The elven fiasco had finally come to an end. They seamlessly integrated into his government, where Bell's journey began in a humble tent and eventually led to the development of a small village brimming with high-end military equipment. Both civilians and soldiers worked tirelessly day and night, using heavy machinery to construct a road connecting the two locations. This endeavor alone consumed a significant amount, around 200,000 EP daily, solely for materials, not to mention the cost of the heavy machinery.
The construction of the twenty-kilometer-long road between the village and the main base was a challenging task, especially considering that the first week was dedicated to training the civilians in the operation of heavy machinery. Nevertheless, they managed to work efficiently and with great dedication. The construction project also had a positive impact on recruitment, as the demons' presence became more noticeable in the taiga, attracting refugees like bees to honey.
What amused him even more was how quickly the elves adapted to using firearms in their society. While he knew that the elves were traditionally marksmen and archers, he hadn't expected them to embrace modern firearms with such enthusiasm. In fact, the elves seemed more gun-oriented than the demons. Amelia even remarked that it reminded her of the United States, though Bell had no clue about the location of the United States beyond seeing its name on some of their equipment.
Not stopping there, he also increased his efforts to strengthen his army, creating new units alongside the 120th Air Assault Division. One such addition was the 1st Strategic Reserve Division, composed mainly of volunteers from Eldrin villages and some demonic refugees, primarily serving administrative and defensive roles. They received the same tier-3 spec-ops training as the 120th. This endeavor came at a cost of more than thirty million EP, but in the end, the investment was well justified. The bulk of the expenses went into enhancing air defense and mechanizing certain units.
Bell sat in his office, a sense of pride washing over him as he reviewed the report on his computer. Over the past three weeks, he had successfully welcomed two thousand demons from the fallen empire into his fold, along with the addition of four elven villages, thanks to Eldrin's persuasive skills. In total, 2,500 individuals had become part of Bell's burgeoning government, which was still in need of an official name. At present, Eldrin had taken a leading role with the elves, while the demons fell under Bell's jurisdiction.
Now, delegations had arrived to tackle the important task of selecting a suitable name. Bell was adamant about not using the term "Empire" from his previous regime, as his style of governance bore no resemblance to a monarchy, nor was it led by an emperor. In fact, the empire had functioned as a diarchy, though it was disguised as a triarchy, as the emperor's role was essentially that of a desk-bound administrator. The diarchy between Bell and Hanna had been meticulously designed to limit the emperor's authority, preventing any ill-advised decisions that could jeopardize the empire.
Bell held control over the military and had established himself as a revered figure, while Hanna managed the civilian population and the bureaucracy, earning fame for her economic achievements. This unique balance of power rendered the emperor effectively powerless, granting them the ability to introduce equality into the government, a concept that the emperor and the second estate had vehemently opposed. With the addition of these new, independent stakeholders, Bell now faced the task of determining their official title.
As Bell pondered, a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
Lisa entered and approached his desk. "The guests have arrived. How do you want to handle this, Bell?"
"Let's listen to each of their demands and proposals," Bell replied, "but the primary goal of today's meeting is to decide on the name for our... group."
"Or the Minister's followers, as Tomas jokingly suggested," Lisa chuckled.
"Exactly," Bell said with a smile. "I've heard your proposal. Anyway, you mentioned something about a Federation. May I ask why a Federation?"
Bell explained, "Our region consists of diverse areas with unique cultures and powers. To effectively manage this diversity, a Federation seems appropriate. Each area will have its autonomy to preserve its culture and handle local matters, but they must adhere to the overarching direction set by the central government. This structure is crucial to prevent any area from starting wars independently or implementing unjust policies against specific groups within their region."
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"I see what you mean," Lisa nodded.
"Very well, let's find out what the council has in store for us," Bell said as he stood up
Bell left his room, with Lisa following him, as they walked down the empty hallway on the top floor of the command center. Occasionally, they passed by a guard carrying an assault rifle, their presence fleeting as the meeting room was just a short walk away.
Upon entering the conference room, all eyes turned towards Bell. Everyone in the room was dressed in officer uniforms, featuring black formal jackets, black pants, black ties, and white shirts. Among them were Lukas, Eldrin, Aurora, and Amelia, each responsible for different aspects of their operations. Lukas acted as the temporary head of the government, overseeing budgets and civil affairs. Amelia focused on research and development in the newly discovered tundra lab, temporarily known as "The Facility" until a proper name was found. Aurora and Eldrin managed the elves.
"Thank you all for coming," Bell began. "I appreciate it. Now, let's get down to business. Lukas, please provide the financial report and update us on civil affairs."
Lukas started, "Currently, things are looking good. We're generating 20,000,000 EP weekly from hunting alone, thanks to expanding our group into five teams, and Tomas has been promoted to Second Lieutenant. Occasionally, we encounter neutral traders, but their contributions to our income are minimal due to their knowledge being stuck in the early 20th century."
"That's good news," Bell acknowledged. "So, are we back in the green with our budget?"
"Green is an understatement; we're in a surplus," Lukas replied. "The husks show no signs of stopping and their numbers are increasing. Our JLTVs have even encountered them blocking our main road."
"That's not surprising," Bell commented. "Is that why recruiting the elven villagers has become easier?"
Bell then turned his attention to Eldrin, who had been instrumental in gaining the approval of the other snow elves in the taiga. Eldrin had a silver tongue, and Aurora's presence only made things easier, as some considered her a deity.
"Indeed," Eldrin confirmed. "I've also dispatched some troops to other elven villages for defensive purposes."
"Keep up the good work," Bell urged. "If possible, try to recruit some of those villagers to join our ranks. Everything is set for our confrontation with the Southern Coalition when the ice thaws and humans cross the no man's land to finish the job."
"I'll keep that in mind," Eldrin responded.
“Anything worth reporting from the Facility?” Bell asked Amelia.
“There is one, thanks to Eldrin and his elven friends, we manage to find a way to imbue bullets with a minor strength spell. However, the best one so far was to increase the bullet velocity itself, nothing too special so far,” Amelia added.
“I see, how much faster, exactly?” Bell asked.
“We get enhancement at around 20% faster bullet, and having 44% more kinetic energy, not much, but since the enhancement is put on the barrel instead of the bullet, it should be easy to upgrade all of our troops weaponry. It’s literally only engraving, but we are trying to find a way to make the engraving more efficient without making the 416 look like a cult object,” Amelia added.
“Great job, it would be useful in some objects, and the railgun too,” Bell added.
Lukas then raised his hand, “Anyway, sir, I hope you don’t mind, but Rossovento returned last night talking about the chancellor's whereabouts, and she brought one of the railguns in the armory, the upgraded version, that is.”
“I’ll read the report on the desk later, any more reports, before we go to our next objective?” Bell asked.
“Nope, that’s all for now,” Lukas nodded.
“Right, so, we are here to decide on what we should call our new group is. After all, at this point, it’s a good idea to make a name for our unionship. I’m thinking of a federal structure, mainly due to reasons, you can open the note on the table in front of you to see what’s my proposal is.”
Lukas, with his keen sense for administration, was the first to nod. "A Federation allows for a balanced approach to resource management and governance. It's flexible yet cohesive, which is essential given the diversity of our groups."
Eldrin, speaking for the elves, added, "Our people value their traditions deeply. A federal structure gives them the assurance that their way of life will be honored, while still contributing to and benefiting from a larger entity. Well, I think it could work, given that everyone has their own autonomy."
Amelia, pragmatic as always, pointed out, "From a technological and developmental standpoint, this is a strategic move. It streamlines the distribution of advancements and knowledge, vital for our continued progress. In the future, maybe we’ll find a technocratic dwarven civilization, who knows?"
Aurora observed, "This structure could greatly enhance our diplomatic standing. Federations are often viewed as more egalitarian and cooperative, traits that could prove advantageous in future negotiations."
"So, we are in agreement. We move forward as a Federation," Bell declared.
“Federation of Northern United Republic, huh? Quite a catchy name,” Lisa commented.
“It’d work, since we’ll probably use this whole frozen land as our terittory,” Bell added.
“Not bad for a name,” Eldrin nodded. “So, we’re the feds now, eh?”
“Correct,” Bell nodded.
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FNUR Flag:
[https://i.imgur.com/h15jtSV.png]