One year has passed since the end of the Lemurian-Faullls War.
　The Lemurian Empire has been at peace.


　If anything had changed, it would have been the births of Hercule's children, .......


　First, Scheherazade's pregnancy was revealed immediately after the war ended.
　Hercule and Scheherazade's child was a lovely girl.
　She was named Helena by Scheherazade's mother.

　A few months later, Cecilia, Bradamante, Nia, Sonia, and Alicia became pregnant one after another.
　Considering the ...... time period, the implantation must have taken place during or shortly after the war.

　It is said that Hercule laughed at this, saying, "It seems that when people are dying, they have the power to leave offspring.

　Cecilia's child was a lovely girl and was named "Louise" by King Ludwig I.
　...... Incidentally, this is the feminine form of Ludwig.
　He named the children of Hercule and Cecilia after himself.
　Hercule laughed at his show-offishness and self-importance.

　Her child with Bradamante was named directly by Hercule.
　As long as they were recognized but not married, Bradamante's child was Hercule's bastard child.
　That is why, as a father, he decided to give her a name.
　The blond-haired girl with lovely cat ears was named Yulia, after Hercule's last name, Yulianos.

　Hercule and Nia's child was a healthy boy.
　It was Cecilia who gave him his name.
　It was Nia who directly asked Cecilia to give him a name.
　The son was named "Peter," the Lemurian reading of Cecilia's family name, Peter.

　Hercule and Sonia's child was a healthy boy.
　Sonia begged Hercule to give him a name.
　Hercule thought about it and named him "Herakleios," after the city of Heraclea (formerly known as Cerda), which is the same as his own and is the current capital of the Kingdom of Cerda.

　Hercule and Alicia's child was a healthy boy.
　This child was also named by Hercule.
　After careful consideration, he was named "Apollo," the patron god of bows and shepherds in Lemurian mythology.



　With Cecilia, Scheherazade, Sonia, Alicia and Hercule's two wives giving birth in rapid succession, the capital of the Lemurian Empire, Nova Lemuria, was in a cheerful mood, despite the fact that it was just after the war.

　In such a situation, ...... Hercule summoned a total of nineteen vassals and their wives.
　The following people were summoned.



　Carolina Yulianos.
　Scheherazade Yulianos.
　Lunalie Julianos.
　Sonia Yrianos.
　Alicia Yulianos.
　Nia Diavolos-Lukarios.
　Hupatia.
　Todoris Todrianus.
　Lucanos Lucarios.
　Galfis Galenoas.
　Christos Augustus.
　Edmond Erdemort.
　Darios Leopardi.
　Oscar Almon.
　Stephan Shaykoski.
　Jebe.
　Titus Yulianos.
　Shylock.
　Antonio.

"Good to see you all here. ...... By the way, gentlemen?

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.

Do you know the nickname that was recently given to me?
'Champion of the Three Continents'.

　Lunalie replied to Hercule's question.
　Then Lunalie gave the information about the nickname in a simple manner.

The people call you that. The people call you that... A champion who has won victories on three continents and rules them all. That is the Holy Light Emperor, Hercule I.

Yes, that's right. ...... After all, a nickname bestowed by another person can be both embarrassing and gratifying.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.
　While King Sasan VIII was called the "Conqueror of the World" and King Ludwig I was called the "Knight among Knights", Hercule had no such nickname.

　That's why he was a little concerned about it.
　It hurt Hercule's pride that he didn't have such a name while the two of them had a sense of rivalry.

　He might have thought, "Why don't I just call myself that?
　But that would be embarrassing.

　Besides, such a name is not something you think of yourself, but is given to you by others, and only then does it make sense.

"So, Your Majesty. So, Your Majesty. ...... What is the reason for your visit?

　Karolina tilted her head.
　The people gathered here are key figures in the Herculean regime.
　However, it is not often that all of them are present at the same time.

　Each of them had a different job to do.
　The presence of Hercule's brother, Titus, is particularly interesting.

　He is an excellent artist, but he is not a great politician or soldier.
　Due to his delicate position as the brother of the emperor, he was rarely involved in politics.

Who were the vassals of Ludwig I, the 'knight among knights'?
I'm sure it's the ...... seven heroes.

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.
　Hercule nodded in satisfaction.



"So who are the vassals of Sasan VIII, the Conqueror of Worlds?
"The eight loyal generals and the three glittering generals.

　This time Scheherazade answered.
　...... At this point, the vassals know what Hercule is trying to say.
　We've known each other a long time.

"...... If I may, Your Majesty. You want something similar?
"You know what I mean, Alicia.

　Hercule nodded exaggeratedly.
　He held out his hands.

"A good master gathers a good vassal. The Champion of the Three Continents needs vassals of the right caliber. And as far as ...... I can think of, there are nineteen people here who have achieved great things!

　Galfis Galenoas.
　Christos Augustus.
　Edmund Erdemort.
　Darrios Leopardi.
　Oscar Almon.
　Stephan Shaykoski.
　Jebe. 　
　Nia Diavolos-Lukarios.

　Eight of the finest generals to ever bring victory to Hercule. 　

　Todoris Todrianus.
　Lucanus Lucarius.

　and Lucanos Lucarios, who were instrumental in negotiations with the Church and other nations, and supported diplomacy behind the scenes.


　Karolina Julianos.
　Scheherazade Julianos.
　Lunalie Julianos.
　Sonia Yulianos.
　Alicia Yulianos.

　Alicia Yulianos, wife of Hercule and sometimes his general.


　Titus Yulianos.
　Hupatia.

　Titus Julianos and Hupatia, two of the most outstanding cultural achievements of the time.


　Shylock.
　Antonio.

　Although they were not so prominent, they did much to support the financial and internal affairs of the Lemurian Empire.


　These are the nineteen.
　These are the vassals whom Hercule considered to be of particular merit.

"After all this time, ......, you have supported me well until now. There is no better vassal in the world than you. I am ...... grateful.

　Unusually, Hercule said such a thing.
　The vassals were surprised to hear this.

So, these nineteen are the Nineteen Pillar Generals. Please continue to serve me.
" "Yes!

　After listening to their replies, Hercule began to get down to business.

Now that we're on the subject, ...... I thought I'd share with you some of the policies that will govern this country from now on.

　In contrast to the light-hearted, slightly joking atmosphere of earlier, ......
　I'm serious from here on.

　This is an important story that I will only tell the Nineteen Pillars General.

I've been working on a policy of expanding our territory and securing our interests, but from now on we will be on the defensive. ...... We have no enemies at the moment.

　In the west, we agree with the Fullerling Kingdom on the policy of protecting the peace of the Album Sea.
　In the east, they have promised to maintain trade with the Kingdom of Fars as before, and to maintain stability in the Havilah Peninsula.

　Therefore, there is no enemy that Lemuria must attack in the future.

And ...... when the children of me, Lunalie, Alicia, and Sonia come of age, we will install them as kings of their respective kingdoms. And the state of the Union of Sovereigns will be lifted from time to time.

　The vassals were surprised by Hercule's words.
　In particular, Lunalie, Alicia, and Sonia, the three people involved, rolled their eyes.
　All three of them thought that their country would be under the rule of Hercule for the next hundred years.

"Of course, as soon as the union is broken, we'll form a new alliance. And the fact that I will effectively rule for the time being will not change. The reason I'm breaking the alliance is to show the world that my children will inherit the throne." ......

　After Hercule's death.
　After Hercule's death, there is a possibility that the nobles of the royal blood of each kingdom will revolt, claiming that they are the rightful heirs to the throne.
　So, in order to stop this from happening, it was necessary to set a precedent that the person who inherits two bloodlines, the blood of Hercule and the blood of Lunaria, Alicia and Sonia, will inherit the throne.

Thank you for fulfilling your ...... promise. Your Majesty.

　Lunalie said to Hercule, smiling happily.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's not afraid of you.
　Now you can trust Hercule from the bottom of your heart.

　Hercule fought the Foulds to protect Hayastan, and now he's willing to let his son succeed to the throne right away.

Well, there's a promise, or a reason for that, of course. ......

　Hayastan, Bulgaron, and Chelda are vassal states, and are in effect vassal provinces.
　However, legally speaking, they are all states ruled by Hercule, and are in a sense on equal footing with the Lemurian Empire, a union of equals.
　The fact that ...... adheres to the law is just a pretext.
　The real intention is different.

"From now on, the Lemurian Empire will decline. You should be prepared for that.



　Hercule said, clearly.
　The vassals froze at their lord's weak and abrupt declaration.

"What do you mean?　Your Majesty. There's some kind of governance problem. ......
So far, no problems have been reported.

　Hercule appeased Galfis.
　Then Christos asked.

"Why do you think ...... it will decline?
"It means that the power of this country will not grow in the future.

　The Lemurian Empire is already well developed. 　
　It has a good transportation system with roads and bridges.
　It has good irrigation and flood control systems.
　Its land is rich and developed to the point that it cannot be developed any further.

　Therefore, the Lemurian Empire has no room to grow.

"Originally, this country was in the doldrums until I came to the throne. Well, ...... I was a genius, so I inadvertently prolonged the life of the country. ......
I'm not saying it's doomed.
I'm not saying it's doomed, but it won't be as prosperous as it is now.

　Hercule answered Lucanos' question.
　For the first time in a long time, the old vassals remembered the situation of the Lemurian Empire a few decades ago.

　If Hercule had not been born.
　If Hercule had not been born, it would have been Hadrian or Titus who would have taken over the throne.

　Either way, the future of the country would have been bleak.

But ......, you can't go against the flow of the times. Originally, this country was a crossroads of civilizations,...... where various ethnic groups could easily flow into. I'll do my best to ...... keep it that way, but I don't know what will happen after I'm gone.

　We do not know if Hercule's son will be as militarily and politically adept as Hercule.
　No matter how capable he is, it will be difficult to hope for the same level as Hercule.
　Therefore, the eventual decline of the Lemurian Empire is inevitable.

"All right, gentlemen. Be aware that this is the time of the last glimmer of light in this land. We are only enjoying a temporary peace and prosperity in opposition to the original flow.

　There is a big difference between being aware of this and not being aware of it.
　There is a big difference between being aware of this and not being aware of it. If we try to force the country to regain its prosperity, it will collapse.
　This country is already an old man.
　The old man should be allowed to pass away in ...... peace, as the old man should.

Our mission is to take advantage of this last glimmer of hope ...... and make the decline of the country as slow and gentle as possible. One of them is to break the tyrannical alliance. Little by little, we will separate our territories, and on top of that, we will maintain a loose alliance.

　In the future, it will be difficult for the Lemurian Empire to repel all foreign enemies with a single stone.
　Therefore, it is necessary to make the vassal states independent to some extent.
　That's what Hercule thought.

"Well, as for the Lemurian Empire itself, that depends on how good ...... my son is. If he's not that good, we should consider a split inheritance.

　Of course, this is a much later story.
　Of course, this is a much later story. It can change as much as you want, depending on how things change in the future.

...... And don't tell anyone about this. A monarch is a person who makes the country rich. The other vassals and the people must not know that I am going to cut my losses if I cannot make the country any richer. But I spoke in the belief that you would understand. Do you understand?

「「「「Yes, Your Majesty! 」」」」

　The nineteen vassals replied in unison.
　All of them agreed with Hercule's policy of softening the decline of the country.

"Very well. Very well. ......

　Hercule was about to say something when...
　Just as Hercule was about to say something, a bureaucrat burst into the audience room.

"Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty!
"What is it?
What is it? "The governor of Taurica has sent a messenger. ...... Barbarians from the north are invading the borders of Taurica. Please help us subdue them at .......
"All right. Stand down.

　Hercule sent the bureaucrat back.
　And Hercule flips his cloak.

"Gentlemen, end of story. It's ...... time to fight. We will kill every barbarian who violates our sacred land.
"Ha!

　"Ha!" The crowd began to move in unison.
　And Hercule muttered quietly.

"While I am healthy, I will continue to show you the dream of my first glory and peace.

　And he laughed quietly.






　Emperor, who brought the barbarians to their knees!













　The emperor who brought the heretics to their knees!










　The emperor who defeated the infidels!










　The great protector of our messianic religion!










　The champion who crossed oceans, mountains, deserts and conquered three continents!













　We are the eternal heroes of Lemuria!


















　Your honorable name is Hercule!
















　The great emperor Hercule I!
















　Hercule I, the Holy Light Emperor, champion of three continents!