Three years had passed since Hercule had placed an economic blockade on the Kingdom of Bulgalon. 　
　It had been steadily causing great damage to the Kingdom of Bulgalon.

　At first glance, nomads seem to be a solitary people who don't interact with farmers. ......
　In fact, their lives are closely related to those of the farmers.
　While the farmers can maintain their society within their own world, the nomads cannot maintain their society and life without interacting with the farmers.

　People cannot live only on sheep meat and goat milk, and in the first place, there is not enough food for them.
　Wool is sold to farmers to buy grain, vegetables, salt, and handicrafts.
　It is only through such trading activities that nomads can make a living.

　Therefore, it was fatal for the Kingdom of Bulgalon that the Lemurian Empire completely sealed its borders and completely stopped trade with the Kingdom of Bulgalon.

　The Lemurian Empire is the only nation that can trade properly with the Bulgaron Kingdom.
　The cessation of trade with the Lemurian Empire was tantamount to losing the means to obtain necessities such as grain, vegetables, and salt.

　However, not all the clans in ...... are in need. 　
　For example, the Kotormir clan suffered minimal damage because they had many agrarian cities within their dominion.

　The Chromes were not as strong as the Kotormians, but they still had a strong economy and were not cornered.

　And the Teritelle, the third largest clan, is ......　

　"Thank God you're wise, Teritel Chief.
　"That's too good to be true, Your Majesty. "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. ...... We look forward to your trade and technical assistance.
　"Yes, I know.
　"Thank you, Your Majesty.

　The Territorial Chief kneeled to Hercule.
　This is the Palace of Nova Lemuria.

　The Territorial Chief had secretly traveled by sea to the Nova Lemuria Palace to negotiate with Hercule in secret.

　In fact, the Tellitel tribe had been in contact with the Lemurian Empire since the time of the previous emperor Hadrian III.

　The Territorial Clan was absorbed into the Kingdom of Bulgaron after being defeated by the Cotormia and Chromium Clans. ......
　In fact, the Territorial Clan was unhappy with the rule of the Kotormir Clan.

　In addition, the Territories of the Territorial Clans are located from the central part of the Bulgaron Kingdom to the north, and in order to trade with the Lemurian Empire by land, one must pass through the territories of the Kotormir and Krom Clans.
　In order to trade with the Lemurian Empire by land, one had to pass through the territory of the Kotormir and Crom clans.

　Therefore, it was very important for the Territorial Clans to trade with Lemuria by sea.
　However, there was no huge port in the territory of the Territorial Clan, so it was only a way to make up for the lack of trade by land.

　Initially, the Territorial Clan was included in Hercule's economic blockade.
　However, the Territorial Clan sent messengers to Lemuria from an early stage and negotiated with them to somehow reopen trade.
　After three years of negotiations, ......

　The Lemurian Empire lifted the economic blockade against the Tellitelle clan.
　In exchange for the following conditions

　In exchange for the Lemurian Empire lifting its economic blockade against the Tellitelle, the Tellitelle would intervene as little as possible in the war between the Kotormir and the Lemurian Empire, and if they did, they would limit the number to no more than a thousand.
　In exchange for a secret agreement, the Tellithians would intervene in the war between the Lemurian Empire and the Kotormian Empire as little as possible.

　In addition to this, the following secret agreement was made.

　In addition to this

　In addition to this, the Territorial Clans would vassalize to the Lemurian Emperor.
　In return, the Lemurian Empire would help the Lemurians to build a port in their territory.

　In return, the Lemurian Empire would support the construction of a port in the territory of the Tellitelle clan.

　After seeing off the back of the Teritel clan chief, who was leaving with a satisfied look on his face, ......
　Hercule smiled.

　"He's an inedible man, that one.
　"Not at all, Your Majesty.

　Todoris, who was standing next to him, agreed with Hercule.
　If the Lemurian Empire has the advantage, they will join the Lemurian Empire, but if the Bulgurons have the advantage, they will join the Bulgurons.

　The Territorians have chosen a path that will allow them to maintain some independence no matter how this war turns out.

　The Teritels have chosen a path that will allow them to maintain some independence no matter how this war turns out. "But then again, they are a powerful clan to be able to do that. They are the second most powerful clan after Kotormia and Crom. Weak clans can't do that.

　The only way to maintain neutrality is to have enough power to make both sides think that they can't be enemies.
　Neutrality without competence is just being a bat.

　Therefore, ......
　Many of the weaker clans of the Bulgaron Kingdom were forced to choose between the Lemurian Empire and the Bulgaron Kingdom.

　"How many clans can you control?
　"They're all clans of 10,000 people, but I've got about seven.
　That's enough.

　The fact that we've been able to recruit this many at the moment means that ......
　If word gets out that the Tellitelle clan is leaning towards Lemuria, it will further accelerate their betrayal of Lemuria.

　Now, it's time to get down to business. ......

　Hercule grinned and ......
　He called Nia and Jebe over.





　This is one of the settlements of a nomadic village belonging to the Krom clan.

　You need to win this time, don't you?
　It's true. It's true, but it looks like Alicia will be there, so she's bound to win again. There's no way Lemuria can beat the Bulgurons. Then this life of suffering will be over.

　The women of a certain clan in the Kingdom of Bulgalon were making small talk like that. 　
　The topic of conversation was that the Lemurian Empire, which had not moved in the slightest for three years, had once again launched a massive military campaign.

　All the men had left the village and headed for the battlefield.
　Now there are only a few men, women, children, and old people in this village.

　And did you hear that?　I heard that the Kotormir clan lives in luxury.
　I don't like the Kotormir clan, even though they are allies.

　On the surface, the Crom and Kotormir clans are on good terms, but deep down, they are not on the same page.
　The relationship between the Chromes and the Kotormir has been deteriorating lately.

　The Chromium clan is certainly more economically powerful than the other clans, but it is weaker than the Kotormir clan.
　If the economic blockade is imposed on them, their lives will become more or less difficult.



　And the grass is not growing well this year. ......
　We have very little food reserves.

　This year's cooler-than-usual weather has resulted in very poor grass growth.
　Last winter was also very cold and many goats and sheep froze to death.

　The chief of the Chromium clan gave us some of his grain reserves and we managed not to starve. ......　
　But life was still hard, and there was no telling what would happen next year.

　The men will have to work hard, after all.
　That's right.

　The women were worried about their husbands, who had sent them off to war.



　A village with such a mixture of tension and idyllic atmosphere is ......
　It wasn't until a few hours later that I was thrown into a state of terror.


　The Lemurian Empire's forces are closing in!　There are about a ...... thousand of them!

　A boy who was herding sheep noticed the approach of the Lemurian Empire.
　Hearing this, the few remaining men in the village mounted their horses and set out to repel the Lemurian army.

　The Lemurian army that they captured, with their excellent eyesight, was ......
　The Lemurian army they captured was about a thousand horsemen.

　But they all dismounted at once.
　Then they set up their spears and began to form a formation.

　"Aren't they cavalry?　...... Yeah!　Charge!

　The men took up their bows and charged the Lemurian army.








　"Captain, the Bulgurons. There are about two hundred of them!
　I'm not sure how they're going to challenge us with that many men. ...... If there are 200 men left, then at best there are 200 or a little more in the village.

　I'm not sure what to do.
　He is leading a battalion of 120 rangers that were given to him by Hercule.
　The difference in strength is sixfold.

　"Formation D, sir.
　""Yes, sir!"

　The Nia Battalion, having received Nia's order, began to form a formation as they had been trained to do.

　Three companies of forty-five dismounted and formed a circle with their spears at the ready.
　Then two companies also dismounted and set up their bows inside the circle.
　Finally, three companies, still on horseback, prepared to charge.

　The members of Nia's battalion are cavalry, archers, and infantry. ......
　All of them are trained.
　They are usually cavalrymen who travel on horseback, but they can also be infantry or archers depending on the situation.

　Whenever and whatever the battlefield ......
　This is the strength of the Near Battalion.
　This was the strength of the Nia Battalion.

　The archers first fired a volley at the charging Bulgarson soldiers.
　The Lemurian longbows had a longer range than the Bulgaron shortbows, so the Bulgaron soldiers were shot dead one after another.
　And even the Bulgurons who managed to get close to the Lemurians were bounced back by the wall of spears that formed a circle.

　"Cavalry, charge!　Follow me!

　Under Nia's command, the spearmen and archers made a hole in the circle.
　From there, forty-five hundred cavalry charge at the Bulgurons.

　"If you resist, I'll kill you!

　Nia declared as she slashed at the Bulgaron soldiers.
　Only eighty of the Bulgurons survived and were taken prisoner.

　"Report the damage.
　"Zero, sir.
　Good.

　Nia nodded in satisfaction after receiving the damage report from his first officer.
　With a six-fold difference in strength, it was only natural that they would win.

　He was proud of his troops, whom Near had spent more than three years raising.
　I don't want them to die in a battle of this magnitude.

　I'll split the squad in two. Five companies will follow me and head for the village. The other three companies, take those prisoners and come back later.