Decades of Greatness (1581-1590)

[1581]

- After her return to England and subsequent enthronement as the first legitimate female monarch who holds absolute power over Great Britain (which means that she isn't acting as a regent for an incoming male monarch), Sister Camilla, who was renamed as a sovereign to Queen Theodora Lloyd Anson-Dormer III, introduced herself to the rest of the European monarchial scene as a no-nonsense leader backed by a huge part of both the House of Lords and Commons, as well as the favor of a majority of Japan's ruling lords (most of which she converted into Christianity). Alongside Prussia, Netherlands and later on, the Holy Roman Empire, they once again condemned Spain, Portugal and France regarding their participation in the grand armada that was aiming to attack Japan.

- After a long fight against the Chinese Imperial forces, Joseon spies finally reported that the challenges brought by an ever-dwindling fighting force and a population that can be trained to refill the dead soldiers began to take a toll amongst the Chinese. One by one, regional governors and magistrates who used to fear the superior and numerous forces of Emperor Mao Jun Hie began to converse about mounting a coup d'etat.

- After the public has fully recovered from the terror attacks, the triplets of the Iwasawa Clan that was born during the crisis was finally presented to the public alongside their parents and three elder siblings. The triplets who are now all aged four-years-old, being one boy and two girls (which rounded out the siblings between three boys and girls each), are named Masahiro, Mayumi and Mikazuki. When later pressed by the interviewer about how on earth they managed to "squeeze out" three more children in their "graying ages", both Lord Hiroshi and Lady Chiyo simply laughed and said that they consider it a miracle and that they were missing the days when their first three children were still "cute and cuddly", much to the chagrin of the Princes and Princess.

[1582]

- Under orders from their king, Joseon launched a missile, one that they independently developed by themselves from vague information from Japanese books, towards the imperial capital of Daiping. Although it ultimately missed the imperial palace, it did hit a major industrial and logistics hub in the city, effectively freezing the impending offensive being thought up by the Chinese commanders.

- As retaliation for the missile strike, the seized French warship fleet was sent towards Korea under the express orders of the Chinese emperor to "raze the coast" of the peninsula. Unfortunately for them, a spring storm in the Yellow Sea sunk most of the smaller warships, and those that survived, became easy pickings for the Joseon navy. For the flagship "Beumont", it didn't even have a chance to unleash the full force of its cannons after a Joseon ship carrying an experimental Japanese torpedo fired the weapon and struck and sunk it to the bottom of the sea.

- The number of losses and lack of progress in Korea finally reached China where the discontent towards the emperor has reached even the imperial capital. All across the empire, popular uprisings began, protesting against the forced conscription orders and the wasting of their resources in a fruitless conflict.

- After surviving seven separate assassination attempts, some of which were poison plots that he only survived by forming an adapted immunity from it, Emperor Mao Jun Hie ordered a purge that basically halved the population of his military and political elite. For those that were hit by the purge, it fueled further resentment for the emperor and those who was spared from it, knew that they have to get rid of him before they become victims of the next liquidation.

[1583]

- After fighting against the aftereffects of the paralyzing injury that she sustained during the assassination attempt against her, Ayanami Mitsuha would be diagnosed with an advanced nerve disease that rendered not only her lower half but her entire body from the neck down unable to move. With permission from her master, Lady Kusanagi Kyouko, Lady Ayanami Mitsuha abdicated the throne of Yukonami prefecture to her younger sister, Ayanami Mitsuhide, so that their dynasty can continue. Soon after, Lady Mitsuhide would adopt a child from a subordinate noble house to continue her bloodline. This decision, similar to the one made by Lady Kusanagi Kyoko, earned the ire of their advisors who wanted for them to marry and have a "proper offspring", however, they knew that the two still haven't moved on from their previous dalliance with a "certain man".

- Questions regarding how former Fuku Daimyo, Yamaguchi Koshiro, should be cared for arose within the court of Lady Yamaguchi Kaede. As the former lord continued to deteriorate despite regular medications and therapy, his suffering was seen by his retainers that now serve under her sister as something that deeply hurt them as well. Discussions about a private "hara-kiri" ceremony was made, spurned by the belief of the clan elders that it can be seen as an honorable end for the former lord instead of having him continuously suffer in his disease until his death. However, all of these proposals were immediately shot down by Lady Kaede who even sent her brother to the Aoyama manor of Kiko where he can receive better treatment and be secure from those scheming to give him an "honorable death".

- After secretly battling lung cancer for the past 5 years, former Shogunate general and one of his close friends, Furutani Garou, passed away in his estate manor amongst his children, nieces and nephews, which included her goddaughter Misanagi Rinne. On his last will and testament, he handed his main manor and land to his two sons and his mountain summer house to his daughter. He then requested to be given a non-sectarian funeral, citing his mistrust with religious denominations, in favor of a simple affair headed by his goddaughter whom he wanted to be the one to entomb his ashes alongside his two departed wives. When asked later about being entrusted with his final rites, Lady Misanagi Rinne stated that "although not many knew about our bond as godfather and goddaughter, uncle Garou was the father-figure that I needed during my youth and my trusted advisor in my adulthood."

- Following the death of their two closest friends, Lady Chiasa decided to fall back from the public eye in favor of taking a slow and easy life from thereon. It was said that during this exile from public life, she managed to impart much of her skills and knowledge to her children, particularly their adopted child, Amanogawa Kichi, who will later act as the chief advisor of the heir to the Shogunate, Amanogawa Riku.

[1584]

- After receiving a message from their embassy in Britain that was said to have come from the Queen, a diplomat was sent to Europe to speak at the first ever continental summit that will be held in the Swiss Federation. After much discussion in the Japanese National Diet, it was decided that the one who will be sent is Asada Tatsu (formerly Kaminari Tatsu), given his background in diplomacy and expertise in making fair or greatly favorable agreements. Upon his own insistence, he brought his wife and two children with him during the diplomatic mission where his expertise in speaking French, English and German impressed many of the monarchs.

- True to what was expected of him, Tatsu and the Asada family would return with great news from Europe. One of which is about Japan's demand to have the colonizing countries leave their allied nations in Asia untouched by their conquests. There is also the case of Britain's hold on several Indian provinces, wherein they warned the European power to not enact unfair laws and treatment towards the people, something that they agreed to with little to no complaint. As part of the agreement, former Shogunate Legion officer and former Prussian ambassador to Japan, Hans von Zettour, was sent to India to act as Prussia's liaison officer to the east. This was however, nothing more than a ploy made by Shogun Amanogawa to force Prussia to let him stay with his wife who is among the ruling regents of colonial India.

- What was believed to be nothing more than a baseless rumor, was finally proven after a few days. The rumor being Prince Iwasawa Miyuki and Princess Iwasawa Haruna having their first child. A week after being born, Prince Iwasawa Arata was presented to the public through an interview where the two new parents conversed about the changes in their lives that happened ever since they had a child, as well as the fact that both Lord Hiroshi and Lady Chiyo cannot help but dote on their first grandchild while also doting on their triplets that have began to enter elementary schooling. At that same interview, the two grandparents are recorded cuddling with the toddler, with many among the public seeing it as "likely the sweetest sight in existence".

- At the age of 67, Shogun Amanogawa began to be questioned regarding his age and thus, ability to serve in his position given his fragile health and the image that is perceived from it. While many of his followers saw this as an unnecessary and even insolent concern, the Shogun would surprise them by admitting that he is indeed getting on in the years and would like to join his wife in retreating from public life. With that, he said that once his son, Amanogawa Riku, comes of age and secures an heir for himself, he would gladly abdicate the Shogunate throne and retire.

- The twin owners and CEOs of Nuko Group of companies, Handa Yukari and Imai Chito, would be sent as Japan's economic representatives to Britain, given their knowledge about the continent and their expertise on its culture, for the purpose of being the consultants of a major renovation of the country's capital. While already predicted, the two would also spurn the interest of the British to adopt technologies and techniques from Japan, something that started out with a curiosity towards steam technology.

[1585]

- After their immaculate service as two of the key people to saving Japan from both terrorists and foreign invaders, Princes Iwasawa Miyuki and Haruo received a commendation from the National Diet. However, unlike his older brother who chose to wear a traditional hakama, Prince Haruo would be wearing a Kiko Prefectural army uniform, signifying his new position in the national armed force. This decision to directly serve his country and people was seen by many as a sign that the fabled "prophecy" after his birth would actually come true.

- After her long and arduous fight against her nerve disease, former daimyo of Yukonami, Lady Ayanami Mitsuha, would peacefully pass away in her sleep. A few days before, as if knowing her impending end, she would make a request from her younger sister to try to find out the real identity of her favorite light novel author with the alias of "Ouji-sensei" and if possible, have the person in question appear so that she can ask how a few novel series that she is waiting for would end. To her shock, the person behind her myriad of beloved series was nothing more than Lord Iwasawa Hiroshi, who complied with her wish as a form of "making it up to her for surprising her". During her funeral, Lord Iwasawa announced that he plans to start a new series and if Lady Mitsuhide allows, he would like to make use of her sister's identity as inspiration, something that she allowed without much reservation. The light novel series titled "Iron Lady Knight", became a massive hit that lasted for almost a decade. As further aid to her legacy, Lord Iwasawa directed all the profits of the IP towards the "Mitsuha Protégé foundation", a charity focused on protecting and giving access to education to girls not just in Japan but wherever they can reach.

- A second moon landing was performed by a combined team of astronauts from Kiko, Shinka, Mizuki and Yamato, with the aim of collecting rock and dust samples for research. During the same space trip, a part of the rocket that was left orbiting earth was turned into the first stage of a space station planned to be finished by the end of the decade.

- The success of the space exploration and establishment of the first permanent space station spurned great interest in space travel amongst the new generation, raising the prospective students in Science and Technology fields.

- After a long and arduous war, Korea was finally freed from the attacks of China after several fronts mutinied against their commanders and uprisings back in China turned into full-blown rebellions. While he still holds control over much of the imperial army, Emperor Mao Jun Hie knew that his days are beginning to be numbered as he can barely identify now whether those around him are loyal or not.

- Following the unilateral cease fire from the Chinese forces, Joseon let loose another missile that this time, struck the imperial palace albeit on its mostly unpopulated east wing. Fearing not only his own people but also the nation that he has angered twice already, the Chinese emperor soon began to lose his sanity.

- Prince Amanogawa Riku, with the help of his adoptive elder sister, Amanogawa Kichi, toured Japan with the aim of learning how to best serve his country as the future Shogun. It was during this trip around the country that he happened to come across Princess Iwasawa Mariko who was filming for a movie in Hitachi prefecture. Although they have known each other for a long time due to the friendship of their respective families, the both remarked that it was the first time that they managed to interact as their own selves and not as scions of their noble families. They would be later teased about being "lovey-dovey", something that infuriated both but they never denied.

- At one of the greatest episodes of "The Crew", the members of the group along with a few guests such as Edogawa Gin, Asada Tatsu and even former Fuku daimyo Yamaguchi Koshiro, would fly to the space station and inaugurate it together. While most of the episode was made up of their shenanigans and random quips about "interesting things to do in zero-gravity" (which has Lord Iwasawa teased for the rumors that his twins were "made in space"), the visit created an entire subset of psychiatric treatment where the previously schizophrenic former lord Yamaguchi was noted to have not a single panic attack or psychiatric episode during their stay in space. Upon noticing it themselves once they returned to earth, both Lord Iwasawa and Shogun Amanogawa would study this case and both would agree on their hypothesis that former Lord Yamaguchi's exposure to an oxygen-rich environment, as well as seeing the world and the stars around him, helped in lessening his schizophrenic attacks.

- Under the leadership and funding of Princes Iwasawa Miyuki and Amanogawa Riku, the first National Electronic Games Tournament was held in Mizuki prefecture's Cyberdome (back then the largest, and currently 3rd largest arena in the world), For the next 2 weeks, hundreds of competitions would be held in all kinds of games of all kinds of genres. It is also the first public tournament which had its competitions livestreamed in the internet and made available even as far as the Japanese embassies, consulates and settlements in Europe. The entire event would culminate in the battle between the Mizuki Buccaneers and Kiko Falcons in the 6-vs-6 first-person-shooter game "Urban Engagement", where in a 4-against-1 odds, a lone player from the Buccaneers managed to both "kill" his opponents and diffuse the in-game bomb, leading to their victory. It was said that the underground betting for that final game easily surpassed 15 million yen.

- Under the watchful eye and leadership of both his uncle and godfather, General Shimura Nobisuke and Admiral Fumikage Ryuusui respectively, Prince Iwasawa Haruo toured many military bases outside the borders of mainland Japan, visiting the camps and fortresses in Okinawa, the "common alliance encampments" in Formosa, Philippines, Indonesia and even the still at-war Joseon. In Korea, he appeared at the royal court where he delighted many of the ministers by speaking fluently and eloquently in Korean, and stating that he will suggest further military and diplomatic support to Joseon to the Japanese National Diet.

- The year would end with the whole Iwasawa clan, including Princess Haruna and the toddler Prince Arata, spending their vacation in Furuya prefecture where it is said that like their father, one of the six children was blessed by goddess Inari. At that same visit, it was rumored that Prince Haruo was summoned to the fox goddess' palace to receive an oracle about his future. While the family neither confirmed or denied this ever happening, the rumor further supported the predictions that it would be Prince Haruo who would inherit the throne of Kiko.

[1586]

- At the annual opening of the National Diet that happens at the first Monday of the year, it was decided by the members of the House of Lord and Commons that the embassies in both Britain and Prussia would be insufficient for Japan's growing influence and connections in Europe. Thus, it was decided for a position called "Continental Consul" to be made and for it to be assigned to someone who can handle being the liaison between the European nations and Japan. For this job, it was decided that since he already had prior experiences and Japan was deprived of much of its highly-trained foreign dignitaries due to the Yamaguchi rebellion, the position would be given to Asada Tatsu who chose to set his official headquarters in the Japanese city in the Kingdom of Prussia.

- After learning of the establishment of the Japanese continental consulate office in Prussia instead of Britain, the royal court lodged a protest to Queen Theodora III, citing that as the first nation in Europe to recognize Japan as a country and ally, they should've been given the favor of hosting the consulate to Europe. However, they were immediately silenced and reprimanded for the act by their monarch. In her explanation, the Queen said that she was personally asked by Consul Asada Tatsu prior to his decision which she declined and even suggested to have the headquarters set in Prussia instead. Her reason for which is that while being the nation who is hosting the consulate would boost their importance further in Europe, it would also invite the ire of the other colonial powers and invite instability in the balance of powers and influence in the region.

- As if she received a premonition about her nation's instability, the peaceful reign of Queen Theodora III would be broken at its 7th year after Duke Hansel's palace was raided by agents sent by the Parliament to investigate the rumors that his prior debaucherous acts have rose to a level of utter abuse and madness. While the palace's interior and exterior was immaculate, one of the agents discovered a secret passage leading to a dungeon filled with all manner of bondage equipment and males ranging in ages between 12 to 25 jailed in filthy cells. Additionally, there is a room in the dungeon with about a thousand jars and bottles of lubricating liquids such as coconut oil, fish oil and even a liquid later found out to be lubricin, which suggests that a large number of people were killed to extract this liquid. With all of these evidence in hand, the Parliament lodged a protest regarding his arrest, something that made Duke Hansel to hide from the public's eye, with some rumors stating that he will try to go to France.

- Adding onto the pile of problems, Duke Harold was the next to come to public outrage after it was found out that since Queen Theodora is already old and unable to bear children to continue her own bloodline, Duke Harold is still the next-in-line to the throne and yet even after being given more time to set his life in order, he has neither left his womanizing ways, nor did he gain enough trust amongst the nobility to have a proper wife from the aristocracy. Even worse, he came to publicly criticize his younger brother, Duke Hansel, for the crimes he is being "accused" of when he himself is filled with flaws that he hasn't resolved yet. This would later halve both the Parliament and public opinion, which only added to the instability in the nation.

- The Kingdom of France, being the worst struck nation in Europe after the end of European involvement in the east, proceeded to try to smooth things out with Japan. Knowing that their messenger cannot possibly enter Prussia without earning the wrath of both the locals (due to a prior bloody skirmish along the Rhine river) and the Japanese immigrants (due to their involvement in the invading armada), the French royal court decided to try the embassy in England where their message for reconciliation was sent to Japan and gained a reply two days later, stating that Japan is open for negotiations but it would be under the context that France unilaterally entered in a war against Japan and their side will not walk out without reparations. While it infuriated the king, he knew that he has no alibi to use to get out of the repercussions of his decisions.

- With the addition of the continental consulate headquarters in the Japanese city in Prussia, alongside a few more buildings to accommodate the high-tech equipment brought with it, it was decided via royal decree that the city would be formally handed-over to the jurisdiction of the Japan, effectively acting as a small sovereign enclave in Prussia. Not wanting to receive such kindness without reciprocating it, the Japanese government would later send a very fitting gift to Prussia. Loaded into the largest cargo ship of the Edogawa Shipping corporation are two gigantic stainless steel vats that each has a volume of 2 million liters each, and with it came 500 barrels made with Japanese cedar wood and a few more equipment powered by steam. This gift, which would confuse a regular person, was immediately recognized by the Prussians as equipment used for beer production. With the help of experts sent alongside the tools, by the October harvest, the entirety of not only the capital city but the other major cities and towns in Prussia were literally flooded with beer. What's better is that since a steam-powered freezer is among the sent equipment, it gave birth to what was later described as the "Ambrosia of the gods", ice-cold, lagered pilsner beer, predominantly produced in the city of Pilsen.

- By the end of the year, a company funded by the Prussian royal family formed a collaborative business with the Edogawa Brewing company. In exchange for a percentage of the profits and several tax exemptions, they licensed numerous alcoholic products from the Japanese company and produced it at a factory filled with equipment imported from Japan. During the construction of its factory complex, it was said that the construction workers decided to accept a slight dock in their pay in exchange for beer. While not officially recognized, it was said that by nightfall when the work in the site was done of the day, the men would walk back home with "10 bottles of beer each representing an hour of their hard work". Later, this was immortalized in a movie titled "Amber-colored Joy".

- While all kinds of developments are happening in Europe, the same went in the east. A year-long ceasefire was set between China and Korea which was strictly enforced by Japan who sent its 3rd and 9th Surface Fleet in the Yellow sea to ensure that no attacks would happen between the two sides while peace talks are underway. Meanwhile in Japan, rumors about Prince Iwasawa Haruo having a secret fiancee was confirmed to be true. Hailing from one of the imperial capital's court noble families came Tadato Sayuri, the third daughter of the Tadato clan. She was revealed to be a one of the prince's acquaintances during his time as Kiko's immediate representative to the imperial court and was known by him as a headstrong, willful girl that he became fond of. After their relationship became public knowledge, she was given permission by her father to go to Kiko and face her prospective in-laws. It is said that while initially, Lady Chiyo became concerned with her attitude that seem a bit grumpy and rough, she saw that Sayuri has a kind and genuine heart and most of all, truly loved her son. Thus, she invited her to live in Naka castle where she personally tutored her to enhance her noble qualities.

- Lady Sayuri would later state in her memoirs that "Madame Chiyo was such a kind and warm person that I didn't want to leave her side and always wanted to learn more things from her. The same went for Lord Hiroshi who loved having me around whenever he cooks, even if I sometimes make a mess, as well as when he is fiddling with his vehicles which he gave me permission to use whenever I like. I think he knew that I really loved one of his motorcycles and when Haruo and I were engaged, he gave it to me as a gift. It was at that moment that I knew that I want to belong to this family." By the end of the year, which is just 7 months since their engagement, Prince Haruo and Princess Sayuri were married.

- Back in Europe, British spies confirmed that Duke Hansel is in France and is hiding under the protection of one of the French royal courtiers. This became an issue of great concern since even with this sick proclivities, Duke Hansel is one of Britain's best generals and is privy with many national secrets. Queen Theodora III would write a request to the French king, requesting the return of the duke under the pretense that he must face prosecution in Britain. Unfortunately, the king feigned ignorance about the duke's presence, even stating that if he indeed finds the duke, he would not hand him over to be punished for "being what he is", making an alibi by framing the prosecution as an attack on his sexuality.

- Meanwhile, Duke Harold became finally betrothed to the second daughter of Margrave Dorian. After settling all of his prior affairs and the myriad of concubines that he used to have, it was seen as a genuine display of his willingness to change and become a loyal and loving husband, a dutiful father, and a worthy heir to the throne. He would go as far as to publicly state that he would also forgo alcohol and gambling if it meant being able to focus more on his training as a future leader and spending more time with his wife. While the couple seemed to be on the way to a stable and lasting relationship, it was later discovered that Lady Margaret Dorian-Dormer was a serial philanderer several degrees worse than Duke Harold prior to their marriage and worse, it was discovered that she was connected to Duke Hansel's "secret dungeon" after several of the victims (all of which are below the age of 15) stated that she "performed acts of sodomy" upon them. After learning of this, Duke Harold disappeared for 2 entire weeks before he was found in a town in Scotland, drunk to his soul with Prussian beer and smoking enough opium to make him enter a comatose state. His marriage would later be rendered null and void by a divorce, making him return to his womanizing ways that is now aggravated by alcoholism.

[1587]

- In Japan, news of the troubles in Europe spread and it became a discussion in the parliament whether it would be good to send a "goodwill mission" to help out Britain. While many among the House of Lords and Commons agreed with the proposal, they were later told by Consul Asada Tatsu that the Queen declined the offer, wanting to preserve a sense of independence regarding their own problems. Although her refusal stifled the attempt to send help to the royal court, Lord Iwasawa would use the fact that they haven't sent a "present" to Britain at the same degree as they did with Prussia to force the Queen to receive some aid in the form of a cruise ship ticket for her family to come and visit the east for a while.

- The northern regions in India began to be invaded by steppe nomads from the northern regions predominantly made up of tribes riding on the momentum of a war in the middle east between the sunni and shia groups. With bases in Afghanistan and Iran, these tribal kingdoms would initiate a protracted war with both the free and British-held regions in the subcontinent. It did not help that with the battlefront against Korea currently under a ceasefire, Chinese troops were refocused on the north-eastern provinces of India.

- The Japanese emperor peacefully passed away in his sleep, setting off the well-planned protocol for the announcement and funeral proceedings. Coincidentally, the British royal family are en route to Japan in a cruise ship and a few Prussian royal family members were in Kiko to pay their respects to Lord Iwasawa. After the announcement was made, Joseon's royal family would send one of princes to represent them in paying their respects, the same went for Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, who all sent either their respective royal family members or high-ranking dignitaries. As for the Netherlands and Switzerland, their distance hampered an official visit and thus, they decided to send their condolences through the office of consul Asada Tatsu. This became the first instance in Japanese history when multiple nation leaders/representatives came to visit in order to pay respects to their monarch, proving the huge and ever-growing influence of Japan in geopolitics.

- With the development of the 90% reusable "Enduring Kirin" spacecraft, a series of renovations and refurbishments were made in Japan's space station, expanding it from its rudimentary living space + physics laboratory, to the addition of cargo bay, botanical garden, biological laboratory and a dedicated computer room. It was also in these series of expansions that the Dori Corporation finalized their global-scale internet service through "Project Spica" which is comprised of micro-satellites providing internet connectivity anywhere in the world. With this, it became possible to transition from radio communications to seamless internet-based communication in long-distance connections.

- While he showed great progress in recovering from his PTSD and mental injuries, the residual aftereffects of the botched chemical cocktails used to brainwash him became too much to bear for former Fuku lord Yamaguchi Koshiro's body. Alongside fellow experts in the field, Lord Iwasawa would declare any further treatment for him to be "useless". Thus, with a heavy heart, Lady Yamaguchi Kaede would decide to have her brother return to Fuku to spend his last days. By late November, it was announced that after having a heart attack during his sleep (later found out to be caused by an enlarged heart), Koshiro would peacefully pass away, with his sister singing lullabies beside his body until he was taken away to be prepared for his funeral. Lord Hiroshi would later state that "Koshiro was the youngest among the four of us in the Alliance… yet he's also the first to go. What a tragedy… such a painful tragedy."

- During their stay in Japan, Queen Theodora would make an appearance in the church that she founded and would give a massive donation to it. She would also pay visits to the lords that she proselytized to, praising the progress they made in their own path of faith. She would later visit Imai Chito and Handa Yukari, with some saying that the moment they saw her, even the grown-up twins instantly returned to acting like children towards their mother figure. One of the royal butlers would later remark that "unlike in England, I've never seen Her Majesty being this joyful and casual".

- Under the personal request of the Queen, Lord Iwasawa would handle Duke Harold's psychiatric intervention. While much of their conversation remained confidential due to doctor-patient confidentiality, it was said that Duke Harold displayed suicidal tendencies throughout the therapy session and stated his hopelessness after "giving it his all to finally change for the better, only for the other side to ruin it completely and still come out unscathed". Lord Iwasawa would report his findings to the Queen, who is said to have shown great concern about whether or not duke Harold can manage to get over this.

[1588]

- Prince Amanogawa Riku and Princess Mariko was married and the link between the Iwasawa clan and the Amanogawa Bafuku was sealed. Knowing that it might be a concern for the checks and balances of national politics, Princess Mariko, with the permission of her father, cut her influence in Kiko while still maintaining her title as one of the Iwasawa clan's daughters. At the Shogunate's family, she will be welcomed by her in-laws warmly, especially Lady Amanogawa Chiasa who loved her acting expertise and her cooking talent that she got from her father.

- After her marriage, Lady Mariko also decided to retire from being an active actress, deciding to become a screenwriter and director of her own projects. After 8 months since her marriage, she returned to the silver screen as the writer-director of a movie titled "Made in Heaven", a highly-acclaimed film in the supernatural genre, often considered as a localized adaptation of the European Divine Comedy. At the pilot screening of the movie, she would be seen dressed in a traditional kimono and a hakama coat that seemed larger than usual, fueling rumors that she is pregnant. This would be later proven as true.

- At the ripe age of 96, master chef Kurayama Rie would pass away in her home in Aoya city. According to her daughter, Kurayama Kaguya, her mother was resting on her rocking chair after cooking her signature "meat and potato stew on soy and oyster sauce" when she told her and the "kids visiting them" to prepare the table and wake her up afterwards. By the time that her daughter woke her up, the elderly lady was already unresponsive and after checking her pulse which was no longer there, Kaguya mourned her mother for a few minutes before informing her family and friends of what happened.

- After receiving the news, many friends and students immediately came to Aoya to pay their respects for her whom they looked up to as a mother, friend, teacher and parental figure. At the evening when her body was taken by the funeral workers to be cremated, everyone who came dined together with the last meal that she cooked. Lady Kaguya would later write in her memoirs that "although the meat has become too soggy and the potatoes are at the point of practically being mush, for some reason it tasted like the best dish that I have ever tasted in my life". After learning of the news of her death, both the Imperial family and the Shogunate would declare a national day of mourning and for the accolade of "National Culinary Treasure" to be bestowed on her posthumously. Although Lady Chiyo offered to have her buried at a private cemetery befitting her stature, Rie's last will and testament stated that she wanted to be buried beside her husband who was entombed at a cheap tomb at Aoya, Lord Iwasawa would later remark that "even decades after they were separated by life and death, she still wanted to be beside him".

- Following the death of their founder, headmaster and undoubtedly best instructor to ever exist, the Kurayama Culinary College decided to honor her by opening a museum that contained much of her personal tools and chef uniforms. The greatest display in the museum was one of a featureless mannequin dressed with the very same clothes, apron and chef's hat that she wore before her death, standing in front of a stove top and seemingly joyously cooking. It was later revealed that the mannequin was an artwork made by Prince Iwasawa Masahiro and Princesses Iwasawa Mikazuki and Mayumi, who was there at the Kurayama residence at the death of their "Rie-obaa-sama". They would state that "even at the end of granny's life, she joyously cooked for us kids with a smile on her face."

- Another war broke out in the Americas after a coalition made up of Spanish and French settlers crossed into Portuguese territory with the aim of driving them out of the continent. Hundreds of skirmishes would be waged along the Yucatan peninsula and the Amazon forest, with massive losses on each side. This would later spread out to include the British and Prussian colonies as well who, against the orders from their home country, decided to supply munitions and foodstuffs to both sides. When later pressured to take a side in the conflict, the British and Prussians simply banded together and form a third front, aiming to push out all other three colonial powers from the continent.

- Back in Britain, the reign of Queen Theodora III inched closer and closer to utter collapse. While many nobles sided with her due to her close relationship with Japan and the advantages that it brought to Britain here in Europe, it was also seen as her permitting a foreign power to have a great influence in their country. It did not help that when the Japanese cruise ship arrived in Britain, it was so exorbitantly large and filled with technologies that they can barely fathom that they mistook it as a military threat. When asked about this in a parliamentary meeting, she would address it properly and admit that she indeed "indulged too much on the kindness of an old friend". However, before the smug smirks of the nobles who wanted to use this as a criticism towards her has faded, she would strike back by stating that she has no plan to lessen this strong bond with a powerful ally any sooner.

- In France, rumors about the formation of an invasion army began to spread among the populace, catching the attention of several British spies. This was later backed by a sudden surge of orders for muskets and artillery pieces at several arsenals and workshops, as well as the formation of new infantry and cavalry regiments. With all of these developments, the spies reported back to Britain their findings, setting off a series of their own preparations.

- After the year-long peace talks between China and Korea ended, it was decided by both sides to end the war and not pay reparations towards each other given that both sides are economically ruined. Just as the agreement was being signed, the Chinese negotiator was shot and was followed by a notable Korean commander. The shot was later traced to have come from a sniper situated at a hill overlooking the scene. Although initially, it was seen as an attempt by rogue Chinese factions to continue the war, the local commander and magistrates already guessed that this is likely a ploy by none other than Emperor Mao Jun Hie again.

[1589] (Nicknamed as the "Year of Joys and Woes")

- At the ages of 81 and 77, both Kurogawa Toshinori and Kurogawa Asuka would pass away. Minister Toshinori died from terminal colon cancer while Lady Asuka would die in her sleep. Their deaths, being only a week apart, was seen by many as a bittersweet end for the couple. As per their stature of being among Kiko's political elite, they would be given a fitting funeral service and be entombed in their ancestral estate in Kise province, buried beside each other. Lady Kurogawa Aki would later be promoted to her father's position, leaving her work as auditor at the hands of her daughter.

- Three years after she retired from being the public works minister, Fumikage Rie would die from natural causes in her home at the Fumikage domain in Kiko. Her brother, Fumikage Ryuusui, would later give an elegy for her in the form of a poem titled "Rest, little beaver", referencing the enormous contributions of his sibling to not only Japan's but the infrastructures of nearby countries. During her funeral, dignitaries from other countries would offer their respects to the woman that they described to have "tirelessly connected our homes and hearts with her roads and bridges". To this day, many of the infrastructures she built still stands, immortalizing her name.

- After Lady AmanogawaMariko gave birth to a boy they would later name as Amanogawa Denji, the whole nation would be overjoyed. In Yamato, the Christening ceremony (While the Shogun and his wife are not actively religious, Prince Riku is a devout Christian) for the young prince was held with both sides of the family present. The party after the ceremony would be filled with laughs, cheers and well-wishes for the future heir. At the height of the party, a drunken Edogawa Gin would have this question slip past his lips: "Now that you have a grandchild, will you step down already, Shogun?". After what seemed to be a long pause as everyone awaited how Shogun Amanogawa would react and what he would say, he would simply sigh and say "my word is my word. Besides, my bones are already aching too much for this job." Three days later, Shogun Amanogawa Sora would abdicate the throne, giving way to the enthronement of Shogun Amanogawa Riku. Together, the former Shogun and his wife would retire to their home province of Nijima where Lord Sora is still effectively its Daimyo.

- A few months later, Lady Iwasawa Sayuri would give birth to a boy they would name Iwasawa Kazuhiko. It is said that after this, childish chuckles would return in Naka castle and the elderly couple would find their selves doting on another grandchild just in time when the young prince Arata has already grown enough to be a feisty toddler.

- The joyous atmosphere in Kiko would once again be drowned after a call from Prussia would be made towards Naka castle, bearing the nearly hoarse and clammy voice of Consul Asada Tatsu who has sad news to bring. At the age of 76 and after battling both Parkinson's disease and pancreatic cancer, Lady Asada Kahono passed away. After being embalmed by doctors in Prussia and loaded on a the private jet liner of the Iwasawa clan, her funeral would be held in Naka castle where thousands of nobles both from within and outside of Kiko would come to pay their respects to her whom they looked up to as a role model of genuine duty and undying loyalty. At her grave, Lord Iwasawa would place a small statue depicting her appearance during the time when she is still the castle's chief chambermaid. Below it is a short line: "To our castle's best and cutest senpai". She would later be immortalized by a manga and anime series made by Lord Iwasawa titled: "Little Chief Chambermaid", a slice-of-life show loosely based on her and her day-to-day work in Naka castle.

- During a routine inspection of both their regular and non-conventional forces, General Shimura Nobisuke would notice that numerous members of the Shadow Brokers would be unaccounted for in both their home addresses and usual training camps. When pressed about it, Commander Himeji Kotori would state that she is not aware of their whereabouts after her company has grown far too much for her to be hands-on in everything. This would drive another great hurdle between these two powerful people.

- Mysteriously, enormous rebellions would prop up in China against the rule of the emperor. According to Japan's spy network, although they already expected for an open rebellion to happen, they expected it to be similar to a "smoldering fire" instead of the "flashing flame" that happened in reality. In a matter of weeks, the imperial palace was besieged by an army of both peasant insurgents and nobles hiring their own mercenary armies. Knowing that it is either life or death for him, Emperor Mao Jun Hie would give an order to his men to slaughter the rebels and liberate him from this siege.

- This civil war, which took 20 million lives over the course of 3 years, would later be dubbed as "the Mad Dog's Carnage". By the end of the war, Emperor Mao Jun Hie would be caught and handed to the peasant army, alternating between torturing to near-death and recovering back to relative health and vice-versa, until he would be later found dead in his filthy cage after hanging himself. With his death came the end of the Mao dynasty and the fracturing of China into numerous provincial states led by former imperial magistrates, noble families and warlords. This lack of cohesiveness would later make them vulnerable to the spread of Portuguese, Spanish, French and Dutch influences.

- With the worsening wars between rival colonies in the Americas, as well as the resurgence of skirmishes with the natives, the trans-Atlantic slave trade would reach an all-time high wherein an estimated 110,000 enslaved people would be transported and would increase in small increments throughout the following years. Although they were among the worst offenders in this trade, Queen Theodora would give a royal order to abolish slavery and Britain's part in the slave trade in not only her country but all the colonies and territories under it. This would infuriate the members of the nobility and economic elite who was wholly dependent on slave labor to fuel their businesses. Although they would later lodge a protest to the royal court, Queen Theodora would veto their complaint, stating that "as soon as we adopt the incoming steam and electric-powered machinery from Japan, we will be better off than depending on slave labor".

- Duke Harold's mental health took a steep turn for the worse after several failures in remarrying made it apparent that his prior experience with being maritally betrayed left him with recurring traumas. It did not help that even when much of the nobility already knew of his pledge to be a faithful husband, many didn't exactly have a "faithful wife" to offer up as well without the woman being a girl below 15 years old. Because of this, the royal family became less and less stable.

[1590]

- In Prussia, a small and short succession crisis happened when an assassination attempt done through a bombing by a cabal of extremely rich merchants and lower-ranking nobles heavily indebted to them, managed to kill the crown prince, the first grand prince and mortally wounding the king. While the king managed to survive the assault after an arduous surgical operation by several Japanese doctors, they only managed to buy him enough time to name a short list of prospective heirs before he ultimately expired. Although everyone expected that the succession crisis would result to a long civil war, it was cut short after the man at the top of the list, the king's nephew and a baron of a small territory along the Alps, was sped towards Prussia by a car before the cabal can mount a coup to claim the country. They would later be executed for their actions.

- The discord in Britain finally hit its breaking point when a majority of the Parliament's members demanded for the dethronement of Queen Theodora, under the reasoning that she is "selling the country to outsiders". While she initially planned to personally come to the Parliament to calm down the situation, she would be told by her spies that the "call for dethronement" is just a ploy to make her come there and be assassinated before the arrival of a French invasion fleet. Even knowing that, she would still try to reach the parliament building but several blocks away, her carriage would be overturned by an explosion and be shot at by assailants waiting to ambush her entourage. With the aid and sacrifice of lives of her royal guards, she would be able to run away and find refuge in the Japanese embassy where she stayed the night.

nd Great British Civil War>

- The rumored French invasion fleet was confirmed to be real after a force of over 200 ships crossed the English channel led by the crown prince of France and Duke Hansel who returned to claim the throne. Although the Parliament and several noble lords would order their fleet to meet the enemy, they would shortly be swept away in several battles before Duke Hansel returned to claim Britain as his'. Immediately after gaining power as Lord Regent (he was told that he cannot be crowned as King unless Queen Theodora is confirmed to be dead), he would sign a treaty with the French, giving them all their colonies in the Americas as well as the return of the slave trade. After this, he would order for his elder half-brother, Duke Harold, to be imprisoned and later executed publicly on made up charges of "treason". He would do the same to his younger half-brother, Prince Liam, although by the time his men came to arrest the young man, he was already nowhere to be found.

- French spies would later report to Duke Hansel that Queen Theodora and Prince Liam escaped Britain through the Japanese embassy, taking a ship to Prussia where they plan to go to the continental consulate office to request aid in retaking their country. Learning about this, he would first demand the ambassador to give up the two, which the ambassador would decline, stating that he has no authority to demand such things. He would then say: "If I order my legions to assail your puny, little abode, I will give them the freedom to sack your valuables, desecrate what you hold holy, and do their worst upon your women and children. Knowing this, will you still resist?". After this statement, the embassy and its staff would lock down the building and decline any further talks.

- After this, Lord Hansel would declare that the Japanese embassy is no longer diplomatically protected and sent his men and a retinue of French mercenaries to besiege the embassy with cannons and battering rams. What they expected to be a week-long and bloody struggle, ended in half an hour after the Crow agents and several Shadow Broker operators made quick work of their adversaries using heavy machine guns, flamethrowers and rocket launchers. They would later line the dead bodies of the besiegers at the steel fences of the embassy's yard, attaching placards on them with the words: "Bring it, Fag*ot", an obvious reply and sharp jab on Lord Hansel's sexual identity.

- For the next three days, the embassy would be assailed again and again but to no avail. When spies reported that the defenders are running out of munitions, a nighttime air drop by a plane from Prussia would resupply them with enough ammo and food to last for weeks. It frustrated him enough to demand the Parliament to declare war on Japan, but even with the threat of execution, none of the members would approve it, stating that: "the fact that they haven't done so themselves should be enough of a warning about what they'd do to us if we did it".

- Even with those words, he would continue to order an assault on the embassy, even ordering for sappers to tunnel under and bomb the area. They would be fortunately stopped after the tunnels were filled with carbon monoxide, asphyxiating the besiegers shortly before their tunnels were bombed, caving them in. During all of this chaos, Queen Theodora and Prince Liam would arrive in Prussia where they would receive aid from Prussia, allied Netherlands and Belgium, and 500 "unnamed mercenaries" who are all dressed in black clothes and always wearing helmets that hid their faces.

- A month after they left Britain, Queen Theodora would lead her loyalist forces and her allies in the reclaiming of her country. With Prussian and Dutch forces holding back France in the continent, she led Belgian and "mercenary" forces in assailing the naval cities. In these battles, the rebel English forces would be caught ill-prepared against the "mercenaries" who never followed the line infantry tactics of musket-vs-musket warfare, instead assaulting them in ambushes and skirmishes that often led to entire platoons and brigades of them completely wiped out.

- At the battle for the capital, the "mercenaries" showed their worth after they expertly dispatched their enemies in street-to-street urban engagements. In this battle, the rebels would also encounter "gigantic exploding wasps" that sped through their ranks, smartly identifying their gunpowder storage points which it zooms into before shortly exploding and detonating the powder kegs with it. Some rebel soldiers would later report that the "mercenaries" seemingly prioritized alleviating the siege on the Japanese embassy, but their reports became lost in the deluge of casualty and failure reports.

- After being told by his advisors (who are also among his retinue of male lovers) to abandon the capital and retreat to the north, either in Wales or Scotland, Lord Hansel would leave and bring with him much of his forces, aiming to "lose the battle and fight for another day". With this, the capital of Britain was retaken and Queen Theodora returned to power, but with her treacherous nephew still at large, she opted to not stay there for long. At continental Europe, Dutch and Prussian forces, transported by trucks and its drivers that they borrowed from Japan, managed to repeatedly outmaneuver their adversaries. In a matter of weeks, they would capture numerous strategic towns and cities, and by the end of the short conflict, were postured for an all-out attack in the French capital.

- After giving late Duke Harold's body (who was executed and buried on a shallow grave) was a proper burial, Prince Liam stepped up to the challenge of reining in the chaos of the civil war while his aunt is fighting at the front lines. With the aim of returning their reconquered areas to a stable status, he requested the aid of allies, with Kiko's government being the first to lend a hand by sending engineers and a select number of its famed Land Guards to clear the debris of the fighting and also police the areas.

- The year would end with battles raging in Europe and colonial Americas, while sporadic conflicts fueled by interstate fighting in China continued to happen.