"Well, they're still sticking with ......, huh?　It's been nine months. I hope they give up and convert en masse or ...... starve to death.

　Hercule said as he ate his steak.
　This is not the island of Rosa, but the palace of Nova Lemuria.

　Yes, ...... Hercule had returned to Nova Lemuria from Lhosa about four months ago.
　Well, it's no wonder. ......
　I can't just stick around on an island for months.
　He had a lot of other administrative work to do.

　In addition, ...... two battalions of heavy cavalry (cribanarius), one battalion of light cavalry for reconnaissance and dispatch, three battalions of longbowmen, 360, Darius and Edmond were pulled out upon his return.
　This was because they were considered to be overpowered.

　Currently, Oscar is quietly continuing the siege.

　I thought we would run out of food in a little over four months. ......

　How are you going to survive the remaining five months? ......
　Well, ...... you don't have to think about it.

　The answer is obvious.

　I'm not going to tell you, because I'm eating.

　"Your Majesty.
　What's wrong?　Karolina.

　Carolina spoke to me. ......
　I stopped thinking about what I didn't want to think about.

　I'm not sure if it's safe to leave more than 30,000 troops on Rosa Island for nine months. ......　Isn't it possible for a foreign country to invade?　For example, ...... the Fals.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　I'm not sure what to do.

　That's not good. We need you to protect Hayastan.

　In response to their concerns, ......
　Hercule shrugged his shoulders and replied.

　Don't worry. The Foulds have not yet fully recovered, and there is no reason for them to break the non-aggression pact and attack us. The Bulgurons will be fine. It's been a warm year.

　Currently, there are no major powers that would turn on the Lemurian Empire, ......
　Hercule said.

　"It's just that ......

　When Hercule was about to say something ......
　Todoris came running in, shaking his fat belly.

　"Your Majesty!　I'm sorry to interrupt your meal!　A rebellion has broken out in the northern ...... Taurica Peninsula!
　There is such a thing as weak dogs rebelling .......

　Hercule smiled wryly.






　Those were the good days.
　Well, I guess everyone thinks that at least once.

　When I was in elementary school, ......
　When I was in middle school: ......
　When I was in high school: ......
　When you were a college student: ......
　When you were young: ......

　You are free to think what you want.
　But ...... those days are still those days and you can't ...... go back.

　It is impossible for a retired grandfather to redo his youth.

　Therefore, you have to admit that .......
　However, there are many people who cannot admit it.


　A concrete example is ......
　There are many people who cannot admit it, such as the Taurians who used to have a strong influence on the Taurian coast, but were crushed by Hercule and fell.

　The Lemurian Empire, their rivals, and those they had looked down upon had taken away their interests. ...... They were all thinking, "Those were the good days.

　They were all thinking, "Those days were good," and they wanted to go back to those days.

　So how can we go back to those days?
　They thought.

　The first prerequisite is to ask for support from the powerful nations and tribes in the north.
　Then, they decided to make use of the lessons learned from the ...... last time and fight as a united force instead of resisting in isolation.

　The rest is a matter of timing.
　It is obvious that no matter how united they are or how much support they get, they will not be able to win if they challenge the perfect Lemurian Empire and the Emperor of Hercule head-on at .......

　So what if the Lemurian Empire is not up to the task? ......
　Yes ......, for example, during a war with another country.
　What if it's a long war and you're ...... struggling (・・・・・・)?

　If you can win a decisive victory then, and eliminate the influence of the Lemurian Empire ...... or extract some concessions, you can go back to "those days"!

　And that day came much sooner than expected.

　The day came sooner than expected, as nearly 30,000 troops of the Lemurian Empire were on ...... the island of Rosa.
　We've been fighting for nine months now, and ...... there's still no sign of Rosa Island falling.

　I don't know the details, but ......
　The Rosa Island pirates have also defeated the Lemurian Empire in the past.

　They must be putting up a good fight and ...... making Lemuria suffer.

　Now, ...... now, we can win!
　That's what they thought.

　




　Let's do it before they do it!

　In other words, the idea is to make the first move ...... rather than being on the back foot.


　It is done "before" it is done, that is, it is done by people who are "about to" do it.

　Yes, ......, I'm talking specifically about the powerful people in the interior of the Taurian Peninsula.

　Currently, the Lemurian Empire only controls the coastal areas of the Taurian Peninsula.
　By taking control of coastal cities and building new colonial cities, ......
　The Lemurian empire succeeded in controlling the coast of the Taurica peninsula and seizing control of its trade.

　The Lemurian Empire succeeded in controlling the coast of the Taurica peninsula and seizing control of its trade. In the process, the powerful people along the coast lost many of their interests.
　In the process, the coastal powers lost many of their interests, and the inlanders don't have the mental capacity to laugh at .......

　They ruled the coastal areas with points ...... and now they are shifting to line rule.
　It is clear to see that this will become the rule of planes and ...... will eventually extend to the interior of the Taurica Peninsula.

　We can't laugh at the powerful people in the coastal areas.
　Tomorrow is my time.

　It was a time of crisis.
　It was at this time that the powerful people in the coastal areas approached the powerful people in the inland areas for cooperation.

　Let's do it before they do it!

　That's what they thought.






　It's a shame when someone cuckolds your girlfriend.
　Well, that's what most people think unless they have a special proclivity.

　The same was true for the northern countries that had been benefiting from trade through the powerful people of the Taurica Peninsula.
　If a man like Hercule were to take away their trading rights in the Taurica Peninsula, they would be angry.

　I would like to get it back.
　That was the time when I was thinking so.

　That's when the Taurian leaders asked for our help.

　We're not the ones spilling blood.
　We just need to give them a little financial support.

　Just keep your hands clean. ......
　The northern countries wanted to get their interests back.







　Strike while the iron is hot.
　Well, in other words, ...... things should be done quickly while they are hot.

　The same goes for conquest.

　The same goes for conquest.

　The longer you wait, the more likely you are to incur resentment, and the more expensive it will be.
　The longer it takes, the more likely it is to cause resentment, and the more expensive it is.

　Therefore, Hercule hoped to conquer the Taurian Peninsula in another year or so.

　Conquest here does not mean military domination ...... including the inland areas.
　It means to completely integrate the Lemurian Empire economically and politically.

　If possible, we would like to kill the rebels, the former powerful people in the coastal areas. ......
　I want to kill the old coastal leaders who are rebels, if possible, and I want to kill the inland leaders who don't follow us.
　We also want to eliminate the influence of the ...... northern countries.

　So how do we ...... round up all the rebellious forces?

　Do we send a huge army?
　No.
　It is obvious that they will only pretend to be docile and obedient while we have an army, but will turn rebellious when we withdraw.

　That would not be a complete conquest.

　Hercule thought about it and came up with this idea: ......
　This is what he thought.

　Let them rebel.

　He wanted to make it look as if his country was exhausted from the war with other foreign powers. ......
　He wanted to make it look as if his country was exhausted by the war with other foreign powers, and to make it look as if it was the only chance to revolt.

　Those who do not revolt at this time will not be able to resist.
　And ...... forces that rebel or cooperate with them at this time are hostile forces that may turn on them if they have the chance.

　All that is left to do is to gather all the hostile forces together and crush them .......

　Of course, you will be at a slight disadvantage if you are on the back foot. ......
　It is difficult to introduce an overwhelmingly large army and crush them by sheer numbers.

　But still ......
　He believed in his own abilities and that he could win.







　Thus, ......
　The thoughts and desires of various forces intertwined ......

　The Taurian War was about to begin.