The Southern United Rucina's Confederation or simply known as Xin (or Ran in Runician) is a great nation spanning 45 % of the entire Rucina's Frontier and is considered one of the most powerful nations in the whole known world as the most populated and richest country. But you must be wondering, how is a nation so small be considered the strongest? Unlike the other top 12 countries in the list which expends multiple frontiers, like weakest of the 12, the Agun of Agnalulu that stretches far beyond 7 frontiers, or maybe the country above it, the Rigdorna Merk that only had 6 frontiers. Isn't the Confederation considered puny?

So is it their armies?

Though considered one of the most unique and versatile armies that could handle any situation, sadly they are still not considered strong.

Then could it be their leaders? Their form of government? Or something!?

Okay, let me explain a bit of how the Confederation works... In oversimplified term.

Though it is hard to explain how they govern their subjects, it is said that it is a chaotic fusion of thousands upon thousands of princedom and princessdom during the late 3rd century to stop the World Invasion and somehow still holds as it is for more than 2000 years till now after the invasion ends. It is a semi centralize nation with the capital city of Rucina as their unquestionable head of state and their subjects form whatever form of governance they please as long as they pay, offer, and fulfil their given duties and tides.

As for the leaders, it is said that the current head of the Confederation is led by five heads and the supreme deity also known as {Ansei A Jusei} in Runician by the common folks who live outside of Heaven (or also known as Rucina, the city). The deities are called:

-Custodian of all that is Resource

(Usually called The head of treasury or economy and responsible for all resources spending and all work-related).

-Supreme Heaven's Commandant

(The supreme commander of all military-related, including the Hunters Guild, usually called the Great General of Heaven or the like. What makes this the dream job of many children, adults, and the elderly is because of how it is the most easily attainable position of God above all the seats. Thanks to how easy it is to earn merit with the constant war, civil wars in a scale between sectors and puppet states, revolution, rebellion, separatist, campaigns that can be found in every district, sector, states, kingdoms, empires, and more).

-Heart of the Jade

(Master of internal politic and called the heart of the people by the people... Kinda like the voice of the people manifested onto a person literally or figuratively).

-Strings of the Outsider

(Leader of all foreign politic and is named as the minister of foreign affairs and usually, someone foreign is in this position, kinda like the praetorian guards of the Roman Empire but instead of protecting the Caesar, they are task with improving relations with all foreign nations. This is the most controversial seat to have ever been created because even the most despised race, the Owlians can become one.

Which only ever happened once in the Confederation history, which is during the World Invasion. Gives you the impression of how bad the threat of the World Invasion really is to even the number 2 country at that time, isn't it? That they would throw away all the culture, traditions, lessons, pride and even their foundation for the sake of surviving).

-Grand Sage of Enlightenment

(The one responsible for all of Rucina's Development in all aspects. Or in our sense, the head of scientific development of a country. But instead of science, it depends on what the country wants like either technology, religion, culture, military and etc. How the person is chosen to this position in the first place is a mystery to begin with, even by some of the deities themselves. But if it works who can blame?)

And finally the Supreme Deity. Da Big Boss!

-The Sovereign of all living

(Basically, the grand ruler of all, heaven and all under it and is currently, of course, empty. It is prophecised by the Spirit Church that someone as magnificent as Rucina or even greater shall take the empty throne. Why this position is even created is even debated but it's still there... Waiting... Empty... And RIPE to be taken by every man, women, or anthropomorphic beings of all ages who claims to be him).

Anyway, the people who say that the Rucina's Confederation is small are basically people who never even bother learning foreign diplomacy and just look at the known world map and say:

"Oh my gosh! Look at this tiny, puny, tinny, bitty power country. I can't wait to become a powerful nation and invade them and took or exploit all their rich resources~"

(This happened more than thirty times in the Confederation's history by a country experiencing a dark age in their head of government and when they realize it's too late, the Confederation easily refuse their plea for surrender and justify by saying it's for "justice and vengeance to the slaughtered" and turns them to a puppet state).

[It's just hilariously idiotic history that I can't help but laugh. After all, what are history without idiots and dumb moments am I right?]

Well, those are all idiot rulers with idiot advisors or council. In reality, Rucina actually controls more than 28 frontiers from all their vassals, clients, allies, puppets, colonies, semi-independent country and their core territory combined. So when I say that they have the richest and populated country in the world, that is only counting their own core territory. Let me repeat that, their own core territory.

If there is something that their country produces by their already flawed design, is that they pump out the world's best diplomats and politicians that can traverse world politics like child's play. In fact, they manage to survive thus far because of their "smart" and "effective" decisions their head of government had made and coupled with the fact they had one if not D best and varied resources in the world that can only be rivalled by the strongest Economic powerhouse which is the Aologi Empire in which they are still competing on who have which best resources with new discovery every day.

Here's a story about the Confederation History after the World Invasion. During the age of Guns than Glory. An age of ideological war between the Theocracy and the Aologi Empire to prove that Science (Empire) is better than Magic (Theocracy).

[Which to be honest is pretty obvious who wins].

ONE of the darkest and horrific histories of the Confederation is that the worst things they ever did was first giving a low world country a very beneficial and good deal that is so stupid to refuse on a starving country and that is under one condition is that they accept certain reforms. Not in a position to refuse or suspect a thing, the low world country voluntarily and happily agreed for a happy and bright future for their fledging and new nation. But their leaders were not so stupid, they have hired the best diplomat and law readers from a top country, not from the Confederation that specialize in their laws to cross-check and determine if their reforms will hinder or deteriorate each other laws or not just so that they won't get tricked and even down to the best food experts to see if the food was poisonous or not before accepting it. After all, it's not too bad to be careful.

Confident in their plans they never knew that the "food" was actually the true motive and when they realize it, they failed to see the bigger picture and were too late to stop it. The food expert lied to them and turns out the food is actually a drug that takes effect a few days after eating it, subtly but slowly corrupting. Even the head of the countries was affected by it too.

When the target quota of people are met they, the greedy Confederation push the overdrive button and started overpricing the drug so much the country was destroyed and collapsed by it's pure sheer weight of debt and bankruptcy to the point they even sold their own army and lands to the Confederation to get just a drop of the drug to feed their own people and before long, they were forced to become a puppet or slave nation under the sore thumb of the Confederation just to stay alive.

And the worst part is no one even landed a helping hand to stop this madness. Not even the country that teaches them the religion of their country, the strongest country in the world that preach of freedom, the Libera Theocracy did not do anything to help. That is because of simple things in the grand scheme, in an age of hidden blades and espionage, this is but a child's play to the Confederation and they had already known their plans from the start of their meeting. Since they're dealing with a lowly country who's magic systems are like backwards compared to them, they simply kill the "real" food tester and replace it with their own and they won't even know the difference. And to secure their victory they influence other countries even the Libera Theocracy from helping them out. Coupled with the fact that if they want to help, they have to deal with the almighty Confederation, they are just that afraid. This new country was doomed from the moment they meet the Confederation.

But some of that story is not true. One of the Unsung Hero, the Aologi Empire actually refuses the Confederation's bribe and actually lend a helping hand at the beginning, knowing the Confederation's plot and tried to warn them. But, a country that follows the teachings of Libera refuses to accept any deals or even meetings from those Owlians, especially a country made out of Godless Owlians that uses the heretical use of Science. And when the Aologi Empire tried to force their reforms to save the country, the Confederation whispered even more lies to poison their minds off the Owlians and made them think them as enemies instead. It's only when they fall till they can't fall any further the people realize, God truly doesn't exist and they don't care about them.

But hope was not lost, the Owlians has been slowly sending a small elite force of units to fund a secret resistance group made out of the previous head of the government. And they have been stocking on weapons and forces, while also manufacturing a cure for the drug. Careful planning and waiting for the right moment to strike. The time finally comes after half a century later, they launch a coup and replace the government to proclaim their independence under the Guarantee and guidance of the Aologi Empire. Their people, cured and saved, their government reformed and restored, and some of the people who were sold to the Confederation were even returned thanks to to the pressure the Aologi Empire send to the Confederation.

The new nation, now truly free and protected, finally becomes one of the very few unknown countries that actually accept Owlians as Citizens.

Thanks to that tragedy, a certain phrase was raised by the people of that country to the future rulers and that is:

"Beware of the Ambrosia and trust only with venom in tow."

I just scratch the surface for the Confederation's and a bit of the World's lore. And I'll tell you more of the Confederation if I ever have the chance but if you read more, you realize that something happens to the Aologi Empire and things have changed with the Confederation since than too.

And if this kinda sounds like propaganda... It is, I mean it is the most untrustworthy time in the whole known history. Heck! The country in the story might not even exist! But then again... Lies are form from truths sometimes after all.

So remember the quote above, that's the saving grace for every person making a deal till this age in history.

But if I have to add one more thing, is that one of the things that make this country so special than the others is in how they view Gods. Unlike the Aologi Empire who wishes to SLAY the Gods for they think they are but plagues or the common teaching of the Libera Theocracy where one must worship the Gods for they are beings beyond our understanding. In the Confederation, one must know no limits. Only when one does not know it, can they truly ascend.

In a world where people worship and kill Gods, the people of Xin believe that they are the Gods themselves... If there are no Gods, then they will simply become one.

Though to be fair, the term "God" didn't actually even exist until the Theocracy showed up. Back then the call the so-called "Gods" in the Confederation were merely spirits and they didn't think too much of it. Only when the Theocracy showed them that what God can do in their holy scriptures and change their perspective that the people of Xin started to think differently. This is also why the word spirit and God in Runician is the same.

This is merely part one of the lore about the Confederation and I just barely scratch the surface. I'll continue about it in the next parts where I'll tell you more about something else like the religion, culture, traditions, rules (both written and unwritten), views, more positions of power, and et cetera...

Hmm? What's that? How big or what is a Frontier?

... You'll find out in due time in the story.