"Behold, Darios. This is the art of war. Oh ...... beautiful ......

　(I didn't think I'd actually be able to recreate it so perfectly, did you?

　Darios looks at Hercule in amazement.

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　One might think that with such a huge difference in strength, this is natural.
　One might think that with such a disparity in strength, this was natural.

　But Darios asserted.
　It is impossible for an ordinary man.

　In the first place, it was Hercule's diplomatic negotiations that eliminated this disparity of forces ......, especially the enemy's elite Bulgarian cavalry.

　He did not lose a single soldier, he did not pay any money, and he successfully eliminated the enemy's cavalry after selling them a favor.
　His diplomacy and negotiation skills alone are worthy of special mention.

　And ......
　Let's not forget that it was the soldiers raised by Hercule, and the generals chosen and appointed by him, who accomplished the siege this time.

　First of all, it would have been difficult for the military system of the Lemurian army to take on mercenaries until now.
　He gave up on mercenaries and replaced them with a standing army.

　What is more important is the weaponry.
　If the Lemurian army had been equipped entirely with pikes, they would not have been able to flank so flexibly.

　And if they were all halberds, it is doubtful that they would have been able to take on the enemy in front.

　Proper weapons, a strong standing army.
　Those are the prerequisites for victory.

　But this alone is not enough to create such a beautiful siege.

　The final piece is ......

　Darios.

　Hercule alone could not control an army of 20,000 men and lead it in such a complex manner.
　It was only by leaving half of the work to Darios that he succeeded in the siege.

　And ......
　It was definitely Hercule who welcomed Darios into the Lemurian army, a former enemy, a hated enemy who had brought shame to his own father.

　This victory was the culmination of all that Hercule had built up so far.
　It was the culmination of his efforts.

　Darios was well aware of this.

　The old warlord who had devised the winning tactic of siege tactics long ago.
　A legendary general who had crossed the great mountains, invaded the peninsula and nearly hunted down Lemuria.

　There are many who have tried to imitate him and were defeated in vain.

　This is because they did not understand the essence of siege tactics.
　In order to succeed, there are three factors that must be met: the quality of the troops, a good commander, and the difference in the strength of the cavalry.

　All three elements had to be satisfied.

　Hercule was well aware of this.
　That is why he improved the quality of his troops, prepared excellent commanders, and created a cavalry strength gap through diplomatic negotiations.

　And most frightening of all, ......

　(Fifteen years old, at the age of fifteen, what kind of monster will ...... he become when he grows up?

　The average lifespan of an Elf is two hundred years.
　The average lifespan of an Elf is two hundred years, which means that Hercule has 185 years of experience left.

　(I'm looking forward to it. ...... I'm really looking forward to it.)

　Darios smiles.
　I wonder how much my master, this young man, will grow. How much more will he accomplish?

　I'll be watching.

　"Your Majesty.
　Hmm? What is it, Darios?

　"What is it, Darios?" said Darios to the overjoyed and excited Hercule.

　"I'm looking forward to working with you. My Lord.

　Darios smiled at Hercule's confused expression.

　At this moment, Darios swore true allegiance to Hercule.




　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. Your Majesty, we must be on our guard.
　I know what I'm doing. I know, I know. ...... But a siege is a lot harder than you think, even after the siege. It's like an overstretched leather bag filled to the brim with water.

　Because a siege must enclose all sides, the formation will inevitably become thin.
　If the soldiers on the inside were to unite and push in the same direction at the same time, ......

　It would be possible to break through.

　But only if they are united.
　Surrounded on the sides and back, they are in a complete frenzy and cannot unite.

　In a state of mass hysteria, they have lost the ability to think clearly. ......
　In a state of mass hysteria, when they lose their ability to think calmly, they will not go to the outside where the Lemurian army is trying to kill them, but to the inside where they can escape more easily.
　And even if some of them realize that this is a foolish thing to do, they can't go against the flow of people that has already been established.
　If you try to do so, you will only end up fighting each other.

　Once the siege is complete, the difference in military strength is a minor issue.

　A siege is a tactic that surrounds the enemy and turns all enemy soldiers other than those in contact with the enemy into idle soldiers.
　When the siege is completed, 90% of the soldiers surrounded are as good as dead. ......
　The insurgents are no longer an army, they are just a bunch of people.

　I'm sure there's no general who can keep his troops together when they're trapped like that and the arrows of the longbow troops are raining down on them from above.
　I guess so. Well, you can't let your guard down, but you can at least relax ......, right?　Our victory is unassailable.

　At this time, Hercule and Darios were distracted.
　Yes, they were completely out of their minds.

　Let's win this thing and put our heads together.



　I guess that's the word for both of us at this moment.

　Of course, it is true that the winner is decided.
　No matter what happens after this, the winner will remain unchanged.

　But ......
　You can criticize the art of war (siege and annihilation) that Hercule has created.

　I will defend a few things.
　First, the encirclement that Hercule created is perfect.

　Not even a rat can escape.
　And then there's the rain of arrows from the longbows.

　One man, ten arrows a minute.
　That's 960 men per legion.

　In other words, 960 arrows are raining down per minute.

　There is almost no one who can hold the troops together under these circumstances.
　And ......
　How many people in the history of the world would be able to charge at the slightest fluctuation in the formation and get out?

　It requires a talent for leading troops, a tactical eye for the slightest opportunity, and ......
　You will need absolute luck.

　Even Hercule and Darius would not be able to escape without luck.

　But at this time, ......
　I was in the middle of a siege.

　A young man with a talent for leading troops and a tactical eye for the slightest opportunity.

　And ......
　He had it.

　Less than a thousandth of a percent of luck.

　"Now!　Charge!　We're going home alive!

　The young man, Oscar Almon, shouted.
　The young man, Oscar Almon, shouts, leading the few remaining soldiers of his own.
　And with a flicker of a second, he charges toward the gap in the encirclement.

　And God was on his side.

　Only thirty men, including Oskar Armon, succeeded in escaping the siege of Hercule.




　"...... Darios, what do you think?　Can you make it out?
　"With any luck. Well, maybe once in a hundred times.
　Well, by the way, I think I can make it one out of ten times.

　Hercule and Darios were astonished.
　To their surprise, some of the enemy soldiers had escaped from the encirclement.

　It was only thirty men. ......
　But they had made it.

　"Well, it doesn't affect the war situation. If anything, it's just a blemish on my art.
　"Hahaha ...... well, the great tactician also let the Lemurian army escape a few times ......, didn't he?

　Darius was trying to comfort Hercule when he ......
　I notice.

　He noticed that Hercule had a very happy smile on his face.
　It's like a child who finds a beautiful stone on the beach.

　"Darios, rejoice! It looks like we can finally add another standing army to our ranks.



　Lemurian Army

Infantry, casualties: about 100. 　Remaining: approximately 182,000.
Cavalry: Dead: approx. 200. 　　　Remaining: approx. 940,000.
Longbow troops: Dead: approx. 100. 　　Remaining: approx. 950.

Total: Dead: approx. 130; Remaining: approx. 371,000.


Insurgents

Infantry mercenaries: Dead: Approx. 130. 　Surrendered: approx. 200. 　　Fleeing: approx. 30. 　Remaining 0.
Crossbow troops: Dead: approx. 100. 　　　Surrendered: 500. 　　　　Escaped: 500. 　Remaining 0.


　Bulgarson's cavalry, retreat 800. 　Remaining 0.
　Noble cavalry dead 700. 　　Surrendered 130.


　Total surviving 0.


　Result

　Complete victory for the Lemurian army.