Saint Airo Empire

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Saint Airo Empire
Original Name	圣艾罗帝国
Political System	Imperial monarchy supported by a powerful nobility; King Warner Gales later centralizes authority by reclaiming noble-held territories. 156 160
Location	Western Continent
Religious Institution	The Saint Church, administered by the Holy See
Former Vassal State	Bia Kingdom
Status	Dissolved and formally incorporated into Desinia Territory. 176
First Appearance	Chapter 1

History

Great-power era

The Saint Airo Empire was one of the two most powerful states on the Western Continent, alongside the Anas Empire. The two empires frequently clashed, and their conflict repeatedly exposed surrounding smaller countries and vassal states to invasion and instability. 1 24 26

Its aristocratic hierarchy included grand dukes above dukes; a grand duke’s authority could rival that of a small-country king. Its political structure depended heavily on noble-held territories, while commoners and slaves formed the exploited base of its social order. 24 156

The Empire maintained Bia as a tributary state and held considerable influence over southern nations such as the Yami Kingdom, whose access to foreign goods was restricted by imperial pressure. 90 120

Conflict with Bovell and the loss of Bia

The Empire attacked the newly emerged Bovell Kingdom after Bovell seized the former Trak Kingdom’s territory. Bovell’s forces inflicted an unexpected defeat on the imperial cavalry and, after a six-month conflict, the Empire withdrew without conquering it. 96

Following the Black Death, Bia took advantage of Saint Airo’s weakened condition to break away from tributary status. Bia allied with Bovell, forcing the Empire to cede border lands while Crown Prince Warner was occupied suppressing bandits. 128 129

Black Death crisis

The Black Death devastated the Empire more severely than Desinia and its allies. Nearly a third of its population was lost; farmland was abandoned or burned, the royal capital was damaged and looted, and bandits occupied border villages and estates. 128

When Desinia developed streptomycin, Xia Zuoyi sent medical teams, food, supplies, protective equipment, and trained personnel to Saint Airo. The teams treated both the royal family and ordinary citizens, while local physicians and clergy were trained to administer injections safely. 127

Although the epidemic ended, its consequences continued through economic collapse, food shortages, unemployment, depopulation, banditry, and widespread public resentment. 128 156

Warner’s centralization

After ascending the throne, Warner Gales concluded that the Empire’s feudal order was unstable because its lower classes had been pushed to collapse by oppression, famine, plague, and winter hardship. 156

During the severe winter, Warner covertly exploited rebellions by commoners and slaves. He allowed vulnerable nobles to be eliminated, deployed cavalry to suppress the resulting unrest, reclaimed their territories, and placed them under royal control. 159 160

This strengthened the monarchy but did not resolve the Empire’s wider crises. Extreme weather, reduced harvests, noble resentment, and losses from previous conflicts continued to weaken the state. 160 168

Wars with Desinia

A border dispute began after Saint Airo merchants and a border lord were implicated in the illegal extraction and purchase of oil from Kunseci. When the Empire ignored Xia Zuoyi’s demand for compensation, Desinia captured several imperial border territories with incendiary weapons and cavalry support. 138 139

Warner later attempted to pressure the Kadi Tribe into surrendering Shamir Phoebe by blockading its trade routes. Desinia openly broke the blockade by delivering supplies to Cardy, escalating tensions into a broader imperial invasion of Desinia. 173 174

Although Saint Airo initially gained ground through its larger and experienced cavalry force, Desinia’s weapons, naval attacks, alliances, and Bia’s betrayal reversed the campaign. 174

By late September, the Empire faced food shortages, shrinking territory, attacks from multiple fronts, and the loss of support from the Holy Church. Desinian forces advanced to the outskirts of the imperial capital. 175

Annexation

Surrounded in the royal palace, Warner acknowledged that the Empire’s fall had been caused by long-term decline, plague, internal instability, military defeats, and political miscalculation. 176

Warner, Kien, and Lennar were imprisoned, while the imperial nobles were placed under guard. The Saint Airo Empire was formally absorbed into Desinia Territory. 176

Desinia stabilized the conquered lands by circulating high-yield crops during the food crisis. For much of the population, food, clothing, shelter, and security mattered more than the preservation of imperial rule. 176

Political Structure and Religion

• Imperial monarchy — The royal family ruled the Empire, though the crown’s authority was constrained for much of its history by powerful territorial nobles. 156
• Noble territories — Noble lords possessed independent territory and influence until Warner’s winter consolidation brought many of their lands under direct royal control. 159 160
• Saint Church — The Empire’s Saint Church was closely connected to the royal family and served as a major institution of public authority. 159
• Holy See hierarchy — The Pope stood at the head of the Holy See. Cardinals and archbishops assisted the Pope within the Empire, while grand archbishops handled church affairs in smaller nations; bishops and lower clergy administered local churches and temples. 47
• Religious realignment — Pope Segalot’s decision to establish and later publicly reestablish the Holy Church in Visas shifted religious legitimacy away from Saint Airo during its final war. 156 175

Society and Conditions

• The Empire’s class hierarchy rested on commoners and slaves, who faced entrenched exploitation under the nobility. Warner later recognized that the state could collapse if this foundation continued to erode. 156
• The Black Death and subsequent winter brought starvation, freezing deaths, destroyed farmland, unemployment, and unrest, while nobles were comparatively insulated from the worst suffering. 128 156 160
• Rebellions erupted among commoners and slaves; some were violently suppressed, while others killed noble lords before Warner reclaimed the affected territories. 159 160
• The Empire’s later food crisis was worsened by abnormal weather, poor harvests, war, and its inability to secure sufficient high-yield crop seeds from Desinia. 175
• Desinia’s new crops helped calm the conquered population after annexation by addressing the Empire’s most urgent shortage. 176

Relations

• Desinia Territory — Initially distrustful of Xia Zuoyi’s growing influence, the Empire opposed his proposed newspaper office and suspected Desinia of political ambitions. Desinia later provided plague relief, seized border territories after the Kunseci oil dispute, defeated the Empire in war, and annexed it. 95 127 139 176
• Holy See — The Empire was long associated with the Saint Church, but Pope Segalot increasingly shifted his attention and institutional support toward Desinia, declaring that the Holy See could survive independently of Saint Airo. 131 156 175
• Bia Kingdom — A former tributary state that gained independence after the Black Death. Bia later participated in the anti-Saint Airo coalition and betrayed Warner’s agreement during the Desinia war. 128 129 174
• Bovell Kingdom — Saint Airo failed to conquer Bovell after a prolonged war. Bovell later allied with Bia against the Empire’s interests. 96 129
• Anas Kingdom — One of Saint Airo’s two historic great-power rivals. After the Anas Empire’s dissolution, the Anas Kingdom supported Desinia during the conflict with Saint Airo. 1 175
• Achiyoli Territory — Achiyoli sent forces to support Desinia during the earlier border conflict and the final campaign against Saint Airo. 139 175