《The Franco-British Union: The Trials of Time》


 Prologue

    Third-Person P.O.V


    On the morning of the 24th of April, 2024, people witnessed exceptionally stormy weather and dark clouds looming over the skies of the cities of London and Paris. Unbeknownst to those who stumbled across this phenomenon, as unpretentious as it may have seemed, something had just set in motion as one of the most mysterious series of events the world had ever seen.


    People had just been celebrating Saint George''s Day the day before and therefore couldn''t care less about the abrupt change in weather. Climatologists began questioning the lack of any prior indications or predictions about this sudden change leading to turmoil amongst the population.


    Soon, a flash of light, bright enough to briefly create a second sun, lit up the dark stormy sky several hundred kilometres above the Franco-British Union. Simultaneously, a massive electromagnetic pulse swept across the union, crippling all of the union''s power grids and leading to temporary power outrage in all its cities.


    Although most of the radio and satellite communication equipment was destroyed by the EMP, a major portion of military equipment managed to survive.


    The number of signals transmitted by or received from space-based satellites was suddenly reduced to zero, completely knocking out all the communication relay networks that connected both the union and the world.


    The government, which was in the middle of its weekly meeting, witnessed the events unfold and suddenly, topics changed. The prime minister, Josu¨¦ Garreau, and the rest of his cabinet present at the meeting were immediately escorted by the RaSP and moved to a safe location called the "Pindar".


    (Author Note: "RaSP" stands for Royalty and Specialist Protection)


    * * * * *


    An hour later...


    24th of April 2024, 9:00


    In the emergency briefing room somewhere in the Pindar, London


    Josu¨¦ entered the briefing room after an initial briefing on the situation by his advisors, just as government ministers and military officers were discussing their next course of action. Although tensions within the room eased down after Josu¨¦''s arrival, no one knows how long it will last.


    Josu¨¦: "Do I have to remind all of you why we''re here, ladies and gentlemen? Now''s not the time to argue. That aside, what''s the situation regarding the other superpowers?"


    ???: "Not looking good, sir. Other than their embassies, we''ve lost all sort of contact with the outside world. The American and the Chinese ambassadors have confirmed that they are also unable to communicate with their countries. They added that they didn''t receive any reports before the incident."


    The one who spoke up was none other than the Foreign Secretary, Brian Fallone, one of Josu¨¦''s most trusted ministers in the cabinet.


    Josu¨¦: "How about the Russians? Any words from them?"


    Brian: "Unfortunately no, sir. We''ve been unsuccessful so far in our attempts to reach the Russian ambassador, but their diplomats have confirmed the same thing as the American and the Chinese ambassadors. They''ve also been unable to communicate with their own countries."


    Josu¨¦: "Can our satellites confirm anything else?"


    ???: "No, Prime Minister. We lost contact with every single one of our satellites right after the explosion, our PNT services will be inoperative for quite some time. Not to mention that our communication services are also down."


    (Author Note: "PNT" stands for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing)


    This time, it was the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir John Campbell himself, who spoke up.


    Josu¨¦: "When is the next satellite being launched by the NSC, Preston?"


    (Author Note: "NSC" stands for the National Space Centre; the fictional space agency of the FBU)


    Josu¨¦ immediately asked the question to Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Preston Chambers, a man who is, in Garreau''s opinion, an intellectual when it comes to science and technology-related matters.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Preston: "The NSC will be launching the first 36 satellites as part of the planned EarthWeb 700-satellite constellation tomorrow at Sutherland Space Hub, Prime Minister. It is safe to say that it will be able to restore our communication and PNT services within an hour of being launched into space."


    Josu¨¦: "That''s the first good news of the day. Give it my full backing and make sure everything goes according to the plan."


    Preston: "Very well, Prime Minister."


    Josu¨¦: "Admiral, what are the possibilities of World War III happening?"


    Campbell: "You know the answer, Josu¨¦. Little to none. The Royal Air Force have already sent up every single Nimrod MRA4s and other patrol aircraft in its inventory, they will report back within an hour or two, well, hopefully."


    Josu¨¦: "As expected of you, John. Continuing, Lyron, how much damage have our national grid received from the EMP pulse?"


    The Business Secretary, Lyron Llewellyn, stood up and handed the Prime Minister a report on the damages done to the national grid so far.


    Lyron: "We hope that we will be able to get the national grid back up and running by tomorrow, sir. But for now, the Union is back to the industrial era."


    Josu¨¦: "At least that''s better than nothing. Alright, you are all dismissed. Now if you''ll excuse me, I have to go prepare a speech."


    Josu¨¦ stood up and everyone followed suit. Just as Josu¨¦ was about to walk out, he turned back and smiled.


    Josu¨¦: "Keep up the good work, we will get past this crisis together, eventually."


    Josu¨¦ exited the room after finishing his sentence. Even though everyone was used to his calm and charismatic leadership, they were still left impressed.


    Campbell: "How can you be calm like that all the time, Josu¨¦? Only if there were more lads like you here in the army."


    Then everyone prepared to leave the emergency briefing room just as an army lieutenant rushed into the room, panting heavily, with worrying news.


    Campbell: "Calm down, Lieutenant. The prime minister just left, what''s it about?"


    Lieutenant: "S-sir! The situation at the border..."


    Campbell: "Hand me that file and calm down, Lieutenant."


    Lieutenant: "...Yes, sir."


    The lieutenant said in a low voice as he handed Campbell the file. Once Campbell saw the contents of the file, he was both shocked and confused at what he had just seen.


    Campbell: "Bloody hell..."


    Campbell ran out of the room as fast as he could, trying to reach Josu¨¦ in the broadcast studio room.


    Campbell: "Josu¨¦! You have to see this. NOW!"


    * * * * *


    At the same time...


    To the north of the former Gibraltar-Spain border


    Four men lie hidden in a bush, scouting the new scenery ahead of the border, and right in front of them was an unknown village that replaced the Spanish town of La L¨ªnea de la Concepci¨®n. They''re part of Delta Fire Team, 1 Section, 2 Platoon of G Company, Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RGR).


    ???: "Sunray, this is F21D, message, over."


    (Author Note: "F21D" is read as "Foxtrot Two One Delta" and you might be wondering why is it not "G21D" despite F21D being part of G Company. That is because the letter part is not the always company''s letter but, instead, it''s designated randomly using the "BATCO" sheet.)


    Sunray: "F21D, this is Sunray, send, over."


    (Author Note: "Sunray" is the callsign for the commander of the unit, whether it be a battalion, a company, or a platoon.)


    F21D: "Sunray, this is F21D, we are at the location and we have set up a perimeter, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, out."


    Lance Corporal Ralph Harvey, in charge of the group, was a bit anxious. After all, they had no idea of what was happening, and more importantly, they couldn''t even contact London.


    ???: "Lance Corporal! Look!"


    One of the privates, Hanns Anthony, pointed at the black dots rising over the horizon. It was a large group of knights wearing full plate armour and great helms while also equipped with medieval weapons like swords, pikes, axes, and maces all while riding their horses.


    Ralph: "You''ve gotta be kidding me, Hanns."


    Hanns: "Come on, Lance Corporal. They could be a group of re-enactors."


    Ralph: "I don''t think so."


    F21D: "Sunray, this is F21D, message, over."


    Sunray: "F21D, this is Sunray, send, over."


    F21D: "Sunray, this is F21D, multiple mounted unidentified armed soldiers spotted, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "F21D, this is Sunray, can you identify them? Over."


    F21D: "Negative, though they appear to be wearing full plate armour and great helms on horses, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, out."


    As if the situation wasn''t perplexing enough, the medieval knights abruptly began chanting "Long live the Emperor!", leaving Ralph and his men no closer to an explanation.


    F21C: "F21D, this is F21C, message, over."


    F21D: "F21C, this is F21D, send, over."


    F21C: "We will be moving to the hill to the left of your position, over."


    F21D: "Roger, out."


    Then, the medieval knights slowly made their way towards the village with unknown intentions. Whatever they were trying to do, Ralph felt as if it wasn''t going to be good.


    F21D: "Sunray, this is F21D, the unidentified force is marching over to the village, over."


    Sunray: "F21D, this is Sunray, are there any indications of hostile behaviour? Over."


    F21D: "None for now, over."


    Sunray: "Roger. Keep monitoring the situation, over."


    F21D: "Roger, out."


    Ralph looked at his men and all of them nodded. It was time for them to regroup with the Charlie fire team and their section commander. All of them quietly stood up and walked over to the hill to their left.


    There, they met Corporal Theo O''Lombardi, the section commander. Then, they formed a defensive perimeter on the hill overlooking the village. As each second passes, the section grows increasingly confused.


    Ralph: "Do you have any idea on what is going on, Corporal?"


    Theo: "No idea, Ralph. But we wouldn''t want to involve ourselves in complicated matters, would we?"


    Ralph: "Perhaps, you''re right, Corporal."


    Then, they spread around the hill in a single extended line formation, waiting patiently for what was going to happen next.


    Although everyone has yet to realise it, this was only the beginning of a new chapter that would change history and the Franco-British Union forever...

 Chapter 1: The First Encounter

    An hour earlier...


    24th of April 2024, 8:00


    The Pais Magic Academy, Kingdom of Pais.


    A figure walked down the halls of a prestigious magic academy, one of the few within this world. As he walked past students and teachers alike, everyone recognized him. He is Edium Aphetosh, one of the four arch-magicians, accompanied by his two disciples.


    Suddenly, he felt a great disturbance with enormous amounts of mana concentrated to the south. It was so unusual that even he, an arch-magician, nearly collapsed.


    ???: [C] "Master? Are you alright?"


    (Author Note: [C] in this case is the Central Language)


    One of his disciples, Christine Grimsbane, asked worriedly. Edium regained his balance and looked at both of his disciples before nodding.


    Edium: [C] "I felt a great disturbance to the south. There''s no reason for so much mana to be concentrated there. We''ll have to go investigate."


    Christine: [C] "Where are we going exactly, Master?"


    Edium: [C] "Tariq."


    (Author Note: "Gibraltar" is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name, "Jabal ?¨¡riq" meaning the "Mountain of Tariq" which is named after Tariq ibn Ziyad who initiated the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar at a point which is known today as "The Rock of Gibraltar".)


    ???: [C] "What about the remaining lectures and classes today, Master?"


    This time, it was Edium''s other disciple, Igrazahl Onzopius, who spoke up. He was the one who organized lectures and classes for the arch-magician so it was rather common for him to ask such a thing.


    Edium: [C] "Cancel the remaining sessions and inform the Royal Family and the Royal Court Mage Corps of my two-day journey."


    Igrazahl: [C] "Wait, Master. Doesn''t that mean I don''t get to go with you?"


    Edium: [C] "If you stay here, in the worst-case scenario, you could still send help to us especially in a state of war like this."


    Igrazahl: [C] "As you wish, Master. I will go inform the Royal Palace immediately."


    Edium: [C] "I am counting on you, Igrazahl."


    As soon as Edium finished talking, Igrazahl quickly walked away from the two while they continue on their way to Tariq (Gibraltar).


    * * * * *


    Present


    In the village of Cantagon, to the north of Gibraltar


    Inside the relatively peaceful village with a population of just over 500 people, however, all that was to change with the arrival of the "Quistadoria Empire".


    The village elder, Forthri, quickly gathered all able-bodied males and gave them whatever they could use as weapons before the forward detachment of scouts from the Quistadoria Empire''s Southern Imperial Army, comprising of mounted knights, reach the village.


    ???: [C] "Elder! I would like to fight too."


    A boy quickly ran up to Forthri with his sister. Forthri was horrified that both of them haven''t yet prepared to evacuate the village.


    Forthri: [C] "No. Brand, you shouldn''t be here."


    Brand: [C] "But I want to fight too, Elder!"


    Forthri: [C] "Listen, take this and get as far as you can from here."


    Just as Forthri handed Brand his garden fork, to everyone''s horror, the Quistadorian knights started charging towards the village while everyone was in the middle of the evacuation.


    Forthri: [C] "Those bastards..."


    As soon as Forthri finished his words, the merchant who was visiting the village was decapitated right in front of him.


    It was a one-sided slaughter from the start, the knights mercilessly killed the desperate villagers before they could even defend themselves.


    While most of the knights were busy killing the villagers, some dismounted from their horses and began searching for women and girls. Those unlucky enough to be caught were dragged into the abandoned houses to be raped.


    (Author Note: As honourable and chivalrous as knights were often depicted in romantic fictions and popular culture, the truth was, knights, especially during the early Middle Ages, were like "hired thugs". They were commanded by warlords and were often given license to plunder the villages where they did the battle, loot, rape, and burn everything and everyone in sight, as they went as shown during the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099)This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Forthri, on the other hand, was having a hard time fighting the knights. He managed to take some down from their horses but he was still overwhelmingly outnumbered.


    Forthri: [C] "WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE, BRAND? RUN!"


    Brand: [C] "B-but!"


    Forthri: [C] "Just run, protect Ivy!"


    Brand took Ivy''s hand and started running away. Forthri wanted to hold the knights off for as long as he could so that Brand could escape, but he was soon stabbed in the back by a sword and fell to the ground, barely alive.


    Some of the knights began following the two, but they soon came to a dead end as they continued running along the narrow alleyway.


    Brand took a defensive posture with the gardening fork he received from Forthri earlier while Ivy was about to cry from fear.


    Knight 1: [C] "Come on, kid. Hand over the girl and we will consider leaving you alive."


    Brand: [C] "...Stay away!"


    As two knights approached them, Brand, even though he was shaking, was determined to protect his own sister.


    A figure soon emerged from the corner, followed by flashes and loud bangs as the sound echoed from what looked like magic equipment, blood splattered all over the place before one of the knights collapsed.


    As the other knight tried to charge the figure, the figure pulled out yet another piece of magic equipment and it was again followed by a flash before the knight fell, dead.


    Brand covered Ivy''s eyes as the figure approached both of them. He was in a strange attire that he hasn''t seen before, and the clothing was rather dirty in his opinion.


    Brand: [C] "W-who are you?"


    The figure hesitated for a second before smiling at both of them.


    ???: "Don''t worry, I am from the Franco-British Army. We''re here to help."


    * * * * *


    A few minutes earlier...


    Theo calmly watched the events unfold through his binoculars, while he slowly reached out to his radio to report the situation to the rest of the platoon while Ralph grabbed his own binoculars and looked over the village.


    F21: "Sunray, this is F21, message, over."


    Sunray: "F21, this is Sunray, send, over."


    F21: "Sunray, those knights are aggressively manoeuvring around the village, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, out. F22, this is Sunray, message, over."


    F22: "Sunray, this is F22, send, over."


    Sunray: "F22, move your section over to grid: 30S TF 87822 08531, I say again 30S TF 87822 08531, roger so far, over."


    F22: "Roger, out."


    Ralph: "Corporal! Take a look at this."


    Theo: "What''s it?"


    Ralph handed Theo his binoculars as Theo quickly looked through them. What he saw shocked him, an old man was decapitated by one of the knights as they entered the village.


    Theo: "...Bloody hell."


    Ralph: "We should be doing something before all those poor lads die."


    Theo: "I am on it."


    F21: "Sunray, this is F21, message, over."


    Sunray: "F21, this is Sunray, send, over."


    F21: "Sunray, those bastards have already entered the village and those poor villagers are being slaughtered everywhere, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, over."


    F21: "Requesting permission to engage, over."


    There was a slight delay in Sunray''s response. After all, the platoon commander, Second Lieutenant Wyatt Saunders, was a new Rupert fresh out of Sandhurst.


    (Author Note: Rupert is a term similar to "Tommy" but instead of being associated with enlisted personnel, it''s associated with commissioned officers who have attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.)


    Sunray: "Permission granted, over."


    F21: "Roger, moving over to engage, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, over."


    F21: "Contact from enemy forces, grid: 30S TF 87886 08554, I say again 30S TF 87886 08554, roger so far, over."


    Sunray: "Roger, over."


    F21: "Contact, wait, out."


    Theo took a deep breath before he squeezed the trigger on his L85A3 and shouted out the order.


    Theo: "Section, 500m, right-hand building, RAPID FIRE!"


    Everyone in the section, upon hearing the order, immediately started firing into the village.


    The sounds of gunshots stopped the fighting in the village temporarily as everyone was dumbfounded and tried to search for the source of the sound. At the same time, several knights started falling from their horses, dead.


    Theo: "Ralph! Come here."


    Ralph: "Aye, Corporal."


    Theo: "Alternating bounding, you know the drills."


    Ralph: "I got you, Corporal."


    Theo: "Alright, see you on the other side. Charlie Fire Team, ADVANCE!"


    Theo and three other men of the Charlie Fire Team quickly stood up and rushed forward to a new position while Ralph and his Delta Fire Team provided covering fire from the overwatch position.


    (Author Note: Normally smoke grenades would''ve been thrown too, but in most cases, it''s entirely up to the judgment of the section commander and his 2IC.)


    Theo: "SET!"


    Ralph: "Delta Fire Team, ADVANCE!"


    This time it was Ralph and his fire team''s turn, they quickly stood up and rushed forward, ahead of Charlie Fire Team''s position while Theo and his men provided covering fire.


    Ralph: "SET!"


    Upon seeing this, some of the knights tried to charge the section but were gunned down in the process. The bounding continued until the section reached the village.


    By then, fewer than fifty knights remained in the village as the rest were either killed or fled the village entirely.


    Once the section reached the village, they began taking positions inside houses overlooking the village centre where the rest of the Quistadorian''s knights were regrouping as stated in their FISH and CHIPS tactics.


    (Author Note: FISH and CHIPS stands for "fighting in someone''s house and causing havoc in people''s streets" which is one of the four terms used by the British Army for urban warfare.)


    The section immediately started firing on the regrouping knights with deadly results. In less than 10 seconds, all the knights still inside the village were either killed or severely wounded.


    Ralph: "Position clear!"


    After position clear was called, they moved into the village centre and set up a perimeter around the village centre.


    Theo: "Sum up the mags, Ralph. I got six left."


    Ralph: "On it, Corporal!"


    Most of the section still have the majority of their ammunition left, as such, there was no need to redistribute it. Theo quickly stood up and checked around the village.


    But before he got far into the village, he stumbled upon an alley where a boy and a girl were trying to hold off two knights.


    Theo wasted no time shooting one of the knights dead while the other, upon hearing the gunshot, turned around and tried to charge him.


    He pulled out his sidearm, an L131A1, and shot the knight dead. After making sure they were dead, he approached the two kids.


    Brand: [C] "W-who are you?"


    He was a little bit confused at what the kid said. It was neither English nor French. With a little hesitation, he smiled and answered back.


    ???: "Don''t worry, I am from the Franco-British Army. We''re here to help."

 Chapter 2: Into the Unknown

    The following day...


    25th of April, 2:00


    In a convenience store near Royal Marines Base Poole, Poole


    A man walked into the convenience store, but he was left disappointed after finding out that almost every single shelves were empty. He sighed and grabbed whatever is left on the shelves. Yesterday was certainly a bad day, not only for him but also for the others.


    ???: "Is this all that''s left?"


    Cashier: "This is all that''s left, mate. You can try your luck elsewhere but it''s probably going to be the same."


    ???: "Okay..."


    Just as the man was about to hand his money to the cashier, his phone rang. He immediately picked up the phone before placing the money in the cashier''s hands.


    ???: "...Got it, see you in ten minutes."


    The man hung up on the phone before walking out of the restaurant with the snacks he has just bought in a hurry.


    * * * * *


    At the same time...


    In the garden of 10 Downing Street, London


    On a bench in the garden of the residence of the Prime Minister of the Franco-British Union is an old man, trying to finish a stack of papers regarding the "Teleportation Crisis" as it''s now called by the public and the media.


    Beside him were several cups of coffee, the old man was determined to read every single report before tomorrow morning.


    That was until he was approached by a man with an unmistakable face. It was the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir John Campbell. The old man on the bench was none other than Josu¨¦ Garreau, the current prime minister of the Franco-British Union.


    Campbell: "You should''ve been sleeping, Josu¨¦."


    Josu¨¦: "Not until I finish reading all these reports, John."


    Campbell sighed before sitting down beside his friend and colleague who was still focused on reading the reports.


    Campbell: "How''s Milena doing?"


    Josu¨¦: "She''s fine, John. Although it took me quite some time to calm her down yesterday."


    Campbell: "I see."


    Josu¨¦: "So what are you doing here, John?"


    Campbell: "I figured out you would still be working around the clock like you often did when you were still in the army, so I stopped by, just to check on you."


    Josu¨¦: "Understandable."


    Campbell: "I guess, that''s it then."


    Josu¨¦: "Are you sure that''s all?"


    Campbell, after a short pause: "No. We''ve just regained communications with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles stationed at Gibraltar and the news is rather worrying."


    Josu¨¦: "What''s it, John?"


    Campbell: "Our troops have engaged combatants of an unknown nation in a village just north of the Gibraltar-Spain border."


    Josu¨¦: "What do you mean? Isn''t that where the Spanish town of La L¨ªnea de la Concepci¨®n is?"


    Campbell: "We won''t be sure until the satellites'' launch today and more importantly, Josu¨¦, don''t forget that everything outside of the borders is no longer the same."


    Josu¨¦: "...Right."


    Campbell: "Anyways, I will see you again in eight hours. By then, those satellites should already be in space and I''m expecting that you''ll receive a complete briefing on all that happened."


    Josu¨¦: "Alright, John. Take care."


    * * * * *


    Eight hours later...The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    25th of April, 11:30


    A hundred kilometres to the north of Gibraltar, the Quistadoria Empire''s Southern Imperial Army


    Covering the land as far as one''s eye could see, stood the mighty Southern Imperial Army, consisting of hundreds of thousands of knights, foot soldiers and archers, known to be one of the largest and most experienced armies at the Empire''s disposal.


    Flying directly above the Southern Imperial Army were several wyverns from the 1st Imperial Wyvern Squadron.


    At the head of the columns was the Duke of Nethiolor, Rictiovarus Geberic. A renowned Captain General and a privy council member, he was experienced and wary compared to other Quistadorian generals.


    Besides him was his Lieutenant General, Gaiseric Himnerith, an over-confident and, often, reckless commander, he is normally the second-in-command of Rictiovarus, although he was rather worried about Gaiseric''s recklessness.


    (Author Note: The ranks "Captain General" and "Lieutenant General" were used when armies evolved to formally organised and permanent military forces.)


    As the columns continued marching towards Tariq, the Sergeant Major General, Sigmund Retemeris, rushed towards the front in a hurry, trying to reach both Rictiovarus and Gaiseric as fast as he could.


    Sigmund: [C] "Lord Nethiolor!"


    Rictiovarus: [C] "What''s it, Sigmund? Did our knights already come back?"


    Sigmund: [C] "Yes, my liege. But..."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "But what?"


    Sigmund: [C] "Only thirteen managed to come back, my liege. The rest, they said, were annihilated-"


    Gaiseric: [C] "That''s absurd! All those 350 knights are all veteran knights, there''s no way they could''ve been annihilated by mere peasants!"


    Gaiseric interrupted Sigmund before he could finish his words, the news simply didn''t make any sense to him. That was until Rictiovarus glared at Gaiseric that Sigmund continued.


    Sigmund: [C] "Those knights said they encountered soldiers with strange attires and magic equipment, none of which was anything like they''ve recognised. The magic equipment released a flash followed by a loud noise and then suddenly, the knights around them fell from their horses, dead."


    Sigmund: [C] "Other than that, my liege, the knights said those soldiers were all speaking the "ancient" language."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "The ancient language? That should''ve been impossible nowadays. Sigmund, send a messenger to the capital and inform our Emperor of this immediately."


    Sigmund: [C] "Yes, my liege."


    Gaiseric: [C] "But how about Tariq?"


    Rictiovarus: [C] "Either way, we''ve come too far to turn back now. We will continue towards Tariq."


    Gaiseric: [C] "I was expecting that."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "Mind your language, Gaiseric."


    Gaiseric: [C] "...My apologies, my liege."


    Unbeknownst to both of them and their entire army, their movements were being closely monitored by a single Protector RG Mk 1 MALE UAV and a Recce section from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment...


    (Author Note: "MALE UAV" stands for medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle and "Recce" is the term used by the British Armed Forces for reconnaissance.)


    * * * * *


    At the same time...


    In the conference room, the Pindar, London


    Inside the room were senior members of the cabinet as well as senior military officers who are part of the Defence Council of the Franco-British Union.


    On one half of the screen were images taken of the new world they found themselves in by the satellites recently launched today. On the other half were live footages sent from the Protector drone that is flying over the Quistadorian Empire''s Southern Imperial Army.


    (The satellite image of the New World: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-iQlofbgtM_hJCi4sPHHedHz3PRPk6P3/view?usp=sharing</a>)


    (Author Note: Those marked in purple represents the Franco-British Union and its overseas territories which were teleported into the new world, as you can see, the overseas territories are now all around the British Isles and well, that''s 1/3 of the whole map, for now.)


    Josu¨¦: "So other than the fact that there''s an army marching towards Gibraltar, we also know almost nothing outside of our borders."


    Campbell: "What a strange world we''ve found ourselves in."


    Brian: "Sir, if I may."


    The Foreign Secretary, Brian Fallone stood up and walked over to the screen before pointing at the peninsula that resembles the Iberian Peninsula back on Earth and the island that replaced Ireland to the south of Northern Ireland.


    Brian: "As far as I am concerned, our priorities should be establishing diplomatic relations with nations outside our borders, sir, as such, I would suggest dispatching one of our carrier strike groups from the Home Fleet, accompanied by officials from the MOD and the FCDO, south to this new peninsula, sir."


    (Author Note: "MOD" is the abbreviation for the Ministry of Defence and "FCDO" is the abbreviation for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office).


    Josu¨¦: "Speaking of that, John, is it true that the entire Pacific Fleet suddenly found themselves outside of Scapa Flow?"


    Campbell: "The rumours turned out to be true, Josu¨¦. They''re now stationed at Scapa Flow for the time being."


    Josu¨¦: "I see. What do you think about Brian''s suggestions, McCarthy?"


    McCarthy: "We can dispatch HMS Ark Royal and her carrier strike group immediately, Prime Minister. Although we will have to arrange preparations for the MOD and FCDO officials too."


    (Author Note: In this timeline, because of the FBU''s status as a superpower, they have six Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Charles de Gaulle, HMS Richelieu, HMS Ark Royal and lastly, HMS Foch.)


    The First Sea Lord Admiral Thomas McCarthy nodded in agreement to the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister.


    Josu¨¦: "Very well then, we''ll dispatch HMS Ark Royal and her CSG from Brest. The rest is up to you, McCarthy."


    McCarthy: "Understood, Prime Minister."


    Josu¨¦: "Campbell, place the Home Fleet, the Mediterranean Fleet, the 3 Commando Brigade, the 16 Air Assault Brigade and the units stationed at Gibraltar at AMBER state. I will handle the press myself."


    (Author Note: Similar to the five DEFCON levels, the UK also have a similar system called the BIKINI state which is RED, AMBER, BLACK SPECIAL, BLACK and WHITE. AMBER in this case mean "high alert" which could transition to war, similar to DEFCON 2 and 3.)


    Campbell: "Very well-"


    Before the admiral could finish his words, however, the prime minister''s advisors rushed into the room with reports of an unknown creature in the North Sea sighted by HMS Queen Elizabeth and her carrier strike group. And suddenly, the room was thrown into chaos once again...

 Chapter 3: Tension Brewing

    A few minutes earlier...


    25th of April, 11:20


    Aboard HMS Belfast, 55 miles off the coast of Scotland, the North Sea.


    Only a few days into their patrol, HMS Queen Elizabeth and her CSG, consisting of two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 26 frigates that include HMS Belfast, an Astute-class submarine and a Tide-class tanker, ran into sea state 8. The seas surrounding the carrier strike group were unusually rough even for the frigates and destroyers like HMS Belfast.


    Most of the crew below the decks was trying to make themselves as relaxed as possible, after all, they didn''t anticipate anything after everything that happened.


    Soon enough, an indisputable sound was heard throughout the entire ship as the piercing klaxon of the ship''s general alarm shatters everyone''s mood.


    Broadcast Alarm: "Hands to action stations, hands to action stations. Assume CBRN damage control state 1. Condition Zulu."


    And suddenly, the mood below decks changed. Even though it was more of an ordered rush rather than panic, everyone knew something unfavourable was inevitable.


    The crew, across the entire ship, grabbed and emptied their bags and put on their white coveralls, white fire-retardant hoods and gloves. Every door and hatch was sealed just in case the ship was hit. Everyone''s adrenaline was pumping, this was what they''ve been training and waiting for their entire career.


    Inside the gun bay directly below the ship''s 6.1-inch Mk 8 gun, high-explosive (HE) shells were readied while safety catches were pulled from the two Goalkeeper CIWS on board.


    (Author Note: The Mk 8 naval gun, even though it''s a 4.5-inch gun irl, was supposed to be adapted to carry the 155 mm gun barrel and breech from the AS-90 self-propelled gun until it was cancelled in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. But well, since that''s the UK and this is the FBU, it was never cancelled. And all the Phalanx CIWS on board were replaced by the Goalkeeper CIWS because of the much more complicated FBU - US relations in this world.)


    Within minutes, all the close-range weapons crew are in their body armour and positions, only to see something terrifying right before the ship''s path.


    AWW 1: "...What the fuck is that?"


    (Author Note: "AWW" stands for Abovewater Warfare Weapons which is one of the four sub-specialisation for a Warfare Specialist (WS) in the Royal Navy.)


    Several hundred yards to the front of the carrier strike group was a huge sea serpent-like creature straight out of a fantasy novel. Everyone on the deck was astonished at the presence of such a strange creature.


    Meanwhile, on HMS Belfast''s bridge, the captain, Commander Jean-Pascal M¨¦n¨¦tries was patiently waiting for orders from the COMCSG aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth on what to do next.


    (Author Note: "COMCSG" stands for Commander Carrier Strike Group which is a fictional position based on the real "COMUKCSG" position within the Royal Navy.)


    However before the ships could do anything, the sea serpent started swimming aggressively towards them, all while opening its mouth as if it was trying to eat them.


    HMS Queen Elizabeth: "Belfast, that thing is directly in front of you."


    Jean: "Understood, sir. I got it, Logan."


    Logan: "Captain has the conn."


    Jean quickly grabbed his binoculars and watched as the sea serpent came closer while HMS Belfast broke off from formation in an attempt to lure it towards her instead of the CSG.


    Jean: "Hard port rudder! Hard over!"


    Helmsman: "Hard port rudder. Aye, sir."


    Lookout 1: "Incoming, starboard bow!"


    Jean: "6.1, conn, bearing 055."


    AWW 2: "Conn, 6.1, roger."


    Jean: "Standby."


    Jean handed the phone over to Sub-Lieutenant Logan Scott, the Officer of the Watch (OOW), while he quickly rushed to the front to watch the sea serpent as it quickly approaches the ship.


    Logan: "6.1, bearing 055, range 925 yards."


    AWW 2: "6.1, roger. Clear visual, turret corrected."


    The ship''s imposing 6.1-inch gun turned towards the sea serpent after all the necessary adjustments, Jean took a deep breath before he shouted out the order.


    Jean: "Command approved."


    Logan: "6.1, engage."


    AWW 2: "6.1, shoot!"


    As soon as the order was given, the 6.1-inch gun immediately started firing its HE shells. With a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, the gun was a serious threat to anything as big as the sea serpent. Soon, the general-purpose machine guns and miniguns were also firing at the eccentric creature.


    Within less than a minute, the sea serpent was hit by multiple shells from the 6.1-inch gun and several hundred bullets, seeing this, other destroyers and frigates in the vicinity joined in the fight. The smoke caused by shells that exploded around the sea serpent was so tense that it eventually became impossible to verify their hits.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Logan: "6.1, cease firing."


    AWW 2: "6.1, roger."


    Everyone on the bridge patiently waited as the smoke cleared. However, once the sea serpent came back into view, there were no signs of damage on its skin, if any at all.


    Logan: "You''ve gotta be fucking kidding me..."


    Jean: "6.1-"


    Before Zack was able to order the 6.1-inch gun to fire again, however, the sea serpent rose from the water and stared at the ship for a moment before turning its back to the ship and swam away...to everyone''s confusion and relief.


    Logan: "Sorry, my language, sir."


    Jean: "...Carry on, sub-lieutenant. Contact operations, I want to know how that bloody thing got that close to us."


    Logan: "Right away, sir."


    * * * * *


    Three hours later...


    25th of April, 14:20


    RAF Gibraltar, Gibraltar


    An A400M Atlas transport aircraft landed on the runway in the once-quiet Gibraltar International Airport which was now filled with military aircraft taking off and landing almost every minute.


    The transport aircraft taxied by the runway and opened its hatch. The badge on the A400M shows that the aircraft was from No. 47 Squadron RAF.


    The equipment on board was quickly unloaded alongside personnel. They were all wearing green berets similar to that of the Royal Marine Commandos. However, they weren''t Royal Marines. They are part of 8 Troop, M Squadron, Special Boat Service (SBS).


    They were the first of M Squadron, SBS to be flown to Gibraltar from their garrison at RM Poole while the rest of the squadron was on their way.


    All of them were quickly guided over to an empty hangar while the equipment unloaded was quickly moved into the hangar.


    The lights inside the hangar were opened as the doors closed. The sixteen men quickly grabbed whatever there was inside the hangar and sat down before a projection screen.


    There, a man walked past them with a laser pointer and turned on the projector. The screen shows satellite images of the New World.


    ???: "Gentlemen, welcome to Gibraltar. Unfortunately, we aren''t here for a vacation. So let''s get right to the point."


    The pointer was turned on and it circled the region to the north of Gibraltar, their mission area.


    ???: "We will be inserted covertly, into the western coastal area of this peninsula, by two EC725 Caracals from No.7 Squadron, as part of the overall Operation Ruckus. From there, our troop will divide into two patrol teams, the first team, commanded by "Dinger", will be responsible for the peninsula''s western coast."


    Dinger: "Aye, sir."


    ???: "The second team, commanded by me, will go into this town, 60 miles to the northwest of Gibraltar. According to our satellite images and field intelligence, this is one of the many medieval towns in this peninsula we know almost nothing of."


    Canine: "Sir if I may."


    ???: "Spit it out, Canine."


    Canine: "Do we know nothing else other than all these satellite images, sir?"


    ???: "I am afraid, yes. That''s why we''re also being accompanied by two intelligence officers from Legoland though. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Emmanuel Wood and Eug¨¨ne De Verley."


    (Author Note: "Legoland" and "Babylon-on-Thames" are nicknames for the SIS (MI6) building at Vauxhall Cross within the intelligence community.)


    Eug¨¨ne: "Lieutenant John Wensley, it''s an honour."


    John: "The honour''s mine. Anyways, any other question lads?"


    There was no response, which was typical of John''s troop. Although the two intelligence officers from the SIS were confused, John dismissed it like always.


    John: "Alright then. The first team''s dismissed, second team you know where to go. Another briefing in two hours."


    Canine: "Aye, sir."


    John: "If you don''t mind, please follow me, gentlemen."


    Emmanuel: "Very well."


    The projector was turned off and while the rest of John''s troop walked out of the hangar, he and seven others gathered inside a temporary tent set up outside of the hangar.


    RAF Gibraltar was now being turned into a forward operating base (FOB). It was here where several units will be flown in and out for whatever reason there may be in the upcoming days.


    A large map was rolled out onto the table as everyone gathered around it. A pin was used to mark the position of the town that was their objective.


    Emmanuel: "Operation Ruckus is the government''s plan to deploy troops along the borders and in key locations to prevent a major public disorder and external threats from this new world. On the outside, it''s a precaution, however, on the inside, it''s martial law in disguise."


    John: "So why is it this specific town exactly?"


    Eug¨¨ne: "As you can see, Lieutenant, there are major port facilities there, albeit rather medieval and obsolete. We assume that the town is a major maritime trade centre within this peninsula. The government has resolved to dispatch a carrier strike group from Brest to visit this peninsula so we''re here to gather information in the area for some time."


    John: "...So we''re going in virtually blind."


    Eug¨¨ne: "I am afraid, yes, Lieutenant."


    Emmanuel: "Your teams, Mike One Zero and Mike Two Zero are two of the most important teams working on this, Lieutenant. We will help as much as we can."


    John: "Let''s just hope we all know what we''re doing."


    Emmanuel: "Of course, Lieutenant, of course..."


    Eug¨¨ne: "Especially since you''re all veterans from service in the Philip-"


    One of the team''s member, "Kiwi", pulled out his L117A2 pistol and lunged towards Eug¨¨ne, holding him at gunpoint, as the SIS officers stood dismayed.


    Kiwi: "Don''t you dare mention that again."


    John: "Kiwi, that''s enough. It''s fine."


    Kiwi: "I am stopping out of respect for my lieutenant. If you dare mention it again, I am going to make sure not one but two bullets log itself in your skull."


    Eug¨¨ne: "Okay, okay..."


    And with that, Kiwi put his pistol back into its holster and backed down while Eug¨¨ne looked at Emmanuel only to receive a cold response.


    Emmanuel: "Don''t look at me, the guy''s right. Anyways, let''s continue, shall we?"


    * * * * *


    At the same time...


    The Franco-British Parliament, the Palace of Versailles.


    Several hundreds of tourists walked around the eye-catching gardens of the Versailles, most were taking pictures while some simply enjoyed the beauty of nature.


    That was until several groups of armed soldiers in full combat attire, accompanied by police officers, ran past them. These were soldiers of the 1st Battalion, French Guards, the last of the Foot Guards to be raised in 1941 under a Royal Warrant to include France in the national component of the Guards Division.


    The French Guards can trace their origins back to the R¨¦giment des Gardes Fran?aises created in 1563 as part of the Maison militaire du roi de France or the Military Household of the King of France.


    But it was soon clear to the tourists that the Guards weren''t here for ceremonial purposes, as they were fully armed and soon, they took positions around the entire palace and sent out patrols that often walked alongside tourists and citizens alike.


    Soon, reporters from multiple news organisations appeared on the scene. One of those reporters, Stella Elliott, was a news reporter for the Entente Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and she was determined to make her first report a success.


    EBC Cameraman: "You ready? Don''t stress out too much, try to relax."


    Stella: "Thanks. I will try to do my best today."


    EBC: "Okay, standby. Broadcasting in 3 2 1..."


    Stella took a deep breath, holding her microphone tightly before she started reporting the situation. This was sure to be one of those tiring days, not just for her but also for everyone else...

 Chapter 4: Back Alley Brawl

    Several hours earlier...


    26th of April, 17:00


    Trafalgar Square, the City of London


    It was yet another evening in London, although the shock from the "Teleportation Crisis" remained, most people, including Stella Elliott, were trying to act as normal as they could and carried on with their lives.


    Stella was exhausted, after all, she was called back to the EBC''s main office right after her first report in Paris. All she wanted to do now was go back to her apartment and drift off to sleep, however, while she was waiting to cross the street, she overheard a group of co-workers listening to an emergency news broadcast.


    Emergency News Broadcaster: "...fter COBRA met a few hours earlier, the Prime Minister hosted yet another emergency cabinet meeting on the progress of Operation Ruckus that aims to mobilise and deploy up to 200,000 service personnel from all three services to secure strategic and sensitive locations in crowded public places, but, apart from the borders and the palace of Versailles, we have yet to see military personnel in major cities."


    (Author Note: "COBR" stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms that is popularly referred to as "COBRA", however, these are actually rooms used for committees that coordinate the actions of government offices in response to crises, whether regional or national and overseas events that heavily implicate the FBU.)


    Emergency News Broadcaster: "We will now go live to our 70 Whitehall Correspondent Tyler Andrews. Tyler, can you explain what''s happening?"


    Tyler: "Very well, Helen, uh, as you can see, I am currently outside of 70 Whitehall where COBRA met only a few hours ago. We believe the Prime Minister is still inside the buildi- Here he comes!"


    There was a short pause from the reporter, Stella thought it was probably because he was running towards the Prime Minister. A strange sound can be heard in the distance but she wasn''t sure what it was. By then, Stella was already watching the live broadcast from her own phone.


    Josu¨¦: "Let''s start with you first."


    Tyler: "Very well. Prime Minister, you said the Armed Forces will deploy in key locations throughout the union. But we have yet to see military personnel in major cities, why is that?"


    Josu¨¦: "Ladies and gentlemen, before I answer your question, I will have to ask you to kindly look up to the sky."


    Most of the reporters stared at Josu¨¦ while some actually looked up just as a Caiman AH.1 (NH90) helicopter from 652 Squadron, 2nd Regiment Army Air Corps flew past them, followed by another 15 Caimans from the same regiment flying in a formation and it wasn''t long before they flew over Stella and Trafalgar Square.


    And just as the pedestrian crossing lights were about to turn green, they were suddenly changed back to red as several metropolitan police cars drove into the area. Some of the police officers got off from their vehicles and set up roadblocks around the square. Confusion ensued amongst the people as a lot of them were unsure of the reason for the sudden police appearance.


    Road traffic around the square was suddenly stopped, at least temporarily, while the rumbling sound of diesel engines can be heard from the distance. And it didn''t take long before everyone realized that the armed forces were coming.


    First, several army trucks appeared while fully armed soldiers exited the trucks and positioned themselves all around the square. It wasn''t these armed soldiers that made the whole thing unbelievable though, it was what followed that looked as if it came straight out of a war movie.


    Citizen 1: "Here they come!"


    Citizen 3: "They got the Challenger 3, the Warrior and even the Ajax!"


    Citizen 2: "I don''t think those are the Ajax but it''s still unbelievable, innit?"


    A column of Challenger 3 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and Ares armoured personnel carriers (APCs), guided by several Mets and Redcaps slowly made their way towards Trafalgar Square. As the tanks rolled past Stella, she couldn''t believe her eyes, after all, London hasn''t seen fully armed soldiers and armoured vehicles patrolling the street in full battle order ever since Operation Marmion, 50 years ago, but even then, it wasn''t directly in the streets of London.


    (Author Note: "Redcaps" are nicknames for members of the Royal Military Police (RMP) while the Metropolitan Police are normally referred to as "Mets".)


    The tanks stopped short of Nelson''s Column and positioned themselves around the bronze equestrian statue of Charles I while the IFVs and APCs continued and positioned themselves all around Trafalgar Square.


    These soldiers were drawn from the 12th Armoured Infantry Bridge of the famous 3rd Division that has distinguished itself ever since the Napoleonic Wars and up to the Second World War.


    Stella decided to continue watching the live broadcast just as the Prime Minister was about to continue speaking.


    Josu¨¦: "Now, ladies and gentlemen, let''s continue, shall we?"


    * * * * *


    Present


    26th of April, 03:00


    The City of Coralodor, Kingdom of PaisEnjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The port city of Coralodor was a sight to behold and something that the Kingdom of Pais could proudly boast about. It''s the third-largest city in the region, only behind that of the capitals of the Kingdom of Pais and the Quistadoria Empire. Yet, it''s one of the most important maritime trade centre, if not the most important in the peninsula.


    Guarded by massive walls that surround the massive city alongside its garrison of around 8,000 men, the city was impregnable, at least according to the Paisians.


    However, around this time, the walls were barely guarded if guarded at all by the city''s garrison. That was until two wagons approached the city gates.


    The wagons were stopped and inspected by the guards. Nothing out of ordinary, perhaps these were just another band of merchants who have just arrived from a long trip.


    The only thing suspicious so far was that the wagons were pulled by men rather than horses, although it was rather a common thing for merchants in this region because horses tend to be sensitive to wyverns and other magical creatures.


    At once, the gates were opened and the wagons pulled into the city. The streets were dark and deserted, a perfect time and place for any kind of robberies to take place.


    Just as the wagons took a turn into an alley, a group of men numbering around 15-20 lit up the dark alley with lights from their torches and blocked the way. They were armed with crude swords, and knives, something that only bandits tend to carry. They were obviously here to rob the wagons.


    Tick-thump, the sound echoed across the alley as one of the bandits fell to the ground, covered in blood. The other bandits were dumbfounded as they looked at one of their friends, who was now slowly dying.


    Just as one of the bandits tried to roll the dying bandit over, he collapsed to the floor, right before a man jumped off one of the wagons.


    The man was holding some kind of magical device that created the tick-thump sound and a small flash, but every time a flash was seen from the device, another one of the bandits fell dead, followed by the sound.


    As the distance between the bandits and the man closed, they tried to charge the man. The first bandit was quickly disarmed and thrown to the ground, followed by the tick-thump sound from the device.


    The second bandit, even though unarmed, proved more troublesome because his body was that of a bodybuilder. The large bandit stumbled forward, raised his fist and threw a hasty haymaker at the man, the man swiftly responded with a sidestep followed by a grapple on the limb before the leg sweep that brought them both down to the cold floor.


    The man performed a choke-hold on the second bandit before he grabbed his magical device, pinned it against the bandit''s head, and pulled the trigger, silencing the bandit once and for all.


    Upon seeing this, the other bandits, terrified and scared for their lives, fled the scene entirely, leaving nine dead bodies in the alley. The man stood up and disposed of the bodies in the alley, leaving little to no trace of the fighting that had occurred.


    ???: "Come on lads, why are you always leaving this to me?"


    Roo: "Well, that''s what we''ve agreed on sir."


    John: "I guess you could say that."


    Emmanuel: "Let''s get moving though, Lieutenant. There should be an inn somewhere in this city."


    John: "Alright alright."


    Inside the wagons were men of Mike Two Zero (M20), John "Sage", "Canine", "Doc", "Archer", "Lobo", "Wiz", "Roo", and "Kiwi", all dressed in medieval attire. They were accompanied by Emmanuel, one of the two officers sent by the SIS to accompany M10 and M20.


    John concealed his suppressed L137A1 before he climbed into the first wagon as Canine and Roo began pulling it again. After all, they will have to find a place to stay for the night.


    After some time and effort, they eventually ended up in front of a small inn named "Caravela". As they walked inside, the innkeeper, a gorgeous woman in her 20s, was surprised. She wasn''t expecting any travellers this late.


    Innkeeper: [C] "W-welcome, I assume you are travellers looking for a place to stay at?"


    John: [C] "...Yes."


    Innkeeper: [C] "Then you''ve come to the right place! You''re looking for a room for nine, right?"


    John: [C] "Certainly."


    Innkeeper: [C] "Perfect! Give me a minute."


    As soon as the innkeeper walked upstairs, the rest of his team gathered around a table. Even though they didn''t understand what John and the Innkeeper talked about, they know that it''s Spanish.


    Emmanuel: "If the price''s too high or the room''s not enough for nine people, I think I have an idea."


    John: "Well, let''s just hope that idea of yours work."


    Emmanuel: "Of course, Lieutenant."


    The innkeeper soon returned and led them upstairs into a large room with four beds, large enough to accommodate eight of them.


    Innkeeper: [C] "I am really sorry but the beds are only large enough for eight people...I think all of you might fit in there though. You can pick any beds as you please though."


    Emmanuel: [C] "Excuse me, my lady. Do you mind if I treat you to a drink and perhaps talk about things that have been happening around here?"


    Innkeeper: [C] "Sure!"


    Emmanuel: [C] "As expected of you, my lady."


    Emmanuel gave the team a wink before he walked downstairs with the innkeeper, to the disgust of the team, he and the innkeeper would probably be busy for the rest of the night.


    Archer: "That bloody fanny rat..."


    John: "Knock it off. It''s about time we get some zeds."


    Archer: "Aye, sir."


    (Author Note: "Fanny rat" and "Zeds" are naval slangs (Jackspeak) spoken by Royal Navy personnel, "Fanny rat" means womaniser while "Zeds" means sleep.)


    However, unbeknownst to the team, an elderly man and a young woman were watching them from downstairs. It was the arch-magician, Edium and his disciple, Christine.


    Christine: [C] "Master, those travellers are clearly speaking the ancient language..."


    Edium: [C] "Rumour has it that Quistadorian Knights sent to eradicate the village of Cantagon were sent back running by a group of people also speaking the ancient language."


    Christine: [C] "Then could these people be related, Master?"


    Edium: [C] "Perhaps, we will keep an eye on them for now."


    Christine: [C] "How about Tariq, Master?"


    Edium: [C] "We will stay here, for the time being, Tariq can wait."


    Christine: [C] "As you wish, Master."


    The two continued their conversation, but, as it appears, they were also being closely watched by John, who wasn''t entirely unaware of their presence.


    * * * * *


    Two days later...


    28th of April, 06:00


    The Lunemilar Palace, Tethoris, Kingdom of Pais


    A carriage, bearing the mark of the Pais Magic Academy, arrived at the Royal Palace early into the morning. As Igrazahl disembarked from the carriage, there was already someone waiting for him.


    ???: "Igrazahl, it''s been a while!"


    Igrazahl: "Where is his majesty, Edreviar?"


    Edreviar: "Getting right to the point as always aren''t you, Igrazahl? He''s in the great chamber. Drilin, please lead him there."


    Drilin: "Yes, Master Edreviar."


    Igrazahl: "Thanks, I owe you one, Edreviar."


    Edreviar: "Just don''t forget to bring Christine over with you next time!"


    Igrazahl quickly followed Drillin, the personal butler of the Paisian Royal Family, into the palace. Eventually, they ended up in front of a large door.


    Drilin: "Master Igrazahl, His Majesty is inside, waiting."


    Igrazahl: "Thank you, Drillin."


    Igrazahl took a deep breath before opening the door and then walked into the large room, decorated with multiple pieces of fine art, but sightseeing would have to wait. He was here for the man sitting on the throne, relaxing, the King of Pais.


    Igrazahl: "Your Majesty-"


    ???: "I know why you''re here, Igrazahl, but why don''t you sit down and relax first?"


    Igrazahl: "...Yes, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 5: Peace Meeting, Potential Ally and the Upcoming War

    A few hours later...


    28th of April, 09:00


    On the flight deck of HMS Ark Royal, 105 miles off the coast of Pais, the former Atlantic Ocean


    A roar can be heard as several Flight Deck crews ran to their positions. Several aircraft handlers wearing yellow coloured tabards can be seen exchanging hand signals before silver wings, a cockpit and fiery jet exhausts flash past them.


    A fifteen-ton monster launches at almost 180 knots as it''s pushed electro-magnetically and pulled down the catapult until it lifted off the deck of the carrier. The carriage then returns to its starting position as the jet blast deflector is lowered to make way for another monster, the monster that is the Rafale FRS.4 (Rafale N) aircraft.


    (Author Note: The Rafale N is the proposed naval two-seater version of the Rafale M that was to be used on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier before it was cancelled due to budgetary and technical constraints, however, here, it was never cancelled and is currently in use with the Royal Navy''s Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and yes, the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers here are all fitted with CATOBAR.)


    Inside "Viking 2", one of the four Rafales from 802 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) flying today is Sub-Lieutenant Hugo Baug¨¦, an athletic and confident pilot, and Sub-Lieutenant Cooper Carr, a calm and steady WSO (Weapons Systems Officer/Wizzo). Both of them have flown together since the Elementary Flight Training at RAF Barkston Heath, despite their differences.


    (Author Note: And no, RAF and FAA pilots do not have call signs, well, other than nicknames at least. Instead, individual flights/squadrons are given call signs, for example, the call sign "Renegade 1/2/3/4" was given to the two Wildcat helicopters and the two Merlin helicopters from 815 and 845 NAS that participated in Operation Buckthorn.)


    Hugo: "Cooper, you think we''re going to encounter some strange magical creatures here?"


    Cooper: "Bullshit, one-eye."


    (Author Note: "One-eye" is naval slang for the word "idiot".)


    Hugo: "Come on, Cooper, it will be like a dream come true."


    Cooper: "...Only for an otaku like you, Hugo."


    Viking Leader: "A flight, this is Viking Leader, steer to 025 and maintain angels 13, over."


    (Author Note: "Angels" means the height of a friendly aircraft in thousands of feet as such, angels 13 which means 13,000 ft.)


    Hugo: "Viking Leader, this is Viking 2, roger, out."


    Hugo slams the throttle forward, engaging the afterburner and manoeuvred his Rafale to the left, following the other three Rafales in a finger-four formation. That was until Cooper picks up a target on the radar and immediately reacts to it.


    Cooper: "Unknown contact, 20 right at 13, 225 knots closure. Viking Leader, this is Viking 2, contact one bogey, 030 at 40 miles, 225 knots of closure, over."


    Viking Leader: "Viking 2, this is Viking Leader, roger, out."


    Hugo: "Cooper, you sure the thing''s flying at only 225 knots? That''s as slow as a bloody biplane."


    Cooper: "Surprisingly, yes."


    Hugo: "This is getting even more interesting."


    Viking 4: "Viking Leader, this is Viking 4, contact three bogeys, 035 at 35 miles, 250 knots of closure, over."


    Viking Leader: "Viking 4, this is Viking Leader, roger, out. A flight, this is Viking Leader, steer to 033 and maintain present angels, over."


    Hugo: "Viking Leader, this is Viking 2, roger, out."


    Cooper: "We''re now a minute from the coast, the RAPTOR (Reconnaissance Airborne Pod Tornado) pod is ready as well, try not to mess this up, Hugo."


    Hugo: "Of course, Cooper."


    *             *             *             *             *


    At the same time...


    The Port of Coralodor, Coralodor, Kingdom of Pais


    The Port of Coralodor, the largest seaport of its kind in the peninsula and possibly the region if not for the Franco-British Union, was crowded with galleys and galleasses alike. Although most were merchant ships, some were part of the Paisian Navy.


    While the city walls were guarded by the city''s garrison, the skies above the city were protected by twenty-four wyverns from the 5th Wyvern Squadron that is permanently attached to the city''s garrison.


    One of the wyvern knights flying today is Woodenbluff, an experienced knight who has survived several engagements with the Quistadorian wyvern knights, considered by many to be some of the finest knights on the peninsula. He wasn''t flying as part of the routine patrols today though, instead, he was helping a new member of the squadron, Velcerth, to familiarise himself with his wyvern and to learn how to perform different manoeuvres.


    Woodenbluff: [C] "Get used to it, kid."


    Velcerth: [C] "I will try my best, sire."


    Woodenbluff: [C] "Good."


    They continued flying around the port for a while, although Woodenbluff was used to such a sight, Velcerth was amazed, after all, this was his first time in Coralodor.


    Velcerth: [C] "The view from up here is amazing, don''t you think so, sire?"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Woodenbluff: [C] "Well, it''s rather unclear unlike the view from the ground."


    Velcerth: [C] "I couldn''t disagree, sire."


    Woodenbluff: [C] "Heh."


    That was until four specks appeared on the horizon, followed by a flash, a roar, and a knife-edge pass between the two at 400 feet. Just as the strange creature was about to fly past Woodenbluff''s left, he could see through the transparent canopy and realised that there were two humans inside.


    Woodenbluff couldn''t see their faces, however, because they were wearing some kind of helmet that completely concealed their faces. Other than that, one of the humans sitting in the back was holding some kind of instrument as well as giving him the V sign while Woodenbluff was forced to close his ears because of the roar coming out of the strange creature.


    The strange creature rockets past his wyvern and disappears. Woodenbluff wasted no time turning his wyvern in an attempt to follow the strange creature, to no avail. On the other hand, Velcerth has just regained control of his wyvern.


    Velcerth: [C] "What was that...?"


    Meanwhile, in the cockpit of the Rafale, Cooper checked the pictures he took of the two wyverns, even though he found it unbelievable, especially since Hugo spoke about it, the proof of their existence was in the camera, so he had to concede.


    Hugo: "Cooper, did you get the picture? I told you there must be magical creatures here, mate."


    Cooper: "Heh. Of course, I did. Anyways, let''s get out of here, we still have a job to do."


    Hugo: "Right away."


    Hugo slams the throttle forward, engaging the afterburner and climbs back up into the clouds. The four Rafales'' job was to take low-level aerial reconnaissance pictures of all coastal cities within the peninsula.


    Meanwhile, inside the city, the majority of the citizens who watched the event unfold, panicked. The garrison was quickly alerted and in a hurry, manned the city walls.


    John, who watched the bizarre incident from the port, was amused, but not before he reminded himself that he still has a job to do, just like those airy fairies.


    (Author Note: "Airy Fairy" and "Wafu" are the naval slangs that are used to describe a member of the Fleet Air Arm.)


    John continued walking until he took a sudden turn into an alley and disappeared from the crowd that gathered outside. Then, a young woman peeked around the corner before walking into the alley, seemingly trying to find him.


    Unfortunately for the young woman, she ran into a group of four-five drunk people. As she tried to make her way past the group, the group surrounded her and blocked every possible exit.


    Drunk 3: [C] "Well well well... Look at what we have here."


    Drunk 1: [C] "...A young and beautiful woman like you should come with us..."


    The young woman sighed as the group burst into laughter. She raised her arm and muttered something under her breath before blue flames raced towards one of the drunk men.


    The man soon caught fire as it burned through his clothes. The other four men were surprised that she was a magician, but a lone magician couldn''t stop all of them.


    All of them wasted no time pulling out a knife and charged towards the woman as she assumed a defensive posture, trying to chant another magic spell before the distance between them rapidly decreased.


    But she was too slow, her spell wasn''t ready by the time they reached her. One of the men lifted his knife high into the air. "This is it..." the voice echoed in her head as she closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.


    However, only silence followed the realisation that she was still unharmed. She opened her eyes, to see the drunk man being stopped by John, the man she was trying to follow.


    John: [C] "These minging lads are rather annoying, don''t you think so?"


    (Author Note: "Minging" is a naval slang that means two things, drunk or ugly.)


    John twisted the man''s arm and punched him in the face before pushing him down to the floor as he screamed in pain.


    Drunk 2: [C] "Who the hell are you?"


    John: [C] "That doesn''t matter because, in the end, I am still the one who beats you up."


    Another drunk man charged forward in an attempt to subdue John, only to be kicked in the testicles as he fell to the ground.


    John: [C] "Ouch, I am sorry, that wasn''t intentional."


    The man attempted to stand up, but, he was quickly knocked to the ground once again by a knee strike right at his face that convinced the two remaining drunk men to stop fighting.


    John: [C] "I''ll make you an offer you can''t refuse. Help your friends up and leave, otherwise, you know what''s going to happen next, don''t you?"


    The two quietly helped their friend back up and left the alley while the young woman stood up and tried to leave, only to be pinned against the wall by John. Her beautiful long white hair appeared out of the hood, the young woman was none other than Christine.


    Christine: [C] "W-what are you doing...?"


    John: [C] "I am sorry, but, that''s my question. Why were you following me?"


    Christine: [C] "...You know I could just scream right?"


    John: [C] "You won''t. Otherwise, you would''ve burned me to ashes with that magic of yours."


    Christine: [C] "...I was only looking for my brother, now, could you please let me go?"


    John: [C] "Is that so? Yesterday, you and your old man seem to be gossiping about me and my fellow merchants and today you followed me everywhere, why?"


    Christine: [C] "How can you speak the ancient language then?"


    John: [C] "...The ancient language?"


    Christine: "You could speak in this language, couldn''t you?"


    John: "And why''s that a problem?"


    Christine: "...It''s a long story, come with me and I will explain it all to you."


    John: "Don''t try anything funny."


    Christine: "I won''t."


    The two walked out shortly afterwards. John decided to follow Christine, albeit remaining cautious of the lady''s unknown motives.


    *              *              *              *              *


    An hour later...


    28th of April, 10:00


    The Fence of Gibraltar, Gibraltar


    Dust rises from afar as several Quistadorian knights rode towards the former Gibraltar-Spain border, leading them is Sigmund, the Sergeant-Major General of the Southern Imperial Army.


    Although they were visibly confused by the fact that Gibraltar wasn''t guarded by massive walls they were expecting but instead, small fences. Some of them even openly boasted that they would be able to conquer Gibraltar within a day with these little fortifications but they were stopped by Sigmund, who noticed that this wasn''t the town of Tariq he once knew.


    As the knights reached the gate, they were stopped by a small fence gate which was soon opened. As soon as the knights made their way inside, they were surrounded by armed men in awkward attire and holding magical equipment, Sigmund believed these were the soldiers that fought his knights days earlier at the village of Cantagon.


    The knights were forced to dismount from their horses and hand over their swords, some tried to resist but Sigmund forced them to concede.


    It was then that Sigmund was separated from his knights and brought into the police and customs building, where he found himself astonished by the technology and infrastructure inside, it was as if he was in one of the five superpowers. He sat down on the comfortable sofa and it wasn''t long until he realised that this room was far more comfortable than any other rooms he has ever been in.


    The delegation from Gibraltar soon arrived and he was greeted by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Michael Palmer and the Governor of Gibraltar, Vice Admiral Sir Jeremiah Berry and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Marsh, the commanding officer of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment who has been anticipating his arrival, they shook hands before beginning the meeting.


    Michael: [C] "I assume you''re the one who sent the letter demanding that we surrender our city to this "Quistadoria Empire" of yours?"


    Sigmund: [C] "Of course."


    Micheal pulled out the paper that listed the demands but he didn''t even bother reading it. He immediately tore it apart and threw it into a nearby trash can, surprising Sigmund.


    Jeremiah: [C] "In the name of Her Majesty the Queen and the Franco-British Union, I cannot and will never accept any one of these demands."


    Sigmund: [C] "Very well. Then, in the name of the Emperor, you shall face the consequences. We shall meet again on the battlefield and your people shall pay the price."


    Jeremiah: [C] "We will see, my good sir."


    Sigmund stood up and immediately walked out of the room, marking the beginning of the Franco-British - Quistadorian War and the Fifteenth Siege of Gibraltar...

 Chapter 6: First Love, Inbound War and Unknown Identity

    The next day...


    29th of April, 12:00


    A kilometre to the north of the Fence of Gibraltar.


    As far as one''s eyes could see, the Quistadorian Southern Imperial Army covered the lands, organising itself for the first assault on Gibraltar. If one were to guess, their numbers would be from 75,000 to 150,000 men. Realistically speaking though, their numbers seemed uncountable.


    The Duke of Nethiolor deployed his men across a 2,000-yard front and divided his army into three groups for the upcoming battle. The right-wing was commanded by Gaiseric, the centre led by the Duke himself while the left-wing was under Sigmund.


    The Duke wondered why the Franco-British haven''t deployed their army yet. But one thing was certain to him, this wasn''t going to be like any other sieges he has ever been in.


    Gaiseric: [C] "We can wait for those bastards all day, my lord. If they don''t appear in an hour or so, we can take it as if they are going to keep their cowardly butts inside those small fences of theirs and begin our advance."


    Sigmund: [C] "I would highly advise against underestimating them, my lord."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "If that''s all, you may go prepare your men now."


    Sigmund: [C] "Yes, my lord."


    Suddenly, the Duke felt an inexplicable, strange feeling warning him that most of them are going to die, but from what? He doesn''t understand and he doesn''t want to. But he wasn''t going to wait now, he ordered his men forward, the assault on Tariq shall begin now.


    Meanwhile, on a temporary watchtower hastily constructed at the Fence for use as an observation post, a fire support team (FST) from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment watched the huge formations through their binoculars while relaying information to the six L118 light guns from Thomson''s Battery.


    FST Commander: "Thomson battery gunfire target, over."


    Gun Position Officer (GPO): "Thomson battery gunfire target, over."


    The GPO responded as the battery gunners quickly take up post, battery gunfire target means that the targets are likely to move or are moving, so the speed of the gunners are essential.


    FST Commander: "Grid reference 30S TF 88944 04202, height 200 ft, right ranging, fire, over."


    GPO: "Grid reference 30S TF 88944 04202, height 200 ft, right ranging, fire, over. HE 166, charge 3, zero 346 degrees, angle of sight 2 degrees."


    The gunners rammed their L50 HE shells with L166 multi-function fuzes fitted to the nose of the shells into their L118 light guns, after which, the powders were inserted.


    GPO: "Right ranging, 7700, fire!"


    And it was then that the gunners pulled the lanyards as they covered their ears before the shells went out of the barrel, flying towards the Quistadorians.


    GPO: "Shot, 7700, over."


    FST Commander: "Shot, 7700, over."


    The air was filled with a sudden high-pitched whine, then a brown cloud of dust flew up so high into the skies that it concealed some of the Quistadorians formations entirely. The Quistadorians suffered no casualties but they were scattered, the explosions were enough to make them break formations and run for their lives, even if it''s for a short period of time.


    FST Commander: "Right 50 add 100, over."


    GPO: "Right 50 add 100, over. More 20 minutes, 7800."


    The gunners quickly adjusted their L118 light guns, rammed in the shells and the powders before pulling the lanyards once again, unleashing another short yet deadly artillery bombardment. This time, however, it was not to be a warning salvo.


    GPO: "Shot, over."


    FST Commander: "Shot, over."


    Just as the Quistadorians reorganised themselves, and just as they thought it was over, the most thunderous sound was heard as the ground shook from explosions. And in the blink of an eye, hundreds if not thousands of men were obliterated with the ground underneath them. The Quistadorians were dazed and bewildered by the bombardment, which they are completely powerless to stop.


    FST Commander: "18 rounds gunfire, over."


    GPO: "18 rounds gunfire, over. 18 rounds gunfire!"


    "18 rounds gunfire" means that all L118 guns present have to fire 18 rounds as fast as they could, so, the gunners quickly got to work and unleashed three more salvos of shells into the Quistadorians'' formations.


    The thunderous impact was followed by a silence so profound that it seemed unreal, with gaping holes in their formations, they tried to reorganise themselves. It was then that the real bombardment finally begins, however, all the Quistadorians could do was to throw themselves to the ground or flee from the field, to avoid being blown away by the ear-shattering noise and the ferocious impact of the bombardment battering their formations. Those unlucky enough were blown into the air like leaves scattered by the wind.


    Sir Jeremiah Berry and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Marsh watched through their binoculars as the real bombardment begins. Joseph couldn''t help but feel sorry for the poor Quistadorians who was at the receiving end of the bombardment.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Joseph: "I feel sorry for them, sir. They never stood a chance against us, but, they seem to have not realised that fact yet, which is a little bit unfair innit, sir?"


    Jeremiah: "Well, I couldn''t disagree. However, the government back in London didn''t even take their demands seriously, so hopefully, this might force those lads to think twice before formally declaring war."


    Joseph: "This is probably going to be the shortest siege Gibraltar have to endure, sir."


    Jeremiah: "We''ll see about that. Oh and by the way, Joseph. As the old saying goes, if it''s a fair fight, then your tactics suck!"


    Joseph chuckled as Jeremiah walked out of the room. He cleared his throat before turning back to watch as the bombardment continues.


    On the other hand, the Quistadorian foot soldiers and archers broke their formations, turned, and fled from the field almost entirely. The Duke tried to reorganise his men, to no avail. Numerous men and horses littered the field, almost a quarter of his force was, to put it frankly, annihilated in less than five minutes.


    Sigmund and Gaiseric quickly rode up to the Duke, asking for orders. It was then that the Duke realised the strange feelings he felt just earlier were premonitions of certain death, not only him but everyone else are going to die if they stay here. This was the first time in his entire military career that he feared for his own life.


    Sigmund: [C] "My lord-"


    Gaiseric: [C] "I suggest we attack Tariq immediately, my lord. If we stay here, we''ll be like a sitting duck!"


    Sigmund: [C] "My lord, what are your orders?"


    Rictiovarus: [C] "...Gaiseric, you take the vanguard, thirty thousand men. One-third of my army, you take them and you attack Tariq. Sigmund, signal the rest of the army to retreat and bring me those wyverns, it''s about time they appear already."


    Sigmund: [C] "But my lord-"


    Rictiovarus: [C] "DON''T YOU DARE CRITICISE ME! ...Don''t you dare, Sigmund."


    Sigmund: [C] "...Yes, my lord."


    Gaiseric: [C] "You can count on me, my lord. I will deal with Tariq myself."


    Without responding to Gaiseric, the Duke turned his horse around and rode back to the camp alongside Sigmund after the retreat signal was sent. Gaiseric and his thirty thousand men will now have to attack Gibraltar with only the wyvern knights assisting them.


    Gaiseric: [C] "Give those wyvern knights the signal to begin their attack. We''ll watch as Tariq burns before we launch our own attack."


    And just as the bugler sounded the "Charge" bugle call, fifty wyverns appeared and flew past them towards Gibraltar. The wyverns'' fireball is as powerful as a thermite incendiary bomb, which is more than enough to reduce Gibraltar to nothing but ruins and debris.


    The Quistadorians below cheered as the wyverns flew ever closer to Gibraltar but Gaiseric noticed that two contrails rose high into the skies from inside Gibraltar itself. To them, it was as if the city exploded or something. No one knew what was happening.


    As it turns out, these were two Land Ceptor missiles fired from a MAN truck mounted with the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) launchers, SAAB Giraffe radars, and a Rafael Command System.


    (Author Note: The designation of the naval version of the CAAM missile is "Sea Ceptor", while the land version of the missile is called "Land Ceptor" with the whole system being called "Sky Sabre" which was designed to replace the Rapier.)


    The two missiles flew towards the wyverns as they come almost head-to-head to each other. The first missile exploded into a sudden burst of flame right in the middle of the formation, sending fragmentation everywhere and killing a quarter if not half of the entire squadron before they even had the chance to react.


    The other wyverns, upon seeing this, immediately broke formation and tried to make a run for it, to no avail. The second missile didn''t explode right in the middle of their formation unlike the first, however, it was still enough to wipe the rest of the wyverns, just from the fragmentation alone. Not a single wyvern remained to continue the advance towards Gibraltar, to the shock of Gaiseric and the Quistadorians below.


    Gaiseric decided that without the wyvern knights, an attack on Gibraltar would be suicidal for now. Soon, the retreat signal was sent and his forces retreated back to their camps so that they could fight tomorrow, without wasting any more human lives.


    The Quistadoria Empire''s 1st Attack Result - Approximately 25,000 dead


    * * * * *


    Present


    29th of April, 12:30


    The City of Coralodor, Kingdom of Pais


    Christine opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling of a room at the inn unfamiliar to her. To make matters worse, she was also naked but couldn''t recall anything that happened yesterday.


    She quickly got out of bed and dressed herself up. It was then that she realised that John, the man who was with her yesterday, wasn''t there. She quickly ran towards the door and just as she was about to open it, a voice came from behind.


    John: [C] "You seem to be in a hurry, aren''t you?"


    Christine turned back, only to see John staring at her as if he has been waiting for hours just for her to wake up.


    Christine: [C] "...N-no. It''s nothing."


    John: [C] "Is that so?"


    John stood up and approached her while she took a step back until her back was against the door. That was when John came closer to her ears and whispered.


    John: [C] "...Don''t worry, I will take responsibility for what happened between the two of us yesterday."


    Christine: [C] "W-what do you mean?!"


    John: [C] "Don''t you remember what happened last night?"


    And soon, a blush spread across Christine''s cheeks as her face suddenly turned red. John''s face was just way too close.


    Christine: [C] "T-that-"


    John: [C] "Hush."


    John silenced her with a kiss, surprising Christine. She blushed even more from the unexpected kiss and after it was over, both Christine and John were too embarrassed to say anything.


    John: [C] "...I will see you at the inn."


    Christine: [C] "Y-yes..."


    Christine stuttered as John walks out of the room. Although Christine didn''t notice it, John knew full well his heart was beating like a wild animal trying to escape his chest, it was as if he had fallen in love with the lady. But soon enough, he came back to his senses. "What am I even thinking about? ... That''s absurd.", he reminded himself why he was here in the first place and then carried on.


    As for Christine, she was left struggling to recall what happened yesterday between the two of them, but as unfortunate as she was, she couldn''t recall anything due to the embarrassment she had to experience just a few moments ago. Upon leaving the inn, John made his way back to the Caravela inn where Canine was waiting for him at the entrance.


    Canine: "What have you learnt, sir?"


    John: "That I don''t enjoy learning a new tongue."


    Canine: "In the end, it is still a bluff, innit, sir?"


    John: "Her name is Christine, and as it appears, she''s a magician. The old man she came with, Edium, is an arch-magician or something. He''s pretty much at the very top of the magic hierarchy inside this kingdom, the Kingdom of Pais."


    Canine: "Magic?"


    John: "That''s right, magic."


    Canine: "Well, that''s quite unbelievable, sir."


    John: "As much as I agree with you, a man was burned to death right in front of me with the magic we''re talking about."


    Canine: "Well, what are you going to do next sir?"


    John: "...That kind of reaction when I kissed her, there''s no doubt about it. That was definitely her first kiss."


    Canine: "And so you''re going to take responsibility, sir?"


    John: "As a Franco-British gentleman, I would, of course, have to take responsibility. But not before we complete our missions, am I right, L¨¦onard?"


    Canine: "I will take that as you''re willing to make her the Marchioness of Leyburn, sir."


    John: "Silence, L¨¦onard. I told you not to mention that."


    Canine: "Of course, My Lord."


    John politely chuckled before both of them walked into the inn again. What is John''s true identity? Is he really only a lieutenant in the Royal Navy? As for now, his identity, position and motives remain unknown...

 Chapter 7: The Onset of War, Planning and A Fire Dragon from the South

    Several hours later...


    29th of April, 21:00


    In the Quistadorians'' encampment to the north of Gibraltar


    After the first failed attack on Gibraltar, the Duke of Nethiolor, Rictiovarus, summoned his aides including Gaiseric and Sigmund into a meeting which eventually concluded that if attacking in broad daylight didn''t work, then it was time to attack under the cover of darkness and thus, the Quistadorians decamped and quickly marched towards Gibraltar under the overall command of Gaiseric.


    Although Sigmund tried to convince Rictiovarus to stop all further attempts at attacking for the time being while their engineers construct proper siege equipment like trebuchets and ballistae, Rictiovarus insisted on continuing the night attack. As a vassal of the Duke, however, Sigmund has no other choice other than to agree to disagree as Gaiseric was already leading his formations towards Gibraltar, it was far too late to stop anything.


    As they got ever closer to Gibraltar, one of the horses at the very head of the formation accidentally tripped over a wire. Its scream and neigh could be heard from miles away but that wasn''t it. The wire triggered by the horse, in turn, activated a tripflare which suddenly started burning and illuminating the area, to the shock of the Quistadorians who quickly tried to extinguish it, to no avail.


    Just as the Quistadorians tried to extinguish the burning tripflare, the entire area was illuminated by even more flares burning down from the skies, completely depriving the Quistadorians of their only cover, the darkness, and even temporarily blinded some of them as they stared into the skies, from the sheer brightness of the flares alone, and panicked. It was as if the sun, which should''ve already set long ago, was coming right at them.


    Gaiseric, upon seeing this, immediately shouted out the order for his men to charge right away. They weren''t going to become targets to those strange explosive magic spells, unlike what happened several hours earlier. But even then, the distance between their formations and Gibraltar is still considerable, so they might or might not make it before the Franco-British responds but he is willing to take that risk.


    Unfortunately for the Quistadorians, however, they were right inside the kill zones prepared, specifically for them by the Franco-British Army. Soon, massive volumes of medium machine-gun fire were unleashed on the Quistadorians from a range of about 600 metres, followed by other small arms. The light that illuminated the area allowed the Franco-British defenders to identify targets and bring down very effective fire while the Quistadorians were forced to charge over large distances in disorganised formations.


    It was a one-sided slaughter, thousands of men caught in hails of bullets left with no other choice other than to charge or to retreat to their camp, both of which would certainly lead to doom in one way or another. Although veterans of many campaigns, the foot soldiers and the archers decided to retreat to the camp while the knights, both dismounted and mounted, pressed on. Unlike last time, however, the FBU wasn''t going to be so generous.


    Suddenly, the sound of several small explosions could be heard, followed by a shockwave that can be felt through the shaking ground as Gaiseric looked back, only to see clouds of dust, kicked up by explosions of some sort. As the clouds of dust cleared, it revealed the horrific fate of those who tried to make it back to the camp as almost all of them lay on the floor, either dead or severely wounded from the fragmentation that was everywhere.


    Some of the knights quickly stopped their advance and rushed to their comrade-in-arms aid. As for Gaiseric and the rest of the knights, they weren''t going to last any longer than their counterparts. They were last seen attempting a futile charge before they were also enveloped into a series of explosions, never to appear again...


    Back inside the camp, Rictiovarus and Sigmund were shocked by what they''ve just seen. 3/4 of their army were completely wiped out without a single enemy casualty.


    Rictiovarus: [C] "H-how is this even possible? Only the legendary ancient empires should be capable of doing this... Don''t tell me they''ve decided to return after so long?!"


    Sigmund: [C] "My lord, I am afraid but that''s quite absurd. If they have already returned then they would''ve already made themselves known."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "Do you have any explanation for our defeats then, Gaiseric?!"


    Sigmund: [C] "..."


    Once upon a time, two mighty empires once ruled the planet of Petram, Brittia and K¨ºr-Is, often referred to as the Two Ancient Empires. For hundreds of years, they were bitter enemies, both fighting for complete domination over Petram. After all, two superpowers could never coexist in peace.


    According to the legends, the Two Ancient Empires fought in numerous wars against each other, so much so that neighbouring countries were often, if not always, forced to choose between the two sides. That was until the two seemingly disappeared, leaving behind "two flying ships" and several valuable relics scattered all around the world.


    However, this continent wasn''t even the place where the Two Ancient Empires were located, so, realistically speaking, there would be no reason for them to appear at Tariq.


    Sigmund: [C] "...When I went into Tariq, I was amazed by the level of technology inside, my lord. It was much more advanced than what we have, needless to say, it could even be comparable to those used by the Two Ancient Empires, however, guessing from the red white and blue flag they flew, they were definitely not one of the Ancient Empires, my lord."


    Rictiovarus: [C] "So you''re suggesting that the ones defending Tariq are an entirely different nation we''ve never heard of?!"


    Sigmund: [C] "I am afraid, yes, my lord."


    Rictiovarus sighed out loud as he stared at the map on the table. With only 25,000 men left, the situation was hopeless as the once-mighty Southern Imperial Army was reduced to nothing but a shadow of its former self. The only choice left was to retreat once the sun rises and meet up with other Quistadorian armies along the way.


    Unfortunately for both of them and what was left of their army, however, they wouldn''t live to see the sun rises, just like others before them. Just as Sigmund stepped out of the tent, he stared into the skies, only to see several round-shaped objects falling from the sky before it ejects hundreds of submunitions that, upon impact with the ground, blew up the entire camp and everyone inside, including the Duke and Sigmund to kingdom come, thus ending the Fifteenth Siege of Gibraltar that would go down in history as the shortest yet deadliest siege of Gibraltar ever with casualties in the hundreds of thousands on the Quistadorians'' side.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The Quistadoria Empire''s 2nd Attack Result - 100,000 dead, the Quistadoria Empire''s Southern Imperial Army completely wiped out.


    * * * * *


    At the same time...


    Cabinet Office Briefing Room, Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London


    Inside the classified facilities of the COBR, the National Security Council and the Defence Council of the Franco-British Union, comprising of the Prime Minister, senior ministers from major departments, representatives of the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6), senior officers of the Armed Forces, and Civil Servants, were currently in a meeting regarding the situation at Gibraltar.


    On the screen were live footages from the same Protector RG Mk1 that monitored the Quistadorians before the siege and the very same UAV that dropped 18 RBL755 cluster bombs on their army, to devastating effects.


    RBL755 is the latest version of the BL755 cluster bomb, every bomb contains 147 submunitions stored in seven bays that will be dispersed over an area equal to a single football pitch. Although each submunition has a HEAT warhead designed to deal with tanks, it was more than capable in its anti-personnel role mainly because each submunition can produce around 1,400 anti-personnel fragments, or to put it frankly, more than enough to deal with the massive armies the Quistadorians possessed.


    Unlike most countries back on Earth, all the four superpowers, the USA, the FBU, Russia and China weren''t signatories of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, as such, the FBU continued producing and stockpiling cluster munitions for conflicts in the future, although officially, it''s been mostly reduced to territorial defences purposes for "humanitarian" reasons.


    As the dust settled, it revealed the extent of the damage caused by the thousands of submunitions, ranging from the ruined camp and the devastated landscape, filled with nothing other than the remains of humans and horses alike. At least, there weren''t any casualties on the Franco-British side.


    Josu¨¦: "Brian, were there any responses to our demands?"


    Brian: "No, sir. Our diplomats were turned back right away because they assumed we were from a "barbaric nation", sir."


    Campbell: "I suggest we activate elements of the JRRF (Joint Rapid Response Force) immediately, Josu¨¦. If they aren''t willing to negotiate, then we can give them a spectacular show of force."


    Josu¨¦: "Who''s our current SLE battalion, Campbell?"


    Campbell: "It''s the Royal Marines, Josu¨¦. 40 Commando."


    Josu¨¦: "Deploy 40 Commando to Gibraltar, oh and please get me an Amphibious Task Group centred around HMS Mistral."


    Campbell: "What are you thinking about, Josu¨¦?"


    Josu¨¦: "An amphibious assault, Campbell. While the 3rd Division pushes across the border, the 3 Commando Brigade can conduct an amphibious assault on one of these coastal cities here on the peninsula''s eastern coast. If we press our advantage from all fronts, they wouldn''t have the chance to properly react and retaliate. But first, we''ll have to take out their air and naval capabilities."


    Brian: "What if we accidentally cross the border into one of the neighbouring countries, sir?"


    ???: "I am afraid that''s impossible."


    Suddenly, everyone''s attention was diverted to a man pinning his back against the wall. He was definitely in his 50s, although he doesn''t look like one. He threw Brian a large portolan chart that was old yet extremely detailed, it was then that satellite images of the peninsula were brought onto the screen.


    Brian: "Your Grace?"


    ???: "The chart''s in Spanish but it''s still useful. As you can see, these walls act as the border between the Kingdom of Pais and the Quistadoria Empire, Prime Minister. Other than these two nations, there are no other nations nearby, needless to say, they were subjugated by the very same empire we''re fighting, the Quistadoria Empire."


    Josu¨¦: "...Just how did you get all this in such a short matter of time, Your Grace?"


    ???: "That''s a secret of mine, Prime Minister. It is my business to know what other people don''t know and if you''ll excuse me."


    Having finished his business inside the facility, the man excused himself before walking out of the room. As for the portolan chart, it was rolled out on the table as everyone in the room takes a look at it.


    Campbell: "Well, I guess you couldn''t ask more from the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service."


    Josu¨¦: "...Of course, Campbell. Although I am still surprised an aristocrat like him is even holding such a position nowadays."


    Campbell: "Are you not used to it yet, Josu¨¦? Not only did he prove every single one of those doubters wrong, but he also exceeded their expectations. However, we shouldn''t worry about it. As of now, we have more important matters to attend to."


    Josu¨¦: "Of course, Campbell. Of course... And about this Kingdom of Pais, Brian, have we established proper relations with them yet?"


    Brian: "According to the schedule, in several hours, HMS Ark Royal and her CSG should be appearing at this port city right here, sir. And from there, our officials on the ground will handle it."


    Campbell: "In case anything happens, Mike Two Zero is ready to intervene from the inside of the city as well, Josu¨¦."


    Josu¨¦: "Very well. Campbell, get me Northwood."


    Campbell: "Right away."


    * * * * *


    The next day...


    30th of April, 12:00


    The Capital of the Quistadoria Empire, the City of Ellesmere, Quistadoria Empire


    The aide of the Emperor of the Quistadorians, Igamaex, walked down the hallway, shaking in fear, after being informed that he has to report the Emperor on what happened to the Duke of Nethiolor''s Southern Imperial Army.


    Just a few minutes earlier, he and several other generals met and discussed the disaster at Tariq, if the Emperor heard of the slaughter where an entire army was wiped out by a barbaric nation, they would undoubtedly be the first to face the wrath of the Emperor. With that in mind, they decided to falsify the casualties and the cause of the slaughter.


    Eventually, Igamaex found himself in front of a large door, the door leading to the throne room where the Emperor sat, waiting. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down before the door opened and he walked inside and kneeled. The man on the throne was the Emperor of the Quistadorians, Alaric Quistadoria IV. However, he was disgusted to see the "summoned hero" standing beside the throne, but, he wasn''t here to pluck out that persistent thorn, at least not for now.


    Igamaex: [C] "Your Majesty."


    Alaric: [C] "Igamaex, I assume you have an explanation for the disappearance of the Duke of Nethiolor and his army."


    Igamaex: [C] "Yes, Your Majesty. On the way to Tariq, they encountered a creature that our hero over there claimed to have defeated several weeks ago, Your Majesty, the Fire Dragon."


    ???: [C] "That''s impossible! We''ve defeated that dragon with our own hands and we have even brought its head to you as the evidence, so, how is it still alive?"


    A tall young Japanese man raised his voice. He was the summoned hero by the name of Kimoto, probably around the age of 18 or 19. Standing right beside him were two young and gorgeous women, who became his trusted companions shortly after he was summoned to the planet of Petram.


    Like all other summoned heroes in this world, they were granted immense magic abilities, equal or even superior to that of archmagicians, or quite frankly, they were so valuable that nations often used them as trump cards during conflicts with other nations.


    Alaric: [C] "Kimoto, please calm down."


    Igamaex: [C] "Well, as it appears, Your Majesty, there wasn''t one but two Fire Dragons in this peninsula. How did we know that? Take a look at this piece of clothing recovered from the site of the battle, Your Majesty."


    Igamaex pulled out a burned and bloodied piece of tan cloth and presented it before the Emperor as Kimoto quickly walked over, snatched the piece of clothing, and analysed it. The burn marks can be clearly seen on the cloth, confirming the fact that they were burned to death.


    Kimoto: [C] "..."


    Alaric: [C] "Rictiovarus was a damn fine general and a good friend of mine. Igamaex, inform Baron Ozahl to prepare his regiment. Kimoto, I entrust you and your companions with the task of dealing with this Fire Dragon once and for all, for the sake of the Duke and the fallen as well, their deaths must be avenged."


    Kimoto: [C] "...Yes, Your Majesty."