Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

Reuel fell silent for a long time after the system gave its answer.

What did it mean by "upgrade to an official civilization"?

Was the population still lacking? Impossible. Was the military strength not sufficient? Ridiculous. He had rebuilt the Imperium of Man—complete with educational institutions, a church structure, and even logistical systems and military command protocols based on the Administratum. If that wasn't enough, then what was?

Reuel glanced at the multidimensional star map—a visual display that marked inter-universal rifts. When the vanguard fleet first arrived in this world, he immediately compared the existing powers.

The conclusion?

This world was weak. Incredibly weak.

The native population, stuck in the industrial revolution and pre-space era, couldn't even touch—let alone defeat—a single shipgirl. Let alone the Astra Militarum—a force as overwhelming as a giant hammer striking clay.

And yet, the system recognized them as a civilization.

But why wasn't Reuel's version of the Imperium of Man—clearly superior in terms of military might, technology, and social structure—acknowledged as an official civilization?

"....."

If this wasn't about combat strength, technology, economy, or even religious structure... then the answer had to lie in a more abstract realm. Something that couldn't be measured by logistics or troop numbers alone.

Reuel narrowed his eyes, staring at the map.

"Then... what sets them apart from us?"

One by one, the classical elements of a civilization passed through his mind:

Economy. Check.

Military. Absolutely.

Religion? Very strong. They worship the God-Emperor.

Government system? Not fully functional... but the foundations were there.

Culture...?

But what really caught him off guard was something trivial—something so often overlooked:

A name.

On the map, the bases and colonies he'd built were only marked as:

"Residences." No name. No identity. No official declaration.

"...Could it really be that simple?"

And at that moment, the lightbulb went off in his head.

"In that case, it's time to make it official."

---

Reuel finally declared the establishment of the Imperium of Man to all factions—whether from Warhammer, StarCraft, or the shipgirls from the world of Azur Lane.

"Starting today, this year shall be the First Year of the Imperium of Man, and this date will be marked as the Imperium's National Day, commemorated annually!"

Once the official civilization name was announced, various supporting systems such as political structure, flags, uniforms, and other elements of national identity began to be designed and developed one by one.

The administrative system saw little change—Reuel strictly followed the structure of the Imperium of Man from the Warhammer universe. He formed a special Legion exclusively for the shipgirls, placed directly under his command. Its hierarchical structure was clear: the shipgirls commanded the Bulin, and the Bulin oversaw the Manjuu—small, yellow, chicken-like creatures functioning as support personnel.

Even though the population on Terra Aeterna wasn't large yet, Reuel still designed a bureaucracy on the same scale as the original Imperium. He knew that sooner or later, growth would surge—and a strong foundation needed to be in place from the start.

Next focus: a flag and military uniforms for the shipgirls.

In the world of Azur Lane, each faction had its own naval flag—usually dominated by blue and white. However, to assert the Imperium's identity and supremacy, Reuel designed a Warhammer-style flag: a golden double-headed eagle, standing proud against a blazing red background. Its wings spread high—sharp and majestic. Compared to other naval flags, this one looked grander, exuding the Imperium's signature militaristic aggression.

But Reuel realized another problem: the battlefield appearance of the shipgirls. With their wildly varied outfits—from short cheongsams, kimonos, casualwear, to barely-there chest wraps—their presence on the battlefield sometimes resembled runway models more than soldiers.

Hence, designing an official military uniform became a priority.

There were, of course, strategic reasons as well: uniforms made faction identification easier, boosted morale, and intimidated enemies. Reuel wanted even the most stubborn Warhammer veterans to know—exactly which Legion this girl came from.

---

Two days later.

The uniform design project involved the entire main fleet. And the result? Beyond expectations. The shipgirls showed overwhelming enthusiasm—ideas flowed freely, and their creativity exploded onto paper.

"New outfits! Yay!!"

"Everyone wearing the same uniform... it feels so grand!"

"I think iron-blooded military uniforms should be the naval standard!"

Reuel's desk was quickly buried under dozens of sketches and design samples.

Donghuang Ship Niang designed a white-background cheongsam with blue porcelain patterns—elegant and noble in appearance.

The Sakura Empire presented a modified kimono design—it accentuated curves but remained practical. Rumor had it the kimono could fall off with a single tug. At a glance, the design looked very... Dafeng.

A White Eagle shipgirl crafted a blue-white military uniform in the style of the Marine Corps—masculine and rugged.

Other factions, like Royal Navy, Free Iris, and Iron Blood, also joined the design contest. Each brought its own unique style. The outcome was truly spectacular.

"Commander, which one... do you think suits us best as the official uniform?"

In his office, Richelieu was examining one of the designs—a kimono from the Sakura Empire. She glanced at Reuel for a moment.

"Why don't you try it on? So I can judge it directly."

Reuel smirked slightly, noting Richelieu's expression—part curious, part hesitant—like a young girl staring longingly at a beautiful dress in a shop window.

"M-me? No, I... I'm not suited for wearing a kimono."

Richelieu looked awkward. She waved her hand, almost panicking.

"Just try it on, Richelieu. It's hard to visualize the real thing from just a sketch. I want to see what the actual visual impact looks like."

Reuel leaned back in his chair, eyeing Richelieu with a half-teasing look.

"..."

Richelieu held the kimono, then glanced toward the door.

Silence. No one around.

They stared at each other for several seconds before Richelieu finally sighed.

"Alright... Let's just consider this part of the uniform evaluation."

She then walked toward the changing booth.

---

A few minutes later.

Richelieu stepped out wearing the silvery white kimono. Since the sample design was originally made for a cruiser-class body, the kimono appeared slightly too tight on Richelieu—who was very clearly a battleship.

Her chest and hips looked strained, as if the fabric might burst at any moment if she moved too quickly.

Reuel almost forgot to breathe.

The skirt's cut, reminiscent of a short cheongsam, offered virtually no protection—hanging directly above her thighs.

One wrong move and there was a high chance something would slip.

"Hmm, it's a bit tight."

Richelieu gently tugged at the collar.

True, a battleship's proportions were nothing like a cruiser's. But the snug fit only emphasized her near-perfect silhouette. With her flowing blonde hair, piercing violet eyes, and that silver-white kimono wrapping her figure, her appearance gave off a slightly more oriental vibe. Striking yet alluring.

"So?" Richelieu asked, noticing Reuel frozen in place.

"Not bad. Very beautiful. Alright, next one," Reuel replied, pretending to stay composed.

For the next half hour, Reuel watched Richelieu go through outfit after outfit—from a blood-red cheongsam, to a regal dress embroidered with gold, to a military uniform exuding a cold, iron-like aesthetic.

Some looked commanding, others downright seductive.

Unfortunately, whoever designed the Sirius blue-wave-themed uniform... Richelieu flat-out refused to try it on, without offering any explanation.

In the end, she changed back into her own gown.

"So, what do you think? Which one fits best?"

"None of them work," Reuel said after closing his eyes briefly, then shaking his head.

"Eh?" Richelieu raised an eyebrow.

"All the outfits they designed are too... campy. They're nice to look at, sure, but none of them can seriously be called a military uniform."

He took a breath, then looked Richelieu straight in the eye.

"Moving forward, we won't just have a navy full of shipgirls. We'll have ground forces, air forces, even space divisions. What we need is a uniform that's firm, official, and instantly recognizable."

As he spoke, Reuel handed Richelieu two design sheets.

The first was a white-and-black military uniform inspired by Gundam SEED. On the chest was the golden eagle crest—the symbol of the Imperium of Man—looking majestic and full of authority.

The second was a more practical standard uniform: a black jacket with gray lining, paired with a silk black dress, short boots, and a vest adorned with the golden eagle. Softer than the military version, but still exuding professionalism.

"Oh…"

Richelieu let out a soft sound.

With just one glance, she immediately understood how far ahead Reuel's designs were compared to the shipgirls' creations.

This was a real military uniform. Not just a flashy costume.

From form to detail, it was nearly flawless.

"This is it! Everyone's going to love it!" she exclaimed excitedly, immediately activating her comms device to spread the news.

But suddenly, she paused. Her gaze returned to Reuel—suspicious.

"Commander... You had these designs from the start. Why am I only trying them now?"

"Their designs were so wildly different from mine. Even just looking at the sketches, everyone would've chosen mine," Reuel answered casually.

"....."

"....."

Reuel simply smiled. Without any further explanation.

He had just wanted to see Richelieu changing outfits in front of him. After all, she was real now. No longer just a fictional character from his old life.

"Commander!"

Richelieu's voice rose—almost a shout.

"Be honest, Commander... Did you just want to see me changing clothes?!"