August 8th, 1427. 6:10 AM
“I’m here to see his Majesty.” Senki said to the pair of guards standing in front of her father’s room. “Open this door.”
“My apologies, Hime-sama.” The guards continued to stand firmly. “His Majesty, Hiroto Shōgun-sama, has forbidden anyone to enter this room for fear of spreading disease.”
Determined to see her father, she continued to pressure the guards. “I said ‘open this door’. That is an order!”
The pair of guards kneeled down respectfully. “Ojō-sama!(1) You must understand. His Majesty’s order is absolute! We are deeply sorry! For your safety, please, do not proceed further!”
“You-!” Senki breathed in, ready for another outburst at the guard’s unwillingness to follow her order.
“Milady.” Hauke called for the Princess. “Continuing to pressure the two men will not work, you already knew that.”
“...”
“It is time for breakfast, perhaps you should return.”
“But-”
“I understand it is hard, milady. However, it is the Shōgun-sama's wish and nobody can overrule it.”
Senki bit her tongue, making a pained expression. “Fine… So be it then.”
“Then I’ll be returning to my duties,” Hauke gives a respectful bow before quietly making his way outside. “I wish you good health, Princess.”
Senki observed the middle-aged Azurian man and sigh internally. “What would I do without you…” She mumbled.
The Azurian man has been on this island for about 20 years already, before she was even born. She vividly remembers the time when he was more cheerful, when he played with her in the gardens after her father took an interest in him, and when he still had a reason to look forwards to the future where he could go back home.
Now with each day gone by, the situation seemed more and more and desperate. It casted itself onto lieutenant Hauke, making him more depressed and exhausted both mentally and physically. The Onibane and Kibaōkami monsters, horrifically mutated birds and wolves respectively, are pushing ever closer while increasing in number. Millions of citizens once populated the three great islands now dwindle down to less than five hundred thousands on Kōyōjima Island, where the capital of the Shogunate is now located.
The Shogunate has been living on borrowed time by throwing more soldiers and materials into endless skirmishes through the decades to prevent them from breaking through into what’s left of the capital city of Kyode. Her father had tried to encourage the citizenry to have more children to replace the losses, but as the situation seemed more and more hopeless so did the birthrate, exacerbating the manpower shortage even more.
Senki took a seat on the soft Zabuton before having her breakfast - a simple bowl of rice, Miso soup and a dry fish. A meager breakfast compared to the luxurious feast she once had a decade ago. She couldn’t complain, really. Most people in the capital can hardly fend for themselves with the growing food shortage, disease is also spreading and morale is at an all time low.
As Senki had her meal, she kept looking back and forth between the meal and her Kodachi sitting across the room, thinking of the day when she would have to face death instead of being devoured by monsters.
Finishing her small breakfast, she looked back to the room where her father is now laying ill. Thoughts and worries running through her mind, it has been more than a week since she had seen her father herself though she can still talk to him through the thin paper walls from time to time.
Determined to see her father at least one last time, she stood up and addressed the servants sitting with her in the room.
“I need some privacy in the garden, do not disturb me.”
“As you wish, Hime-sama.”
Making sure that the servants were all gone, she quickly made her way around a small pond to a large boulder in the garden. Pulling a small lever hidden beneath the stone, the side of the boulder slid open, revealing a hidden tunnel entrance leading down below the fortress.
Staring into the dark tunnel below, she smiles. “I’ll be there with you, father. At least one last time.”
7:15 AM
A frail, old man in a plain Hakama sat solemnly in the garden. His face half scarred by the encroaching poison from his time leading countless men into battle against dreadful monsters. The eye which sat on the poisoned, left side of his face had gone blind, forcing him to use his last eye to admire the beautiful garden that he had helped nurture ever since he was young. However, his pose remained dignified despite the poison running through his body.
Taking in the cool, fresh morning air, he contemplated as he closed his eyes before sighing. “What did I tell you about playing in the tunnels, Senki?”
The Tatami straw mat in the far corner of the room plops open as Senki crawls out, covered in dirt and dust. “Father!” She yelled out.
The two guards from before suddenly barge in from overhearing the sudden yelp, finding Senki standing there next to the secret tunnel entrance.
“Ojō-sama! You must not-“
“HALT!” The Shōgun yelled out to the two guards, causing them to stand still. “If my daughter is so determined to see me despite knowing about my illness, then shall allow her.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The two guards bowed respectfully before leaving the room, returning a serene atmosphere to the room.
Her father walked to his Futon as he began laying on it, taking a rest due to his deteriorating health condition. “From leading a grand army to this… what a fall from grace.”
“Father, you must rest, lest the illness take you away from me like Mother.” Senki said worryingly, sitting on her knees next to him.
“Senki…” he reaches for her cheeks, carefully caressing it. “I have failed you. All of this is my fault…” He said with a dry voice.
After giving her father some water, she tried to look for medicine before being stopped by her father.
“Don’t.” He coughs slightly, “My time on this realm is but moments left, I can feel it. So please, listen to what I’m about to say before I reunite with your mother.”
Senki widened her eyes in dread as her heart sank further. “y-yes, father.”
“The cause of the monsters' appearances, the disease, it’s all because of me. I caused him to do it…”
“…what?”
“You’re not my firstborn, Senki.”
“That’s-“
Knowing that he does not have much time left, he ignores Senki’s shocked reaction. “I was a fool back then when I was young. I played around with maidens, abusing my power as a son of the late Taikō. What I ended up creating… is a son through an Oiran.”
He reached up to his daughter once again, wiping away her tears. “I don’t deserve a good child like you, Senki. I was a terrible father to your brother.”
“Where is he now?” She continued to push through despite the heartbreaking circumstances.
“Hōshōjima Island… he disappeared there 40 years ago… after I had rejected his claim to the throne for being a lowborn and son of a courtesan. I casted him away, never to step foot in the capital again.”
“That place… is also where the Onibanes and Kibaōkami came from!” She yelped. “But how is that possible? Why do you think he was the cause?”
“There is an ancient alien structure there, far older than the Shogunate… I had explored the place with the late Taikō to find out what it is but to no avail, so we took everything from that place for study and… collection.” He looked over to the oddly shaped Saya displayed near his old armor. “He snuck inside our home, murdered the servants and stole all the artifacts that we took from the alien structure that he could carry before making his way to Hōshōjima. We tried searching for him but eventually gave up. One of those artifacts… is a key to operate the mechanism in the structure. We didn’t understand how it worked, but maybe he did. That was 40 years ago.”
“He hates me.” He continues, coughing heavily. “No… he despises me. If you were to meet him, Senki. Tell him that I’m sorry for everything.”
Her father began sweating profusely as he breathed rapidly. The scar made by the poison on his face began to move rapidly across his face, signifying that his time had come.
He used all his remaining strength to sit up, handing his daughter a scroll. “This is my will… you will be the Jotei… of this realm. Your brother’s family name is Akatsuki… and his name…” He struggles to remember. “I had forgotten long ago...”
Her father collapses down as the poison covers his entire face, turning his pale skin into a bruise-like dark blue. His life began to flash in front of him, all the countless regrets and all the joy swept through his mind as he let out a single tear.
“I love you, Senki… you’re my proudest creation. You didn’t deserve this, this fate of ruling over a dying realm…”
“If that is my fate,” she wipes away her tears. “Then I’ll gladly take it, because it is from you, father.”
“A good child… to the end.” He chuckles before losing consciousness. “Maybe the gods have had pity on me all this time…”
7:42 AM
“Give me your hand.” Boris reached down below, attempting to grab Rita’s hand so he could pulled her up from a small boulder.
“I got it, sir.” She scaled up the boulder herself. “I didn’t pass training for no reason.”
The company had been walking for a long while now, making their way through treacherous terrains and many wildlives that just seemed to want to devour them whole.
Boris is still disgruntled at his Captain, the cause is still unknown to the rest of his squad.
“Hey Sarge,” Richard and Joker sprinted to their leader before walking beside him. “What’s with-“
“Don’t.” Boris shuts them down before they even finish their sentences.
“Okay then, I won’t ask again.”
“From now on, you will address me as Staff Sergeant, is that clear? Full title. I got promoted before being shipped here with you beanheads.”
“Yes… Staff Sergeant Boris Tsarvelovsky.” Joker said sarcastically before being knocked slightly in the head by the elbow.
“Make it serious.”
Joker gulps slightly before switching his tone to a more respectful one with Richard following suit. “…Yes, Staff Sergeant.”
The company continued to march on before passing by a small empty village, its warped structures and burnt out homes suggested that it had been raided. Traces of blood can be seen dragging on the ground in long trails mixed in with the mud, leading up further into the direction of the maple forest that they had exited the night before.
“Guess I know what happened to this place.” Lewis comments as he took a picture of the scene with his personal camera.
Boris flipped the safety of his rifle off. “Eyes up, they might still be around here.”
“The blood here is very old already, whatever happened here happened a long, long time ago.” Rita comments as she examines the blood trail, using her medical training to back up her claim.
“Hey Richie,” Joker patted Richard’s back. “What do ya think about Staff Sergeant?”
“Dunno man… I just wanna go back to Arden already.”
“Why?”
“Got some hot babe waitin’ for me.”
Joker nearly did a double take. “You’re kiddin’? You?”
“Of course I am. Ha!” Richard began to laugh, which annoyed Joker.
“Figured. Tsk.”
“Anyway, I got a job lined up for me. Tank factory, Factoria District. They expanded arms procurement and production so I’ll be fine when I drop out of the Marine Corps. I’ve been here long enough to get a free Fourth Class apartment issued already.”
“Yeah… if you make it home in the first place.” Joker said as he picked up a piece of bone next to a tree, examining it before tossing the thing to the side of the trail.
“Let’s keep moving, we’re still a day march away.” Lewis passes by, tapping them both in the shoulder. “Also, fuck you Joker.” He knocks his rifle against Joker’s back.
“Ow. Guess I deserved that.” Joker patted his back to recover from the sudden knock.
Richard patted Joker’s shoulder before pushing him towards the marching line. “You might want to stop messing with someone else’s girlfriend, buddy.”
“Roger that…”
Random Information Card #3
Country: United Federation of Elysia
Size (Mainland only): 270,000 km2
The first flag is the National Flag while the latter is the War Flag
Political Structure: Federal Democracy
- Constitutional Federation: The United Federation of Elysia is made up of four states with each governed democratically under a central federal government. These following states include: Republic of Arlette (capital), Republic of Arden and Rafael Archipelago Autonomous Region, the latest Republic to be integrated into the Federation was the Elvish Republic in mainland Eastern Continent in 1427 in what has been dubbed the New World.
- Legislative: The United Federation of Elysia featured a unicameral legislature with the Federal Parliament, responsible for legislation and voting.
- Executive Oversight: A civilian President serves as Commander-in-Chief, but decisions regarding military actions require legislative approval to ensure democratic accountability.
Urbanization and Infrastructure:
- Cities in the United Federation are densely packed with skyscrapers and layered transportation networks. Small industrial zones are integrated into the urban environment with extensive piping and ventilation networks to reduce air pollution.
- The two largest cities of the Federation: Arden and Arlette were merged due to their expansion, with the name Arlette finally chosen for the combined massive metropolis which now housed 85 million citizens.
Transportation:
- Railway systems are extremely common in the United Federation through the vast Interstate Railway System as well as smaller local railway lines, transporting up to 92% of all goods within the Federation and 75% of daily commuters.
- Residential areas enjoyed no less intrusive railway presence with light rail systems running along pedestrian paths in neighborhoods at multiple levels even within and inside apartment complexes.
- Private transportation like cars are heavily taxed and is not prioritized in traffic compared to commercial trucks which also enjoyed far less taxation. Emergency and Military transportation is given absolute priority on the road. Bus lines once existed but were eventually phased out from service due to the extreme urbanization and couldn’t keep up with the demand compared to railway lines.
Housing:
- Private apartments are highly modular due to Federal regulations, allowing for rapid expansion if necessary by stacking new housing modules to create larger apartments or more apartments depending on regulations. This allowed the Federation to have an extremely dense population density around 40 thousand people per square kilometers while still maintaining good public services and transportation.
- Public housing also exists, issued based on classes and roles of citizens in society. However they are not available for sale in the public market and must be earned. This is the most common style of housing in the mainland United Federation.
+ First Class: High ranking military and government officials, special guests and diplomats. Featuring spacious interior with 3 bedrooms.
+ Second Class: High-tier servicemen, scientists, professors and important public or government workers. Regular-sized apartment with two bedrooms.
+ Third Class: Mid-tier servicemen, married individuals with one child, public workers. Decently sized one-bedroom apartment.
+ Fourth Class: Low-tier servicemen, unmarried individuals. Studio-style apartment.
+ Fifth Class: Homeless and ex-convicts. Small, single room apartment with little amenities.
Zoning:
- The United Federation of Elysia has a strict mixed-use layout imprinted into Federal Laws, ensuring that public and private services are always within walking and train trip distances no matter who is in charge of the individual Republics in the Federation.
- Heavy industry area is zoned separately to prevent heavy pollution from reaching the populace.
Amenities:
- Every neighborhood has community hubs featuring libraries, recreational facilities and meeting spaces for civic engagement. These areas are often placed on top of apartments to receive sunlight due to the almost complete lack of sunlight on the lower floors. Encouraging citizens to not stay inside their homes too often.
- Entertainment districts within the cities featured larger entertainment centers like movie theaters, sport arenas and more traditional theaters and museums.
- Outdoor recreation areas like parks and pools are also located on top of apartments to catch sunlights.
Technological Integration:
- The Federal Internet System was integrated into civilian infrastructure, allowing the federal government to control transportation, energy allocation and information according to the state’s needs.
- Railway lines are highly automated, ensuring that the train will rarely if ever be late by adjusting their speed to arrive at the appropriate time with delays measured in seconds.
Security:
- Due to the Cold War with its Socialist neighbor, the United Federation of Elysia has mandated the construction of fortified shelters under every building with supplies to sustain residents if war ever to break out.
- Every citizen’s digital ID card can be used to track and identify potential Socialist spies. Due to the common use of the ID card itself in daily life, security penetration even at mid-level administration is almost impossible.
Economy:
Industrial Export Focused:
- The United Federation of Elysia engages in manufacturing of both light and heavy industrial goods, mainly due to the country being heavily militarized.
- The United Federation exports manufactured goods and services in exchange for imports of raw materials and foodstuffs, being unable to sustain its massive population.
- Militarized industrial goods were also exported to the few allies that the United Federation had in their old homeworld in order to buy loyalty and establish foreign dependence on Elysian military hardwares.
Large Conglomerates:
- The United Federation of Elysia’s strict regulations on its economy has led to few, but massive private conglomerates in their economy. Smaller players in the economy rarely see growth beyond the local district level, unable to compete with the corporations in price and quality of services.
- Large corporations fueled the economy through rapid investments, construction as well as the manufacturing of commercial and consumer goods.
The Military’s Influence:
- The Department of Armament and Defense is the primary driver behind innovations within the United Federation, recruiting countless engineers and scientists for military projects which eventually found their way to civilian use.
- All civilian infrastructural developments have the military second in mind, ready to rapidly convert to military service in times of crisis or war.
Finance:
- The United Federation of Elysia limited private banks and regulated the financial sector heavily, forcing most businesses to conduct transactions through federal institutions to efficiently collect taxation digitally.
- The United Federation provided low-interest loans to major private corporations and zero interest loans to state-own companies to create competition to private corporations, however they’re often just barely worse than private entities to ensure that private corporations remained in business.
Society:
- The United Federation of Elysia has a highly meritocratic society, valuing contribution to societal goals especially in the eradication of Socialism and the spreading of Democracy.
- Parades, national holidays and media celebrate the military’s role, particularly in the toppling of its previous monarch King Elis the IV and victory in the Elysian Civil War to unite the country under a federal government.
- Citizens are encouraged to spread the ideals of democracy and rat out hidden supporters of Socialism among the populace.
Education:
- Schools prioritize science, technology, engineering, mathematics as well as internship programs to prepare citizens for roles in the industrial sector as blue collar workers. Other programs also exist for those seeking white collar jobs and elsewhere but aren't given as much priority.
- Military training is part of the mandatory curriculum for 16 years old and above, training to maintain rifles and equipment as well as sharp shooting.
- Physical exercise is also a large part of the curriculum for children, encouraging healthy living to reduce their burden on the state in relation to healthcare and to be physically capable of mandatory service upon reaching the service age.
Media:
- Independent news outlets exist and are given a certain amount of freedom though the state’s Federal News still dominates within the media space.
- The media promotes the ideal of unity, patriotism and the ideals of democracy.
- The government can intervene and enact strategic censorship during times of crisis.
- Federal news as well as movie producers often collaborate with the military to produce engaging propaganda movies and news about defense initiatives.
- Pro-Socialism content is strictly prohibited with anyone caught possessing or spreading Socialist media within the country subject to lengthy prison sentences.
Military:
- Military service is mandatory for men, each must go through a two months long basic training program and be placed in reserves.
- Service for women used to be forbidden until recent reforms were passed to make them optional.
- Enlisted individuals can pursue a career in the armed forces to receive benefits unavailable to conscripts which includes, but not limited to: Housing assistance, pensions, job allocation priority in the public sector and free higher education in Federal universities.
Structure:
Unified Command: The United Federation of Elysia includes the Elysian Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. All branches are placed under a unified command structure.
- The Elysian Army is structured around the Division as its primary maneuver element due to the also equally large or sometimes larger Socialist armies, mostly against their rival and neighbor the Socialist Republic of Yarik.
- The Elysian Marine Corps is structured around the Brigade as its primary maneuver element due to the lower logistical footprint, not having to transport thousands upon thousands of armored vehicles for their primary mission of foreign intervention, crushing insurgencies and naval invasion overseas.
- The Elysian Navy has ten fleets of varying sizes, two for coastal defense while the rest are for power projection. The 1st and 2nd fleet are meant for coastal defense, 3rd to 6th are principal surface combatants, 7th and 8th are carrier battle groups and the 9th and 10th are amphibious assault fleets.
- The Elysian Air Force specialized in Socialist bomber interception and air superiority however did not operate dedicated bombers due to the threat being on the border, not necessitating the development of expensive bombers. Standarding on a single fighter platform albeit with multiple variants, the Federation could quickly train pilots to fly sorties in case of war.
Military Technology:
- The United Federation of Elysia has a blend of high-technology and low-technology equipment, utilizing high-technology sensors and targeting systems to improve the performance of low-tech equipment. This focus on low-tech equipment as the primary equipment came from the fact that millions of citizens are required by law to serve in times of war thus eliminating complicated equipment in the ground forces.
- Attempts to militarize space were not successful as the cost proved too high and yielded too little results, although high-tech navigation, spying and targeting equipment proved most effective in orbit and was favored by the Department of Armament and Defense.
- Nuclear weapons were never discovered due to the lack of heavy material in the United Federation’s home world.
History:
The year is 1924, the situation in the previous Elysian Empire had deteriorated significantly. Living standards crashed, millions of people went hungry and banditry rampaged the lands. The cause was rampant inflation, failed harvests and interventions by the previous Yarik Empire.
The two countries have had rivalries spanning centuries, from eras so distant that most people in the two countries couldn’t remember why. Both the Elysian Empire and Yarik Empire collapsed into civil wars shortly after, with many parties vying for power and control of the two former empires.
On November 21st, 1926, the Elysian Blue Army eventually won the Elysian Civil War and established the United Federation of Elysia by defeating the imperialist White Army. Around a year later on May 5th, 1927, the Socialist Party won the Yarik Civil War and established the Socialist Republic of Yarik through the secret aid of Elysian weapons and training.
Relations were warm at first between the two countries but quickly widened over time as Socialist spies were caught instigating insurgency movements during the reconstruction period of the United Federation. Shortly after, a Cold War began between the two on ideological ground.
Due to the large amounts of chemical and incendiary artillery pointed straight at each other’s capital cities over the border, endangering tens of millions, neither side dared to make the first move and attack the other.
The situation lasted for decades, with many close calls of war through alleged confirmed bombings, targeted assassinations and sabotage between the two sides by the Socialists. The United Federation’s founding principles were slowly eroded due to the lasting Cold War between the two countries, transferring it from a true democratic state to a quasi-militaristic state that often went against its own Constitutions. The United Federation’s founding principles were expanded to aiding against the spreading of Socialism throughout their home world through the sale of military equipment and sending volunteer fighters fighting for freedom.
Technological advancement grew rapidly during the late 1960s, leading to breakthroughs in construction, communications and space exploration for the United Federation. Satellites were put into orbit, new infrastructures were planned carefully and constructed quickly through accurate computer assistance.
By 1982, the Federal Digitalization Act was passed which proved to be the most revolutionizing law ever passed by the Federal Parliament. The act issued and mandated each citizen to carry an integrated digital storage unit the size of a cassette tape. The device was dubbed the Federal Card by the state, capable of cashless digital payment, storing personal information and granting access to all public areas and workplaces as well as a single private apartment assigned to the card. It became the key, credit card and ID all at once. The act also modernized the infrastructure, introducing the Federal Internet to civilian life as well as granting the state complete control over its infrastructures. The act also modernized the infrastructure within the United Federation, pushing the country towards a new Digital Age.
In 1987, the Transference happened.
This history segment has been corrected by the Elysian Federal Security Service, your most trusted Agency.
What would you like to know next?