Chapter 531: Military City
"This wall is done? That's it? No finishing work?"
"Yep. At least, that's what I think. They've already built many like it, so I assume this short wall was built the same way."
"Sigh, isn't this a total waste? They've set up a whole framework for buildings. At first I thought they were bringing a wave of new settlers to Juba! But in the end, it's just a bunch of pretty but useless structures—what a waste of good cement and bricks."
"They built the structures, but nothing came after."
To residents of Juba, the military had recently constructed something strange on the city's southern edge—a place that seemed like a wasteful mystery. Massive manpower, materials, and money had gone into building a bunch of buildings no one could live in.
At first, locals who helped with the labor thought Juba was about to expand. East Africa had been developing rapidly in recent years—cities were growing both in number and in size. Juba, as the capital of Nile Province, would logically be a candidate for expansion and settlement.
But after all the commotion stirred up by the 311th Division, all they left behind in the south of the city was a half-finished project—inhabitable buildings that were never meant to be lived in. And yet, the 311st Division remained stationed there.
In truth, these "unfinished" buildings formed what looked like a new city just outside Juba. A strange one—but a city nonetheless.
It was actually a full-scale urban combat simulation field, part of the Juba Integrated Training Base, built by East Africa for training troops in urban warfare.
Although referred to as being south of Juba, it was actually located over ten kilometers to the southwest, separated by a stretch of tropical jungle.
"This urban simulation field was built to replicate the layouts of both Eastern and Western cities. We included slums, standard residences, ruins, and special structures for training purposes. It's meant to help us study how to respond in complex urban combat scenarios."
The 311st Division understood the purpose of the site well. It was where they would rehearse and develop urban warfare strategies.
Since East Africa was a young nation with no decaying cities to train in, the military had to build their own. So they constructed this full-scale mock city near Juba—a decision many locals labeled as wasteful.
To outsiders, it seemed like a ghost city—fully built, with no residents and no economic output. But far from being abandoned, the site was in full use—just not for civilians. It housed military camps and facilities, making it more a "military city" than a ghost town.
To enhance realism, the site even featured a fake railway station and port—though they were just props.
Juba was far from East Africa's rail network, so the train station was non-functional. The port was no better—there wasn't even a river nearby.
Naturally, East Africa planned to extend the railway here someday. But for now, it wasn't a priority. Since it was a military zone, only a branch line from Juba to the base would eventually be built.
Military logistics would require rail in the future. Despite being called the Juba Integrated Training Base, the site actually spanned across three provinces—Nile Province, New Bavaria Province, and North Great Lakes Province—covering over 20,000 square kilometers.
That's larger than many small countries. Of course, East Africa didn't plan to use all of it. The designated military development zone was about 2,000 square kilometers.
Since the base was closest to Juba, it took the city's name. Juba itself had supported its construction, which made sense as the provincial capital.
Juba would benefit too: the military would procure supplies locally whenever possible, boosting the regional economy.
"The Ministry of Defense assigned the 311st Division here to oversee the construction. Mainly to prevent workers from fleeing—especially Black laborers. Nile Province is vast and underpopulated, with complex terrain. If a laborer runs, they're hard to track down. It took us years to clear the province of wild Black populations. Even now, a few may remain. So keep an eye on the workers during construction," an officer warned.
The situation was similar to East Africa's Congo rainforest. No one really knew how many people still lived there. Some tribes only had a dozen members per village, scattered across dense forest. So East Africa had never stopped searching for and clearing out these wild populations.
"Don't worry, sir," another officer replied. "Even if they run, they pose little threat. All our laborers are men—no way to reproduce. They'll die out within a generation. And in this harsh climate, survival is far from guaranteed."
"Well, that's your unit's responsibility. I won't say more."
"Lieutenant General Roland, after construction is finished, will our division stay here?" the 311st Division commander asked.
"I can't say for sure. But chances are you won't return to your old post. With all these new facilities, someone will have to manage them. Besides, the name 'Juba Integrated Training Base' says it all—it's meant to become the main training ground for the East African Army. Other divisions will surely come here too."
"That makes sense. Judging by its scale, this might be the largest training base in the world. It could house the entire army."
"Don't count on that just yet. Troop movements aren't easy. Until the railway reaches this site, it'll be hard for most units to march here. You were assigned because you're close by. It's a chance to oversee construction and move your headquarters—basically, first come, first served."
The 311st had previously been stationed in New Bavaria Province, on the eastern edge of the Azande Plateau. The climate there was better—but infrastructure lagged far behind what Juba's base offered.
And ironically, the harsh environment of Nile Province was exactly why Ernst chose it for the base.
An army isn't about comfort—it's about steel and blood. Toughness and endurance are essential traits for soldiers.
East Africa's highlands were practically paradise: warm in winter, cool in summer. Once underdeveloped conditions were fixed, they became ideal places to live.
By contrast, the stifling heat of Nile Province was a natural bootcamp. No intense training was needed—just existing there made soldiers sweat and harden.
That was precisely Ernst's goal. East African troops would inevitably see combat in tropical regions. Enduring humidity and heat had to be part of their core skill set.
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