— CONTESTED BORDER, NAAH’MI MOUNTAINS, YEAR: 7298. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.

  ”EXTRA, EXTRA, GRAB YOUR LATEST COPY OF GREAT EDRYAN NEWSPAPER! THIS ONE IS TITLED: A STRONG EDRYAN IS A GROWING EDRYAN!”

  ”I’ll take a copy!”

  “Me too!”

  GREAT EDRYAN NEWSPAPER

  A STRONG EDRYAN IS A GROWING EDRYAN — POPULATION IS POWER!

  — By Karla Kansun

  My, oh my, have you felt it yet? That quiet little phrase drifting through the capital, passed between shop counters and guard posts, murmured in council halls and spoken plainly at dinner tables: A Strong Edryan Is a Growing Edryan . Some say it with pride, others with thoughtfulness, but nearly everyone agrees on one thing—Edryan is thinking about its future.

  And really, can you blame us?

  Walk through the streets of the capital, and you’ll hear it in a hundred different ways. A Baker joking about who will inherit his ovens one day. An Adventurer laughing about finally settling down after “just one more contract.” A young couple debating names while pretending they’re not. It’s not policy. It’s not a decree. It’s simply a question the Queendom seems to be asking itself: who carries Edryan forward?

  And in Edryan, questions are rarely left unanswered for long.

  What makes this moment so… Edryan, is that the Queendom didn’t respond with worry or handwringing. It responded with structure and foresight. With the quiet confidence of a nation that knows where it’s going, even as the path there is still being paved—he has opened a door for those behind him! This kind of confidence that only appears when someone, somewhere, has already done the difficult thinking. I think we all know who I’m talking about. But enough of that, let’s talk business!

  After all, growth should never come at the cost of duty. Nor should duty demand the sacrifice of family. Here, the two have found a way to walk side by side.

  Citizens raising three or more children now find themselves granted a lighter work cycle—five days of service within the eight-day week—without a single coin shaved from their pay! Can you believe it? I’m settling down now, but don’t worry, my dear readers, I’ll still be working twice as hard to contribute to our nation! This isn’t a charity nor indulgence, but a recognition. Because raising the next generation of Edryans is a service of the highest order! And we all must do our part to help. That’s why I’m glad to announce I’m pregnant with my first child!

  And for those who worried their labor would pull them away from that responsibility, the Templum stepped forward. Childcare halls, guided by doctrine and discipline, now stand ready to nurture the realm’s youngest. This allows their parents to continue their work for Crown and country. In doing so, they honor the simple truth long taught by the faith: that service to Edryan and care for one’s kin are not opposing paths, but the same road walked with steadier footing.

  To raise the next generation is no small duty. It is a promise made manifest, valor shown not on the battlefield but in the home, and reverence carried forward through teaching rather than prayer alone. The Church understands this. So does the Queendom.

  Some call these measures generous. Others call them necessary. I say they are deeply Edryan, shaped by the hands of our Chosen.

  After all, we are taught to stand together, not above one another. To protect the vulnerable. To think not only of today’s triumphs, but of the legacy we leave behind when our own hands finally rest. A Queendom guided by Nine Mandates does not panic at the future, but it prepares for it!

  An understanding is taking root here. One that is quiet, resolute even. That Edryan does not wait for the future to arrive. It builds it. Brick by brick. Family by family. Generation by generation. Strength, tempered by mercy. Discipline, balanced by care. Order, without cruelty.

  And while no one voice claims credit, it is difficult to miss how naturally these efforts align, how smoothly Crown , Church , and Citizen move in step. As though someone, with an eye fixed far beyond the present moment, asked the right questions at precisely the right time… and trusted the People of Edryan to rise to the answer.

  So when you hear that phrase again, and you will, know that it is not empty pride. It is conviction. One rooted in faith , upheld by structure, and guided by a steady hand that understands both strength and restraint.

  A Strong Edryan is a Growing Edryan.

  And growing, my dear readers, we most certainly are.

  — Karla Kansun

  ”Dear, I think we should have another child.”

  ”My love… it’s time to expand our family! We have to do our part for the country!

  ”I just had twins, I’m doing my part, how about you!”

  — Except from A Record of the Past by Maiden Braya of the Scholar’s Abode.

  *****

  “Theater Commander, we’ve detected a large mana signature from the Edryan army. They’re countering Rockslide cast by the Energy Casters!”

  “Theater Commander, the long-range cannons are charged and ready!”

  “Theater Commander…”

  Reports came in one after another, and Mojo calmly accepted them while responding with his next orders.

  “No matter, have the Energy Casters prepare close-range spells.”

  “Good, prepare the Blue Wave shots. Let’s turn the ground into a sea of magma.”

  “Asan, you’re up, prepare your archers.”

  “Forger’s Keep… prepare to be sieged!”

  Mojo was calm. It wasn’t unexpected for the Edryans to get close enough to siege the Keep. What was unexpected was just how strong a single Imperius Army was.

  “Cousin, I’m ready,” Asan said, his bow drawn as well as ten thousand others on Battle Terrance One.

  Their position allowed them an expansive view of the approaching force, and the enemy was well within range. Each Battle Terrance held a different responsibility. Battle Terrence Three, where Mojo was located, was an interception force. It had the most people and the most close-range combatants. Battle Terrance One was the location of the long-range combatants.

  “Prepare a second volley of Shatter Shot. This time, imbue them with the Earth Element. I want those shields drained before they reach the keep’s barrier.”

  The Imperius Army had continuously marched from nearly two kilometers away. During this time, they had countered Forger’s Keep through various methods, but Mojo didn’t think they were indomitable. Perhaps rich but not unstoppable.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “750 meters.”

  “Fire,” Mojo commanded. “Asan.”

  “We’re ready.”

  “Let loose.”

  Mojo didn’t wait for the Blue Wave Shatter Shot to land before he had Asan immediately follow up with an attack. A rain of arrows, their tips circular and heavy, arced from Battle Terrance One and into the paused Imperius Army.

  Asan smirked and sent a message through the communication’s magic. “I used the Implode Arrows. That should give them a surprise. Knowing General Alexandria, she’ll come up with something good in response.”

  Mojo ignored him, his eyes on the distant but steadily approaching Imperius Army. This wasn’t their only offensive into the Federation’s territory, as he’d received reports of an offensive on the right side of the country and the second land passage between the nations. Even the army deployed was larger than the one he faced. Mojo wasn’t certain if the Chosen of Madris was here to test his mettle or be a distraction—likely both in Mojo’s opinion. It worried him, but his responsibility was to halt and repel this advance.

  “Have we spotted the Chosen of Madris?”

  “Reporting to Theater Commander, we’ve identified three potential targets but have yet to receive a confirmation. The armor is uniform with little deviation between commander and soldier.”

  The Blue Wave Shatter Shot hit the linked shields of the Imperius Argonauts. The light blue, hexagon, unattributed mana shield rippled, but instead of shattering across the shield as the first volley did, the wave clung on like a viscous mud. Asan’s archers attack arrive right after, and for the first time since the battle started, Mojo smiled in triumph.

  Each arrow imploded along the interlocking shield and, for the briefest of moments, pulled the defensive energy away from one another, allowing the Blue Wave shots to penetrate and fall on the victims below. Mojo watched as many Edryans raised their personal shields in defense, and his satisfaction grew.

  Magic isn’t infallible. There’s always a method.

  “Asan, good.”

  He didn’t say much, but conveyed his appreciation for his cousin’s attack. The Implode Arrows were something directly funded by Asan’s Yola clan, and Mojo knew they weren’t cheap.

  “700 meters.”

  Mojo frowned. Even with the Earth attributed Blue Wave Shot, the Imperius Army was still advancing. It left Mojo wondering.

  What is Alexandria Indrius playing at?

  “Asan, what do you think?”

  Asan gazed down at the advancing Imperius Army, knowing what his cousin was asking. They’d slowed their advance but continued regardless. Asan stroked his bow, a slight frown on his face. He analyzed what he knew of Alexandria Indrius and the Chosen of Madris. For the former, it was a standard amount, and for the latter, not much.

  Alexandria Indrius was a steady woman who did things not necessarily by the book, but held a certain standardization to herself. She was a person who was steady, but decisive, in her actions, and that translated to the battlefield itself. Asan had fought alongside her a few times; all the current Arbitrators of the Federation had to expose themselves to a different mindset and doctrine of war.

  Asan knew Alexandria as someone who never made a move without a specific purpose. Thus far, the Imperius Army hadn’t made a move, which meant the purpose of their current actions hadn’t been realized. As for the Chosen of Madris? What Asan knew was as much as Mojo or any Arbitrator outside of Ninjaro knew—next to nothing. Ninjaro reported the behavior of Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani to his fellow Arbitrators, and they all decided on everything he revealed. Only one thing was certain—his ‘true face’ had never been seen. What Asan meant by that is everything the Chosen of Madris showed to those outside of Edryan was false, an act meant to make them think of him in a certain way or attach a certain value to him. It partially worked in some methods that couldn’t be fake, such as his love for golems and general power from their perceived fights. Everything else was an unknown.

  Unknowns are the scariest.

  “Based on what I know about Alexandria, she doesn’t do anything for half-purpose measures. The Imperius Army has steadily approached without pause, meaning their objective is to get as close to the keep as possible. I can only think of two reasons for this,” Asan hurriedly stated in one breath, he began to signal his lieutenants to prepare another volley. “One, it’s truly a battle of resources, and General Alexandria believes she can match the keep with a mobile force… or two… she has a method to infiltrate the keep! She has a Barrier Breaker , we must stop her advance!”

  Mojo acted decisively the moment he heard Asan’s words. He’d been holding onto the good stuff to prevent as many cards as possible from being revealed until necessary. Now, it was necessary. Asan’s conclusion on General Alexandria’s plan was the same one swiftly spoken to him by the Battle Cognition Officers who had just reported their suspicions. Although they were meant to be vast walking databases, the BCOs also held extensive knowledge of battle history, formations, and military history in general as part of their general package.

  A Barrier Breaker was exactly that. A device, primarily magical, meant for breaking barriers and infiltrating places protected by wards. Forger’s Keep held a Mythical-grade ward formation that was powered by several Calamity beast cores. The cores still retained their property to absorb mana and could recharge themselves. In fact, this ability had been enhanced since the creature’s demise. A Barrier Breaker of this scale would look for a weakness in the ward, not breaking the barrier, but allowing passage through it. Unless it was a divine artifact, but those couldn’t be put in spatial containers like the golems. Forger’s Keep would have detected them long ago.

  The Eye of Immuna fluctuated above the keep. Ninjaro Ibadan let out a sigh as he saw the actions of the Imperius Army and the response from Mojo and Asan.

  “They’re a bit late, but they figured it out,” Ninjaro commented to Ai’esha, who stood next to him. Two screens were displayed before them, allowing them and several other commanders of the Federation to watch the ongoing Edryan invasion.

  “Field Marshal, should we allocate more reinforcements to Forger’s Keep?”

  “No, Mojo and Asan have figured it out; they should be deploying a countermeasure soon.”

  Ninjaro originally focused the majority of his attention on Forger’s Keep, as this was the initial invasion of a force known to be directly under the Chosen of Madris—a force known as his elite army. That faded now as things began to escalate. In truth, Edryan’s efforts were focused on the right side of their shared border. More and more deployed forces swept toward the military keep stationed between the nations, and Mojo knew the majority of Edryan’s focus would be on breaking the keep, Isiro’s Hammer.

  The force deployed to Forger’s Keep, although led by General Alexandria and was the elite army of the Chosen of Madris, was meant as a distraction. A place the Edryans hoped to draw the resources of the Federation to combat. Ninjaro held confidence in Mojo and Asan being able to repel this force, and with General Sokoto ambushing them from below.

  The scheme was good as the Chosen of Madris could not be ignored, but it wasn’t enough for Mojo to assign more troops than necessary. The Federation held one landlocked border to guard, but two seas on each side, and the sky was always open.

  The forces invading Isiro Hammer were nearly quadruple the amount sent to Forger’s Keep. More and more forces were deployed to support the keep, and four guerrilla armies like General Sokoto’s were stationed, ready to provide support and ambush.

  The Federation’s population was only a third of the Edryan Queendoms, and they held a much smaller territory. For Ninjaro, that was both good and bad. It was good as they held a much smaller area to defend, but it was bad as they could not incite any other nation to take the pressure off them. If Edryan had chosen to solely focus on the Federation and not deploy soldiers to Az’Dawn, then Ninjaro would have had a much tougher time. Thankfully, the Edryan Queendom underestimated them, believing a Chosen and a million soldiers were enough. The Federation’s standing army was thrice that, and two million soldiers had gathered along their border region, while the rest defended various important military complexes spread throughout the country.

  The army approaching Isiro’s Hammer was led by General Ameri, vice commander of the Edryan Southern Border forces.

  “It’s funny these Edryans,” Ninjaro commented. “Their military leaders refuse to settle in the back and not lead from the front. General Alexandria is in charge of the operation to invade us, yet she recklessly charges forward with only a small force to protect her.”

  Ai’esha listened, not responding as Ninjaro held more to say.

  “Perhaps this is a unique feature of their society and worship of the Goddess of War, but it means all plans and complications must be dealt with on the fly,” Ninjaro said, his words growing stronger with every passing second. “They have implemented a plan, but will not be able to adjust the smallest metrics as situations change due to the fact that their leaders are directly involved. Is it hubris or foolishness? Overconfidence? Or some sort of manifestation that, with the backing of their Chosen and Goddess, they will win? I, Ninjaro, refuse! ”

  The power of Gods can be fought against! And that Chosen of Madris is far from a God!

  Ai’esha straightened, resonating with the words Ninjaro spoke. She watched him, a pride radiated in his eyes, and the jeweled abacus in his beard shone with light. Hints of divinity radiated from it, showing that whatever was happening was directly feeding into Ninjaro. Every action he took helped him comprehend his law. Perhaps at the end of all of this, the Federation would have another with the power of a demigod.

  “I, Ai’esha, refuse!”

  “I, Caino, refuse!”

  “I…”

  Ninjaro’s speech was to Ai’esha, but he hadn’t kept his voice only to themselves. They were all at a high enough level that their senses were too heightened to hide anything. This was their home, and they would defend it to the end.