My name is Azul Hanno. My name is Azul Hanno and I am the head of the Pofenia Mission. Henceforth, please be familiar with me.

　Azul squeezes my hand.
　I smiled and squeezed it back hard too.

　'It's nice to meet you too,'

　Thus began the peace conference of the Confederacy, led by Pophenia and the country of King Rosais.




　Azul Hanno.
　He is the leader of the Plain Party, a party that focuses on the internal affairs of Pofenia.
　He is the leading anti-Barka politician and military officer.

　This makes him sound like a pigeonholing politician, but that's not true.
　He himself is a genuine soldier and has put down the rebellion of different ethnic groups and mercenaries inside Pofenia.

　The country of Pofenia is very rich, and apparently there is a huge amount of tax revenue from agriculture alone.
　That's why Azul Hanno doesn't think it's necessary to try to gain control of the seas by building warships, even if it means squeezing the national treasury.

　Well, thank goodness for that, from our point of view.

　Well, the first step is to negotiate the return of the prisoners of war, but we don't want to pay national taxes to the defeated. It is the families of the defeated who will pay. Tell me the amount of the ransom. I'll let them know.

　"Kepka Varkha and the other generals of Pofeniya will pay you three hundred tarangs in total.

　Three hundred?　That's also very expensive. Well, let me tell you.

　Ceal doesn't seem to be interested.
　It doesn't hurt himself or his country's pocketbook, so he doesn't care.

　''Mercenaries........''
　'You can dispose of it as you see fit. We have no obligation to buy it.

　Well, he's a mercenary, of course.
　You don't have to rescue anyone who isn't your own man.

　Well, the negotiations are over.
　Here's what's going on.

　"First of all, we have no intention to pay reparations to you. If your country demands reparations from us, we will meet again in war.

　You're being so bullish all of a sudden, dude.
　Well, I didn't think I was going to get any compensation either, but...

　I don't want war either. Well, unless you're planning to invade the Adelian Peninsula.

　The Adelian peninsula belongs to my country.
　It smells like it.

　Then here's what we're going to do. From now on, my country will not set foot on the Adelunian Peninsula. And we will not invade the country of King Rosais and the Cilicia cities in the southern part of the Adelian peninsula on our territory. Is that all right?

　You're a quick study.

　'No, not enough.'
　There is one more thing I need to add.

　It was Abraham and Ains who interrupted him.
　What?　You won't get any more territory.

　'From now on, I will ask you to guarantee the safety of the merchant ships of the Confederate states, including Gehenna and King Rosais' country, and other Confederate states. I will ask you to swear here that you will not do anything so cowardly as to attack unarmed civilians with your warships.
　"I suggest you include mutual use of both our ports and Pofenia.

　I see.
　I've been vague on the subject until now, but this is the place to decide, isn't it?

　I was only concerned with the territory, I didn't pay attention to the ports and trade routes.　
　That's a reflection on my part.


　
　After thinking for a moment, Azul shook his head.

　''Unacceptable ... but if it's conditional, we'll consider it.

　Azul said, then had his men bring the map to him and unfold it.
______.
　

Red ... the land of King Rosais.
Blue ... the Alliance against Gaul.
Dark yellow a friendly country
Orange ... a substantial genus, a subordinate country, a friendly country with a predominance of Rosais
Pale yellow Southern Cilicia Rosais Alliance

Green Mr. Gryphon.
Pink the Republic of Pofenia
Purple ... the Empire of Persis.
_

　There is an island called Sandal Island, just west of Adelunia. To the east of this island, freedom of navigation should be granted. As for the use of the ports, we will not grant you the right to use the ports on the southern side of the continent and on Trisichellia, which are under the control of the Republic of Pofenia. Naturally, the same applies to all ports west of Sandals. We can make concessions for the mutual use of all other ports.

　He's a great guy, even though he lost, he's a great guy.
　They are free to sail the seas off the Adelian peninsula, but they won't let you sail around their territory.
　They use the ports of the Adelnian peninsula for themselves, but don't let them use their own ports.

　A treaty of inequality would be a good place to start.

　'Screw you!　Such conditions, do you think you can drink!

　Abraham shouted loudly.
　His face is red and upturned.

　'Hmmm ... I think you guys are mistaken.

　Azul raised an eyebrow.

　'We have not lost. This time it was only by chance that you guys won a skirmish on land. We still have control of the straits between Trisichelia and the Adelian peninsula. Have you sunk even one of our ships?

　We didn't sink a boat.
　Not a single ship.

　That's true. Defeat is a fact. Besides, it's expensive to blockade the sea for a long time. Besides, the treasury would be better off if we spent it on sea trade rather than letting our ships play in war and so on. Therefore, I am making major concessions. Originally, we didn't crack down on the Pofenian pirates who were sinking Cilicia's ships. I am saying that we will strictly crack down on them and forbid them east of Sandals. From your point of view, you have nothing to lose and you will be safe. It's not a bad deal.

　Ains and Abraham choke on their words as Azul says to them.
　Well objectively speaking, Azul's point is correct.

　In fact, we can't beat Pofenia at sea.
　And since the raids on Cilicia's merchant ships by Pofenia's warships, which had been occurring in all the waters of the sea, it's a win-win situation all in all.

　A minus five will turn into a minus one.
　The situation will improve greatly.

　It's a relatively benign story.
　But the thing that bothers me is the repetition of Sandals, Sandals, and so on. Is Sandal Island really that important?

　I pull Ains close and give him an earful.

　Is Sandal Island so important to Pofenia?
　''........Sandal Island and Hexpania are rich in gold and silver. Exporting this gold and silver to the Persis Empire is a pillar of the Teutonic Sea trade. In the old days, the Cilicians held two-thirds of the concessions and Pofenia held one-third, but in the last war.......

　So, they got it all.

　Gold and silver.

　That's certainly important.
　I can see why you don't want a Cilician ship anywhere near it.


　If your interests are that important, you won't want to give them up.
　If we continue to engage in hostilities at sea, we're going to run out of steam.
　You have to admit, you're right.

　I'm going to check on Ains and Abraham's faces.
　They both have a reluctant look on their faces.

　'All right. Let's make peace on those terms.
　Thank you, sir. Now, I will return to the home country and get a vote from the Congress. The next time and date for our next discussion will be...

　Afterwards, the peace conference ended with a discussion on the detailed date and time for the next discussion.　At the end, Azul Hanno said.


　'To be honest, I am sorry. That Barca bastard Kepka Baka - excuse me, that stupid bastard Kepka Barca - has caused you trouble. It's not that our country is rich enough as it is. Further trade expansion will lead to a gap between the rich and the poor. It will lead to a shaking of the unity of Pofenia. Besides, it's the citizens of Pofenia who row the navy ships, let alone the army. The most important thing is the lives of the citizens of Pofenia. That idiot family........excuse me, I hope the Barca family will be sorry for this.


　You hate the Barca family that much.
　You, sir.



　


　"Lord Alexios, Lord Melia, that's why I called you here, of all people. For your efforts in defense of Rezad.
　'Huh...'
　No, it's not that big of a deal.

　Alexios looks disinterested.
　Melia, on the other hand, looks happy.


　''In fact, I would like to welcome you all as our country's generals.

　Thank you!
　No, sir.

　The former is Melia and the latter is Alexios.
　Are you guys really a close couple?　You don't really get along, do you?

　Then Melia stood up.

　'Your Majesty, could you please wait a moment?　I just need five minutes.
　I don't mind.

　Then Melia walked out, dragging Alexios with her.

　A conversation could be heard through the door.




　'Hey, why would you say no?'
　So all that matters to me is you and my son...
　Then get a regular job.
　No, you run a farm...
　We're not in the red. Don't you know you have no business acumen?
　'No, no this is all in the plan and we'll be in the black soon...'
　'You said that two years ago. When do you mean 'soon'?
　'Well ... within that decade ...'
　'Your savings will be long gone by then!　I've already used up 70% of my savings!
　....


　The world is a cruel place...　
　Well, you can't eat love. No matter how much love you have, you can't live with it.

　Eloping is not easy.
　Well, it looks like you've been living there for a while now, and I'm sure the two of you are successful.


　"What are you going to do when the money runs out?
　We'll work.
　Where?　I'm telling you, no one in the military field is going to give you a real job. And you don't know where or when it will happen. Will you be able to stand it if I have to sell myself out?
　No, I don't accept that!
　Then listen to me. You see, there is no amount of money to be had. For example, Matitya's (my son) education. Do you know how much money it costs?　My current savings aren't even enough to hire a famous tutor, buy a tutor slave, or send her to study in Cilicia!
　No, you don't have to force me to get an advanced education but at worst I'll be the one to do it.
　'The only thing you can teach me is the Art of War!　I can't do anything else!　You know, in these times, you can't get a decent job without connections and education!
　....

　...Well, education is always important, isn't it? Yeah.
　I didn't know she was an educated woman...


　'I mean, why would you turn down His Majesty's offer to His Majesty Almus?　What do you mean you turned down the last time and you're going to turn down a second chance?　In general, it's a great shame for a monarch to be turned down. It's like saying it's not worth working for you. And you refuse it twice, what do you mean?　If His Majesty Almus had not been so kind, you'd be fired by now, fired!

　I don't know....I can't just jump on the bandwagon, since I turned it down in a cool way before, and I'm not very good at serving others.... ...

　'Ah!　God!　I really hate you for being so needlessly proud!　And the part about not closing the toilet lid, or sitting down to pee, or the part about not liking onions, or the part about smelly feet!　You have no idea. Your shoes smell like fecal matter soaked in vinegar!

　"It can't be that........oh, geez, geez.......

　You're sobbing at the smell of your own feet...
　My image of the cool Alexios is going to fall apart.

　...well, every good-looking man and every beautiful woman has a flaw or two, don't they?

　I wonder if Julia and Tetra have something I don't like about them, too?


　'I mean, you'll be a nobleman when you get this story. There will be more fences. ........Didn't you elope because you got tired of those fences in Pofenia?

　'I wouldn't have minded being royal, noble, commoner, or slave if I could have married you. I would have been happy with anything as long as we were finally united. But not after we were married. Alexios, may I?　Aristocrats are very important. You know what I mean?　Just being a nobleman is enough to get you social credit and a job. Moreover, this status is hereditary. Even if you fall, you still retain the title of former nobleman. Isn't that wonderful!

　No, I mean... but...

　As a matter of fact, you spoke very highly of His Majesty Almus. That king is good. The king is a clever one. He's a clever man. He's a good leader. He's a good judge of character. I should have someone like that to serve where did you get the idea?


　Don't be flattered.
　Don't give me that much credit.

　I'll only make you feel better.

　So, darling, when you become a nobleman, you find yourself in a lot of trouble. Sometimes my sons would kill each other and maybe even King Rosais' country would be destroyed. Nobles are tied to their homes and countries. I don't want to put you in harm's way!

　'But don't you like such a dangerous world?　You said it a long time ago. I'm going to be the greatest general in the world. You said you'd make it big and write your name in the history of the world. Where did that dream go?

　I don't need a dream that could put you guys in danger.

　"Please don't ... Don't repress yourself. I love you now too, but I love you even more when you were telling me about your dreams, the way you had those sparkling eyes.

　Okay, all right. I'll take it.

　'Quintessential, my Alexios!　It has to be!



　They opened the door and walked out.
　Alexios bowed deeply.

　''Please forgive me for my past rudeness. Please make me your vassal........''
　All right. Alexios, I welcome you as my vassal. I take you on as my vassal. And as for the job, you will take charge of the port and navy of Rezad.
　Very well, of course. I will sink any pirate or Pofenia ship that comes out of the vicinity of Rezad.
　No, we don't need to sink the Pofenia ship.

　Alexios is from the maritime nation of Pofenia.
　Naturally, he has commanded a navy before.

　I intend to organize my navy around Alexios.
　But he has no intention of beating Pofenia. We don't have the capacity to maintain a navy of that size.

　The best we can hope for is to maintain control of the waters around the Adelunian Peninsula.

　As a reward I'm going to give you some of the land belonging to the fugitive senator from Rezad. If you don't think you can manage it, I suggest you hire a man.

　Thank you!

　Melia smiles a big smile of happiness.
　Her expression is much brighter than before, probably because she can see the future.

　''Now all we need is ... a family name. What, do you have any hope?''
　No, not really. Just about anything but Barca. I'd appreciate it if you could attend to that.

　Okay, I get it.
　You're right, this guy does not like Barca. We'll come up with an anti-Barka name for him.

　"Cornelius. From now on, you two are Alexios Cornelius and Melia Cornelius.

　Yeah, I think you have good naming sense this time, don't you?

　"I accept your command. Alexios Cornelius, from this day forward I pledge my allegiance to you.
　Likewise, Melia Cornelius. From this day forward, my husband and I will be loyal to you.

　That's a sober trifecta.

______.


　And so the House of Cornelius was born.
　Thus was born the House of Cornelius, the so-called "three families of the Romish Empire" - Pompeius, Claudius, and Cornelius.

　Excerpts from the History of the Rise of the Romali Empire

________.


　Emperor Almus' unification of the peninsula is a masterpiece. "Emperor Almus' unification of the peninsula is brilliant, because the situation where the country is threatened by foreign powers is not good for unification. In some cases, other countries may not be willing to accept foreign interference in their internal affairs. In some cases, other countries would invite foreign troops into the country. But the Almus emperor took advantage of that. On the contrary, he promoted his rule under the guise of forming an alliance to oppose foreign countries. Like the League against Gaul, or the Cilicia-Rosaisais alliance, right? On top of that, they didn't exclude other peoples, but welcomed those who followed them as their vassals. Normally, they wouldn't welcome foreign Cilician or Pofenian as a nobleman. I probably wouldn't have done it either if it wasn't for the spirit of tolerance and reconciliation created by Emperor Almus. You might say I'm a better man than the Emperor Almus. I consider myself better than the Emperor Almus, of course. But if you ask me if I could unify the Adelunian Peninsula, I'm in a bit of a quandary. It's a good thing that you are able to unify the Adelnian peninsula because of the Almus emperor.

　The Thunder Emperor's War History, Chapter 4
　Excerpt from a conversation between Andalus Julius as Caesar and Rembert Parisi Westoria

_

A conversation in a certain part of the Romalian Imperial Palace in the 1500 years of the empire

Julia Julius Erestia: "Hey, hey, Benito-kun.

Benito Julius Cross: "Wow, that sounds interesting. Let me see........is this ancient Cilician? Um ... what ... what ... hmmm.

Julia: "Huh?　You don't seem too surprised, do you?　I always had an image of Romalia bullying Pofenia too, so this unequal treaty was a surprise to me.

Benito: "It's like this. Considering the difference in national power between Romalia and Pofenia at the time.
Julia: "How much of a difference in national power was there in your analogy?

Benito: "About the height difference between me and His Majesty?　And it hurts, please don't kick me in the shins. Oh, look, there's an interesting guy in just the right place.

Elena Cornelius Scipio: "Hmm?　Did you call for me?
Benito: "Well, well, well, read this first. You can read ancient Cilician, right?

Elena: "(After reading it) Ho.......this is interesting. After all, Yang Qingming's "Romalia Founding Book" doesn't contain detailed treaty details. We wouldn't know what was going on at that time without these archaeological discoveries.

Julia: "Hey, what do you have to say as a descendant of someone who turned from Pofenia?
Elena said, "Turning...well, it's true, but...well, I'm very grateful to Taejo (Alexios). If it wasn't for the fact that the founder turned, I wouldn't be able to serve His Majesty like this now.

Julia, "Oh no...
Benito (As usual, you're a choloi, Your Majesty...)

Julia said, "And yet........when I think about it......if His Excellency Alexios hadn't met His Majesty the God Emperor (Almus), Romalia wouldn't have been able to win. It's very emotional....

Elena said, "I don't think the victory of the Romarian Empire was achieved by a single general. Roselle was ruled by the Gauls as a warrior class, and Pofenia was ruled by privileged merchants, landowners, and other capitalists who ruled the country. So many of the people could not think of the war as their fight. In those days, all the people of Romalia were able to fight with one heart under His Majesty the God Emperor. Both the nobles and the common people. That's the difference.

Julia: "How do you think Elena-chan was able to unite your mind?
Elena said, "Emperor Almus distributed the land and loot he acquired equally to the commoners. That's why.
　As a military man, about the strength of the Romali army at the time.

Benito: "It's conscription. Roselle is a feudal army made up of the warrior class, and Pofenia is a mercenary hired for money. Both are gathered at best, a hundred thousand. And if these 100,000 are destroyed, the war can't continue. But Romalia is different. Even if one hundred thousand soldiers died, they could continue to fight if they organized the next hundred thousand. In other words, there is a difference in endurance. Even if he loses the land battle against Pofenia, Emperor Almus can still organize a second or third army. It's a promised victory.
Julia: "Hmmm, that's so typical of you, Benito. Oh, just in the right place!　Hey, Lilliana!

Lilliana Albertini Asma: "Can I help you?　Sire. And Benito, pay your debts.
Benito: "Can't you wait another month?　Come on, I'll do anything for you.
Lilliana: "Promise?　I'm sorry, Your Majesty. As a matter of fact, you are three months behind in your interest payments on your debt.
Julia: "I'm about a year behind on my payments, you know. Well, this guy's not always in debt. More importantly, do you see this?　Oh, you can read ancient Cilician, can't you?
Lilliana: "Well, I'm on the edge of Cilician too, you know. (Finished reading) Hmmm, I see, the port... it's a sign that the Teutonic Sea trade has been thriving for a long time.

Julia said, "As I thought, Lilliana-chan, you have a different view than the two of us. Hey, what do you think was the strength of the Romarian Empire back then?
Lilliana : Well, I think that they were able to get the economic power of the Cilician people on their side, and with the export of wine and other products, they were able to accumulate wealth and develop a money economy rapidly. In those days, self-sufficiency and bartering were the norm in the Romali peninsula, and it was the visionary victory of the Emperor Almus who focused on the concept of "economic power" early on. The influence of military roads and improved waterways also played a major role.
Julia: "But Pofenia had a far greater economic advantage in those days, didn't she?
Lilliana said, "Money is meant to be spent, Your Majesty. In Romalia and Pofenia, Romalia was one of the better spenders of money, I mean.

Julia: "Hmmm thank you, all three of you. It was interesting. So, Mr. Benito, when will you give me my money back?
Benito: "I'll give it back to you in time.
Elena: "You don't always return it like that, do you!　I want the money I lent you, and I want it back as soon as possible!
Lilliana: "Well, wait, wait, wait. Calm down. Right?　You'll know it when you talk to me!

One hour later.

Julia & Elena & Liliana: "I can't help it, I don't know. Benito is.