The year is unspecified and could take place anywhere from the 2030s to the 2060s.

Story takes place in a region that was formerly part of the Philippines and now is another country separate from it.

Samuel Jakobsson, the main character and narrator, is a student selected by talent scouts who believe he is qualified for the Academy, a place that helps him train for a job based on one of his talents in fear of an upcoming war.

Later on, Samuel (who is already married) loses his wife in the war after the region is occupied by members of a country in the Middle East (a high-tech country that doesn’t exist right now) who want to claim the place and rule for a better life for themselves and their family, even if it means people will have to die. (“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”)

Post-war, Samuel marries a woman who contributed significantly to the war and also helped treat the wounded. The country they were living in no longer exists and everything was ruined, and she gets elected as ruler of the new country after repairing the damage inflicted by the war. She helps greatly with forming the new country.