Postwar Order

No matter how one looked at it, it was the Academy that had lost a research vessel, not the Alliance. Even if that vessel was of paramount importance, Chu Guang, as the manager of the Alliance, could hardly spend his days micromanaging tasks meant for a chief investigator. And aside from reporting the matter to Chu Guang, the Academy was too embarrassed to air its disgrace before any third party. Other than searching for clues on their own, they could only swallow the bitter pill in silence for the time being. In short, though the Enlightenment Society had played a few petty tricks in the shadows, that minor episode did not cast a shadow over the magnificent victory. On the third day after the Alliance took Avent City, troops from Wilante Province also arrived. The two forces linked up on Avent City's eastern outskirts and held a grand military parade in the heart of the city. Soldiers clad in exoskeletons marched in neat, disciplined phalanxes past the front doors of Avent City's parliament building. To demonstrate how much he valued their southern brethren, Pangolin, the Archon of the Wilante Alliance, arrived at the front lines in person aboard an ironclad airship. He entered consultations with Alliance commander Vannus regarding the reconstruction of the occupied territories and the establishment of a postwar order. Though the former was a survivor from River Valley Province, he represented the alliance of the Wilantes; though the latter was an ethnic Wilante, he represented the alliance of River Valley Province. Judged purely on identity, the contrast was decidedly comic. Yet comical or not, on the question of rebuilding the postwar order, the two men stood on identical ground— Namely, burying the ghosts of the old era. Leading the survivors of Batoya Province into the new era, and laying the final brick atop the tomb of the old! At the parade grounds. On the viewing platform before the parliament building, Battlefield Atmosphere Group clapped with a beaming smile while talking with Vannus, who stood beside him. "Tyr is dead, and Augustus too. Though it's a pity we couldn't take those two alive, what matters more right now is preventing any new war criminals from rearing their heads." Watching the Expeditionary Force phalanxes march past, Vannus nodded slightly as he applauded. "The Alliance's stance is the same. We do not support colonizing Batoya Province, and we are even more opposed to continuing the old mistakes. The Manager hopes the locals can establish an order of their own here and take the initiative to integrate into the order of the new era." Battlefield Atmosphere Group smiled. "Looks like we're aligned on the core issues. We intend to help the survivors of Batoya Province establish their own constitution, just like the survivors in Wilante Province did." Vannus had clearly been briefed by the Manager. Hearing his words, Battlefield Atmosphere Group knew where things stood—Ah Guang back in Dawn City was still the same Ah Guang he knew. Even as Battlefield Guy probed Vannus, the latter was probing him in turn. Of course, Vannus had no idea that "Pangolin" before him was actually an inhabitant of Shelter 404. Seeing that this man truly had the Wilantes' interests at heart, he put his mind at ease. "Let's discuss some practical matters. The survivors stranded in the south of Wilante Province—there are about... two million?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group shook his head. "Two million? You sell Tyr far too short. By our tally, there are ten million, and eight million are Wilantes alone." Vannus stared at Pangolin in shock, his face filled with disbelief. "Ten million?! But... with the Vortex Sea in between, how could they have flooded in so quickly?!" He had been directing operations on the front lines all this time. While he had heard that Tyr incited the survivors of Batoya Province to march north, he had no idea what had actually transpired across the Vortex Sea. Battlefield Atmosphere Group knew this guy couldn't browse the forums, so he offered a succinct explanation. "Every conceivable method, right down to the most reckless nonsense—like using bathtubs for boats. In any case, countless perished along the way. I shouldn't call it fortunate, but at least they've tasted the bitter fruit of their own choice. I doubt they'll make that mistake again." The survivors of the Southern Legion had personally fed a monster with their own flesh and blood. Only for that monster to brutally tear off one of their arms. The lesson was sufficiently profound. Vannus fell silent for a moment before speaking. "We hope they can return to Batoya Province. This mess needs their hands to clean up. Of course... that also depends on their own will. We won't force them anywhere." Battlefield Atmosphere Group nodded with a smile. "No problem there. Even though Wilante Province welcomes our kin back to Triumph City as guests, we truly don't have enough housing for that many people, and the coastal quarantine zones aren't fit for permanent living... Besides, now that Tyr is dead, I imagine they'll be willing to return and rebuild their homeland." At that, he paused, thought for a moment, and continued: "How about adding ten shipping routes across the Vortex Sea? A hundred thousand a day, and three months should just about do it." Vannus shook his head. "Make it thirty thousand a day. It's better to stretch it out over a year... There are limits to our logistics on this end. Once the container port west of Avent City is built, things might improve." The only reason the Alliance currently had enough supplies to spare for the locals was because Avent City had so few residents left; the logistical network forged by railways and highways could sustain supply demands. Once those refugees trickled back home, local logistical resources would inevitably become strained, and even if the rear had goods available, moving them immediately would be impossible. Battlefield Atmosphere Group nodded in understanding. "Understood. Let's add five routes first, then. We can coordinate as we go... Also, regarding garrisons, we'd like to know your plans." Vannus thought it over and replied: "We intend to station ten divisions in Batoya Province: three from the Enterprise, five from the Alliance homeland—which includes the Wilante Expeditionary Force—and two from Port Golden Gallon... Depending on conditions, we plan to reduce that force to two divisions within ten years. "The Manager's opinion is that we must ensure the incoming administration can fully represent the voices of the local people. Of course, if you're concerned for the safety of your kin, you may keep two legions here to supervise our work on the ground." As for the specific withdrawal timetable, it would largely depend on the progress of local social development. Still, Vannus was very optimistic about his southern kin—even more optimistic than he was about those in Wilante Province. Looking past the tactical details and elevating to the strategic dimension: The reason the Eastern Empire struggled to modernize was not because Salen lacked intelligence or foresight; fundamentally, it was because the vast old military aristocracy held sprawling swathes of land, and land—along with the resources tied to it—was the economic backbone of the Eastern Empire. Vannus himself hailed from the military aristocracy and understood intimately what immense power hereditary honors and land commanded. Salen, having played the card of eastward expansion to run the Eastward Expansionists into the ground and walk away unscathed—pocketing all of the Southern Legion's eastern interests without committing a single soldier—had proved beyond doubt that his capabilities extended far beyond the suit of gold armor he wore on the outside. He understood clearly that what the Eastern Empire needed was industrialization—or rather, the new classes that grew rich through industrialization. Be they factory owners or workers. Once their strength grew enough to counterbalance the military aristocrats within the Eastern Empire, the empire would naturally advance to its next stage of social development. The same was true for the State of Brahma. The premature collapse of their constitutional government was fundamentally not because Absaik lacked smarts, Rasi lacked ruthlessness, or Zayed lacked morals. It was because the "civic class" and "officer corps"—represented by the "dockworker general" and the "slave officer" respectively—were tiny minorities in the State of Brahma, restricted only to their little patch of land in Port Golden Gallon, while the vast majority of Brahma people were serfs or psychological serfs. Kill Janusz, who wanted to be emperor, and out cropped Zayed, who styled himself not as emperor but as Patriarch; kill Zayed, and the next even harder-to-handle, stealthier Zayed would inevitably arise. There were clever men in Brahma Province who could see this, like that fellow Niyang. Transforming a society wasn't something achieved by writing a few textbooks. One had to delve deep into the lowest grassroots of society, rewriting from the base code up, completely altering the way of life and even the linguistic habits of everyone upon that land. If the population of Brahma Province made up only one percent of the wasteland, changing them wouldn't be particularly difficult. Yet the reality was that they might outnumber all other survivors on the wasteland combined. If the Alliance genuinely pursued this regardless of cost, it was far more likely the Alliance would end up assimilated in reverse. As an old subordinate who had followed Chu Guang for years, Vannus felt this might be the true reason that lord chose to "let them have their way." Though other Wilantes felt greater indignation over how the Brahma people treated their own heroes, Vannus himself was disinclined to view historical developments solely through the lens of great men. Even if, as a matter of outcome, the Brahma people, lacking respect for history and heroes, had indeed met with retribution. Whether they realized it or not. On the other hand, the survivors of Batoya Province were far luckier. There was no vast expanse of land like the Eastern Empire's, nor as many landlords, and the military nobility had been practically wiped out. Those young officers had never tasted the sweetness of war, only its bitterness; so long as they weren't forced to live in utter humiliation, another Tyr was unlikely to be born among them. The boy soldiers went without saying; they couldn't even be counted among the soldier class, but were merely citizens thrust a rifle and thrown to the front lines—militia, if one had to name it. In a way, it was thanks to that lunatic Tyr; his madness had sent him to an early grave, inadvertently accelerating the Southern Legion's social progress. Upon this land, the old powers were eradicated, the civic class was overwhelmingly dominant, everyone had received basic education, and under their feet lay vast fields of factories, railways, highways, and ruins awaiting reconstruction. Add to that the Wilantes' innate gifts as artists and architects. With these foundations, it was almost inevitable that they would become another miracle of economic liftoff on the wasteland—a second South Sea Alliance. And an even larger version of it. Battlefield Atmosphere Group had clearly arrived at the same conclusion, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "Since you've put it that way, it would be rude of us to refuse. We'll keep two legions here to ensure that both the Wilantes and the native inhabitants of Batoya Province receive just and lawful treatment." A pleasant smile broke across Vannus's face as well. By then, the parade was drawing to a close. Pausing, he tossed out one final topic in a conversational tone—one both important and trivial. "One last thing: regarding the written designation of the Southern Legion, the Alliance's view is that 'Legion' should become a term of the past." Battlefield Atmosphere Group replied off the cuff: "How about the Southern Alliance?" Vannus froze for a second, then chuckled ruefully. "'Southern' is a bit too broad... Why not call it the Batoya Alliance?" There was already a South Sea Alliance on this planet. Moreover, the sovereignty over the 2.7 million square kilometers of colonies had to be factored in. The Alliance wanted a new authority established in those lands, rather than letting the fledgling Batoya Province inherit settlements like the Ravanka Industrial Zone and Evernight Port. That would simply lead back down the old path. Battlefield Atmosphere Group's eyes lit up, and he flashed a thumb up. "Batoya Alliance... that's a good name. Let's roll with that for now." A little embarrassed by the praise, Vannus gave a modest smile and said gently, "It's only provisional. "Once a new order is established locally, if the survivors there come up with a better idea, they can always change it." ... [Glorious News! War is Won! The Alliance flag flies over Avent City! Joint military parade held in downtown Avent City! Primary war criminal Tyr died with no whole corpse remaining, and secondary war criminal Augustus committed suicide to escape punishment! The remaining high-ranking leadership of the Southern Legion have all been arrested and will stand trial in Triumph City, Dawn City, Port Golden Gallon, and Ideal City respectively. — Survivor Daily, Dawn City Edition] [The Batoya Alliance is Founded! The Southern Legion is History! Let us extend our congratulations to the survivors of Batoya Province, welcoming our friends south of the Vortex Sea into the new family! Currently, the Archon of the Wilante Alliance and the Commander of the Alliance Expeditionary Force have reached an agreement on the reconstruction of Avent City, with plans to construct a container port to the west of the city. Spurred by surging local demand for engineering equipment, North Island Heavy Industries has signed a massive 500 million silver coin contract with local firms! — Survivor Daily, South Sea Alliance Edition] [Tiandu sends congratulatory telegram to Batoya Province! Patriarch Zayed welcomes the Wilantes turning over a new leaf, stating that the Brahma people and the Wilantes are one family, and that the Southern Legion was the true enemy of the Brahma people—the ones the Brahma people sought to eradicate. The great victory has finally arrived; let us thank the Patriarch for his personal deployment! Currently, the situation in the three northern states remains volatile; Mammoth State's perverse and tyrannic actions have incited public fury and divine indignation. The "Iron General and God of War" Grove is marching 800,000 troops north! Pointing their blades at the Tasang River! Sweeping away the dregs of the old era is just around the corner! Furthermore, the cockroach population in Tiandu has surged recently. The esteemed Chairman Sava stated at the committee meeting that he calls once more upon all Family members to unite and declare war on cockroaches! This paper's reporters also appeal to everyone: take this seriously and ensure that not a single cockroach egg remains in any household! So long as we unite, we will surely transform our great home into a paradise on earth! — Survivor Daily, Tiandu Edition] [West Sail Port Winter Swimming Competition enters Round Two—are factories taking the hit this time? An anonymous wasteland marauder, having read this paper, remarked that this was going too far; killing the hostage after collecting the ransom is frowned upon even among marauders! Free State's corporate war reaches fever pitch: Alliance "volunteers" suspected of stepping into the ring? The Bugra dollar plummets yet again—could the most inflation-proof currency in the Free State actually be stock in the "consistently unprofitable Flint Group"? Mass layoffs loom as legions of employees face unemployment and return to wandering as wastelanders, potentially a boon for prosperous and stable New West Sail Port! Salen coughed abruptly at this morning's briefing, possibly a stern warning telling the Alliance to watch its step. General MacLaren refused to comment on rumors that he is actually governor-general of the special zone, though he has not explicitly turned down an invitation to serve as this paper's guest commentator. Additionally, congratulations to our kin in Batoya Province for finally ridding yourselves of the foolish Tyr. We wholeheartedly recommend our wise, mighty, and prescient Salen to you. Compared to other regions on the wasteland, New West Sail Port is without a doubt a paradise of paradises. — Survivor Daily, New West Sail Port Edition] [Wastelanders talk too much trash; Blue Gopher is left speechless. Every smirk and smile from Emperor Salen is treated as a subtle hint. Dawn City residents say: "Who gives a damn what New West Sail Port's newspapers write? We just want to know when the Manager will finally have a kid of his own." Former State of Brahma Chief Commander founds Abu Aerospace, allegedly securing a 100-million-silver-coin investment! South Sea Alliance President Li Minghui tenders his resignation yet again, only to be stalled once more by the Representative Assembly. Rumors claim that to prolong wartime laws, the latter is weighing a declaration of war against Planet Gaia, five light-years away? Meanwhile, Brahma Province's Battle Royale moves into its next round. Current Chief Commander Shahrukh reportedly starved to death in prison, dying a ghastly death—has the supreme leadership become a high-risk occupation? The "Hot-Blooded Crown Prince" Sava, having declared war on rats, has now declared war on cockroaches; is the crossfire about to engulf the boss of Goblin Technology?! The mess of news grows more chaotic by the day. Some readers wrote in asking for something normal... This editor's advice: you can't demand a cook also act as a refrigerator, and our boss was never normal to begin with. If you want serious news, please consult the Dawn City Edition of Survivor Daily. Finally, let us turn our eyes to Avent City's "Halloween." Thanks to the commotion caused by Santa Claus "In Debt Dayan" scattering chocolate, the title "Zayu" has officially become a friendly blessing passed from mouth to mouth among Avent survivors. Furthermore, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with Mosquito. You can't blame Mosquito every time something goes wrong. Even if you've correctly guessed the mastermind, such accusations are profoundly unethical! — Goblin Observer] ... Wasteland Online Official Website. The forum was livelier than ever before. On one hand, furious cloud players realized that the damn Wasteland Era was practically wrapping up, yet their helmets still hadn't shipped. On the other hand, that interminable, bloody war was finally won! ["Southern Barbarians' Invasion" expansion pack concluded! Thank you for your active participation! Expansion rewards and honorary titles have all been distributed.] [Expansion Point Lottery System is now open! Players, please check your inboxes to collect your points, and be sure to spend your remaining points as soon as possible to avoid expiration and forfeiture!] [Note: Players outside Dawn City can also claim expansion rewards remotely. The Alliance Postal Service provides paid delivery services (restricted to areas within communications coverage).] Lightning King Professor Yang: "Sigh, watching the Alliance grow from a tiny local faction into the world's 'Third Pole,' and I still don't even have a damn helmet! This sucks so hard! T.T" Proud Grandpa: "Heh, guess whether I believe that." Lightning King Professor Yang: "Doesn't matter if you believe it or not, they can't even suppress the trending searches anymore... Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if Ah Guang is actually an alien. (looks up at the sky)" Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Question for the devs: If I pull a nuke from the lottery, can you mail it to me? If I put Shelter 404 as the delivery address, can I reboot the server directly? That shouldn't break any rules, right? Inquiring politely. (0.0)" Lao Bai: "Haha, you're surprisingly polite for a kid, just not very bright. (grins)" Elven King Fugui: "Ah Guang: 'Pull one first, then we'll talk!'" Elaina: "Ah Guang: 'Let me see whose helmet is itching so I can scratch it for him.' (doge)" Ye Shi: "No, the guy doesn't even have a helmet. You're being presumptuous. (doge)" Silver Father: "Speaking of which, Brother Proud Grandpa ought to be of age by now, right? The server's been running for so long." Silver Sword: "Theoretically, yes. But whether it's necessary to let a brat into the game is another matter entirely." Talan Raider: "Ah... a server wipe and restart sounds pretty tempting, honestly. If we really restarted, maybe I could be Tier 0. (smirks)" Mole on the Run in the Valley: "Keep dreaming. If that bastard Fang Chang went back to launch day with his memories intact, he'd snowball all the way to the moon, you believe that? Unless you rebooted everyone's brains too." Fang Chang: "Tsk, am I the kind of guy who hogs everything for himself? Put your hand on your heart and rephrase that. When have I ever had good fortune and not thought of you guys? (side-eye)" Mole on the Run in the Valley: "(guilty_conscience.jpg)" Commander Spring: "Hahaha, not cool, Brother Mole. I can testify: Cattle and Horse Group is very generous. They never fleece their own people. (side-eye grin)" I'm the Darkest: "Damn it! Another string of consolation prizes for me! You bastard Spring, confess! Did you sweep up the grand prize again?! (angry)" Commander Spring: "Cough, brother, setting the grand prize aside for a second... even if I really had that luck, you can't blame my good fortune just because your face is dark. (sweat)" I'm the Darkest: "@#$%#!" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Brother Darkest is driven mad by the RNG gods again. If you ask me, it's that username to blame, you can't blame anyone else. (grins)" Quit Smoking: "Holy crap! Pangolin's here!" Tail: "Ooooh! Lord Archon of the Wilante Alliance! (?ω?)" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Cut it out, you guys, you're making me blush. (sweat)" Ye Shi: "Haha! What are you getting shy for? (doge)" Commander Spring: "Was the parade fun? Damn, out of all of us boys, you've made it the highest! By the way, have you checked the expansion lottery? What did you pull? (smirks)" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Just some random junk. The only thing of any value is probably a purple-tier bionic prosthetic. Sigh... practically useless. I've got rewards from several expansions gathering dust in my warehouse." I'm the Darkest: "If you don't want it, give it to me!! (angry)" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Not happening. But if you want to buy it, I might consider it. (grins)" I'm the Darkest: "@#$%#!"