Baggage City

**Baggage City** (バゲージシティ, *Bagēji Shiti*?) is a city located in Eastern Europe. Cold and unforgiving in the wintertime, it is the primary setting of the 4th *Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index* Light Novel Volume, where a large distortion caused by GREMLIN, caused several of their members and the invading Academy City forces, and competitors of the Natural Selector to be trapped indefinitely and turn the city into a bloodbath.

## Principles

### Government and Politics

The government of Baggage City is under the control of the leaders of the Science Guardians, with each one of them supervising one aspect of governance. What is known is that there are three separate groups that govern at least one aspect of the city. For example: Weissland Strainikov is in charge of food, and the finances associated with it.

### Geography

It is unknown in exactly what part of Eastern Europe Baggage City resides in, though it can be presumed to be located in the north near the Arctic. In winter, temperatures can go down from 0°C to -20°C, and, as one of the snowiest areas in the world, snow can fall causally or become harsh blizzards, though not to the terrible extent to that of the outside of the city, which is referred as a blizzard zone, making it difficult for anyone to reach the next town.

The city is divided into small districts.

### Demographics

Baggage City, by the time of the events of the Natural Selector tournament, has a population of about 500,000 and can accommodate 3,000,000 tourists.

It is unknown what ethnic races compromise Baggage City, though they're most likely Caucasian.

### Infrastructure

Baggage City most likely has all the conveniences needed for the proper operation of a city similar to that of most modern European city, like roads and a railroad network, in spite of the military's hasty withdrawal from the city after the Third World War, leaving a lot of things unfinished.

Most unique to the city is it's garbage disposal facility, which produces heat by burning garbage, and using it to heat water pipes that run in a network that connects to various buildings in the city and in labyrinthine underground passageways, as well as it is installed under the roads for melting ice. It is referred to as the core of Baggage City, and is essential to the heating of the city. The city also has the thermal power station, and the oil refinement plant, that keeps the heating facility running.

Another unique feature of Baggage City is the plant factories, used to cultivate fruit and vegetables in the frigid weather of the city. The plant factories are located in a large flat area and are piled on top of each other. The factories run on electricity, as such it is still needs the power stations that keeps the city running. It uses its own unique amperes and voltage, requiring transformer facilities to convert the power for use.

### Technology

After being bought and taken over by the Science Guardians, technology of Baggage City is sufficiently more advanced than many countries. This is mostly because of the fact that it had originally borrowed the technology from Academy City during the time when they were still allied with them.

Despite this, Baggage City is still far away from Academy City's technological superiority. At the time of Academy City's invasion, the military has still yet to get use to the technology.

### Security and Military

Using the technology from Academy City, the city's military's technological superiority is higher than many other nations in the world. The city was capable of defending and securing the city for the Natural Selector tournament before the arrival of Academy City. Despite this, there are some weaknesses, such as the lack of training for the technology due to the hasty establishment of the city for the tournament.

At the time the events of the invasion of Baggage City, despite the advanced technology the city has, the city is still no match to the superiority of Academy City.

## Background

Baggage City had previously been a regional city in Eastern Europe, and had been relatively untouched by history. During the advent of World War III, it was forcibly taken over by military (it is not known which one, but presumably the Russian military), because it was expected to function as a central point along the railroad network along which supplies and other materials would be transported. However, since the war had ended quickly, the military was left in a hurry, leaving many of their works and project uncompleted.

After the events of the invasion of Hawaii, the city was not returned to its original residents, and was instead sold by the military to the Anti-Academy City Science Guardians.

## Chronology

### Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

#### Baggage City Arc

*Main article: Baggage City Arc*
On November the 13th of the story's first year, Baggage City and the Anti-Academy City Science Guardians, hold a tournament known as Natural Selector, in order to find a new global standard to replace Academy City's espers.

Several competitions were held on the first day, but completely deteriorated after the invasion of Academy City and the Kihara Family. At the end of the arc, it was discovered that the city was used as a cruel experiment by Othinus to cause a great distortion in attempt to develop of a holistic esper, trapping several competitors, Academy City forces, the Kiharas, Baggage City military, and GREMLIN, who prepared for it to have happened, in the city that somehow formed into something like a different dimension. Meanwhile, the population and the tourists of the city, somehow managed to escape the great distortion due to the irregular efforts of Kihara Kagun. Only after Kamijou Touma's arrival was the distortion destroyed, returning those who were stuck in the false Baggage City back to the real world.

At the end of the arc, Baggage City officially acquiesced to the conditions of Academy City.