Little Ish's Second Step
At Fortress, 11 am, 23rd year, 1st month, 1st week, 1st day since the start of the new Change.
Step, step, step, step. "Are the things ready?" Heian Ciemnosc walked towards a group of Imperial Prosecutors, the second highest in command under the Ancestral Emperor/ress position. Which is below the Empress. Of course, Heian Ciemnosc was on the same level but never above Empress Shuna. The Imperial Prosecutors nodded and bowed, and one spoke as he took a step forwards and turned around to lead the way for Heian Ciemnosc, even though he designed the current fortifications. "Yes, Sir! Please, follow us."
“Percentage?” Heian Ciemnosc casually asked, but his voice brought heaviness and pressure to the Imperial Prosecutors, whose cultivation realms were all near the middle stages of the Hana-Saga realm. Not because of his ‘might’ or something but from his relationship with the Empress. It wasn’t unknown that he and the Empress met regularly, and they devised the current progress the Blauw Empire was growing in. This alone made them apprehensive. Lately, the Empire’s navy showed what might really meant, and yet, the Empress and assigned supervisor met again last night. This could only mean more gains for the near future!
“Every island had about 50% of their machine guns and less than 10% of their artillery guns. The ammunition is all there, kept according to the new regulations. Which- they’re amazing, assigned supervisor. Ahem, we’ve seen more activity from the patrols at the borders. The other Regions have caught wind of some resources coming towards us. It is what the espionage reports are saying. However, they don’t seem provocative for now, only observant… and a little blatant about it.”
“Ignore them. Notice me if just one fisher comes into our borders by mistake and apprehend everyone involved. This is not the Academy’s territory, but they wished it was.” Heian Ciemnosc grabbed a few documents from his Covert Space bags and wrote on them. Afterwards, he gave them to the spokesperson, who read them upon receiving authorization for all these things and a few more. He frowned and looked at the assigned supervisor, “Err… Sir Heian Ciemnosc, what are all these permissions for moving Frigates and ammunition rounds for patrolling teams?”
“I also have some free time every now and then. If you think none of these are good enough, you can deny it and give me the papers now.” Heian Ciemnosc calmly elaborated, extending his right hand towards the confused fella, whose eyes widened before rapidly janking the documents in his left hand away from Heian Ciemnosc, shouting, “No!”
“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the Imperial Prosecutor like an adult looking at a kid caught being silly. After some silence, the Imperial Prosecutor cleared his throat and politely spoke, apologizing. “Excuse me, assigned supervisor, ahem. I will give these permissions their intended use. As I was saying, the missiles have arrived and are all set properly. The old Imperial Guards are aware of what being sent here means, but some have asked to join the navy instead. You know, the one not intended to only defend the Blauw Empire.”
“There’s a criterion,” Heian Ciemnosc stopped walking, and the group as a result. They looked at him as he said these. Most of their faces were old but mighty. Heian Ciemnosc calmly added with his right hand on the spokesperson’s left shoulder, “Base the candidates on that and select the ones who are good enough for now to rejoin the training.”
“Mn understood.” The spokesperson nodded, and Heian Ciemnosc resumed the walking. The spokesperson caught up to Heian Ciemnosc and continued. He wasn’t worried about the Imperial Guards from the previous generation feeling insulted by being told to return to military training. They couldn’t do it now even if they wanted to because of some drama that the assigned supervisor showed he wasn’t interested in the least. Thus, as a slight punishment, the already established Imperial Guards couldn’t attend military training again.
It was a bit of an abuse of power. It was too quick and too serious of a change, but the Empress didn’t even look at the Imperial Elders who wanted to attract her attention during that time. Now that the third year had begun, the Imperial Prosecutors were gladdened to hear Heian Ciemnosc’s words instead. They knew this would be the start of the Blauw Empire’s old ‘army’ reintegrating into the actual, better, and more efficient new army.
“The citizens have acclimatized to the training, as you’ve said. We thought it was impossible for them to learn in just a few months! Hah, to think… ahem. We are now building the runway for up to 108 Fighters. It will take a while, especially since most of these brutes barely know design, no matter how easy it is as a cultivator. We still require 3 months with all the errors and corrections. It is to make sure everything is perfect, don’t worry, Sir, we have this well handled. Besides, the citizens’ aid is what actually has been aiding us the most. But we’re limiting the help on our Imperial Guards to not create misunderstandings.”
“...” The spokesperson nodded and closed his eyes with a self-satisfied smile, but Heian Ciemnosc shook his head. This mere act caused the former to hump a little, changing his face to a serious one, and looked at Heian Ciemnosc to listen to him. Heian Ciemnosc directly spoke, “Let them help as much as possible. Why limit them? You’re going too slow already. At least try not to delay anything else already. Anything else?”
“Ah… ah, yes!” The spokesperson gulped down and gave a few Imperial Prosecutors behind a furtive glare before returning to look ahead and nodding. “Yes, Sir. It will be more months before the Imperial Guards who return or remain here learn to use the new Frigates and Defensive type of Destroyers, but there are also the Fighters… how should we schedule the time? This… It’s embarrassing to say, but… we never thought we’d have to go through this ourselves. I…”
“The ones responsible for conditioning Imperial Guards to use the new, top-notch battleships are too many, and some are always free. Just send a petition to request for available instructors. As for the Fighters’ situation, some are being built already, but you will only have 2 of each to use for testing. Select the best among you, not on the criterion, the very best that can become this project’s aces, and then send their info to me. I’m already finishing teaching another batch of Imperial Teachers about them, so there will be enough time in this year's second half.”
Heian Ciemnosc looked directly into the spokesperson’s eyes as they walked to the immense storage room and added, “You will have your Imperial Guards moving around the fortified islands flawlessly, sailing battleships, and flying Fighters everywhere to protect the Empire. Don’t worry… Admiral.”
“!” The spokesperson became astounded by the last spoken word. His mind went to one thing only while Heian Ciemnosc walked into the storage room. ‘Isn’t that the highest rank for the navy?! But I just decided things here and there and talked to the assigned supervisor. How?!’
Meanwhile, the other Imperial Prosecutors looked at the spokesperson with envy, surprised or shocked disbelief, and regret for letting someone else do the work. Nobody knew ‘this’ was what the assigned supervisor referred to when he said he’d evaluate them to decide on their leader. The rest would be moved or be under him. If only! But there’s no better medicine for regret than death, and that was the worst.
“... Isn’t that the Academy’s little black monster?” Far from that spot, a group of tired Imperial Guards, each looking young and with the scent of the sea on them, sat around an empty black box. One of them, with his left leg and foot atop the box, said while looking at the storage gates where Heian Ciemnosc had just walked into, and the Imperial Prosecutors suddenly became silent and unresponsive.
“Aha, what about it?” Another youngster, who was beyond a couple thousand years old in the Neutrality realm, nodded towards the storage room and uncaringly asked. A young woman in their group took a bite from a triangular fruit, her mouth watering in the juiciness, before eating a piece and commenting. “There’s nothing to say about that person. He’s like one of our two leaders now. You better not talk badly about any of these. The Imperial Prosecutors might be really nice to hand with, but that will change as soon as we enter war.”
“War?!” One of their fellows suddenly shouted, attracting even the citizens’ attention carrying things around with transporting vehicles, who gave the young man that elevated his voice a look and a raise of their eyebrows. The young man became slightly embarrassed and looked around him before turning to his fellows and lowering his head in shame. “I don’t know. I entered the army because I thought we would just be staying on an island and gaining some money.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“The war had already ended, and it seemed like an easy road, no? The training was nothing to what I’ve been hearing, and we wouldn’t enter another war in a long time, right? We only battled the inland top organizations once every few thousand years before, right??” The young man tried explaining, but it didn’t seem to work, and he only looked at his comrades. The young woman with the triangular fruit, now only a this of it left, looked at the young man with disgust, but the latter didn’t notice.
“Nah, bro,” another Imperial Guard said. He shook his head while directly looking at the young man. The first Imperial Guard to speak, who kept looking at the storage gates, finally returned his gaze after ignoring all the small events that happened and said with a throbbing throat… either in excitement or unsure. “I’m gonna return to the military training. I know, I know. Even if I’m not accepted, I can try again after doing my best here. I just know I can’t waste any more time remaining unprepared or whatever. Ugh…”
“...” The young woman with the fruit and many others in their group looked at the first Imperial Guard to speak and fell silent. Some looked down, others licked their lips excessively, thinking and seemingly starting to decide in a group. At last, one of them suddenly talked out loud, and the others followed. “Yeah, I’ll try, too…”
… Within the storage room’s entrance, Heian Ciemnosc saw a few Imperial Guards on the sides with mightiness coming off their bodies and armor. After Heian Ciemnosc entered, everything about that seemed to vanish, not out of their own volition, retracting their bloodthirstiness and hidden warning, but purely because of Heian Ciemnosc’s natural aura and presence. They were guarding a staircase leading further down to the ocean level. In front of the stairs, on the other end of the storage room’s entrance, several formidable Imperial Guards guarded it, facing both sides.
The entrance was obscure, and the elevator was wide enough to allow an Advanced class Destroyer to be moved out of the actual storage through the elevator. Heian Ciemnosc gave the Imperial Guards a little nod before quickly stepping down. It was bound to be a long walk down, and the new Admiral was following right behind him, wearing a still confused but more apprehensive expression, weirding the Imperial Guards who were just feeling honored to be in the presence of Heian Ciemnosc and be acknowledged, even if just lightly.
Heian Ciemnosc and the new Admiral walked down the stairs as the other Imperial Prosecutors followed 20 steps behind, at the very least. The new Admiral thought everything would become silent from now on since Heian Ciemnosc was a noise-disliker guy, but he was proved wrong as Heian Ciemnosc started chatting with him about the new prospects he would have to meet and ensure were safely worked to completion.
Before arriving downstairs, at the actual storage, Heian Ciemnosc spoke to the new Admiral about his conditioning in the following months. Heian Ciemnosc mentioned something about Mini Warlord, leaving the new Admiral confounded. However, he said nothing about it and acquiescingly nodded. At last, the assigned supervisor told him about the schedule and to start planning for a new patrolling system. What did this mean? Especially when Heian Ciemnosc could do it himself? He was putting them to the test, and only then did the new Admiral understand this visit and all his actions and words up until now since he arrived.
“How did the things go when moving everything? I recall the construction was swift and perfect, and it does seem that way, but the ones working here seemed not to know there is a function to open the sky for them… and them… only.” Heian Ciemnosc said as soon as he walked into the storage. Hundreds of black boxes the size of a 4-story building were everywhere, and although they were the largest quantity of the tallest ones, a few reached the 6th and 7th story level.
‘There was such a thing?’ The new Admiral tilted his head to the right and looked at Heian Ciemnosc, unable to hide his bafflement. Heian Ciemnosc turned to look at the new Admiral with an indifferent face and lazily narrowing eyes. “Send someone to activate the function. You are the Blauw Empire’s First Admiral, aren’t you?”
“!...” If the new Admiral didn’t understand Heian Ciemnosc’s dissatisfied words now. He would be truly stupid. Fortunately for himself, he caught the meaning behind Heian Ciemnosc’s behavior and contacted the chief manager. Within 12 seconds, to which Heian Ciemnosc crossed his arms and danced his right hand’s fingers up and down in a rhythm of his choice on his left arm, the new Admiral felt nervous and starting to sweat. But, finally, there was a change!
Pu- tum! Shrrrkk~!
Like a window’s curtains spreading to reveal the scenery outside a building, the ceiling the workers had been looking at from time to time as if trying to find something whenever they felt a bit too stressed started emitting light! The morning light descended upon them, shocking them at first, knowing they were underwater. However, before they could understand this was just for them and they no longer relied on artificial lighting, their bodies reacted first… especially the citizens.
“AAAHH!” - “HUHH!” - “AAH, fuck! My eyes, my eyes, my eyesssss!!” - “Who the fuck?!” - “My goooooodsss, aaaaahh! AAAAH!! AAAAAAH!!!” - “...” - “... …” - “... … …” - “... … … …”
The Imperial Prosecutors looked at each other and were more baffled than the new Admiral when he heard the function of actual sunlight transmitted to the underground. It wasn’t something new in the world, but in the eyes of the Blauw Empire, it was innovative that an array formation like this could be built underwater and with a huge island above them. The fact that the array formation was successful was a surprise, though, as it took Heian Ciemnosc several weeks of planning just to start elaborating on the array formation itself, but he managed in the end.
It wasn’t that costly, but it did take some of his free time away. It was a good thing he was mastering distracting his entire concentration into cultivation, meditation, and studying or planning in the last few months. Or else Heian Ciemnosc might be a few stages lower than currently… In a way, Heian Ciemnosc found ways to train every single already-mastered profession he thought he had it all for. But it was true what his teachers said: no matter how much one thinks they’ve learned enough in their life, someone will still come from any age, status, and origin and surprise him.
In this case, he was the one surprising himself most of the time. Occasionally, however, he would find a few talented folks among the Empire, not only from the Azure Dragon’s Bloodline, who had enough potential to enter the Academy and become a Genius in the long run, potentially a Gifted even! Then there were others, like Little Ish, whose cultivation talent might actually be the most ‘nature’ in the world and history.
Then, the Empress, whose managing and logistics capabilities were above Heian Ciemnosc, like the most natural thing in the entire world, of course. From her, he learned more about what difficulties Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know he would’ve had if he ever wanted to try creating his own organizations from scratch. Although Heian Ciemnosc could study and ask others, but Empress Shuna wasn’t just answering his questions regarding her methods and some peculiarities. She was also partially teaching him, just as he guided her with what he had learned under many military-experienced veterans.
Heian Ciemnosc looked at the workers, exhausted and slowly getting used to the sun they hadn’t seen in a couple hours, realizing how affected they had become in less than half a day. They searched for an answer as more and more people started noticing their Empire’s assigned supervisor and were speechless to see all their highest superiors. Heian Ciemnosc let them set their eyes on him a little longer before gradually walking forward to direct his words at the workers.
The new Admiral didn’t follow him anymore, letting the true big boss around do his speech however he wished, not intending to take some of the limelight away. Heian Ciemnosc pointed his left thumb at the slightly robust, new Admiral and commenced his speech. “This is your new Admiral and the First in the Empire.”
“Woo!” - “Hurra!” - “I knew we were better than the navy!” - “Let’s fucking goooo!” The crowd of workers understood they could relax for a bit as more of them closed in. Heian Ciemnosc kept a neutral, indifferent expression, but the workers didn’t feel threatened or as if they were at fault. After a few seconds more, with the new Admiral frowning at times, feeling a sudden pressure on his person out of nowhere, Heian Ciemnosc continued.
“You may not understand this, but the Empire, as a city-like organization, the type that is the largest and most influential in the world, wherever they go, someone with the highest military rank can be the Vice governor of even a Large City. Even the Governor themselves, depending on the system the organization uses. In this case, they are like citizens, and citizens can also be granted this responsibility.”
“In our Blauw Empire, it is the latter option,” Heian Ciemnosc kept his hands to the sides, looking around with his darkest eyes seemingly avoided by the morning light, fascinating. He continued again, and amidst light cheering from the crowd, they were somewhat startled still. “Your First Admiral will be like your Governor, so if anything happens, is a corner, or requests to your needs, he is the one you will talk to. During war-time, you must make appointments, and during battles, in case there is one, all storage workers will be combat-ready and have to wait for confirmation before exiting the storage. Nothing else.”
Heian Ciemnosc then looked up and then down at them. They followed his actions, and now that they were more used to the sun, they didn’t hurt like before. He spoke calmly, “I don’t know why your superiors and the First Admiral wanted you to get used to the darkness as if all of you are Races’ sub races that are used to it, but it was a good showcase for preparing you for the worst. Let this be a tradition from now on. Every new batch of workers will be met with their first week of working under the dark. That’s all.”
Then, Heian Ciemnosc turned around and walked back up the stairs, leaving the workers looking at the Imperial Prosecutors and the First Admiral strangely. Nobody in the Blauw Empire’s army, even if from the old, worse-off generation was stupid. But that was their embarrassment to cover, not his. Thus, Heian Ciemnosc left the fortified islands after giving the Fortress the last visit of the day. He had already checked every other fortified island had its runway and smaller but still gigantic storages ready for anything.
Now, he had to take care of something more consequential. According to the instructions of the Headmaster, the vitality array formations he requested should arrive in about a week.
…