But ... is a meeting under these circumstances the right choice?

　I looked at the enemy on the hill and thought to myself, "A battle is a decisive battle.
　A battle is a decisive battle.
　Once the phalanx collapses, the other side will crush you in one fell swoop, so defeat in a battle would mean the end of the nation.

　Both sides only want to engage in battle when they think they can win.
　You can't win or lose as long as you're holed up in a camp or castle, so it's normal to do that as long as you don't have a plan to win.

　''The correct answer is that there is no other choice. It is correct that there is no other choice but to do this, because if you stay indoors like this, you will be isolated among your enemies. They have no choice but to win. War is about creating a situation in which we can win for sure, and how to draw the enemy out.

　So we won, forcing us to take it to a meeting.
　But since we came out, they have some chance of winning, right?

　What do you think he'll do?
　'Well?　This is the only thing but we have the poison embedded in it.

　Well, we've certainly buried the poison.
　Now that it's working, we'll win no matter what they do.

　The only question is, has it detoxified the poison?

　I still don't know what he's planning.

　Well, we'll find out soon enough.
　Yes. Take it easy. Come on, have a drink.

　You're taking it way too easy.





　It's been four days since the standoff.
　It's been four days and we haven't met yet.

　They don't want to go to war with you.
　I guess they don't want to go down fighting, so they're just procrastinating.

　They have been holed up in their camp and have not come out.
　There's nothing you can do about it.

　''Well, if we fight, we can see that we're going to lose... or rather, if you don't want to have a meeting, why don't you just retreat to the city walls from the beginning or surrender? The enemy commander is so indecisive.
　'It's a democracy. It's out there to dress the people up for now, but I guess the key leadership team doesn't want to go to war.

　Democracies, contrary to their image, often adopt surprisingly radical behavior.
　It's a common story.

　But it's not going to be good for us if we don't do something about it.

　Some say that the peasants must be returned to their farms as soon as possible.
　But more food is now in short supply.

　Normally, food is usually procured locally.
　Our troops have been getting food from this area.

　However, if we stay in this area any longer, the inhabitants will run out of food to eat.　
　We can provide for them by forcibly requisitioning them, but if we do so, our country's reputation will be tarnished.

　For now, we are passing with invaders and protectors who will pay for our troops properly and who will not harm us as long as we surrender.

　'What do we do?　Shall we try to stir things up?

　In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or something like that, a warlord would provoke his opponent by drinking in front of the enemy's camp at such times.
　Afterwards, "It's a Confucius trap! That's why.

　Bartolo and I are going to have a drink together.
　Bartolo's trapped! Let's do a

　No, that won't be necessary. No, there's no need for that. Even as we speak, small and medium-sized cities are falling at the mercy of our nation.

　That would be fine.
　Hmm?

　'Oh!　The enemy is getting ready to move out.
　'It looks like you're finally getting some heavy lifting done. Now we can win.

　Bartolo threw the empty liquor bottle on the ground.
　Pick it up later. It's good manners to take your garbage with you.






　'Your Majesty will stay here and watch.

　I was about to stand in battle and Bartolo stopped me.
　I'm strong and I'm not a good commander, so I think it would be more useful to fight at the front.

　''No, brother your majesty. If Your Majesty dies, our country will be destroyed.

　They still haven't produced a successor.
　Raimondo is seedless.

　...maybe the oligarchy won't be extinct.

　But there will still be chaos. Listen, please don't ever step forward.

　Bartolo stopped me with a stern voice.
　Hmmm....
　If you're so sure, let's just be quiet and watch.

　Something, I hope you can learn.




　The formation of Lossies' army was a perfectly normal phalanx.
　It's a textbook formation.
　I don't know what to do.

　"Your Majesty. Our troops are four times as large as the enemy's. If there's an overwhelming difference in strength, it's better to attack them head-on, utilizing their numbers.
　That's a lot to ask.

　If there are too many of them, it's frontal and straightforward.
　The high road is the high road because it is the high road.

　"Well, the enemy.......isn't that a diagonal formation?

　Strangely, the forces are tilted to the left.
　Did you imitate Bartolo in order to overturn the strength gap?

　'Are you okay?'
　It's rather convenient. There's no way the original family will ever be defeated by a pacifier.

　Hannibal lost to Scipio, though.
　I'll trust Bartolo here.

　Bartolo is more than just a drunk guy.
　He's a very capable drunk.


　"Come on, Your Majesty.
　'Okay ... all the troops!　Let the march begin!
　"'Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!!!!'


　At my command, Rosais' army begins to move in unison.
　Step by step, they advance at a run.

　Immediately, the enemy's thick left wing collides with our weak right wing.
　However, our strength is four times that of the enemy.
　They won't collapse so easily.

　In the meantime, our left wing collided with the enemy's right wing.　

　Victory or defeat had already been decided.
　That's when.

　A loud gong sounded from the enemy's main camp.
　At that moment, the enemy's approximately 2,000 soldiers began to flee at once.
　Under the influence of this, the phalanx that had been held slightly collapsed in an instant.


　.........
　This is the true nature of the poison.

　This is the true nature of the poison, and I have made a tip-off to the lowest-minded of the three cities.

　"All you have to do is run away. You can run away just as soon as you think you've won the battle. At that time, we won't chase after you either. After that, we'll give you the autonomous city treatment.

　That's it.
　So if you're winning, you don't have to betray me.

　The enemy was overjoyed and accepted the invitation.

　Thus, the game was easily decided.






　After that, the city that betrayed us received the autonomous city treatment in our country as promised.
　Of the two remaining countries, one of them offered to make peace soon after the battle, so we accepted it and welcomed it with the alliance city treatment.
　There was no compensation.

　The last city then surrendered after the siege.
　They made reparations to this city and welcomed it as an allied city.

　Now these three nations will be squabbling with each other.
　The only one to blame is you, who betrayed them, and you would have surrendered immediately too...

　They rarely cooperate with each other.

　Divide and conquer is the basis of rule.


　With the surrender of these three cities, the number of cities that surrendered to our country increased rapidly.
　Though small, we were a great power in the region.
　When it was defeated, the momentum suddenly shifted in favor of our country.

　All of this was met with the autonomous city treatment.
　You can always take away power and tax it.

　The first thing we have to do is to expand our land and reduce the power of our enemies.

　If we give them the municipality's treatment, they won't tax our country.
　What's in it for us?

　You'd be wrong.
　First of all, it gives us more forces.
　They are obligated to provide us with troops.

　Secondly, we can build an economic zone.
　The easier it is to do business, the wealthier the country will be, and thus the tax revenue will increase.

　Lastly, we can get tribute.
　It's not compulsory, and I didn't ask for it, but they bring me tributes.

　Each one is not a large amount, but when it comes to dozens of cities....
　Over a hundred talents.

　That's a handsome income.

　Other benefits include a political voice, diplomatic status.
　It has many advantages.

　"Your Majesty. Lord Ains is here to see you, Your Majesty.

　I was staring at the map in the tabernacle when a kinsman told me that.
　So it's Ains.

　We can finally get into peace negotiations.