Chapter Text
The year is 1895, in the month of Harbortim. The rivalry between the northern Agalian and southern Nayaslavan Empires, referred to by most as the Great Game, is in full swing. While Nayaslava dominates in its sheer size and its well-earned reputation for military might and excellent discipline, Agalia has the upper hand with its economy and navy. Having been the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution many decades prior, the northern empire enjoys the fruits of a truly industrialized economy. But what is an economy without trade? Alongside its vast factories stands an equally vast array of maritime force, able to ensure the security of thousands of miles of sea. Its might was most recently proven in the Second Blue War, when Agalian frigates, despite being vastly outnumbered by the finest fleet of the Huosheng Empire, emerged victorious, securing Agalian dominance in the economic affairs of the southern Simjanjoo Ocean.
In matters of internal economics, Agalia is dominated by what are called Benegroups, massive family-owned conglomerates whose companies span industries. They were born out of the twilight years of Agalia’s warring states period. As Emperor Edward the Great led his armies across the vast steppes of Agalia, he conceived of a new way to consolidate power without bleeding out his countrymen. In exchange for their peaceful submission to the Emperor and the seizure of their lands, any warlord or petty king would receive a hefty amount of imperial currency as compensation. At the dawn of a united Agalia, many of these former warlords would invest their newfound wealth in establishing businesses. Eventually, some of these businesses rose above others, forming the many Benegroups we all know today.
Among these Benegroups is Castlelord. Though they dip their fingers in many industries as all Benegroups do, their flagship industry is Finance. They are well known for their secure and robust financial apparatus, widely considered to be the most trusted banking conglomerate in Agalia. However, another business of theirs in finance is insurance. Castlelord, through its subsidiary Wellword, offers a wide range of insurance plans for nearly everything in one’s life. From horses, to houses, to trains and tables, Wellword surely has a plan for that. The downside of this, however, is that there are plenty of unscrupulous clients who seek to defraud Wellword and get a quick payout by purposefully destroying their insured properties. For this reason, Wellword has established dedicated offices tasked with thoroughly investigating claims. In this story, we will read of the misadventures of one of these offices.