ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

The Empress's Decision

"The representative of the provisional government, Princess Savia Iliam, is about to make her entrance!"

The voice of an announcer using a 'voice echoing shell,' a magical tool that amplifies sound, echoes throughout the area. Citizens and soldiers gathered around the castle all turned their attention to the balcony on the second floor of the palace. There, they saw the figure of Savia, clad in robes, which, despite the fact that the two princes were still alive and well, was tantamount to a declaration that she was the next monarch of the empire.

"Are all the warriors in this country so weak that one defeat will break their hearts? I sense a disturbance in the public morals... is that the extent of your pride and dignity as imperial subjects of one of the seven noblest nations in the world?"

"!!"

Savia's first words were a rebuke to her audience. The audience, who had been making small talk, all stopped talking at once, and the air in the garden was tense.

"Listen to me... our country has indeed lost the war. Why were we defeated, when he had aspired to unite the Wirenia Continent and to become the champion of the Eastern World?"

"...?"

Savia asked the audience, which turned numerous gazes toward her, the reason for her defeat. Confusion spread among the citizens.

"It was because... we bought the holy seat of power. Despite the heavy defeats in the kingdoms of Rovania and Seiren, the evil powers that be continued to underestimate Japan as a frontier barbarian nation and neglected to examine information or even seek an early end to the war, driving this nation to the brink of extinction."

Savia found the reason for the defeat in the previous emperor, Uvarito IV, his princes, senators, and those who continued to turn a blind eye to reality. She concluded that their failure of underestimating Japan had led her country to defeat.

"And... in the 130 years since the great First Emperor Ashur set out to unite the Wirenia Continent, many of the vassal states and territories that we had placed under our control during that time have rebelled and left us. But the country itself has not perished. The subjects did not lose themselves to slavery, the imperial family will continue to exist, and the name of Altia will never disappear from this world!"

"!!"

Against the suzerain state, which had lost its power, the vassal states and colonies, which had been under oppressive regimes, rebelled one after another and broke free from their rule. And the territory of the Altian Empire had shrunk to one-third of what it had been before the war. The world's reaction to the fallen powers, whose supposedly overwhelming power over the rest of the world had been shattered, was severe. But there was still a glimmer of hope for the country.

"We must not repeat the mistakes of the previous powers. We promise you the restoration of our country. To do so, we must join hands with our enemy, Japan!"

"Japan, she says...!?"

"What does she mean?"

Savia's statement that she would join hands with Japan, which was supposed to be an enemy, elicited a stir in the audience. She continued to speak among the whispers.

"The voices of the world are too merciless towards the powers whose fangs have been broken... You may feel miserable at times. But no matter how the world looks at me, I will never give up, I will never break! Don't look down, stand up! The power of our subjects is essential if this country is to come to life again!"

"!!"

The empress delivered a powerful speech, which rekindled the spirit in the hearts of the people who had lost their vitality in the defeat. The audience, trembling with emotional excitement, offered words of praise to the new empress.