《The Kylian Empire|Legend of Zelda Industrialization Fanfic》


 Prologue Part 1

    April 1st, 2025, Spokane, Washington State.


    ¡°In an unprecedented event that has captured the attention of scientists and citizens alike, the entire Earth has been enveloped in a thick layer of clouds, prompting widespread speculation and concern. This atmospheric anomaly began to manifest two days ago, prompting many to suspect if this phenomenon is manmade, alien, or even made by god¡­¡±


    Turning off the flatscreen TV, Andrew got up and looked around his apartment. Around him were drywall and a walkout window to the balcony outfront. Outside was the view of the city of Spokane, with its sprawling industrial centers gleaming in the night surrounded by the lush forests of the northwest.


    Although he is not ¡°successful¡± by the standards of the American dream, he definitely is not poor. In his room, books containing types of various guns were lying around. After barely succeeding college he made his living on cleaning, designing and testing various guns for the US military, he scraped enough money to make a living.


    Getting up, he reached out and massaged his forehead, because there was a constant pounding of an arriving headache. ¡°If god could cure headaches!¡± He thought to himself, or at least tried to, it was getting really hard to think. Stumbling out, he reached for some aspirins in a draw right next to his bed. After taking them he flopped onto the mattress and passed out.


    However what he didn''t know was that he actually had a sudden aneurysm that burst an artery in his brain, possibly making this his last night.


    April 1st, 2025, Moscow, Russia.


    In the heart of Eastern Europe, conflict ensues, particularly between Russia and Ukraine. Ever since Western aid to Ukraine had ceased, the Russians had taken advantage of the situation and launched a massive counteroffensive. The Ukrainians were being pushed back on all fronts, causing devastation and loss of life on both sides. The Russians, known for their lack of regard for their own people, were using huge numbers of soldiers to advance.


    The Ukrainians, desperate and cornered, were forced to use all means to survive the Steel Torrent of the Russian military, even if such actions were controversial. As such Operation Bear Trap was commenced.


    Operation Bear Trap was the Ukrainian trump card to hopefully end the war against the Russian Bear, or at least destroy the Putin regime permanently. The assassination of Putin.


    Lonna Braverman, leader of the assassination, led the Ukrainian special forces group to infiltrate the Red Palace, killing as many as possible, especially high targets, such as but not limited to generals, officers, staff, and technicians.


    ¡°Go, Go, Go, Go! Putin¡¯s straight ahead, glory to Mother Ukraine!¡± A Ukrainian assassin shouted as he shot several rounds from his rifle, killing a Russian Guard.


    ¡°Ah-!¡± The Russian who got shot tried to scream but was cut off as his head was blown off.


    Of course while this was all happening the Russians weren¡¯t playing around either. Many Ukrainians had already died clearing the path towards the Russian leader. As each Russian soldier or Guard was mowed down, two more would take his place. After all, this was Russian territory.


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    By the time Lonna could see the door leading to Putin¡¯s safe room, she pulled out several high tech explosives from a sealed container and securely placed them on the rim of the 100mm steel door. Pressing a button she ducked far away to hide from the potential blast.


    ¡°BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BOOP, BOOOOOOOM!¡±


    The blast, somewhat less explosive than expected, was made for penetration power, not damage, so the surrounding building did not collapse.


    Kicking the door open, Lonna took her rifle out, pointed it at the shocked Putin and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°SHK, SHK.¡± Putin, surprised that the weapon jammed, looked at her gleefully as he bloated, ¡°Compared to your Western weapons, weapons of the Soviet Union never experience failure!¡±


    Lonna yelled,¡± My knife will do just fine, Glory to Ukraine!¡± As she Shifted her military knife from its holster.


    Putin, not wanting to be outdone, pulled out his own personal dagger for self defense and charged at her.


    As the two faced off It seemed as sparks would appear each time a knife came into contact with each other. The sharp sound of metal clashing echoed, in response to each bout that the knives touched.


    A sudden faint drew Lonna forward, but a swift parry from Putin redirected the blade. Putin¡¯s blade grazed Lonna¡¯s cheek, gushing blood onto the floor.


    ¡°As expected for someone who served in the KGB for 16 years, I admit, I am inferior to close combat skills than you are.¡± Lonna winced.


    ¡°This fight is just delaying the inevitable, my Guards are coming in right this moment.¡± Putin responded indifferently.


    Just then countless Russian Guards swarmed into the room, rifles pointed at Lonna, ready to fire at their leader¡¯s order.


    ¡°Like I said, inevitable. I would suggest you say any last words before I order my men to shoot.¡± Putin addressed the seemingly cornered Lonna.


    ¡°HA, HA, HA, HA!¡± Lonna was looking around laughing like a maniac at them all. ¡°You may have stopped me but you didn''t stop the bomb. Now I can kill more Russians!¡±


    Putin, realizing what had happened, shouted to the Guards, ¡°Quick, shoot her! This maniac is trying to blow herself up!¡±


    The Guards Quickly shot all types of caliber at Putin¡¯s assailant. ¡°RATATATATATATATA!¡±


    As Lonna fell, the timer linked to electronic explosives underneath her suit closed in on zero. She took the time to shout her last sentence, ¡°Glory to-BOOOOOOOOOOM!¡±


    And that was it.


    April 1st, 2025, Tokyo, Japan.


    Ema Kato was living the life that many could only dream of.


    With her flawless looks, immense talent, and overflowing wealth, she was the envy of many.


    She was the lead singer of Japan''s top J-Pop band and could play multiple instruments with ease.


    But behind her picture-perfect facade, Ema was struggling with inner turmoil.


    Just a few months ago, Ema had lost her best friend from high school in a tragic car accident.


    And if that wasn''t enough, her beloved dog had also passed away, leaving her feeling completely alone. She had always been the life of the party, but now she felt isolated and lost.


    One day, instead of heading towards her luxurious five-star hotel, Ema found herself walking towards a small apartment building.


    She called it her ''drinking room'', a place where she could escape from her glamorous life and drown her sorrows in alcohol.


    This apartment only had three stars and was not known to the public, so she didn''t have to worry about fans bothering her.


    As the night went on, the lights and music from Ema''s apartment grew louder and brighter.


    Inside, Ema was slurring her words and stumbling around, clearly under the influence of alcohol. She grabbed a bottle of sake and gulped it down, her breath reeking of alcohol.


    She then crawled onto a stool and leaned towards a looped rope hanging from the ceiling. Without a second thought, Ema made the decision to end her life.


    It was a decision fueled by grief, loneliness, and the alcohol clouding her judgment. As the rope tightened around her neck, Ema''s life slowly slipped away.


    Japan lost another talented singer, and the world mourned the loss of a rising star.


    (That¡¯s what Japan get¡¯s for having high suicide rates).

 Prologue Part 2

    Why did I mention these 3-4 people (Putin is sort of included), it''s because they are the main personalities that will gather all 61 million souls that died that year.


    Doctors, Scientists, Mathematicians, Chemists, Physicists, Farmers, Workers, Engineers, Teachers, Children, BOTW Videogame Players (Hmmm?), and many more people with different backgrounds rose from earth and into the heavens.


    Normally, no god(s) from each of the thousands of religions on earth would tolerate such a massive amount of souls from leaving earth.


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    However, in this special case, ¡°GAWD¡± (Not ¡°God¡±. Don''t get the two mixed up. Their names sound similar but both are two very different beings.¡±) from the RussianBadger universe decided to permit this action on the basis of ¡°fulfilling the time loop of this universe.¡±


    Of course this left a lot of gods on earth were unhappy that a year¡¯s worth of souls were snatched away from a meme god from a different universe, but were reluctant to fight against someone who could spawn in an army of ¡°Nondescript Lizards that have no relation to Godzilla¡± at a casual click onto earth.


    Many gods sigh as they have to look for the next day for a new batch of souls to trickle in from earth, staring at Gawd leaving with a resentful glare.


    The souls, snatched by Gawd, were thrown into a time and space traveling trash can, going back 138 years into the past. Seeking a new host, the combined souls landed on a new planet recognized by all Legend of Zelda players.


    The planet of Hyrule.

 Chapter 1-Kylia

    Gazing around at the foot of a rocky mound, 20 year old Kylia bent down examining a special rock she had found in the pile.


    Local miners in the area claimed that any wildlife that entered the area would suddenly stagger and die within seconds without any indication of harm.


    Kylia, Valord of the western states, is not a normal person, or human at all, if there are any in this world. Blue hair, two pairs of blue wings and a signature black sideward K shaped horn on the forehead, Kylia was definitely NOT human. If you look closely in her eyes, her irises contain dozens of pupil-like slits that would creep out any Ophthalmologist. Out in the west, away from the Hylians, Gorons, Rito, Zora, and Gerudo of Hyrule Kingdom, there are a couple of other sentient species out there.


    The Rohati, the most populous race in the West can be found almost everywhere in all of the western states, from the most southern state of Zeleny, to the Northern West tip of Viskov. They are probably the most ¡°humanlike¡± out of all races, possessing only a biological iron horn on the forehead above the gap where brows meet, 300 year lifespan, and are slightly taller on average compared to humans.


    Then there''s the Drakons, which can be divided into two subspecies. The Lavovy of the Northwest and the Nihovy of the Northeast.


    The Lavovy people generally live in the region known as the State of Viskov, on the Northwest corner of the Hylian continent. The state is filled with clusters of volcanoes and mountains to the southeast, the Viskov floodplains in the center and the coast to the west. However, a significant chunk of the population lives in various city states down south on the Fermerian floodplain. Contrary to the popular belief of most races, the Lavovy people do not mind the cold too much, it''s just their heat tolerance is much higher than most other species.


    The Nihovy people generally live in the region known as the State of Sovi, on the Northeast corner of the Hylian continent. The state is entirely dominated by tundra and taiga, nothing else. Most Nohovy people live in the State of Sovi and few go down south as they are very accustomed to the cold.


    Drakons look dominantly human except for a pair of biological iron horns pointing backward on their heads and a pair of dragon wings on their backs. Depending on the subspecies they are either dyed blackish red for Lavovys or whitish-blue for Nihovys Lifespan is also 300 years.


    Finally, there¡¯s the Valors, which are revered by many as the strongest species in the Western States.


    The Valors are the least populous race with only a single family of eight that are alive at this date. Most of them are leaders of all the major states of the west, called ¡°Valords.¡± Many species cozy up to the Valors to hide away from the countless monsters in the wilderness. Not much else is known about them except for that the eldest of the family are very powerful and that they have a life span that can range 1000s of years.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Picking up the rock, Kylia fumbled it around her fingers, humming in interest in how such a normal pile of rocks could cause such a commotion.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly she felt disorientated, the world spinning in her vision. Lifting herself up with a groan, she quickly ran away from the supposed source of the discomfort as the dizziness started to take a hold on her mind.


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    ¡°Hurrgggg!¡± Clutching her stomach a hundred meters away from the pile she leaned down, her face paling as nausea surged through her body, puking all over the place. With little warning, she choked, blood running down from her mouth onto the rocky ground. Kylia¡¯s hands trembled and clenched into fists. Soon uncontrollable spasms wracked her body as she gasped for breath. The world around her started to blur as she then passed out, sprawling onto the ground into a ditch filled with mud.


    Unconscious, but not in a stable condition.


    Unbeknownst to her, the seemingly drab yellowish pile of rocks were really several hundred kilograms of Autunite, one of the most radioactive rocks in the world, containing a PMS index of 40,000, four times the lethal dose for the average human.


    Meanwhile inside Kylia¡¯s body all sorts of turmoil started to appear as the radiation started sweeping within, disrupting countless cells with each wave.


    The Valor is a unique race that sacrificed the survival of the species for the survival of the individual. It takes 1000 years for a Valor to mature, during which the cells within the body absorb countless amounts plus types of energy through special organelles that can transform any type of energy received into thermal, electrical, kinetic, and chemical energy which is then stored into different organelles for later use. Other types of organelles take in the energy acquired to use for breaking down ingested material, synthesizing Nanomaterials such as Graphene, Carbon Nanotubes Metallic Glass, Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE), Boron Nitride Nanotubes, Lonsdaleite, Diamond, Aerogel to strengthen the body and increase energy storage capacity.


    As such Kylia¡¯s body does have some means to ¡°fight back¡±. Cells would capture the radiation particles, using the energy to construct countless defenses for the body to fight back.


    However as time went on many more cells died than upgraded themselves because the sheer amount of high powered particles exceeded the limit these organelles could carry, causing these cells to quickly become unstable with the intention to explode.


    After all, compared to a 1000 year old Valor which is a superhuman existence who relies on thermal, kinetic and electrical energy to survive. 20 year old Kylia is barely stronger than your average male Joe and predominantly uses ATP energy to function properly. Most cells still retain soapy fat based cell walls with no special Nanomaterials ingrained inside of them.


    If you could shrink down to the size of a cell, you would see countless cells exploding in miniature nuclear explosions, which in turn starts a terrible reaction of poor man''s ¡°Nuclear Fission¡± as nearby atoms that were relatively unstable also started to emit radiation each time they were hit with high energy particles that were roaming around.


    Major organs started failing, the skin burned away, precious water and nutrients were lost. Temperatures soared from a healthy young Valor¡¯s 37 Degrees Celcius to a toasty 80 Degrees Celsius, Radiation levels continued to soar, a third of all cells died from radiation, and the rest were roasted by the thermal energy flying around.


    At this point death would have been announced if this was in a hospital setting, if it wasn''t for the 61 million souls that decided to take refuge in this body at this moment.


    Cells that were destroyed by radiation or thermal energy suddenly were restored back into their alive state without any energy inside of them but with all of the improvements that were made still intact.


    The Cells then would ferociously absorb all energy plus material around them, manufacturing material that repaired and improved the quality of the body with efficiency that would make biologists tremble to take a sample of each cell.


    Some excess material that was stripped from the cell and couldn¡¯t be used was turned into energy to feed upgrading cells, keeping thermal energy high.


    As stores of material were exhausted inside the body, skin cells looked outside at all the mud gathered around and started drawing material inside for use.


    Every time a cell showed a hint of instability, it would be suppressed and forcibly reverted to its stable state. This cycle would continue on for a couple minutes before temperatures were lowered to a new tolerable level.


    At this time, 61 million souls rearranged themselves, linking to Kylia¡¯s soul, and narrowed into four supplementary¡± traits¡± for Kylia. Andrew, Lonna, Putin(Uh oh) and Ema, which represents Engineering, Technology, Military, and Culture.


    Kylia, Unconscious and on the brink of death had unknowingly become stupidly overpowered within just a few minutes, gaining power that would take a Valor 100 years to gain and knowledge that comprised all who died in 2024-2025.

 Chapter 2-Situation

    When Kylia woke up, she didn''t open her eyes right away. Instead, she focused on the soft fur-covered bed beneath her. She preferred fur to linen because it was much thicker and kept her warmer during the winter.


    After finally opening her eyes, she sat up quickly, startling two worried figures waiting by her bedside.


    "My Valord is awake," an elderly male rohati approached her first, followed closely by a younger female rohati dressed like a maid. The man, named Fermer, was the former lord of this small citystate before he happily relinquished control a couple of months ago to Kylia to manage. The woman is his former maid Roshi who now works for Kylia.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kylia asked softly, feeling a throbbing pain in her head.


    For humans in the modern era, dealing with headaches was as easy as using a sack of ice or taking some pills, Kylia had neither of these things right now. Even if she did have an ice pack, she wouldn''t be able to place it on her forehead, as her horn is in the way.


    Roshi glanced at some notes and responded, "My Valord, when you didn''t call for us, we sent a group of local miners to search for you. They found you lying in the mud, passed out."


    ¡°How long have I been gone?¡± Kylia asked. It would be annoying if she was out for a long time, someone stupid may have the idea to take her place while she was gone.


    Sensing her concern Femer quickly replied ¡°You''ve only been asleep for several hours, it''s now midnight.¡±


    Kylia was relieved when she heard that when suddenly her headache flared up.


    ¡°Ah! My head hurts so much right now! Please go and report back to tomorrow morning,¡± Kylia groaned, clutching her head in distress.


    ¡°Yes, my Valord!¡± they both replied, bowing deeply before quickly exiting the room.


    After making sure the two were really gone, Kylia thought deeply, trying to remember what had happened to her.


    In her memory she was pretty much dead at the time, thrashing, coughing up blood and staggering about. But now she is clearly alive and feels much better than before, better than she ever had in her life ignoring the headache going on right now.


    Just as she tried to infer what had happened a floodgate in her mind suddenly opened up. 61 million souls worth of data came crashing down upon her, string theory, astrology, farming knowledge¡­ it all filtered into her mind. Every life story, every emotion, each struggle and every dream collided within her consciousness, a storm of experiences, voices of anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear, and sadness.


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    She watched a man watching the news on TV, an intense knife duel from both perspectives between each opponent, and finally experienced hanging herself off a stool.


    All of this was extremely painful to Kylia, in fact if 61 million souls worth of data were really stored in her mind, I''m afraid that her head wouldn''t be able to blow up any more from the sheer amount of information coursing through her brain. Instead these 61 million souls are being ¡°connected¡± to her soul through a multidimensional conduit, she¡¯s just getting used to it.


    The next morning Kylia, who had spent half of the night head breaking pain, gained a new understanding of the technology level of this world. Kylia guessed that The Japanese Kingdom of Hyrule is likely the most technologically advanced civilization in this world. The Kingdom of Hyrule possesses at least a medieval steel forging, farming, and craftsmanship, supplemented by a little magic based sheika technology, its national strength is vastly superior to any of the Ukrainian/Russian Western States combined.


    Compared to Hyrule, the Western states are far inferior in regards to technology, as almost all the states rely on Hyrule to supply them with steel, iron, tools and weapons in exchange for food, keeping the states population very low.


    In Fact this is so effective at keeping population low that the entire population of the Western states is only at the same level of Hyrule¡¯s, even though the land area of the Western states is approximately seven times larger than the entire Kingdom of Hyrule.


    Without steel weapons, Western states are forced to keep most of their population within their capitals as they are unable to gather the combat effectiveness to properly eradicate monster dens, compared to Hyrule¡¯s population which is a lot more spread out in settlements all over the country.


    This not only affects the limit of growth in the Western states but this also lowers food production as the area for growing food shrinks down rapidly.


    However, under these circumstances, the statistical management of the Western states is vastly superior compared to even the Hylians, as with only the capital to supervise it becomes much easier to keep track of resources, compared to an entire country. Enabling the states to conduct nationwide censuses each year.


    Kylia who was reviewing all of this stuff in her head was suddenly interrupted by knocking on her door.


    Kylia, who woke up a while ago, stretched while putting down a brush that she was using and said, "Come in! ...what''s the matter?"


    Two panicked figures stumbled through the doorway, ¡°My Valord, the neighboring city-states have done it this time! They¡¯ve imposed a steel tax on any barge traveling through the Rosa River! This decree comes directly from Valord Rosa of the State of Rosa herself!¡±


    ¡°Ha-Ha, Rosa is my sister, Citiestates dare tax us? Xa-Xa-Xa!¡± Kylia forced a stifling laugh, dismissing Fermer¡¯s statement.


    Kylia had been experiencing a streak of bad luck in the last few days. Just yesterday she nearly died, then had a traumatic night with very low amounts of sleep and now the next bad thing happened to arrive at her doorstep, much like someone dumping you a tootsie roll at your front door, except it''s the kind you don¡¯t want to eat.


    The citystate of Fermer, now being called the State of Kylia, sits right on the confluens(where two rivers meet) of the Rosa river and the Roscof river, making it into a major trading hub of commerce in the Rosa river basin. The state enjoys a very temperate climate, similar to that of Ukraine¡¯s, making the region perfect for farming. To the northeast there are numerous resources, timber, horses, iron, stone, and many more, similar to the Donbass region of Ukraine.


    That''s where all the Kylia¡¯s advantages end, the state also holds many dangerous disadvantages that could be exploited easily by its neighbors.


    To the west is the State of Rosa on the coast, East is Rishka Citystate, North is Roscof plus Techiya, both are City States, and the south is also the territory of Rosa. In short Kylia is as a landlocked country as Bolivia is in south america, has a navy but can¡¯t leave to the open seas.


    What''s worse is that the State of Kylia is not really a true Valord state by Valord state standards.


    The State of Kylia is 10x smaller in area than the smallest Valord states and its population of 9,000 is only 90% the size of the next larger state by population, Sovi, with 10,000 to its name. This may not sound like a lot, but the largest state by population, Viskov, has a population of 30,000, which is three times larger than Sovi¡¯s.


    Kylia can only be called an existence that is stronger than City States, but suppressed easily by Valor States, no match for Rosa and her allies.


    ¡°Blaaaaaaaaayt!¡±

 Chapter 3-Lets make Steel!

    ¡°Haaaaa, this is gonna be tough, isn''t it?¡± Kylia grimace, It seems her understanding of trust between Valor family members was heavily biased towards ¡°friendship.


    At this point, Kylia had to face the cruel reality of the problem. "How long will we last?"


    "We have five tonnes in storage¡­so about seven months." Roshi replied, "The data from last year¡¯s census is as follows-


    Total Population-9,000


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-1,620,000 Rupees


    Kylian Revenue-81,000 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt--1,193,130 Rupees


    People in the Armed Forces-50


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-0.5%


    Kylian Steel Production-2 tonnes per year


    ¡°While the numbers may sound good on paper, last year we consumed nine tonnes of steel, 78% of all that steel was purchased from Hyrule with the food that we produce.¡± Roshi stated.


    ¡°If we do not find a new source of steel soon,¡± Fermer replied with a sour look on his face. ¡±Both farming equipment and weapons will fall into disrepair, greatly weakening the national strength of the State.¡±


    ¡°We would need to increase the steel production of course, with more steel we could save more food and get rid of the reliance on Hylian steel, killing two birds at once.¡± Kylia pondered this and decided this may be the time to try out some new technologies she saw in her visions.


    ¡°We have a limited number of blacksmiths available in Kylia, not to mention feeding them, if too much of the population is not focused on agricultural activities it could spell famine and revolt among the populace.¡± Roshi shook her head with remorse.


    With a gleeful smile on her face, Kylia refuted. ¡°Who said that increasing production capacity requires more people? I tell you what, give me until tonight to draw something up that could rapidly increase our steel production. If our blacksmiths and masonries could make it, of course.¡±


    ¡°You¡­really think you can do this?¡± Fermer questioned.


    Kylia straightened her back and replied confidently.¡±100% sure!¡±


    Both subordinates shrugged their shoulders, not seeing any other options in such a crisis and exited the room.


    Kylia soon left along with them, entering her office. Soon, she found some quills and parchment. Writing and drawing with neat strokes she quickly began designing what appears to be the Bessemer converter. She also made sure to design the blast furnace, just in case there''s not enough pig iron to throw into the converter.


    As the sky slowly darkened, Roshi arrived at Kylia¡¯s desk. Kylia picked up a thick stack of all of her designs and handed them to Roshi.


    ¡°Go to both the Smithy, Masonry, and Workshop yourself, find those artisans, and let them build these drawings! Tell them I will personally give them a reward if they complete as fast as possible! Set a time limit for 15 days! Don¡¯t let me down!¡±


    Roshi, nodding her head with fury, quickly picked up all the designs, and rushed out the door without saying a word.


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    Letting her leave, Kylia sighed, and quickly went to bed. No need to eat dinner, she had a big lunch anyway.


    ¡°This will be interesting.¡± she thought to herself before her weary eyes closed shut.


    To her surprise it only took 14 days to construct both the blast furnace and the converter.


    Kylia had taken the time to test her new abilities she had gained after the incident with the Autunite.


    Punch through logs? Easy! Jump super high? Easy! Lift tons of weight? Easy! More resistant to attacks? Easy! Flying at Mach1? not easy but now doable.


    If before Kylia was at human level strength then now her strength had rapidly increased to hulk like power, on par with her older brother Viskov.


    She never really had the chance to test her powers out because of three reasons. The first being that she never had time to in the last couple of days because of the amount of work flying her way, especially with helping the artisans that would get stuck trying to read her modern designs.


    The second reason why is a lot more complicated.


    Valors are not magical beings. They do perform many feats that look magical but ultimately these could be explained down to the atomic, molecular and microscopic level, where everything can be broken down to make sense.


    The weakness of Valors is that because they are not magical, they can¡¯t create their own energy, just like all other species. Even plants don¡¯t really create their own energy, they just use solar energy to drive molecular functions that eventually make ATP using acquired resources.


    Same thing with Valors. They gain energy from the sun(sort of like superman but more scientific), from chemical energy in food, and sometimes older individuals even accidentally ingest radioactive substances to gain energy.


    Because of this, the stamina of a Valor at top performance is restricted by the amount of energy he or she carries. When out of energy, a Valor will not die, and compared to humans, it is still a god-like existence, however, it will be severely weakened, taking several days to absorb enough energy before the body recovers back to near peak levels of fitness.


    The third is the most embarrassing of them all.


    As vast amounts of energy travel through both the blood circulatory system plus lymphatic system, it gets released through the skin and wings, enabling Valors to move at speeds much faster than the limit that flesh bodies could exert force. However releasing that much energy generates a lot of heat outside the body, and at traveling supersonic speeds, let alone cloth, I''m afraid even metal will melt under those extreme conditions. This is why Valors rarely use their maximum strength, because it really is too shameless to travel around without any clothes.


    Under the joint collaboration between Masonries, Carpenters, and Blacksmiths, they had constructed the steel making plant right off the Roscof river, as the flow of the Roscof river is much stronger compared to that of the Rosa river.


    Because the craftsmen were in a hurry to get the plant up and running, no building was constructed for the equipment, leaving the area open to the elements.


    When Kylia came by to check out the new steel converter, Roshi and Fermer followed along.


    ¡°After we completed the construction of designs you had requested, we quickly ran out of both iron and steel metal,¡±Roshi warned. ¡°If this doesn''t work then we would have to salvage and strip down what we had painstakingly built for the last 14 days!¡±


    ¡°You should see the look on your face as you see tonnes of steel gold pouring down.¡± Kylia refuted.


    ¡°Dump the iron!¡±


    Turning around, Kylia and her subordinates watched the start of an industrial behemoth roar to life.


    As various artisans were still lifting up walls around the area, newly promoted steelworkers started performing various processes to start the Bessemer converter.


    The workers dumped scrap iron from above, filling the converter. Then molten metal was poured into the converter through the top. Hot air was pumped through the bottom with a water wheel powered air pump.


    Soon a blue flame rose out of the top of the converter, showing that impurities inside the steel were being burned away. After a bit of waiting, steel workers then tilted the brick converter 45 degrees, using iron hoes to scrape away floating slag. Finally the converter is fully tipped, pouring molten steel into a clay mold.


    On the opposite side of the converter a blast furnace was being filled with coke and iron ore, after completing its first batch of pig iron, which it gave to the converter.


    "This is a miracle!" Roshi looked at the machines cooling down, looked at the ingot of steel cooling down, and exclaimed: "It''s definitely a miracle."


    ¡°Indeed, with this machine, who cares about the thoughts of those poor City States, soon we will be able to conquer the entire Rosa basin!¡± An old blacksmith exclaimed.


    ¡°While this machine is definitely a game changer for us Kylians, it is entirely reliant on our pig iron production,¡± Stalevi, an young Lavovy blacksmith, was the leader elected by all of the artisans to lead the project, glanced down at the tonne sized steel ingot. ¡°At this rate we can only produce nine more of these tonne steel ingots this year with our current pig iron production, even with the new blast furnace.¡±


    ¡°This will be enough steel for the time being, we may even have a slight surplus of steel this year if nothing goes wrong.¡± Kylia chided him, ¡°In fact we may have more pressing matters to deal with now.¡±


    ¡°Once news comes out ,we will be swarmed by enemies on all sides!¡± Kylia continued. ¡±We do have a non aggression pact with the other Valorian states. However the City States around us will take no hesitation to rip us to pieces.


    ¡°Without sufficient population, only by increasing the means of productivity of our people can we feed, arm and recruit more soldiers to fight for our state. I call this new term ¡°Industrialization¡±.¡± Kylia made quote marks with her hands.


    ¡°But how?¡± Roshi questioned.


    ¡°In the next couple of months I will visit and give designs to each of the different Industries in the state. At most we could keep this a secret for five years.¡± Kylia stood up heroically. ¡°In five years we must double the standing armed forces to 100. Only with sufficient strength can we protect our people!¡±


    "Of course, my Valord, we wish to serve!" All answered in unison.

 Chapter 4-Reforms

    After the drama with steel, Kylia went on the deal with the state¡¯s shabby laws.


    First, the state¡¯s taxation system had to go out the window. With so many different types of taxes stacked on the people, a few rich merchants just ignored them entirely, while corrupt taxes used loopholes in the system to tax the hell out of the common folk.


    Kylia eradicated all of those taxes, establishing sales, income and property taxes to take their place. All those who tried to extort money were sent to the fields and any one who ignored these taxes found their land or money forcibly taken away from them.


    While this may sound cruel, the new taxes were in fact much lower than the original taxes, plus the money actually went to the government to be spent on the public, instead of sitting in some rich merchant''s piggy bank.


    With these reforms alone, Roshi estimated that government revenue rose from a measly 5% of the total GDP of the state to a modern country''s 35%, while raising the livelihood of the lower class.


    Kylia then went to work on land reform.


    All of the state¡¯s land is technically owned by Kylia herself, a feudal society where peasants worked for their feudal lords.


    Of course Kylia immediately wanted to get rid of this system as quickly as possible and immediately took a capitalist approach. She and her subordinates divided up the state''s farmland to all those who worked on it, free of charge. She firmly decided against a debt repayment system because of scarcity of population.


    If citizens started to fall into debt traps, how could Kylia ever accept that. A jailed person does not generate any revenue and costs resources to manage. Kylia can not afford moths to feed on what little sustenance the Kylian government has to offer.


    Besides, she just recently established new taxes, the government has more than enough money now.


    In relation to land, when visiting the newly distributed farmland, Kylia came to a startling situation with how Kylians manage their land, here''s how it went.


    ¡°So you''re telling me that we have raised over 900 cows in the region, given them some unoccupied grassland, left them lying around doing nothing, except when we need to slaughter them, never putting two and two together and using these cows to plow fields instead of with human labor?¡±


    Kylia, with dark, scary, shadows under her eyes coaxed both of her subordinates.


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    Trembling, Roshi and Fermer both replied. ¡°No, no, my Valord, we''re gonna get started with that right away!¡±


    Kylia smiled with a maniacal grin, ¡±you better, or I¡¯ll replace both of you with toddlers who can do math better than you can.¡±


    ¡°Yes my Valord¡± Both practically had tears in their eyes.


    With a sudden change of face, Kylia chimed. ¡°Before you go let me give you some new farming techniques I designed with this new approach to animal powered farming.


    While you two pass out these techniques to farmers, I¡¯ll just redo all of the farmland we just handed out. Kylia creeplily stared at both of them.


    The two just gulped as they quickly left the oppressive atmosphere in the room.


    In the end farmers received at least 10 times the amount of land they previously worked on. With the animal powered plows farmers could venture out farther from the capital during the day and plow larger fields at the same time, significantly increasing food production.


    With increased food production, some former peasants were put to use in the steel plant as much needed blacksmiths could now be used to make tools again instead of wasting their talent on pouring coke into a blast furnace.


    While giving away land, Kylia also took the opportunity to zone the entire state for land development.


    On the East bank of the Roscof river, both heavy and light industries will mainly be focused around there. Ironworking, Steelworking, Masonries, Workshops, and Blacksmithies.


    On the North bank of the Rosian river, with its slower flow, makes it a great place for agricultural activities. Various grains, Vegetables, and Animal Husbandry. No fruits this far up north.


    Further inland to the northeast is where the current capital of the state lies, Kylia City.


    And to the North east of that is where many goods producing industries lay, lumber and mining.


    Kylia also went ahead and established an air force wing to the armed forces of Kylia.


    The Kylian armed forces are comprised of the following-


    The Blue Army-26


    The Kylian Navy-22


    The Kylian Air Force-2


    As of right now the Kylian Air Force is really more for show than an actual wing of the military, however it can be further expanded in the future when more people join the army


    The Kylian navy is composed of two sail/paddle driven ships, each manned by 11 sailors. Each boat is capable of running a flurry of arrows onto an enemy ship and if needed, a grappling hook can be thrown to board the opposing enemy deck.


    The Blue army is made up of an elite force of knights, being the backbone of the Blue army of a mobilized Kylian state. Each knight has a full set of steel chainmail armor, covering head to toe, a steel helmet armed with a variety of weapons from steel maces, axes, swords, halberds, and crossbows. If needed, these knights can also be supplied with war horses, making them an even deadlier existence.


    As the end of the year came, Kylia decided to establish a military service law. The State of Kylia is surrounded by enemies from all sides, if it wants to survive every man who can be recruited must be recruited.


    For a normal medieval country, at most only a maximum 5% of the population will be mobilized in an event of war. This is because the rest of the population lacks the productivity to support more troops.


    However, with the industrialization of Kylia, soon the state will reach the point where it could mobilize up to 10% of its population in a time of war. To ensure that the men mobilized are not cannon fodder, every male the age of 18 to 200 had to perform drills once a week during the winter. This will ensure newly recruited troops have at least some combat effectiveness before they get sent out to the battlefield.


    Compared to the state of Kylia one year ago, the national strength of the state had increased by a decent amount, but what is really important is that the core of national strength, steel production, is no longer tied to the Hylian chariot.


    This means that Kylia¡¯s national strength is not artificially supported like the other states, and can choose to declare war against Hyrule without any serious repercussions.


    Of course this does not mean Kylia¡¯s is strong enough to compete against Hyrule. Infact Hyrule¡¯s national strength is probably around 140x stronger than Kylia¡¯s, but it is a good start.

 Chapter 5-New Year Census

    In Kylia City, Kylia was looking out the shutters of her manor. Many citizens would wrap themselves in blankets, with rags wrapped around their feet, shielding them from the harsh cold snow as they go out on their day.


    While many of the new reforms did raise living standards of most people, it''s still not enough.


    Focusing on national defense, Kylia invested a lot of resources on heavy industry, as to ensure that Kylia would not fall to foreign pressure. However this left little room for investment in the light industry, as most artisans are now busy repairing and constructing infrastructure between the mines and the steelmaking plant.


    At least the people now have enough food to eat. Kylia remembers year 0 of her rule, very horrible things happened that year. During the winter, the population, which had grown a lot during the summer months, because of high birth rates, would plummet downwards by the hundreds, before stabilizing when people had enough food to eat.


    Suddenly, Roshi walked through the office door with a stack of experimental papers in her hands.


    Kylia had been using a lot of parchment lately, as she had to design dozens of drawings for many of the state¡¯s new reforms and technologies.


    However, compared to paper, parchment is a lot more expensive and cannot be mass produced, so Kylia decided to assign a couple of artisans to work on making paper with some instructions she gave them.


    Later this year Kylia plans to introduce many new products into the economy once the workforce is available.


    Roshi sat down in front of Kylia¡¯s desk, using a business-like tone as she began going over state affairs.


    ¡°Government officials (Knights) had been going around the capital for days, gathering data needed for the year 1 census.¡° Looking down the page, Roshi continued.


    "The data from last year¡¯s census is as follows-¡±


    Total Population-9,090 Increase-1%


    Industrial Population-182 To Population-2%


    Rural Population-8,908 To Population-98%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


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    Kylian GDP-1,652,400 Rupees Increase-2%


    Kylian Revenue-578,340 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt-1,178,702 Rupees


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-71%


    People in the Armed Forces-50


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-0.5%


    Kylian Steel Production-10 tonnes per year Increase-500%


    National Strength Index-1.74 Increase-6.43%


    ¡°As you requested last year we added Industrial, Rural population tracking, GDP to Ratio, and a new National Strength Index we had calculated with the formula you had suggested.¡± Roshi yawned.


    Roshi further stated, ¡°we also noticed that population had gone up by a percentage point, we never had anything like that happen before in a while.¡±


    ¡°We also made some estimates of these new terms you suggested to the census a year prior.¡± Roshi added.


    ¡°The data is as follows-¡±


    Industrial Population-90 To Population-1%


    Rural Population-8,910 To Population-99%


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-74%


    National Strength Index-1.64


    ¡°And lastly, we had conducted a rough estimate on the National Strength Index on nations around the world.¡± Roshi had gone through her papers to get out another list.


    ¡°Here are a list of countries National Strength Index, including Kylia, from most powerful to weakest-¡±


    Hyrule-246.24


    Coalition of City States-9.36/1.56 x 6 City States


    Viskov-6.24


    Pavo-6.18


    Rosa-5.13


    Zeleny-4.10


    Sovi-2.02


    Kylia-1.74


    Zora-0.31


    Roshi followed up. ¡°From the list, you may notice that the Coalition is actually more powerful than the most powerful Valor state. However in real life, most Coalition member states compete with each other¡¯s interests and are generally divided, resulting in Valor dominance.¡±


    ¡°If the Coalition really had such strength, they would have swallowed all of the western countries by now.¡±


    ¡°Hyrule¡¯s National Strength is an entire level above all other countries in the world combined because of its sheer population. As of this year, it is estimated that Hyrule has a total population of around 214,979 people.¡±


    ¡°The only reason why Hyrule had not decided to take over the entire continent is because of geography, sheer size, and vast trade the rest of the continent has to offer.¡±


    ¡°By all means the National Strength Index formula is not at all too accurate and can only give us a rough understanding of the real strength for each country as it ignores other factors that may limit or strengthen a country¡¯s National Strength.¡± Roshi concluded.


    How did Roshi find all this important information about all of the different countries in the world? Well all of the countries on this continent have been neighbors for thousands of years.


    Hyrule is known to be 10,000+ years old and at its heyday supported a population of 21 million but has been declining in population at a constant rate of about 0.01% every year since the decline of Sheikah Technology after the first Calamity.


    After that long of a time you can roughly estimate the population of Hyrule over a period of thousands of years, and will eventually get a very accurate estimate of Hyrule¡¯s population.


    Another thing that helps is that there is alot of trade between all of these countries. If Hyrule stopped trading with the Western States, the population would seriously decline as the central government of Hyrule is nowhere near as strong as the Western States and will collapse from corruption.


    In a way all the countries on the continent are reliant on each other as they can not break the current trade system.


    Hyrule provides the tools, while Western countries do the farming.


    With this data Kylia now has a better understanding of what foreign policies to enact in the line of national interests when competing internationally.

 Chapter 6-Light Industry Explosion

    Last year was a revolutionary time for Kylian heavy industry and agriculture. Steel and food flowed through Kylian society like never before.


    In turn this raised the Kylian population by 1%, an increase never seen before from centuries of decline.


    However, Kylia had no intention of stopping there. She knew that with high birth rates and very long life spans, the State¡¯s population growth should be a lot higher than it is now.


    Many still die from high mortality rates, diseases, or the cold during winter. This constricts the amount of population growth per year.


    To put in perspective of how low the Kylian population is, we can compare it to modern countries on earth.


    Mauritania, a country of west africa, is roughly the same size as the State of Kylia at 1 million SqKm. However, compared to Kylia¡¯s 9,000 people, Mauritania is home to 4.736 million people or 526 times larger than Kylia¡¯s population.


    It gets even more severe when you compare the population of Kylia to that of European countries. The land area of France and Germany combined, about 908,522 SqKm, is home to a population of 151.1 million people, 16789 times larger than Kylia¡¯s population.


    Greenland, technically the least densely populated ¡°country¡± on earth, has around 0.14 people per square kilometer living in its borders. However, Kylia smashes that record with a depressing 0.009 people per square kilometer, which is not even a tenth of the density of Greenland¡¯s.


    Because of this, most technologies such as rifles, cannons and many other inventions cannot be manufactured not because of a lack of materials or technology but instead of a lack of population.


    For example, the production of a Mauser 98k requires many parts, from various bolts, metal parts and a wood stock. Although Kylian blacksmiths can now make all of the metal parts thanks to the introduction of modern metallurgy plus surplus steel and Kylian craftsmen can carve all the timber into stocks, it would take months to fully equip the Kylian armed forces of 50 men, let alone mobilizing 1000.


    This will not even include any uniforms, ammunition, and other gear that is vital to an industrial military. Kylia is not like Russia, where millions could be put to handcrafting supplies during war. The total industrial population of Kylia is less than 200, with half of them being new steel worker recruits and the rest consisting of masonries, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, and the armed forces(non rural).


    Because Kylia does not have sufficient manpower to brute force production, she must focus on Kylian light industry, which lagged way behind heavy industry and agriculture the year prior. With the rise of the light industry, people¡¯s living standards will also rise, leading to decreased morality.


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    Kylia''s first target was the textile industry. This famous industry is what prompted the rise of the British Empire and European hegemony for centuries.


    The State of Kylia is no stranger to textiles, however most textiles are produced by the rural population, resulting in insufficient quality and quantity to the general public as each piece of clothing has to be sewed by hand.


    While there are some choices of fabric for the population to wear, most of the public wear linen clothes as they are relatively strong and less labor intensive to make than cotton.


    However turning flax seeds into linen manually is still way more labor intensive and longer than converting the stuff industrially, so Kylia immediately ordered the opening of an entire textile factory filled with flax spinning machines along the Roscof river.


    As Kylian workers began the construction of the textile factory, Kylia got to reforming the construction and tool industry.


    Last year, when the Kylian government purchased large amounts of construction materials and tools, Kylian artisans struggled to fully saturate the construction and tool market, even with all the surplus amount of steel flying around.


    In regards to this Kylia had decided to promote a new way of making stuff, standardization and production lines.


    Hiring 40 new workers, Kylia divided them into two production lines of carpenters and the equipment industry. The equipment industry would supply the carpenters with everyday tools that they use for their job. To produce these tools, workers would specialize in either producing or combining certain parts, then passing them down to the next specialist, resulting in faster production speeds.


    The carpenters would do the same thing, except for furniture and other woodworking related products.


    With the production of furniture and tools ramping up, along with the rapidly rising steel industry, material reserves in the capital were running dangerously low. Using the newly freed blacksmiths, craftsmen and newly hired alchemists, Kylia had achieved many breakthroughs in the chemical industry.


    Although it''s not an official industry in Kylia yet, under Kylia¡¯s guidance, the alchemists succeeded in making smokeless gunpowder.


    Using this gun powder, miners could now mine ore at frightening speeds. No more swinging a metal stick on some rock, just place the explosive and collect the ore. New inventions such as wheelbarrows also made ore transportation a lot easier for the miners.


    Towards the end of the year, while many traits of a backwards classical/medieval civilization still stand, compared to the previous year in which the country was climbing out of mediocracy, the current situation can be described as a partial bloom of industrialization.


    Obviously infrastructure is still way behind industrial standards but besides that, the major industries of industrialization have been established.


    All of these industries were established with the future of the Kylian military in mind. Textiles for military uniforms, equipment manufacturing for military weapons plus equipment and steel for all of those.


    It can be said that Kylia is now confident that she can fight the State of Sovi head on and not lose the fight, however it''s still too rash to fight the next strongest Valor state, let alone all of them at once.


    Meanwhile, North of Kylia City, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the winter landscape, a gloomy march began to reverberate through the air. The ground churred as a few dozen shrill figures emerged from the snow, clearing the foliage in their path as they made their way south.


    One lifted its snout to sniff the air, its stubby horn protruding from its forehead, drool dropping from its slobbering tongue as its eyes glowed with an evil hunger.


    The Monsters are coming.

 Chapter 7-Year 2 census and Military expansion

    Once again old man winter came around to the Hylian Continent. Around the world many freeze as temperatures drop below freezing in many areas. However in Kylia things were looking much better.


    Mass production of textile items such as winter coats, hats, gloves, socks, blankets and even shoes were churned out of the newly born textile factory months prior beforehand.


    Streets that would be largely abandoned during the Kylian winter were filled with merchants, workers, and children, all doing daily activities that used to be only done during the summer time.


    According to the Kylian census, the growth rate of many Items on the list are now rising explosively.


    Total Population-9,272 Increase-2%


    Industrial Population-278 To Population-3%


    Rural Population-8,994 To Population-97%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-1,718,496 Rupees Increase-4%


    Kylian Revenue-601,474 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt-1,175,832 Rupees


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-68%


    People in the Armed Forces-50


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-0.5%


    Kylian Steel Production-20 tonnes per year Increase-100%


    National Strength Index-1.90 Increase-9.21%


    With the newly constructed light industries running, Kylia decided to show her subordinates the future of warfare.


    Taking Fermer, Stalevi and Roshi out of the heavy industrial district they were inspecting, Kylia took them into her wagon. Because of the size of the wagon, two guards that were brought along had to walk on foot outside the wagon with Roshi driving it on the pulling horse.


    ¡°Note to self,¡± Kylia thought to herself,¡± European carriage technology needs to be introduced if we want more efficient ways of travel.¡±


    The four came all the way to the edge of the city, where a newly constructed highly defensive barracks stood there.


    Compared to all the other industrial buildings that were propped up in a year¡¯s time, this building had been in the process of renovation for three years until it was completed just this year.


    For such an important piece of infrastructure, Kylia did not want to take any shortcuts in construction, as this encampment is vital to the national security of the entire Kylian state.


    "And this is?¡± Stalevi led Fermer and Roshi to see a strange stick, Both had never seen such a thing, so Roshi asked curiously.


    Standing in front of them was a dark steel tube attached to a wooden stock. Under the tube were various metal mechanisms that both of them could not understand.


    "With this, the heaviest armored knight could be killed within a single shot before they even have a chance to get close." Stalevi proudly explained the invention to Fermer. ¡°This is the most powerful weapon I have ever created!¡±


    What Stalevi had really presented was the newly manufactured HV15, HV stands for §Ô§Ó§Ú§ß§ä?§Ó§Ü§Ñ or Hvyntivka in English letters, which means rifle in ukrainian. The 15 at the end stands for the iteration of the rifle, of which there were 14 other models created before this one came out.


    The performance of this rifle is about on par with the famous Mauser 98k, with a slightly lower fire rate per minute but making it up in increased accuracy. This is because Kylia¡¯s ammunition production capabilities and reserves are too primitive to keep up with the Mauser¡¯s original fire rate, so they built this rifle for ammunition efficiency.


    The factory for the weapons and ammunition was just recently opened up for production, not even the building surrounding it was fully completed yet.


    While there are some drawbacks compared to the original design, it is still the world''s first firearm, a new weapon that will rewrite the way war is waged.


    Kylia picked up the rifle, trotting towards the firing range she turned the safety off as she loaded the gun and took aim from 1000 meters away.


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    All three subordinates held their breaths as they watched Kylia feel the trigger, adjusting her aim with subtle movements.


    ¡°BAM!¡± The rifle barked right when Kylia applied the slightest pressure to the trigger. An 8mm round screamed toward the target, its initial velocity exceeding the speed of sound. The target, a row of scarecrows wearing full steel plate armor, were helpless against the round that pierce right through all of them, flying a bit further out before being embedded into the ground.


    "Huuuuuuuuuuuh?" Fermer and Roshi looked at the targets with slack jaw amazement, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.


    While Roshi and Fermer knew of Sheikah technology that dominated in Hyrule to the east, this demonstration was the equivalent of performing magic for all they cared for.


    "It''s not magic or a firestick," Kylia declared, laughter dancing in her eyes as she waved a hand toward Stalevi, who was sporting a grin so wide it seemed to stretch his face to its limits. ¡°This is the HV15 Rifle, a war weapon developed by Me, Stalevi and a team of artisans, the future of war!"


    Sweating profusely, Roshi quimmered hopefully for her sanity, ¡°That''s all there is to it, right?¡±


    "Of course not!" Kylia took the group to a hidden structure that had a tarp hung over it, raising her voice she ordered some soldiers to begin uncovering it.


    ¡°HUUUUUH?!¡± both exclaimed at the swollen looking iron tube that laid before them, or a 75mm HA3 Cannon. HA stands for §¤§Ñ§â§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ñ or Harmata in English letters, which means Cannon in ukrainian.


    Staring at the much larger steel barrel with wheels on the ground, Fermer stammered,¡±How much more p-powerful is THAT thing!¡±


    ¡°Watch and find out!¡± Kylia laughed, then she pointed towards a distant hill,¡±Sergeant Artyleriya, I don¡¯t like that direction!¡±


    ¡°Yes my Valord, erasing that direction!¡± the tall female Rohati Sergeant responded.


    Kylia did not have to wait too long as a squad of artillery men stepped forward and began to fill the cannon in front of them with ammunition.


    While they are new recruits, they also have been trained by good instructors, so they are somewhat proficient in preparing the cannon, and soon they are ready to fire.


    "BOOOM!" The loud sound of the sky made Roshi, who was unprepared, fall to the ground. The rest watched the entire cannon recoiled from the force of the backlash itself. Only a moment later, mud, rocks and soil flew into view in the direction of the hill. When the debris cleared to reveal a tall valley where a perfectly round hill once stood.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you have more to show us¡­¡± Roshi was now praying on the ground, hoping that no more scary explosions would appear out of bigger and larger cannons.


    ¡°Nothing of that kind of caliber.¡± Kylia assured her. ¡±However I want to show you the new organization method of the Blue Army.¡±


    Entering the actual barracks, Kylia leads the group to a special room in the center of the building. In the room a large desk with papers and maps were being analyzed by knights in newly manufactured military outfits.


    Comprising a blue base color with streaks of black and silver, the uniforms looked very prestigious. The black boots and gloves paired with the outfits added a dash of masculine charm to these special people. Along with a ukrainian cossack sword around the waist and a famous black cap with a blue sidward K on it these soldiers can only be described as ¡°perfect¡±.


    Kylia had specifically chosen these knights to be the leaders of the Blue Army for their acceptance to new technology, tactics and their youth.


    Placing her hand on the shoulder of a young, yet bearded Rohati man, Kylia explained to her subordinates,¡±Segent Odin here will show you all the new military infrastructure and system.¡±


    Odin glanced at Kylia before continuing on,¡±Okay, listen up civilians, you may all know that the State of Kylia had been in an age of reconstruction for three years, improving the strength of our land and that includes the military too.¡±


    ¡°First off this room is our headquarters where strategies, logistics and info is gathered for review and execution.¡± Odin lectured.


    Leading the group into a big compartment filled with soldiers using various exercise equipment, Odin turned around and instructed,¡±this is the gym, where all soldiers go to exercise to increase fitness, only with sufficient strength can our Blue Army win against its adversaries!


    After Kylia¡¯s civilian subordinates were done inspecting the sweaty gym, they arrived in an equally large yet empty compartment filled with tables, chairs and a kitchen.


    ¡°This is the Mess Hall, where all soldiers go to eat. Three meals per day, consisting of meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit for our troops. Only with sufficient nutrition can our Blue Army perform at its greatest!¡± Odin shouted for all to hear.


    Onwards, they arrived outside a large building in the encampment. Inside were rows of rifles, swords, armor and uniforms ready for use along with crates filled with supplies.


    ¡°This is our stockpile, which holds all of our gear and supplies, without these the Blue Army would be stranded to city defense.¡± Odin then mumbled,¡±I prefer to leave this to Sergeant Vahon to manage.¡±


    Arriving back at a large circular building that surrounded the Headquarters, Odin explained adamantly. ¡°This is our proper barracks, where our men sleep, nothing too exciting, just beds for tired soldiers.¡±


    Finally the group arrived back outside at the target range, at this time phalanxes of troops were now performing drills for combat.


    ¡°As you have already visited this area you know that this is our practice range, it is also where we perform various combat drills to instill discipline, loyalty and competency into our troops.¡±


    ¡°Now you have visited everything this encampment has to offer.¡± Odin moved onto the next thing.¡±It''s time you learned the new military command structure of the Blue Army.¡±


    ¡°As of the new recent military expansion, the Blue Army comprises 57 soldiers in total. These soldiers are divided into five squads of ten led by sergeants. I, Odin, am the Sergeant of the 1st Cavalry squad.¡±


    ¡°Oh wait, it looks like they''re here already!¡± Odin interrupted his own train of speech as two Sergeants that were leading two clearly defined phalanxes stopped in front of the group of Kylia¡¯s civilian subordinates. Wearing steel padded gray uniforms with a black cap showing a signature sideward blue K on the front, each soldier held onto their HV15 Kylian Rifle in a neat position.


    ¡°See that tall skinny Rohati male to the left,¡± Odin pointed towards his left,¡°that is Sergeant Yuter of the 1st Infantry squad. The shorter girl Rohati to the right is Sergeant Aviasti of the 2nd Infantry squad.¡±


    ¡°You already met Sergeant Artyleriya of the 1st Artillery squad so we are skipping onto the most important squad of all.¡± Odin took a breath to recover his voice as a tall Rohati man with long hair led a squad of men riding horses that were pulling carts onto the field.


    ¡°What is that,¡± Roshi asked curiously.


    ¡°That is Sergeant Vahon of the 1st logistics squad. Without him, our rifles, which depend on ammunition to become and stay deadly, will turn back into useless firesticks that can only be used to whack an enemy to death.¡± Odin explained.


    Fermer had an epiphany.¡±So the reason these squads exist is to divide the responsibilities of the entire army to specialized parts so that as a whole the army functions with much greater efficiency.¡±


    Correct!¡± Odin nodded to Farmer''s statement, ¡°another reason why the military is now separated into these groups is to promote tactical freedom on the field, proper mobilization and synergy between all the special parts of the military.¡±


    ¡°The age of mobs is over, now a new era military strategy is beginning to spread across the continent.¡± Odin prophesied.


    Odin concluded,¡±as long as we keep innovating this new military system I believe that the Blue Army will become a completely unstoppable force in the future!¡±


    Unbeknownst to Odin, decades later the Blue Army would become the most powerful in the entire world, stretching from the east Hylian sea, to the Kylian homeland the Blue Army is the strongest of them all.

 Chapter 8-Monster Eradication

    Unlike the leaders of the Blue Army which are just a group of lowly Sergeants, Komanda was chosen by Kylia to become the General of the Kylian Air Force(KAF).


    Komanda, who was pretty smart, knew that he was given this position not because he was better than those quarrelsome Sergeants but because Kylia was afraid that the strength of the Blue Army would just absorb the newly founded KAF back into its ranks, destroying all progress of making a truly specialized force for gaining air superiority.


    Even now, under the rigorous investment of the Kylian government, the KAF Is still a lot poorer than the Blue Army both in Quality and Quantity.


    With only 13 soldiers in total, or a little bit more than a single flight of men(the Air Force version of a squad unit), the KAF can be described as barely adequate for patrolling the skies over the State of Kylia.


    That morning Komanda was patrolling the skies over the North of Kylia City. Snow on top of the leaves of evergreen trees had now fully melted off, leaving the ground easier to see through than before. This did not mean that spring was in full effect though, as much of the snow on the ground still refused to melt as it was still too cold to do so.


    The sun was dazzling, making him involuntarily narrowed his eyes and looked away. But soon, he looked down the east horizon again in surprise.


    "Hey! Hey! Over there!" While waving his hands to a certain direction, Komanda shouted toward his wingman."Monsters! Bokoblins! Many Bokoblins!"


    ¡°Flying back! Monsters are attacking!" The wingman rubbed his eyes and looked in the direction of the horde. ¡°There''s at least two hundred of those red buggers! We should report back to base!¡±


    ¡°Warn the Blue Army!¡± Komanda, looking worried, ordered his subordinate.¡±I''ll start mobilizing the Kylian Air Force!¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir!¡±Komanda¡¯s wingman responded diligently and began to turn back toward the capital.


    ¡­


    A day later, in Front of the advancing monster army, Kylia mobilized the Blue Army to prepare fortifications for a great battle.


    The Kylian flag fluttered in the wind as the Kylian artillery squad finished setting up the cannon on top of a nearby ridge.


    Kylian infantrymen rigorously checked their equipment one last time for faults and began to assemble a single row of 20 troops, parallel to the hillside.


    For the average Kylian Soldier who serves in the Blue Army, equipment is a matter of survival, especially during the harsh Kylian winter. Even something as simple as a winter coat can make the difference between life and death if it fails to function properly at the wrong time.


    For this reason Kylian Soldiers have developed a strong tendency to become attached to equipment they like, and to modify or discard equipment they find unreliable or useless.


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    Among the Infantrymen, who have to carry their equipment wherever they go, this tendency is even stronger. Soldiers must carry everything they need for combat operations with them at all times.


    All Kylian soldiers in the Blue Army are equipped with at least a pair of gray woolen mittens, a gray woolen coat, a pair of gray woolen pants, a blue sheepskin cloak, a pair of long leather boots, a sword, a backpack full of provisions, and a black sheepskin hat with a blue sideward K on the front.


    Most of these clothes were padded with steel plating in order to increase close range combat effectiveness in emergency situations.


    Kylian Infantrymen were equipped with the HV15 Rifles, wore a belt set with six ammo pouches, a sword and a bayonet.


    Each ammo pouch was filled to the brim with 10 8mm rounds. A Kylian Infantryman carried enough ammunition to fire about 60 rounds into battle before needing to restock with more ammo from an ammo depot.


    Kylia, riding a war horse, looked onward at the advancing monster army several thousand meters in front of them. Even when mobilizing both the Blue Army and Kylian Air Force, the Kylian Armed Forces were still outnumbered by monster armies 7 to 20.


    Of course there''s Kylia who can now easily slaughter half of these monsters with ease, however Kylia can not do everything thing for the Kylian Armed forces, eventually the State of Kylia needs to learn to protect itself without relying on the crushing power of Valors if it wants to become a great power like Hyrule.


    At most Kylia will step in if any Kylian troops get their lives in danger, after all population is still too tight and Kylia can not afford the deaths of many soon to be experienced soldiers.


    The monster army was now 300 meters out, too far away for the bokoblin bows to reach the Kylian positions, but more than close enough for the Blue Army to rain hell on the monsters.


    ¡°Hold steady¡­Ready! Fire!¡± Kylia roared as one cannon plus twenty rifles fired down range at the bokoblins.


    ¡°BOOM!¡° A cannonball smashed right through 10 bokoblins before exploding, killing 10 more that were too tightly packed together to escape.


    ¡°BAM! BAM! BAM!¡± Many Bokoblins that had escaped from the first volley of artillery were slaughtered ruthlessly by the competent Kylian Infantrymen.


    ¡°BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!¡± Kylian Lavovy Air Men in the skies dropped grenades onto the heads of the enemy bokoblins, killing many more.


    The bokoblins could not get even close the Kylian positions, blood dyed snow covered the entire battlefield downrange of the Kylian positions, a bokoblin lying around that was not quite dead yet, tried looking over at what it considered the reincarnate of death, only for it to be stabbed back down by a Kylian bayonet.


    Just in the first volley of both artillery, grenades and rifles over half of the bokoblins were killed. Bokoblin arms, legs, and guts were flying all around as the bokoblin army started to retreat.


    These bokoblins are not the same bokoblins that were spawned by Gannon during the great calamity. They do not possess both the endless bloodlust or super strength of their Gannon counterparts nor are they immortal. Once they die, they really do die and have to be replenished with reproduction.


    ¡°SLAVA KILIYI! OORAH!¡± The Blue Army shouted as they charged towards the routed bokoblins, adding tremendous pressure on the already overstressed bokoblin army.


    Kylia had chosen this as the Kylian war cry and many of her soldiers agreed with it. ¡°SLAVA KILIYI!¡±, translates to ¡°GLORY TO KYLIA!¡±, is a modified version of the Ukrainian war cry ¡°SLAVA UKRAINI!¡±, which translates to ¡°GLORY TO UKRAINE!¡±.


    The ¡°OORAH!¡± at the end is borrowed from the official war cry of the United States Marine Corps, and should not be mistaken for the ¡°URA!¡± of the Soviet Red Army.


    Back to the battle, the bokoblins, who were trying to retreat, were suddenly intercepted by Odin¡¯s 1st cavalry squad. Bokoblins left and right were sliced in half by Kylian cossack swords as they struggled to parry with their flimsy wooden clubs.


    Kylia, riding her war horse, looked at the countless Kylian troops who had finished off what little resistance was remaining from the bokoblins, now awaiting orders.


    The Blue Army had won this battle easily, if they did not, Kylia would have been worried about if her troops were taking drugs or not. The Blue Army has technology that is more advanced than the rest of the world by more than a couple of generations, let alone fighting against these barbarians.


    Even a city state, while being gravely injured with casualties in the hundreds to thousands, would not be wiped off the map from such an attack. However, the Blue Army did this without suffering a single casualty, which is very impressive for such a small mobilized force.


    ¡°Soldiers!¡± Kylia spoke down to the crowd. ¡±Today we stand on the precipice of history, in the past we have faced unimaginable challenges, and yet, through resilience, fortitude and the development of our people, we have emerged victorious.¡±


    Kylia continued. ¡°Now we must keep this momentum! keep innovating our forces! never one step back! Never regress into the mediocracy of conservatism! Only when we are better than anyone else can we assure the safety of ourselves, family, friends and this glorious State! SLAVA KILIYI! OORAAAAAAH!¡±


    ¡°SLAVA KILIYI! OORAAAAAAH! OORAH! OORAH! OORAH! OORAAAAAAH!¡± The sound echoed through the winter air, their voices rising in a powerful chorus that resonated deep within, their loyalty cemented to their sacred leader, Kylia.

 Chapter 9-Year 3-4 Census and Foreign Situation

    After the Blue Army achieved victory at the battle of northern Kylia City, year 4 of Kylia was mainly uneventful except for establishing a Marine Military Branch of ONE person and renovating most buildings in Kylia City.


    While the living standards of the State of Kylia did improve during the light industry explosion of year 2, many citizens still called swampy shacks as their homes and threw **** onto the streets.


    During the rest of year 3-4, Kylia enacted a nation wide infrastructure reconstruction plan, building many new homes for shivering Kylian citizens during the winter and constructed ¡°Public Restrooms¡± for the public, lowering disease nationwide.


    While living conditions in the State were going up rapidly, Kylian industry had hit a roadblock.


    Because of the doubling of the standard Armed Forces of Kylia, the national growth of Kylia was two thirds of the year prior as factories worked over time to arm and replenish supplies that have been purchased by the Kylian government before and after the battle.


    Take the Kylian HA Cannon as an example of how hard it is to manufacture and support an industrial war machine. The State of Kylia has produced around 20 tonnes of steel per year as of the last two years, the Kylian HA Cannon itself uses one tonne of steel just to create, not mentioning its ammunition takes quite a bit of steel to manufacture too.


    That''s more than 5% of all Kylian steel production capabilities per year for just one cannon! Add in the strain of manufacturing other types of military equipment, even if stretched over two years of steel production, it''s a heavy burden for Kylia¡¯s National Strength.


    As a result, industrial wise, the year 3 census growth for steel production did not grow nearly as much percentage wise compared to the two years prior.


    Total Population-9,550 Increase-3%


    Industrial Population-382 To Population-4%


    Rural Population-9,168 To Population-96%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-1,821,606 Rupees Increase-6%


    Kylian Revenue-637,562 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt-1,230,020 Rupees


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-68%


    People in the Armed Forces-100


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-1%


    Kylian Steel Production-22 tonnes per year Increase-10%


    National Strength Index-2.03 Increase-6.71%


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    Total Kylian Debt, which have been going into decline for the last three years, shot up to a noticeable 1,230,020 Rupees, about 40,000 more Rupees than when Kylia first inherited the state from Lord Fermer which at that time had a total debt of 1,193,130 Rupees.


    This is because military spending, which averaged at around 30,000 Rupees per year, doubled to a staggering 63,756 Rupees per year, 10% of the entire Kylian budget.


    Of course this debt is all worth it when you consider that the State of Kylia is at least still alive and that the Total Debt to GDP ratio had actually gone down compared to year 0 of 74% to a healthier 68% in year 3.


    Plus, with a standing army of a hundred soldiers, Kylia has much greater deterrence to any foreign enemies than four years ago.


    By the end of year 3, the Kylian national strength had reached 2.03, right on par with the State of Sovi, the goalkeeper of the Valor states.


    By the end of year 4, the Kylian population was finally nearing 10,000 people, being the 7th country to have a population of 10,000.


    Total Population-9,932 Increase-4%


    Industrial Population-497 To Population-5%


    Rural Population-9,435 To Population-95%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-1,967,334 Rupees Increase-8%


    Kylian Revenue-688,567 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt-1,279,805 Rupees


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-65%


    People in the Armed Forces-100


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-1%


    Kylian Steel Production-24 tonnes per year Increase-10%


    National Strength Index-2.21 Increase-8.66%


    The National strength of Kylia, reaching 2.21, had now firmly left the State of Sovi in the dust, becoming the 7th most powerful country in the world, right after Zeleny 4.10.


    Newspapers have been established this year, however not yet commonplace among the broader public as too few are produced and the price of production is still too high.


    Kylian society has never experienced such prosperity, while the average citizen in Kylia has a GDP per Capita of only 198 Rupees per person compared to Hyrule¡¯s 931 Rupees, Kylians still live much more comfortably than their Hylian counterparts.


    Remember, Hyrule¡¯s population is decreasing for a reason, its corruption is even greater than the countless Valor States that surround it. Compared to Valor States that have one capital city to manage, the Kingdom of Hyrule is subdivided into many individual states run by local lords with vast amounts of power.


    Except for Hyrule castle and Castle town, most of the royal family does not have much control over the individual states surrounding Central Hyrule. Especially if they are home to different species such as the Gerudo, Goron, Rito, and Zora people.


    Of course not all of this prosperity is good for Kylia, this attracts a lot of unwanted attention towards Kylia, especially from many hostile Valor States and City States.


    It''s been about four years since the blockade of steel was launched against the State of Kylia, many member City States of the Coalition who were hoping to blackmail Kylia were left confused as the Kylians stayed firm under such pressure.


    What''s even weirder is that trade between Kylia and the outside world in fact increased after the blockade instead of decreasing from a lack of steel tools. This is because with many new industries popping up in Kylia, many surplus products were being sold to the regional market enmasse.


    Tables, chairs, cups and bowls, jackets, coats, shoes with leather soles were all being dumped into the various states near Kylia. This resulted in many artisans in the surrounding area going bankrupt and homeless as they are unable to competitively sell their goods without making a profit.


    Having the Majority of your population poor with the rich on top is already quite bad for your economy, having no rich people at all can be devastating.


    All of this pushed the entire Rosa Basin region, except for Kylia, into a huge depression. What little industry those States had were utterly crushed under the industrial power of Kylia.


    To make matters worse, this even aroused the superpower Hyrule far to the east. After the Rosa steel embargo was enacted, various steel products from Hyrule could not be exchanged for food from Kylia. Kylia has a population of 9,000 people, most of these people produce precious food that Hyrule needs to feed its people.


    The Hylians then increase the exchange rate of their steel for more food, adding additional pressure to both the region and entire continent.


    If the oppression from the Hylians before was hateful but at least tolerable, then now the oppression can be called unforgivable. thousands of people around the continent died from starvation, in the last three years the entire world population of sentient people dropped by 6% from starvation.


    When the population of these agricultural countries started to decline, the food sold to Hyrule also declined, preventing those countries from buying back the farming equipment they need to make more food and the cycle just repeats.


    Only after the Hylians realized the dangers of such a cycle did the situation stabilize as tonnes of Hylian steel flooded the Western States market.


    The Hylians, who sold all of that steel underpriced, were naturally unhappy with the Rosians and the Rosians were very unhappy with the Kylians.


    The Rosians were being put under a lot of pressure by Hyrule, cease the embargo or face the Consequences.

 Chapter 10-Foreign Dangers

    Rosa City, capital of the State of Rosa, is probably one of the most controversial capitals ever in the Hylian continent.


    The real name of the city, Sascovy, was a city that was conquered by the Rosians twenty years ago, becoming the capital of Rosa five years after that.


    What''s even more confusing is that the old capital, Rosa city, down south far beyond the Rosa basin was renamed ¡°New Rosa City¡± because apparently ¡°Old Rosa City¡± does not sound too good.


    Because of this extra city, the State of Rosa is the third most powerful Valor State, right after the State of Pavo.


    It''s also the third most populous state, with 25,000 inhabitants, 10,000 for New Rosa City and 15,000 for Rosa City.


    The capital, Rosa city, is home to one of the most prestigious ports on the west coast, even putting port cities such as Viskov and Konsburg to shame, as Rosa City sits right in the mouth of the Great Rosa River, controlling a huge market of nearly 100,000 people.


    The actual city itself resembles a typical medieval coastal city, a castle in the center, shabby straw huts, maybe some made of cobblestone and irregular, meandering, narrow streets all surrounded by a rugged stone wall.


    In the cold throneroom of the castle palace, a female Valor banged her throne with an iron fist wrapped in red linen gloves.


    As a Valor, both Kylia and Rosa had four wings, a horn and multi pupil eyes, but that is where the similarities end.


    Rosa has red hair, wings and eyes in contrast to Kylia¡¯s blue. Rosa always wears red while Kylia wears blue. The shape of Rosa¡¯s horn on her forehead looks like a U shape, compared to Kylia¡¯s sideward K.


    Rosa could never get her little sister, while Rosa thought she was nice and cute and all, she also thought she was a bit naive.


    Now she was regretting ever severely underestimating her and turning her off.


    Trying to rub her obstructed forehead, Rosa questioned her butler. ¡°So either all the Kylians are starving to death or they''re producing a huge amount of high quality steel, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Valord, the Kylians have been dumping entire tonnes of goods to surrounding states for years, it must be assumed that the Kylians have some sort of way to mass produce their own steel. ¡±The Lavovy butler spoke confidently.


    The butler then suggested. ¡°I propose that we go to war against the Kylians to steal their new found technology.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rosa thought for a second. ¡±I''ve been hearing that there have been rumors of the Kylians defeating a force of 200 Bokoblins?¡±


    ¡°Yes my Valord.¡± The butler looked curiously at his Valord, trying to figure out where this was going.


    ¡°What if I told you that the Kylians defeated the Bokoblin army of 200 with only 70 troops, and won with no casualties.¡± Rosa said casually, looking sarcastically at the stupefied butler.


    ¡°I-Impossible!.¡± The butler stammered, ¡±Even when conquering Sascovy with 500 troops to 750 we still nearly died out there!¡±


    ¡°Plus.¡° Rosa continued.¡± We just are not ready for war. Hyrule does not want the Valor States to be in a war, reducing our food exports. Also, with the recent depression and food shortages, many of our people are too starved to be combat effective. Can you lead an army of a thousand starved corpses to fight against the elite Kylian Army?¡±


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    ¡°No, No way!¡± The butler shook his head profusely. ¡±But what should we do then?¡±


    ¡°Haaaa.¡± Sighing at her less than competent butler she answered. ¡±What we need to do is make concessions to the Kylians to get time and room to gather our strength back. Message the envoys for our City State allies of our plan and tell the Hylian envoy that we will release the steel embargo on Kylia.¡±


    ¡°Yes my Valord!¡± The incompetent butler replied as he quickly made his way out the room.


    Slumping back on her throne Rosa mumbled. ¡±Am I experiencing the rise of a new power?¡±


    ¡­


    The capital of Hyrule, Hyrule Castle, is a large, majestic Castle located in the northern center of the Kingdom of Hyrule. It is the home of the only proper ruling monarch in the world, King of Hyrule, and serves as the political center for the Kingdom of Hyrule.


    The entire castle is made up of several different sections, each with its own unique features and purposes. The main entrance is a grand gatehouse, guarded by knights and decorated with the Hylian crest. Beyond the gatehouse lies the castle courtyard, a large open area with manicured gardens, fountains, and statues.


    The central keep of the castle is the main residence of the royal family. It is a massive, multi-story structure with towers, turrets, and battlements.The interior is lavishly decorated with tapestries, chandeliers, and priceless artwork.


    Connected to the central keep is the throne room, where the monarch holds court and conducts official business.The throne itself is a large, ornate chair made of gold and adorned with precious gems.


    Other sections of the castle include the royal library, which houses a vast collection of books and scrolls on various subjects, and the armory, where the kingdom''s soldiers are trained and equipped for battle.


    There are also living quarters for the castle staff, including servants, guards, and advisors.


    Beneath the castle lies a network of dungeons and secret passages, used for both storage and defense.These underground passages are often filled with traps and puzzles, making them difficult for enemies to navigate.


    Surrounding the castle is a high wall, which serves as an additional layer of defense. The wall is lined with lookout towers, and it is guarded by soldiers at all times.


    Hyrule Castle is not only a symbol of the Hyrule¡¯s power and wealth over any other country in the world, but also a strategic stronghold for Hyrule in times of war.


    It has withstood numerous attacks throughout its history and remains a symbol of Hylia¡¯s dominance of the Hylian continent.


    The current king of Hyrule, Atari Bosphoramus, was listening to his most trusted advisor, Futokuno, on the topic about the situation in the west.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I come before you today with grave news.¡± Futokuno smiled sinfully. ¡±Remember outside of Hyrule, those barbaric races of the Rohati, Lavovy, and Nihovy races that all reside in those cruel lands.¡±


    ¡°Races that have been giving us trouble with horns made up of precious materials such as steel, speak none of the Hylian tongue(Europeanized Japanese) and look similar to monsters, right?¡± Atari responded dismissively.


    ¡°Yes, the Valor States to the west, namely the troubling State of Rosa, had agreed to our request of taking down the steel embargo on the State of Kylia.¡± Futokuno continued. ¡°Meanwhile the power houses of the North, Viskov and Sovi both are eyeing our Northwest Trench River Territories. And finally to the south, the Kingdom of Pavo, settled the mouth of the South Trench River, taxing our merchant vessels.¡±


    ¡°We cannot ignore these barbaric threats any longer.¡± Futokuno ordered his King. ¡°If we do not act now, we risk being overtaken and conquered by these barbarians.¡±


    ¡°They have already shown their aggression towards each other and it is only a matter of time before they turn their sights towards us.¡± Futokuno Persuaded. ¡±It is clear that diplomacy and negotiations will not be enough to deter them. We must be prepared to defend our kingdom and our people.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest my advisor?¡± The King Atari praised, his voice trembling slightly from the momentum of Futokuno¡¯s speech


    ¡°The only way to do so is through a war of genocide.¡± The king sat upon his throne, his eyes cold and distant as his advisor whispered this in his ear. ¡°Yes, you heard me, a war of genocide, your majesty. We must wipe out every last one of them. It is the only way to maintain our power and control over the continent.¡±


    ¡°But then I will become the King who erased four sentient species and be forever damned in history!¡± The King whined.


    ¡°Technically two species, as the Lavovy and Nihovy races are just subspecies of the Drakon race and the Valors are pretty much extinct already. ¡±Futokuma chided. ¡±I understand that the idea of this type of war may be unsettling, but it is a necessary measure to ensure our kingdom''s survival.¡±


    Futokuno went on with his plan. ¡°First we need to expand our stockpile of supplies for 15 years before we can support the war effort. We can do this by forcing the untouchables to work extra hard for our kingdom. Corruption within our nobility is high, which weakens our army¡¯s combat effectiveness, only by slowly purging them all can we increase our revenue.¡±


    ¡°Then use authoritative control to steer the Hylian market to lower the value of the Rupee. ¡±Futokuno lectured convincingly. ¡±Let''s see how the poorer Valor¡¯s react when they discover their pitiful economies contract with Hyrule¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Once the Valor States are in crippled in 15 years time, we must strike preemptively and destroy their armies before they have a chance to strike back. ¡±Futokuno praised King Atari. ¡±A successful war would not only protect our kingdom, but it would also solidify our position as the only power on the continent.¡±


    ¡°We cannot allow these barbaric upstarts to challenge our authority. I urge you, Your Majesty, to consider my words carefully. The longer we wait, the stronger these barbarians become. We must act swiftly and decisively to protect our kingdom and our people. The time for war is upon us,¡± Futokuno warned.


    ¡°Very well¡± ,the King said, trying to sound confident. ¡°Do what must be done.¡±

 Chapter 11-Establishing a Civilian Government.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Getting up from her desk, Kylia began pacing back and forth in front of the open window. Birds were chirping, weird insects were flying around and two tiger sized whitish Blue Wolves were lying around in the grass, relaxing in the summer sun.


    During the winter Kylia found these two Blue Wolves all starving right outside one night when she was practicing her sword technique. Taking them in, she named them ¡°Dlya¡± and ¡°Nadiya¡± , which translates to ¡°For¡± and ¡°Hope¡± in Ukrainian. She liked both of them so much that she even went as far as making the Kylian Blue Wolf the national animal of the State of Kylia.


    Kylia has been getting very stressed out over the recent explosion of paperwork in the last five years. Before it only took three people to really manage the State effectively without hassle as most people just farm and do nothing that requires much of the Valord¡¯s attention.


    Of course this still changed in time as now the State of Kylia had changed to operating off a weird feudal, capitalist, socialist, partial civilian government where all serfs under Kylia¡¯s rule are now partial free citizens, where they can buy property and work in government all under the premise that Kylia ¡°owns them¡± .


    This resulted in a shortage of high up civilian politicians with real power, not like some tax collectors or living calculators that just do Kylia¡¯s bidding.


    But now the State of Kylia receives dozens of important decisions and reviews per day from progress on certain industries to disputes between arguing civilians. Kylia has to manually tune in many important, yet small details that could be handled by any other elected civilian politician or official.


    The current government is just too inadequate to deal with the massive growth in government and civilian affairs. If Kylia wants to keep her sanity then she must create a new government before things get out of hand.


    There are many different choices for Kylia to pick from, multiple types of Democracy, Communism, Authoritarianism, Totalitarianism, and many more. However, the system of government that stood out the most to Kylia was the famous British Constitutional Monarchy.


    There are many benefits to gain from a Constitutional Monarchy, it provides continuity and stability, a unifying non-partisan representative of the state, and reinforces government legitimacy. With a higher source of power, the elected government cannot get too complacent with their policies nor treasonist to the State or they may get sacked by the ruling monarchy.


    The best example of the successfulness of a Constitutional Monarchy is Queen Victoria of the British Isles. Before Victoria came to power, at best, the British Empire was the strongest empire in Europe, the strongest but not by a lot. After Victoria manhandled the British government with her high prestige, the British Empire became the empire which the sun never sets, stretching from Canada to British India.


    Britain, which it¡¯s geography can only be said as ¡°good¡± in the world, became a superpower under Constitutional Monarchy, replacing traditional empires with traditional governments, such as the Qing Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire as number 1# empire in the world.


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    Of course, there are some problems with Monarchies, such as passing down the throne to a new heir that is capable of ruling. However with Kylia¡¯s life span, she would not need to think of that for at least the next 6000 years.


    Also Constitutional Monarchy only works if the ¡°Constitutional¡± part works, not just the Monarchy. After the reign of Queen Victoria came to an end, the following monarchs that followed were good in quality, however British parliament and the British economic system was too inadequate, leaving a gap open for the US to catch up.


    Instead of British Parliamentary Democracy, which can only be described as ¡°good enough¡± , Kylia shifted her focus to EU Representative Democracy, which seemed much more attractive.


    Nobody gives the EU the credit it deserves. While many say that the Nordic, Chinese, Korean or Japanese styles of government are the best, the EU far outcompetes them in government management.


    The EU is made out of 27 different member countries that mostly are mostly different in language, culture and government, many who wished to commit genocide on each other just a century ago are now packaged into a neatly partial federalized organization called the European Union.


    This is the equivalent of taking the US, China, Russia, Pakistan, India, North and South Korea, forcing them to cooperate economically and become ¡°nice buddies¡± . Not only would they not be able to do this, they would nuke the person who came up with such an Idea.


    The EU does this all while raising the economies of member states and building new infrastructure. While many think of China and Japan as countries with a level of Infrastructure that is much better than the US¡¯s, not many know that they have built all of that infrastructure blindly, leading to high maintenance costs and consequently, experiencing stagnating economies with roads that lead to nowhere.


    The EU also has a level of infrastructure that is much better than the US¡¯s, however, such infrastructure is only built in places that are needed, or that are ideal for the location. As a result the EU did not make the same mistakes that the Japanese or Chinese made.


    If it weren''t for the lack of oil and a strong central government, the EU may have been on par with the confused US already.


    Aiming for an EU style of government will become one of Kylia¡¯s main priorities for the State of Kylia, as nobody wants to be a Soviet Union, or a lame duck US, Kylia would become a state of poverty, or become radically divided if that ever happened.


    Kylia, who was committed, quickly started to write a guideline for the new Kylian Government. The State of Kylia, unlike the EU, should not Federalize as there is only one member state, which is Kylia. Instead a Unitary state would be propped up with representatives based on population, not member states.


    The Government will have three branches in total, each controlling either Executive, Legislative, and Judicial powers to balance each other.


    For Executiv-


    The Kylian Council, which will group the state¡¯s top political leaders, consists of a representative of every unit of population. It will set the state¡¯s broad direction and settle urgent high-level questions. Its members elect a president, who can serve up to two five-year terms.


    The Kylian Commission, which will be the state¡¯s primary executive body, wields the most day-to-day authority. It will propose laws, manage the budget, implement decisions, issue regulations, and represent the state in international affairs. The members of the commission are appointed by the Kylian Council and approved by the Kylian Parliament.


    For Legislative-


    The Kylian Parliament will be the only directly elected government branch, with representatives apportioned by the general population. Just like the EU, it won¡¯t be able to propose legislation, and laws can¡¯t pass without its approval. It also will negotiate and approve the Kylian budget and oversee the Kylian commission.


    For Judicial-


    The Court of Justice of Kylia will be the state¡¯s highest judicial authority, interpreting Kylian law and settling disputes.


    Plus, there will be Financial and the Monarchist-


    The Kylian National Bank will manage a new currency for the state and implement the state¡¯s monetary policy. It will also help regulate the future Kylian banking system.


    Kylia will have the power to fire those from any of these branches of government. She will also possess all Executive, Legislative and Judicial powers to enact nationwide policies if needed.


    In this sense, she is also your classical dictator except subtler, (GOD BLESS QUEEN ELIZABETH!) only using her powers and prestige to intervene in a state of an emergency, like war.

 Chapter 12-New Nation, Elections and New Currency

    As the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a cool autumn glow over the crowded capital square with a platform hastily propped up as citizens hovered over with anticipation.


    Under the rule of Kylia they have been given land, shelter and food. About five years ago all of this would be unheard of, many of these people would be starving, cold, and working on little plots of land that they didn''t even own.


    All of this understandably made these people very curious of what new shenanigans their Valord came out with. Each new policy or invention that came out either helped the public directly or indirectly. Tools, clothes, weapons and policies that promoted FREEDOM (AMERICA! **** YEAH!) were presented to the public in this very square, right outside Kylia¡¯s manor.


    As the crowd hushed down Kylia stood on the platform, her eyes sweeping over the sea of faces that filled the area, raising her hand, she beckoned her people to listen.


    "My beloved subjects," she began, "Today, we stand on the brink of an epiphany of sentient kind. Never before had we lived better and freer lives. Men work in their very own fields, women can care for their families and children don''t need to fear cold or hunger.¡±


    Kylia then warned ¡°However, beyond our borders, many wish to pillage our new lives, take our newfound freedom, our land will be taken, women forced back into the fields, children will starve, I will not allow this to happen!¡±


    ¡°Together, we will forge a new nation¡ªone built on unity, hope, and freedom." Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and one brave little child called out from the front row, "But what will this new nation look like?"


    Kylia smiled gently, "The name of this new nation will be the Kingdom of Kylia. It will be a land where every voice matters, a land of freedom, a land of the people! "


    An elderly man who was a conservative and wasn¡¯t too happy with all the change going around, leaned heavily on his cane, then rose slowly. "And how will these voices be spoken, My Valord? Will they be honored in this new land?"


    Nodding thoughtfully, Kylia replied, "We will elect them of course, all 18 years of age and older will be eligible to vote. Those elected would represent different interest groups of the people. No one will be ignored!"


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The crowd erupted into applause, voices of support rising like a wave. A young woman stood and exclaimed, "Then let us begin this journey together! We want to be part of this transformation too!"


    With a determined glint in her eye, Kylia then waved to her left towards some boxes, "Over here is where you cast your ballots, just tell your name and choice to the ballot man to your right and your vote will be written down."


    The crowd swarmed to each ballot booth, for each booth had a different political party. There were many choices to choose from, some were clearly set up by the middle class trying to achieve dreams, such as John¡¯s Party, some were more serious than others, like the Royalists, Liberals, Socialists, and Conservatives parties.


    Kylia waited as ballots began pouring in, seeing that there were some people who were finished casting their ballots, she then announced. ¡°For our new nation we also have to establish our own currency and national bank, as a symbol of our economic independence and sovereignty!¡±


    ¡°For too long, the Kylian people have relied on Hylian Rupees and Hylian banks to conduct our financial affairs. This has left us vulnerable to economic instability and the whims of Hyrule!¡±


    ¡°But today, we take back control of our economic destiny!¡±


    Our new currency, the Kylian Kon, will represent our goals and values. It will be backed by the strength of our Kingdom and the hard work of our people. With this currency, we will have the power to determine our own economic policies and make decisions that benefit our citizens.


    ¡°But a currency is only as strong as its supporting institutions.¡± Kylia warned


    Kylia then reassured the public. ¡°That is why we have also established our own national bank, the Bank of Kylia. This bank will serve as the backbone of our financial system, ensuring stability and growth in our economy. It will provide necessary services such as lending, currency exchange, and monetary policy, all tailored to the needs of our nation.¡±


    ¡°I am confident that with the establishment of our currency and national bank, we will see a new era of prosperity for our country.¡±


    ¡°Our citizens will have access to fair and transparent financial services, our businesses will have a stable and supportive economic environment, and our nation will have the tools to navigate through any economic challenges that Hyrule throws our way.¡±


    ¡°I call upon all citizens to embrace this new currency and support our national bank. Let us work together to build a strong and vibrant economy that will benefit all of us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, and SLAVA KILIYI!¡±


    ¡°SLAVA KILIYI!¡± The citizens of Kylia City cheered as they gathered around the newly constructed National Bank, waiting to try out the new paper currency called the Kylian Kon.


    As Kylia¡¯s banking officials began to exchange the new currency out for Rupees, the crowd murmured with excitement.


    The Kylian Kon was a blue note, adorned with Kylia¡¯s sideways K shaped horn and intricate designs. It was a stark contrast to the plain and heavy gems of the Hylian Rupee they were used to.


    Only a very few citizens were skeptical, wondering if this new currency would hold any value. But those who were, as they examined the notes, were pleasantly surprised to find that they were made of high-quality paper and had intricate security measures to prevent counterfeiting.


    Most were patriotic, eagerly exchanging their old Hylian Rupees for the new Kylian Kons.


    They were impressed by how much easier it was to carry and count the new currency, and they hoped it would bring stability to their economy.

 Chapter 13-Education, Year 5 Census, Election Results and Rosian Envoys

    Unlike the United States, which holds its elections around winter, Kylia had to start the elections early this year, stemming from a lack of proper infrastructure to properly count all of those ballots.


    During the winter Kylia allocated some funds to build a couple of schools, these schools would then start the training of the Kingdom of Kylia¡¯s first high end talents.


    When she was waiting for the ballots to be counted up, the Year 5 census had come out.


    Total Population-10,429 Increase-5%


    Industrial Population-626 To Population-6%


    Rural Population-9,803 To Population-94%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-2,164,068 Rupees Increase-10%


    Kylian Revenue-757,424 Rupees


    Total Kylian Debt-1,362,167 Rupees


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-63%


    People in the Armed Forces-100


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-1%


    Kylian Steel Production-27 tonnes per year Increase-10%


    National Strength Index-2.44 Increase-10.6%


    The population of Kylia had officially surpassed 10,000 people, growing by 5% from last year. The economy is expanding at a breathtaking pace, a full 10% bigger than last year, steel production is nearing 30 tonnes and National Strength grew by 10%.


    It can be said that the Kingdom of Kylia is shifting into a gear of high speed growth, factories are springing up, civilian shipbuilding is expanding, roads are being built, three story housing is appearing, a big sector of land is dedicated to the new central government and rigorous zoning of the city is being planned, to avoid overcrowding in the future..


    Then the Kylian election results came out for the Kylian Parliament.


    Prime Minister-Fermer


    Kylian Royalist Party-30 MKP


    Kylian Socialist Party-2 MKP


    Kylian Conservative Party-10 MKP


    Kylian Liberal Party-3 MKP


    MKP stands for Member of Kylian Parliament. To get a MKP, you need at least 2% of votes in the voting population. In total there can only be 50 MKP¡¯s at a time. Only these four parties got those MKP¡¯s, with the Royalist Party, led by former lord Fermer, in the lead. About a third of these MKP''s are female.


    You may have noticed that compared to earth, there is a much greater sense of gender equality in this world. This is because of the absolute shortage of sentient beings on this planet, not even numbering one million. As a result this leads to women joining the workforce to make up for this shortage of manpower


    Back to the elections, as most of the Kingdom of Kylia is still fanatical about their newfound queen, it makes winning for the Royalist Party easy. In the last five years, nationalism had taken a hold of the public, turning many into fanatical Royalist supporters.


    The moment the Royalist Government came to power, both a proper constitution and a bill of rights was quickly written down to ensure the liberties of the people. It''s pretty much a mixing of the values that the free world back on earth had figured out.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A month after the inauguration, as the sunlight broke over the horizon, casting a golden hue across the growing City of Kylia, a Rosian vessel docked at one of the newly constructed ports that was built during the civilian ship building expansion.


    Two Rosian envoys were guided toward the grand gates, their eyes wide in astonishment. The taller envoy with a bushy beard, looked down the cement road, "By the Valords! I''ve never seen a continuous piece of stone! Not a single piece of trash or filth on it either. And I thought Rosa City was good."


    His companion to the right, adjusted her gray cloak, her gaze fixed on the bustling market below. "Indeed, the weird streets are teeming with merchants and untouchables alike. It seems that the local Valord was a lot more capable than we thought," she replied, a hint of envy creeping into her voice.


    As they made their way through the bustling city, they marveled at the Kylian flags that adorned every building. ¡°You know,¡± the taller envoy said, scratching his beard thoughtfully, ¡°I half expected the capital to be drab and grim, a mere reflection of our own. Yet, it is very clear that these people are fanatical to their leader, even more than we are.¡±


    His companion couldn¡¯t help but smile. "This means that the Kylians are far stronger than we ever thought they were. We need to declare war on them as fast as possible. Imagine how much more dangerous they will be in 10 years time."


    The escorting soldier, overhearing their conversation, chimed in with a hearty laugh, "Aye, my lady! You underestimate us too much and have no clue what you''re dealing with. Our Blue Army can easily solo one of yours ten to one!"


    Both envoys ignored this claim as they followed the guard deeper into the heart of Kylia City. Eventually both envoys arrived at what looked to be the construction of a huge outline of a building.


    In front of the construction site, a skinny, yet confident Rohati man welcomed the envoys to sit down on some chairs that were hastily set up when they arrived.


    Shaking out his hand, President Zoloti, Roshi¡¯s twin brother, with a charismatic smile, greeted the envoys. ¡°Welcome, esteemed ambassadors! My name is Zoloti, elected President of the Kylian Commision, a branch of democracy of the Kingdom of Kylia, it is nice seeing some new faces around here!¡±


    "Untouchable," the taller envoy began, with a slight bow, "first, you''re just a western state that is part of an alliance of Valor States to guarantee influence against Hyrule, not a Kingdom. Second, we come from a time when kings and lords governed with unwavering authority. This... democracy you speak of, where untouchables have a say in decisions? It''s hersey!"


    President Zoloti smiled patiently. "Well, Sir, democracy allows every citizen a voice in how they are ruled. It ensures that power isn''t concentrated in the hands of a few."


    the male envoy''s wise yet skeptical companion, furrowed her brow, interjecting, "But with so many opinions, how do you make decisions? Surely, chaos must ensue with such disorder!"


    "Ah, but it''s through debate and compromise that we find our way forward," Zoloti explained, gesturing calmly with his hands. "It''s not chaos; it¡¯s a system built on dialogue and understanding. In fact, with the amount of proposals our government gets per day, it''s a lot faster than the previous method and it nurtures the responsibility of the people."


    The male envoy crossed his arms defiantly. "Untouchables with such... power seems perilous! In our State, the will of the Valor is law. Are your untouchables never tempted to abandon this fairytale of equality in favor of decisive rule?"


    "Well, the beauty of democracy," the president replied a bit more aggressively, "is that it protects our hard fought freedoms and dreams. When leaders fail to try to oppress the people, the system lets the people choose new leaders. It¡¯s not perfect, but it''s a path we choose to walk together, ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table."


    The envoys exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of confusion and anger. President Zoloti could see the wheels turning in their minds, probably wondering what sort of drugs Kylia had to take to bring this kind of nonsense into her Kingdom.


    The taller envoy, still recovering from the shock of an ¡°elected untouchable¡± , stepped forward and fumbled with his words. ¡°Thank you, untou-Mr. President. We... um, we¡¯ve really come to discuss trade agreements,¡± he stammered, his brow furrowing over his mistake.


    President Zoloti, clearly noticing the envoy¡¯s apprehension, leaned in with a warm chuckle. ¡°Ah, trade! A topic dear to my heart, but just as dear to the hearts of our peoples. We value our relationships and look forward to discussing matters of mutual concern, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The envoy¡¯s companion, attempting to make a point, interjected, ¡°¡°Mr. President,¡± she began hesitantly, ¡°we¡¯ve noticed an alarming trend of goods being dumped into our markets. It¡¯s dealt some serious damage to our local economy.¡± The male envoy nodded in agreement, eyes slightly dimmed with worry.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± then chimed in the male envoy, a hint of frustration in his tone. ¡°We¡¯re struggling to compete when Kylian goods saturate our markets at prices we simply cannot match. So we want to end the steel embargo in exchange for some trade restrictions.¡± President Zoloti leaned forward, his brow furrowing as he listened intently.


    ¡°So why won¡¯t you enact tariffs?¡± President Zoloti then asked the two aggrieved envoys. Tariffs are a great way to limit the import of cheap goods, shielding your economy.


    ¡°Untouchable, we have tried!¡± the male envoy said angrily. ¡°Every time we raise the price on the import of your goods, the untouchables in our state complain about high prices, they have been hooked on low cost prices and won¡¯t change back unless the rise of prices is external to our control.¡±


    Coldly, Zoloti responded. ¡°If so, then what benefits will Kylia get?¡±


    Gritting her teeth, the male envoy¡¯s companion replied. ¡°We will declare an unconditional peace treaty for 15 years, recognize the Kingdom of Kylia as a true nation, not a state, pay for what little goods we buy from you with the Kylian Kon and help you Kylians sell your goods to the international community free of charge, without paying the channel tax to leave the Rosa river.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Zoloti passed out a document to the envoys, ¡°we are more than happy to pass this agreement, just sign here on this piece of paper once we''re done figuring out the small details, let''s call this the treaty of Kylia everybody.¡±


    After some talk back and forth between the two parties, both had finally came to agreement that-


    The State of Rosa will recognize the Kingdom of Kylia


    The State of Rosa will purchase goods from Kylia using only the Kylian Kon


    The State of Rosa will open the Rosa river channel for all Kylians free of charge


    The Kingdom of Kylia will dramatically increase the prices of goods exported to Rosa


    No war will be declared between each party for 15 years


    Sadly Zoloti could not gain any more benefits from the State of Rosa as there are just not many benefits to be gained from such a poor State. However both parties did achieve the goals they wanted to achieve. Rosa has time to buy to rearm its military and Kylia can access a huge international market of 300,000 and slowly infiltrate the Rosa economy.


    What''s also nice is that Kylia gained international recognition right off the bat, which can increase prestige among the international community, preventing Kylia from becoming Isolated.


    With this, the rise of Kylia can be said to be almost guaranteed.

 Chapter 14-Reactions around the world

    Because of how long it takes traveling from Kylia to the outside world, it took four years for news about Kylia¡¯s democracy to be received by the international community.


    The continent, recovering from a recession, once again fell into turmoil as nobles protested against the founding of the democracy of Kylia or Serfs rebelling those lords, seeing hope of freedom.


    To make matters worse, the value of the Hylian Rupee had started slowly going down in the last few years, turning a recession that was affecting the continent into a full blown depression, forcing many of the Western State governments into bankruptcy.


    A gathering of Valords and Viskov advisors convened in the grand hall of a fortified castle in the heart of the State of Viskov. The heavy oak doors creaked open as Valords from each state entered, their robes of state heavy with the embroidery of their respective states. At the center, the eldest, Viskov of Viskov, cleared his throat and addressed the in russian. ¡°My brothers and sisters, we have received word from the Rosa Basin that Kylia is making trouble again¡ªa democracy, they call it. What do you say?¡±


    Zeleny of Zeleny, his brow furrowing beneath his embellished helmet, spoke in German Ukrainian. ¡°Democracy, sagst du? Ein abomination, if du ask mich! Every peasant cannot be trusted zu wield die power von governance. Look at uns States¡ªwir derive unser strength aus Valor blood!¡± His words echoed through the hall, eliciting murmurs of agreement from those who preferred the established hierarchy.


    Sovi of Sovi, speaking siberian russian, interjected with a measured tone. ¡°My younger brother, why do you think so rashly? Surely you heard the news that Kylia had been doing a great job of governing the Kylian people, much better than any of us in the last five years. She knows what she is doing, she is one of us after all, right? Maybe we should try copying her?¡±


    Pavo of Pavo agreed in turkish russian. ¡°Indeed, Sovi raises a good point. Imagine what it might be like¡ªa council where peasants could voice their concerns for taxes imposed or the burdens of war. However, might such a system descend into chaos? Where then lies the order we cherish?¡±


    Amid the debate, Rosa of Rosa, fed up with being ignored, finally rejected in Ukrainian, ¡°Hey! While you guys are arguing here, we Rosians are at the frontlines of this change and we are suffering. This idea of democracy ignites chaos! There are dangerous ideas going around Rosa City on a session to Kylia. If we do not listen, we risk sparking rebellion!¡±


    ¡°Nobody cares about your damned capital city!¡± Sovi lamented. ¡°Your state is 1.3 times bigger than any of ours and 13 times of Kylia¡¯s. Kylia¡¯s territory is so much smaller than any of ours that she must be embarrassed to call herself a Valord. Since your people are really that eager to join Kylia¡¯s, maybe you should let them, after all, isn''t most of your territory located further down south, younger sister?¡±


    Rosa¡¯s face flushed with indignation. ¡°You really think this is a local thing? Haven¡¯t you heard the whispers in the streets? People dream of Kylian freedoms, and you dismiss their desires as mere folly!¡±


    Viskov, sensing the tension, raised his hand in silence. ¡°Enough! The State of Viskov, Sovi, Zeleny and Pavo will not intervene with any internal and local affairs in the Rosa Basin until the situation has calmed down, that is final!¡±


    I''ll show them! I''ll show you! You''ll remember I warned you! Rosa warned, stomping out of the hall.


    ¡­


    In the grand hall of Hyrule Castle, adorned with golden tapestries and extravagant chandeliers, King Atari leaned back in his gilded throne, his brow furrowed in confusion as he addressed his advisors. ¡°Tell me, what folly is this that our neighbors have embarked upon?¡±


    He mused, waving his hand dismissively as if brushing aside a particularly bothersome fly. ¡°This Valor State, now daring to call itself a Kingdom, has chosen a new path of government that is now named as a democracy. What is this madness? Do they not understand that true power rests with the Hylian crown? Those untouchables being brave enough to break off from the entire world?¡± His voice, a mix of incredulity and disdain, echoed off the stone walls, compelling the advisors to exchange worried glances.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    With a slight cough, a seasoned Hylian advisor with silver hair, stepped forward hesitantly. ¡°Your Majesty, it appears with this system, they have found a way to mobilize the will of their people, fostering enough unity and strength to challenge us.¡±


    King Alaric scoffed, shaking his head vigorously. ¡°Unity? A rhapsody of voices may only lead to chaos! A kingdom must have a single voice, a sovereign hand to dispense justice and make laws! How can these¡­ untouchables possibly govern, when even I struggle to comprehend their whims?¡± His disdain grew palpable as he waved his arms, as if to dismiss the very concept of shared power as a trifling matter of no consequence.


    Advisor Futokuno despaired. ¡°The formation of Kylia had indeed caused many for us in the last ten years, they have dumped goods in markets that we consider our own, brought instability to the entirety of the continent with their ¡°democracy¡± and three years ago even started trading steel and food with the western states for mineral resources, bringing down food imports to our kingdom.¡±


    ¡°This had even delayed the initial stockpiling for the future war effort by five years, which was already quite a long schedule of 15 years to launch.¡± Futokuno jokes. ¡°By the time we launch this war, both of us will become old men that can only command behind the front lines.¡±


    Futokuno then finished, ¡°None of this matters in the long term as once we begin conquering the Hylian Continent, we will crush the kingdom before it has time to become a major threat to us.¡±


    ¡°For the glory of Hyrule!¡± all in the hall cheered, ending the meeting.


    ¡­


    The City State of Rishka is where all member lords of the Coalition of City States meet every ten years. The last time they had met was the infamous decision to cooperate with the State of Rosa to embargo any steel from entering Kylia.


    Who knew that a small state of less than 10,000 would become such a giant in trade, crushing the pitiful economies of each of the City States. Ever since, the City States did not dare mess around with Kylia, for fears of severe retaliation.


    In the grand council room of Rishka City, a special castle built for such occasions, six Coalition lords, Lord Malak of Kokhaver City, Lady Isadora of Rishka City, Lord Boryslav of Roscof, Lord Koal of Okland, Lord Mozok of Techiya and Lord Kraut of Konsburg were discussing how to deal with the Kylian threat.


    As they sat around the large wooden table, Lord Malak, a stout Rohati with a thick beard, was the first to voice his concerns.


    ¡°The Kylians are an existence that is too dangerous to leave alone,¡± he said, his voice trembling with fear. ¡°They have an elite standing army of 100 troops that can defeat a force two times their size with no casualties. ¡°The total standing army of the Coalition is around 227 troops of very limited quality, even the Rosians were able to defeat the Sascovies 3 to 2 which shows just how low the quality of the Coalition Army is compared to the rest of the world.¡±


    If we don¡¯t stop them now, the Coalition will become dogs for the Kylians!¡± He wailed.


    But how? Lord Kraut questioned. ¡°We can¡¯t just waltz in with our army and destroy them. I''m afraid a very different scenario would occur if we ever tried to fight in the Kylian homeland!


    ¡°Why don''t we offer them a peace treaty ?¡± Lady Isadora suggested. ¡°Then we can launch a surprise attack when they least expect it, getting rid of the problem once and for all.¡±


    Lord Koal shook his head, ignoring the tempting plan. ¡°While sneak attacks may work on ourselves, it will definitely not work on the Kylians,¡± he argued. ¡°All sneak attacks require a certain amount of strength behind them in order to defeat an enemy off guard. We do not have such strength. I afraid the risks of attacking such a formidable foe would be too high for our tolerance. If our sneak attack fails, the Coalition Army would become fish on a cutting board for the Kylian Army.¡±


    ¡°Also the Coalition Army would have to travel a far distance just to reach Kylian territory, giving the Kylians plenty of time to locate and attack our incoming forces. The Kylians would thank us for serving our Coalition Army on a silver platter.¡± Lord Mozok added.


    ¡°How about we attack the Kylians with the Rosians?¡± Lord Boryslav presented. ¡°Then, with absolute numbers, we will surely run over the Kylians then, right?


    ¡° Also not a good option.¡± Lord Kraut dismissed. ¡°While the Rosians may be our allies now, everybody in here knows that allies are temporary, while interests are eternal. The goal of the Rosians to conquer the Rosin Basin was set in motion when the Sasovies were defeated.


    ¡°With this in mind, the Rosians will most certainly use our lesser quality troops as cannon fodder to weaken the Kylians before delivering the finishing blow. Then, they will take all of the spoils of war, build back up stronger, then attack the greatly crippled Coalition.¡± Lord Kraut warned.


    ¡°However, using this scenario in mind, I have come up with a plan for our current predicament.¡± Lord Kraut said smugly.


    ¡°Rosa had become the main target of the Kylian influence as Kylian goods must leave the mouth of the Rosian River in order to enter the International market. This not only relieves pressure on us, but this also puts tremendous pressure on the Rosians. I can say with 100% certainty that the Rosians will declare war on the Kylians before we have to. What''s also quite certain is that the winner of this engagement will be crippled, leaving them wide open for a sneak attack from the Coalition Army. Why work hard when you can watch bulls fight each other, then take all of the meat for yourself!¡± Lord Kraut reasoned.


    ¡°According to my advisors, both we and Rosa will need at least ten years to build our strength back up before thinking about attacking the Kylians.¡± Lord Kraut explained. ¡°So this will be a long term plan.¡±


    Lord Malak nodded in agreement. ¡°This could work,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Soon, the Coalition will become the most powerful state on the continent right after Hyrule, with us nobles on top!¡±


    If only they knew what sort of monster the Blue Army grew up into in ten years time.

 Chapter 15-KIA, KDI, and Parliament Decision

    Later that year, in a busy, quarter finished Chamber of the Kylian Parliament, filled with the sunlight from the open roof, was brimming with Kylia¡¯s MKP¡¯s. They were discussions about the matter of the Kylian spy network around the continent and raising government spending.


    The moment the State of Kylia, a feudal state, became the Kingdom of Kylia, a democratic kingdom, Kylia gained thousands of followers in the international public that were fanaticall believers of freedom, all providing intelligence for the Kylian government .


    All governments around the entire continent except Hyrule could not hide a single morsel of information from the KIA¡¯s ears, as the public became the KIA¡¯s personal headset.


    Of course there were some spies from Rosa who tried to retaliate by stealing Kylian technology, however this was easy for the Kylian Department of Intelligence, or KDI, to handle as many spies were just patriotic amateurs compared to the training of Kylia intelligence workers.


    The secret meeting of Valors that threatened the national interests of Kylia, were soon exposed and reported back to the Kylian government by the Kylian Intelligence Agency or KIA.


    ¡°As we all know, the Kingdom of Kylia had racked up an immense amount of enemies in the last ten years¡± Kylia leaned forward from the center podium, her blue eyes glittering with resolve. ¡°The KIA has sent back reports of plans from both the Rosians and the Coalition on the Invasion of Kylia in ten years time.¡±


    A murmur rippled through the gathering, some Kylian Parliamentary Members looking visibly panicked. With wild hand gestures, Kylia reminded the MKP¡¯s. ¡°While our enemies do outnumber us now by a wide margin, that will not be the case in ten years time.¡±


    ¡°In the last ten years we have produced more steel, food, and goods than any of the Western States combined. Our population has risen to a level that is not too small along the other states in the western continent. We now have the highest living standards in the world!¡±


    ¡°Right now, the Coalition and allies outnumber us 1 to 7. In ten years, we will definitely surpass that! Our population will exceed 20,000! The Coalition and Allies will only out number us by a more manageable 1 to 3, significantly raising the chances of us winning the war!¡±


    ¡°As long as we can develop to a new level of strength, while our enemies recover back to an old level of strength, we can surely pull through these difficult times. However this requires immense government spending on your part.¡±


    ¡°The Kylian Reserve Plan, a spending plan that has been passed by the Kylian Commision, is a 7.274 million Kon military package over ten years, focused on preparing the 10% of the general public for total mobilization.¡°


    ¡°While we did enact a military service law seven years ago, at that time we were still using bows and swords to fight our enemies. This law is extremely outdated and must be replaced.¡±


    ¡°The Kylian Reserve Plan will focus on training civilians into combat with live guns, improving transportation infrastructure within our Kingdom, and preparing civilian factories to convert into military ones at a moment¡¯s notice.¡± Kylia finished. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°The proposed military package,¡± began a Liberal MKP, a stout Lavovy man, wearing some of the newest and cheapest designs of clothes that went out onto the Kylian market, ¡°is a staggering 7.274 million Kon over the next ten years.¡±


    He cleared his throat, planting his hands flat on the table for support. ¡°While I do not have any objections to the spending itself, as I find it necessary for Kylian survival, the proposed plan is still more than the entire GDP of the State of Viskov per year and 2 times the GDP of the Kingdom of Kylia. Where do we find all of this money?.¡±


    ¡°That''s a good question,¡± retorted Kylia. ¡°This spending will be proportional to our government budget yearly, at around 15% of our revenue per year. Our economy will certainly grow exponentially in the upcoming years providing plenty of funds to fulfill the objective seven million.


    ¡°Aye, yet let us not forget,¡± interjected Socialist MKP, a Rohati man whose skepticism shone as brightly as his polished armor, ¡°that the general public is not an army but rather the foundations of our strength and industrial power. If we turn them into soldiers, and many die in battle, Kylia¡¯s industrial might will be extremely damaged for years to come.¡±


    ¡°Your point is well taken,¡± said Kylia, her fingers steepling under her chin in thought. ¡°Yet, this is what we must do in order to win. Our population is just too small to mobilize against the Rosian¡¯s and allies without a complete and thorough mobilization. We can always recover population from received territories, we cannot if we are dead. The upcoming war will be the life and death for the future of this Kingdom.


    The murmurs of the room subsided, replaced by the crackle of tension in the air. MKP¡¯s cast furtive glances at one another, feeling the weight of Queen Kylia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± said the socialist MKP, regaining his composure, ¡°but isn''t the Kylian Reserve Plan an overestimation? Can¡¯t we at least try to bargain for peace with the Rosians and Coalition, maybe they might accept if we give them some concessions?¡±


    ¡°You all forget our struggles in the past too quickly.¡± Kylia sighed, gazing up at the sky. ¡°While many of the demands of the Rosians and Coalition will involve giving away our technology, they will most likely press for the dissolution of the Kingdom of Kylia, including the newly found freedoms of the people. The Kylian public will not compromise its freedom at any cost!¡±


    A silence coated the room as each member thought of the old days of the City State of Fermer and the poverty that came with it.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± offered a short Lavovy woman, who was part of the Royalists, breaking the stifling silence. ¡°What if we think beyond the military? The Kylian Reserve Plan could also include a commercial side to the plan. There could be different opportunities for different industries to compete for government money, driving innovation.¡±


    She was indirectly referring to the American way of military contractors, it''s just she was ahead of her time, corporations had not been created yet.


    "A clever notion," Kylia mused, she was impressed with some of her subordinates'' ideas. ¡°The method that you presented will drive innovation, very good for the long term strength of our military, it has the drawbacks of reduced scale. Right now our production is too limited to house competing industries and to produce different models of equipment. Only when we have enough scale will we be able to use the advantage of Kylian mass production against our enemies.¡±


    Thus a series of debates over the exact properties of the plan started, tensions and alliances shifted. Some KPM¡¯s found common ground, while others deepened their divides. A recurring theme started to emerge¡ªa desire for a balanced approach that promised Kylian security while also protecting economic interests.


    After hours of vigorous debate, it was time for the vote. Each Member of Kylian Parliament would cast their favor for aye by raising their hand or not when each side was called.


    ¡°Now,¡± Kylia concluded, rising to her feet as if to solidify the shift of mood, ¡°Let us proceed,¡± she finally said, a sense of gravity filling the open air chamber.


    Prime Minister Fermer began. ¡°All who vote for the passing of the Kylian Reserve Plan please raise your hand.¡±


    ¡°TAK!¡± 40 MKP¡¯s rose their hands in agreement, all Royalists and Conservatives.


    ¡°And all who disagree with the Kylian Reserve Plan please raise your hand.¡±


    5 MKP¡¯s rose their hands in disagreement, all either Liberals or Socialists.


    ¡°By a majority,¡± Fermer paused for emphasis, ¡°this Parliament votes in favor of the Kylian Reserve Plan!¡±


    Cheers erupted from most of the MKP''s, while the Socialists and Liberals looked on in disappointment.


    That day, the Kylian Reserve Plan was enacted, not with Queen Kylia¡¯s own power, but through Kylian Democracy, the first ever major decision to be taken upon the Civilian Kylian Government.

 Chapter 16-Railroads and Ambitions

    In the last four years, many workers had been better trained as new methods and rapid innovation of production techniques came out through the passage of time. This has led Kylia¡¯s industries to become more efficient, faster, and can churn out products of better quality.


    However, this has now resulted in a shortage of raw materials as many of Kylia¡¯s resource industries such as mines and forestry are further inland, away from the Rosian and Roscof River¡¯s transportation network. This means that resources have to be delivered to the factories in wagons, limiting production.


    With a railroad stretching between those two places, all of these transportation problems can be easily solved with the massive transportation capacity of a train.


    The sun was just peeking over the autumn horizon, casting a golden glow on the not so small Kingdom of Kylia. At the industrial district on the banks of the Roscof River, Kylia was inspecting a newly built experimental steam engine that was created with Stalevi¡¯s team with help from Kylia.


    The heavy wooden doors creaked open, and Kylia stepped into the hushed atmosphere of the engineering warehouse. Sunlight pierced through the cracks, illuminating an assortment of tools, blueprints, and the experimental steam engine.


    "Good morning, my esteemed engineers!" her voice rang through the space, drawing the attention of Stalevi¡¯s men. They lowered their hats and straightened their posture, excited to show off their creation.


    "Your Majesty," said Stalevi, all covered in soot and grime, "we have been eagerly anticipating your arrival! We believe the steam engine here is ready for your inspection."


    Kylia approached what appeared to be a model of the R. Stephenson & Co ¨C Star Class locomotive, known as the most reliable of the early locomotives in the 1840s. The Great Western Railway Star Class of 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives were used for passenger train work however for Kylia¡¯s purposes they were modified to also do industrial work.


    ¡°So¡­does it have a name?¡± Kylia asked, while examining the intricate brass fittings, steel body and polished wood. Stalevi grinned, wiping his hands on his stained trousers. "We call her the ¡®Honey Badger.'' She may look small but she is ferocious to handle.¡± Kylia¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. ¡°How many tonnes can it pull?¡±


    ¡°190 tonnes,¡± he replied, pride swelling in his chest. ¡°We¡¯ve engineered her to be both powerful and efficient, capable of traversing the steep grade between the mines and our factories¡­wanna try her out?¡±


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    Kylia¡¯s replies. ¡°Of course! I didn''t come out here just to talk!¡± Kylia quickly climbed aboard the Honey Badger. ¡°Ready?¡± she called out, gripping the controls. Stalevi¡¯s men shouted in unison, ¡°Aye!¡± as they climbed onto the Honey Badger¡¯s tender.


    With a deep rumble, the engine roared to life, steam started to billow out of the chimney, creating white puffs as the engine rolled out of the warehouse. A wooden track of about 100 meters was just long enough to test the initial speed of the engine.


    Crossing the halfway point a few minutes later at 10 kilometers per hour, Kylia then pulled a lever to apply the brakes.


    The Honey Badger screeched to a halt, taking as long to decelerate as when to accelerate. ¡°Impressive!¡± Kylia exclaimed, then questioned ¡°how fast could it really go if the track was long enough?¡±


    Stalevi answered, ¡°20 kilometers without a load, however the Honey Badger will probably operate somewhere around 15 kilometers per hour.¡±


    Compared to some of the trains in the 1840s, with a speed of only 6kmph, this is already premium performance, unless if Kylia switches to a more advanced design, the Honey Badger will be the only type of locomotive the Kingdom of Kylia will be building for a while.


    Stalevi continued, ¡°we already started work on a proper steel rail line that will connect the industrial district with a resource station inland, estimation time of completion is around the end of next year. Then we will create a new line that will connect the industrial district with the residential and commercial districts. This line would take another year to complete, using the excess resources that will be processed after the old line was built, which will speed up construction speed by a fair amount. Sadly, because of the agricultural district being on the south side of the Rosa river, we will have to construct a bridge extending a gap of 2 miles and supporting an enormous weight, which is far beyond our capabilities.¡±


    The average width of the Rosa River is 2 miles wide, which is twice the average width of the Mississippi and is also twice as deep. Naturally, this makes the Rosa River a geographical barrier that the Kingdom of Kylia cannot bridge with the current technology, resources and time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself¡±, Kylia reassured, ¡°If we had more steel and workers let alone crossing a river, we can cross an entire continent by rail. Imagine being able to travel to Sovi City in weeks instead of the years that it usually takes, or mobilize troops and supplies all over the Kingdom in weeks, that will be the future of rail.¡±


    Stalevi¡¯s eyes widened at Kylia''s vision. ¡°Sovi City? That¡¯s ambitious, Your Majesty. But how do we secure the resources for such a venture?¡±


    ¡°I have an ambition.¡± Kylia started to explain. ¡°In a decade, we will definitely go to war against the Rosian¡¯s. Hell, we may be the attackers instead of them in order to take the initiative of the eventual war. And if or when we win, the Coalition will definitely follow and attack with vigour. However, for the Coalition, their military strength was never that good and may even be accidently annexed by us. The Kingdom of Kylia would then expand 10 fold in both territory and population. With a population of a hundred thousand, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to even create a transnational railroad.¡±


    Kylia really does think its possible, after all in the human world, the US employed around 10 to 20 thousand workers to construct the transcontinental railroad that crosses the mountainous west in a couple of years, so it really wouldn''t be a stretch for Kylia to employ a couple thousand to create a transnational railroad that crosses the relatively flat Rosa Basin in a decade or so.


    Of course this all matters if the Kingdom of Kylia can defeat its advisories in the war, yet even with a partial victory, the Kingdom of Kylia would gain enough land to truly stand among the Valor States and replace Rosa as the sole power of the Rosa Basin.

 Chapter 17-Year 10 Election, Year 13 Census And The Start Of An Overpowered Navy

    Four years have passed and the industrialization of Kylia keeps chugging forward, literally now. So far two train lines are now completely operational and running. The resource station line which connects the industrial district and the resource station, which runs east to west, north of Kylia City and the industrial line which connects Kylia City and the industrial district, which runs south to north. Now Stalevi and his team are working on a third line, called the City Line, that will wrap around Kylia City, making transportation in the city a lot faster and more convenient.


    Two years ago the 2nd Kylian election results came out for the Kylian Parliament.


    Prime Minister-Fermer


    Kylian Royalist Party-25 MKP


    Kylian Socialist Party-5 MKP


    Kylian Conservative Party-5 MKP


    Kylian Liberal Party-5 MKP


    Like last time, the Kylian Royalist Party won a majority and Prime Minister Fermer stayed in power, or nothing really notable going on.


    As for the year 13 census¡­


    Total Population-15,408 Increase-5%


    Industrial Population-1,677 To Population-12%


    Rural Population-12,298 To Population-88%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-7,771,907 Kon Increase-30%


    Kylian Revenue-2,720,167 Kon


    Total Kylian Debt-5,415,291 Kon


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-70%


    People in the Armed Forces-150


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-1%


    Kylian Steel Production-60 tonnes per year Increase-13%


    National Strength Index-8.70 Increase-28.69%


    Kylia¡¯s total population is now over 15,000 and slowly approaching 20,000. At the same time Kylia¡¯s industrial population had now exceeded 1000 and is approaching 2000. Because of the surge of industrial population, the center of Kylia City is starting to bustle like a real city instead of a lively town that it normally acts like.


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    The GDP of the Kingdom of Kylia is now ranked 1st among the Valord States, leading the State of Viskov¡¯s 6 million rupees per year and is now second to the Kingdom of Hyrule on the Hylian continent. The federal revenue that Kylia collects per year alone is comparable to the GDP per year of the State of Sovi.


    Kylia¡¯s national debt is now rising as the government borrows heavily to fund more state projects and fund a steadily increasing military budget. In fact Kylia¡¯s military spending now occupies 5% of the nation¡¯s GDP, which is comparable to russia military spending during the first few years of the ukrainian war.


    However, when spending this money to win the future war, Kylia really does not mind the loss, after all if she wins, she can get war reparations from Rosa and anex the Coalition, more than enough to make up for the loss.


    A big part of this military spending is used to buy military supplies such as uniforms, rifles, cannons and ammunition. The rest is used to construct and improve military infrastructure, such as the military base and a military port that was just completed last year.


    When thinking about bridges, Kylia and her advisors realised that Rosa City actually lies on an island in the mouth of the Rosa River. While the river may freeze over during the winter, Kylia does not want to take the risk of falling into a trap. Not only that, but the distance between Kylia City and Rosa City is actually quite big, it''s about the same distance from New York City to Chicago, which is really far on foot. By the time the Blue Army reaches Rosa City, the Coalition may attack and threaten Kylia City, and there would be nothing the Blue Army can do about it.


    The Kingdom of Kylia is surrounded by enemies on all fronts and can not gain a numerical advantage with its army¡¯s mobility.


    This is where the Kylian Navy can shine.


    If Kylia can¡¯t be like Russia where you can have millions on all fronts, then you can be like the British Empire, which can subdue a colony with one ship. It may take several hundreds, to thousands of troops to try and storm Rosa City, but even a small British sixth rate could completely annihilate the Rosians.


    For the last decade, the Kylian navy had been composed of two sail/paddle driven ships, each manned by 11 sailors. Each boat is capable of running a flurry of arrows onto an enemy ship and if needed, a grappling hook can be thrown to board the opposing enemy deck.


    This is very primitive and in an event of war, when thousands will be mobilized, potentially with hundreds joining the Kylian Navy, is also inadequate.


    This is why last year Kylia took the time to build a military port. Sadly, with Kylia¡¯s current shipbuilding technology, Ironclads and battleships are a distant dream for the future, however constructing a sixth rate is possible with Kylia¡¯s current industrial might.


    As the sun dipped behind the forested skyline of the Industrial District, Kylia, Admiral Viyskovo, Stalevi and his team huddled around blueprints in the dim candle light of the main workshop.


    ¡°This¡­is a work of art!¡± Stalevi exclaimed excitedly as he analyzed the construction plans of a ship that had a design similar to the British 1719 Establishment Group of 20-gun sixth rates.


    ¡°The Kylian Navy will truly rule the world¡¯s seas with this craft!¡± Admiral Viyskovo added, ¡°It''s like a fortress on the water!¡±


    Kylia presented to the group. ¡°Its name is the KYV Kylia, the first Kylian Ship worthy enough to have its own name!¡±


    Stalevi ran his fingers over the rough sketches, his mind already calculating the intricate details of the ship¡¯s design. The sixth-rate frigate, compared to what the Kylian Navy currently owned, was a marvel. Its 32.3 m gundeck outsized any other ship in the world by a long margin and could carry up to 240 men, a far cry from the 11 men on the Kylian Navy¡¯s previous ships. With just this one ship, the Kingdom of Kylia would have the strongest navy in the world.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, Admiral,¡± Kylia said, glancing up at the older man, who was leaning over the plans with a look of fierce determination in his eyes. ¡°However there are some problems, such as we can barely operate one ship during peacetime with a crew of only 24 men.¡±


    ¡°Another problem is the cost,¡± added economic advisor Roshi. ¡°Just one ship carries 20 cannons, each one being made up of one tonne of steel. This means it takes 20 tonnes of steel for just one ship and with our current production of 60 tonnes per year, this ship will take up a huge portion of our industrial capacity to construct.¡± She hesitated for a moment, ¡°The total cost of this ship is estimated to be around 650,000 Kon, our military spending last year was only 353,622 Kon, this ship would be worth twice the amount of military spending we did last year. This means we would need to borrow money not only to complete the ship, but also to pay for all of our other military expenditures. If it weren¡¯t for the Kylian Reserve Plan, a ten year 7.274 million Kon military package passed by the Kylian Commision we would be screwed, we would never be able to spend this money.¡±


    ¡°However, don¡¯t forget our economy is also exponentially growing, from year 12 to year 13, Kylian Gross Domestic Product grew by 30% and will definitely keep increasing.¡± Kylia assured. ¡°Also our ability to borrow is very strong at the moment, if we want, it would not be a problem to borrow 2 million Kon before the economy starts to experience any repercussions and if needed, we could even borrow a whole 10 million more Kon before the Kylian national bank would have to declare bankruptcy!¡±


    Turning to Roshi, Kylia added, ¡°We can also pay in installments, which will help lighten the load on our finances. I estimate that if we start this year, we could finish the ship in the middle of year 15.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll oversee the construction carefully,¡± Stalevi said. ¡°The KYV Kylia will be a masterpiece, a testament to what the Kingdom can achieve.¡±


    Admiral Viyskovo¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°We will make it the strongest navy in Valord. The seas will know Kylia¡¯s name.¡±


    Kylia smiled, her resolve firm. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, now let''s get to work!¡±

 Chapter 18-Mobilization

    Being a democracy, in an era where everyone yearns for freedom, the Kingdom of Kylia has a great advantage over non democratic states, is that it''s easier to recruit civilians deep within States hostile to Kylia to become spies.


    §º§á§Ú§Ô§å§ß or Shpyhun sighed after he took a sip of his beverage, listening closely to a conversation taking place at an adjacent table.


    Two years ago he was a poor clerk who lived in a thatched hut on the outskirts of the Coastal city of Rosa when suddenly he was contacted by Kylian spies seeking to recruit intelligence officers to gather information. Shpyhun eagerly agreed when he was promised of becoming a Kylian citizen.


    The group of intoxicated knights were engaged in a boisterous discussion about the current state of affairs between the Kingdom of Kylia and the State of Rosa.


    "I can hardly believe that those foolish Kylians actually believe that the State of Rosa will abide by the Kylian Peace Treaty all the way!" one of the knights slurred.


    "Ever since the Coalition started getting ambitious, this plan has emerged," another responded. "If we really wait until the peace treaty is over and attack with the Coalition, not only will we need to share the profits but we will also be ridiculed by all of the Valor States for lowering ourselves to the Coalition."


    The spy''s attention was piqued by this revelation. His mission was to gather intelligence on the coalition''s intentions, and this information was invaluable.


    "So what do we do?" a third knight inquired.


    "We must demonstrate to the Coalition that we are not to be trifled with," the first knight declared, forcefully pounding his fist on the table.


    "We will strike Kylia hard one year before the treaty expires and make the Coalition face the consequences of provoking us Valor States."


    "As an old Hylian saying goes ¡®kill the chicken to scare the monkey!¡¯"


    "We will then demand exorbitant reparations and territorial concessions from the Kingdom of Kylia!" he laughed drunkenly.


    The spy''s heart raced as he processed the information.


    It appeared that war was on the horizon, and he needed to report back to his superiors without delay.


    As the officials continued discussing their plans, the spy discreetly exited the bar and made his way back to his headquarters.


    He swiftly relayed the gathered intelligence to his superiors, who would in turn transmit the information to Kylia City.


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    One year later.


    After Kylia briefed the intelligence report she immediately issued a national emergency and rushed toward the capitol building. There, political leaders with high standing such as Prime Minister Fermer, Blacksmith Stalevi, Advisor Roshi and President Zoloti were discussing with military leaders Sergeant Odin, Sergeant Yuter, Sergeant Vahon, Sergeant Aviasti, Sergeant Artyleria, General Komada, Admiral Viyskovo and General Morskyy on the impending threat from the State of Rosa.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Prime Minister Fermer began, bowing slightly as he entered the room. ¡°The war we were preparing for is now looming over us, the State of Rosa will likely perform a surprise attack, with the Coalition declaring war after news of a Rosian attack, we must prepare our defenses and strategy accordingly.¡±


    Queen Kylia nodded, scanning the faces around the long, polished oak table. Each military leader bore a different expression¡ªsome grim, others resolute. ¡°What are our other options? Can we negotiate for peace, or is that a futile endeavor?¡±


    Kylia asked this not because she yearns for peace but because if Kylia can strike another favorable deal with the Rosians for a few extra years of preparation, she may choose this option as long as the benefits are big enough.


    President Zoloti, who manages foreign affairs for the kingdom, leaned forward. ¡°Negotiations proved unsuccessful in the past, Your Majesty. Neither we nor the Rosians can accept a new peace treaty, the Rosians will never secede their interests to the kingdom and we already spent too much on the military to back down.¡±


    General Komada crossed his arms. ¡°If we wait until they strike first, it will be too late. We need to preempt their attack. We have the advantage of surprise if we mobilize our troops immediately.¡±


    ¡°A bold approach, Komada,¡± Admiral Viyskovo interjected. ¡°But attacking the Rosian homeland will leave our north and eastern borders open to a Coalition counter attack. We must be cautious, the Coalition will not stand idly by if we strike first.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Admiral Viyskovo.¡± Sergeant Odin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Most of the time the defending party has extreme advantages against the aggressors, while fighting both the Rosians and the Coalition would be a bit of a stretch, defeating them separately should be no problem at all.¡±


    ¡°I also agree with Admiral Viyskovo, I¡¯d say we let them Rosians attack!¡± President Zoloti exclaimed. ¡°With the Rosians being the aggressors and breaking the treaty, our demands of war reparations will be seen as credible internationally, this will allow us to demand more after the war.¡±


    Seeing that everyone in the room agreed to defence, Queen Kylia nodded in agreement then moved onto a different subject. ¡°The current size of the Kylian Armed Forces is composed of 200 men, however the kingdom¡¯s mobilization capacity is around 2000 men. Once we fully mobilize, only one-tenth of our troops will be elite. While the rest won¡¯t be cannon fodder, being that we have been training the population for years now, it''s best to immediately increase our standing Armed Forces to 400 men.¡±


    ¡°To further increase combat effectiveness we can enact multiple military drills this year in order to further increase cohesion between the old and new troops.¡± Added Sergeant Vahon.


    ¡°Also we should increase our efforts of stockpiling our supplies of weapons, ammunition, food and declare martial law.¡± Advisor Roshi suggested.


    ¡°This will ensure that we are well-equipped for battle and prevent any spies from infiltrating,¡± Sergeant Yuter agreed.


    "Very well, it is settled then," Queen Kylia announced, her voice carrying the weight of the decisions being made within the war room. "We will double the size of our standing army to 400 by the week''s end. Sergeant Vahon, I entrust you with overseeing the training routines. Emphasize rapid integration and cohesion-building exercises. Advisor Roshi, you begin the immediate stockpiling of essential resources. I want our reserves maximized within the next month. And yes, we will declare martial law. Effective immediately."


    ¡°This war will be a gamble of life and death for the Kingdom of Kylia.¡±

 Chapter 19-Rosian Attack!

    The river spray stung Captain Chervonyy''s face as he surveyed the Rosian River. The morning sun glinted off the wooden rams of his triremes, a fleet that had terrorized these waters for five decades. 10 ships, each a masterpiece of ancient engineering and 11 crew, rowed in perfect unison, their oars churning the water into a frothy white. He could practically taste victory. The upstart Kingdom of Kylia, had dared to challenge his Valord¡¯s influence in the Rosian Basin. Soon, they would learn the price of such audacity.


    But as a Kylian ship emerged from the mist, Captain Chervonyy felt unease that he couldn''t explain. It was¡­wrong. The Kylian Ship was impossibly large, squat, and had a mast that seemed to touch the skies. It was like a monstrous, floating fortress.


    "First steel, now this?" he muttered, clutching the railing of his flagship, the Rosian Wrath. Rosa¡¯s Butler, a veteran of countless battles, looked equally bewildered.


    "The Kylians have been known to be making impossible possible for quite a while now," the butler responded, his voice tinged with curiosity. "This¡­is pushing the limits. These ships are unlike anything I have ever seen."


    Aboard the Kylian flagship, the KYV Kylia, Admiral Viys?kovo gripped the speaking tube, his steel-blue eyes fixed on the approaching triremes. The waves crashing into the ship''s powerful bow vibrated through his boots.


    "Prepare to engage," he barked into the tube, his voice amplified throughout the ship, alerting its 200 men. "Remember your training. Accuracy is paramount. Let them taste the fury of the KYV Kylian!"


    As the Rosian fleet drew closer, Chervonyy ordered his ships to spread out in a traditional battle formation ¨C a deadly crescent designed to surround and ram the enemy. He underestimated the difference in speed. The KYV Kylia, driven by its huge white sails, surged portside, easily outmaneuvering the triremes.


    Then came the explosions.


    With a deafening roar, the KYV Kylia unleashed a volley of cannon fire. Solid iron balls, propelled by black powder, ripped through the wooden hulls of the triremes like paper. Ships splintered and burned, their crews thrown into the churning water. The air filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the screams of dying men.


    Chervonyy could only watch in horror as his carefully crafted battle plan disintegrated. Their wooden rams, designed to punch holes beneath the waterline, were useless against the thin iron plating of the KYV Kylia, if they could even get close. His archers, armed with bows and arrows, offered no threat against the heavily armored behemoth.


    A sailor fell beside him, a gaping hole where his chest had been. The Rosian Wrath jolted violently as a cannonball tore through its oars, rendering it immobile. The KYV Kylia loomed over them, its cannons trained on the crippled flagship.


    "Abandon ship!" Chervonyy roared, his voice barely audible above the wail of battle. He knew it was over. The Rosian fleet would be crippled for years after this battle.


    He leaped into the water, joining the desperate throng of survivors. He clung to a piece of driftwood, watching as the Rosian Wrath was systematically pulverized by cannon fire. As the flagship sank beneath the waves, taking with it the hopes of 20 years of naval dominance, Chervonyy saw Admiral Viys¡¯kovo standing on the bridge of the KYV Kylia, his face grim and resolute.


    The battle ended in just minutes, not a single scratch inflicted on any of the Kylians. The Kylian Navy, a force of unstoppable iron and fire, systematically destroyed the classical fleet. By evening, the Aegean Sea was littered with wreckage and the bodies of the fallen.


    Chervonyy and Rosa¡¯s Butler, miraculously alive, were pulled out of the water, captured, alongside 23 other Rosian sailors on a Kylian lifeboat. He looked back at the horizon, where the smoke from the burning ships hung like a shroud.


    Sighing to himself as the boat docked the Kylian warship, he made his way onto the deck of the KYV Kylia.


    Meanwhile, to the northwest, the sun beat down on a grassy plain, baking the iron helmets and linen cuirasses of the Rosian Army. Valord Rosa adjusted her sword, her gaze sweeping across the assembled ranks. 1200 Rosian troops were marching, wooden shields well¡­gleaming, wooden spears¡­splintering, ready to meet their enemy! She knew little of them, only the military victory against the bokoblins years back could be used to gauge the combat effectiveness of the Kylians. From what she knew, her sister ¡°Kingdom¡± may be the hardest city she may ever conquer.


    Across the uneven ground, Captain Artyleriya, leader of the 1st Artillery Company, wiped sweat from her brow. Her company of 200 men, with a cannon for Ten each, waited on top of a crescent ridge in grimm silence. Twenty Cannons, polished steel gleaming in the sunlight, stood alert on a slight rise. Behind them, another 1400 men from the 1st and only Kylian Brigade readied to attack. The 1st and 2nd Infantry Companies, led by Captain Yuter and Captain Aviasti, held with their glinting steel rifles, carefully moved to their combat positions. The 1st Cavalry, led by Captain Odin, waved the silver sabers, ready to charge. The Lavovy¡¯s in the Kylian Air Force, led by General Komada, were arming their lightweight pistols, crouched to take flight. And the 1st Logistics Company, led by Captain Vahon, reared to treat the wounded and supply ammunition.


    "Remember your training, men!" Kylia barked, Her voice full and loud yet growled in a Valord accent. "Steady aim, and don''t confront Rosa alone! I¡¯ll take care of her myself."


    Rosa raised her hand. The trumpeter blew a long, resonant note. The Rosian Army, a wall of wood and muscle, began its inexorable advance. Chanting filled the air, a rhythmic war cry that echoed across the lush landscape, meant to inspire fear and courage.


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    Kylia watched through her field glasses, a new product of her Kingdom, a growing sense of pity seemed to form inside her soul. The sheer mass of the Rosian force was indeed intimidating, a tide of humanity that seemed unstoppable, it would be slaughtered when met with modern weaponry. She gave the order as her §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à (Ukrainian for Manyeye) of a central pupil and dozens of miniature pupils in the surrounding iris span while using her four wings to propel her into the air.


    "Prepare to fire!"


    The Rosian Army, oblivious to the deadly weapons arrayed against them, closed the distance. Rosa envisioned the clash of shields, the thrust and parry of spears, the bloody dance of war she knew so well. She raised her sword, ready to lead the charge and confront Kylia head on.


    Then, the world erupted.


    A deafening roar ripped through the air, followed by a hail of bullets that tore into the Rosian ranks. Men screamed, shields splintered, and bodies tumbled to the ground, ripped apart by unseen forces. The chanting ceased, replaced by cries of terror and confusion.


    Rosa watched in horrified disbelief as her men were mowed down like wheat before a scythe. She saw a man next to him, his chest exploding in a crimson mist, fall without a sound. The sword, which she had held aloft moments before, now felt impossibly heavy.


    ¡°Kylia, I will end you and your Kingdom!¡± Rosa roared at Kylia who was hovering 60 meters in the air and 80 meters in front of her. Rosa¡¯s §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à span rapidly before she accelerates towards Kylia at Mach 0.625.


    Kylia, not to be out done, descended forwards at Mach 1 with a white wall of mist forming around her as she touched the sound barrier.


    The time it took for both of them to clash in between the 100 meter gap amounted to 0.17941242431 of a second, about the time it takes for a human to blink. With the Valors brain processing power and reflexes, Kylia and Rosa experienced a full second of time passing by, enough for both sides to pull out their swords to take a passing strike at each other.


    At such speeds, head on collision will be a disaster for both parties. Even though Valors can do many feats that are considered inhuman, they are still biological beings that obey the laws of physics. Meaning if you get a Valor and accelerate it into an opposing force at fast enough speeds, it will likely go splat into that force or any other speed related injury.


    But there was no turning back.


    With the option of using anime fist style gone, using a sturdy dead inanimate object as a weapon and striking at the right time is crucial for victory.


    Both Rosa and Kylia adjusted their trajectory by a fraction of a degree, angling their blades. They both aimed not for a killing blow, but for a glancing strike, after all they were still ¡°family¡±, fighting an ¡°almost¡± death battle.


    Two pairs of §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à¡¯s, blue and red, span wildly, both anticipating their next move. Rosa shifted her stance, bracing for her sword¡¯s impact, and roared again, a sound that echoed in Kylia¡¯s skull.


    The blades met.


    Then again.


    In a time frame of second both had clashed 5 times, the four later clashes taking longer to decelerate and accelerate back towards each other within a 100 meter radius.


    The impact was a screech of metal against metal, a shower of sparks that vanished in the blinding sunlight. The force nearly ripped the swords from their grasps, sending vibrations shuddering up their arms. Both women in the air staggered for a split second, but recovered immediately, their eyes locked in a fierce, silent battle of wills.


    Behind Rosa, the cannon fire and gunfire continued their horrific work on the Rosian ranks. Smoke and blood mingled in the air, creating a scene of absolute carnage. The ground itself was becoming a muddy swamp of death.


    A full second later after the tenth clash between Kylia and Rosa, Rosa¡¯s sword, made up of inferior Rosian iron, broke apart. Kylia descended downwards behind her lines of artillery towards Captain Artyleriya, while Rosa landed in the midst of her few remaining soldiers.


    ¡°Captain! Focus!¡± Kylia commanded without looking at Artyleriya. ¡°Continue the barrage! Don¡¯t give them a chance to regroup!¡±


    Artyleriya snapped to attention, her face grim. "Yes, General!" She barked the orders to her men, and the cannons roared again, sending another wave of iron death slamming into the Rosian lines.


    Rosa watched with a burning rage as her army disintegrated. The wooden shields were useless against the hail of bullets and cannonballs. The linen cuirasses offered no protection against the tearing metal. Her men, brave and loyal, were being slaughtered like animals.


    "Enough!" Rosa screamed, the word barely audible against the din of battle. "Rally to me! We charge!"


    900 of the remaining Rosian soldiers, driven by desperation and loyalty to their leader, surged forward. But before they could gain any momentum, the Kylian cavalry thundered into action. Captain Odin, a towering figure on a black stallion, led the charge, his silver saber flashing in the sun.


    The cavalry swept through the disorganized Rosian ranks, sabers cutting down soldiers who were already reeling from the artillery barrage. The remaining Rosian soldiers, demoralized and outmatched, fought with desperate courage, but it was a losing battle.


    "Phalanx! Form phalanx!" Rosa roared, trying to regain control, but her voice was lost in the ceaseless din. The Rosian Army, trained for close-quarters combat, was being decimated before they could even scratch the enemy.


    Kylia, having regrouped with her officers, watched as Rosa tried to inspire her men. She felt a strange mix of pity and resolution. "Cease fire!" she shouted, her voice carried across the battlefield as cannons fell silent and rifles stopped firing. Even the cavalry slowed their charge, waiting for further orders. A stunned silence descended upon the battlefield, broken only by the groans of the wounded and the crackle of dying fires.


    Rosa lowered what remained of her sword, the iron dull hilt dull with blood and dust. She lost and had led her men to their doom, a doom they could not possibly have foreseen.


    Kylia saw Rosa standing amidst the desolation, a solitary figure amidst a sea of carnage. Kylia approached slowly, her hand resting on her personal revolver. "Do you yield?" she asked, her voice carrying across the silent battlefield.


    Rosa met Kylia¡¯s gaze, her own eyes filled with a mixture of grief, anger, and resignation. She dropped her sword to the ground, the sound echoing the fall of the State of Rosa.


    "Captain Aviasti, Captain Yuter," Kylia commanded, her voice resonating with authority. "Take your companies and capture the remaining Rosian forces. Captain Odin, chase all who try to escape. Pin them down."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" The officers replied in unison, moving to execute her orders.


    ¡°Rosa,¡± Kylia looked over at her defeated sister. ¡°After we clean up the battlefield, let''s talk one on one in private on reparations, current events and family.¡±


    Kylia stretched out her hand towards Rosa in a trustful manner, the sun setting behind her.


    Hesitating, Rosa then stretched out her own hand, holding on as the two made their way towards the sunset over the battlefield.

 Chapter 20-Reparations

    The crimson sun bled across the horizon, painting the battlefield in shades of mourning as the Kylian forces moved to secure their victory. The air, thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood, hung heavy with the weight of death. Captains Aviasti and Yuter, their faces grim with the realities of war, led their infantry companies through the ravaged landscape. Rifles at the ready, they rounded up the surviving Rosian soldiers, their faces etched with shock and despair.


    Captain Odin, his silver saber still dripping with the blood of the fallen, led his cavalry in pursuit of the scattered remnants of the Rosian army. The thunder of hooves echoed across the plains as they pinned down those who dared to flee, ensuring that none would escape to carry tales of Kylia''s devastating victory.


    Amid the chaos, Captain Vahon and his 1st Logistics Company worked tirelessly, tending to the wounded, Kylian and Rosian alike. Bandages were applied, splints were fashioned, and words of comfort were murmured, a small act of humanity(but they''re not human?) in the face of overwhelming destruction. But even their efforts seemed a bit inadequate against the sheer scale of the suffering.


    Casualties on the Rosian side were devastating. From a pre battle of 1200 men, 700 dead, 100 suffering severe injuries and almost all lightly injured or exhausted.


    Meanwhile, the Kylians Casualties only consisted of this one soldier stepping on a hole in the ground, rolling his ankle.


    It can be said that the Rosians experienced a crushing defeat and now have almost no say in the negotiations of reparations.


    Finally, once the battlefield had been secured and the wounded had been tended to, Kylia turned her attention back to Rosa.


    The walk to the makeshift command tent was silent, punctuated only by the crunch of their boots on the churned earth. The setting sun cast long, distorted shadows that stretched and danced around them, mimicking the uncertainty that hung heavy in the air. Rosa''s hand, still clasped in Kylia''s, felt cold and stiff.


    Inside the tent, the air was marginally cleaner, though the smell of disinfectant and unwashed soldiers still lingered. A rough-hewn table served as Kylia''s desk, littered with maps and dispatches.


    The two exhaustedly stumbled onto two crates dragged in to serve as chairs. During the battle the two clashed for only two seconds, draining a full tenth of their energy reserves. While Valors have high output, durability and endurance leaves much to be desired. A Valor may be able to defeat dozens of men in seconds but when confronted with hundreds, they may soon find themselves consumed to death.


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    ¡°Onto Reparations,¡± Kylia said wearily slumped on her chair. "Rosa, you understand that your state has initiated an act of war against mine. As such, the Kingdom of Kylia demands Rosa City be seceded, a new trade agreement and reparations of 500,000 Kon for 10 years, a total of 5 million Kon. In exchange the Kingdom of Kylia will release all prisoners of war.


    Both Kylia and Rosa Know the State of Rosa is now too weak to protect the isolated New Rosa City in the south, let alone Rosa City coveted by the Coalition. The best result is for Rosa to secede Rosa City to the Kylians. Another reason that compels Rosa to give up Rosa City is to screw the Coalition, the fence sitter, from getting stronger.


    Rosa rose from her chair as she stubbornly refused. "Seceding Rosa City and trade is acceptable but 5 million Kon? Impossible! At most I am willing to give 1 Million Kon, Rosa City represents over half of our population and revenue!"


    ¡°That''s slashing 4/5ths of Reparations!¡± Kylia exclaimed. ¡°How about 2 million Kon, less than half the original deal yet twice yours.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Rosa slumped back down onto the crate, defeated. "Two million Kon it is. What''s the trade deal about?¡±


    ¡°Our Corporations are willing to invest in the productivity of the State of Rosa in exchange for some of its profit.¡± Kylia explained carefully. ¡°We will set up businesses in Rosa, invest capital in some local infrastructure, create new high paying jobs, and increase productivity in exchange for money, sounds good right?¡±


    Rosa considered the proposal carefully. "It sounds too good to be true," she said, suspicion lacing her voice. "What''s the catch? What do you really want from us?"


    ¡°Well¡­For starters we will dominate your market. Kylia gestured vaguely. ¡°Your Autonomy will definitely decrease in exchange for stability and development. However, compared to before where the Rosian market was being squeezed by ours, I think it is more conducive towards Rosian recovery. Without a trade deal to moderate the influx of Kylian goods, the Rosian economy will collapse under the might of ours.¡±


    ¡°Do you accept the terms and conditions mentioned before?¡± Kylia warned.


    Rosa fell silent, absorbing Kylia''s words. She knew her sister spoke the truth, as bitter as it was. The Rosian economy, already struggling before the war, was now teetering on the brink of collapse.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rosa sighed resolutely. ¡°The State of Rosa accepts the responsibility of compensating the Kingdom of Kylia for starting the Kylian-Rosian war.¡±


    Kylia nodded, her expression relaxed. ¡°Good. Now, let us move on to current events. I haven¡¯t heard much from the other Valor States over the last couple of years, however it''s clear that there''s some sort of tension brewing in Hyrule, correct?¡±


    ¡°Correct indeed,¡± Rosa responded with a hint of unease. ¡°Sister Sovi had been reporting sightings of troop movements in the Akkala Province Citadel. Sightings show the Hylians are amassing military equipment and supplies for a potential long term campaign, enough to supply 4000 over a 2 year campaign.¡±


    ¡°In response both Sovi and Viskov started stockpiling and fortifying their States in preparation of a possible invasion.¡° Rosa continued. ¡°To the south brother Pavo reported sightings of increased Hylian Naval exercises near the mouth of the Trench river. Without enough information on the number of Hylians, Pavo and Zeleny have refrained from stockpiling for now with Father and Mother there to provide additional support.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the Hylians continue to act in unpredictable manners,¡± Kylia mused, tapping her fingers on the table. ¡°Our sources also indicate increased activity but the information is only circumstantial and indirect at most.¡±


    Rosa nodded, rising from her seat she walked towards the exit, then glanced back at Kylia and warned. ¡°War is coming to the Hylian Continent, you must defeat the Coalition before Hylian preparations are complete. Stay safe out there.¡±

 Chapter 21-Practice and Coalition

    The summer humid air of the Kylian Forest hung heavy, clinging to Kylia''s skin like a damp shroud. Water condensed beaded on her brow, trickling down her temple as she drew another shuriken from a special pouch strapped to her hip. She was fast, a blur of motion that left afterimages shimmering in the air. But power and speed, she was beginning to understand, was not all to strength as she once thought.


    With the Navy securing Rosa''s city and the Blue Army recuperating, Kylia finally had the time to hone her edge. Over the years she had been neglecting her combat training, prioritising national strength over personal strength.


    The battle last week had been a wake-up call. While Kylia was both stronger and faster than Rosa, Kylia could only fight Rosa as an equal, the only real advantage being her sword¡¯s greater durability. If they fought one on one with the same equipment, Kylia may not have won that battle.


    However Kylia is already relatively proficient in swordsmanship, now needing years of practice just to advance in proficiency. With a war coming, Kylia needs a quick way to get stronger fast. The best way to get stronger fast is creating or learning new methods of attack.


    Racking her mind, she looked over all the weird anime combat tricks from memories of the human world and found something that may work especially well for her.


    Manipulated Shuriken Technique practised by the Uchiha from Naruto are almost tailor made for Valors. While the §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à lacks many of the chakra reliant capabilities of the Sharingan, the §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à''s motion capture and resolution capabilities weren''t too far behind.In some ways, it was even superior. The §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à could capture a far broader spectrum of light, differentiating polarized light, and sports a larger field of view than the Sharingan.


    Kylia envisioned the finished Valor Manipulated Shuriken Technique, a gatling gun of metal. Dozens of shurikens, not just for damage, but for distraction. A precisely calculated barrage designed to stun and bind dozens of enemies, to restrict their movements just long enough for her to pass by at Mach 1, killing all of them within seconds.


    She was beginning with the basics. Throwing shuriken wasn''t a problem. She could already hit a stationary target with deadly accuracy at 100 meters range. The challenge lay in throwing a shuriken with steel wire in a way that would wrap around the target, immobilizing it.


    Now, she stood in the clearing, 100 meters in front of her, a crudely carved log hung precariously from a branch, its painted bullseye chipped and faded.


    She tied a nearly invisible steel wire to the shuriken, the wire thin enough to be almost undetectable. She held the wire taut, feeling the delicate tension between her fingers. Kylia took a deep breath, focusing. Her §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à span faster as she focused on the wire, on the target, on the precise trajectory she envisioned.


    With a flick of her wrist, the shuriken shot forward, a silver glint against the green backdrop. It flew straight, true, but as it neared the dummy, Kylia willed it to curve. She subtly adjusted the wire''s tension, the shuriken wobbled, then swerved violently, missing the target by a wide margin. It embedded itself in a nearby tree, the wire snapping taut and vibrating.


    Kylia sighed, the humidity suddenly feeling heavier. Failure. But she wouldn''t be deterred. She retrieved the shuriken, carefully examining the wire. The tension was too great. Compared to the anime, real life physics are a lot harder to work with.


    Again and again, she threw. Each throw was a lesson, a refinement of her technique. Sometimes the shuriken flew straight, the wire useless. Sometimes the wire snapped, too much pressure. Sometimes it wrapped, but not around the target, around a branch, around itself.


    Hours passed. The sun began to dip below the canopy, painting the forest in hues of orange and purple. Sweat plastered her blue hair around her sideways K shaped black horn.


    Finally, as the last rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, she did it. A perfect throw. The shuriken sped towards the log, and with a subtle tug, a delicate twist of her wrist, the wire responded. The shuriken curved around the dummy, the wire wrapping around its wooden limbs, binding it tight.


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    Kylia exhaled, a slow, triumphant breath. It wasn''t perfect. The binding wasn''t as tight as she envisioned, and with enough force, the log could probably break free. But it was a start. At least a proof of concept.


    Surveying the training ground, a landscape of shuriken, steel wire and splintered wood. A grin stretched across her face. With a sigh of contentment, she went forward to clean up the carnage.


    Meanwhile in the City of Okland six lords leading the Coalition of City States huddled around a massive, oak table. The fire crackled and spat, casting dancing shadows on their faces. A map of the Rosa Basin, painstakingly crafted from hundreds of years of exploration, dominated the center. The air in Lord Koal¡¯s war room hung thick with the scent of woodsmoke, sweat, and barely restrained ambition.


    Lord Koal himself, a man shaped like a round piece of coal and with a permanent frown etched into his weathered face, cleared his throat. "We are all here. Let us speak plainly. For too long, the Kingdom of Kylia has prospered while our lands suffer. Their coffers swell while our bellies grow thin...They hoard the secrets like steel flowing endlessly as water. We, the lords of these neglected territories, will change that."


    Around the table, heads nodded, though the agreement felt more like a fragile truce than a unified front.


    Lady Aysedora of Rishka, a woman whose beauty belied a ruthless intellect, spoke next. Her voice, sharp as honed steel, cut through the tension. "Koal is right. Kylia''s grip on the Rosa Basin market is strangling us. But attacking head-on is risky. As a Valor State, their Army is elite, their resources plentiful ."


    Lord Boryslav of Roscof, a frail man with eyes that darted nervously, wrung his hands. "I agree with Isadora. Kyllia''s forces are¡­ formidable. The Kylian victory against the bokoblins with zero casualties is daunting."


    "Bokoblins are easily dealt with," scoffed Lord Kraut of Konsburg, a brute of a man with a scarred face and a penchant for violence. "Give me a hundred men and a few well-placed bowmen, and those overgrown pigs will be nothing more than charred corpses." Kraut was eager for a fight, his desire for lands and glory barely contained.


    Lord Starodavniy of Kokhavor, the oldest of the group, a seasoned veteran with countless battles under his belt, remained silent, studying the map with a critical eye. Finally, he spoke, his voice raspy but firm. "Kraut¡¯s enthusiasm is admirable, but foolish. Raw force alone will cause the Coalition to consume too many resources, making our core territory susceptible to attack from the State of Viskov to the north. We need a plan. A cunning plan."


    He pointed a gnarled finger at a visible small mountain range marked north east of Kylia City. "The Kylian Mines. A treacherous route, yes, but largely unguarded. If we can funnel the Coalition Army through there, we can quickly advance south west into Kylia¡¯s Capital."


    Lord Neshchadnist of Techiya, a young, ambitious lord with a reputation for ruthlessness, leaned forward. "The Kylian Mines... risky. How long would it take to navigate that pass?"


    "Two weeks, at best," Starodavniy replied. "But the element of surprise would be worth the risk. Even when the Kylians discover our forces, it''s impossible to mobilize and send enough troops up the mountain within three weeks. By the time the Kylians mobilize some of their troops up the mountain, we will be at the gates of Kylia City."


    A heated discussion ensued. Koal favored a direct assault to showcase his strength. Aysedora argued for a prolonged siege, starving Kylia into submission. Kraut wanted immediate action, regardless of the cost. Boryslav, paralyzed by fear, suggested sending envoys to negotiate, a proposal that was met with derisive laughter. Neshchadnist, driven by ambition, saw the Kylian Mines as an opportunity to distinguish himself, but worried about the potential losses.


    For hours, they debated, argued, and threatened each other. The fragile truce that had brought them together teetered on the brink of collapse. Finally, Koal slammed his fist on the table, silencing the room.


    "Enough! We are wasting time. We will use a three-pronged approach. Starodavniy, you will lead a small, elite force through the Kylian Mines. Kraut, you will launch a feigned assault on the western front to draw their attention. Aysedora, your fleet will blockade the Kylia City, cutting off their supplies. Neshchadnist, you will command the main force, following Kraut feint with a full-scale attack when the time is right."


    He paused, his gaze sweeping across their faces. "This is our chance to seize what is rightfully ours. But remember this, lords. Success will require unity, discipline, and above all, ruthlessness. Should Kylia fall, the spoils will be divided amongst us. But failure¡­ failure will mean death for all of us."


    The lords exchanged wary glances. The plan was dangerous, the risks high, but the potential rewards were too tempting to ignore. One by one, they nodded their agreement, sealing their fate and plunging the Kingdom of Kylia into a war it did not yet see coming. The fire crackled, casting long, menacing shadows, as the six lords, their hearts filled with a mixture of ambition and dread, prepared to unleash their fury upon the unsuspecting kingdom.


    Unbeknownst to them, the very kingdom they considered weak and ripe for the taking had recently crushed the regional power of Rosa, a feat that had kept the city states in subservience for three decades.


    Their ignorance would lead them directly into the jaws of a rising superpower, a fact they would soon learn in blood and iron.

 Chapter 22-Weak Rishkan Navy

    East of Kylia City, on the Rosian River, the chilly autumn winds howled around the two triremes of the Rishkan ¡°fleet,¡± sending waves crashing on the bows and spreading fallen leaves everywhere. Captain Baton, a fat loaf eager for glory, adjusted his helmet, the plumes swaying slightly in the gentle breeze. Before him, the riverbank of Kylia City rose from the horizon like a slumbering beast.


    Under the incompetence of Baton, the Rishka Navy had completely disregarded the combat effectiveness the Kylians showed years ago and rushed ahead of the other Coalition forces in order to ¡°plunder¡± Kylia City first.


    "They think they can defy us CityStates, these Kylians," Baton muttered, spitting a stream of curses towards the turquoise water. "A few ramshackle fishing boats and stubborn pride. We''ll starve them out. They''ll be begging for Rishkan¡¯s mercy before the next harvest."


    His plan was simple: a classic blockade. The Rishkan fleet, a ¡°formidable¡± force of two triremes, would encircle Kylia City¡¯s Port, choking off its trade and forcing the Kylians into submission. Victory seemed assured. Even though the Kylians were famous for their combat effectiveness against bokoblins, they were seen as little more than a nuisance.


    Baton puffed out his chest, a gesture that strained the seams of his elaborate, yet ill-fitting, breastplate. "Signal the men! Prepare to form the blockade! We''ll show these Kylians what happens when you challenge the might of Rishka!"


    The signal flags were raised, their crisp snaps lost in the wind''s mournful song. On the deck of the lead trireme, the Rishkan Terror, rowers strained at their oars, their faces grim.


    High above, General Komada squinted against the rising sun. Four squads of Kylian Airmen were rapidly closing the distance to the Rishkan fleet. Below them, one of the Airmen muttered, ¡°Two ships. Pathetic. At least the Rosians could call their Navy a fleet."


    Another chuckled, "Those ships were used by the Kylian Navy as target practice. These¡­are our practice targets.¡±


    Komada¡¯s voice rose over all of them. "Remember your training, Airmen. Do not underestimate the enemy, no matter how insignificant they appear. I don¡¯t want to see any man rolling his ankle on some random pothole like those in the Blue Army."


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    The airmen acknowledged his orders with a chorus of curt affirmatives. As they drew closer, the two triremes became more distinct. They appeared slow and cumbersome, like lumbering turtles against the backdrop of the vast ocean.


    ¡°Begin your attack runs,¡± Komada commanded. ¡°Remember to stay out of the enemy¡¯s bowmen¡¯s range."


    The Airmen peeled off from their formation, each half targeting one of the triremes. Diving towards the decks, they released their payloads ¨C small, incendiary grenades designed to ignite the wooden hulls and disrupt the enemy¡¯s operations.


    From the perspective of the Rishkans, the Kylians were dropping what appeared to be ¡°eggs¡±. They couldn¡¯t possibly understand the danger these ¡°eggs¡± posed to their lives.


    On the Rishkan Terror, panic erupted as the first grenade struck. The rowers screamed in terror as flames erupted from the deck, consuming sails and rigging. Another bomb landed near the captain¡¯s cabin, sending splinters of wood flying and nearly unseating Baton from his precarious perch.


    "What in the name of Ky¡­Hylia!" Baton roared, momentarily speechless. He looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief as he saw the strange, winged Lavovy circling overhead. "Lavovy? They''re attacking us with¡­fire!"


    The other trireme, the Rishkan Fury, fared no better. The Kylian Airmen¡¯s precision strikes quickly turned the proud vessel into a blazing inferno. Flaming oil and screaming sailors filled the air. The Rishkan sailors, untrained for aerial attacks, scrambled for cover, their faces contorted with fear, but there was nowhere to hide.


    The airmen, seeing their initial payloads were highly effective, banked around for a second pass. This time, instead of incendiaries, they carried small, weighted nets woven from a surprisingly strong, local fiber. Aiming carefully, the airmen dropped the nets onto the burning ships. The nets tangled around oars, masts, and, most importantly, the struggling sailors, pinning them amidst the raging inferno.


    One airman, seeing the chaos, even took a few moments to dive down and, with a well-aimed stone, knock the plume from Captain Baton''s helmet. Laughter crackled over the comms as the plume, a symbol of his vanity and ambition, landed squarely in a pool of burning pitch.


    Within minutes, the Rishkan ¡°fleet¡± was more than just a smoldering wreck. The intense heat had reached the ships'' magazines, where supplemental stores of pitch and oil were kept. With a series of muffled, then deafening, explosions, the hulls of both triremes ruptured, sending burning debris and body parts flying into the air. The oily water churned and bubbled, consumed by the inferno. Not a single Rishkan sailor survived. The Rishkan ¡°fleet¡± had ceased to exist.


    The Kylian Airmen, their mission accomplished with ruthless efficiency, regrouped and began their return journey to Kylia City. They left behind only a scene of utter devastation, a burning testament to Rishkan hubris and Kylian Naval might.


    A thick plume of black smoke rose from the turquoise waters, the blockade had utterly failed.

 Chapter 23-Western Front

    "Those Rishkan fools!" Lord Kraut roared, his voice shaking the tent canvas. Maps scattered across the table trembled with the force of his outburst. The flickering candlelight danced in his fiery eyes, reflecting the unbridled fury simmering within.


    He slammed a fist on the table, the impact sending a nearby wooden mug clattering to the dirt floor. His officers, gathered like nervous birds pecking for crumbs, flinched. They knew what was coming. Kraut was a man of controlled rage, but the Rishkan Naval defeat had shattered that control.


    "Underestimate the Kylians? Underestimate them?" He spat the words like poison. "After all the rumors! After all the warnings! Did they think this was some kind of hunting expedition? Did they think their fancy, gilded armor would protect them from the thousands of Kylian soldiers? Did they think their arrogant smiles would intimidate their Valor strongman and tons of steel weapons?"


    Silence hung heavy in the tent, broken only by the crackling fire. Kraut paced, a caged lion desperate to lash out. "They sailed right into the Kylia City¡¯s Port like it was a pleasure stroll. They ignored our plan and drank themselves blind every bloody night! And now? Now twenty-two Rishkan warriors are ¡°dying¡± to alert the enemy! Their expensive armor scavenged, their bones bleached black under that cursed Kylian blue flag!"


    He stopped pacing, his gaze burning into the faces of his officers. "Did they even bother to gather intelligence? Did they study their weaknesses? Did they even care?" He answered his own question with a guttural growl. "No. They relied on their lineage, their coffers, their self-proclaimed superiority. And that, gentlemen, is what cost them their lives and threatens to unravel this entire Coalition!"


    His hand tightened into a fist, veins throbbing in his temple. "The Rishkans were supposed to advance on the eastern front. They were supposed to suppress the Kylian vigilance long enough for us to attack from north and west. Now? Now they know we are on the attack and can take measures to defend. The moment we show up, the Kylian¡¯s will take the initiative to turn a calculated field into a real defeat!"


    He ran a hand through his thinning hair, exhaustion finally creeping into his voice. The outburst had drained him, leaving him raw and vulnerable. "We have to clean up their mess. Now we have lost the element of surprise, we have to take the initiative to attack, or retreat. To retreat means to pull out of the State of Kylia. Doing so will change the direction of the war to Kylia. The Blue Army will take that opportunity to conquer us CityStates one by one. Keeping to the original plan will get us all killed. We have to prove that not all CityStates are so...complacent."


    He looked at his officers, his gaze turning from fury to grim determination. "Prepare the men. We march at dawn. We''re going to show the Kylians that the Coalition main army is not to be trifled with. And we¡¯re going to make those Rishkan ghosts proud, even if they don''t deserve it." He paused, a flicker of something else in his eyes, something akin to grief. "May Hylia forgive them for their folly. It is we who must pay the price."


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    ¡­


    The first rays of dawn painted the sky a bruised purple as Lord Kraut stood before the Coalition Army. Two-thousand strong they stood, most inexperienced recruits, many underequipped.


    He raised his hand, the gesture silencing the murmuring ranks. His voice, amplified by years of command, boomed across the field. "Soldiers of the Coalition! We stand on the precipice of war! The Rishkans, blinded by pride and fueled by foolish arrogance, have stumbled. They have alerted the Kylians to our presence. But we will not falter! We will not break!"


    He paused, letting his words sink in. "The Kylians are fierce, but they are not invincible! They are but one kingdom, a mere fraction of the might represented by the Coalition! We are here to secure this land, we are here to show the world that the Coalition is a force to be reckoned with!"


    A subdued roar erupted from the ranks, a wave of sound that echoed through the valley. Kraut felt a twinge of despair, and a grim determination settled in his gut. He knew the odds were stacked against them. The element of surprise was gone, and the Kylians would be prepared. But he would lead his men to victory, even if it meant wading through rivers of blood.


    He pointed towards the west, towards the looming silhouette of Kylia city. "Forward! For the Coalition! For victory!"


    Kraut rode at the head of the column, his face set in a grim mask. He knew this battle would be a crucible, a trial by fire that would determine the fate of the Coalition.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, within the fortified trenches of Kylia City, Kylia surveyed the preparations. The city was buzzing with activity, soldiers drilling, and civilians fortifying barricades. The Rishkan attack had sent the entire Kingdom on full alert, and since then, every waking moment had been dedicated to preparing for the Coalition''s inevitable attack.


    "Your Majesty," General Komada approached, saluting crisply. "The Kylian Air Force reported a large Coalition force approaching from the west. Estimated strength, two thousand men."


    Kylia nodded calmly. "Two thousand. As expected. Begin taking the Kylian Air Force towards the west bank of the Roscof River. "


    She turned to Captain Odin. "Odin, I''m promoting you to Colonel of the 1st Brigade of the Blue Army.  Let Lieutenant Kinnota of the 1st Cavalry Platoon take your place. I need you to lead the Blue Army to Confront Coalition Forces. The Coalition Army must not cross the Roscof River, do not let them touch our industries."


    Odin, with a fanatical gaze, bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, I will not fail you. The Blue Army will hold the line, or die trying."


    ¡­


    As the Coalition army drew closer to Kylia City, Kraut received a message from his scouts. "My lord, the Roscof River is very heavily fortified. Two thousand Kylian men have been spotted encamped both in front and behind the River."


    Kraut barked a harsh laugh that echoed across the marching ranks. "Two thousand, you say? The total population of Kylia is likely twenty thousand, which means they have all their forces concentrated on the Roscof!. Kylia finally made a mistake! Good! Excellent!¡±


    He clapped one of his subordinates on the shoulder, the gesture almost jovial. "Remember those ''foolish'' Rishkans? They may have blundered, but their sacrifice¡­ their very blunder has allowed us a victory neither they, nor the Kylians, could have foreseen."


    He pointed towards the northeast, towards the distant horizon where a small mountain range was visible through the clear morning air. ¡° Lord Starodavniy of Kokhavor has been leading his men over that small mountain range to the north. Now we can use them.¡±


    He turned back to the troops. "For the Coalition! For riches! For Victory! Charge!"

 Chapter 24-Northern Front

    The mountain wind howled in Lord Starodavniy¡¯s weary eyes as he surveyed the column of soldiers winding its way through the treacherous Kylian Mines. Sharp rocks jutted from the path, biting at the soldier''s boots. Above them, the mountain peaks clawed at the sky, their shadows swallowing the column whole. The air, thin and biting, carried the chilling whisper of wind, a constant reminder of their isolation.


    Starodavniy, despite his age, rode at the forefront, his weathered face a mask of grim determination. He trusted Koal''s grand strategy about as far as he could throw a boulder, but duty, and the promise of Kyllian steel, compelled him. He glanced back at the snaking line of two hundred men, half of his City State¡¯s Army.


    As the days blended into each other, the strain of poor logistics began to show. Men grew restless, their nerves frayed by the constant threat of avalanches and unseen dangers. Food rations dwindled, and the biting wind seemed to seep into their very bones. He had to keep them focused. He needed to remind them of what awaited them on the other side of these mountains: the riches of Kylia, the power they craved, and the chance to finally break free from the kingdom''s suffocating thumb.


    One morning, huddled around a meager fire within a small, relatively sheltered cave, Starodavniy addressed his captain, a hardened warrior named Zakryty.


    "How far, Zakryty?" he asked, his voice raspy.


    Zakryty consulted a worn map. "Till mid sun, Lord Starodavniy, if we keep up this pace. We''ll be beyond the main passes, descending into the Kylian lowlands."


    "And what then?" Starodavniy pressed, his gaze unwavering.


    "Surprise, Lord Starodavniy. We move swiftly, silently, strike at key crossroads and watchtowers. Before they even know we are there, we will be at their doorstep."


    Starodavniy nodded, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "Good. But remember, we are not here for plunder. Our target is the city. We hit fast, hit hard, and rout their communications. The longer they have to react, the greater the risk to us all."


    Unbeknownst to both of them, a shadow flickered above just beyond the clouds. A Kylian Lavovy ranger, separated from his patrol during a scouting mission, had stumbled upon their camp.


    Understanding the importance of his discovery, the ranger quickly retreated into the blizzard.


    ¡­


    Standing on the bank of the Roscof River, Kylia held a neatly rolled scroll sealed with a stark black sideways K sigil. Opening it, a frown etching lines into her otherwise serene face.


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    "Starodavniy of Kokhavor, what a smart man," she murmured, the name a faint whisper in the bustling encampment.


    Starodavniy, she thought. He understands the element of surprise. He''s leading his troops through the most treacherous route, a path thought impassable at this time of year. Napoleon-like maneuver. If the Kingdom of Kylia had been any other normal Valor State, an attack from three fronts, north, west and east, would have pushed the Kingdom beyond its limits. A ghost of a smile touched her lips. She admired cunning, even when it was directed against her.


    Even with the poor execution of the Rishkan Navy, the Kingdom of Kylia would suffer heavy losses once Starodavniy slips into the Kylian heartland. The majority of Kylia¡¯s resource industry lies at or near the Kylian Mines, including an expensive 10 km railroad that Kylia has been investing in over the years. In total, twenty years worth of heavy investment lies in the area, losing it will be both crippling to the military and civilian capabilities of Kylia.


    The Kylian Mines are also strategically important to the security of Kylian territory. The Kylian Mines protect the Kingdom of Kylia from northerly threats just like how the Alps protect Italy from the rest of europe.


    While Kylia does mention the Kylian Mines being ¡°small,¡± its size is comparable to the Alps around 200,000 square kilometers. The reason Kylia mentions the Kylian Mines as small is because the Viskov Mountain Range nearby to the north is twenty times larger, occupying an area of 4 million square kilometers. The Gerudo Mountain Range stretches 10,000 kilometers, about the length of the US-Canadian border. The Rosa Basin Mountain Range to the east is the longest, stretching 20,000 kilometers, its area uncountable.


    Compared to the colossal Viskov, Gerudo, and Rosa Basin Ranges, the Kylian Mines at best were a small hill, but really important nevertheless.


    Captain Yuter, ever vigilant, noticed her change in demeanor. "Your Majesty? Is there a problem?"


    Kylia handed him the scroll. "A scout has confirmed a Coalition detachment traversing the Kylian mine passages, led by Lord Starodavniy himself. Estimated strength, approximately two hundred."


    Yuters¡¯s brow furrowed. "Two hundred? A token force. Why risk such a perilous route for so few?" He looked up, realization dawning. "They intend to bypass our defenses at the Roscof. They''re aiming for the city directly."


    Kylia nodded grimly. "They believe they can cripple our command structure, spread chaos, and force a surrender before our main armies can react. A serpent striking at the heart, while the body is distracted."


    Yuter slammed a fist on a supply wagon, the sound echoing throughout the clearing. "Dammit! That guy is smarter than Rosa!"


    "Indeed," Kylia agreed at the expense of her sister. ¡°Both the Blue Army and Kylian Air Force are pinned to the western front and are too far to intervene, so we can¡¯t rely on them. I heard General Mors?kyy of the Kylian Marines has been bored lately, a train ride to the Kylian Mines is more than enough to cure depression, especially when paired with rifles and gunfire.¡±


    Kylia smiled, a glint of steel in her eyes. "Send the message to General Mors''kyy. It seems our landlocked marines are about to get a mountain excursion."


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    The cry ripped through the encampment, a frantic counterpoint to the already frantic activity. Mud sloshed as soldiers scrambled to their positions, cannons and rifles loading, a somber rhythm against the backdrop of the impending battle.


    On the distant horizon, a dark line had solidified, resolving into the unmistakable shapes of advancing enemy troops. The Coalition army, finally appearing on the western front, a vast wave of spears and shields.


    The battle had begun.

 Chapter 25-Battle of Kylia

    The scout wiped sweat from his brow, the dry air scratching his throat like a shrub. He knelt low, the foliage itching against his skin, and peered through the leaves. "Report! They look¡­ weak," he whispered, hardly believing his eyes. The Blue Army of Kylia, their hastily erected fortifications lining the Roscof, seemed almost¡­ quaint. Large steel tubes stuck up from the earth and the soldiers held what appeared to be crude, iron-bound pipes affixed with clumsy blades. It was almost laughable.


    News of the easy pickings reached Lord Kraut. He cursed under his breath. Too easy. It smelled like a trap.


    Especially with the amount of metal the Kylians had brought with them. Iron in the Hylian continent, with its classical era technology, was notoriously difficult to mine and extract in large quantities. This scarcity made iron a precious commodity. Steel, in particular, could sometimes be more expensive than gold. Yet, the Kylians casually placed such expensive metal on the battlefield. The unsettling abundance of iron and steel screamed of deception. The metal must serve some purpose beyond a mere flaunt of wealth.


    But at this point retreating would result in being chased by the Kylians or worse a full blown rout.


    "Advance!" he roared, his voice echoing across the field. "The Kylians are crumbling! Push them back to their city!"


    The Coalition army surged forward, abandoning formation in their haste. They plunged into the Roscof, the water reaching their waists.


    On the Kylian side, Colonel Odin watched the chaotic advance, his weary face fixed in a mask of grim determination. He adjusted his grip on his saber, raising it high. ¡°Open fire!¡± he shouted, his voice straining against the growing roar of the advancing Coalition.


    Twenty cannons, their barrels gleaming ominously in the afternoon light, roared to life. The far bank of the Roscof became a churned hellscape. Iron tore through the air, ripping into flesh and earth with equal ferocity. Dozens of Coalition soldiers were annihilated in that first volley, limbs flung skyward, bodies reduced to ragged heaps. The air filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the sickening scent of blood.


    Still, they came on, a relentless tide fueled by desperation and the promise of victory. Those who survived the artillery barrage scrambled into the Roscof, the murky water turning crimson. But waiting for them on the Kylian side were Yuter¡¯s infantrymen. Disciplined and well-trained, they knelt in the muddy trenches. Their rifles barked in a deadly chorus, each shot aimed, each kill deliberate. Lead tore through the already decimated ranks of the enemy, dropping them like puppets with severed strings.


    The river became a killing field. The Coalition soldiers, caught between the hammer of the cannons and the anvil of rifle fire, were slaughtered. Their cries of pain and fear were swallowed by the thunderous roar of the battle. The promised easy victory had dissolved into a bloody, watery grave.


    Lord Kraut, now in the thick of the advance, felt the ground shudder beneath his feet. The air screamed with the whistling of projectiles. He saw a man beside him ripped apart, his body exploding in a shower of blood and bone. He knew then that his fears were justified, that he had walked into a slaughter.


    He can only hope lord Starodavniy¡¯s surprise attack is successful.


    ¡­


    The steam train rattled along the newly laid tracks. Inside, General Mors¡¯kyy hummed a jaunty tune, a stark contrast to the grim faces of thirty marines crammed into the carriages. Mors¡¯kyy, a man built like a bear and with a laugh that could shake the rafters of the grandest hall, possessed a keen tactical mind hidden beneath his jovial exterior.


    "Lowlanders, they called us," he chuckled, his Ukrainian accent thick as molasses. "Well, let''s show those Coalition dogs what a little mountain fighting looks like!"


    His men, a hardened bunch, grinned in response, the glint of polished rifles reflecting the dim light filtering through the train windows. They were eager, restless. Years of coastal patrols and ceremonial duties had dulled their edge. This was their chance to prove themselves, to earn the respect that had been denied them by the Blue Army. The Kylian Marines, often the butt of jokes, were now about to become legends.


    The train screeched to a halt just outside the Kylian Mines, the landscape abruptly transforming from rolling plains to a jagged tapestry of rock and shadow. The air thinned, carrying the scent of pine and the biting chill of altitude. Clearly, this was no place for cavalry charges or open formations.


    Meanwhile, deep within the labyrinthine passages of the Kylian Mines, Starodavniy of Kokhavor felt a prickle of unease. His two hundred men, veterans of countless battles, marched cautiously, their shields held high, spears at the ready. The flickering torchlight danced across the damp walls, casting grotesque shadows that played tricks on their eyes.


    The initial success of their infiltration had been intoxicating. They had bypassed the enemy''s main force, slipped through the supposed "impassable" terrain, and were poised to strike a crippling blow to the Kingdom of Kylia. He envisioned the chaos, the panic, the surrender. Victory seemed within his grasp.


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    "Lord Starodavniy," his trusted captain, Zakryty, approached, his voice hushed. "The terrain is¡­difficult. Our formations are stretched thin. It will be impossible to react quickly if we are attacked."


    Starodavniy frowned. He had underestimated the challenge of these mountain passages. His troops, accustomed to open battlefields and swift maneuvers, were ill-suited for this claustrophobic environment.


    Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle pierced the air, followed by a thunderous explosion. Rocks rained down from the ceiling, burying several men alive. Panic erupted.


    "Ambush!" someone screamed.


    From the darkness above, Kylian Marines descended on ropes, rifles blazing. The mines echoed with the deafening roar of gunfire, a sound unlike anything Starodavniy¡¯s men had ever heard. Black powder smoke filled the tunnels, obscuring the already limited visibility.


    These weren''t the disorganized levies Starodavniy had expected. These were disciplined soldiers, masters of this treacherous terrain. They moved with the agility of mountain goats, using the shadows and narrow passages to their advantage. Each shot was precise, deadly.


    Starodavniy rallied his troops, shouting orders that were drowned out by the cacophony of battle. Their spears were useless in the cramped tunnels, their shields offering little protection against the relentless barrage of bullets. Men fell left and right, their leather armor little match for the colonial rifle fire.


    "Hold the line!" Starodavniy roared, his sword raised high. But the line was already broken. The Coalition troops, terrified and disoriented, were retreating in disarray.


    ¡°Oorah!¡± The Kylian Marines charged, their battle cry echoing against the harsh mountain terrain as they crashed into the Coalition line. Their youthful enthusiasm, however, masked a lack of seasoned experience. The ferocity of the Kylian attack inadvertently exposed weaknesses in their formation, revealing hidden tunnel entrances carved into the mountain¡¯s face. Sensing an opportunity, Lord Starodavniy seized it. He barked orders and led half his remaining men into the tunnels, disappearing into the darkness.


    When the dust settled, twenty Coalition soldiers lay dead, and eighty were prisoners of the Kylian advance. But the victory was bittersweet. The Kylians mourned their first confirmed military casualty: Staff Sergeant Nevdalyy Lyudyna of 3rd Marine squad. He had fallen in a desperate close-quarters fight, a fatal knife wound to the heart, protecting his squad from a Coalition soldier''s desperate lunge.


    General Mors¡¯kyy sighed, the cruel reality of war biting hard. Kylia''s initial streak of luck, battles fought with zero casualties, had ended. Nevdally wouldn''t be the first and he wouldn¡¯t be the last. He zipped Nevdally into the waiting body bag, a grim ritual completed. With heavy hearts, Mors¡¯kyy and his remaining soldiers gathered the subdued Coalition prisoners. They boarded the Train, its wheels set for the long, sorrowful journey back to Kylia City.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile on the western front, Lord Kraut, knee-deep in the bloody Roscof, strained to hear something, anything, above the incessant roar of the cannons and the desperate cries of his men. With no sign of Lord Malack, the Coalition forces had spent over half of their combat effectiveness, pressing on the Kylian defenses with no victory in sight. The bodies of Coalition troops, shredded by cannon fire and riddled with bullets, clogged the river, turning the water into a crimson soup.


    "Fall back!" Kraut roared, his voice hoarse, seeing Lord Malak¡¯s surprise attack had somehow failed. "Fall back to the treeline! Regroup!"


    Seeing the retreating Coalition forces, Colonel Odin drew out his saber. "Cease fire!" he commanded again, his voice raspier this time. "Fix bayonets! Prepare to advance!"


    The Kylian infantry, a mix of conscripts and veterans, rose from their muddy trenches and methodically affixed their bayonets to their rifles.


    "Advance!" Odin roared, his saber flashing in the dying sunlight. "For Kylia!"


    ¡°Oorah! Oorah! Oorah!¡± A wave of 800 blue Kylian Infantrymen surged forward, crashing into the Roscof. The water, still stained crimson, swirled around their boots as they waded across.


    The Coalition retreat quickly turned into a rout. The Coalition soldiers, already demoralized and exhausted, panicked at the sight of the advancing Kylian bayonets. They scrambled back towards the treeline, abandoning their weapons and armor in their haste.


    From atop a slight rise overlooking the carnage, Captain Kinnota, ramrod straight in his blue uniform, surveyed the scene. He adjusted his fur hat and lowered his field glasses, a grimacing smile on his lips. ¡°The Coalition retreats faster than they charge,¡± he murmured, his voice carrying the distinct accent of Urban Kylian. ¡°Time to give them another reason to run faster.¡±


    He gestured sharply, snapping his fingers. A Staff Sergeant, his face splattered with mud, scrambled forward. ¡°Captain?¡±


    ¡°Release the Cavalry!¡± Kinnota barked. ¡°Let them taste Kylian steel on their spines. Give them a final, unforgettable lesson in humility.¡±


    The Sergeant saluted crisply and relayed the order. A moment later, the ground trembled. From behind a low ridge, two hundred Kylian cavalrymen thundered forward.


    ¡°After them! For Kylia!¡± Kinnota screamed, his voice filled with savage joy.


    ¡°Oorah!¡± The Kylian Cavalry charged, cutting down Coalition men with sabers as they fled. The already panicked Coalition soldiers scattered like frightened sheep.


    Kraut, amidst the chaos, saw the approaching cavalrymen. He knew that if they didn''t rally, they would be hunted down and slaughtered. He screamed, his voice hoarse and fanatical. "Form ranks! To me! Stand and fight!"


    Miraculously, some responded. About three hundred men, around half of all Coalition forces still standing, turned to face the oncoming cavalry. They formed a ragged line, spears pointed, a desperate attempt to create a wall of wood.


    Surprised, the first rank of cavalry slammed into the makeshift spear wall. The impact was brutal. Spears shattered, men screamed, horses reared. But the line held. Three hundred Coalition soldiers, armed with wooden spears and shields, managed to momentarily hold off the Kylian cavalry.


    From atop the ridge, Captain Kinnota cursed. "Those Coalitionists! They''re slowing us down!"


    Seeing their opportunity, the four hundred men, the remnants of the Coalition forces continued their retreat, now a little less panicked, a little more organized. They scrambled over the treeline and disappeared into the dense forest.


    In the rear of the battle, Colonel Odin watched the spectacle with satisfaction. The remaining Coalition force was broken, shattered, and utterly defeated. He raised his saber high. ¡°For Kylia!¡±


    The Kylian infantry, still knee-deep in the bloody Roscof, their faces grimed with sweat and powder, their bayonets dripping with blood, raised their rifles and roared in response. "Oorah! Oorah! Oorah!"


    They had won the Battle of Kylia.

 Chapter 26-After the Battle

    ¡°The Counter Offensive should be held off for now,¡± Kylia said, her voice a steady beacon in the room. After the battle, Kylia and her subordinates decided to hold a war meeting in Kylia City to discuss the next plan of action.


    ¡°The Kylian winter is coming,¡± she continued. "Attacking in the winter will only exhaust our forces. And while our ammunition reserves are not low, because of the recent battles, it is best to replenish our supplies before committing to a potential couple year campaign. We have also already severely crippled Coalition Forces, they won''t be able to engage in a direct, conventional conflict with us for years to come. Lastly, we need some time to incorporate the new annexed City of Rosa, and build national strength. By springtime, the Blue Army will be at its strongest. They will be at their weakest. And then, we will launch the Counter Offensive


    All Captains nodded in agreement. Kylia City, being the most southern city in the Rosian Basin, has a climate that mirrors that of Kyiv Ukraine, which is already pretty cold during the winter time, let alone invading the other even colder City States to the north. Allso, the casualties inflicted onto the Coalition Army were indeed crippling. Casualties endured by the  Coalition were a devastating 1,700 dead and 300 injured. Kylia, in stark contrast, had paid a comparatively small price: only 10 dead and fifty injured.


    ¡°Now¡­how¡¯s the Kingdom¡¯s national strength doing, especially after this battle?¡± President Zoloti asked, his brow furrowed. ¡°We need to know the state of the Kingdom of Kylia before we can jump to any conclusions.¡±


    A hush fell over the room. Zoloti''s question was the crux of the matter. The war had indeed come at some cost for the kingdom. Manpower, vital for the Kingdom¡¯s unprecedented growth, was now mobilized, bolstering the military. The economy, stretched thin by the war effort, was starting to show the beginning signs of stagnation.


    Economic Advisor Roshi, head of the Bank of Kylia, cleared her throat. "The economy, President, while slowing, is still growing." She fiddled with the clipboard in her hands. "Here¡¯s the results from the year 19 Census."


    Total Population-20,648 Increase-5%


    Industrial Population-4,130 To Population-20%


    Rural Population-16,518 To Population-80%


    Kylian Land Area-1,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-52,714,803 Kon Increase-10%


    Kylian Revenue-18,450,181 Kon


    Total Kylian Debt-60,925,632 Kon


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-116%


    Personnel in the Armed Forces-2,060


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-10%


    Kylian Steel Production-133 tonnes per year Increase-5%


    National Strength Index-55.46 Increase-10.2%


    ¡°As you all know, the Kingdom has switched to a war economy.¡± Roshi explained, ¡°Kylian National Debt has increased to a staggering 60,925,632 Kon or 116% GDP ratio, compared to last year¡¯s 40,947,194 or 85% GDP ratio, a 20,000,000 Kon or 31% increase in one year.¡±


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    ¡°However, Interest rates are practically 0%, the Kylian Government can easily service this Debt with a limit somewhere around 300% GDP ratio,¡± Roshi said with relief, her voice a little steadier.


    Looking down her list, Roshi moved on to government expenses. ¡°Total expenses this year equate to a total of 35,292,561 Kon, creating a deficit of 16,789,665 Kon, over our revenue of 18,450,181 Kon. Of those expenses, military spending now accounts for over half of our budget, at 18,450,181 Kon or 35% our GDP. This is not a concern, this is just the war economy.¡±


    Roshi then warned. ¡°What is a concern is GDP growth slowed down 4/5ths to 10% from the previous year¡¯s 50% and Steel production growth slowed down over 2/3rds to 5% from 18%. Lengthening of all railroads has been put on Complete pause and most infrastructure projects are put on hold.¡± She paused, letting the information sink in. The war was clearly impacting medium-term development.


    ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s urbanized population finally reached 20% of the total population, however by next year that will likely drop with the completion of the annexation of Rosa City. Completely normal.¡± Roshi said nonchalantly.


    Looking up at the audience, she went to her point. ¡°In conclusion, the growth that the Kylian Economy still experiences is likely resulting from the natural increase of population, growing urbanization and workers'' growing experience in production.¡±


    The room remained silent. Looking around, Roshi worryingly glanced towards Kylia who was smiling while holding her thumb up. Kylia, seeing Roshi¡¯s discomfort, coughed, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Thank you, Roshi. That was¡­ really thorough.¡± Kylia turned her gaze towards the former blacksmith, now newly Royalist MKP, Stalevi. ¡°Mr.Stalevi, anything you want to share?¡±


    He cleared his throat, his voice rough from years of shouting over the din of the forge. ¡°Yes, recently, like as of this year, our team of industrialists had finally mass produced enough H1 Howitzers to replace half of the cannons in Vahon¡¯s 1st Artillery Company. They were developed way back in year 15, however were too expensive to manufacture in mass until the recent upgrades in manufacturing technology. We believe these weapons will have a considerable role to fill in the outcome of future Kylian battles.¡±


    A murmur of excitement rippled through the room. Kylia¡¯s eyes gleamed, this was a spark of good news. "Excellent, Mr. Stalevi. This is precisely the kind of progress we need. We will use this time strategically. While our enemies lick their wounds, we will re-arm, re-train, and re-energize. We will focus on integrating Rosa, strengthening our economy, and perfecting our new weaponry!" By spring, we will be ready.¡±


    After a few hours of more mundane discussion, the meeting adjourned, the captains and MKP¡¯s began to disperse, as Old Prime Minister Fermer approached Kylia, whose face was planted onto the table. His face was still etched with concern, but a flicker of hope shone in his eyes.


    "Kylia," he said, his voice gravelly but kind. "You''re overworking yourself. You haven''t slept properly in days."


    Even as a Valor, Kylia still needs to get adequate sleep, in fact, because of the biology of Valors, proper rest may be even more important than humans. Humans have saccades, when the brain experiences a brief "information gap" as the brain temporarily suppresses visual information processing every 50 milliseconds to prevent image blurring, resulting in blindness for 2 hours each day. Humans make up for this gap of information with a mental representation of the external world. Valor¡¯s on the other hand, do not. With multiple pupils for tracking motion, the Valor¡¯s §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à eyes can send a constant perception of the world to the brain. Adding in different color spectrum ranges, wider perception range, and greater clarity of §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à eyes, the Valor brain has to constantly process a larger amount of data in order to achieve a reaction time of 10 milliseconds or faster. This places a lot of strain on a Valor brain.


    Kylia, still slumped at the table, finally lifted her head, her §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à eyes spun wearily as she struggled to focus before her §®§Ñ§ß§î§à§Ü§à eyes stalled and shut under the weight of fatigue.


    Sighing to himself, Fermer retrieved a spare quilt from a nearby closet, its faded fabric softened with age, and carefully slid it beneath Kylia''s head. Then, as silently as he had come, he retreated, leaving her to find what rest she could. The candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on her face as Fermer slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

 Chapter 27-Battle for Okland

    The harsh winter winds had finally yielded, replaced by the tentative warmth of spring. It was at that time the Blue Army left the Kylian Barracks, marching towards Okland through the forests and plains of the Northern Rosa Basin.


    By the time the Blue Army arrived deep into Okland¡¯s borders, it was already early summer. The distances between the City States is unfathomable to Europeans, the Rosa Basin alone is some ten million square kilometers in area. This forces the Blue Army to traverse sprawling forests, endless plains, and treacherous river passes for months, no infrastructure. Fortunately, the Roscof River, a vital artery of the Rosa River, carved a path directly from Kylia City, through the heart of the wilderness, and into Okland.


    The Kylian soldiers, having experienced battle, were a sight to behold. Their uniforms of blue with streaks of black and silver, looked very prestigious against the mottled green background of the Okland forests. Strapped around their waists, beneath the gleaming fabric, were Ukrainian Cossack swords, their leather scabbards worn smooth with age and use. On their heads, each soldier wore a black cap, the proud blue ''K'' emblazoned sideways, a subtle nod to their Kylian heritage.


    The rhythmic crunch of black boots over fallen leaves and snapping twigs reverberated through the Okland forests, frightening any critters lying nearby. The soldiers black gloved hands held rifles and stowed away provisions as they neared Okland.


    Ahead of the main force, Kylia had dispatched Captain Kinnota and his company of cavalry soldiers, their mission to draw the attention of Okland¡¯s forces, to bait the trap.


    Now, all that remained was to wait for the Coalition Army to take the bait.


    Lord Koal of Okland, a man steeped in corruption and fueled by ambition, stood on the outer city walls. His eyes, narrowed with suspicion, scanned the horizon for any sign of the approaching enemy. As a Lord of the City State Coalition, he was committed to defend Okland at all costs, as the City consisted of most of his power.


    Today, it seemed that a threat had arrived. A small Kylian force, numbering a mere two hundred horsemen, had been spotted in the distance, hurtling towards the city gates.


    His military advisor, General Marcus, a man easily swayed by bravado and lacking true strategic insight, stood beside him. His expression was grave, but his eyes gleamed with misguided confidence as he surveyed the scene below.


    ¡°We should attack them, my Lord,¡± he declared, his voice thick with hubris. ¡°It seems that while the Kylians sustained heavy casualties after capturing the City of Rosa and the Battle of Kylia, they now possess enough horses to produce an elite force of knights. But surely a few hundred knights can be brushed aside by our whole army.¡±


    Lord Koal furrowed his brow, contemplating the information. News of Rosa''s defeat had recently spread throughout the international community, sending shockwaves through both Valor and the City States. Kylia''s victory demonstrated the Blue Army was a force to be reckoned with, a reality that gnawed at Koal''s ambition. Then, the Blue Army¡¯s victory over the Coalition at their doorstep sent Koal into a spiral of worry. As part of the Coalition forces, the Okland military had been crippled after the Battle of Kylia. Just seeing the amount of knights the Kylians wielded proved their claims as a truly strong military force.


    He knew that even a small force of Kylian knights could inflict heavy casualties on his poorly trained peasant levies.


    ¡°Send out the whole Okland Army,¡± Koal commanded, his mind already consumed by fantasies of a decisive victory. "We need to crush the entire Kylian Army and show them Okland is no weak City State.¡± He desperately needed a victory to solidify his position and silence the rumors of his corruption that were swirling through the city.


    General Marcus, puffed up with a false sense of superiority, nodded eagerly, quickly relaying the order to one of his men.


    "Bring out the Okland Army! We shall crush these Kylian dogs!" he exclaimed, his voice ringing with misplaced zeal.


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    ¡­


    Deep in the Okland forests, Captain Kinnota and his two hundred riders executed their part of the plan with practiced precision. While Kinnota is a newly promoted Captain in the Blue Army, he had seen his fair share of battles and strategized countless maneuvers for the past Fermerian Army.


    But nothing could have prepared him for the task at hand - retreating his cavalry from the Coalition Army.


    As their horses galloped in front of the chasing enemy he cried out, ¡°Listen carefully, my brothers, we shall lead these men into their glorious deaths, remember NEVDALYY LYUDYNA!¡±


    ¡°For the Queen! For the Kingdom! And for NEVDALYY LYUDYNA!¡± The cavalrymen roared, the distance between them and the enemy becoming smaller and smaller.


    Just when the spears from Coalition horsemen seemed to wave over their heads, a marching song from the main Blue Army rang out, releasing cheers all around. The Okland soldiers, initially emboldened by their pursuit, faltered, their momentum broken by the sudden, ominous music.


    It was the ''Song of the Mines,'' a Kylian battle hymn composed by soldiers in Nevdalyy¡¯s squad. It was a song that instilled fear in the hearts of Kylia''s enemies.


    Captain Kinnota grinned, a flash of white teeth against his grimed face. The trap had been sprung. He glanced back at his men, their eyes shining with a fierce determination. They were ready. He raised his saber, the polished steel glinting in the sunlight.


    "For the Queen!" he bellowed, his voice joining the swelling chorus of the ''Song of the Mines.''


    From the treeline, a sea of blue erupted. The main force of the Blue Army, concealed until now, charged forward, their black boots pounding the earth. Rifles were raised, and the air crackled with anticipation. Okland''s entire army, lured out from their fortifications by Kinnota''s small band and the promise of an easy victory, were now facing the might of Kylia.


    Lord Koal, watching from the city walls, his face drained of color, finally understood the depth of his miscalculation. General Marcus, his bravado having evaporated, stood frozen beside him, mouth agape. They had walked straight into a trap.


    The battle had begun. And Okland was about to pay the price for Koal¡¯s ambition and Marcus¡¯s folly. The ''Song of the Roscof'' echoed across the battlefield, a chilling promise of Kylian victory.


    Seeing a signal from the Queen, who was leading the Blue Army, Kinnota ordered his troops to split in two directions, circumventing the main engagement.


    As Kinnota¡¯s men rode away from the battlefield, he felt a wave of relief ¨C his men were safe, their courage had drawn the Coalition Army to its doom.


    To the sides of the Coalition Army, dust trails marked the path of Kinnota¡¯s cavalry as they veered away, avoiding interference with the main advance.


    As the Coalition Army drew closer, Kylia dismounted to lead her infantrymen into battle.


    Then she shouted a single, decisive word: ¡°Fire!¡±


    The earth shook as Kylian cannons roared, tearing gaping holes in the enemy ranks.


    The battle commenced, a cacophony of explosions and gunfire. Coalition soldiers charged forward, their spears raised high, a desperate attempt to break the Kylian lines.


    The Kylian infantry, in response, unleashed disciplined volleys of rifle fire, inflicting brutal casualties on the advancing Coalition forces.


    Overhead, Kylian Lavovys led by general Komada rained grenades down on the Coalition side, the earth erupting in bursts of dirt and shrapnel.


    Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the air. One of the Kylian cannons had misfired, sowing chaos within the Blue Army¡¯s ranks.


    The Coalition soldiers, sensing an opportunity, surged forward once again, their determination renewed.


    But the Blue Army was not so easily broken. For every Coalition soldier, there were five Kylian soldiers or 400 Coalition soldiers against 2100 Kylian soldiers.


    Soon, Kylia found herself at the forefront of the battle, her presence a beacon of courage for her troops.


    In the midst of the chaos, she found herself face to face with a Coalition soldier. As their eyes met, she couldn''t help but acknowledge the bravery of her opponent.


    With her saber in hand, she struck, a swift and deadly blow that severed his neck. He staggered, clutching at the wound, before collapsing silently to the ground, lifeless.


    Sheathing her sword, she reloaded her rifle, taking aim at another enemy soldier. As she pulled the trigger, wanting to try out the weapon in battle. The Coalition soldier fell, joining the countless corpses that littered the battlefield.


    As the battle raged on, Kylia recognized the opportune moment. She gave the command for a full charge.


    From the enemy flanks, Kinnota¡¯s cavalry returned with thunderous speed, their rifles blazing. The Coalition soldiers were taken completely by surprise, caught in a deadly crossfire.


    Kinnota¡¯s cavalry charged through their ranks, mowing down enemy troops with swift strokes of their swords.


    The Kylian infantry, bayonets fixed, surged forward, splitting the now-disorganized Coalition Army in two.


    Soon, the battle reached its inevitable conclusion. The Blue Army emerged victorious. The surviving Coalition soldiers, realizing the futility of resistance, dropped their weapons, surrendering to the Blue Army.

 Chapter 28-Execution

    With the Coalition prisoners of war secured, the artillery was unleashed upon Okland¡¯s walls. A barrage of thunder and fire, a relentless storm designed to break not only stone, but spirit. When the guns fell silent, the Blue Army marched into Okland.


    The streets were a macabre tapestry woven with the remnants of battle. Broken weapons lay scattered like discarded toys, amidst heaps of debris and the still forms of fallen Coalition soldiers. The air, thick with the smell of smoke and blood, carried the distinct tang of victory. The Coalition flag, a symbol of occupation, had been torn down and replaced with the blue banner of the Kylian nation. Cries of triumph, echoing off shattered buildings, proclaimed the Blue Army''s dominance.


    Despite the jubilant atmosphere, the faces of the civilians lining the streets told a different story. Some eyes held a stark fear, reflecting the loss of their city and the uncertainty of their future. Others, however, offered tentative looks of hope, perhaps grateful for the end of the old regime, clinging to the promise of a better tomorrow.


    The Blue Army marched in perfect formation, a well-oiled machine of war. Their weapons glinted in the sunlight, their uniforms a clear emblem of strength and unity, their heads held high in well-earned pride. The once bustling city was now eerily silent, save for the rhythmic thud of marching boots against cobblestone. The destruction was ignored; the mission, the complete and utter crushing of the Coalition, remained paramount.


    At the city center, a grand flagpole stood defiant, or what was left of it. It had once flown the Coalition banner, a symbol of their control over the northern Rosa Basin. Now, it was dominated by the blue of the Kylian flag, draped proudly over the remnants of its predecessor. In the square below, the defeated Coalition soldiers lay captured, a stark contrast to the Blue Army''s triumphant procession. Each step, each victorious cry, further solidified the Kylian victory.


    Finally, the Blue Army reached its ultimate goal: Lord Koal¡¯s palace. The gates were stormed, any remaining resistance quickly dissolved. The enemy soldiers, demoralized and outmatched, surrendered without a fight. At the top of the palace steps stood Kylia, her voice booming across the city.


    Kylia, her voice amplified by unseen marvels of Kylian engineering, boomed across Okland, a declaration of victory ringing through the ravaged streets. "The tyrant Koal is dethroned! Okland is free! Kyllia has returned to claim what is rightfully ours!"


    The last pockets of Coalition resistance around Lord Koal''s palace crumbled like sandcastles before the rising tide. Inside, the air was thick with the stench of fear and stale wine. Koal, a man whose corpulence spoke of years spent gorging himself on the city''s resources, had attempted to flee, disguised as a servant. But the sharp eyes of a young Kylian soldier, barely out of training, had spotted him.


    Now, he stood shackled before Kylia in the palace''s grand hall, his silk robes stained with dirt and sweat. The tapestries depicting glorious battles of the Coalition were already being torn down, replaced by the familiar blue of Kylian standards.


    "Koal," Kylia''s voice was cold, devoid of pity. "You stand accused of treason, corruption, and the systematic exploitation of the people of Okland. For years, you have bled this city dry, lining your own pockets while your citizens starved. Is this not true?"


    Koal, his face a mask of fear, attempted to speak, but only a strangled gasp escaped his lips. He knew the game was over. The lavish lifestyle he had built on the backs of the Okland citizens was about to come crashing down.


    "Silence!" Kylia commanded. "Your deeds speak louder than any words you might utter. You have betrayed the trust placed in you, and now, you will pay the price."


    She turned to address the crowd of soldiers and Okland citizens who had gathered in the hall, their faces a mixture of awe and apprehension. "This man, this parasite, represents the rot that festered within the Coalition''s rule. Let his fate be a reminder to all who would seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the innocent!"


    The sentence was delivered without hesitation. Koal was to be executed publicly, in the city square, where he had once presided over parades and celebrations of his own supposed glory.


    The procession to the square was a spectacle of poetic justice. Koal, stripped of his finery and forced to walk barefoot, was jeered and spat upon by the very people he had oppressed. The same streets that had once been lined with cheering crowds now echoed with cries of hatred and recrimination.


    In the center of the square, the hastily erected gallows stood stark against the skyline. The ruined flagpole, now adorned with the Kylian banner, served as a grim backdrop. Koal was pushed onto the platform, his legs trembling beneath him.


    As the noose was placed around his neck, Koal finally found his voice, a desperate plea for mercy. "Please! I beg you! Spare me! I can make amends! I can return the wealth I stole!"


    Kylia stood at the foot of the gallows, her eyes unwavering. "Your amends will fall short, Koal. The debt you owe to the people of Okland can only be paid in blood."


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    She raised her hand, and the signal was given. The trapdoor sprung open, and Koal''s body plunged downward. A collective gasp swept through the crowd, followed by a moment of stunned silence. Then, a roar of approval erupted, a cathartic release of years of pent-up frustration and anger.


    Turning towards her soldiers, assembled in ranks bathed in the harsh morning light, Kylia¡¯s voice boomed, resonating with the authority she had earned in the fires of war


    ¡°My brave soldiers! We stand here today, victorious on the battlefield, having conquered the Coalition city of Okland and protected our nation! Your courage and determination have brought us to this moment. I am filled with pride and admiration for each and every one of you! This victory is not just a triumph for our army, but for all of our people! Kylians shall never become slaves!¡±


    The Blue Army roared in response, their unified voice a resounding promise, "Kylians shall never become slaves!"


    "For the unity of the Kylian nation!" Kylia continued to inspire her men.


    "For the unity of the Kylian nation!" they roared back, the shout reaching the highest peaks above, never faltering.


    ¡­


    The next day, inside Okland¡¯s palace, Kylia sat at the head of a long, polished table, flanked by her two most trusted subordinates, Colonel Odin and Captain Yuter. The air in the room hummed with the quiet energy that followed a hard-won victory.


    "For review," she began, her voice sharp and efficient, cutting through the silence like a well-honed blade, "we have secured Okland. A decisive victory against a Coalition force of 400. We captured 350 and eliminated 50 soldiers. Our own casualties were minimal: ten in total, with zero fatalities. The Infantrymen who took the brunt of the Coalition charge paid the highest price. Okland is now home to approximately 8,000 people, a decrease of 10% from the pre-war estimate. The Coalition Army has been effectively annihilated within these walls, and the City of Okland is ours. However, we cannot afford to become complacent. Vast swaths of Coalition territory remain."


    Odin and Yuter nodded, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation. These were seasoned knights, veterans of countless battles, their experience etched into the lines around their eyes. They were men who understood the fickle nature of war, the thin line between victory and defeat.


    "We should aim for the City of Roscof," Odin suggested, his voice steady, like the slow, deliberate burn of a forge, "cutting off Konsburg from the rest of the Coalition. Starve the head by severing the supply lines."


    "Agreed," Kylia replied. "We can then split the Blue Army into two battalions, launching simultaneous attacks on Konsburg and Techiya. A pincer movement. Divide and conquer." Her fingers tapped a complex rhythm on the polished surface of the table.


    "We must also fortify Okland''s defenses," Yuter added, his gaze sweeping over an invisible battlefield, calculating angles and vulnerabilities, "ensuring that our supply lines remain secure. A poisoned well here could undo all we''ve accomplished."


    "We released some prisoners of war, in order to soften the hearts of the Coalition," Odin chimed in, a hint of cynicism in his tone. "A gesture of goodwill, though I doubt it will be reciprocated."


    Kylia nodded in approval. "And when next spring comes, we will withdraw troops from the west and strike east, hitting the remaining Coalition cities of Kokhaver and Rishka in a swift, decisive offensive. We must strike while morale is high, while they are still reeling from Okland. A hammer blow before they can regroup."


    "When do we leave?" Odin and Yuter asked in unison, their unwavering loyalty evident in their eagerness to return to the fight.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a week of rest, at least,¡± Kylia decided. A flicker of humanity softened her otherwise hardened features. ¡°Our soldiers have marched for months, only to fight a hard and decisive battle. They need a brief respite. Therefore," she declared, making her decision, "by next week, we will march for Roscof.¡± The word hung in the air, a promise of more conflict, more bloodshed.


    Meanwhile, that week, Lord Boryslav, the ruler of the City of Roscof, sat alone in his throne room, the weight of his city pressing down on his shoulders. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting long, distorted shadows that mirrored the turmoil within him. His normally confident and stern face was etched with worry and defeat, the lines around his eyes deepened by sleepless nights.


    He had received the news of failure at the Battle of Kylia, and it felt like a physical blow. It wasn¡¯t just a strategic loss; it was the death knell for hope. Along with it came the implied news of his own men''s destruction or capture. Boryslav''s forces were severely depleted, outnumbered by the seemingly unstoppable Kylians. A direct confrontation would be suicidal, a futile gesture that would only lead to more suffering. He faced a grim choice: continue fighting a losing war, fueled by pride and desperation, or surrender to the inevitable.


    Painful as it was, Boryslav knew that surrendering was the only viable option for his people''s survival. Unlike most of his companion lords, he was more compassionate, and he felt his primary responsibility was to protect his citizens, even if it meant sacrificing his own ego.


    With a heavy heart, he summoned his most trusted advisors to discuss the possibility of surrender. The council room was thick with tension, the air heavy with unspoken fears. Some advisors vehemently opposed the idea, fearing that surrender would brand them as cowards, a stain on their honor that would never wash away. But Boryslav knew that his people''s well-being had to come first, even before his own pride, before the legacy he would leave behind.


    One advisor, General Buntars?kyy, a hulking figure with a scarred face and a booming voice, voiced the dissent within the room. ¡°My lord, surrendering to the Kylians would mean giving up our land, our people, our pride. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. We must fight! We must bleed for Roscof!¡±


    Boryslav sighed, the sound weary and defeated. ¡°I am aware of the consequences, Buntars?kyy. Believe me, I understand the cost. But we must also consider the well-being of our people. We cannot continue fighting a losing war. Our forces are scattered, the Kylians are too strong. To resist further would be madness. We must end this pointless bloodshed before it¡¯s too late.


    The other advisors offered reluctant nods of agreement, their initial objections slowly eroding under the weight of reality. Lord Boryslav''s decision was made: Roscof would surrender to the Kylians, praying that there would be mercy shown.

 Chapter 29-Betrayal and Battle for Roscof

    The field in front of the City of Roscof buzzed with disciplined energy. Rows upon rows of Kylia Infantry stood at attention, their polished rifles reflecting the morning sun. The air thrummed with the unspoken promise of a battle, a promise that had seemed inevitable for the better part of a year. At the head of her forces, Kylia stood beside Odin and Yuter. Her gaze, sharp and unwavering, was fixed on the imposing walls of Roscof, a city that had defied her dominion for far too long.


    A Roscof messenger, breathless and dusty, had arrived moments ago, bearing a white flag and a proclamation. A surrender. It was a bizarre, almost insulting turn of events in a war that had been defined by stubborn resistance and costly sieges.


    "So they surrendered, just like that?" Kylia asked Odin, skepticism lacing her tone. It didn''t feel right. Lord Boryslav, while known to be kind and cowardly, wouldn''t be this cowardly.


    Odin and Yuter remained silent, their expressions a mixture of surprise and cautious anticipation. They awaited her orders, their loyalty absolute. They had learned to trust in her instincts, a gift that had guided them through countless victories and averted numerous disasters.


    She sighed, a plume of breath misting in the crisp air. "Men," she addressed her troops, her voice carrying across the field, amplified by the natural acoustics of the valley. "Today, we have received a message from the enemy city. They wish to surrender without a fight. This is unexpected, but it offers an opportunity to capture Roscof without further bloodshed, a chance to save lives on both sides."


    A ripple of surprise ran through the ranks. The Coalition, their most formidable opponent, the bastion of resistance, was giving up without a struggle. Doubtful murmurs and hesitant whispers filled the air. The rank and file were weary of war, but they also knew that easy victories were often the most dangerous.


    "If they want mercy, fine, I¡¯ll give them mercy," Kylia continued, her voice hardening with a resolve that brooked no argument. "The City of Roscof will hand over all their weapons and resources to the Blue Army. They will provide water and shelter to our troops, but can keep their meager food supplies. Roscof will be placed under martial law by the Blue Army. Lord Boryslav will lose his title, but can run for office in the future. A new city government will be elected by the citizens of Kylian Roscof immediately before our departure. These are my terms. Uncompromising, but fair."


    She turned to Odin. "Yuter, send a squad leader, someone with a silver tongue and a steady hand, to deliver these surrender terms immediately. Emphasize that compliance is their only path to survival." Then to Yuter: "Odin, just in case this is a trap, keep the men on high alert for anything suspicious. I want patrols doubled, watchtowers manned, and every shadow scrutinized. This sudden capitulation stinks of treachery."


    "Yes, your majesty," they responded in unison, relaying the orders to their subordinates with practiced efficiency. A flurry of activity erupted as soldiers scrambled to carry out her commands.


    For now, they waited. The uneasy silence stretched on, punctuated only by the rustling of provisions and the distant caw of the Hylian equivalent of a raven.


    Inside the claustrophobic walls of Roscof, tension crackled like lightning before a storm. The city, once united in its defiance, was now fractured and chaotic. The citizens were divided, their loyalties torn between the familiar grip of Lord Boryslav and the rebellious spirit of General Buntars?kyy. The Kylian advance had seemed unstoppable, and while many wished for peace, Buntars?kyy refused to yield, clinging to a flicker of hope that even he knew was dying.


    Their central point of division, and the source of the present turmoil, was Lord Boryslav. The two men had been at war, both internally and externally. Boryslav, weary of the bloodshed and fearing the inevitable, had been trying to convince Buntars?kyy to surrender for weeks, recognizing the benevolence of the Kylian Queen and the peace that could follow. Buntars?kyy, fueled by unwavering ambition and a deep-seated lust for power, stood firm in his decision to fight to the bitter end, twisting the Queen¡¯s offer of peace into an act of aggression.


    General Buntars?kyy had gathered fifty of his most loyal and like-minded soldiers inside the capital''s walls, in a dimly lit chamber beneath the main keep. They were plotting their next move, their faces grim and determined. Open rebellion wasn''t an option, not yet, but they were determined to solidify their power, one way or another. Or, failing that, to falsely paint Boryslav as a traitor to the people.


    The confrontation came swiftly, a desperate gamble born of ambition. Lord Boryslav, surrounded by his personal guard, which was now significantly reduced in size, marched towards Buntars?kyy''s quarters, intending to confront him and remind him of his duty to the Queen and the people of Roscof. He was a shadow of his former self, his spirit worn by the relentless conflict.


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    The General''s men were ready, a trap meticulously laid. They were outnumbered, but they held the advantage of surprise and the burning conviction that they were securing their own power.


    Buntars?kyy drew his sword, the steel glinting ominously in the flickering torchlight. "You will not speak of surrender again," he declared, his voice resonating with unwavering malice. It was a declaration of war, a final act of defiance against the rightful authority of the lord, an authority that sought only peace.


    Before Boryslav could retort, before he could even raise a hand in self-defense, Aryk, a young but fiercely loyal soldier in Buntars?kyy''s ranks, swiftly cut off his head. The sound of steel echoing through the courtyard, followed by the sickening thud of the severed head, sent a chill down the spines of those who witnessed the gruesome act. Boryslav''s guards, caught completely off guard, stood frozen in shock.


    Buntars?kyy''s men looked on in awe, a mixture of fear and admiration in their eyes. They knew that their leader was not one to be trifled with, that he was willing to cross any line to achieve his goals.


    "Gather as many men as you can," Buntars?kyy commanded, his eyes scanning the courtyard, assessing the situation with cold calculation. "Spread the word. Lord Boryslav is dead, a traitor to Roscof. We fight for our freedom, for our homes, for our families! We will fight soon!" His words were empty, a manipulation to incite fear and gain control.


    The men scattered, grabbing weapons and rallying soldiers with a fervor born of misinformation. The upcoming battle would be their toughest yet, a desperate struggle against the inevitable peace that the Kylian Queen offered.


    "We will never surrender!" one of Buntars?kyy''s men shouted, his voice filled with fervent fanaticism. But now that word of Boryslav''s death spread, doubts began to creep in. Their enemy, the Kingdom of Kylia, was known to be just towards civilians, and the city was on the verge of collapse. Was there any point in continuing this senseless rebellion?


    Back outside the walls, Queen Kylia stood beside Odin, observing the escalating chaos within the city. The signs were clear: shouts, the clash of steel, the flicker of torches moving erratically through the streets.


    "So the lord is dead now?" she asked, already knowing the answer. It was a grim confirmation of her suspicions.


    "It appears General Buntars?kyy assassinated Lord Boryslav shortly after the surrender message was sent," Odin confirmed, his voice devoid of emotion. "The city is now in open revolt."


    Kylia''s lips tightened. The surrender had been a sham, a desperate attempt to buy time or sow discord. A predictable, albeit foolish, tactic.


    "Prepare the cannons," she commanded, a steely glint in her eyes. "Increase our bombardment on the main gate and the eastern wall. I''ll prepare my men. We march to victory. Today, Roscof falls."


    "Yes, your majesty," Odin responded, hurrying off to relay the necessary orders.


    Kylia took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and drew her sword, the polished steel gleaming in the morning light. "Soldiers of Kylia!" she roared, her voice resonating across the field, amplified by the impending storm of battle. "Today, we march into battle to capture the city of Roscof and bring glory to our people! We will crush their rebellion, avenge the fallen, and claim what is rightfully ours! Show them the strength of Kylia! Show them no mercy!"


    A thunderous roar erupted from the Blue Army, a cacophony of war cries and the clang of steel. Swords and guns were raised high, glinting in the sun, ready to unleash a torrent of destruction.


    They marched towards the city gates, their footsteps a drumbeat of war pounding against the earth. From the walls, Roscof soldiers watched with a mixture of fear and defiance in their eyes. Cannons opened fire in the distance, bombarding the city with a relentless barrage of explosive shells.


    "Glory to Kylia!" they taunted, their voices rising above the din, a chilling chorus of impending doom.


    Unexpectedly, the gates of Roscof swung open, and a wave of Roscof soldiers poured out, charging towards the Kylian lines with a desperate, almost suicidal fervor. It was a reckless, desperate move, a futile attempt to break the siege and reclaim the initiative. Two hundred soldiers charged into the open, right into the heart of the Kylian kill zone.


    The Kylians responded with merciless efficiency. A wall of rifle fire braced against the charge, while ranks of cannons and howitzers unleashed a storm of cannonballs and shells upon the advancing enemy. The Roscof soldiers stood no chance. Outnumbered and outmatched, their desperate attack crumbled before it even reached the Kylian lines. Screams filled the air as arrows and bullets tore through their ranks. Cannons exploded, obliterating swathes of soldiers in fiery blasts. Those who tried to flee were cut down by the Kylian cavalry, their retreat a desperate, futile chase.


    "There!" someone shouted, pointing to the far side of the battle, at a figure trying to slip away amidst the chaos. "I see the general! Buntars?kyy!"


    "Kill him!" Kylia roared, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. "Do not let him escape, for he has led all of these young men to their deaths. Make an example of him!"


    A squad of cavalry thundered towards him, their horses'' hooves pounding the earth as they pursued their fleeing prey.


    Buntars?kyy, realizing his escape was impossible, stumbled and fell to the ground, his face contorted in a mask of terror. "AIEEEE!" he cried out in a final, desperate wail before being trampled under the horses'' hooves, his body crushed beneath their weight.


    The battle was over in less than ten minutes. The city was overrun, its defenses shattered, and Kylia had achieved a complete and decisive victory.


    Standing on Roscof''s walls, surveying the carnage, the shock of battle slowly fading, she turned to Odin and Yuter, her face grim. "Next week, at sunrise, we split our forces. Odin, you''ll take a contingent towards Konsburg in the west. Yuter, you and your men will head east to Techiya. It''s time we finished this job, ended it and stopped the bloodshed for good." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the ruined city. "But first, we rebuild. It would be a shame to leave such a beautiful city in this state of disrepair!¡±

 Chapter 30-Two Way Offensive and Schemes

    The Blue Army, refreshed from their rest at Roscof, stood poised to continue their relentless advance. Boots sloshed in the damp autumn soil, wagons groaned under the weight of supplies, the sounds a constant reminder of their purpose. The plan was a two-pronged offensive, a strategic pincer movement designed to crush the remaining Coalition resistance. Roscof, secured, required only a token garrison.


    Captain Yuter led the 1st Battalion westward towards Konsburg, comprised of the 1st Infantry Company, the 1st and 2nd Logistics Platoons, the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Platoons, and the 1st and 2nd Squads of the KAF. Eastward, towards Techiya, marched the main force, led by Colonel Odin and the General/Queen Kylia herself. This contingent, the 2nd Battalion, included the 2nd Infantry Company, the 3rd and 4th Logistics Platoons, the 3rd and 4th Cavalry Platoons, and the 3rd Squad of the KAF.


    Kylia¡¯s battalion followed the winding course of the Rishka River, the air growing progressively colder as they approached Techiya, less than 10 kilometers away. The climate, reminiscent of Prince George, BC, Canada, with its fluctuating temperatures, was a stark reminder of the harshness of this land.


    As the gates of Techiya came into view, Kylia raised a gloved hand, halting the column. Her voice, though laced with a hint of boredom, carried the undeniable weight of command. "Establish a perimeter. KAF, secure the skies. Infantry and cavalry, form a defensive line."


    The lack of any immediate intercepting force from Techiya was unsettling, a testament to the Blue Army''s overwhelming dominance after the devastating victory at the Battle of Kylia. The Coalition, crippled and demoralized, could only watch helplessly as their cities fell one by one before the inexorable Blue tide.


    Colonel Odin approached Kylia, his expression respectful. "Your Majesty, our artillery is prepared and ready to commence the bombardment of Techiya."


    Kylia¡¯s blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Order them to fire at once. I intend to conclude this phase of the campaign before the year''s end."


    "At once, Your Majesty. Cannons will commence firing in three¡­ two¡­ one¡­"


    The earth shuddered as the Blue Army''s artillery unleashed its fury. Explosions ripped through the air, tearing into the city walls. Coalition soldiers unfortunate enough to be stationed there were instantly obliterated, their bodies shredded by the brutal force of the round shot. The stone walls, weakened by relentless volleys, began to crumble and collapse under the barrage.


    "Glory to Kylia!" two hundred Kylian infantrymen roared, charging through the breaches in the wall, eager to claim the city.


    "Attack!" The commander of the 1st Cavalry Platoon¡¯s voice boomed. With a thunder of hooves, the Kylian cavalry surged into the city, following the infantry''s bloody path. "Kill!" The cry echoed through the narrow streets, as the riders, their horses neighing in anticipation, fanned out to seize strategic locations. Their mission: secure vital junctions, supply depots, and administrative buildings with ruthless efficiency.


    The resistance crumbled quickly. ¡°We surrender!¡± Coalition soldiers, realizing the futility of further bloodshed, cried out in despair. The Blue Army¡¯s reputation had preceded them, a terrifying testament to their unwavering might.


    The speed of their advance was significantly faster than during the capture of Roscof City, a reflection of their improved logistics and the demoralized state of the enemy.


    By evening, the last pockets of Coalition resistance in Techiya had been extinguished. The Blue Army, victorious once more, stood triumphant.


    Over to the West, Yuter was enacting the same brutal script upon Konsburg City.


    ¡°Fire your arrows!¡±


    The remaining Coalition soldiers clinging to Konsburg''s walls drew their bows, a desperate act. A dense volley of arrows soared into the air with a menacing hiss. Yet, the Kylian cannons remained beyond their reach, indifferent to the storm of projectiles.


    Panic clenched the Coalition soldiers'' hearts as the cannons continued their relentless barrage. "Mother Of Hylia! The Kylian weapons¡­ the arrows can''t even reach!"


    ¡°That is not a mortal weapon at all! It is a weapon of Ganon! The Kylians and Ganon are in collusion!¡± one cried, his voice cracking with terror.


    "That is not a weapon of Ganon! That''s just a new weapon developed by the Kylians!" shouted a less ignorant soldier, a scarred veteran who had somehow survived the horrors of the Battle of Kylia.


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    His warning was cut short. A rifle bullet slammed into his head, a gruesome fountain of blood and brains erupting from the opposite side. He crumpled, silenced forever.


    The sight triggered a wave of abject terror. Some soldiers wet themselves in fear, their courage utterly shattered. Soon, they too were mowed down by the Blue Army''s superior firepower, easy targets in their paralyzed state.


    With the walls cleared of defenders, the Kylian infantry and cavalry surged into Konsburg, mirroring the fate of Techiya.


    "How is the situation on the front line?" Colonel Yuter barked at his aide.


    "Colonel, the situation is excellent. The aerial bombardment just ended, and our infantry launched an immediate attack. The Coalition''s forward positions are crumbling under the assault. They are resisting, but they are not surrendering," the aide reported.


    "Good. Let them resist. They cannot stop the Blue Army. Hopefully, we can capture this city before Colonel Odin takes Techiya."


    A palpable rivalry crackled in the air. Colonel Odin and Colonel Yuter were locked in a fierce competition, each vying to be recognized as Kylia''s favored commander.


    Currently, Kylia leaned towards Odin, swayed by his longer experience. Yuter needed a decisive victory, a lightning-fast capture of Konsburg, to prove his worth and sway Kylia to his side. He needed to show her he was the superior strategist.


    "When will the city be secured?" Yuter pressed.


    "Colonel, our battalion''s combat effectiveness is significantly higher than that of the 2nd Battalion. We''ve assembled the elite companies and squads from across the entire Blue Army into the 1st Battalion."


    "And we are equipped with more advanced weaponry. Given our strength, we can secure the entire city within a day," the aide confidently stated.


    Yuter nodded. Even with increased resistance, one day was a far cry from the months that traditional medieval sieges could drag on for.


    "Well, unless the Coalition surrenders, Konsburg must be taken within one day!" Yuter commanded, his voice sharp and unwavering.


    "Yes, Commander!" The aide saluted smartly and hurried off to fulfill his orders.


    Colonel Yuter remained in the command tent, his gaze fixed on the map of Konsburg, muttering to himself, a hint of something bordering on a smile playing on his lips.


    ¡°The Blue Army really is the strongest, huh.¡±


    ¡­


    The grand council room of Rishka City felt heavier than usual, the silence amplified by the echoing memory of countless past decisions. Now, only two figures sat around the massive wooden table, survivors of a coalition crumbling under the weight of Kylian might: Lord Starodavniy of Kokhaver City and Lady Aysedora of Rishka City.


    The recent defeat at Kylian hands hung in the air like a shroud. Lord Starodavniy, his stout Rohati frame hunched, ran a gnarled hand through his thick, greying beard. Lines etched deep into his face spoke of years spent navigating treacherous alliances and defending his people. "The Kylians... they were unexpected," he rumbled, his voice raspy but grounded. "We underestimated their strength, their... efficiency. Two thousand of our finest, swept aside like dust. To continue on this path would be the death of the Coalition."


    Aysedora, resplendent in a gown that shimmered even in the dim light, adjusted a stray lock of her perfectly coiffed hair. Her lips, painted a vibrant crimson, curved into a practiced smile. "Perhaps," she drawled, her voice like polished ice, "brute force isn''t the only solution. We must consider others... avenues."


    Starodavniy raised a weary eyebrow. "Avenues? What are you suggesting, Lady Aysedora? Shall we simply surrender our cities, our people, and become tributaries of Kylia?"


    Aysedora¡¯s smile widened, revealing perfect teeth. "Not surrender, dear Starodavniy. Negotiate. Offer them a ''peace treaty,'' one that appears generous on the surface, but in actuality, serves our interests." She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with ambition. "We offer them land, resources¡­ tribute, perhaps. But in return, we dictate the terms. Terms that ensure our continued prosperity, our continued¡­ influence." She paused dramatically, letting the implication hang in the air.


    "Or¡­" she continued, a hint of calculating cunning flickering behind her beautiful eyes, "we could even become¡­ lords under Kylia. Imagine, Starodavniy. The territories of those foolhardy enough to resist, added to our own. We could feast on the crumbs from Kylia''s victory table, growing fat and powerful while they chase their own ambitions elsewhere. A feudal system, like they have in Hyrule, where each Lord can do anything under their own lands." The thought of power, of wealth, of control, seemed to visibly intoxicated her so much that she almost had a euphoric smile on her face.


    Starodavniy stroked his beard, his eyes narrowed in thought. He was no fool. He understood Aysedora¡¯s vanity and ambition, but he also recognized the underlying pragmatism. ¡°There is a certain¡­ cunning to your suggestion, Lady Aysedora. A way to preserve what we can, perhaps even to thrive within a new order.¡± He considered the potential pitfalls. "But such a plan requires¡­ finesse. We must present it carefully, lest we appear weak and desperate."


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Aysedora purred, preening under the faint praise. "I shall draft the proposal myself. I have a¡­ certain talent for persuasion."


    Starodavniy nodded slowly. ¡°Then we shall send a messenger to the Kylians with your proposal, Lady Isadora.¡± He hoped, for the sake of his city and the remnants of the Coalition, that this gamble would pay off. He was wary of Aysedora¡¯s vanity, but he trusted in her ruthless intelligence. Better to navigate the storm with a skilled, if self-serving, navigator than to be capsized by pride.


    Little did they know that their carefully laid plans were built on a flawed understanding of the Kylian government. The very notion of surrendering their freedom to a feudal system would be inconceivable to Kylia, and especially Kylia herself. She would never allow herself, or her nation, to become chained under such a system of vampires. In their desperate attempt to survive, they were about to discover that the Kylians were playing a different game entirely.

 Chapter 31-Peace? Never a chance!

    The grand manor of the former lord of Techiya, now under the control of the Blue Army, hummed with activity. Outside, the city struggled to heal from the wounds of war, but inside, a different atmosphere prevailed. Colonel Yuter and his battalion had arrived to join forces with Kylia¡¯s, both taking a much-needed respite within its walls. As the war progressed, the scales seemed to tip ever further in favor of the Blue Army, a fact that brought visible joy to Queen/General Kylia. Even the usually stoic Colonel Odin wore a faint smile, a stark contrast to the grim prospect of the impending winter.


    ¡°How are supplies progressing?¡± Kylia asked, her voice sharp and clear, cutting through the air of the room. ¡°Do we have sufficient ammunition for one final offensive against the remaining Coalition territories?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Colonel Yuter reported, standing ramrod straight, ¡°we have more than enough supplies for the coming offensive. Both battalions are preparing for the northern winter. Autumn is ending swiftly, and the temperature will soon plummet.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Kylia laughed, a sound like bells ringing in the cold air. ¡°The Blue Army always performs better in winter, not because we become stronger, but because our enemies become weaker!¡±


    Just then, an aide hurried into the room, his face flushed with a mix of urgency and apprehension. ¡°Your Majesty, a messenger from the Coalition has arrived, bearing a proposal.¡±


    ¡°Did you read the message?¡± Kylia asked, her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°No, Your Majesty! We would never presume to do such a thing!¡± the aide replied, his voice laced with pride.


    Kylia simply nodded, taking the proffered paper bag. She pulled out the parchment and scanned the heading:


    PROPOSAL OF PEACE WITH KYLIA (TREATY OF RISHKA)


    She continued to read, her brow furrowing further with each line:


    Treaty and protocol signed at Rishka


    THE KINGDOM OF KYLIA, and THE COALITION,


    These Powers being described in the present Proposal as the Principal KYLIAN


    and THE COALITION Powers,


    RISHKA, KOKHAVOR, TECHIYA, KONSBURG, ROSCOF and OKLAND,


    These Powers constituting with the Principal Powers mentioned above the Kylian and Coalition Powers, of the one part;


    And THE COALITION, of the other part;


    PART I


    THE COVENANT OF THE NEW COALITION


    THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES,


    In order to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security, by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honorable relations between our two nations, by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another, Agree to this Covenant of the New Coalition.


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    PART II


    RISHKA


    The treaty of the City State of RISHKA will be determined as follows:


    All southwestern territories of RISHKA will be ceded to KYLIA


    As compensation, all southeastern territories of TECHIYA will be ceded to RISHKA


    RISHKA will pay KYLIA war reparations of 100,000 Rupees over a 2 year timespan


    RISHKA will become the Vassal State under THE KINGDOM OF KYLIA


    RISHKA will agree to the Covenant of the New Coalition.


    PART III


    KOKHAVOR


    The treaty of the City State of KOKHAVOR will be determined as follows:


    All northeastern territories of TECHIYA will be ceded to KOKHAVOR


    KOKHAVOR will pay KYLIA war reparations of 100,000 Rupees over a 2 year timespan


    KOKHAVOR will become the Vassal State under THE KINGDOM OF KYLIA


    KOKHAVOR will agree to the Covenant of the New Coalition.


    PART IV


    KYLIA


    The treaty of the Kingdom of KYLIA will be determined as follows:


    KYLIA will annex all land captured, southwestern territories of RISHKA, and all western territories of TECHIYA


    KYLIA will receive war reparations from both RISHKA and KOKHAVOR over a 2 year timespan


    RISHKA and KOKHAVOR will become Vassal States under KYLIA


    KYLIA will agree to the Covenant of the New Coalition.


    PART V


    COVENANT OF THE NEW COALITION


    KYLIA, RISHKA, and KOKHAVOR will all agree to the Covenant of the New Coalition.


    States under the New Coalition will provide common defense


    States under the New Coalition will keep all national powers of Taxation, Government, Military, Monetary Policy, and Diplomacy within each of their own territories.


    SIGNED IN RISHKA


    This proposal is signed by the following:


    Lord Malak of KOKHAVOR


    __________________________________


    Lady Isadora of RISHKA


    __________________________________


    __________________________________


    ¡°SUKA BLYAT!¡± Kylia exploded, slamming her fist onto the table. "This is idiocy incarnate! The Coalition dares to present such a proposal when we are on the verge of victory? Our army has already seized the entire northwestern basin! When did they acquire the audacity to think we would sell ourselves so cheaply?"


    She saw through their thinly veiled attempt. The proposals, on closer inspection, felt like calculated moves to drain Kylia of its strength, leaving it a shell ripe for exploitation. Accepting such terms would fragment Kylia, making it weak and vulnerable.


    Yuter cleared his throat, a nervous gesture. ¡°My Majesty, we must consider all options, however unpalatable. The war has taken a heavy toll on our resources and our people. Last time I spoke with Roshi from the Bank of Kylia, she said that public debt had soared to 85,342,814 Kons, a debt-to-GDP ratio of 141%. It''s approaching the 300% limit you set at the start of the year. Perhaps it is time to consider a peace treaty with the Coalition.¡±


    Kylia turned on Yuter, her gaze icy. ¡°Peace treaty? How can you even utter such words? Accepting their proposal would be a death sentence, a slow descent into corruption and weakness. We would forfeit our technological advantage, the very reason we stand victorious!¡±


    Yuter lowered his head, shame washing over him. He had been blinded by the immediate financial concerns, forgetting the core strength of the Blue Army lay in its technological superiority and Kylia''s unwavering strategic vision.


    ¡°No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender will be considered! Is that understood?¡± Kylia demanded, her voice ringing with authority.


    Odin nodded, his stern face hardening. ¡°From this moment forward, any mention of peace talks with the Coalition, unless it is regarding unconditional surrender, is forbidden.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Yuter said, his earlier hesitation gone, replaced with steely resolve, ¡°we march towards Rishka!¡±


    Kylia¡¯s lips curled into a predatory smile. ¡°Let the Blue Army advance to Rishka City. There, we will demonstrate precisely what our terms of surrender entail.¡±


    All of them nodded in agreement, knowing that this decision was final. After all, the Coalition could only beg to stop the Blue Army marching to Rishka.

 Chapter 32-Khay Zhyve Revolyutsiya!

    In a dreary shack against the dreary backdrop of the snow covered City of Kokhavor a group of people seem to be gathered around a dimly lit table, their faces illuminated by the flickering candles, plotting something. Among the most remarkable in the group, a stout young Rohati named Joseph was currently leading the conference.


    ¡°Compatriots, when we joined this war all of us thought of how glorious it would be crushing the Kylians in battle. However, things didn''t turn out the way we expected to. The Kylians had completely plowed through Coalition forces and have now occupied most of the basin. Because of these defeats, our economy is now in shambles. By lord Starodavniy¡¯s order, all the food that we had harvested for our wellbeing had been seized by the army. Countless Kokhavians died of starvation simply because they did not have enough to eat!¡±


    ¡°Even in face of all of this, Lord Starodavniy insists on fighting, with total disregard for the hundreds of Kokhavian men who were killed or captured in the Battle of Kylia. Under Queen Kylia¡¯s rule, life¡¯s almost like no war was taking place at all. In Kylia, commoners actually have a voice in their own government. It''s time for the people to rise from their noble oppressors!¡± He exclaimed, excitedly.


    The group nodded in agreement, all of them knowing that they would now be truly considered traitors in the eyes of Starodavniy¡¯s government. Then, a silence spread throughout the room as the question of how to start a successful coup against the Lord arose.


    Finally, one of them spoke up. ¡°If we are able to overthrow Lord Starodavniy, then what? The Kylians may try to annex the lands surrounding Kokhavor. Meanwhile, with the economy in shambles, how would we ever defend ourselves against the Kylian onslaught?¡±


    Another guy in the back added. ¡°Even if we maintain sovereignty from Kylia, recently the Kingdom of Hyrule has been threatening to swallow up entire Valor States, with the population of Kokhavor, the Hylians would have no trouble occupying Kokhaver!¡±


    Before the group had further time to think over these problems, Joseph addressed them all, as if he was expecting this predicament to happen.


    ¡°The real question we should be asking is who should we join, Kylia, Viskov or Hyrule? We all know that Kokhaver will never be able to stand up on its own, its population base is too weak, not enough land, etc. So we should be trying to maximize benefits for our people by joining a major power. Hyrule is out of the question, as it is known of the intentions they harbor against our people. Viskov is also not a great option, they are too busy preparing to fight Hyrule right now and are too far away to provide any meaningful assistance. Kylia is our best option, the Kylians have a very exceptional government, and they also follow the values that we are striving for. They also are close by, and are known to help with reconstruction for the territories that they have conquered. Lastly, the Kylians regard all of their people within their borders as their own, meaning that if Hyrule ever tries to invade Kokhavor, the Blue Army will be there to protect us!¡±


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    The group fell into a heated debate, each member voicing their concerns about the prospect of joining the Kingdom of Kylia. But in the end all members unanimously agreed that Kokhavor should join Kylia.


    ¡°We still did not address the problem of actually launching a coup. Where would we get equipment and supplies to launch a siege on Starodavniy¡¯s manor? Will the people support us? If it fails, the consequences will be disastrous." A member commented.


    Joseph responded, "It will not fail. The anger of the people has been suppressed for too long. I also was able to obtain ¡°secret funding¡± for our endeavor.¡±


    ¡°Shpyhun, you may come out now.¡±


    As if on cue, the candles flickered once more and a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Shpyhun, the Rosian Clerk who became an informal intelligence officer in Rosa City. After the Rosian War, Zoloti applied for the newly formed KIA where he went through a rigorous training course to become a proper Kylian Intelligence Agent(Spy). Now he is inciting an insurrection in the City of Kokhavor.


    ¡°Hello fellow compatriots, my name is Shpyhun, a Kylian citizen and I am here to help,¡± he greeted them with a smile.


    Many members of the group could not help but gasp in shock as they realized the implications that this man in front of them meant.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Kylian spy!¡± A member of the group exclaimed out loud in a feverish tone.


    ¡°I prefer to call my occupation a ¡®Intelligence Agent¡¯ if that helps you,¡± he responded.


    ¡°What difference does that make?¡± another retorted.


    Seeing that the conversation was going off topic, Joseph then interrupted the restless exchange of words.


    ¡°Anyways, the Kylian government agreed to provide us with 100,000 Kons worth of military equipment and supplies for us to launch the uprising.¡±


    ¡°You mean YOU agreed to the Kylians without telling us.¡± a member of the group said disgustedly.


    Looking squirmish, Shpyhun laughed. ¡°Well, XAXAXAXAXA, it looks like I¡¯ll be working with you guys on planning the coup.¡±


    Joseph only sighed at his little joke as he started to explain how they would carry out the coup. ¡°First a few selected rebels, along with Shpyhun, will storm Starodavniy¡¯s manor, surprising his guards and taking them down one by one. Then people of Kokhavor, who had been living in fear, will be incentivized to join the rebellion, overwhelming Starodavniy¡¯s remaining loyal soldiers. After that Shpyhun will quickly take out Lord Starodavniy¡¯s himself¡± Joseph explained.


    Shpyhun frowned, he did not want to personally take on Starodavniy himself, however, seeing that most of the members in the group still had ugly looks on their faces, Shpyhun decided it was best to keep quiet.


    "Khay Zhyve Revolyutsiya!" The others agreed solemnly, yet ready to lead a revolution that will determine the fate of Kokhavor.

 Chapter 33-Royalist Rebellion

    Spring has come to the City of Kokhavor, and for many of its citizens business continued on as usual. That''s if you consider starving as a ¡°Usual¡± practice among hobbies. The City State¡¯s resources were being drained to produce war supplies for the ongoing conflict with Kylia. With limited manpower and medieval technology, Kokhavor stood no chance against the advanced and partially industrialized nation of Kylia.


    Lord Starodavniy¡¯s rule was also becoming increasingly unpopular as defeat after defeat was reported from the western front. Now the people had enough, the anger they harbored against the Starodavniy and his supporters had reached its peak. It was the perfect opportunity for a coup.


    Joseph¡¯s group of rebels had been secretly plotting to overthrow Lord Starodavniy¡¯s oppressive rule. Now that the time was ripe, they set their plan in motion.


    On a cold spring morning, the Joseph¡¯s rebel¡¯s prepared to storm the lord¡¯s manor. A group of 50 men and women(because most of the men were either captured or killed in the war effort)armed with steel halberds, pulling carts full of weapons, marched through the streets of Kokhavor shouting slogans like: ¡°Unification with Kylia!¡±, ¡°Down with the war!¡± and ¡°Bread and Peace!¡±(A prelude to communism?)*


    The people, seeing the commotion, started joining the crowd, swelling the number of rebels to 3000 people. More than a third of all residents in the city were now participating in the insurrection. Now armed, even if they weren¡¯t experienced in combat, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    Such a large crowd of people would be very hard to miss, naturally this caught the attention of the lord.


    ¡°My lord, the situation in the city is terrible!" his advisors told him. ¡°Even if we mobilize an army of 400 soldiers to fight against the rebels, we will be outnumbered 9 to 1. The rebels have nearly taken control of the entire city and are heading towards the manor!¡±


    Lord Starodavniy¡¯s face turned scrunched up in anger. ¡°********! Those Kylian cowards must have incited this rebellion, we shouldn''t have been so light on the security of the city. If I knew that those untouchables were cooperating with the Kylians, I would have hanged them immediately for treason. Pack up your stuff, it''s not worth staying here, we''ll leave for Rishka.¡±


    ¡°Yes my lord!¡±


    As the advisors left to prepare for their journey, Lord Starodavniy stood up and looked out the window, thinking to himself. Just two years ago he was one of the six powerful lords of the Coalition of City States, never did they know that just a two years later, their nation would be completely swallowed by the torrent of the Blue Army. Perhaps it was never meant to be.


    Lord Starodavniy left his throne room and joined his advisors, leaving the manor, not noticing that somebody was hiding on a roof a few blocks away from them.


    Former Rosian Clerk Shpyhun who was tasked with eliminating lord Starodavniy, currently was resting on top of a roof with his Kammerlader rifle.


    When Shpyhun first led the rebels down the streets of Kokhavor to the manor, they did not expect so many civilians would crowd around them to join their noble cause. Because of this, the marching speed of the entire rebelion slowed down significantly, presenting an opportunity for Starodavniy to escape. Changing their plans, Joseph asked Shpyhun if he could snipe Starodavniy from a distance with one of his ¡°thunder sticks¡±. Now Shpyhun finds himself in the particular situation that he is in.


    He proceeds to cock the hammer mounted under the weapon, opening the breech. Carefully placing a percussion cap on the nipple, he poured a pre measured amount of gunpowder into the breach, with a paper cartridge used as wadding. Finally the bullet is placed in the chamber, rotates a crank forward, locks the breech, ready to fire at a target.


    The Kammerlader rifle has an exceptional range, so it would be no problem for Shpyhun to hit his target.


    In human history, during a military sharpshooting competition held in Belgium in 1861, the Kammerlader was proven to be among the most accurate military long arms in Europe. The Norwegian rifles were shown to be accurate to a range of about 1 km, which is quite an achievement even by modern standards(Source wiki).


    Shpyhun took a deep breath as he aimed at Starodavniy, who resided sandwiched between his aides, none of them having a clue that this would be their last moments. As he pulled the trigger, he felt a sense of relief and satisfaction.


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    ¡°Crack!¡±


    A thumb-sized hole opened up on the right side of his forehead(these people are not human, they have metal horns, so the best place to aim would be the left or the right side of the head), as his body slumped down onto the ground, dead.


    His aides, watching all of this happen in an instant, were so shocked that they just stood there, not a word uttered out, all of them questioning the reality that their esteemed leader just died so quickly. This gave Shpyhun precious time to reload and take another shot.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡±, one of the aide¡¯s shrieked in pain as he collapsed to the ground. This time it was a gut shot, the bullet went straight through the entire body, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Pretty soon blood and guts started to leak out of the man¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°Help, I''m dying!¡± he screamed out as he used his hands to cover his wound, a desperate attempt to stop the flow of organs leaking out of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Kylian thunderstick, run if you want to survive!¡± an aide shouted out, all of them realizing that staying in the exact same spot would only get them all killed


    The unlucky wounded aide fading wails for help were not heard by the fleeing aides, who clearly realized that there was no hope for him as they all scattered into the distance.


    Shpyhun was able to get three more shots in, two gut shots and a headshot, before all the aides were safely out of range of the fearsome thunderstick. Shpyhun did not mind those escaping survivors at all, by now the rebellion had full control of the entire city, controlling all means of escape. Those survivors would never face a chance against a mob of 3000 people. What did matter was the Lord had been successfully killed.


    Joseph¡¯s rebels cheered and celebrated their victory, decades of Lord Starodavniy¡¯s rule had finally come to an end. Joseph and his group, who were now calling themselves the ¡°Royalists¡± , quickly set up an democratic Kylian government under the instructions of Shpyhun.


    Shpyhun also made sure that a message would be sent to the Blue Army that was advancing towards Rishka, which is just south of Kokhavor city, to inform Kylia of their success.


    ¡­


    "Your Majesty! Agent Shpyhun has successfully captured the City of Kokhavor."


    Odin''s jaw slackened. He truly hadn''t believed Kylia''s audacious plan, ripped straight from the history books, would actually work. He''d seen the schematics, the carefully placed propaganda, the subtle funding of dissident groups. But seeing triumph declared so unequivocally¡­ It was unsettling.


    "Xa-xa, great!" Kylia''s laughter was sharp, a brittle sound that betrayed her own astonishment. She''d gambled, betting on the volatile cocktail of tyranny and war fatigue plaguing Kokhavor. Lord Starodavniy¡¯s iron fist, coupled with devastating losses in the ongoing war, had created a societal pressure cooker. A little nudge, a spark of coordinated rebellion, and the whole thing had blown. Just like the Russian Revolution of 1917.


    "Commoners are really scary," Yuter muttered, shivering. He still viewed the populace as a faceless, unpredictable mass. He was oblivious to the irony that these very "commoners" were the bedrock upon which Kylia intended to build a new, more stable Kylian society.


    "Any group of people would rebel against that tyrant if they had a choice," Kylia retorted, her voice regaining its usual steel. "Let''s focus on securing the city. Kokhavor needs immediate aid. People are starving. A hungry population is a rebellious population. We need to flood the market with food and medicines. And then, we import farming equipment. Ploughs, harvesters, everything they need to prepare for next year''s harvest. This isn''t just about conquest, it''s about earning their loyalty. I''d rather spend our treasury feeding them, than getting fat on the guillotine."


    "Agreed," Odin said, snapping out of his stupor. "A good ruler keeps her citizens content." It was a principle they both held dear, a cornerstone of their leadership philosophy. A prosperous populace was a loyal populace, and a loyal populace was a powerful nation.


    After a moment, Kylia turned her attention to the bigger picture. "How much longer until we reach the City of Rishka?"


    "Just one more month of marching and we''ll be at the city gates," Odin replied, consulting the war maps.


    A slow, predatory smile spread across Kylia''s face. It wasn''t a pleasant smile, not the kind that inspired confidence or warmth. It was the smile of a strategist, a conqueror, a woman tasting victory. "Great. I want to see the look on Lady Aysedora¡¯s face when she realizes she''s the only one left." The shadows cast by her deep blue hair only amplified the chilling effect, making her resemble a character ripped from the pages of a historical strategy game, reimagined as a ruthless warlord.


    "Goddesses," Yuter whispered to Odin, his eyes wide with concern. "I think she''s gone crazy." They both stared at Kylia, a flicker of genuine fear in their eyes. The weight of leadership, the constant pressure of war, appeared to be taking its toll.


    The following morning, the Colonels responsible for managing Kylia¡¯s schedule and emotional well-being had a very difficult time convincing their leader to calm down after she spent hours obsessing about the minutiae of agricultural reform and the benefits of an industrial populace. The plan was working, perhaps too well, and Kylia was consumed.


    *(Communism has often led to totalitarianism, political repression, restrictions of human rights, poor economic performance, and cultural and artistic censorship. If I''m gonna write about a communist state in another world, I might as well write down, ¡°They rebelled, worked lots to make steel, then died pitiful lives in hunger.¡± I''m trying to make a superpower here, not a failed state. The government structure that I¡¯m planning for Kylia will be a mix of Democratic, Socialist, Monarchist, capitalist values, that will reflect similarly to a mix of governments that constitutes China, The US, The UK, and Germany.)

 Chapter 34-Battle of Rishka and End of Coalition War

    The summer dawn painted the fields bordering Rishka City in hues of pale gold and steely blue as the Blue Army arrived. Two thousand strong, a combined force of the 1st and 2nd battalions, they were a tide of disciplined Kylian soldiers, their banners snapping in the crisp morning air. Leading them were commanders Kylia, Odin, and Yuter, faces grim, anticipation etched in their features.


    Within the Rishka City barracks, Lady Aysedora, the city''s lord and commander of the Rishka Guard, paced before her advisors. The air in the room was thick with despair. "The Kylians... they''re relentless! We started this war with two thousand. Now, barely four hundred remain. What are we to do?" Her voice trembled, her hands twisting in a futile gesture of anxiety.


    Her advisors exchanged furtive glances. The truth hung heavy in the air: defeat was imminent. Finally, Elder Ozhyna, the most seasoned strategist amongst them, spoke, his voice heavy with regret. "My Lady, the situation is dire. The Rishka Guard, in its current state, cannot withstand the Kylian Army. We must consider surrendering."


    "Surrender?" Lady Aysedora recoiled, her voice laced with scorn. "Never! Surrender is unthinkable. We will lose our honor, our history! The Rishka Guard will not yield. Summon every able-bodied citizen ¨C every father, mother, and child! We will defend Rishka to our last breath!"


    "But My Lady," Elder Ozhyna pleaded, "that is sending them to slaughter! It is a noble sentiment, but tactically¡­ foolish."


    Lady Aysedora¡¯s jaw tightened. Pride, a stubborn and unyielding thing, hardened her resolve. Surrender was a stain she refused to bear. "My decision is final."


    Meanwhile, just a kilometer from the city walls, General Kylia surveyed her troops. "Prepare the artillery! We need to breach those walls swiftly!" She rode along the lines, her voice echoing with authority. The urgency in her tone reflected the strategic importance of Rishka. Taking the city wasn''t just about eliminating opposition; it was about freeing up resources for the greater war against the Kingdom of Hyrule.


    The Kylian artillerymen moved with practiced efficiency. Canons were meticulously cleaned, the charges and cannonballs carefully loaded. Gunners, their faces stoic, made minute adjustments, calculating trajectories with grim precision.


    "Fire!" Kylia''s command cut through the air.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Ten Gribeauval cannons and ten H1 Howitzers roared in unison, unleashing a devastating barrage. The earth trembled. Against the city walls, the Rishka Guard was caught completely off guard. Their hastily erected defenses crumbled under the relentless assault.


    "Kylian thundersticks!" a guard shrieked as a cannonball tore through the air, obliterating him and sending a shower of debris and blood across the camp.


    "We need to retreat!" another guard screamed, his voice laced with panic. The terrified guardsmen broke ranks, scrambling for cover, their hopes of survival dwindling with each earth-shattering explosion.


    Another volley slammed into the walls, creating gaping breaches. The fleeing guards, now exposed to the merciless Kylian firepower, were easy targets.


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    "Crack! Crack! Crack!"


    Kylian infantrymen, eager to join the fray, unleashed a hail of rifle fire.


    "Agh!" A guard stumbled, a bullet piercing his lung. He collapsed, another casualty in the unfolding carnage.


    Panic seized the Rishka Guard. They were outgunned, outmaneuvered, and utterly overwhelmed. As the cannons continued their relentless bombardment, the guardsmen, broken and demoralized, retreated deeper into the city. This presented a perfect opportunity for the Kylian cavalry.


    "For Kylia!" Captain Kinnota bellowed, leading his cavalry charge towards the fleeing guards. Sabers flashed in the sunlight as the horsemen sliced through the ranks of the enemy, cutting them down like wheat before a scythe.


    "Help! Run!" The desperate cries echoed across the battlefield as the Blue Army surged into the city.


    "Ha! These Coalition fools," Captain Yuter sneered, his saber dripping with blood. "They should have surrendered days ago."


    The Coalition, clinging to outdated strategies and lacking resources, had consistently been on the defensive throughout the Kylian Campaign. Rishka was paying the price for their stubbornness.


    As the Blue Army seized control of half the city, pockets of surviving Rishkian Guards started to raise white flags, their resistance broken.


    "Excellent. First Infantry Platoon, clear Lady Aysedora¡¯s manor," Kylia commanded.


    "At once, Majesty," Colonel Odin replied, his voice crisp and efficient.


    The First Infantry Platoon, a phalanx of hardened soldiers, advanced towards Lady Aysedora¡¯s manor, their bayonets glinting menacingly. Inside, Aysedora stood defiant, her face pale but her eyes blazing with a manic intensity. She clutched a ceremonial sword, its silver tarnished with disuse. Elder Ozhyna, his face etched with sorrow, stood beside her, his shoulders slumped in defeat.


    "My Lady, it is over," he pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. "Please, don''t throw your life away. Surrender now and perhaps we can negotiate terms."


    Aysedora ignored him, her gaze fixed on the approaching soldiers. "They will not take me alive," she spat, her voice trembling. She adjusted her dress one last time, a silk gown trimmed with now-faded velvet, a testament to a bygone era of Rishkan opulence. Vanity, even at the precipice of ruin, clung to her.


    Just then, the manor doors burst open, splintering under the force of the Kylian assault. The platoon poured in, their rifles raised. Colonel Odin strode forward, his expression grim.


    "Lady Aysedora," he announced, his voice devoid of emotion. "You are under arrest, by order of Queen Kylia. Surrender your weapon."


    Aysedora raised the sword, her hand shaking. "You will have to take it from me!" she cried, lunging forward. Her attack was clumsy, desperate, easily deflected by Odin. He disarmed her with a swift movement, the sword clattering to the floor.


    "Take her away," Odin commanded, gesturing to two soldiers.


    As they dragged her away, Aysedora screamed obscenities, cursing the Kylians, cursing the invaders, cursing anyone who dared defy her. But her voice was lost in the cacophony of the battlefield.


    As Aysedora¡¯s cries faded, a strange thing began to happen in the streets of Rishka. The initial fear and panic started to give way to something unexpected: relief. Rishkans, weary of Aysedora¡¯s rigid rule and the constant drain of resources into her vain pursuits, emerged from their homes. They had endured years of her extravagant spending, fueled by crippling taxes and oppressive laws. Her obsession with maintaining a fa?ade of grandeur had left the city impoverished and vulnerable.


    A murmur rippled through the crowd, then a cheer. A hesitant cheer at first, but it grew, spreading from street to street, a wave of liberated joy. "Kylia! Kylia! Kylia!" they chanted, their voices rising in unison. They saw not conquerors, but liberators. For Rishka, the fall of the city meant the end of Aysedora''s tyranny, and the hope of a brighter future.


    The last city has fallen, the Coalition War has ended. "For Kylia! For peace!" Both Kylians and Rishkans rejoiced, their cheers echoing across the dawn-lit fields, heralding a new era.

 Chapter 35-Year 22, Governdammit

    The war was won, the Coalition defeated. But for Kylia, the grind was far from over. Before even considering a return to Kylia City, securing the hard-won stability of the former CityState¡¯s lands was paramount.


    She dispatched two platoons of troops to fully secure the rebel led City of Kokhavor, a vital coastal city on the edge of the basin. Simultaneously, other detachments were deployed across the former City-States, acting as overseers of the new Kylian administrations. These administrations, staffed by a mix of Kylian officials and trusted locals, were tasked with enacting reforms, easing the tax burden, and promoting Kylian technology in the war-torn regions.


    This process, crucial but slow, consumed a year. Finally, a year after Rishkan City¡¯s capture, Kylia could relinquish direct oversight. Kylia began the long journey back to Kylia City. The arduous trek took another half-year. At the time she was in the northern City of Konsburg, which is pretty far from Kylia City, coupled with wilderness between the Cities in Kylia, it''s lucky she could travel at all.


    By the time she reached the gates of Kylia City, the winter of year 22 had settled in, draping the capital in a blanket of crisp white snow. At least 20% of this area is urban, filling the Capital with new apartments and bustling streets.


    Exhausted and bone-weary, Kylia finally arrived at her manor. Without ceremony, she collapsed onto her bed, the weight of the past year pressing down on her.


    The next morning Kylia quickly made her way to the newly finished Kylian Capital Building, navigated the snow-covered brick streets, her black boots crunching on the freshly fallen snow. Until she finally arrived at her destination.


    From above, the sprawling structure resembled a sideways "K," a bold statement of Kylian power and progress. Built with Marble from the Kylian Mines, over 20 years of construction had finally come to fruition.


    She entered through the northwest section, the heart of the executive branch. The air inside was thick with the scent of paper, ink, and the frantic discussion of policy.


    The Kylian Council, which consists of the Kingdom¡¯s top political leaders, consists of a representative of every unit of population. setting the Kingdom¡¯s broad direction and settling urgent high-level questions. Its members elect a president, who can serve up to four five-year terms.


    As she entered the chamber, the murmur of voices subsided. All eyes turned to her. President Zoloti, his face etched with the weariness of endless debate, rose to greet her. "You''re here!" he exclaimed, his voice resonating with relief. "Before we begin, here''s a quick overview of the state of the Kingdom." He gestured to a large chalkboard on which recent statistics had been meticulously recorded:


    Total Population-91,733 Increase-46%


    Industrial Population-4,587 To Population-5%


    Rural Population-87,147 To Population-95%


    Kylian Land Area-10,000,000 Km^2


    Kylian GDP-108,132,368 Kon Increase-50%


    Kylian Revenue-38,046,329 Kon


    Total Kylian Debt-146,227,179 Kon


    Kylian Debt to GDP ratio-135%


    Personnel in the Armed Forces-920


    Percentage of population who are in the Armed Forces-1%


    Kylian Steel Production-161 tonnes per year Increase-10%


    National Strength Index-122.90 Increase-53.68%


    Zoloti continued, "While the debt to GDP ratio remains concerning, it¡¯s far better than the high of 162% last year, thanks to the reparations from Rosa. And with the integration of the City-States, our national strength is exploding!"


    Kylia turned her gaze back to the Council. The room was a hive of nervous energy. Maps were spread across mahogany tables, reports lay scattered like fallen leaves, and the faces of the Kylian Members of Parliament, the KMPs, were etched with worry. The victory over the Coalition had been hard-won, but it had left a power vacuum and a desperate need for a stable, unified government.


    Before Kylia could even shed her heavy fur coat, a barrage of questions erupted.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what structure do you envision for the new government?¡± KMP Belkov, leader of the Royalists, practically pleaded.


    ¡°The people of Rosa demand more representation, but that will promote sectionalism! How do we balance these concerns?¡± This was Liberal Leader KMP Irynova, her voice tight with concern.


    ¡°Over 100,000,000 Kon debt, Your Majesty! Should we fund the reconstruction in newly captured territories?¡± Another voice chimed in, this one belonging to Socialist Leader KMP Durnyy.


    ¡°¡­¡± That was the Conservative Leader KMP Tykhyy.


    Kylia held up a hand, silencing the clamor. "Whoa, Whoa, Gentlemen, please," she said, her voice calm but firm. "I understand your concerns. We have many challenges ahead of us, but we will face them together. I will lay out my vision for the government, and we will debate the issues. But let us do so with respect and in a calm manner."


    A collective sigh swept through the room as the KMPs, seasoned politicians despite their varying ideologies, recognized the wisdom in Kylia''s words. Belkov, Irinova, and Volkov, the loudest of the bunch, subtly shifted in their seats, a semblance of order returning to the chamber.


    Kylia, sensing the shift in atmosphere, took a deep breath, turning to face the council. "For the past year, we''ve focused on securing the peace and reintegrating the former City-States. However, the current Kylian Government was only built for an unitary system, a system where a single, central authority holds all governing power, with no formal division of authority between national and subnational levels."


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    She paced slowly before the council, her black boots echoing softly on the polished marble floor. "However, the territory under Kylia is now not uniform, there are differences between each of the former CityStates. Unitarism would in fact widen those differences, slow down administration and promote unrest.¡±


    A murmur rippled through the chamber.


    Kylia let the murmur die down, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the KMPs. "Therefore," she announced, her voice resonating with conviction, "I propose that we move towards what I call a federal system. Each of the former City-States including Kylia City must become constituent counties within a united Kylian Kingdom."


    A wave of whispers erupted, more chaotic than before. Federalism? It was another power structure besides democracy that had defined feudalism for generations.


    KMP Belkov, the Royalist, spluttered, "But Your Majesty, such a system would weaken the central government! It would fracture our unity! The throne¡¯s power would be weakened, and the Royalists would lose influence."


    Kylia raised an eyebrow. "Weakening the central government is not the goal, Belkov. The goal is to distribute power more effectively, to allow each county to address its unique needs and concerns within a framework of national unity. The Monarch represents the nation, not merely the central government."


    Liberal KMP Irynova spoke next, her brow furrowed in thought. "A federal system would indeed allow for greater representation from Rosa and the newly integrated regions. But how do we implement this new system?"


    "That is a valid concern, Irynova," Kylia acknowledged. "There will be major changes within both the legislative and executive branch of government to allow for more representation among all counties."


    ¡°The Kylian Council in the executive branch will be moved to the legislative branch and will now be renamed the Minister¡¯s Council, consisting of representatives from each member county government to focus on the law-making process, coordinating Kylian economic and security policies. The new Kylian Council will brings together all the elected mayors of all member counties to set the overall Kylian agenda and political priorities ¡±


    ¡°To address any confusion I will go over the new full Kylian government.¡±


    Legislative:


    Kylian Parliament: Represents Kylian citizens and is directly elected, voting on Kylian laws, agreements, and budgets, and overseeing other EU institutions.


    Minister¡¯s Council: Consists of representatives from each member county government, and is involved in the law-making process, coordinating Kylian economic and security policies.


    Kylian Council: Brings together the mayors of all member counties to set the overall Kylian agenda and political priorities.


    Executive:


    Kylian Commission: The Kylian executive body, proposing legislation, implementing Kylian policies, and managing the Kylian budget.


    Judicial:


    Court of Justice of Kylia (CJK): Ensures that Kylian law is interpreted and applied consistently across all member counties.


    Financial:


    Kylian National Bank (KNB): Responsible for setting monetary policy for the Kylian area.


    Monarch:


    Queen: Has the power to fire those from any of these branches of government. She will also possess all Executive, Legislative, Judicial and Financial powers to enact nationwide policies if needed.


    Socialist KMP Durnyy, ever focused on economic disparities, chimed in. "How will this federal system address the national debt? Will each county be responsible for a portion of the debt? What about the funding for reconstruction in the war-torn areas? Some counties are far more impoverished than others."


    Kylia glared back, annoyed. "The Kingdom does not have a debt problem! The Kingdom is more than capable of paying back its debts while funding for reconstruction, you should know that by now, been telling you guys for years! However your question of fiscal policy between county and national government is really interesting. The national debt will remain a federal responsibility. We will establish a system of revenue sharing, where the federal government collects taxes and distributes funds to the counties based on their needs, population, and contribution to the national economy. Reconstruction funds will be allocated based on the severity of the damage in each state, ensuring that no region is left behind."


    She continued, laying out her vision for the federal system. Each county would have its own elected legislature, responsible for enacting laws and policies within its borders. The federal government would retain control over key areas such as foreign policy, national defense, currency, and interstate commerce. The CJK system would ensure the uniform application of laws across the Kingdom.


    The debate continued for hours, each KMP raising concerns and proposing amendments. Kylia patiently addressed each point, weaving a tapestry of compromise and consensus. She spoke of the importance of unity, the need for representation, and the promise of a more prosperous future for all Kylians, regardless of their county of origin.


    As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the chamber, a sense of cautious optimism filled the air. Even Belkov, the staunch Royalist, seemed to be softening his stance, recognizing the potential benefits of a federal system under Kylia''s firm guidance.


    Finally, KMP Irynova rose to her feet. "Your Majesty," she said, her voice filled with newfound respect, "your vision is ambitious, but I believe it is the right path forward. The Liberal faction supports the implementation of a federal system, with the understanding that we will continue to work together to address the challenges that lie ahead."


    Belkov followed suit, albeit with less enthusiasm. "The Royalist faction is willing to give this plan a chance, Your Majesty. We will hold you accountable to your promises, but we will also work diligently to ensure the success of this new system."


    Durnyy, ever the pragmatist, nodded in agreement. "The Socialist faction will support the implementation of this system as well, assuming sufficient safeguards are put in place to prevent any state from being left behind."


    ¡°Yes.¡± That was the Conservative Leader KMP Tykhyy¡¯s answer.


    Everyone else: ¡°¡­¡±


    Kylia blinked. Irynova sputtered. Belkov¡¯s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his receding hairline. Durnyy frowned, already drafting a proposal to study the economic impact of such a terse proclamation. Only President Zoloti, a man known for his uncanny ability to remain unruffled in the face of foreign, continued to look chill.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Kylia repeated, her regal composure starting to crumble around the edges. ¡°Yes, you¡­ support the implementation?¡±


    Tykhyy blinked back, his expression unchanging. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The silence stretched. Finally, Belkov, the Royalist who rarely found common ground with anyone, broke. "Yes... what? Yes, you agree? Yes, you''re hungry? Yes, you think the Queen is wearing a particularly hideous shade of blue today? Give us something, man!" He threw his hands up with such force his wig threatened to dislodge.


    Tykhyy merely adjusted his monocle again. "Yes."


    A beat of silence. Then, Irynova burst out laughing, her earlier solemnity completely forgotten. Durnyy joined in, shaking his head in amused resignation. Even Belkov cracked a smile, the absurdity of the situation finally breaking through his characteristic cynicism.


    Kylia, after a moment of stunned silence, found herself laughing too. The monumental task of unifying the kingdom, of enacting a new federal system, had hinged, in the end, on the baffling monosyllabic pronouncements of a man who seemed to communicate entirely through facial tics and cryptic affirmatives.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Kylia said, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°Yes it is. The federal system is approved. Now, let us adjourn for dinner. Perhaps KMP Tykhyy can enlighten us with his culinary preferences¡­ Yes?¡±


    Tykhyy paused, considering this. Then, with a slow, deliberate nod, he said, "No."


    The laughter erupted again, louder this time. The Kingdom of Kylia, Queen Kylia realised, was going to be a very interesting place indeed.

 Chapter 36-Failed Glider and Hylian Gravity

    The air, a metallic cocktail of iron, coal dust, and hissing steam, hung thick over Kylia¡¯s industrial district. Today, however, the usual clang and grind was seasoned with anxious shouts and a sprinkling of cheers. All eyes were fixed on a ramshackle contraption precariously perched on the edge of a ridge that overlooked the area.


    It was a German Lilienthal glider design, lovingly but clumsily constructed from salvaged sheet metal, bolted together with hardened steel scavenged from a defunct ore refinery. The wings, stretched taut with canvas manufactured by a Kylian textile mill, shimmered slightly in the weak sunlight that managed to penetrate the smog.


    Kylia, ever at the forefront of Kylian innovation, watched from a safe distance atop the ridge. Her face, usually a mask of regal composure, was etched with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. The Kingdoms manufacturing technology would soon be mature enough for oil powered mechanization, which would further replace human labor with machines, increasing production. This includes tractors, cars, trucks and planes.


    The chosen pilot, Kylia¡¯s dear friend Stalevi, adjusted his goggles with a nervous grin. He took a deep breath, gripped the flimsy-looking control bar, and with a final push from a few eager volunteers, the glider lurched forward, teetering on the edge before finally launching into the smoke-filled sky.


    For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, a collective gasp.


    The glider, instead of gracefully soaring, plummeted. Not uncontrollably, but with a startlingly steep glide angle. Stalevi fought to keep it level, his muscles straining as he wrestled with the crude controls. He managed to steer away from the stone refinery stacks and the steam engine works, but it was clear he was losing altitude rapidly.


    Kylia¡¯s brow furrowed. She hadn''t expected that. She¡¯d poured over Lilienthal¡¯s diagrams and adjusted for the local wind conditions. But something was fundamentally off.


    Stalevi made a surprisingly smooth landing in a relatively clear patch of slag, kicking up a cloud of dust. He emerged unscathed, if a little shaken, and the cheers erupted again, laced with relief this time.


    But Kylia wasn¡¯t cheering. She was already pacing, her mind racing. She needed data. She needed to understand why their meticulously crafted glider had performed so¡­ poorly.


    "Get me a stone," she barked, her voice cutting through the celebratory din. A confused worker quickly obliged, handing her a fist-sized chunk of rock.


    "Meter stick!" she yelled next, holding out her hands. Another worker, this one understanding her urgency, sprinted back to the workshop and returned with a battered meter stick.


    Kylia moved back to the edge of the ridge. She held the rock aloft, then released it, simultaneously clicking a stopwatch she kept pinned to her blue coat. Her gaze was laser-focused, tracking the stone''s descent.


    Using a series of quick calculations scribbled in the dirt with a lump of coal, she compared the time it took the rock to fall a meter on Hylia with her memories of what that time should be on Earth.


    Kylia¡¯s eyes widened, the grime of the industrial district momentarily forgotten. The numbers swam before her, coalescing into a shocking, undeniable truth. Hylia''s gravity¡­ It was drastically different.


    "The rock landed in 0.185 seconds, or about 5.405 meters per second at 1-meter, which means..." She muttered, scribbling furiously. "The acceleration due to gravity here... is 28.68 meters per second squared! Earth is only 9.8! Hylia''s gravity is¡­ 2.87 times stronger!"


    A hush fell over the remaining onlookers. They didn''t understand the complex calculations, but they recognized the dramatic shift in Kylia''s demeanor. The apprehension had been replaced by a white-hot intensity, a scientist on the verge of a paradigm shift.


    Another thought struck her, sharp and immediate. "The glider¡­ it should have fallen like a stone! Why didn''t it?"


    She flew towards the recovered glider, already running her hands along the canvas wings, inspecting the riveted seams, searching for a clue, an anomaly. Then, in the almost imperceptible breeze that barely stirred the smog, she noticed how the canvas seemed to fill out, to fight the pull of gravity.


    ¡°I¡¯m using Earth-based models,¡± she thought, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. ¡°I assumed Earth-normal conditions. But¡­¡±


    Kylia¡¯s fingers traced the canvas, feeling the subtle tautness, the almost imperceptible pressure against her palm. It wasn''t just the gravity; there was something else, something pushing back against the pull. She glanced up at the hazy sky, the thick smog hanging heavy in the air.


    ¡°The air¡­¡± she breathed, her mind racing. The glider hadn¡¯t plummeted because something was keeping it afloat, fighting against the crushing gravity. Something other than just normal aerodynamic lift.


    She remembered the engineering textbooks she had devoured, the equations she had wrestled with, the principles she had so confidently applied. All predicated on the assumption of Earth-normal conditions.


    "Get me a barometer!" she commanded, her voice tight with revelation. "And a thermometer!"


    The same worker who had retrieved the meter stick, his face now etched with bewildered anticipation, darted off again. He returned moments later, his hands trembling as he presented the instruments to Kylia.


    She quickly calibrated the barometer, compensating for the elevation and the known inaccuracies of the instrument. The reading sent a jolt through her. Her breath caught in her throat.


    ¡°2.87 bar,¡± she whispered, the numbers echoing in her mind. ¡°The atmospheric pressure¡­ it¡¯s 2.87 times higher than Earth¡¯s!¡±


    It all clicked into place. The denser atmosphere, pushing against the wings with almost three times the force of Earth¡¯s air, had compensated for the increased gravity. It was a delicate, almost miraculous balance, one that had allowed Stalevi¡¯s flight, however short and unsteady, to even occur.


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    In order for Kylian planes to properly fly, they would need 2.87 times more thrust than on earth. The power-to-weight ratio of a piston engine is not sufficient to overcome the increased drag and weight in a double gravity environment. Kylian would need to research jet engines for flight, however the Kingdom manufacturing capability is not yet at that level.


    A wave of dizziness washed over her. 620 million lives, 620 million lifetimes of knowledge, experience, and innovation, all housed within her soul, and she had nearly missed something so fundamental. She had been so focused on replicating Earth technology that she had failed to account for the unique conditions of the Planet Hylia.


    Kylia swayed, catching herself on the glider¡¯s canvas wing. The implications of her discovery cascaded over her, each realization a fresh wave threatening to overwhelm her. She had been so close, so narrowly missed a catastrophic oversight.


    She inferred this is the reason why the Rito and Drakons can use updrafts, or air currents, to take flight, using their wings to glide even though their wings are a bit small compared to earth''s airplane wings. The Rito, with their avian physiology, and the Drakons, with their dragon-like traits, had evolved over millennia to exploit the unique conditions of Hylia. Their smaller wing surface was compensated for by the denser atmosphere and the powerful updrafts it created. Their bodies were perfectly adapted to Hylia''s heavier gravity and thicker air.


    "It''s why the Rito can soar on seemingly insignificant wings," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "It''s why the Drakons can ride the thermals with such grace. The updrafts... they''re amplified by the pressure."


    "And because of higher gravity..." she breathed, realization dawning. "The native species... they must be stronger than anything on Earth."


    Her mind raced, a whirlwind of scientific understanding and cultural observation. "The Gerudos, the Zora, the Gorons... their physical prowess isn''t just a matter of training or genetics. It''s a necessity! Their bodies are forged by this world, strengthened by its gravity."


    A sudden image flashed in her mind ¨C Link, the legendary hero from Earth''s Breath of the Wild video game, deflecting a Lynel''s savage attack with a shield. A Lynel, a creature of immense power and ferocity, capable of tearing through wood and stone on another planet. Yet, Link, while possibly strengthened by the goddess, could easily parry its blows with a flick of a wrist.


    While this insight was indeed useful, the problem of flight still remained: how to get up there. Planes, powered by internal combustion engines and reliant on Earth-based aerodynamic principles, were still years away. The internal combustion engines would need to be far more powerful compared to what they are on earth in order to fly reliably.


    But more powerful piston engines are heavier, weighing the aircraft down, requiring more thrust. The thrust to weight ratio of a piston engine is too small for flight on Planet Hylia, only a jet engine has enough thrust to weight ratio to sustain proper flight. But Kylia''s industrial capabilities weren''t even remotely close to the technological expertise required to manufacture the tools to make those engines.


    "Airships," she murmured, the word almost tasting of soot and ozone. "Airships are possible."


    On Earth, airships were relics of a bygone era, replaced by planes, hampered by the scarcity and expense of helium and the dangerous flammability of hydrogen. Here on Hylia, without planes, airships would become the primary means of air transport. The denser atmosphere meant that the lift generated by a given volume of gas would be significantly greater to counteract the greater gravity. The same principles of Archimedes still applied, generating a carrying capacity similar to earth¡¯s.


    traversing the vast Kingdom of Kylia wouldn''t be a grueling, years-long odyssey undertaken by caravans battling treacherous terrain and hostile creatures. It would be a matter of weeks, perhaps even days, aloft in the sky, soaring over the mountain ranges and across the sweeping plains.


    The implications were staggering. For the military, the benefits were immeasurable. Equipping the Blue Army with a fleet of airships would grant them unparalleled mobility. They could reinforce distant outposts, respond to border skirmishes, and project power across the entire Hylian continent in a fraction of the time. Gone would be the agonizing delays, the supply lines stretched thin and vulnerable.


    Even beyond military applications, the potential was breathtaking. The scattered cities of Kylia, often isolated and disconnected, could be temporarily bridged by airship routes. Airships could become the vital link, holding the kingdom together while proper ground infrastructure was painstakingly constructed, year by slow year.


    Kylia turned her attention towards Stalevi, wiping some of the grime from the glider''s wooden frame. "A bit¡­ steeper than anticipated, wouldn''t you say?"


    Stalevi chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. "Steeper? Your Majesty, that thing was trying to burrow into the earth! I thought I was going to end up teething on gravel.¡± He gestured to the glider. "This¡­ this is a proof of concept at best. A very, very aggressive concept."


    Later, after the crowd had dispersed and the wreckage of her first ¨C and decidedly unsuccessful ¨C foray into flight engineering had been hauled away, Kylia found Stalevi scrubbing grease from his hands in a washhouse. He looked wearier than she expected.


    "You have a knack for understatement, Stalevi," she said, stepping into the dim, echoing space.


    He looked up, startled, then bowed his head. "Your Majesty. I apologize if my earlier... levity offended you."


    "Offended? No. Intrigued, perhaps. You managed to land that thing in one piece, which speaks to a certain skill with machinery. And a certain amount of bravery."


    Stalevi dried his hands on a rough towel. "Necessity is the mother of invention, Your Majesty. Or in this case, the mother of desperate improvisation."


    Kylia walked over to the wash basin and peered intently into his eyes. "And what if I told you I wasn¡¯t ready to give up on the sky just yet?"


    Stalevi raised an eyebrow. "Another glider, Your Majesty? I would advise against it. Perhaps focusing on perfecting the steam engine further would be a more prudent allocation of resources."


    "No," Kylia said, her voice low and firm. "Not just a glider. I have... other ideas."


    She drew a diagram from her coat pocket, carefully unfolding it on a nearby table. It showed a vessel unlike anything Stalevi had ever seen. A vast, cigar-shaped hull, suspended beneath a massive, billowing fabric envelope. On either side, intricate wings rotated by complex clockwork mechanisms.


    Stalevi''s breath caught in his throat. He ran a calloused finger over the sketch. "What... what is this?"


    "An airship," Kylia said, her eyes gleaming with a visionary fire. "A vessel capable of sustained flight, independent of the wind. A machine to traverse the skies and connect our scattered settlements as never before."


    Stalevi stared at her, then back at the drawing. His mind, typically focused on practicalities like ore extraction and efficiency ratios, struggled to grasp the sheer audacity of the concept. "An airship? No one has ever..."


    "Exactly," Kylia interrupted. "No one has ever thought of it. But I have. And I believe you and your team, Stalevi, are the only ones capable of bringing this vision to life."


    He looked at the detailed drawings, the meticulous calculations scribbled on the margins. He saw more than just a fanciful sketch. He saw a challenge, an opportunity to push the boundaries of engineering beyond anything he had ever imagined. He thought of the young engineers toiling in his workshops, hungry for innovation, stifled by the monotony of routine.


    "Your Majesty," he said slowly, his voice laced with a newfound respect. "This is... ambitious. Extravagantly so. But if such a thing were possible... it would change everything."


    Kylia smiled, a genuine, hopeful smile that lit up her face. "Then let us make it possible, Stalevi. Let us show them what we can achieve. Let us build the first airship the world has ever known."


    Stalevi met her gaze, his own eyes now reflecting a similar spark of excitement. The failure of the glider suddenly felt insignificant. This was something far grander, far more revolutionary.


    "Very well, Your Majesty," he said, extending his hand. "We accept the challenge.¡±


    ¡±Now let''s build an airship!"