The Hispania Empire is a great power.
It possesses vast colonial territories in the New World, sending exploration and pioneer teams across the world to capture slaves and extract resources.
Even just the viceroyalties governed by royal officials number five, and the population spread overseas through colonial expansion reaches hundreds of thousands.
Thanks to the resources and output from these vast lands, Hispania was, until just a few decades ago, recognized as the strongest nation in the world.
The empire once suffered an economic crisis due to the depletion of two major silver mines, which were the backbone of its finances.
However, the legacy of its past glory does not fade so easily, and Hispania remained a formidable force on the continent.
Yet, despite this powerful history, the current Hispania is in no position to engage in any foreign intervention.
Why?
Because it has been struck by successive disasters—both natural and human-made.
“It’s raining too much.”
“This season is supposed to be dry, with the vegetation wilting.”
It all began with an abnormal climate event.
During a period when rainfall should have been low and the land dry, torrential downpours struck instead.
And not just a little rain—the deluge was enough to submerge the land up to people’s waists, sometimes even their chests, lasting for days on end.
As a result, sewage systems across the empire broke down, and countless farmers suffered crop failures.
Stored lumber rotted in the moisture, and the keels of drying ships warped beyond repair.
Even this alone would have gone down in history as a catastrophic disaster, but the real problem came afterward.
All the rainwater that poured down accumulated and flowed into rivers and streams.
In other words, the floodwaters drastically increased the water levels of these waterways.
“Damn it! The river is overflowing! Everyone, evacuate! Get the nearby residents out of here!”
“Where are we supposed to send them?! The entire region is flooded! This land is mostly flat plains—there aren’t even any hills to escape to!”
“Then send them up church spires, rooftops—whatever it takes! Just get them to safety first!”
“It’s… it’s too late! The muddy water is already at the village entrance…!”
The low-lying areas were completely devastated.
It was as if they had been trampled by the vast armies of a nomadic empire.
Plazas were submerged in muddy water, houses and mills collapsed, and only the ruins of stone churches remained as the last traces of civilization.
“Report the damage status.”
“In the capital region alone, hundreds of homes have collapsed. Nationwide, at least thousands of buildings have been destroyed, and the number of flood victims likely reaches the hundreds of thousands…”
“What are the countermeasures? Do we have a plan for aiding the disaster victims?”
“We are doing our best within the limits of our budget. However… we cannot guarantee that this will be enough to recover from the full extent of the damage…”
Had it ended here, it might have been manageable.
A disaster of this scale, occurring once in several decades, was rare—but it was still within the realm of possibility.
Hispania was a strong empire, and with enough time, it could recover from such a catastrophe.
The colonies could be exploited further, new slaves gathered, and reconstruction efforts forcibly driven forward.
Given a few years, the empire might have regained its former strength.
However,What came next was like pouring salt—or rather, acid—on an open wound.
“Hey, open the floodgates. Two cargo ships need to pass through.”
“In this weather? The wind is strong…”
“We’ve worked in worse conditions before. Stop complaining and get the workers.”
To the west of the Hispania Empire was a massive canal equipped with floodgates.
This canal was essential for transporting goods from large inland industrial complexes near the mines to the coast.
It was a critical facility, supplying goods to the colonies and viceroyalties and handling a significant portion of the empire’s exports.
A few days after the heavy rains had ceased, the canal’s operators attempted to carry out routine operations.
“Huh?”
Only to realize too late that the increased water levels had drastically raised the pressure on the floodgates.
“Wait, why isn’t it closing?”
“The locks aren’t engaging! The water keeps pouring out!”
“Evacuate everyone on the lower levels immediately! We’re about to get swept away!”
Designed to be manually operated, the floodgates could not withstand the immense pressure of the water and were forcefully breached.
Like a domino effect, the damage spread rapidly.
Once one floodgate collapsed, it triggered failures in the surrounding gates, leading to the destruction of nearby reservoirs and additional locks.
The result was a flood surge even greater than the initial disaster.
From the industrial highlands—toward the lowland coastal regions.
Now, here’s a quick quiz.
What happens to settlements that suddenly get hit by an unexpected, massive surge of water?
“…They’re doomed.”
“It seems the goddess has decided to test the empire.”
“This isn’t a test—this is divine punishment. A trial is something you’re supposed to be able to overcome.”
Simple.
They were completely screwed.
The villages and towns that had barely survived the first flood had no strength left to endure another catastrophe.
Dozens of medium-to-small settlements were washed away.
Two large ranches vanished.
Two cities along the river were nearly obliterated.
Even the empire’s largest port, located at the river’s mouth, was rendered nearly non-functional.
At least several thousand people had undoubtedly perished, and the property damage was so massive that officials gave up trying to estimate it.
“One day… do you think the empire will be able to rise again?”
“…Let us hope so.”
A devastating chain of extreme weather and human error.
For one of the world’s most powerful empires to be reduced to a crippled state, that alone was enough.
*****
“Wow, they barely survived this one.”
Upon learning the full extent of the disaster, I let out a sigh.
Entire cities had been wiped out, and nearly ten percent of the population had become refugees.
Honestly, it was a miracle that the government and administration were still functioning at all.
In any other nation, this level of disaster would have led to mass executions of officials and politicians pointing fingers at each other in a chaotic blame game.
I guess this is what sets a world empire apart.
They don’t manage vast colonies just for show.
“With this, they won’t be able to intervene in the war. They probably can’t even afford to maintain their army.”
“Forget the army—just keeping the royal family from looking like beggars is a challenge. Their nobles are reusing old dresses and worn-out tableware.”
If all they suffered was poverty, that would be a relief.
If the country collapsed, the nobility wouldn’t just worry about wealth—they’d have to fear for their very survival.
“Tch, this is a problem…”
I clicked my tongue in irritation.
I hadn’t expected them to be taken out of the equation like this.
Right now, the war’s power balance is 3 vs. 2.
Artium-Illeane-Helvetia / Kram-Nabre.
Even though Artium struggles with foreign campaigns and Helvetia is small, numbers still matter in the long run.
Sooner or later, the first group will gain the upper hand.
Which is why I can’t allow Hispania to sit this one out.
They need to throw resources and soldiers into this war.
Even a small involvement would suffice.
But how can I make that happen?
Ah—I do have an idea.
One that would be devastatingly effective.
Right now, Hispania is prioritizing its suffering citizens.
But what if they stopped?
What if they abandoned their duty of care and redirected their power outward instead?
If I could shift their focus from relief efforts to military action.
Honestly, it wouldn’t even be hard.
A few words written on paper and spread across the land would do the trick.
The only problem is my conscience.
“Can I really publish this?”
Still, after a brief hesitation, I made my decision.
“Kalia, prepare for publication. Also, secure a printing press in the western continent.”
“Understood. What’s the title of this book?”
After a short pause, I answered.
“An Essay on Population.”