Ningning stood in the center of the grand hall, dim light from ancient lanterns hanging from the ceiling casting moving shadows on the stone walls. The rumble of conversations began to die down, every pair of eyes fixed on her, waiting for a decision that would determine Kashgar 's future. She took a deep breath, letting the tension in the air flow through her without disturbing her composure.
"I have a proposal," she finally said, her voice clear and firm, echoing to the far corners of the room. "It's time we form a centralized government. An empire, or whatever we choose to call it, that can protect us as one. With that, we can build a clear defense system and laws to shield this city from external threats."
The crowd erupted once again, this time with a mix of agreeing and dissenting voices blending into one cacophony. Ningning remained silent, observing intently. Her sharp eyes scanned the crowd, reading the reactions etched on their faces. In the corner of the room, Nico whispered to Sana, "This is going to be the start of a major change in Kashgar ."
Arpin, the leader of District 3 Hindia, rose from his seat. His posture was upright, and his gaze was full of conviction. "I support this proposal. However, I want to nominate myself as the first emperor of District 3 Hindia," he declared firmly. Before he could continue, loud laughter from Ayato, the leader of District 2 Dokdo, broke the atmosphere.
"Hahaha! How could someone of mixed Taiwanese and Filipino descent like you lead an empire to protect Kashgar ?" Ayato sneered, his tone sharp and mocking. "We, the Japanese people, possess leadership blood. Don't forget that we once led the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Movement! And in our district, we have the Koreans, a people proven to excel in military and intelligence. With the strength of District 2 Dokdo, forming a new empire to stand against Siferia is an easy task."
The room grew tense. Ayato's haughty tone was like a spark igniting anger. Arpin clenched his fists tightly. "You're out of line!" he said, his voice trembling with restrained fury. He looked directly at Ningning, his eyes filled with both determination and pain. "Ningning, you know how the Japanese used their power in the past. You must remember the Nanjing Massacre of 1937, what they did to the Chinese people. What they did to Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even Korea."
His words landed like a heavy hammer. Ayato's previously confident face darkened. For a fleeting moment, guilt seemed to shadow his expression. But he quickly straightened his back, as if trying to brush off the weight of history.
Ningning remained silent, unhurried in her response. Her gaze shifted from one face to another, carefully observing every expression and emotion swirling in the room. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her to deliver a decision that could end this escalating conflict.
Ayato spoke again, this time more composed but still commanding. "Then let's take a vote. District 2 Dokdo nominates me as emperor."
Almost immediately, Arpin followed with a loud declaration, "District 3 Hindia nominates me as emperor."
All eyes turned to Ningning. She was the deciding factor. A heavy silence blanketed the room, broken only by the heavy breaths of those standing too close to one another. Ningning appeared slightly conflicted; her eyes darted to Arga, who stood beside her. Sensing her silent call, Arga stepped closer and whispered softly in her ear. Ningning nodded slowly, as if finding the direction she sought.
But before she could speak, a voice from the back startled everyone.
"Madam Ningning should be the leader of this city!" a man shouted with firm conviction. All heads turned toward him. "She was the one who first discovered this city and brought us all here."
A small commotion began to stir among the crowd, but Ningning raised her hand, calling for silence. "I understand the gravity of this situation," she finally said, her voice steady yet calm. "However, I cannot make a decision today. We all need to think this through more carefully. Therefore, I propose that we hold another meeting tomorrow morning. At that meeting, I want each district to bring a written list of their interests and demands. We will consolidate everything into a single decision that represents all of Kashgar ."
She paused, allowing her proposal to sink into their minds. "Additionally, I want each district to prepare a candidate for leadership, along with clear reasons why they are worthy of facing the threat from Siferia."
Her words concluded the meeting decisively. The room's tension slowly dissipated, though it lingered like a dark cloud waiting to burst. Ningning looked at each person in the room, ensuring they understood the seriousness of the situation. Tomorrow would be a decisive day, and she had to ensure the decision made would be the best for everyone in Kashgar .
The room fell silent for a moment after Ayato's parting words. "Fine. Just make sure you choose the right person tomorrow morning," he said with a smile—a smile that felt more like a challenge than an agreement. Arpin let out a faint scoff but said nothing more.
Slowly, the crowd began to disperse. People left the grand hall with heavy steps, carrying the tension in the air like a thick fog that was hard to dispel. Ningning remained in her spot, her gaze fixed on the massive doors slowly closing. In her mind, the looming threat from Siferia and the fate of Kashgar spun endlessly, like a storm refusing to subside.
Once the room was completely empty, Ningning, Sana, Nico, and Arga stepped out together. Their steps were slow as they walked down the now-deserted hallway. Only the echoes of their footsteps mixed with the faint sound of the night wind slipping through the window cracks.
"It's a good thing Nico quickly informed us about what was happening," Ningning broke the silence. Her voice was low but firm. "Otherwise, a poor decision might have been made without proper consideration."
Arga nodded in agreement, but his expression revealed an unspoken curiosity. He eventually turned to Nico. "But wait a minute," he said. "How did you understand what those half-Chinese, half-Filipino people were saying?"
Nico paused for a moment, furrowing his brow as if trying to recall something. "That's exactly what I've been wondering. How could I understand Chinese? Filipino? Wait... is this some kind of magic?"
Sana chuckled softly beside them, crossing her arms with a half-amused expression. "What you did earlier really surprised us," she said casually.
"Hold on a second," Nico turned to Sana, now with a serious look. "Sana, aren't you American? You've always spoken English, not Japanese, right?"
Sana nodded nonchalantly. "Of course. I'm American, and I don't know Japanese. Why?"
Nico let out a long sigh, his confusion deepening. "Because I've been speaking Japanese all this time. But you understand what I'm saying... how is that possible?"
Arga, who had been quietly listening, began to smile faintly. "Those Chinese people earlier... how could I understand what they were saying in Chinese or maybe Filipino, and they also understood the Japanese I was using?" Nico shook his head, looking increasingly perplexed.
"Arga," Nico turned to him with a curious expression. "How many languages do you know?"
Arga shrugged, hiding a hint of pride behind his expression. "English, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, and Russian."
Nico let out a soft sigh, smirking. "You're amazing, but also a bit of a show-off."
The group chuckled lightly, but Nico's confusion remained. He directed a sharp gaze at the three of them. "The problem now is I've been speaking Japanese, and that's not on your list of languages, Arga. So how can you understand?"
Ningning, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up. "I know Chinese and Korean."
Nico clapped his hands together, frustrated but with a joking tone. "Alright, so we're all speaking different languages, but somehow we understand each other. This is really strange!"
He looked at each of them in turn, then said, "Okay, now I'll speak Japanese. Listen carefully."
Nico said a few words in Japanese, and the three of them nodded slowly.
"Alright, what did I just say?" Nico asked.
"'Do you understand?'" Sana replied casually.
Nico was stunned. "How is that possible?! Okay, your turn, Arga."
Arga pretended to move his lips without making any sound.
"Hey, I didn't hear anything! I don't know what you're saying," Nico protested.
Arga chuckled softly. "Of course, I was just moving my mouth."
Nico sighed in exasperation, lightly punching Arga's shoulder. "You're just messing with me."
Arga smiled faintly. "Alright, I'm serious now."
He said something in Indonesian.
Nico was taken aback. "Wait, I understand what you said. What language was that?"
"Indonesian," Arga replied succinctly.
Nico squinted suspiciously. "But wait... did you just call me old?"
Arga chuckled. "I was just joking. Don't take it too seriously."
"You jerk," Nico replied with a wry smile. "I'm younger than you think, you know!"