"Hmmm, ......, you're in trouble.
　"That's a problem. ......

　Hercule and Todoris are puzzling over a diplomatic issue.

　The season is March.
　The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and it's a good time to take a nap. ......

　A letter arrived from the Kingdom of Farus.
　The sender was King Sasan VIII of the Kingdom of Phallus.

　"Dear Emperor of Lemuria. "Dear Emperor of Lemuria. I'm ashamed to inform you that my daughter Scheherazade is missing. There are reports that she's headed west and I would appreciate your help in locating her. If you find her, please contact me. Scheherazade's description is: ......

　"Search?

　"Search or no search, we're here. ...... What do we do?　What do you want me to do?
　"I'm not sure that's a good idea when people know about ....... In addition, the fact that they are sending such a letter means that ...... they may already have information that Princess Scheherazade is in this palace.

　If ......
　If the content of this letter of intent is, "Return our Scheherazade! If the content of this letter was "Return our Scheherazade!!!", Hercule could have just ignored it.

　Who is Scheherazade?
　What does he look like?　I don't know.
　I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you!　

　would have made sense.

　However, this is not the case if you are asking for help in finding Scheherazade.

　Knowing the characteristics of Scheherazade and the fact that Scheherazade is missing ......, you didn't realize that the beautiful blond-haired elf girl who protected you was Scheherazade.
　This is not an acceptable argument.

　The Emperor of Lemuria knows that Scheherazade is my daughter, but he's keeping her prisoner!

　It would be troublesome if the Emperor of Lemuria attacked us on the grounds of "The Emperor of Lemuria knows that Scheherazade is my daughter and is keeping her prisoner!

　There is a non-aggression pact with the Kingdom of Fars, but ......
　If you have a good reason that your daughter is being held captive, you can break the ...... treaty.

　In history, non-aggression pacts have rarely been honored.

　"What do we do?　Give it back?
　There is no option but not to return ....... As long as Hayastan's defense is not solid, we can't afford to cause trouble in ...... the east. But if we just go back to ......　
　You can be accused of not protecting the Messiahs ....... Well, that would ruin my face.

　But if we don't give it back, it'll ruin Sasan VIII's face.
　Then it's war.

　"Honestly, I'm not sure we can beat Sasan VIII. To be honest, I'm not sure we can beat Sasan VIII. Their military power is incomparable, and ...... Sasan VIII is more troublesome than anything.

　The conqueror of the world, the Sun King, Sasan VIII.

　His name is also known in the Lemurian Empire.
　In fact, he defeated the previous emperor, Hadrian III, to pieces twice in battle.

　Even the mighty Hercule could not be certain of victory.

　Why don't we just ask him?
　...... Yes, I think that would be best.

　The two of them shelved the issue for a moment.




　"Oh, please, Your Majesty!　Please, please, please let me stay here!　Your father is absolutely furious!
　Then you'd better apologize quickly. ......
　What do you want to happen to my ass?　I'm going to have to do this a hundred or two ...... times.

　It seems that the Achaimenes are disciplining their children with the buttocks pen.
　How is it possible for a father to spank the ass of an eighteen year old girl? ......

　It seems criminally inappropriate.
　But I guess it's safe in the Kingdom of Fars.

　...... It may be a custom unique to the Achaimenes.

　The sooner you apologize, the better.
　It's not a good idea to drag it out.
　It's not a good idea to drag this out.

　Sheherazade's eyes teared up as she heard Lunalie and Carolina's words.
　Lunalie gently pats Scheherazade on the shoulder.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm acquainted with Sasan VIII. I'll tell him to forgive you. ......
　"...... Wouldn't that be counterproductive?

　The Kingdom of Khayastan was an ally of the Kingdom of Fars.
　Yes, that was in the past.

　If Lunalie, the ringleader of the betrayal, says something inappropriate to the King of Fars, ......
　If Lunalie, the ringleader of the betrayal, says something inappropriate to King Foulds, Scheherazade's position may be adversely affected.

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the following paragraphs.

　"In any case, we need to meet King Sasan VIII soon. That's the way it should be.

　Apparently, Lunalie was planning to use this as an opportunity to talk with Sasan VIII.
　Well, it's certainly not a good idea to keep betraying him.

　You should at least say you're sorry for betraying me.

　But no matter how much you don't like it, ...... you still need to tell them that you protected them. I'll ask him to forgive me after about a hundred pens on my butt.


　Is it true ......?
　Really, the real ...... problem is that you're being converted.

　For the record, I don't care if Scheherazade gets her ass handed to her by Hercule.
　No, I'd like to see it, and I'd even rather do it. ......
　It is a matter of taste for Hercule, and politically it does not matter.

　The question is whether Scheherazade will be converted or not.

　If she is not converted, ...... the diplomatic pressure of Hercule will save his face as he has managed to protect the faith of the Messiahs.
　But if they are converted, it will be ...... laughable.

　I'm talking about King Sasan VIII. ...... I'm sure they'll harass him into converting.

　Originally Scheherazade was running away from conversions.
　It is obvious that if she returns, she will be converted.

　Maybe they don't want to, but ......
　The question is not whether there is or is not, but whether there is or is not, and whether there is or is not the possibility.

　If Scheherazade were to be converted, Hercule's face would be ruined.
　On the other hand, protecting Scheherazade would lead to a war with ...... Sasan VIII.

　I'd like to avoid both if possible.

　What to do: ......

　"Well, we'll have to try to negotiate. If all goes well, we might be able to talk it out.
　Oh, really?

　Scheherazade hugged Hercule.
　Sheherazade hugged Hercule. Her full breasts pressed against Hercule's arm.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　She was a princess of a country, and too much contact might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

　Hercule forcibly pulls Scheherazade away.

　"Calm down. We won't know until we try. I'll talk to Todris. Well, we do have one more diplomatic card (・・・・). Just don't get your hopes up.　It all depends on what Sasan VIII thinks.
　"Yes!　Please, please, please.







　How about it?
　It is true that Princess Scheherazade, the earlier treaty-breaking, plus the example card may give you a significant negotiating advantage in ...... negotiations. ...... But won't that provoke Sasan VIII into a war?
　"That's when it happens. Well, we're not going to lose for free. But if Sasan VIII is who they say he is, I think he'll avoid war. I wouldn't start a war I wasn't sure I could win.

　After being defeated by Hercule, having its territory overrun, and being forced to pay reparations, the Kingdom of Fars is ......
　The Kingdom of Phallus, which was defeated by Hercule, had its territory overrun, and had to pay reparations, is not yet back on its feet.
　There is no doubt that they have not been damaged to the point where they cannot wage war, and they may try to redeem themselves, but Sasan VIII's true intentions are to focus on domestic affairs.

　In addition, the Kingdom of Foulds is currently working on the expedition to Sindhira, and its biggest hypothetical enemy is the Kuro Plague.

　They wouldn't want to get into a needless conflict with Lemuria. ......　
　Maybe, maybe, maybe, I hope so: ......

　I'm going to mobilize them. ...... Don't worry. Even if there is a war, we are not going to lose easily.

　After all, this man is a confident man.
　He really believes that he is the one who will win in the end.

　That's why he never doubts his victory.

　...... Well, Sasan VIII is of a similar quality.
　We are similar, I suppose.

　In the meantime, I'll let Sasan VIII know that I understand and will look for him. I'll let Sasan VIII know, 'Ok, I'll look for him. ...... Yeah, I'll send out a 'found' in two weeks.
　It seems a bit short, but ...... yes, it might be better to report the discovery before Sasan VIII gets any ideas.

　Thus, the temporary return of Scheherazade was decided.

　



　Two weeks later.
　In the Kingdom of Fars, ......

　"It seems Scheherazade was in Lemuria, as you predicted. Baphnum.
　 It's not going to take more than a thousand pens on your butt to make this go away.

　When Sasan VIII read the letter from Hercule, he sighed deeply.
　Then he pondered.


　"That stupid girl, ......, where did I raise her wrong?
　"I guess it started when I allowed her to convert to Messianism. "I guess it started when I allowed her to convert to Messianism, followed by forcing her to convert back to Holy Fire. Your Majesty is also at fault, you know.
　...... I know that too.

　For Messianics, converting to paganism means going to purgatory after death.
　Forced conversions are even more so.
　It's no wonder Scheherazade ran away.

　...... Is it reasonable to assume that he was hiding under the Emperor of Lemuria?
　"Well, ...... we sent an agent to Lemuria to investigate, but ...... not a single sighting came up. It is so unnatural that the emperor of Lemuria was shaken by a single letter and then discovered two weeks later ....... It is natural to think that the Emperor of Lemuria was hiding Princess Scheherazade in order to use her as a diplomatic card.

　It was Befnum who advised King Sasan VIII to send a letter of intent to Lemuria.
　It was Befnum who advised Sasan VIII to send a letter of intent to Lemuria, because he could trace Scheherazade's journey to Lemuria, through the province of Suria, to the capital city of Nova Lemuria by land, but there the information was lost.



　One possibility was that he had been captured by the Emperor of Lemuria ......
　Either way, it would be difficult to get Scheherazade back without the help of the Emperor of Lemuria.

　Either way, it would be difficult to get Scheherazade back without the help of Emperor Lemuria.
　Sasan VIII was reluctant to show his weakness to the Emperor of Lemuria, but Befnum persuaded him to send a letter to the Emperor.

　And Befnum's prediction came true.

　However, there is no solid evidence for this.
　Even if he had denounced Hercule, it was obvious that he would have been ignored.

　At any rate, you have to give it back. ......
　"It's going to be difficult. For the Emperor of Lemuria, Princess Scheherazade is the Messiah he must protect. If you're not sure what to do with it, you can always try to get it back. I'm sure they'll have some ...... conditions, such as 'no forced conversions'.
　......Will it be war?
　I think it's best to avoid that. Breaking the armistice twice would be condemned as unprincipled. It is possible that not only foreign countries, but even domestic lords will lose faith in the Achaemenids and in His Majesty. It would be better to solve the problem through ...... discussion. At worst, some concessions will have to be made.

　Then Sasan VIII shook his head.

　No concessions!　We can't afford to lose to Lemuria any longer.

　If we continue to give in to Lemuria, ......
　If we continue to give in to Lemuria, the international standing of the Kingdom of Fars will be in jeopardy, and the domestic influence of King Sasan VIII will be weakened.

　For once, we have to win.

　But considering the character of the Emperor of Lemuria, ...... the young man will not concede. Yes, he hates losing as much as you do. If it's war against his own face, he'll go to war. ...... Let's bring it to a draw somehow. It's the only way.

　Befnum thinks of the fat diplomat from Lemuria, Todris, as he appeases Sasan VIII.
　He did not know if he could get through to the Lemurian emperor, but he might be able to negotiate with Todoris to some extent.

　Befnum and Todoris have had many battles with each other.
　So they can trust each other.

　Phallus doesn't want war.
　And I'm sure Lemuria doesn't want a war either.

　Then there was room for both sides to compromise.

　The problem is the sentence, "I would love to meet your mother, Princess Scheherazade. ...... In the letter, it says that he wants to see his mother as soon as possible, as she must be worried about him. ......
　I'm not sure if the Lemurian emperor has such human feelings. ...... ...... I think he might have figured it out. What do we do?
　...... We'll have to take him with us. In the letter of intent, it also says, "We can't return the Messiah to you without seeing his parents, can we?

　In other words, we will not return Scheherazade unless we see her mother's face.
　That's what Hercule is saying.

　If the terms were something like 'give me territory,' 'give me money,' or 'give me an apology,' then I would be able to reject it.
　However, if you say, "As the Emperor of Lemuria and the protector of the Messiahs, I cannot return a Messiah to his pagan parents unless I see their faces," ......

　Hard to say no.

　From an outsider's point of view, it is a natural condition to demand ......
　It is also a condition that should be accepted.

　You will be at a disadvantage. But ...... otherwise the negotiation itself will not start. To put it bluntly, it's not much of a deal, is it?
　...... Well, you're right.

　To put it bluntly, taking or not taking Scheherazade's mother is in the ......
　It's not so much about the national interest of the Kingdom of Fars as it is about the feelings of King Sasan VIII and Scheherazade's mother.

　From Behnam's point of view, it is a condition that he should accept.

　"Okay, I'll take you. ...... But we'll also make it a condition that you bring Scheherazade with you.
　I think that's a good idea.


　


　Lemuria and Fars have the river Flath as their border.
　And the river is used by both sides for discussions.

　In the middle of the river, there is a large sandbar.
　This bar is usually used by fishermen from both sides. ......

　Because of its geographical location right in the middle of the border between Lemuria and Fars, it is often chosen as a place for discussions between the two monarchs.

　And today, the leaders of the two countries were gathered in the middle of the state.

　From the Lemurian side, Emperor Hercule I of Lemuria.
　Minister of Foreign Affairs, Todoris.
　Patriarch of Nova Lemuria, Loukanos.
　His bodyguards were Karolina and Christoph.

　For the Phallus side, there were five men.

　From the side of Phars, King Sasan VIII of Phars.
　Vizier, Befnam.
　Three queens.
　And five guards, Coward and Shaheen.

　And the most important of them all, Shekhin.

　And the most important one, Scheherazade.


　A total of eleven people gathered at the palace at a predetermined time to meet.


　"It is a pleasure to meet you, King Sasan VIII of Fars. My name is Hercule Yulianos. Emperor of the Lemurian Empire. May I call you King Farus?



　First of all, Hercule steps forward.
　Then, King Foulds also stepped forward.

　"It is a pleasure to meet you. Your Majesty, Hercule I, Emperor of Lemuria. My name is Sasan Achaimenes. King of Phallus. ...... Feel free to call me anything you like. I'll call you Emperor of Lemuria.

　Both of them smiled and shook hands.
　The smile was very friendly, but ...... the eyes were not smiling.

　The other day, my stupid son caused trouble. And my stupid daughter, I'm sorry. And thank you for giving me back my daughter. I appreciate it.
　"...... Well, I have a lot to say about that.

　Hercule casually passes on Sasan VIII's statement, "Thank you for returning my daughter to me ....... 　
　And then, after appealing that he was not going to give her back for free, ......

　There is actually something I want to tell you before I hand over Princess Scheherazade. To be precise, ...... the Patriarch of Nova Lemuria, to the mother of Princess Scheherazade.

　Hercule said, then took a step back.
　Then Lucanos stepped forward.

　"It is a pleasure to meet you, King Foulds. I am Lucanos Lucarios, Patriarch of Nova Lemuria.

　After saying so, he went to ......
　I am Lucanos Lucarios, Patriarch of Nova Lemuria," he said, addressing a beautiful gray-haired elf woman - Scheherazade's mother - who was standing behind Sasan VIII.









　It's nice to meet you,......, or should I say it's been a while?　Helena Uarelli ...... now Helena Achaimenes, right?
　Yes, it's been a while. Patriarch Nova Lemuria...... Lucanos Lucarios.