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Chapter 1 - Chapter Introduction / Setting

This is a story that unfolds on a planet called Wendel.

Long ago, a cataclysm descended from the sky, devastating Wendel's first-born civilization. The people were forced to huddle together in fear, resisting wave after wave of overwhelming darkness. The brilliance of the past vanished entirely. In the end, the awe-inspiring technologies, the mystic arts, the history—everything tied to that ancient civilization—was wiped from memory or buried deep beneath the planet. The survivors could no longer read the old scripts, nor recall how to wield the technologies they once mastered.

When the disaster finally ended, those who remained crawled out from the rubble, ruins, and underground shelters. With wonder and ignorance in their eyes, they returned to the surface beneath the blue sky to explore a world that had become utterly unfamiliar.

In the present day, humanity has come to understand their world with a high degree of clarity. In the northern reaches of the main continent, the Holy Church—having deciphered the ancient languages and inherited forbidden magics—rules supreme. In the south, the nation of Dazilet took the lead by embracing scientific thought, igniting an industrial revolution. Within just a century, Dazilet rose above the countless minor states scattered across the southern lands, waging war north and south, and conquering vast territories.

Across the sea, the scarred lands of the Lybidon Continent still bear the direct marks of that ancient cataclysm. Its people live in isolation, rarely interacting with the main continent. To most, it remains shrouded in mystery—"The Enigmatic Lybidon."

Magic is the oldest force in this world, yet it now only functions properly in the northern lands—territory controlled by the Holy Church. This magical monopoly is what enabled the Church to swiftly unite and dominate the north. In contrast, Dazilet owes all its technological advancements to a legendary figure known today as the First Scientist, a revered ancient sage. This figure leads the most brilliant minds of the empire outside the bounds of imperial authority, providing cutting-edge innovations and cultivating new generations of scholars and inventors.

Yet because the pathways of discovery and the origins of science in Wendel differ so vastly from what modern readers might expect, many of this world's inventions will seem both familiar and strange at once.

Politically, the rise of Dazilet has already begun to alarm the Holy Church. The Church wishes to crush Dazilet before its strength becomes unassailable, but none of its past schemes have succeeded. Today, Dazilet stands as the undisputed hegemon of the south. Only a few remaining states near the Mutmesa Desert still resist, propped up by the Church—but they too are expected to fall, crushed beneath Dazilet's iron wheels and war machines. If that comes to pass, what fate awaits the main continent?

Since the implementation of sweeping reforms in the military, taxation, and other key sectors, power within the Dazilet Empire has steadily centralized, placing the Emperor at the pinnacle of authority. While such a political system allows for the rapid and efficient mobilization of all levels of society and military force—greatly aiding imperial conquests—it also poses a grave risk: what becomes of the Empire if internal strife erupts at the very center of that power?

Can a dethroned imperial princess, stripped of her claim during a coup, still find a way to lead the Empire away from the brink of war?

Yet even more perilous than the political unrest is the ancient secret buried deep beneath the lands of Wendel—an inheritance left behind by the "Emperor" who once ruled over this territory. He is destined to reappear one day before all, revealing the true nature of the world to Wendel's people—and bringing with him a crisis far greater than any before. That moment of reckoning may be closer than anyone realizes.

This is the tale of an exiled imperial princess reclaiming the throne that was rightfully hers.

With the loyalty of her friends, her people, and her army, she will make her presence known once more—ending the usurper's reign and the war he started. Yet the princess walks a unique thread of history, and greater challenges await. As the darkness of a past age festers on through deranged remnants of old ideologies, those desperate fanatics hear their gods whisper once again—and the world begins to stir under their madness.

Upon glimpsing a "truth" from a higher realm, how will she lead her empire down the right path?

Amid mounting crises, the story unfolds through the daily lives and shifting relationships of its characters. Even on the front lines as part of the Night Knights, there's room for absurd antics and lighthearted misadventures—especially in the increasingly "abnormal" 4th Platoon. After all, even Otto, the no-nonsense platoon leader, never expected that the girl who quietly joined his unit alongside other reinforcements was actually his own emperor—the very one he'd sworn allegiance to.Oh, and did we mention there's also a spellcasting catgirl?

This is a slow-burn story focused on worldbuilding and character development.= ̄ω ̄=The tension and emotion grow chapter by chapter—feel free to bookmark and binge once you're ready.

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