After signing an alliance with the Kingdom of Hayastan, Hercule immediately turned his army to the south.
　He attacked straight into the province of Arsinia, with Lunalie as his guide.

　He was able to use the military roads of the Kingdom of Fars, and the march was quite comfortable for a man traveling through the territory of another country.

　Five days to go: ......

　At night, Hercule calculated the remaining distance and the speed of the march and muttered.

　According to the report from the reconnaissance unit, the army of the Kingdom of Fars changed course when Hercule was approaching the border of the Kingdom of Hayastan.

　From their subsequent course, it is almost certain that their destination is the province of Arsinia.

　From the position where the army of the Kingdom of Fars changed its course, the distance to the province of Arusia is about 450 kilometers.
　The average marching speed of the army of the Kingdom of Fars is about 15 kilometers per day, and even if they use the military roads in the Kingdom of Fars and march at full speed, they will not exceed 20 kilometers per day.

　In other words, it would take at least twenty-three days.

　On the other hand, Hercule captured the capital of the Kingdom of Hayastan in the next six days, and after stopping there for three days, he headed for the Province of Arsinia.

　The distance from Erstadt, the capital of the Kingdom of Hayastan, to Arsinia, the province of the Kingdom of Fars, is about 250 kilometers, and the standard marching speed of the Lemurian Empire's army is 25 kilometers per day, so it would take ten days to reach the province.

　It takes 19 days for the Lemurian Imperial Army to march to Arusia.
　It will take 23 days for the army of the Kingdom of Fars to march to Arsinia.

　In other words, Hercule will be able to reach his destination four days earlier than the Kingdom of False.

　Is everything all right?
　"The march is going well. The march is going well, but that doesn't mean we will be victorious.

　"The march is going well, but victory is not guaranteed..." Hercule replied to Renarier's question.

　They have more men than us. No matter how much you win in strategy, ...... you may be overturned in the final war. ...... I mean, this war was originally a defensive war, remember?

　Hercule's objective was originally to defeat the forces of the Kingdom of Fars.
　That's why he didn't need Hayastan's territory in the first place.
　Worst of all, he could have achieved his goal as long as he returned home.

　But ......
　Due to the actions (s*x) of Lunalie and Hercule, the Kingdom of Khayastan was confirmed to belong to the Lemurian Empire.

　At this stage, the original purpose of the war changed from a defensive war to a war of aggression.

　There are two types of victories: a victory that would allow you to return home, and a decisive victory that would allow you to gain territory.

　Even if it is the same victory, the level of difficulty is completely different.

　"Yeah, good luck.
　"...... If I lose, the kingdom of Khayastan will surely be destroyed.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

　The betrayal of Hayastan's kingdom is now certain.
　There's no way the Kingdom of Farus will allow it.

　But ......
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

　So I'm saying good luck. That's all I can say. Or do you want to do something?

　Lunalie said and hugged Hercule, pressing her to his chest.

　You don't have to do anything.
　I don't have to.
　Really?　Really? Why?
　I like it when ...... feels good.

　Lunalie blushes a little and looks up at Hercule with an enraptured look on her face.
　Hercule gulps down his spit.

　What are you doing?

　As if to interrupt the two, Carolina came running in with a shout.
　She grabbed the arm that Lunalie was holding and Hercule's arm on the other side and hugged him.

　"Your Majesty!　You can't do this with a whore like her. I'll take care of her.
　"How dare you?

　Lunalie frowns.
　Even Lunalie is offended by that.

　It's true!　You crawl in the night and seduce the king!
　"...... are you a tit?
　I don't have breasts!　It's just that your breasts are sloppy!

　I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
　It is not uncommon for Elves to be AA size.

　It's just that Lunalie's D is too big.

　What?　
　What about Scheherazade?

　That's a once-in-a-thousand-years talent, it's not even worth comparing.

　By the way, Lunalee, may I ask your three sizes?
　From the top, eighty-two, fifty-seven, eighty-two.
　"Oh!

　Hercule couldn't help but exclaim.
　You've got a nice body.

　How's Carolina?
　Eighty, fifty-six, seventy-eight.
　You're not so bad yourself.

　Well, I can't tell how many cups you have from your measurements, but...

　Anyway!　Your Majesty sleeps with me. You'll be sleeping with me, and I'll be watching over you to make sure you don't get any bad bugs.
　I have a mission to give birth to the next King of Khayastan.


　I don't know. Just cut us off and let us die.
　I can't let that happen.

　Karolina and Lunalie glare at each other, with Hercule between them.
　Hercule says to them with a sigh.

　I'm not going to hold a woman right now, okay?　It's bad for the morale of the soldiers.

　Hercule forbids the rape of his soldiers.
　It does not forbid the use of brothels in the city, but ...... many of the soldiers are abstinent because they have not stayed in the big city recently.

　If the soldiers are abstinent, Hercule can't be having s*x with Carolina and Lunalee.

　"...... Speaking of which, does everyone eat together here? Because it's bad for morale?
　Yes, that's right. Me, the general, the soldiers. We all eat together.

　Hercule nodded and replied to Renarier's question.

　These days, Hercule eats only hard bread and soup.
　As a gourmand, Hercule would like to complain about the content of the meal. ...... But since the soldiers are eating the same meal, it can't be helped.

　In fact, the fact that Hercule eats the same food as the soldiers doesn't mean that the logistics will be any lighter.
　However, it would lower the morale of the soldiers.

　Hercule is concerned about that.

　Perhaps because of this, the soldiers are very supportive of Hercule.

　It's so nice to know that the Emperor is willing to put himself in the same environment as us and suffer. ......
　How kind of a soldier you are!　
　I'll follow you for the rest of my life!

　I will follow you all my life!

　What a strange story. ......
　In some island countries, the prime minister is condemned for eating tempura, so it is similar to that.

　Feelings are important.

　Well, at any rate, since we'll be arriving first, we'll be free to choose the battlefield. We have an advantage in that regard. And they're exhausted from being dragged around day after day.

　However, General Shaheen has already retreated from the Kingdom of Khayastan with 100 troops in Arsinia. ......
　A hundred is a number that can be ignored.

　"Your Majesty, sir. What if the enemy doesn't challenge us and just defends?

　Not likely. Fars' generals aren't so cowardly or stupid as to sit back and watch as over 30,000 enemy troops sit in their granary.

　The military is a gluttonous creature.
　Just by being there, they eat up all the food in the area.

　There is no such thing as a righteous army.

　Wherever armies pass, looting, robbery, and rape occur.
　No matter how well Erkül enforces discipline in the army, it is impossible to have a complete grasp of the situation down to the last detail, and there is no doubt that such damage is occurring on an ongoing basis.

　An army is like an elephant.
　They eat a lot of food and crush a lot of insects with just one step.

　It is frightening to imagine how many lives will be crushed if two elephants fight for a long time.

　Therefore, a short battle is preferable for the Kingdom of Foulds.

　That's why Hercule believed that the Kingdom of Foulds would not choose an enduring war.

　"Don't worry. I'm in charge. I will deliver victory to you both.

　Hercule said, and pressed his lips to Carolina's forehead.
　Then he immediately took Lunalie's hand and kissed it.

　Hercule smiled, and vermilion appeared on both of their faces.

　"Well, go to bed early today.

　Hercule swept their arms away and sashayed off.
　And when he was alone, he muttered.

　"...... maybe, but...

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.






　I was wondering what was going to happen, but I think we're winning.

　At the same time, Coward muttered.

　As of now, Coward would need a decisive victory against Hercule in order to turn this around.
　But if Hercule doesn't want a decisive victory, that won't be possible.

　That's why it's been so difficult to win in the past.
　But ......

　The wind has changed now that the Kingdom of Hayastan has become a vassal state.

　Hercule, like Coward, needed a decisive victory.

　No doubt, he would respond with a decisive battle.
　If so, ......

　"We have the advantage in strength.


　Hercule had chosen a wide plain as the site of the decisive battle.
　The sun shone on the land, and the ground was flat as far as the eye could see.

　The Lemurian army had trampled it down, but it was originally fields, rich with golden ears that filled the land during the harvest season.

　The Lemurian army was encamped in the relatively large village of Apathea on such a plain.
　They had driven out the inhabitants and made it their headquarters.

　What is the enemy's strength?

　"About 260 infantry, 300 heavy cavalry (cataphracts), 700 medium cavalry (cribanarius), 200 light cavalry, 400 crossbow troops, total 420.

　"Hmm, ...... is a little different from the first report.

　Hercule listened to the rough estimate of the distant ...... army of Foulds, which was not yet visible but would soon appear, and put his hand on his chin and thought.

　(There are fewer infantrymen than expected. ...... Did they reduce their numbers by marching too hard? The number of cavalry has increased, either because reinforcements rushed in later ...... or because I miscounted ......).



　However, it won't affect the situation too much.

　Hercule will lead two infantry corps, totaling 2,400 troops. Six battalions of cavalry, 720. Six battalions of archers, 720. And one battalion of newly organized light cavalry, 120.

　The total is about 396,000.

　The reason for the "about" is that the number of troops has been somewhat reduced by the march and the battle so far.

　The actual strength of the army is about 3,800.

　Now, ......

　Hercule stands in front of the soldiers and checks their faces.
　There was a hint of anxiety on their faces.

　Of course.

　The opponent was the Kingdom of Phallus, which had defeated the Lemurian Empire many times before.
　On top of that, the enemy general is Coward ......, a renowned general in the Kingdom of Phallus.

　And they are also outnumbered.

　Looking around at them, Hercule began to make a speech in a loud voice.
　His court magician used the magic of loudspeaker to amplify the voice of Hercule.

　"Gentlemen, the enemy is General Coward, renowned in the Kingdom of Foulds. I'm sure you've heard of him. Of course. After all, he's one of King Sasan VIII's lieutenants.

　The enemy is strong.
　Hercule said darkly to the soldiers. The soldiers' expressions darkened.

　However, the following words drew the soldiers into Hercule's speech.

　"But, gentlemen. That is all.

　What does that mean?
　The soldiers look up and wait for Hercule's words.

　"Gentlemen, the enemy is a general without ...... soldiers.

　Grinning, Hercule smiles.

　"King Sasan VIII of the Kingdom of Foulds is on his way to Sindhira. All of the elite of the Kingdom of Foulds are on their way to Sindhira. ...... So to speak, the enemy we are about to fight is a second level ...... or even a third level enemy. Besides, they are exhausted from marching day after day.

　Hercule said methodically.

　"You, on the other hand, are elite. I have raised you from the ground up, and you are the best of the best, having defeated the enemy many times before. And you are well rested. How can you be defeated by second- and third-rate soldiers like them?　No, you won't. At the very least, I am convinced that you will win!

　Hercule inspires the soldiers.
　Gradually, confidence began to appear on the faces of the soldiers.

　"And ...... who is your commander, your general, your sovereign?
　""His Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty!

　The soldiers shouted loudly.
　Hercule nodded loudly.

　"Exactly!　The strongest soldiers, led by the strongest general. What do we have to be afraid of?　No, you don't. Isn't that right?
　"Yes, Your Majesty!　Your Majesty!

　The soldiers shouted as loud as they could.

　Hercule smiled.

　"Come on!　Let's show them what real war is all about!　God be with us!
　"Long live the Emperor!　Long live the Emperor!　God be with us! God be with us!






　"Well, gentlemen. Unlike the soldiers, I'm not going to sweet-talk you. This battle is going to be very tough. I'd like to say we have a ninety percent chance of winning, but ...... I'd say thirty percent would be better.

　After his speech, Hercule gathered his generals, ...... Galfis, Edmond, Karolina, Darios, and Oscar, and said.

　We win without fighting. Or only fight battles you can win.
　But such generals are only in stories.

　In reality, it is almost impossible to win without fighting, and no matter how much you estimate you can win, sometimes you will be defeated by chance or forced to fight an unwinnable battle.

　To say that a true general can win without fighting is like saying that a true detective can solve a crime before it happens.

　In front of his soldiers, Hercule is sure that he will win, but he can't say that much to his subordinates, his generals.
　The odds of victory that Hercule can guarantee in this battle are about 30%.

　The difference in strength is such a big factor.

　"I told the soldiers that the enemy was second- and third-rate. Yes, it's true that the infantry is second- and third-grade ...... and even fourth-grade. But the cavalry is first class. And they outnumber us by five hundred to one.

　Hercule stated plainly, stating only the facts.



　Therefore, this battle will depend on how well we remove the cavalry from the battlefield and settle it with infantry.

　The only advantage that the Lemurian army has over the Foulds army is the quality of their infantry.
　The only advantage the Lemurian army has over the Phallus army is the quality of their infantry, so they must fight only with infantry and try to outnumber them.

　"Ready?　I'm going to tell you a plan. The name of the operation is 'The Magician's Right Hand'.

　Hercule gave the generals his well-thought-out plan.
　Then he looked around at the generals' faces.
　There was no concern on their faces. Darius, for example, is smirking as he compares the name of the plan to the battle plan.
　If I were to decipher his inner thoughts, I would say, "You have a good sense of naming things.

　"Any objections or questions?
　"'No, sir!

　Hercule nodded in satisfaction at the generals' reply.

　Good!　I look forward to your efforts. God be with us!
　"God be with us!





　I don't think we're going to get an easy victory, General Shaheen.
　No, sir. ...... But then, so is the enemy.

　While Hercule was explaining his plan to the generals, Coward and Shaheen were also planning theirs.

　"General Shaheen. "I'm sorry, General Shaheen, but you'll be under my command this time, won't you?
　"I understand, sir. I will follow your command. So, what's the plan?

　Shaheen asks Coward.
　Coward replied in a flat voice.

　We have more men than you. But we are defeated in the quality of our infantry. And the ...... archers of Lemuria are a nuisance.
If that's the case, then the victory will surely be decided by cavalry.

　The infantry will catch the enemy, and the cavalry on both wings will wrap them up.
　This is exactly the royal tactic.

　That would be most desirable this time.

　But the Emperor of Lemuria has already anticipated that.

　So the Lemurian emperor will do something. So the Lemurian emperor will somehow try to remove the cavalry from the battlefield.
　Hence, ......

　"General Shaheen. I entrust you with the command of the cavalry. I want you to defeat General Galfis and crush the enemy's flank. Can you do it?
　"General Galfis. You'll have no shortage of opponents.

　Shaheen grinned.
　Shaheen is more of a man of might than of wit.

　I'll lead the infantry and make it hold somehow. You are the key to victory.
　I know what I'm doing. ...... Abra Dazzle. Give us victory.
　"Yes, ...... Abra Dazzle, bless you. May God bless us all.




　After a while, the two armies rearranged themselves into a strategic formation and slowly approached each other.

First chart

Vice Admiral Vice Admiral Vice Admiral Coward Shaheen

◇ ◇ □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□
□□□□□ ▽▽▽▽




　　　　　　　★★★★★★
▲◆ ■■●● ▲▲▲▲
　　　　　●●●●■■■■■■■■■■●● ▲▲▲
Edmond Oscar Hercule Darios Galfis
Karolina



　Shiro ...... phallus kingdom army. One symbol is about a thousand. Name is commander.
　　(......) Heavy Cavalry (Cataphract)
　　...... Medium Cavalry (Clibanarius)
　　◇...... light cavalry
　　☆...... crossbow troops
　　□...... infantry (spearmen)

　Kuro ...... Lemurian army. One symbol is a battalion. The name is the commander.

　　▲...... Heavy Cavalry (Clibanarius)
　　...... light cavalry
　　...... longbow troops
　　...... pike troop
　　...... halberd troop



　Hercule first made the right wing thicker and the left wing thinner.
　Then he gave the command of the right wing to Darios and the command of the left wing to Oscar.

　Coward, seeing this, saw that Hercule was aiming for a single-wing encirclement with a diagonal line formation, and thickened the left wing of the phallus corresponding to the right wing of Lemuria, making the right wing thinner. In order to withstand the onslaught of Darius, he took command of the left flank of the phallus himself, leaving the center and right flanks to his second-in-command.
　To destroy the thick Lemurian right flank, he thickened the corresponding cavalry on the left flank of the phallus, and deployed the skilled Shaheen. On the other hand, the right flank of the Phallus cavalry was also thick enough to be entrusted to his second-in-command.

　Seeing this, Hercule entrusted the command of Lemuria's right flank cavalry to Galfis and deployed a large number of cavalry to deal with Shaheen, who, like Coward, was a great general. The rest of the cavalry was placed on the left flank of Lemuria, with Edmond and Karolina taking up the slack.

　And ......　
　Looking at each other's completed formations, they muttered to each other.

　"I see .......
　"As expected.

　Both Hercule and Coward smiled at each other.
　You'll be able to see what each other has in store for you.

　It's just a matter of which one is reading more deeply.

　Thus, ......
　The famous "Battle of Apatia" was about to begin.