Okamoto Empire

The most influential figures in the Empire, not counting the Imperial Family: Yoshida Arata: Imperial Marshal, Minister of Military Affairs. He was originally appointed to this position under the previous Emperor, but after the advent of the Aikaiyo and the lifting of martial law, his work devolved into paperwork, so he has now partially turned to poetry. Yoshikawa Aiko: Another of the few women on the council, but unlike Abe Azumi, she is known for her harsh measures and uncompromising nature. Yoshimura Akihiro: The country's most influential scientist, whose discoveries are internationally recognized. The Emperor himself recognizes him as "the pride of the Empire" and a genius in his field. Yoshioka Akemi: For many years, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the Empire, but after beauty standards changed, she went into the textile industry entirely and gained recognition even abroad. Iwamoto Goro: One of the few foreigners (he was from the Igarashi Empire and brought to the Okamoto Empire as a slave) to rise to the Upper Class and earn the Emperor's recognition. He founded over 35 educational institutions, two of which became the most successful in the Empire's history (Iida Academy, a political school, and Ikeda Academy, a comprehensive school). Ishibashi Asuka: the Emperor's second most feared concubine. She bore him a son once, but he died three months later, and now she has given birth to a daughter, Okamoto Atsuko. Atsuko is now only a year old. It is said that the Emperor has long since lost interest in Asuka, and she maintains her status only thanks to her noble family roots.

The most influential personalities, not counting the Imperial family: Abe Azumi: The most powerful woman in the Empire outside the Imperial Family. She is highly ambitious, yet gentle and kind. She is known for helping slaves and the poor.

Akiyama Aki: The Emperor's most trusted official. He's known as the "brain of the Empire," even though he's only 27 years old. He's well-read, intelligent, and also quite kind. He's known for the fact that, despite his position, which allows him almost anything, he's not only never killed a single person, but also treats slaves with leniency. Aoki Ai: One of the Emperor's few feared concubines. She is believed to have achieved the impossible: rising through the ranks from junior servant to senior concubine. No one knows how, but behind her sweet exterior lies a woman who knows every nook and cranny of the Harem and Palace. Arai Akio: Head of the Ministry of Education. He exerted such influence over the Imperial Family that he made education accessible to almost everyone in the Empire. Asano Akiho: The most influential poet and writer, whose work provoked major reforms and changes in the Empire. He was once offered the post of Minister of Education, but he declined due to the principle that he served the people, and therefore, they should be equal. Now 56 years old, he continues to write books and poetry, donating all his earnings to charitable foundations or using the proceeds to free slaves. Watanabe Areta: The richest man in the Empire and also the Minister of Mines. Rumors have often surfaced that he breaks the law and takes bribes, but this has never been confirmed. A cruel man in his own way, but also cunning and intelligent. Yokoyama Ayano: the youngest merchant in the country. She was once a lady-in-waiting in her own right, but after her father's death, she inherited a large business at the age of 17 (she's now 19). She's very naive, though beautiful and intelligent, so many people don't understand how she's still holding onto her position.

Okamoto Aikaiyo: During his 37 years of life, the people already recognized him as the best emperor in the history of the empire. It was he who created a well-coordinated state structure, elevated the Empire to one of the best in the world, and virtually eliminated martial law. Okamoto Ameya: The Empress Dowager and Aikaiyo's mother. A very wise, intelligent, yet very ironic woman. So much so that she sometimes jokingly says that since she's the Emperor's mother, she's the one in charge of the country. Incidentally, she's not at all afraid to give her son a slap on the wrist if she thinks he's wrong, and Aikaiyo even jokingly says that this woman is the only thing he fears. Okamoto Atsuko: The Emperor's only child. Atsuko is only a year old, but the Emperor is so afraid of losing his daughter (as he was of his ancestor) that he immediately took the child from her mother (Ishibashi Asuka), allowed her to see her only on certain days, and assigned her trusted maids. Aikaiyo has no heir. Okamoto Daisuke: His existence has not yet been confirmed, but some rumors suggest that Daisuke is the Emperor's only younger brother to survive the Palace massacre and the only other legitimate heir to the throne.

The Empire has only six ministries: War, Mining, Forestry (hunting, logging), Health, Construction, and Education. However, the state recognizes the most prosperous professions, which are guaranteed a pension: farmer, teacher, armorer, toolmaker, gunsmith, soldier, merchant, lumberjack, archer, butcher, tanner, and mason.

The empire maintains a clear structure of society, consisting of six layers of strict hierarchy:

1. The lowest class: slaves. These are usually purchased foreigners. They can belong to either a citizen or a segment (district). Slaves are rarely considered human: they are often kept in specially constructed pits, and are given only four jobs to choose from: sawmill, mine, farming, and prostitution. They are paid a wage, but half of the money goes to the slave owner.
2. The poor. Unlike slaves, they are already considered completely free people, but often their standard of living is not much better than that of slaves.
3. The middle class. The most widespread in the empire. People in this layer have a better chance of survival and a better chance of advancing.
4. The upper class. These are the rich and the bosses. They are the ones who manage the segments, own slaves, and sometimes serve in the palace.
5. Authority. This is the Emperor himself, his family, and high-ranking ministers (the Commander-in-Chief, the Marshal in the military sphere, etc.)

Important note: if you are a foreigner, the chances of you even getting out of slavery are very small.