Kazdel

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Kazdel (卡兹戴尔)
Type	Nation and homeland of the Sarkaz
Species/Race	Primarily Sarkaz
Government	Originally ruled by the Demon King alongside the Royal Courts; later retains the Demon King while gaining a King Consort after incorporation into Utopia 268
Affiliation	Independent Sarkaz state; later incorporated into Utopia 422
Status	Active; politically and administratively reformed under Utopian influence
First Appearance	3

History

Early condition

Kazdel was a poor, war-damaged country whose settlements were often reduced to ruins and rubble. Starving Sarkaz, many dressed as mercenaries, relied on scarce grain shipments while Leithania maintained pressure along the border 3 15.

The country possessed abundant Originium ore, but extracting it was costly and dangerous. Its poverty and military potential made it an unattractive but feared target to neighboring powers: once developed, the Sarkaz could exert immense pressure on surrounding nations 66.

Theresia and Teresis ruled as the Demon King and her brother, but national development was hindered by limited funds, repeated military expenditures, and the Royal Court lords’ lack of practical cooperation. Kazdel’s treasury was spent on infrastructure, army wages, equipment, and border defense rather than economic development 15 26 73.

Development under Theresia

Theresia attempted to modernize Kazdel through education, infrastructure, industry, and foreign investment. Her early proposals met little support from the Royal Courts: Dukare advocated leaving people alone, Nizere proposed raising an army to seize Victoria’s throne, and the Shapeshifter Collective offered only to follow whatever plan Theresia chose 26.

Huang Cao became increasingly involved in Kazdel’s affairs after purchasing territory within its borders. He advised Theresia and Teresis on diplomacy, warning that a direct war with Leithania would be costly and suggesting that Kazdel exploit the rivalries between Leithania and Gaul instead 29 30.

When Leithania sent ten thousand elite troops into Kazdel, Huang Cao’s forces annihilated them within minutes. He urged the Royal Court to conceal the battle, fearing that Gaul would exploit a weakened Leithania and turn its attention toward Kazdel afterward 32 33.

Cooperation with the Speaker

To secure investment, Theresia contacted the mysterious “Speaker of Victoria,” who was secretly Huang Cao. Rather than granting unrestricted funds, the Speaker offered employment contracts to healthy Sarkaz workers for construction in his territory 48.

The Speaker’s projects supplied Kazdel with grain, industrial investment, and military resources. Grain donated under the Speaker’s name was distributed free of charge, helping his reputation among the Sarkaz 110. Over time, Huang Cao’s support became fundamental to the country’s development, though this dependence concerned Kal’tsit 85 86.

After decades of development, Kazdel’s capital had changed from a landscape of war ruins into a city of warm houses, handicraft workshops, stable taxation, and growing consumption. However, its apparent prosperity remained dependent on Huang Cao’s resources and production systems 85 175.

Utopia’s takeover

Huang Cao and several Royal Court lords secretly prepared for Kazdel’s absorption into Utopia. Lamian, Nizere, Dukare, and the Shapeshifter Collective supported his eventual rule, while weapons and equipment were discreetly directed to the armies loyal to Nizere and Dukare 113 143.

Utopia’s subsequent war against Kazdel relied on attrition, industrial sabotage, propaganda, and the staged capture of Kazdel’s elite troops. Utopia’s high-speed battleships damaged infrastructure and exhausted Kazdel’s resources while avoiding unnecessary civilian casualties 162 165.

Kazdel’s army later defected en masse to Utopia under the influence of disguised Shapeshifters. Theresia and Teresis retreated with their remaining forces to an unfinished Mobile City whose factories had already shut down 166.

Huang Cao eventually revealed that he had originally intended to exploit a future Sarkaz civil war to take Kazdel, though his relationship with Theresia altered his plans. Theresia accepted the need for change despite feeling betrayed by his deception 171.

Government and administration

Demon King and Royal Courts

Kazdel’s traditional political order centered on the Demon King and the Royal Courts. Theresia served as Demon King, while Teresis shared the burden of national defense and governance 26 30.

The major Royal Court figures involved in Kazdel’s administration included:

• Theresia — Demon King; pursued national reconstruction, education, and economic development.
• Teresis — Theresia’s brother; concentrated on military affairs and later contributed directly to reconstruction work 174.
• Dukare — Blood Demon Lord and Minister of Finance; initially handled resources and later supported Huang Cao’s takeover 115 143.
• Nizere — Scavenger Royal Court leader and military commander; commanded forces during Operation Bug Removal 175.
• Lamian — Banshee Royal Court Lord; maintained close ties with Huang Cao and helped secure cooperation between him and Theresia 113 115.
• Shapeshifter Collective — A versatile labor force and political manipulator used throughout Kazdel’s development projects 118 137.

Kazdel’s pre-reform administration lacked even basic personnel screening and accurate population records. Its available demographic data had been compiled by foreign countries decades earlier 87.

Utopian reforms

Following the takeover, Huang Cao imposed a top-down modernization program centered on the capital and enforced through Royal Court influence 175.

Reform	Implementation
Abolition of feudalism	The existing feudal order was dismantled.
Unified official examinations	Existing officials were dismissed and required to qualify through standardized examinations.
Operation Bug Removal	Kazdel’s army removed corrupt local nobles and entrenched power holders; Utopian personnel served as assistants rather than public-facing occupiers.
Administrative replacement	Utopian officials filled posts left vacant by dismissed staff, sharply improving government efficiency.

Theresia supported the reforms despite their severity, accepting arrests, re-education, and lethal punishment for serious resistance as necessary to remove “parasites” from the state 175 176.

Economy and infrastructure

Sector	Documented condition
Public finances	Early state funds were absorbed by military spending, infrastructure repairs, and border defense; Kazdel had little capital left for domestic development 15 73.
Originium	Kazdel possessed plentiful ore, but mining it was expensive and dangerous, limiting its value as a source of national wealth 66.
Industry	Fertilizer production, factories, workshops, and other projects were introduced with Huang Cao’s support, though Kazdel remained reliant on his resources 79 86.
Communications	Telephone lines were installed in Banshee River Valley, allowing near-instant long-distance communication through wired connections 47.
Housing	Decades of rebuilding replaced ruined settlements with newly built homes and handicraft workshops 85.
Mobile City	Kazdel pursued a Mobile City project, but during the Utopia crisis its remaining Mobile City was still unfinished and its industrial parks had shut down 166.
Labor	Shapeshifters were routinely used as high-output workers for development projects, while many ordinary Sarkaz were recruited into construction and factory work 50 118.

Military

Kazdel’s military strength rested on the individual power of Sarkaz elites and Royal Court combatants. Its troops were feared for their racial talent, and commanders such as Nizere believed concentrated elite forces could overcome superior technology 164.

The country nevertheless struggled to sustain conventional war. Leithania could force Kazdel into expensive full alerts merely by mobilizing along the border, while later Utopian sabotage repeatedly damaged railways, industrial facilities, and supply routes 26 162.

Utopia’s high-speed battleships exposed Kazdel’s logistical weakness. The country could not match Utopia’s range, resource reserves, or industrial output, eventually leading to mass defections and the collapse of its front-line defense 164 165 166.

After incorporation, Utopian personnel assisted Kazdel’s forces in administration, anti-corruption operations, and military reform 175.

Relations

• Utopia — Began as Huang Cao’s external power base and investment source; later absorbed Kazdel and restructured its government 48 175 268.
• Huang Cao / the Speaker of Victoria — Purchased Kazdel territory, funded projects through the Speaker identity, supported national development, and ultimately became King Consort 15 48 268.
• Theresia — Kazdel’s Demon King during its reconstruction, dependence on the Speaker, defeat by Utopia, and subsequent reforms 85 171 175.
• Teresis — Co-ruler and military leader; initially unaware of the full extent of Huang Cao’s influence over Kazdel 166 167.
• Leithania — Long-term hostile neighbor whose border aggression repeatedly disrupted Kazdel’s development and forced military spending 15 101.
• Victoria — Publicly presented as Kazdel’s economic partner through the Speaker, though the Speaker’s identity and Utopia’s role were concealed for much of the relationship 48 137.
• Royal Courts — The core of Kazdel’s traditional power structure; several major lords eventually supported Huang Cao over Theresia’s independent rule 113 167.