Winning a war is important, but dealing with the aftermath is equally important. The cigar parade may seem like nothing special, but it boosts the morale of the warriors and the patriotism of the people of the 'Sun in the Sky'.
- Those who fight bravely against the enemy and protect their country, they are the warriors of the 'Sun of the Sky'.
The warriors representing all the warriors stationed in the area marched through the city, leading me and following me in tight formation.
It was when we had just entered the outer wall after passing the inner wall where the main buildings such as government offices and administrative agencies were located.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"These are the warriors of the sun in the sky!"
"Manly and cool!"
"When I grow up, I will become a brave warrior."
There were so many people gathered along the sidewalks on both sides of the road that the end was almost in sight. The cheers and applause of the people continued to erupt towards the marching warriors.
Nameless wild flowers were scattered, and pretty girls carrying flower necklaces approached the warriors marching down the middle of the road and placed them around their necks, one by one.
"Thank you for protecting us."
"Thank you for coming back safely from the battlefield."
Could it be that an unknown emotion has welled up from deep within your heart? The warriors marching with their shoulders straightened with pride and a sense of mission towards the 'sun in the sky'.
Chock! Chock! Chock! Chock! Chock! Chock!
The warriors, walking in step, continued their march confidently through the crowd of welcoming people without a single one falling out.
I shouted at the warriors from the front to further boost their morale.
"Who are we?"
"These are the warriors of the 'Sun of the Sky' who are never defeated!"
"Who are we?"
"These are the fearless warriors of the 'Sun of the Sky'!"
Every time the 'Sun of the Sky' warriors shouted those words, the people's cheers grew louder.
"The gods and spirits will protect the 'Sun of the Sky'!"
"Long live the sun of heaven!"
I, the warriors, and I felt a tingling sensation all over our bodies and became one with countless people. Before I knew it, the warriors and I had passed the outer wall and entered a stadium the size of a soccer field, reaching the climax of the parade.
Waaa ...
The 'Sun of the Sky' people, who filled the stadium seats, came out and greeted the warriors enthusiastically, waving flags symbolizing the emperor and each unit and cheering.
"These are the warriors of the sun in the sky!"
"O sun of the sky! Live forever!"
My warriors and I did not stay still either, but saluted the people gathered in the stadium with restrained movements.
"Salute to the people of the sun in the sky!"
"insect!"
The warriors' loud shout of 'Chung!' slowly spread throughout the stadium, echoing. After a while, the warriors who had completed the outer track centered on the stadium field stood in line in front of the podium in the center.
I got off the buffalo and went up to the platform. The people inside the stadium also became quiet for a moment and looked at me with anticipation as to what kind of speech I would give.
"… …Warriors! People! The 'Sun of the Sky' proclaims that all tribes will create a world where they are equal before God!"
It was a short and hungry speech, but the people of 'The Sun in the Sky' cheered and shouted even more enthusiastically.
And these cigar parades will also be held on a small scale in central towns in each region.
* * *
"Unbreakable Mountain, who won the battle of Su-seong with excellent strategy in the fortress! Forward!"
"The Indomitable Fist that has succeeded in stabilizing the Iroquois Confederacy territory! Forward!"
"Roaring Thunder, who showed outstanding fighting skills as the vanguard unit! Forward!"
"Forward, brave wolf who has made a brilliant contribution to the conquest of the Iroquois and Abnaki Confederacy! Forward!"
In addition, the names of the great warriors of each tribe who were unable to attend the event were called out one by one.
After a while, the splendid victory celebration ended with a promotion ceremony for those who had made great contributions in the war.
And soon the autumn festival began, where all the tribes of the 'Sun of the Sky' gathered together and united.
"It's a festival!"
"I feel so relieved because this year was another bumper crop."
"Now that I've won the war, I can drink as much as I want."
The stadium is better than the last time we played the Lenape traditional football Pasajeman. The playground in the center was covered with green grass, and the tiered seats, although not chairs, were made of marble on each level.
In addition, there were convenience stores selling alcohol and light snacks on one side of the stadium, and there were also tents where players representing their tribes could rest during the game.
'There is no such thing as the Olympics.'
As the emperor who presided over this festival, I sat in the center of the audience and watched the game together with the heads of each administrative organization.
The first race is a long distance race. Warriors representing each tribe stood at the starting line of the track and waved to the crowd in the stadium each time their names were called.
"The long hair of the Mohawk tribe!"
"The brown eyes of the Shawnee tribe!"
The people in the stadium also cheered even louder as a warrior from their own tribe came out. At that moment, the elder who was watching the judges blew his whistle very loudly while looking at the warriors standing at the starting line of the track.
Peeeeeeeeeee!
The warriors began to circle the track. And after three laps around the stadium, a few warriors slowly made their way into the lead.
As the final ten laps rolled by, the three warriors were neck and neck as they approached the finish line. Among the Mohawk, Shawnee, and Powhatan warriors, the Mohawk warrior eventually won the long distance race.
"Our tribe won!"
"It's the Mohawk tribe after all!"
The Mohawks in the stadium clenched their fists and celebrated their victory. I also had so much fun during this long distance running race that my palms were sweaty.
The next event is javelin throw. While we were given a short break, I took the kids to a place with some convenience stores like everyone else.
"Dad! Buy me some honey candy."
"I want to eat opossum persimmons."
On both sides, 'Stars in the Sky' and 'Rain in the Sky' held my hand tightly and talked about what they wanted to eat. I wanted to attend the festival with my wife, 'Daughter Tta-da', but unfortunately, she was unable to attend due to postpartum care and the triplets.
"Okay, while I'm buying snacks, I'll buy some for my mom and siblings too."
"okay."
"Buy a lot because my younger siblings are hungry."
The eldest daughter, 'Star of the Sky', took good care of her mother and younger siblings, unlike her son, 'Rain of the Sky'.
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"Please bless me."
As I walked to the convenience store, a large crowd of people crowded around me to see me. However, due to the assassination of the previous emperor, the 'Honest Bear' and the bodyguard warriors who were closely guarding me asked for the understanding of the people of 'The Sun in the Sky' and stopped me.
"sorry."
"Please step back."
After a while, we stopped by a convenience store to buy some snacks for the kids and returned to the stands to watch the javelin throw competition.
"Defeat the Nanty Coke Tribe!"
"Throw the spear with all your might!"
"I have to win the javelin throw this time to protect the honor of my tribe!"
* * *
The Pasaheman competition, which marked the finale of the fall festival, ended with the Lenape tribe, a strong contender, being eliminated in the preliminary round and the Shawnee tribe winning.
During the day, they played games, and at night, they drank alcohol and ate a lot of food. The 'Sun of the Sky' tribes competed in traditional dances, and single men and women socialized and shared secret love.
And so the three-day autumn festival ended. And today, the funerals of the warriors who died in the war were held. Unlike the festival the day before, the people of 'Sun in the Sky' were in a very solemn mood.
A steady procession of people followed the warriors carrying the coffin.
"What if I die first, leaving my mother behind?"
"bye!"
"I loved you, son!"
"The Creator God and the spirits will be with you."
The families of the dead warriors wailed in grief. I was also sad as I escorted them to the national cemetery. Although they say they won the war with minimal casualties, the sacrifices of the soldiers could not be avoided.
"These are the warriors who fought for our 'Sun of the Sky'! Treat them with utmost respect until the end!"
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
After a while, warriors who died in the war with the three alliances began to be buried one by one in the national cemetery.
The sobs of the families who lost their sons grew louder. And in this personnel reshuffle, 'Wind and Cloud', who had stepped down from the Ministry of Education, led the funeral as a great shaman.
"Warriors! The Creator God has already decided your fate. God's blessings will be bestowed upon you who have completed your mission as destiny leads."
The chief shamans of the various tribes of the 'Sun of the Sky' also came out and prayed to the gods and spirits in their own way and blessed the dead warriors.
A large tombstone was erected on the graves of the warriors who were buried in the ground. Standing before the heads of each administrative agency who attended the funeral, the bereaved family members, and the people of 'The Sun in the Sky', I spoke in a voice filled with deep sorrow.
"… … The brave and great warriors buried here will be remembered forever by the 'Sun in the Sky'."
* * *
A 'very big' city, government office. The regular meeting of the delegates, the victory celebration in war, the autumn festival, the funerals of fallen soldiers, and other major events have come to an end.
I stopped by the office after a long time to discuss future plans, including the post-war processing of the 'Splendid Sunset' and the three alliances, and receive reports and give instructions.
"The bereaved families of the soldiers who died in the war will be supported throughout their lives by 'Sun of the Sky' within the legal framework set by the country."
I gave a few more instructions after looking at the support written in the report.
"The family will not heal easily from the death of their son. Contact the temple and ask them to visit the family often and pray for them."
"I hadn't thought about it that far, but you take better care of the fallen soldiers than I do. I understand, Your Majesty! I will deliver it to the temple right away."
'Splendid Sunset' looked at me with eyes of renewed respect and made a note on the paper she was holding.
"How is the pioneer unit doing?"
"I think it would be difficult to operate a pioneer unit with three hundred men, as the supply of buffalo is not easy. How about operating a pioneer unit with one hundred and fifty warriors as the standard?"
"One hundred and fifty people…"
"It is mainly a task to subdue the minor tribes of the Great Plains, so even if a battle breaks out as His Majesty the Emperor fears, a force of one hundred and fifty buffalo light cavalrymen will be able to win easily."
I gave in to her persuasion.
"Okay. Let's do one hundred and fifty. Then, how many pioneer units can we operate?"
"For now…"
'Splendid Sunset' hesitated for a moment and then spoke while holding up the documents.
"I think we can operate about four units. Of course, if the pioneer unit is performing well, we plan to continue to supply buffalo and increase the number of pioneer units."
"I know what you mean. Well, let's go ahead with it."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
With the Pioneer Unit issue resolved, we moved on to the next agenda item.
"What happened to the Cherokee trading post?"
"We have now reached an agreement with the Cherokee to establish three trading posts. And as directed by His Majesty the Emperor, we will strictly control the trading posts, and no taxes will be paid to the Cherokee."
I couldn't help but praise 'Sunset' for successfully concluding negotiations with the Cherokee tribe.
"You handled it well."
"No. I still have much to learn from Your Majesty the Emperor."
'Splendid Sunset' quickly changed the subject because it felt burdensome to look at her with such sincere eyes.
"I wish other tribes would set up trading posts too."
"Yes, I will first consult with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and report back later regarding the establishment of the trading post."
"okay."
After a while, the agenda to be discussed with 'Splendid Sunset' was concluded. I took out the map I had prepared in advance and handed it to her.
'Splendid Sunset', who was looking at the map carefully, asked with a surprised expression.
"how?"
"A map showing various resource minerals, such as iron ore and copper. I've personally checked and researched them, so they should be accurate. Based on this map, we'll consult with the Ministry of Construction and mine the necessary resources."
"I was running low on iron, thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"What, are you grateful for that? I will continue to send you confirmed resources in the future, so please understand."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
'Splendid Sunset' smiled brightly and answered powerfully.
* * *
A 'very large' city, a research complex. As autumn draws to a close, the weather becomes quite chilly. We stopped by the machine manufacturing lab inside the research complex, escorted by the Royal Guard warriors.
As it happened, 'Lazy Beaver' was with his technicians in the machine building laboratory, having an urgent meeting.
"Are you here? Your Majesty the Emperor!"
The 'lazy beaver' suddenly started hiccuping, as if he was so surprised by me.
"Why are you so surprised? Are you so happy to see me?"
"Huh? That's…"
"First, take this."
"What the heck is this design diagram?"