74 Episode 12 Elegant Day of Emperor Lemur I PM (1/2)

Twelve-thirty to one.

Hercule was sleeping peacefully.

This is what is called a siesta.

In other words, he is taking a nap.

According to him, ”I can work more efficiently this way.

You're not doing as much work as you say you are, ....... You are.

I would say that, but he is the emperor.

A country where the emperor is likely to die of overwork is a terrible thing.

A country where the emperor can take a nap is probably the best.

”Your Majesty, it's time. It's time to go to .......

Hmm ...... almost ......

”Yesterday, you must have been furious, 'Why didn't you wake me up? Yesterday you were angry with me for not waking you up. ...... Please wake up!

The servant Ciphany shakes Hercule awake.

Hercule woke up, sighing.

The servant Ciphany shook Hercule awake. ”Well, ...... let's get to work. ......

Hercule muttered gloomily.

One to four o'clock.

At this time, a meeting is held with the ministers.

Basically, they discuss budget proposals and the enactment of new laws to solve social problems.

Only non-urgent matters are discussed at this time and the meeting may be prolonged until the next day.

If there is an urgent issue that needs to be discussed, such as famine or plague, it will not be postponed until the next day, but will be discussed from morning to night.

Today it was about a non-urgent social issue: ...... prostitution.

It is estimated that there are more than 2,000 prostitutes in the capital today. In Messianic doctrine, it is forbidden for a man and a woman who are not married or engaged to each other to engage in s*xual intercourse. Of course, s*xual intercourse through monetary exchange is out of the question. However, in the current situation, there are many women who lose themselves in prostitution in the Imperial City, and there is no end to those who engage in prostitution.

The meeting was presided over by Lucanos, the number two and actual vizier of the Lemurian Empire.

We have also confirmed that some of the prostitutes are little girls under the age of ten. In addition to female prostitutes, there are also male prostitutes who are boys, which raises concerns about disturbing customs and beliefs. This prostitution is a hotbed of kidnapping and illegal trafficking, and a source of funds for criminal organizations. There are also concerns that prostitution may lead to the spread of s*xually transmitted diseases and other epidemics, and it is urgent that some kind of regulation or law be enacted to ban prostitution before it becomes a serious problem.

After saying that, Loukanos glanced at Hercule's face.

Taking that as a signal, Hercule opened his mouth.

As you have heard, we need to take some kind of administrative or legal action against the prostitution that is rampant in the Imperial City. As you know, since the time of the previous emperors and emperors before them, there have been many laws against prostitution in our country, but they have not had any effect. I would like to hear your opinions.

Then Hercule closed his mouth.

Basically, in a meeting, Hercule does not express his opinion until the very end.

This is because if Hercule expresses his own opinion, the direction of the meeting will be dragged in that direction.

He cannot express an opinion that is completely different from the Emperor's.

Then there would be no point in holding the meeting.

Besides, if you let the vassals express their opinions as much as possible, they will think that the emperor will listen to them, and they will actively express their ideas.

Hercule is not an all-powerful man.

The opinions of his subjects are valuable.

The opinions of his subjects are valuable, but since Hercule is basically a man who does not bend his mind very much, 90% of the meetings are meaningless.

Antonio was the first one to express his opinion.

This is because it is traditional for the youngest and lowest-ranking person to speak up in such meetings.

Well, that's assuming you have an opinion.

Isn't the fundamental problem the social and economic context in which such prostitution is practiced?　I believe that the reason why widows, young girls and women engage in prostitution is not because of their personal beliefs or personalities, but because of the financial circumstances that force them to do so, and the social circumstances that prevent them from doing any other work. Therefore, no matter how severe the punishment, the problem of prostitution will not be solved until the fundamental problem is solved. In fact, harsher penalties may worsen public safety.

There are two types of people in this world: those who are prostituting because they want to and those who are prostituting even though they don't want to, but if anything, there are more of the latter than the former.

There are also those who say, ”I don't know any other way to live.

Unless we help the latter, we cannot solve the problem of prostitution.

This was António's opinion.

António continued.

I also believe that the prevalence of prostitution, both illegal and legal, is not only the responsibility of the vicious slavers, but also of the vicious loan sharks (・・・・) who force people into a situation where they have to sell themselves. So we should also look at regulating the maximum rate of interest and helping the debtors.

(This guy attacked me so easily. ......)

Hercule smiles inwardly.

As a sovereign, I'll stop any excessive power struggle, but I don't intend to interfere in any way with the buying and selling of fights in a place like this.

Rather, it is one of the few ways for Hercule to pass the time in a boring meeting.

And sure enough, Shylock the loan shark (・・・・) spoke up.

I understand that prostitution is caused by social and economic problems. I understand that the causes of prostitution are based on social and economic problems, but to extend the blame to the financiers is a bit aggressive. They have no choice but to raise interest rates on people who have no chance of repaying their debts and have no choice but to use their bodies as collateral. And don't forget the fact that many vulnerable people are still alive thanks to loan sharks (・・・・). If loan sharks were to stop lending money, the people who would suffer the most would be those who need to borrow money to survive. You have to understand that when you clamp down on loan sharks, you may seem to be helping the weak, but you're hurting them all around.

With that, Shylock glared at Antonio.

Antonio looks cool, but his face is slightly tense.

This brawl between pagans and foreigners had become a fixture of the conference.

Well, from Hercule's point of view, both of them have their points of view.

From a modern Japanese perspective, Antonio is right, but considering the ethics of the Lemurian Empire and the social status of financiers, Shylock's opinion is also reasonable.

In Japan, financiers have an image of being elite and intellectuals, but in this world, they are a job for people who cannot do a proper job.

Japanese financiers and those of the Lemurian Empire are as different in physical strength (capital strength) as adults and babies.

If we impose the same laws and regulations as in Japan, there is a good chance that they will all go bankrupt and the economy will collapse.

Another person has entered the fray.

This is Loukanos.

I agree that social and economic problems are the cause of rampant prostitution. However, it would be a disorder of ethics, morality, and faith to choose such a path so easily in the first place. They say that widows cannot make a living without prostitution. Yes, there are those who do. But our country has laws to help the weak, such as the Wheat Law, and in recent years, His Majesty's efforts have led to the establishment of orphanages. Is it really true that the majority of people cannot survive without prostitution?　There are many who take the easy way out, aren't there?　Severe penalties should also be implemented at the same time.

Lucanos disagreed with Antonio's opinion, saying: ......

In the first place, I also think that the act of 'lending money with the body as collateral' is also questionable. If you really want to help the weak, you should wait for a certain amount of repayment. To me, it looks like they are setting the interest rate high in order to seek profit. If the interest rate is lowered, some people will be able to repay the loan properly.

Hercule did not think that Loukanos was wrong either.

In short, he said, ”You say you can't make a living without prostitution, but there are people who work hard to make a living. That's being naive,” Lucanos wanted to say.

However, Lukanos does not deny the idea of helping the weak, and in fact, he agrees with it.

In other words, he is saying that we should let those who can help themselves do so, and help those who seem to be unable to do so.

In fact, no matter how much support we give, if the person is not willing to stand up, he or she will never be able to stand up.

Forcing him to stand up by giving him a whip is one of the ways.

In the case of interest, they are actually saying, ”Let's charge him high interest, make him unable to repay, and make money from human trafficking. You're evil, too. ...... No, no, no, you're the lord.

Thus, the meeting began a three-way battle.

All three hate each other, so the discussion is very heated.

Hercule listened and looked at Galfis and Kristoff, who looked bored.

On the faces of the two military men, it was written, ”I don't care, just get it over with.

Hercule asked them.

”Galfis, Kristoff. Do you have an opinion?

The two men looked at each other.

The two men looked at each other.

((Wow, don't point ...... at me, I don't ...... have an opinion.))

It's written on his face.

He looked like an elementary school student who had not even raised his hand, but had been appointed by the teacher.

I'm not an expert, so I don't have any particular opinion, but I think prostitution is necessary to some extent as an outlet for the ...... military.

For our part, we would like you to make a brothel that is safe and readily available for soldiers to use, ...... before you decide on prostitution.

For a man who looked so uncomfortable, he had some very constructive ideas.

Hercule smiled with amusement.

After all, there is supply because there is demand.

There is no demand because there is supply.

Prostitution is only possible if there are people to be prostituted.

And as long as there is a human s*xual desire, prostitution will never disappear.

But ......

”But ......

But ......

The debate between Loukanos, Antonio, and Shylock gradually intensifies.

Then, perhaps having said all they had to say, they began to repeat the same thing little by little.

Eventually, the topic shifts in a direction unrelated to the main point. ......

Pan!

and Hercule claps his hands.

In an instant, all is quiet.

”It's time for tea. Let's take a break. See you in thirty minutes.

With that, Hercule quickly left the room.

But meetings are a pain in the ass. You have to sit and listen to people all the time.

”...... Isn't that your job?

”...... of course.

Hercule called Karolina and Lunalie and was drinking tea elegantly.

You'll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in this article.

”Nia, you're pretty good.

I'm flattered by your compliment.

Nia pours tea into Hercule's empty cup.

It's not that I'm a servant or anything,......, it's just that Karolina and Lunarie have gone through it at one time or another,......, and it's something they have to do sometimes.

You can learn from them, too, Lunarie.

”...... May.

Lunalie sipped her coffee and glared at Hercule.

The princess of Hayastan and the wife of the Emperor of Lemuria does not need to be skilled in making tea.

But, Your Majesty, don't you have any opinions that could help us?

”Well, yes, I do. But you see, I'm stubborn.

”...... yourself?

Carolina looked at Hercule with a dumbfounded expression.

A proud and confident man, Hercule seldom bends his mind.

Of course, he takes in what he thinks is right.

The problem is that he seldom does what he thinks is right.

The problem is that what you think is right is rarely what you think is right.” ”Well, what you have to decide is whether you listen to the advice of your vassals or not, whether you adopt it or not, ...... you can be sure of it either way.

The Lemurian Empire is a centralized state, a dictatorship where the power of the emperor is absolute.

The Lemurian Empire is a centralized state, a dictatorship where the power of the emperor is absolute, and Hercule is the dictator who rules it.

As a dictator, the full responsibility for his decisions rests with Hercule.

No matter how good his vassals are, it is the sovereign, the dictator, who listens to their advice and makes the decisions.

And the monarch and the dictator will be fully responsible for their decisions.

LUCANOS, ANTONIO, and SHYLOCK.

All three are very good men, that's for sure.

But they all had different views on the issue of prostitution.

That's the way politics is.

The right answer can change from time to time, there is no one right answer, and there is no one person who can give the absolute right answer.

In the end, if the person who makes the final decision is not excellent, no matter how many excellent advisors you gather, it will be meaningless.

You need to have a spirit as strong as Hercule's to be a dictator.

What a dictator needs is the ability to make the best decisions on the spur of the moment and ......

A dictator needs to be able to make the best decisions on the spur of the moment, and to have the mental strength not to be intimidated by the death of a few (...) people due to his own misrule.

10,000 people is only 1/2,000 of the entire population.

If you are not a person who can think lightly of human life, you will become mentally ill.

In that sense, being an emperor is a calling for Hercule.

”Well, I'll be back soon. See you.

Yes, see you at dinner.

Good luck.

Hercule split from Carolina and Lunalie.

”How about we gather all the brothels in one place?

Hercule's premise is this.

It is impossible to get rid of all prostitution.

There is a supply because there is a demand, not a demand because there is a supply.

As long as there are people who want to prostitute themselves, prostitution will not disappear, and it is impossible to eliminate people who want to prostitute themselves.

It is against human instinct.

In fact, Hercule did not consider prostitution itself to be a problem in the first place.

There is no reason to consider it a problem in the first place.

Hercule's idea was that if the person himself is okay with it, then it is okay.

One gold coin earned by a male laborer after months of hard work and sweat is equivalent to one gold coin paid by a popular prostitute to a man in one day.

No, if you compare the time of a month and a day, you can say that the latter is more valuable.

Realistically speaking, there are ”high and low” occupations.

But the gold you earn is not high or low.

If taxes can be collected from it, I welcome it.

The problem is that prostitution is currently illegal, so not a penny of tax money is being collected. ......

The problem is that there are people who are unwilling to engage in prostitution and that prostitution causes social and hygiene problems.

If only we could do something about this.

So what to do?

It's simple.

Legalize it and put it under control.

If we do that, we can improve the current situation to some extent, and we can get taxes.

The question is, how do we get it under control?

Prostitution requires only the body of the seller and the money of the buyer.

If you want to, you can do it in any cheap hotel or even on the street.

It is very difficult to determine whether the prostitution that is being practiced there is healthy or unhealthy, legal or illegal.

So what to do?

We can create special districts where prostitution is allowed.

If the number of places is limited, it is easier to control, and if the places are too badly run, we can shut them down.

Prostitution outside of these areas should be outlawed and all prostitution, regardless of its content, should be cracked down on.

In this way, public safety will be improved.

In short, let's create a Lemurian version of Yoshiwara!

In other words, let's create a Lemurian version of Yoshiwara!

Prostitution is an unforgivable act, but it is impossible to eradicate, and it is useful in many ways. Therefore, all acts of prostitution are prohibited outside the special zone, and only those who have been approved by the government are allowed to operate brothels in the special zone. It is called ....... Now, please discuss the specific standards and penalties. In addition, the financial industry was mentioned earlier, but this topic is only about prostitution, and the financial industry deviates from that. I will discuss this at another time. We would also like to discuss the solution to the economic and social problems of women who fall into prostitution another day.

After a short break, when the heat had died down, ......

This gave some direction to the meeting.

In the first place, it is not true that the longer it takes, the better the discussion and the better the opinions.

In fact, the more time you spend, the more the essence is lost and the discussion becomes meaningless.

That is a waste of time.

And Hercule hates waste.

So, when the time is right, you give your opinion to show the direction.

By doing so, he moves the meeting to the next stage.

With Hercule's opinion, the discussion begins to heat up again.

In the first half of the meeting, the debate was mainly between Loukanos and the ministers. ...... Now that certain conclusions have been reached, it is more like the bureaucrats are driving the discussion.

It is their role to decide the details.

The ministers give their opinions, debate and ......

The sovereign makes decisions and sets the direction: ......

Finally, the bureaucrats work out the details.

This system was later called the monarchy, or one of the ideal forms of all political systems.

There was a political system that was later called the monarchy, or one of the ideal forms of all political systems.

Four to five o'clock.

Way to go, lunary.

”......, Your Majesty.

It's not s*x.

It's not ...... about s*x.

It's a martial arts training for self-defense.

Depending on the day, it could be a bow, a spear, or a sword. ......

Today it was physical arts.

Hercule took Lunalie by the joints and tried to push her down to the ground.

Lunalie manages to resist.

However, there is a difference in size and weight between the male Hercule and the female Lunalie, and Hercule is also talented in this area.

In no time at all, Lunalie was pushed down to the ground.