Arknights : Final Rebirth - Gladius Belii

[E] Chapter 12 - 1079, New Opportunity, Victoria's Boundary.

"Mono/Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

Narration

[Message/communication apparatus]

Date: May 1079

Location: Data not found

POV: Narrator

Terra only has a single known landmass, a supercontinent to be exact, that has been inhabited since time immemorial. This supercontinent had seen the rise and fall of numerous civilizations, some were higher than others yet all fell the same, time is a cruel arbiter and it only marches forward.

The devastation of untold millenniums of conflict had been time and time again rewritten by the latest tragedy. Of course, there are beings of terra capable of watching all from the start or since time immemorial.

The most appropriate example would be the Feranmuts and Feraerus. The former had an image and appearance closer to mankind, while the latter had a more animalistic and more primal appearance.

These beings had been taking a passive stance on Terran people. Some because they thought it to be beneath them, some because they were too weary, and others because it was more amusing to use them in their own game. Of course, some took an active role in ensuring that Terra could be sustained; as what sort of existence varied between them.

Information from an era long forgotten had insinuated the existence of artificial life forms. These life forms are more human than machine and have been watching over the world with their respective duty. Some are long dead and vanquished, another had been walking the world and keeping order, and a lot more were forgotten...

A Sarkaz clan was rumored to be one such ancient being that had seen the rise and fall of numerous enigmatic existence, mundane or otherwise. Information regarding its authenticity was scarce and hard to decipher, perhaps by ignorance or design. The thing is, don't judge something you can barely comprehend carelessly.

Back to the matter of civilization. Since the advent of the 11th century of the Terran calendar, there have been changes pertaining to how civilizations prospered and died. The best and latest example would be the Gaulish Empire.

Their downfall had been a hot topic for scholars, historians, and romanticists. Gaul was once the sole undisputed center of Terran culture, Gaulish was also Terran lingua franca for a significant portion of its existence.

Sadly, like how time and era keep erasing empires one way or another, Gaul fell along with what made Gaul truly Gaul, their cultural prowess and presence. Gaulish Empire's aggressive expansionism had driven other countries away from mutual understanding, and all hell broke loose after their incomprehensibly humiliating demand against Lethanien's Witch King was refuted.

With the entirety of Gaulish dignitaries being put to death and their bodies, more like deranged artwork of pure madness, sent back to Gaul in a horrid fashion.

The war with Leithanien had taken the worst possible path, but Gaul as an Empire that held Terra in the palms of its hands demanded more material and human resources to feed its growing industry. Some said that Emperor Corsica I had no other choice. Regardless, however, they turned to Victoria and effectively isolated themselves.

Victoria fought with all it had, putting more strain on Gaul's declining economy, yet they were themselves almost erased from the face of Terra. The stalemate that had occurred was broken when Gaul supported the Columbian Union to rebel. The rebellion was at one point seemingly incapable of achieving much, but war is an uncertain business.