thanks to that.” (Raulee)

“What are you saying, it will be fine if you feel a smidgen of grat.i.tude.” (Marco)

While talking light-heartedly, the two turn their view on one grain that has fallen onto Marco’s palm. It is a seed. It was the thing Marco had requested from Raulee. It was obtained by searching the ground where the armies of Asuria Kingdom and Empire Eberia confronted each other before. In a corner of the wasteland… those were buried by weed in the back of the Asuria Kingdom’s army headquarters.

“But, if you mean this, it is used as feed for warhorses, no? It is qwamp, right?” (Raulee) (T/N: >> kuwanpu <>

“It’s a root crop you can harvest from spring to winter if you sow it in autumn. Although it isn’t possible to store it after harvesting, since it can be grown well even on barren soil, those are used as the army’s supplement feed at the front. You can also use it as food depending on the cooking.” (Marco)

“And you also know the recipe, right? Honestly, you are a walking library, aren’t you… ?” (Raulee)

If you peek into his face as if probing into it, you will find the usual blue eyes and thin smile of the young boy.

“Some things are mysterious.” (Marko)

This type of unknown mystique, the unerased sense of discomfort and the somehow corrupted charm… those are s.h.i.+ning in blue within the indifferent immaturity. It might be some kind of evilness, Raulee is guessing. If you are once enchanted by him, it won’t be possible to withdraw any more, he resolves himself to this.

“You are… What’s the reason for you to be in this village?” (Raulee)

Suddenly such question spilled from his mouth. Raulee was surprised by his own words. It is obvious that Marco is trying to do something to enrich this village. This is a natural objective for the next village headman. Things like education, qwamp and even stone throwing… thinking about it, Raulee picked up on the strangeness there.
Marco appears to have reasonable wisdom and a mature style. The most childish aspect is just that personality, but… he wants to integrate everything with the goal of raising the village’s prosperity, even if the methods are devious.  The qwamp is fine. As for the stone throwing, without even the reason for the children to bear the village’s defence, it’s not like you can reject the possibility of manpower being stolen by wolves and kidnappers in the future.  
However, Raulee thinks. I don’t understand the education. The subjects, Marco is teaching to the village’s children, won’t as a matter of fact contribute in any way to increase the village’s productivity. The adults will negotiate in the city. If it’s complicated business discussions, only Marco will be able to finish the negotiations. There is no need for everyone to be able to calculate. 
The fundamental duties of a village and a merchant are different. The former is a primary industry and yields profit by ma.s.s producing products, even if it is done by manual labour. The latter is a tertiary industry and yields profits by means of trading. The people, needing to receive education, were those of the trade section. If it’s a production site like the village, no matter how much they are even able to read, write and calculate, it is pearls thrown before swine. Marco said it was something like 「For the sake of not incurring losses」, but… for the ordinary villager the scene of incurring loss in itself is seldom. 
To begin with, I wonder if the person called Marco is someone who wants to spend his entire lifetime in this single remote village he comes from? Those piercing blue eyes are always gazing at a far-away place, Raulee thinks. It’s unnatural to imagine him pa.s.sing the time in this village trying to hide his tremendous intensity from people. It’s as if his seriousness can’t be seen… like he only appears to amuse himself by his own caprice.

“They aren’t sufficient… my hands and feet.” (Marco)

As he said this, he reached out with his right hand. The fingertips looked plump with the fles.h.i.+ness of a child, but he was extending them towards the sky as if he was desiring something.

“The length as well as the strength are insufficient. These hands can’t support nor handle a sword or a spear. These feet can’t even ride a horse as is. It’s impossible to fight with them. This body is far too diminutive… there is nothing I can do about it either.” (Marco)

He tensely stretches his fingers to the limits and then grasps his right hand tightly. What are you trying to catch? What can’t you reach? Why are you grieving? Raulee can’t even give an educated guess. However, Raulee strengthened his conviction due to the crafty big talking leaking out from Marco. This young boy is unmistakeably a dragon amongst people, once the time is ripe, he will soar through the heavens.

“I thought about the possibility of leaving this village as fast as possible, but…” (Marco)

Marco said with a small and soft voice.

“However I am a part of my parents. Father is growing old and mother is laying in bed for long periods. Even if I am able to hand over the duty of being village headman, if I think about the modest happiness of my family, I won’t be able to do something rash such as running away from home.” (Marco)

Mysteriously, he is only floating a smile in his content facial expression as he speaks about his worries. This appears to be similar to something very embarra.s.sing, Raulee somehow felt warm.

“I think it will be good, if the village is wealthy. And it is approximately the same if the people of the village become determined. I think that will be good as well. Do you know? A healthy organisation isn’t successful because of a single person. It is something moderately managed by a great number. That way, as soon as the organisation becomes complex, the extremity of that complexity will be rejected and give birth to such things as stability.” (Marco)

The contents, he speaks of happily, are likely talks about the village’s future after he himself left. You can sense a certain amount of longing there. Once the future reached the point, where the children from that open-air cla.s.s manage the village, the figure of the grown Marco won’t be found within that abundant scenery any more. I wonder if he isn’t feeling the loneliness of hoping it to be that way and of predicting it to be that way?

“You can’t build up something regular alongside an unusual existence. In the not so far future I will be standing on the battlefield. The time for staying in this village isn’t long. The remainder is 5 or 10 years… of me being at this place. But the reason for me to be in the village is to sow various seeds during my stay here.” (Marco)

Turning over the qwamp seed with his finger as if it is important, Marco concludes like that. Raulee could more than sympathize with his foundation to a.s.sume himself to be “unusual.”
Rather than unusual, he is abnormal. This young boy called Marco.
As far as Raulee knows there are no other children such as him. If they are capable of dressing themselves at 5-6 years, it will be good. If they were able to do simple calculations, I would think of them to be superior for their age. Reading through the newspaper, teaching writing, reading and calculation, instructing the art of stone throwing for self-defence while also planning to introduce new crops. Is there any other child like that?
(Even as a joke, it won’t work… I don’t even intend to talk about this to anyone.) (Raulee)
Furthermore, these are no more than the apparent abnormalities. Raulee isn’t scared about these parts. The absolutely strange things are his look, his behaviour, his tone… his pressure as human being. According to Raulee’s awareness, this young boy is a far older being than himself.Although Marco is careful due to the advice of 「You are strangely conspicuous」, no matter what he says, the fact is still that he is using polite honorific language.
And if you are thinking about the foundation of his dignity, it will be the mysterious knowledge. When I combine each of the fragments of the stories I  come into contact with occasionally, the young boy, Marco, appears to have experience in going to the front and serving in public duty. It’s the personal experience of a volunteer army rather than the regular army in wars. He has experience at quite the large store as merchant. It feels like those experiences are living within his small body.
(It can’t be. It shouldn’t be, but… 『Some things are mysterious』, huh?) (Raulee)
Even though there is dangerous glim in the blue eyes, without being able to say whether it exists or not, Raulee swallows it all due to Marco’s charm.

“… Will there be another war?” (Raulee)

“I have no doubt. Strategically it is already happening. The constancy of wars is determined by the existence of both countries, as long as there is a here and there. 『Is the calamity wandering the plains today red as well?』 it is.” (Marco)

“Hahaha. I know that one as well. 『What blood is red?』.” (Raulee)

It is a front line song previously made when Asuria Kingdom began to be repressed by Empire Eberia’s fierce attacks. It is revalued on the streets in the recent years as the circ.u.mstances of those days returned.

“”『There is no n.o.ble’s wine colour as red as both country’s commoner’s blood.』”” (Marco & Raulee)

Singing uniformly at the top of their voices, they laughed when they faced each other.

“Ah! There you were! Boy, if you are going to dance at such place!!” (Hanna)

The laughter was brushed away because of the high-pitched angry voice. It was a woman vigorously stepping up in a daunting pose causing a sound of kicking the soil, her name is Hanna. Quirky dark brown hair casually suspended with 1 square knot, she has captured Marco glaring at him with a face full of unyielding spirit.

“What’s this about such place? It’s the back of our home, Hanna.” (Marco)

Marco’s expression looks as if he has somehow given up. Raulee was aware about her circ.u.mstances, too. Her age is ranging around 20 years? As she quickly lost her husband in an accident, she is currently living by working as helper to nurse Marco’s mother. And, it looks like the force of argument called “helper” sometimes extends to Marco as well.

“Although I heard you were playing at the bottom of the hill, you weren’t there when I went to get you! Pa.s.sing your time with doing something like roughly making things out of dirt… let’s go wash your hands first. Come one, hurry, your mother is waiting for you.” (Hanna)

Getting Marco on his feet like a spring and brus.h.i.+ng the dust off his clothes, she takes him away partly carrying him under her arms. With their battle history so far, him, the dragon, has resigned himself to his fate, I guess. He shows a blank expression and even his blue eyes are halfway closed. But Raulee saw it. The seed of qwamp he held in his hand… this, branded as “making things out of dirt,” he returned it skilfully into the bag with a splendid performance before it could be brushed away.

“Hahaha, in all ages women are a might force to deal with.” (Raulee)

Raulee hit the jute bag, which had been burdened with these troubles, with a slap even if Marco had vanished from that spot in a somehow exciting manner.
(This is ordinary everyday’s life… if you look at it, he leads a normal life. When all’s said and done, I am a sinful traveller who seduces a cute young country boy. It’s my natural virtue that I am not seen as kidnapper… or not, I wonder if Marco has made the necessary arrangements?) (Raulee)
What are you yearning for? Raulee stood up.
(I want the sleeping dragon, who wears the skin of a young boy, to show me his intention. I want to also know the concrete outlook. For the sake of supporting him to the maximum once he gets going, I have to accomplish something above what he has asked from me without him arranging it.) (Raulee)
He tries to stretch his right hand towards the sky. The length is that of an adult arm, however he can’t sense the degree of strength as shown by that small arm. That was the hand of someone cutting through eras. Although he looked as if being strangely dissatisfied with his childish frailness, even that has already surpa.s.sed the expectations of an ordinary person, I think. To where will you lead the world?
He grasps his hand tightly. I don’t know what he wants to grab with his hands. Even I am unable to predict to that extent. However, it is plain obvious that he wants to seize something with his own hands. It’s a dragon’s scale. As result of that I will be able to see the future of conquering with my own eyes.
(For that reason… yeah, this is certainly something inevitable. If it’s him, he has realized it. It’s something beyond his power since it’s forbidden.) (Raulee)
Nodding with an uh-huh, Raulee headed towards the entranceway of the village headman’s house. There is one set of pretty children’s clothing in his package on his back. Let’s improve my current position with something like this requested present desired by Hanna as well as Marco’s mother… he decided such.