Silver Rose

Chapter XXX - An Ode to Everlasting Peace

Before anyone else knew it, the tournament was upon them. Monday saw the arrival of the bulk of the expected visitors from around the world. Beacon Academy housed the competitors and their families, but it was the rest of Vale that accommodated everyone else. Security this year was solid, with Atlas and Vacuo providing a massive robotic army and Mistral bolstering Vale's existing police force. Menagerie had also sent its own specialist Faunus teams, who were capable of spotting potential threats much more quickly than their human counterparts.

In charge of coordinating all of these efforts were Winter and her staff, chosen among the four kingdoms for their experience in the Labyrinth War. This year's Vytal Festival was a special one. While all previous festivals celebrated the human creative spirit and the uniqueness of each of the four kingdoms while espousing unity among all of humankind, this year would include the unveiling of a fifth kingdom.

It was a well-known fact that one of the consequences of the Labyrinth War was the alteration of Remnant's landscape. This was the primary reason the Jupiter Family and, by extension, Vacuo, were able to spring forward to their current status. Menagerie was another landmass which benefited from the geologic cataclysm triggered by the clash between Durandal and Caliburn. Where Menagerie had once been largely inhospitable to humans, it was now capable of supporting far more people, which was what originally enabled the massive influx of people and the subsequent population explosion.

In addition, the center of the continent revealed vast Dust deposits, which Menagerie's government now leased to both Hillphire Innovations and Jupiter Enterprises. Undoubtedly, this caused even greater tension with Atlas, which did not benefit anywhere near as much from the consequences of the previous war.

"I know all of you are eager for the tournament to begin," Oscar said as he addressed the entire audience, "but before that, I have a very important announcement to make. In honor of our Faunus allies' efforts in the Labyrinth War and the economic and civil progress to which Menagerie has contributed, we have put together this montage for you all to enjoy."

The lights dimmed as monitors around the arena broadcast the heroic efforts of the Faunus during the last war. The final images showed Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong fighting alongside their comrades against Salem's elites and emerging victorious.

"And now," Oscar continued, "ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to present before you today the Fifth Kingdom of Remnant, Menagerie, and her Queen, Blake Belladonna."

The crowd erupted into cheers. This was one of the most anticipated moments for this year's festival. It was no secret that Menagerie's population had swelled and that a large portion of the landmass was now habitable. They even possessed their own CCTS tower now, which bore enough of the intercontinental load that regular maintenance on the main towers was possible without overloading the entire system. Menagerie's participation in global communication was paramount to the completely uninterrupted worldwide network that Remnant's population had been enjoying for the past decade and a half.

Sun Wukong was presented as the Headmaster of Instinct Academy, the newly founded Huntsman Academy whose specialization was the protection of small settlements across Remnant. Standing beside Sun and Blake was Ilia Amitola, the current leader of the White Fang, which now served as Menagerie's standing army and its diplomatic outreach organization. Together, the trio served as the inner triumvirate that held ultimate authority should the Council of Menagerie fail to come to a consensus.

"Wait a minute," Lilly said, turning to Ingrid. "This makes you a princess!"

"Ohh, that is sicc!" Leon said before composing himself and elbowing Yuan in the side. "Hey, you better behave yourself. You're dating royalty now."