《War of the Three Worlds - Redux [Azuria Arc]》


 Prologue: The Calm Before The Storm.

    Sea of Silent, Holy Celestial Empire.


    April 25th, Sorval Calendar Year 1427.


    Pleasant sunlight shone down the watery seascape of the Sea of Silent, a vast yet extremely shallow body of water as vast as all the oceans known in Sorval, covering the surface in a mix of dancing blue water and white light. Small splashes waved against the hull of a small magically powered canoe, a small reminder of why this vast body of water was named the Sea of Silent. Unlike the open ocean far out, there is neither storm, nor typhoon or hurricane in this sea. Small rainfall happens often, more of a blessing for the traders and sailors traveling about rather than a danger, resupplying them with fresh water along with giving the seamen a good bath.


    A roughened hand reached down to the surface, dipping into the chilly afternoon water before quickly taking a small scoop to swing upward, splashing it against his face. ¡°Phew! That was refreshing. Wish I could do this more often rather than rotting away in that lab.¡± The young man exclaimed, washing his face in the crystal clear water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose your focus, Director Miene. We¡¯re almost there. Remember Her Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± A tall elvish woman in a sleek suit of the Imperial Guards named Aurora pulls out a magical tablet, scrolling through the holographic files related to the Imperial Magical Weapon Research Department. Her statutes and attitude exudes strict discipline and no-nonsense lifestyle.


    As Empress Celestia¡¯s personal assistant, she definitely fit the role along with her lifespan, Meine bit his tongue in slight annoyance at the elvish woman behind him. ¡°Tsk. I get it, I get it. The Empress wants me to investigate a Relic, I get it.¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°But why do I have to go? There are people working for me who can bring back Relics to my department! I was planning to showcase my Comet and Astralis missiles to Her Majesty Celestia this weekend since she is a busy person, but I have to put that event on hold until the next few months for this¡­ quick business trip.¡± He said, his voice emphasizing the last part. ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Understanding Meine¡¯s frustration, Aurora can¡¯t help but empathize with him with a light sigh despite her usual hardline attitude. ¡°This newly discovered Relic is too big for us to haul back, and since it''s in the middle of nowhere, Her Majesty deemed it best if you are there personally to oversee its study and recovery.¡± She answered, adjusting her small pair of glass and pointed ears before touching the arcane engine of the boat. She began channeling mana into the boat¡¯s engine, activating the arcane power within. The boat surges forward quickly, splashing the water aside as it accelerates ahead.


    Meine held onto the railing, buckling a seatbelt on his hip as he stabilized himself on the railing. ¡°So what is this Relic? I haven¡¯t got the time to read through the report.¡±


    ¡°The mages and researchers we sent there didn¡¯t know either, although it does emit a very strong magical signature. Only your team is there now.¡± Aurora answers with a stern yet soft female voice, maintaining her elegant image while projecting her authority as the Empress¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°Managauge measurement?¡± Meine asked.


    ¡°It clocked out at around five million Mana Units.¡±


    Meine finds himself thinking. Five million Mana Units is about the most that a hefty, albeit portable managauge device could measure. More advanced Managauge devices that could measure higher units are available, but those would have to be delivered by his department after he arrives at the site for inspection. Not like too much Mana radiation is a problem, most magical users would see their magical aptitude improve in such conditions.


    Whatever this thing is, he can¡¯t help but feel excited at the prospect, much of the Relics he had researched are smaller magitech devices and old equipment left by the Ancient Empire of Khanterra. The fact that this thing is still emitting enough energy to clocked out a portable Managauge even after being left to its for more than a millennia, it hints at an extraordinarily powerful Relic, one that holds tremendous amounts of power. But for what purpose?


    ¨C ¨C


    Meine stepped off from the small canoe at the miniscule patch of sand that somebody dared called an island in the report sent to him. The place was no larger than a small local park in the capital city, with only a rusty grey-colored construct half-buried on it. His crew walked about the small island with magical tablets in hand, interviewing the discovery with the fishermen who stumbled upon this place as they noted down the testimonies.


    The scene honestly reminded him more of a crash scene, more so than a discovery of a Relic like usual. Besides, what is this thing doing out here? He knew that Relics are most likely more plentiful out in the sea, where many ancient naval battles with the Khanterran took place, but what is Relic this large doing out here? And how has nobody noticed it until now? He has too many questions, but that¡¯s part of the fun of his job.


    Meine let out a relaxing sigh. Now that he thinks about it, getting some fresh air out in this quiet place after working overtime for his missile projects for months in that lab? No difference than having a quick vacation.


    He took in the fresh morning air before being approached by one of his workers. ¡°Director Meine, we¡¯re glad to have you here personally! We¡¯re still investigating the Relic, but it appears to be an environmental control unit.¡±


    ¡°Environmental control unit?¡± Meine asked, swiping through a magical tablet. ¡°Did you scan it yet?


    ¡°Yes, sir. We did.¡± He showed Meine a 3D scan of the Relic through a holographic projection. ¡°The object is much larger than what we could see peeking through the sand. Around three third of it is buried under the surface, so we can¡¯t exactly lift it out to ship it back currently with what we have. Our guess is that it weighs around a thousand tons so we¡¯d need to request a Meteor-class battleship to haul it back to Celestara.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Meine answered, his eyes darting up and down at the projection as he analyzed the Relic¡¯s scan.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The worker returned to his duties, continuing to collect samples of the Relic for further study.


    Meine walked around the Relic, looking for anything worth his attention on the thing. This object is huge, he thought. Perhaps even the largest Relic found yet. The markings are definitely Khanterran, but what is it actually for?


    Noticing something peculiar about a spot on the Relic, he reaches down into the sand and begins to dig slightly, revealing a familiar control panel half buried.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± He pulls out his magical tablet and plugs a cord into the control panel with ease. Developed by the Imperial Magical Weapon Research Department, the magical tablets are backward compatible with Khanterran magitech devices, even Relics. He doesn¡¯t expect much reaction, as this thing is about a millennia old already, but to his surprise, the magical tablet blinked a green light, signalling a connection.


    ¡°The Khanterrans¡­ always knew how to make things last, didn''t they?¡± He mumbles, a slight respect to whoever built this thing despite the Khanterrans being the old conquerors of Sorval, the name in which they bestowed on this world which stuck around longer than they did themselves. Expressing admiration for the Khanterran is usually looked down upon in Celestia, but he¡¯s a man of both thought and logic, hating on a long gone empire just doesn¡¯t feel right as they still have many wonderful Relics left behind for him to study.


    He swipes around the magical tablet, checking the data contained within with enthusiasm. Stumbling on the Relic¡¯s name, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh?¡±


    EXPERIMENTAL UNIT.


    Magical Extradimensional Transportation Device


    Energy Level: Critical.


    Core Function Capacity: None.


    Description: C??????????????o???????????n?????????????t?????????????a?????????????c???????????t?????????????? S?????????????i??????????????r????????????? A?????????????r??????????????p??????????????e?????????????c?????????????h?????????????i?????????????d?????????????u??????????????s?????????????? f?????????????o??????????????r?????????????? a?????????????u??????????????t??????????????h?????????????o?????????????r????????????i??????????????z?????????????a????????????t?????????????i?????????????o????????????n?????????????? t??????????????o????????????? u?????????????s??????????????e?????????????? t?????????????h?????????????e?????????????? d??????????????e??????????????v???????????i??????????????c????????????e??????????????.?????????????


    E?????????????x??????????????t?????????????r?????????????a?????????????? n??????????????o??????????????t???????????e?????????????:??????????????


    W??????????????A??????????????R?????????????N??????????????I??????????????N?????????????G??????????????:?????????????? D??????????????O?????????????? N??????????????O?????????????T?????????????? I??????????????N??????????????S??????????????E?????????????R????????????T?????????????? P?????????????O?????????????W?????????????E?????????????R?????????????? S??????????????O??????????????U??????????????R?????????????C??????????????E????????????? U??????????????N?????????????L?????????????E???????????S?????????????S?????????????? I??????????????N????????????? A??????????????N????????????? A??????????????U?????????????T??????????????H??????????????O??????????????R??????????????I????????????Z?????????????E??????????????D?????????????? A??????????????N??????????????D????????????? C????????????O?????????????N?????????????T??????????????R??????????????O??????????????L??????????????L?????????????E????????????D?????????????? E?????????????N??????????????V??????????????I??????????????R????????????O?????????????N????????????M?????????????E??????????????N??????????????T??????????????.?????????????


    He scrolled down into the description, only to find the data corrupted and completely unreadable. Probably due to a millennia of corrosion. ¡°Interesting¡­ What are you?...¡±


    He called for a worker, who quickly responded to his order. ¡°Yes, sir. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°What do we have on site? I need some tools.¡± Meine asked.


    The worker searched around his bag, finding little inside. ¡°Ehh, we have a couple of Energy Gem cells, a portable managauge unit and several ration packs. We were called up to investigate quickly, so we didn¡¯t have much time to prepare, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ give me some of the Energy cells.¡± Meine ordered.


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡± The worker responded, handing Meine several glowing can-like objects from his bag, the batteries glowing a light purple, a small hint of the Energy Gem contained inside. ¡°Pardon me for asking, Director, but what do you need these for?¡±


    Accepting the batteries, Meine gave out a nod of approval. ¡°This Relic isn¡¯t a weapon system, so my department wouldn¡¯t receive it for studying. It¡¯s gonna be a while until a ship arrives to haul this thing away, so I want to see what it contained before being taken away from here. Usually for Khanterran Computation-class Relic, they tend to self-correct themselves once they receive an external source of mana or electricity. I need an Energy Gem cell to kickstart this rusted junk.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re trying to reboot this thing, sir?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Meine swipes the sand away from the usual spot where an Energy Gem cell should be inserted, locking the battery in place before pushing it into the machine.


    ¡°Work your magic¡­¡± He patiently waited for the result. His magical tablet lit up, displaying a dizzying array of jumbled mess as it processes before arriving at a clearly written line of text.


    POWER DETECTED.


    DO YOU WANT TO INITIATE REBOOT? Y/N


    Meine opened a keyboard display on the magical tablet, his index finger excitedly hovering over the ¡®Y¡¯ button. ¡°Yes please.¡± Leaking out a mischievous smile from being unable to contain his excitement, he pushes down on the holographic keyboard display.


    INITIATING REBOOT


    PLEASE WAIT¡­


    The Relic made an audible burring sound, slowly elevating in pitch as it began to power up thanks to the Energy Gem cell inserted by Meine. Workers around also sensed the Relic¡¯s amplifying magical power, pausing their work as their heads turned to the machine in curiosity.


    Aurora ran around the Relic to confront Meine before being stopped by several workers. ¡°What are you doing?! Let me go!¡± She pushes away some of the workers by shooting a small yet strong gust of wind from the palm of her hand.


    Meine turned around in a panic, trying to explain to her what he was doing. ¡°Calm down! I just want to know more about this! It¡¯s what I¡¯m sent here for, right?!¡± He fell on the sand, pushing back until he found himself against the Relic.


    She pulled out the saber on her hip, pointing it at Meine. ¡°You¡¯re meant to collect data, Director! Not activating it!¡± She threatens.


    ¡°It¡¯s just recalibrating! I need power to collect data!¡±


    The water around the island began to rumble as the Relic continued to increase its mana output. Dark clouds moved in, forming around the island as the Relic seemingly continued to increase its power output without stopping like most ancient Relics do.


    ¡°Shit-!¡± Meine ignores Aurora¡¯s blade, quickly grabbing his magical tablet and swiping away the sand on it to check the readings.


    EXPERIMENTAL UNIT.


    Magical Extradimensional Transportation Device


    Energy Level: Full.


    Core Function Capacity: E?????????R???????????R???????????-??????????R???????????O??????????O???????????R???????????R?????????O??????????O??????????R???????????R?????????R???????????R???????????R??????????R??????????O???????????R???????????R???????????R???????????O???????????O?????????O??????????R???????????


    Description: Contact Sir Apechidus for authorization to use the device.


    WARNING: DO NOT INSERT POWER SOURCE UNLESS IN AN AUTHORIZED AND CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¨C ¨C


    OPERATING MODE: E?????????????R????????????R?????????????R?????????????o?????????????O?????????????o????????????R?????????????R????????????O?????????????r????????????O????????????R?????????????


    INITIATING PROCESS¡­


    SELECTING LOCATION AND DESTINATION¡­


    Location: World E1A26; Entity 211126


    Destination: #???????$??????%???????#???????@??????!???????!???????~???????%???????@??????^??????


    ¡°Oh shit. No¡­ no, no, NO!¡± Meine begins to panic as he desperately taps away on the magical holographic display, attempting to shut the Relic down until the magical tablet stops responding to his plea. The magical display began to freeze, corrupted with the same error similar to that of the Relic in which it was plugged into.


    Several workers ran around desperately finding anything to hide behind, away from the Relic, but to no avail. Meine and Aurora find themselves beginning to lift upward, as if gravity were switched off entirely


    ¡°Woah! Woah!¡± Meine puts on his goggles to cover his eyes from the sand. The air around the Relic began to heat up quickly, causing him to widen his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s overclocking! Find cover!¡± He looks around, finding nothing but flat sand and watery seascape.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t move! Help me!¡± Aurora yelled out to him, unfamiliar with how to maneuver herself without gravity unlike Meine, who has been


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. All the Relics he had seen, collected and studied, only Weapon-class Relics are this violent in nature. He cursed himself for not thinking it through before activating the machine. Even though the labeling had ¡®EXPERIMENTAL¡¯ written in its code, he had let his curiosity get the better of him. He should¡¯ve known better, and now he and Aurora are going to pay for it.


    No, this cannot be their end. He looked down into the sea, finding several fishes and other smaller sea creatures swimming about without much care. Being a quick-thinking man, an idea flashed in his mind.


    Meine pulled out an Energy Gem cell from his pocket and began to dismantle it, pulling the highly refined Energy Gem out of the can-like container. He also grabbed another device of his from his coat, activating it prematurely for what he¡¯s about to do.


    ¡°Aurora!¡± Meine kicked his leg against the Relic, propelling himself towards her who''s flailing around aimlessly, unable to correct herself in a zero gravity environment.


    He grabs her by the waist, using his body to shield Aurora as he slid a mechanical glove-like device into her hand. ¡°USE YOUR PALM VORTEX NOW!¡± He yelled at her but to no avail.


    Panicking at her current situation, Aurora found herself unable to concentrate her wind power. ¡°This is your fault! I don¡¯t wanna die!!!¡±


    ¡°-Tsk!¡± Meine looked back at the Relic, the machine is almost at its limit, its visible magical symbols and mechanical instruments glowing a bright red from the rising heat.


    He turned back to face Aurora. ¡°Focus! Or we¡¯ll both die!¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­!¡± She began to cry as tears formed on her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual upright and hard-on attitudes that she usually gives him. Is this the kind of person that the Empress¡¯s personal assistant really is?


    Finding no other choice but to elicit a strong reaction from her, he pulled up his goggles to reveal his eyes before grabbing the back of her head, pulling her face into his before giving her a deep kiss on the lip.


    She quickly refocuses back on him as her eyes widen, forming a wind vortex in her palm as she aims it at Meine¡¯s chest. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU PERVER-!¡±


    Quickly letting go of her lips, he inserted the purple-colored Energy Gem into the device in her palm before she was able to discharge the vortex into him. He grabbed her arm, swinging it up to the sky before rotating himself so as his back was against the sea to cover for her. The Energy Gem quickly dissolved, mixing with the wind vortex in Aurora¡¯s hand as it amplified the power of the vortex tenfold, forming a vortex that sucked in even the water surface ten meters below.


    ¡°Shoot it!¡± He yelled, his arm tightening around her waist as he hung onto her back, closing his eyes for what¡¯s about to happen and bit on her neck.


    Jumped by the sudden bite, Aurora fired her vortex, quickly launching both of them into the sea surface below. The Relic blew up, discharging a tremendous wave of mana that could be felt even underwater. Chunks and bits of the Relic fell into the water, its previously hot red components extinguished by the blue clear water.


    Meine surfaced up, his back still stung from hitting the water flat at high speed. ¡°Ow¡­¡±


    He quickly helped Aurora who didn¡¯t know how to swim to shore, carrying her up from the easily traversable shallow beach as she coughed out a bit of water from her mouth. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m alright¡­¡± She looked away from him, covering her face in an attempt to hide her blushing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve known better.¡± He sat down, catching his breath as he looked at the blown Relic.


    The thing was completely wrecked. Its hardened exterior cracked from the implosions that happened within, while other parts were completely blown off, revealing a hot mess of wirings, smaller Computation-class Relics and burnt magical devices.


    Meine picked up his magical tablet and gave it several taps to no response. He opened its back, revealing a series of intricate arcane symbols and delicate architectures smoldered black from the usual crystal clear lines of the arcane device.


    ¡°Mana overload.¡± He comments, throwing the tablet away. ¡°The thing is fried dead.¡±


    ¡°Anyone ok?!¡± Several workers emerged from the water, who had the same idea of hiding themselves from the explosion underwater as Meine.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine. What¡¯s the casualty?¡± Meine asked him.


    ¡°We¡¯re mostly fine, sir. Only one feller got his eardrums blown out from the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Not great, not terrible.¡± He said, affirming the situation.


    ¡°What are we going to do about the Relic, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll file a report and have it shipped back to our ministry.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not a Weapon-class Relic. You¡¯d be in great trouble if they found out, sir.¡±


    Meine looked back again at the burnt Relic before turning his head back at the worker. ¡°Would they?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Director.¡± The worker let out a smile along with Meine. ¡°I¡¯ll inform them that this is a Weapon-class Relic.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡± Meine said as both of them began laughing like geniuses who had figured out how to get more Relics for themselves to study, getting them away from the hands of other the snobby mages and professors who could barely achieve the same level of success of his Imperial Magical Weapon Department.


    His worker suddenly ceased his laughter at the sight of something behind Meine¡¯s back, quickly sprinting away.


    ¡°Where are you goin-¡± Meine turned his head back, finding an angry and flustered Aurora holding her saber at him.


    ¡°You!¡± She said angrily, ¡°How dare you take my first kiss like that?!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Wait! No!¡± He attempted to crawl away, only to find himself back against the open sea. ¡°I saved us, didn¡¯t I?!¡±


    Aurora¡¯s face twitches, but she gives it a thought out of gratitude. He did save her, afterall. But that kiss? She couldn¡¯t get it out of her mind. Nobody has dared to do anything like that to her.


    ¡°Tsk. I¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡± She said as she put her saber back into the sheath. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t mind if you kiss me like that again¡­¡± She whispered out her mind, hoping that Meine wouldn¡¯t hear it as she caressed her lips with her hand.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Meine turned to her as he raised an eyebrow, only to find Aurora¡¯s hand on the saber in her sheath again.


    ¡°You heard nothing, understand?¡± She said with a cold stare into his eyes.


    ¡°Understood¡­¡± Meine let out a sigh before noticing the silhouette of a ship approaching from the sky in the distance. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re done early here, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    <hr>


    Arden, United Federation of Elysia.


    Presidential Office.


    April 25th, Elysian Calendar Year 1987.


    ¡°Mister President!¡± An assistant burst through the Presidential Office.


    President Irwin looked up from the usual reports on his work desk, hoping to be distracted from the large stacks of paperwork on his desk. ¡°Yes? What¡¯s the matter, Ellen?¡±


    Recently sworn into office, he is still full of energy and sense of duty, a perfect role model of what a citizen of the United Federation should be. While he had hoped it would not be the Socialists making trouble again, he was prepared to hear more bad news. Afterall, most of the emergency reports had been about another Socialist military movement.


    ¡°Sir, the Evalyn Aerospace just discovered a large storm developing over the West Sea! It¡¯s like nothing we¡¯ve ever seen!¡± She cried out.


    Well, that was unexpected.


    ¡°Woah, calm down Ellen.¡± He stood up, curious about the situation. ¡°Why hasn''t anyone sent me a report on this?¡±


    The woman calms down. ¡°The storm seemed to have spontaneously appeared, sir. The guys at the Army¡¯s meteorological division should be giving you a call sometime around now, one of their meteorologists will inform you about the emergency situation.¡± As she finished her sentence, the phone on President Irwin¡¯s desk began to ring.


    Irwin walked back to his desk and picked up the phone next to his computer terminal. ¡°President Irwin speaking.¡±


    ¡°Mister President,¡± a calm voice replied over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Andrew Scott, meteorologist. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the storm developing over the sea just off the Western shore.¡±


    ¡°I sure did, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still monitoring it however the increasing intensity of the storm has made us lose contact with the monitoring buoys so we are not certain of the situation, but our speculation is that Elysia might be encompassed by the storm in less than twelve hours given the growth rate seen by the current sorties of weather reconnaissance aircrafts in the outer rim. We still don¡¯t know how it came to be, but you should expect it to make landfall within two hours.¡±


    At least it wasn¡¯t the Socialists, Irwin felt somewhat relieved. As he exhaled a long sigh, President Irwin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finding himself to be sufficiently composed, he motioned for his reliable aide.


    ¡°Ellen, we need to declare a national emergency. Get everyone here ASAP, and make sure to ground all flights. Oh, and tell Loyd to get my press team ready.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir.¡± She rushed out of the office.


    President Irwin then returned his attention to the meteorologist on the phone. ¡°Dr. Andrew.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir?¡±


    ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°You should hunker down and hope for the best, Mister President.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ it can¡¯t be that bad, can it?¡±


    ¡°I hope not, but you should prepare for the worst. Although I¡¯m not qualified, I advise you to mobilize all emergency services and the Army for disaster relief.¡±


    ¡°The active component of the Army is already deployed near the border, Dr. Andrew, so I¡¯ll mobilize the reserves. If you would excuse me, I¡¯ll be making some other calls after the broadcast, let me know if anything new comes up.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Mister President. You have our good luck from Evalyn Aerospace, sir.¡± He ended the call.


    Now alone, Irwin rests his face on the work desk. ¡°Oh Lucius, what am I supposed to do without you?...¡± He drifts in thought. Lucius was a successful President during his administration, boosting the economy as well as the standard of living many times during his long career as the previous President. Only succeeded early on in the current term due to his sudden assassination at the hands of Socialist rebels. The former Vice President now found himself with a greater responsibility of running the country in precarious times. Irwin sank deep into his seat, finding himself thinking of the situation in the country.


    The Socialists are making their move. Troop movements were detected just across from the border for weeks now, undoubtedly waiting to attack after Elysia¡¯s communication and infrastructure were disrupted by the coming storm. The current Cold War with the Socialist states is certainly coming to an end, no doubt would be inevitably replaced with a hot war that would devastate the current world. Although just a fantasy, he wished that all of these issues would disappear.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mister President.¡± A voice caught Irwin¡¯s attention, causing him to look up from his hand. His press team is already pushing themselves into the room, setting up cameras and equipment to prepare for the emergency broadcast.


    ¡°Loyd, I got this. Don¡¯t worry about me, hand me my announcement papers.¡± He ordered.


    His assistant pulled out a piece of paper from his folder and offered it to the President. ¡°Here you go, sir.¡±


    Irwin took the paper and read the lines, it was nothing he wasn¡¯t expecting. Emergency broadcasts are as common in his country as having a morning coffee these past few years, another wouldn¡¯t hurt. The only thing he hopes is that people would take the announcement seriously this time since they have been doing so many recently in regards to Socialist troop movements.


    Grabbing a bottle of water and downing half of it, Irwin cleared his throat, adjusting his tie and straightened his pose for the camera crew. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    The camera director announced. ¡°We are rolling in three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡±


    The camera went live, broadcasting the image of the President to every corner of the United Federation. ¡°People of our proud nation¡­¡±. He read out the lines projected under the camera lens like usual. Strong and stern voice, yet with calm demeanor and professional language. The announcement ended, signaled by a loud ¡°cut!¡± by the camera director.


    A cup of warm coffee was suddenly placed on his desk. ¡°You must be tired, sir.¡± Loyd, one of his most trusted assistants said. While Ellen handles internal matters, he usually relies more on Loyd to sort out and report international affairs to him.


    Worried about the President¡¯s health after many days of his consisting mostly of short sleep and shuffling through stacks of documents, Loyd couldn¡¯t help but give the President several words of advice. ¡°You should take a break sir, there are people who can handle most of the less important affairs for you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Loyd. I wasn¡¯t prepared to suddenly take over the Presidential role like this, not after Lucius¡¯s sudden passing.¡± Irwin said, taking a sip of coffee before returning to checking documents relating to the Army¡¯s reserve mobilization as he prepared for the upcoming disaster relief.


    ¡°I know he was your long time friend, sir. But you really shouldn¡¯t push yourself like this.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t, this country will go to shit in no time.¡± Irwin said in return, shuffling through a stack of paper. ¡°Nobody elected me in, Loyd. I may have been the first unelected President of this country, but I¡¯m sure as hell won¡¯t end my career as one.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡± His assistant walked to the exit, bidding farewell to the President before returning to his duties. ¡°I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything else to report to you, but you should head to the underground shelter after finishing up your work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Loyd. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

 Chapter 1: First Contact

    The Great Sea


    April 28th, Central Calendar Year 1427.


    12th Eastern Wyvern Squadron


    Marly Hastnan looked at the looming storm with some concern, even his wyvern could feel it, there is something wrong happening here. Years of flying patrols and he has seen nothing like this. He looked over to his comrade, who shares the same uneasy feeling. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he regained composure and continued on the designated flight path using his magic detector as guides.


    Out in this vast sea of nothingness, the magical detector is the only thing keeping him from getting lost as the magical relay tower constantly updates his coordinate from the shore but he does not pay much attention to the device much unless in emergencies, as his reliable wingman often reminded him of anything out of the ordinary.


    However, besides the darkened skies on his left, the usual boring patrol pattern has made his mind numb. He couldn¡¯t recount how many times he has gone out patrolling the sea only to find nothing besides a few usual sightings of Krakens chewing through some poor school of fishes and occasional dolphins.


    While his siblings get to serve in the Royal Wyvern Corp, eating good food and trains with the best riders out there in the capital city of Anzuri, he alone stays here defending the oh so poor coast from the seabirds that the locals love to munch on at festivals. Had he been more qualified, he could¡¯ve served alongside his brothers. But he had hoped the result of his test earlier in January would land him a spot in the Corp and escape this boring town to serve in the big city.


    A faint droning noise entered his sharp ears, but he dismissed it, probably just the manacomm device getting less signal than usual. The intensity of the noise increased, until it became a slight annoyance, this sound definitely didn¡¯t belong to a bad signal.


    His eyes drifted around the skies in an attempt to find the source of the noise. Seeing nothing, he tapped his earpiece and applied mana into it, connecting to his wingman. ¡°Oi, Chresh! You hear something out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, are you talking about the buzzing sound?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Where is it coming from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s coming from the storm on our righ-.¡±


    Before Marly could reply, a yelp of shock emanated from his magical earpiece. ¡°Contact! On our right!¡±


    His wingman stammered a report, stuttering between breaths as he attempted to make sense of the object he is currently seeing. ¡°Strange object! Behind the clouds!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m investigating it!¡± Marly shouted, barely able to contain his excitement as he maneuvered his wyvern closer to the storm.


    Finally getting some action after all this time, Marly smiled at this encounter, maybe he could even impress his superiors and get himself recommended for the Royal Corp. Taking down a sea dragon, even if it¡¯s a small one, is a feat few get to brag about and would certainly improve his odds of entering the Corp.


    ¡°I can see it-!¡±


    Approaching the storm, the object suddenly exited the clouds and sped into him, hitting his wyvern¡¯s wing directly and breaking it. The wyvern flapped its broken wing furiously in an attempt to stay in the air but Marly couldn¡¯t hold her anymore. He attempted to bail down into the ocean, only to find his straps weren¡¯t disengaged.


    ¡°Oh Miritta! Help me!¡± He shouted in panic while attempting to disengage the safety straps on his hip while free falling from the sky to no avail, only to find out that the leather straps were wrapped around his legs in a tangled mess.


    But it was too late. He and his wyvern slammed down on the ocean surface at deadly speed and sank to the depth.


    Chresh flew down to where his wingman had fallen, frantically looking for signs of life. ¡°Marly!¡±


    He looked up back to the rest of his squadron as they attempted to pursue the strange metal object in the sky to no avail as the thing glided through the air at unnaturally high speed, unthinkable for most wyvern species besides the Wind Dragon.


    The large, white colored metal object was leaving smoke trails from its left solid, non-flapping wing and heading towards Sunsettia, the nearest settlement in the coast.


    Below him, a rider¡¯s boot floats up to the surface of the ocean, taking Chresh¡¯s attention. Knowing what this means, he holds up his tears and guides his wyvern to pick up the boot using its feet. Putting his right hand on his magical earpiece and attaching the small mana gem from his pocket, he holds in his pain and utters a few painful sentences. ¡°Thi-this is Chresh from the 12th Eastern Squ-Squadron¡­ I lost my wingman. Report of a stra-strange metal object flying West at high speed towards Sunsettia, over.¡±


    <hr>


    PA-12 Light Patrol Aircraft, The Great Sea, 27 km from Sunsettia


    April 28th, 1427.


    ¡°I told you that you shouldn¡¯t have flown too close to the storm! The instrument still isn¡¯t working!¡± The navigator screamed.


    ¡°Vargson! Keep trying to contact Eden Hadasha! Tell them we¡¯re in trouble!¡± The pilot shouted at his navigator sitting on the front of the cockpit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, sir! The comms are also down! Signal is still jumping all over the place!¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen!¡± Hartmann thought to himself, the control stick rattling every part of his body due to the intense turbulence.


    Despite him and his plane¡¯s effort to hurry back to the mainland, the storm had consumed the aircraft and messed up everything, not even the reliable compass work anymore. He had switched to manual piloting for the last three hours, struggling to keep his bird and his crewmates in the air in the hope of reaching back to the runway or at least crash land in the safety of land instead of the deadly sea below.


    He internally curses at the plane he¡¯s flying. Accepting to fly refurbished second-hand equipment passed on from the Army was certainly a decision he wasn¡¯t regretting before, but he definitely did now. The entire aircraft was shot all over before being repaired, reequipped and transferred to the Navy for maritime patrol, and that definitely reflected on the thing¡¯s reliability being displayed in the treacherous weather.


    His eyes dashed around, praying to God before catching a glimpse of open sky in his 9 O¡¯clock direction, despite the treacherous weather limiting his vision to nothing more than 100 meters from the front.


    No time to question, he immediately used his body to push the control stick left as hard as he could to the open sky, grasping for salvation from the storm that had consumed the aircraft.


    Finally, a sudden brightness washed over the cabin. Hartmann let out a breath in relief as they had somehow exited the relentless storm. ¡°Finally..!¡±


    BUMP.


    The sudden collision with something shook the entire aircraft, unresponsive instruments were now roaring to life, blaring alarms like they were fresh out of the factory on this 24 years old aircraft.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Hartmann shouted, looking to his side through the bubble canopy, finding his left wing dented while leaking some white-colored liquids.


    As if the gods hadn''t had enough fun condemning him to stay in the air in that accursed storm for the past three hours, he now has to fly this broken junk with a busted wing.


    Vargson in the back of the cabin has a much better view of the damage, instinctively raising his voice for a report. ¡°Engine one is smoking! We¡¯re also losing fuel! I think we just got a bird strike!¡±


    Wasting no time, Hartmann shut the fuel line to engine one and activated the fire extinguishing system. ¡°Engine one shut down! Cutting fuel lines to engine one!¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t pick up any other aircraft in the air sir! Attempting to reestablish communication!¡± Vargson desperately flips and crank the radio switches, scrolling through dozens of channels as fast as he could.


    The aircraft is now shaking heavily, near impossible to keep flying straight due to the broken wing and cracks spreading to the fuselage, every turn is a struggle as the aircraft¡¯s lightweight aluminum metal groans and bent as if it is in unspeakable pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up on me, you beautiful piece of shit¡­¡± Hartmann mumbles as he wrestle with the controls, arms burning with the effort to keep the aircraft level. Through the window, the large nearby land mass came into view. He can make it.


    The coastal farmland came into view, he could see a town, even a nice big villa up in the hillside, but there was no time to think. He steered the aircraft towards the open farmland, hoping to make a somewhat safe crash landing. Suddenly his plane started dropping, losing altitude quickly as more alarms rang through the cabin.


    The loss of one of the two engines was severe, as procedure had dictated that one must find the nearest open field to land the aircraft as soon as possible upon the loss of one engine. Hartmann cursed himself for not noticing that he was approaching the minimum speed needed to maintain flight and that he was stalling down to the ocean.


    The fuselage groans again, this time much more audible even in the alarm-blaring cockpit. He moved the joystick, finding it much harder to steer than just before the crack.


    ¡°No mechanical help now, Hartmann.¡± he mumbles as he uses his body to push the nose down to pick up speed, doing anything he could to glide his way to salvation ahead.


    ¡°We lost hydraulics!¡± Vargson reports, scrambling to switch the hydraulic system back on. He notices the oil pressure had dropped down to zero, that could only mean that the cracks have leaked all the hydraulic oil from the flight system.


    The aircraft refused to pull up, the strong frontal winds had pushed the flaps back preventing him from lifting the nose back again. As he pulled the stick desperately, a pair of hands reached out behind him.


    ¡°You have to pull it harder!¡± Vargson screamed as he and Hartmann used all their strength to pull the stick back together, groaning in agony and lifting the aircraft up again.


    They¡¯re almost over land now. Vargson hurried back to the navigator seat and hurriedly strapped his safety belts on. After he strapped in the seatbelt properly again, a flashing light on his right panel caught his eyes. The radio was picking up signals on their frequency.


    ¡°One minute to cri-critical altitude!¡± Hartmann yelled, almost passing out due to the fatigue yet still hanging on to the control stick.


    Vargson tuned in the frequency available, the least he could do was to report to the nearest control tower. ¡°Mayday! Mayday! Contact Eden 4 ATC! We¡¯re crash landing on an unknown landmass heading two, seven, five! Bearing-¡±


    Hartmann¡¯s voice crackles over the intercom, his voice screaming in panic. ¡°Brace for impact!¡±


    BOOM.


    The aircraft shakes uncontrollably as it slams down and scrapes on the dirt below, both of them could hear the wings snapping and catch the leaking fuel on fire, yet all they can do now is tuck their bodies in and hope that they will live another day.


    Silence filled the cabin as the aircraft came to a stop, with the occasional sparking noise from the damaged electronics filled in for the deafening silence in the cockpit.


    ¡°Are you ok?... Vargson?...¡± Hartmann breathes heavily.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ good sir.¡± The young man answered, his hand hovering over the radio again only to find it dead from the lack of power.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Thank goodness, this wasn¡¯t our end.¡± Hartmann sighs in relief, knowing that he had just barely managed to land his bird down with few injuries in between.


    ¡°That was a solid landing, sir. Haha¡­¡± Vargson comments as Hartmann passes out from fatigue.


    Kicking the cracked canopy, Vargson grabs his R-25C carbine in the SERE kit under his seat and slung it behind his back. Quickly grabbing everything he¡¯d need, Vargson attempted to open the emergency hatch on the side to free Hartmann but the canopy refused to budge.


    ¡°What kind of engineer designed this piece of shi¡­¡± Vargson raised his leg, preparing to unleash the frustration on the poor escape hatch.


    ¡°If it¡¯s mechanical, give it a good bash!¡± He remembers what his mother used to say, her usual frustration with the family TV definitely attributed to that attitude.


    Some tips never seem to get old, apparently. The hatch pops open quickly, detaching itself from its hinges entirely. He pushed the canopy out of the way, detaching Hartmann¡¯s seatbelts before lifting him out of the aircraft.


    After dragging Hartmann¡¯s passed out body out of the wrecked plane and resting him on a nearby tree, He took a sip from his canteen to calm down and quench the thirst.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± he whispered as he patted on Hartmann¡¯s shoulder. Pulling out the radio beacon from the SERE kit, he turns it on and fiddles around with the controls. ¡°Hm¡­ What does this do-¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who are you?!¡± a voice opened up behind Vargson¡¯s back, filled with a mix of confusion, fear and anger.


    Vargson looked back, seeing an old farmer looking at him dead in the eyes with a pitchfork in hand pointing at him.


    He instinctively aimed his R-25C carbine at the old farmer, but to his surprise the old man showed no fear, his anger replaced by confusion instead at the carbine aimed at him.


    ¡°You two fell out of¡­ that thing?¡± The farmer asked in a deep and wery voice, pointing his pitchfork at the strange metal craft burning on the wheat field.


    Vargson could see behind the old man was a few other folks using¡­ horse-drawn wagons? Where is he even? He had heard of extreme poverty in the Socialist-run Yarik, but surely not to this level? Even they must¡¯ve seen a plane in their life before given how much their leadership love to flaunt their bombers around in parades.


    The passersby watched him with curiosity and fear in their faces. Most of the children hid behind caravans and the adults ran around to help extinguish the fire caused by the aircraft¡¯s leaking fuel, hoping to save their crops. Some even brought more weapons towards his position, preparing to confront him for accidentally burning down their crops.


    ¡°This is bad... Very bad.¡± he mumbles.


    Suddenly a loud trumpet sound roared in the sky above as everybody¡¯s attention was immediately turned towards the sky behind Vargson. A few folks ran away, hurriedly telling their children to get back on the wagon and quickly rode as far as possible.


    Only the old farmer remains, his new relieved expression tells a thousand words that needn''t be told. Vargson could only think of one meaning behind this: he¡¯s about to be captured.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Vargson thought to himself.


    Dozens of shadow figures cast themselves on the dirt below as Vargson looked up to the sky in disbelief, mouth agasp. ¡°Are those¡­ Flying lizards? Wyverns?!¡±


    Realizing that there are people riding on them, he raised his carbine and aimed it towards the sky. He moved his eyes around, but his tired eyes were unable to pick a target due to the large number of wyverns circling around him and the aircraft wreck. ¡±What the hell is going on?!¡±


    ¡°Arrest that man!¡± One of the riders shouted, his outfit more colorful than the others, with long, big feathers attached to his helmet making him stand out among the rest.


    Bingo. ¡°This guy must be important¡­¡± Vargson said to himself, his eyes focusing on the man barking orders for the others to follow.


    He ready the carbine and racks its charging handle. There is no time to think of how he came to this situation, all he knows is that he and Hartmann are in danger and there are people wanting to capture both of them.


    The wyvern officer hovers in the air casually as he continues barking orders for others to follow as if that¡¯s the only thing he knows how to do, which is probably true, Vargson assumed. Two riders landed near his aircraft, hurriedly rushing over to Vargson¡¯s position, spears in hand, but they would be not so lucky.


    Two thunderous bursts of 5.56x45mm rifle rounds filled the air, and the only thing left on the crop field in front of him besides wheat would be two wannabe captors rolling on the ground in pain. The farmer fell on his back in shock, trying to back away from the strange man whom he thought was a high tier mage with advanced explosive magic.


    Wasting no time, Vargson empty the rest of the ammunition in the carbine¡¯s magazine into the sky where the Wyvern leader is. Several rounds hit the wyvern and it fell down to the ground along with the commander on it, crushing his right leg from the weight.


    In his trigger happy mindset, he had forgotten that he is practically outnumbered one to twenty at least, and the enemy can fly everywhere. ¡°Oh shit.¡± He said out loud, realizing he had just sunk himself into the gutter by shooting two potential captors instead of surrendering.


    Only having two spare magazines in the SERE kit with a combined total of sixty practically meaningless rounds among all of them, he knew he stood no chance against the pack gathering up above him in the current state. He could barely catch his breath after that crash, aiming is almost impossible, now whatever this fantasy bullshit? The survival knife tucked inside the multi-tool kit isn¡¯t much of an assurance either, more like a joke considering the circumstance he found himself in. Fuck it, he¡¯d have to bail.


    Quickly running back to Hartmann laying against the tree, he lifted his body on the shoulder and made a run for it to the nearby woods in the faint hope that he would escape these wyvern riders. Trees would make for nice visual covers from above, afterall. A proper escape plan can be made later.


    There would be no luck for Vargson, however. The young man didn¡¯t even make it halfway across the crop field before a giant net was dropped on him and Hartmann.


    ¡°No!¡± Vargson screamed in fear and panic, trying to cut away the net with his survival knife


    The last thing he saw while squirming around in the net was one of the riders about to knock him out with the back end of a spear. ¡°Fuck! Please no-!¡±


    BUMP.


    <hr>


    Moments earlier.


    Sunsettia, Kingdom of Azuria.


    Bordering the Great Sea.


    April 28th, Central Calendar Year 1427.


    The familiar salty breeze of the morning winds wept over Sunsettia, a decently-sized coastal town facing the Great Sea. Named so due to its emptiness, the Great Sea is the largest body of water encompassing almost half of the known world with very little out besides a few dotting island chains.


    Even though the sun had just risen not too long ago from the West, the harbor and the central market have already been filled with people of all make go about their days, giving this place an idyllic atmosphere rarely seen by most city dwellers in the Central Plain.


    Sitting on the balcony of a villa overlooking the town, a well dressed Kalush ad Azuri takes a moment to take in the calm morning scenery in front of him. As the Duke of Azuria, he was constantly bombarded with more responsibilities in these turbulent times when war is fastly approaching. Escaping to Sunsettia was definitely an irresponsible act, but he had made sure to prepare everything before departing for his vacation here. A clear and relaxed mind is far more useful if he has to lead his kingdom into war with the Yarians.


    "Greetings, my lord." A young servant said as he put down the magically heated tea on the small table next to him. Its warm and soft aroma filled Kalush¡¯s nose, putting him at ease.


    "Hey, Farcel. What happened yesterday? I have heard of great commotions and worries from the local Lords and garrisons.¡± He asks as he sips on the hot cup of tea, savoring the familiar taste.


    Confusion and worries clearly showed on the young butler¡¯s face. ¡°There have been reports of strange phenomena out in the Great Sea, my Lord. A great storm had been sighted yet it did not seem to go anywhere, stretched as far as the eyes can see even from a long distance. We lost a rider from the 12th Eastern Wyvern Squadron early this morning while he was patrolling along the coast, presumably got lost in the heavy winds and consumed by the vast ocean when he attempted to investigate the phenomena. What¡¯s stranger is the report from the rest of the squadron that came just now, which told a very different story.¡± He calmly narrated what had happened, yet unable to explain the report in detail.


    ¡°Another thing is tha-¡± Farcel continued, but was suddenly cut off by the Duke.


    ¡°How come there has been a storm yet the weather here is still calm?¡± Kalush asked him.


    Farcel puts the report down, placing it on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the strange thing, my lord, the reported storm doesn¡¯t emit a single gust of wind outward. It appears to be surrounding a very large area of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, more worries¡­¡± Kalush laments to himself, unable to escape from his duties even just for a day as he burrowed his face into his hand.


    ¡°Anyway, how is our preparation for the Yarians?¡± Kalush asked his young butler, accepting the duty of management regardless.


    ¡°They''re still working on it, my Lord. The Army still needs several weeks to construct defensive positions for the impending attack but I fear that we won¡¯t make it in time.¡±


    ¡°What about the Liories ? The Principality couldn¡¯t send troops?¡± He asked his butler, annoyed at his only allies''s disregard of his request. The Yarians are coming, and they are coming fast. Having conquered most of the Eastern Continent, including the recently defeated Elvish Kingdom, the Yarian barbarians are solidifying their hold and replenishing their numbers in the neighboring occupied Elvish Kingdom. It was only a matter of time before they overrun Azuria and Lior with their goblin hordes and other foul dark races.


    ¡°Their delegation has expressed little concern for our security, believing that we are sufficiently strong enough to resist the Yarians.¡± Farcel explained, his words helped little to brighten the mood. ¡°They¡¯ve only sent material help in terms of tools and weapons. Many parts of the Principality still believed that the Elvish Kingdom posed a bigger threat to us, and that their defeat was good riddance thanks to the Yarians.¡±


    ¡°So be it, then. Tell them that Azuria will place an embargo on grain if they won¡¯t send military reinforcements, and tell them that if Azuria is lost then they too will be slaves to the Yarians.¡± Kalush placed an ultimatum, knowing that the Principality of Lior couldn¡¯t refuse as they primarily rely on food imported from Azuria to survive, finding the harsh decision justified.


    ¡°I will relay your wish, Lord.¡± Farcel gestured for the maid girl behind him, who quickly complied as she relayed Duke Kalush¡¯s words.


    Satisfied with his ultimatum, he grabs the paper on the tea table and begins reading it intently. The content inside is even more peculiar than the storm that had lingered beyond the eyesight out in the Great Sea from his Sunsettia villa. ¡°What the?...¡±


    Dotting his eyes along the words, he finds this hard to believe. ¡°Strange metal object in the sky that flies faster than wyvern? I know that information travels incredibly fast thanks to imported Celestial manacomm devices, but how recent is this event?¡±


    ¡°That report was only ten minutes old, sir, freshly written. The Royal Army has already sent a Wyvern squadron toward Sunsettia upon the news to ensure your safety here and to escort you back to Anzuri, my Lord. Judging by their flight speed, we should expect to meet them by noon.¡±


    ¡°This worries me, Farcel. Yet,¡± He paused, finding the right way to express his words. ¡°Something tells me that our world is about to change in a big way, perhaps for the better. I don¡¯t know where this feeling came from.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is your intuition again, my Lord. I¡¯ve heard from my father, the previous butler, that you were very intuitive with your feelings¡­ especially during turbulent times.¡±


    Just then, a small object appeared on the horizon. Its silvery color and droning noises almost alien to the Duke and his butler on the balcony. The object left behind a trail of black smoke, with one of its wings seemingly cracked and bent. The silvery beast eventually touched ground, sliding itself across some farmer¡¯s wheat field.


    Remembering what he had read in the report, Kalush eyed the object carefully. ¡°I think we found what''s in the report.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps so, my Lord.¡± Farcel said, looking to the sky as the local wyvern garrison took off, flying towards the downed beast. His face hardened, a sign of loyalty and commitment to the man he serves under. ¡°I¡¯ll handle your security in the time being, I suggest that you should remain here for your safety, my Lord.¡±


    Kalush gave out a nod. ¡°I will. Good luck, Farcel.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, my Lord.¡±

 Chapter 2: Naval Encounter

    Arden, United Federation of Elysia.


    May 1st, 1427.


    Anderson stepped out to the balcony of his apartment on the 5th floor, casually sipping a cup of instant coffee as he overlooked the damage from the storm. Plastic bags and tree branches littered the previously clean and organized urban street down below, creating a messy and hectic atmosphere. He frowned at the sight, shaking his head at the mess as the Army and emergency services roamed around, continuing their search and rescue operations in the neighborhoods that had been hit the hardest by the sudden storm.


    ¡°Big storm, eh Andy?¡± A voice called out to him.


    Anderson looked to his left. ¡°Hey Brian.¡± he said, looking at the damage on his neighbor¡¯s apartment next to him. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s a nasty one.¡± he remarked, pointing at the broken window and the tree branch that had lodged itself into his poor neighbor¡¯s apartment.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll cost me a bit to get fixed up, the wife is already losing her mind over this. Insurance is about to go up too.¡± Brian sighed. ¡°Speaking of which,¡± he gestured toward Anderson¡¯s messy hair and darkened eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t get a good sleep?¡±


    ¡°The blaring sirens and booming thunder throughout the night weren''t exactly a lullaby.¡± Sam answered with a tired voice following a long, sleepy yawn.


    A phone untimely rang out from Sam¡¯s small study room, catching both of the men¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Looks like the phone line is back to working order. I¡¯m gonna try to contact my relatives in the suburbs now.¡± Brian commented, going back to the phone in his living room.


    ¡°Good luck, Brian.¡± Sam said his goodbye to the neighbor as he picked up the ringing phone. ¡°Anderson speaking.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Ambassador. We¡¯re happy that we¡¯re able to contact you after several days. I¡¯m Ellen Mary, calling you on behalf of President Irwin. Are you alone right now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am, give me a moment.¡± Sam answered as he shut the window next to him, locking it just to be safe. ¡°Alright, what can I do for the President?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re needed on a new diplomatic mission to a new country.¡±


    Sam leaned forward in his seat, the unexpected assignment piqued his interest. ¡°New country?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Did another rebel faction break off from one of the Socialist states again?¡±


    ¡°Actually no, it¡¯s¡­ stranger, Mr. Ambassador. What I am about to disclose is currently classified information, but it will likely be announced in the next few days, so will you be able to tell whoever is close to you. You might want to write some notes down.¡±


    Sam grabs a pen on his desk and clicks, testing it on the spare note paper. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got questions on how such a massive storm just suddenly appeared and vanished so suddenly, or how it came to be as we are nowhere near stormy season.¡±


    ¡°Mmhm, yeah.¡±


    ¡°As of now, the guys at Evalyn Aerospace are still scrambling for answers, but one thing¡¯s for certain: after the storm disappeared and the clouds parted, we are no longer on Elysia.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The stars aren¡¯t in the right place, we¡¯ve lost contact with everyone else outside the country. They¡¯re all gone. We¡¯ve also received reports of new coastlines where the Northern Socialist Republic of Yarik used to be from the border garrison. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re an island now.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Anderson stood up, not believing what he¡¯s hearing.


    ¡°Like I said, sir Ambassador, we¡¯re still looking for an answer.¡± The woman said, pausing for a bit. ¡°Did you see two moons during the night? The storm may have obscured the sky, but I¡¯m sure I have seen things correctly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Anderson paused and thought about her words. ¡°So that wasn¡¯t just me being sleepy. The moons, one is yellow and the other is blue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ambassador. That is correct.¡±


    Anderson fell to his chair, finding himself thinking of the unthinkable. ¡°Tell me what I need to do.¡± He said, regaining his composure.


    The fax machine next to him started printing documents, its data transferred from the Department of State to his private computer terminal.


    ¡°We¡¯ve sent you everything that needs to be known, you will be rendezvousing with the Seventh Carrier Task Force and make your way to Beckham within 48 hours.¡± She calmly announced the assignment.


    ¡°The Seventh Task Force? Aren¡¯t they stationed in Tel Aliya just the other day?¡± Sam asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve already moved as fast as possible back to Beckham under the Navy¡¯s orders after the storm had passed. Several massive squid-like creatures along the route were spotted, but were quickly dispatched by depth charge rockets and naval gunfire. The crews were referring to them as ¡®Krakens¡¯.¡± Ellen¡¯s voice now filled with bewilderment and confusion as she steadily read the report to the Ambassador. ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I just read.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated for the information, miss.¡± He answered with a professional tone, properly reflecting his occupation as a diplomat.


    ¡°We¡¯re also sending an assistant with you. Eden International Airport has also reported that they have received an emergency signal from one of the Navy¡¯s naval patrol aircraft as the military¡¯s integrated air defense network was taken offline by the storm.¡±


    ¡°I got it, do you have the details?¡±


    ¡°Your first priority is to establish diplomatic relations and recover the two lost pilots, if they¡¯re still alive that is. We¡¯ll also send you pictures taken by satellites of the nearby landmass and the crash site that we¡¯ve discovered as soon as the weather has calmed down. You should pack your bags and remember to be at Beckham naval base within the designated time frame. They will be departing within two days on the aircraft carrier FES Emery.¡±


    Scribbling down the note, Anderson lets out a sigh. The fax machine continued to rumble on, diligently printing the now twenty pages long document and still continuing. ¡°Roger that. I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    <hr>


    The Great Sea, First Azurian Eastern Fleet


    May 5th, 1427.


    Water splashed gently onto the ship¡¯s hull, providing a peaceful ambience as Captain Hayvan admired the setting sun. Golden rays skimmed past the water, illuminating the ocean with a beautiful glow as the evening crept into the sky. The Azurian flag flew proudly on his ship¡¯s mast, waving along with the wind without a care in the world. His slumbery, dreamy state was interrupted by one of his lieutenants, who seemed to be quite confused as he tapped on his superior¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, Captain?¡± He asked, peering into the distance as he clutched a spotting telescope in his hands.


    Captain Hayvan groaned, somewhat annoyed that his peaceful relaxation was cut short. ¡°What is it? Spotted the Dwarven Navy or something?¡± He joked. The Dwarven Union has no Navy, being a landlocked country located in the Central mountain ranges of the Celestial continent.


    ¡°No, nothing like that. Your jokes are getting old now, sir.¡± He tapped the Captain¡¯s shoulder one more time, pointing at the emerging silhouettes. ¡°I¡¯ve spotted several islands out on the horizon.¡±


    ¡°Islands? There aren¡¯t any out in the Great Sea, at least not on our patrol paths. Your attempt at humor disappoints me.¡± The Captain chuckles at his subordinate.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Captain. Over yonder.¡± The lieutenant pointed towards the horizon, slightly annoyed at the unprofessionalism being displayed by the Captain.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Grabbing his own telescope on the hip, Hayvan peered at the direction that his subordinate had pointed. Squinting his eyes, he could make out the silhouettes but there was something off about them. ¡°They don¡¯t look like islands, the overall shape is too angular. It is likely these are ships.¡±


    The lieutenant viewed the objects again. ¡°Goodness Miritta¡­ They¡¯re much closer than before. They simply looked like islands earlier¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°Captain, shall we investigate? There shouldn¡¯t be any other patrols out here aside from us.¡±


    The sudden appearance of unknown ships was certainly not expected, perhaps it¡¯s from an unknown island nation out in the Great Sea? Who knows. But he has a job and duty to investigate.


    Hayvan nods his head. ¡°Agreed. Helmsman!¡± Hayvan called out. ¡°Take us northeast, we¡¯re going to investigate the presence of these unknown ships!¡±


    The helmsman complied, and the previously sleepy ship bustled with activity as the Azurian sailors redirected their ship. Rowers below decks helped turn the ship around while sailors on deck adjusted the sails. Captain Hayvan continued to monitor the ships on the horizon, noticing that they seemed to be closing in quite quickly at unnaturally high speed.


    By the time his ship had fully turned around, the unknown fleet of ships had become visible, their ships having furled their sails yet maintaining a mind-boggling velocity. Soon enough, they approached his comparatively tiny vessel, and he looked up at the immense shadow of the metal ship before him. He carefully analyzed the vessel, noting that it had two large cannons placed near the bow. What he had previously mistaken for a mast turned out to be some sort of steel structure, complete with windows, spires, strange spinning panels and lights. Several smaller cannons adorned the sides of the vessels, accompanied by tubes and other alien devices. On the hull of the ship, a white phrase presented itself: ¡®FES Stalwart¡¯. Hayvan surmised that this was likely a designation for the vessel, as other ships had similar, yet different paintings on their hulls.


    As the ship approached, Hayvan noticed several beings ¡ª people, to his surprise ¡ª aboard waving at him and his crew. He waved back, and the crew aboard the metal ship pointed somewhere behind their vessel. Within a few minutes, the metal ship had passed him, along with four other metal ships of the same make as well as two even larger ships, seemingly forming a defensive perimeter around the enormous ship ahead.


    The size of this flat-topped vessel was such that even its large escorts were dwarfed by it. The height of the flat-top was immense; Hayvan stared at the ship with his mouth agape as he attempted to make sense of the size of the behemoth before him. The vessel, a floating fortress to him, was many times the length of his own ship. If he had to estimate, the vessel clearly had the equivalent length of at least 10 times compared to his warship and a height of at least 3 times higher, mast included. The width of the vessel could be compared to 3 or 4 of his own ship, side by side. Much like the ship they had passed before, another massive name was painted with precision on this vessel: FES Emery.


    ¡°What kind of ship is this¡­?¡± The lieutenant asked, a combination of fear and wonder written all over his face.


    ¡°It is no ship... Such a massive construct that makes those other giant vessels look like ants¡­ it is like a fortress of steel!¡± Hayvan exclaimed. ¡°Still, we have a job to do¡­ Contact His Majesty¡¯s Royal Navy Command, they need to know of this. Get the men ready, we shall board them and investigate the vessel!¡± The Captain ordered as he regained his composure.


    ¡°Already done so, sir. But Captain, how do we even board it?¡± The lieutenant asked.


    He looked the ship up and down, trying to find ways to board this massive vessel to no avail. Just as he was about to give up, a rope netting was dropped to the side of the ship. Hayvan looked to the men above on the flat top, gesturing towards the oversize rope net. ¡°Guess that¡¯s our way up.¡±


    After considerable efforts scaling the long rope up to the flat top of the massive vessel along with the help of some of the strange men on it to pull him and his inspection crew up. His eyes were greeted with the sight of around two dozen strange metal birds laid neatly along the massive deck, their wings folded up to the sky to make room for more of their kind. The crews onboard this vessel were also uniquely strange, many of them wore different colored shirts despite their uniform, some wore red, others green, white and most fascinating of all: purple.


    Purple is a highly expensive color to manufacture, only the rich and nobility could afford such a luxurious choice of dye for their outlandish outfits. Yet these sailors do not seem to care about such things, as if this is most natural for them. In fact, how do they look so clean?


    Sailors throughout the ages have always lived a hard life. Even in a relatively prosperous kingdom like Azuri, they ate hardtack every day, with fresh food only lasting at most a week or two into long range patrols. Bathing isn¡¯t an option either, as every experienced sailor knows that fresh water can only be used for drinking, every drop must be saved and a shower is a luxury only afforded to the men whenever the gods bless them with rains.


    A group of men escorted Hayvan and his men towards the large tower with windows and skinny metal spires. From this tower, a pair of men dressed approached Hayvan, one in a sharp, dark blue uniform with golden colored stripes running down his sleeves, emanating an aura of authority and the other in a similar outfit, but with no special details beside a long, black piece of neckwear. They were accompanied by several men holding strange wooden and metal staffs, with triggers similar to crossbows built into the wooden and metal construct. This must be a weapon of sorts, similar to what the pirates were using recently from the report yet these look far more sophisticated, Hayvan thinks to himself.


    The guards¡¯ similarly dark blue outfits signify that they belonged to this ship, however the sand-colored piece of strange fabric covered armor and steel helmet made them stand out from the rest. The big, bold words imprinted on the back of their armor ¡°SECURITY¡± only confirmed his theory.


    Steeling himself forward, Hayvan gave the pair of men an Azurian salute, forming a pointing gesture using his right index and middle finger and putting it against his forehead while using the rest of his fingers to cover up his palm. The salute seemed to have its intended effect as the man in the dark blue uniform gave his salute back to him in a different fashion yet just as sharp.


    ¡°Greetings, I am Captain Hayvan of the First Azurian Eastern Fleet. You have entered our territorial waters and we would like to know of your vessel¡¯s affiliation and objective.¡±


    The man in the dark blue uniform eyes widened, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh thank goodness, good to know we speak the same language. I¡¯m Admiral Chester Isaac of the Seventh Fleet, belonging to the United Federation of Elysia.¡± The Admiral said as he introduced the man next to him. ¡°This is Ambassador Anderson, he will speak on behalf of our country.¡±


    ¡°As for our affiliation and objective, our continent was transported here through a massive storm several days ago. I¡¯ve brought documents as well as gifts for your leaders in hopes of establishing diplomatic relations with your country. Several days ago, one of our aircraft had reported an emergency landing on your country¡¯s territory. We sincerely apologize if this incident has caused troubles to your country and the aircraft¡¯s intrusion into your territorial airspace was entirely coincidental.¡±


    ¡°I see, so the rumors of the crashed metallic bird in Sunsettia were true then. Please excuse me, I must report our encounter to my superior.¡±


    Hayvan started giving orders to the men following him. The lieutenant pulls out a large, golden colored device from his leather backpack and inserts a small glass bottle containing some kind of yellow-colored glowing rock, turning the peculiar device on. The action attracted the attention of the men on the large flat deck as they stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfold. The screen on the golden device started glowing to a certain brightness. ¡°We¡¯re good to go, Captain.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t take a genius to understand that this is some kind of portable long range communication device. How it works mattered little to the flight crews and sailors aboard the Emery as they discussed among themselves, eyeing the foreign Captain who looked like he came out of one of the old paintings hanging in the Arden Naval Academy¡¯s walls back home with curiosity.


    ¡°... that will be it.¡± As the Captain finished his communication to the mainland, nods of acknowledgement followed.


    ¡°That settles it then.¡± Admiral Isaac commented, he offered a handshake which was returned in kind by Hayvan, despite his confusion at first.


    ¡°I will guide you towards the Eastern Strait where you can anchor your fleet, after that others can escort your delegation to His Majesty¡¯s Capital City: Anzuri.¡± Captain Hayvan replied with confidence and pride radiating from his body. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lieutenant. I want all of the Tears of the Wind God supply onboard used up, we wouldn¡¯t want to be overtaken by the vessels we¡¯re escorting.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Captain.¡±

 Chapter 3: Azuria

    15 km from Anzuri City, Kingdom of Azuria.


    May 8th, 1427.


    Ambassador Anderson looked out from the bulletproof glass viewing port of his armored vehicle, admiring the passing idyllic scenery consisting of expansive farmland and the occasional marshes here and there. Even if he had only been here for a day, he could tell how peaceful this part of the kingdom is by the children running around and the people tending to their crops, save for their surprise at the convoy. What¡¯s strange is that some of these people do not look human, some have animal features like cat ears and tail while others have horns protruding from their heads.


    Clack.


    ¡°You know, in my entire life I never thought I would one day witness the existence of half-human half-animal hybrids, much less having our entire country sent off to a different world.¡± One of the soldiers inside the vehicle remarks as he took a picture with his personal camera through the opened gun port. ¡°Some of the creatures here give me chills, especially the wyverns. You saw the teeths on those things, dude?¡±


    ¡°At least the bright minds up in the brass actually made a good decision this time.¡± A Corporal named Lewis remarks as he knocks on the thin aluminum hull of the small Harris APC with his hand. Although poorly armored, the small yet easily transportable armored personnel carrier is still far more protected than the unarmored UMT truck, despite the discomfort of having to sit inside the somewhat cramped armored vehicle meant to only carry four men.


    President Irwin wanted maximum protection for the delegation allowed by the recently discovered Kingdom of Azuria in case of any emergency situation, authorizing Army leadership to make special emergency procurement orders for new vehicles from Atlas Heavy Industry for the small task force that would escort the Ambassador as well as the specialized equipment and experts to where they need to be. They have been traveling for 27 long hours on the muddy dirt road towards the inner plains now.


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been nice if we had taken the choppers instead. I hate the muddy road.¡± Jonah, the Ambassador¡¯s assistant, complained.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not possible, Brigadier General Stanford wouldn¡¯t let his new choppers take to the sky without the Navy or Air Force ensuring air superiority, even if it¡¯s against flying lizards. Though he did put them on standby for any emergency.¡± Ambassador Anderson said, slightly annoyed at but remains understanding of Jonah¡¯s discomfort of being crammed into this moving tin can the Army dare call an APC.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s a let down.¡± Jonah lets out a sigh. ¡°I must admit, the atmosphere here is nice. I haven¡¯t been out of Arden ever since I moved in near the university for work. Really make you appreciate fresh air when you barely have any of it for a year.¡±


    ¡°I get what you mean, but security is the top priority right now. You can get some more fresh air and even some breathtaking views, if the Wyvern Captain¡¯s word is true.¡± Anderson tried to reassure him.


    ¡°Speaking of wyverns¡­¡± Corporal Lewis picks up the small radio set inside the vehicle and tunes in the frequency. ¡°Mornin¡¯ Sarge, how¡¯s the lizard boy above us?¡±


    A voice cracks through the built-in speaker inside the radio. ¡°Well¡­ The Royal Wyvern Corp flyboys are definitely elite, they rotate their shift every four hours in the air and always maintain a circular watch out formation. I wouldn¡¯t want the convoy to be ambushed by these guys. Technically we could survive but our best shot would¡¯ve been to burn the twenty trucks in the convoy to deny capture and make a run back to the boat in the APCs, if we have dedicated anti-air or air support then we can beat them back for sure though.¡± Sergeant Boris comments through the radio as he looks up to the small formation of wyverns above from his machine gunner seat in one of the 5-ton trucks.


    ¡°The only things that the boys in the 160-man company discussed for the past 24 hours were catgirls, flying lizards, as well as some of the weird fruits, trees, ruins and structures we came across¡­. At least it¡¯s still better than going through another war in Yunna a few years back.¡± Boris let out a long sigh at the conversation that was going on in the back as he pointed the radio¡¯s microphone towards the back of the truck.


    Laughter and conversations can be heard clearly through the radio. ¡°I told ya dude! She would totally rip your lil¡¯ shitass out in bed! Listen here, Richie. When we arrive at whatever city we¡¯re going to, I¡¯ll find a nice cat lady for you to fuck. Look, this chap here has the honor of being the first jarhead to be caught by the drill instructor while wankin¡¯ off to cosplay porns in the shitter. I¡¯m so proud of you Richi- hey! HAHAhahAH!¡± Private Joker laughed uncontrollably as he exposed his squadmate¡¯s embarrassing story to the rest of the men on the truck, struggling around with another individual unmistakable as Richard in the back. ¡°Hey fuck you Joker! You wanna eat some fists for breakfast?!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you are into cosplays, Richie. You don¡¯t look like one of those hairy gooners in the corner of the bookstore.¡± another man said.


    ¡°Unbelievable...¡± a feminine voice comments, seemingly out of place from the rest of the truck. ¡°What was I thinking when I volunteered for this?...¡±


    Sergeant Boris moved the microphone back with him, pretending as if he had heard none of the typical Marine bullshitery just now. ¡°At least they¡¯re having fun. I do enjoy the scenery though, if not for the flock of lizards above I would have thought that I had gone to heaven with all the beautiful scenery.¡± he said with an unusually calm demeanor despite the extraordinary circumstances. ¡°Better than spending more time with that jackass of a Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Sarge.¡± Lewis¡¯s voice cracked over the radio again. ¡°Everybody dies someday, let¡¯s hope it is not today. I¡¯ll keep my eyes up for anything out of the ordinary.¡± Lewis said.


    ¡°Copy that, Corporal. Cutting transmission, over.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    ¡°Get up, Corporal. Enough shut-eye for today. Come and take a look.¡± Boris gestured towards the large fortress wall ahead while knocking his hand against Joker''s helmet. The vehicles rumbled to a stop and Boris was the first to disembark. The ground was firm underfoot, feeling like asphalt or concrete. Other officers followed, grabbing their weapons and equipment.


    ¡°Aw fuck, not again¡­¡± Boris rolled his eyes at the alien yet somehow familiar sight. The more things are different, the more they seemingly stay the same.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Sarge?¡± Joker asked his officer as he let out a loud yawn, barely awake from the short nap in the truck.


    ¡°Paperwork.¡± Boris answers as he walks to the back of the truck. ¡°The wall guards want to confirm our affiliation and purpose. Making sure we¡¯re not secretly bandits or somethin¡¯.¡±


    Boris looked over at the small detachment of LT-SV Horus escort vehicles traveling with the convoy, thoughts running throughout his mind as he scanned his surroundings. ¡°I supposed we looked threatening to these fellas, bringing automatic cannons and all.¡±


    Both the LT-PC Harris APC and LT-SV Horrus Escort Vehicles are part of the LT series of light tracked vehicle family in the United Federation¡¯s arsenal, the former is armed with only a 5.56x45mm R-125HB machine gun while the latter has a dual armament consisting of both the 40mm AGL-40 automatic grenade launcher and 5.56mm RT-125HB tank machine gun inside an armored turret. Born from a requirement for rapid air deployment and fast reconnaissance, the original LT - or Light Tracked - series of armored vehicles was highly compact compared to its larger brethren in the United Federation¡¯s arsenal, capable of being airlifted by many nations¡¯ aircrafts and deploy to conflicts around their old homeworld to provide armored support in combat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they know what cannons even are, Sarge. I¡¯m just guessing.¡± Joker gives out a chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief in what he just said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the Ambassador. Sergeant, get back to your vehicle.¡° A Major named Eli orders Boris as he walks towards the Ambassador¡¯s Harris APC, his calm yet authoritative voice heard clearly as Sergeant Boris quickly sprints back to the truck¡¯s cabin after giving a sharp salute and a nod of acknowledgement. The man was second in command only after Brigadier General Stanford.


    Arriving up to the armored vehicle, the Major calls out for the Ambassador, giving the rear aluminum doors some good knocks. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re up, they want to confirm your identity with the wall guard and the Royal Wyvern Corp¡¯s Captain will be there with you. I will get the men ready.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like we¡¯re here." Jonah comments, trying to take a peek of the outside through the infantry periscope built into the roof.


    Anderson stepped out of the APC, taking a deep breath and stretching his arms up in the air. That wasn¡¯t so bad, he thought to himself. The ride wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable, but he had been in worse vehicles during his many diplomatic trips around his old homeworld. The interior definitely wasn¡¯t built for long term comfort, and the heat when the sun came up can definitely be felt at noon, but the climate control function built into the vehicle¡¯s air filtration unit is a nice substitute for air conditioning.


    Flapping sounds above the convoy attracted Sam¡¯s attention, and a wyvern touched down next to the convoy. A figure disembarks from his mount and takes off his helmet. ¡°Good evening, Sir Anderson.¡±


    Anderson offered a handshake. ¡°Group Captain Marius, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man seemed to be puzzled by the gesture, but eventually figured out and accepted Anderson¡¯s handshake. ¡°Yes, indeed. We met early in the morning the day before. I will escort you to the gate. The guards will let the delegation convoy upon confirmation of your presence and purpose.¡± Marius answered straightforwardly. ¡°Worry not, the guards and the Duke should already be informed of your arrival by our mana messengers.¡±


    As the men walked towards the gate, a young man in a relatively basic yet distinct suit of armor called out for them. ¡°Sir Marius! Is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, boy! These are the esteemed delegation mentioned in the letter delivered by the messengers. Let us show them our hospitality.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you, Sir Anderson!¡± The guards bow in respect. ¡°Quickly make way and open the gate!¡±


    The gate¡¯s mechanism slowly cranks open, revealing a wide road inside with people lining up on the sides to take a look at the peculiar newcomers. Their expressions ranged from curiosity, to surprise, to somewhat terrified of the metallic vehicles that ran without horses. While not the most positive reaction, it¡¯s not the worst that could have been either. As a diplomat, Anderson had seen enough emotions from the many crowds he had passed by during his time on the job, enough to know which group of people his country could make friends with, and make enemies out of. There is hope for a good friendship here, he thought to himself, observing the people in the crowds gathering up in sizes.


    ¡°Welcome to Anzuri, Sir Anderson.¡± Captain Marius salutes him, getting himself on a horse as he prepares to escort the delegation through the city.


    ¨C ¨C


    Anzuri City, Kingdom of Azuria.


    Boris revved the engine softly, edging the vehicle forward to pick up Joker. Local knights on horses led the convoy, the morning sun painting everything in a warm light as they exited the wall¡¯s shadow. Anderson fixed his gaze outside, taking in every detail of Anzuri¡¯s lively streets. The bustling streets of the capital city were filled with discussions and speculations as the delegation moved through the main street to the Royal Diplomatic Office. The boxy, smooth aluminum hull of the armored vehicles stood out among the medieval looking city, attracting even more attention from a crowd that is growing even larger.


    The ride was smooth, however. Unlike the rugged terrain during the journey here, the roads had a solidness to them. It was made of¡­ compacted gravel? Anderson wondered how the Azurians managed to create something so reminiscent of familiar asphalt back home. Magical lights and signs at junctions provided guidance, giving some semblance of order in the busy city. As they moved, the tantalizing aroma of baked goods, roasted meats, and herbs wafted from open-air eateries. In the distance, the rhythmic sound of a blacksmith¡¯s hammer met Anderson¡¯s ears, interrupted by a chime of a bell from a nearby tower.


    Jonah scribbled down constant notes in between snaps of photos, mouth hanging slightly open as he immersed himself in the fantastical environment. ¡°This place¡­ it¡¯s like stepping back in time, yet everything¡¯s so¡­ alive.¡±


    ¡°I can feel that too.¡± Corporal Lewis slowed down as a group of adventurers walked past, themselves ogling at the convoy just as much as he ogled at them. The Ambassador could only guess how excited his driver must¡¯ve been at the sight.


    They approached a wide square with a towering fountain at its center, water spouting from the maws of a hydra carved with intricate detail. The sound of cascading water filled the square, mingling with local conversations. The unfamiliar sounds of rumbling engines attracted the attention of nearby pedestrians, who joined the growing mass to witness the arrival of the delegation.


    The squad along with the rest of the company leaned out of the trucks¡¯ tent covers to get a better view of the surroundings. ¡°Now I¡¯ve truly seen everything¡­ twelve years in the Marines, that ¡®Explore the World¡¯ recruitment poster stayed true after all.¡± Boris remarked.


    ¡°Shit look at the women here...¡± Private Richard trailed off, eyeing the locals with animal features, particularly ones with cat ears and fur-coated tails. His sentence is inaudible to all but Joker.


    Joker did a double take, finding himself chuckling as he continued to observe their fantastical surroundings. ¡°Here he goes again.¡±


    Richard cleared his throat, ¡°Yo, Jokie, there¡¯s a nice-lookin¡¯ brothel over there, you wanna hit it after this is done with?¡±


    Boris peered into the back of the truck. ¡°I know what you¡¯re up to and I¡¯m not here to babysit you jarheads all day.¡± He said, finding his words having the intended effects on his subordinates as they quickly straighten up, not saying a word.


    The convoy approached the large fortress, passing through the numerous guard towers along the way. Many guards were on duty for the important welcoming ceremony, dorning their flashy golden ceremonial armor filled with intricate details that seemed more fitting in the fantasy book sold in bookstores at home.


    After the trucks were parked in the massive courtyard, Major Eli disembarked and gave out orders for the men to gather up their equipment and to line up with the Azurian Royal Guards. Dozens of men formed up, bayonets fixed to their rifles along with the Elysian national flag. They marched into the main hallway in synchronization, standing as they faced the Azurian Royal Guard with their flags.


    ¨C ¨C


    Duke Kalush walked down the hall, inspecting the foreign men in curiosity. Although their dirty looking uniforms slightly disgusts him as his supremely dressed Royal Guards stood in opposite, he knew that one must not judge prematurely by the look. After all, these newcomers have strange weapons and contraptions that baffle him. They have gigantic metal ships, armor-cladded wagons that move without horses and their soldiers have strange equipment attached to their armor that he could not explain, spare for the knives attached to their weapons they called ¡®rifles¡¯ and their helmet.


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    ¡°My dear, I cannot detect any mana signature coming off from any of the soldiers or their armored wagons.¡± First Lady Nadine ad Kalush whispered to her husband, whose expression is clearly worried from the information yet his unwavering attitude stood fast in face of the unknown.


    A man in a sharp outfit ascended from the main stairway, accompanied by two others. As they walked, their soldiers each gave out a salute when the trio walked past them, demonstrating their professionalism. The three men walked forward and gave a bow of respect to the Duke, showing no signs of hostility nor condescending reaction.


    ¡°I am Ambassador Anderson from the United Federation of Elysia.¡± The man introduces himself, waving his right hand to the man on his left. ¡°This is Major Eli Harrison, who is in charge of my protection and these,¡± he waved his hand at the Marines. ¡°-are the men under his command.¡±


    As Major Eli gave the Duke a military salute, he waved his hand to the man on his right. ¡±This is my assistant Sir Jonah Norbert, he is my assistant.¡± Anderson introduces.


    Satisfied with the introduction by the delegation, Kalush gives the men a nod of approval. ¡°Welcome to my realm, esteemed delegation. I have heard far and few rumors about your people who hailed beyond the Great Sea, where no man has ever returned from a voyage, so let it be known that the Kingdom of Azuria treats its guests with utmost hospitality and respect, no matter who they are!¡± As the Duke finished his sentence, the two hundred strong Royal Guards standing guard slammed their spears into the floor and gave out a thunderous chant. ¡°Glory to Anzuria! Glory to Azuria! Glory to Azuria!¡±


    Stunned by the coordination and the elaboration of it all, Ambassador Anderson gave the guards an approving smile as he observed their chanting. The chanting stops, prompting Anderson to return his attention to Duke Kalush. ¡°We come in peace, and our leaders wish to establish diplomatic relations with your nation. We also brought gifts - products from our homeland - to offer to you personally.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Follow me, esteemed delegation, for we have much to discuss.¡± The Duke smiles, accepted Anderson¡¯s offering.


    ¨C ¨C


    Royal Diplomatic Office.


    The room was plain, yet elegant. Paintings and gifts from various visits by other dukes and leaders from other lands are displayed in dedicated glass boxes or hung on the wall, giving the room a rich history unknown to Anderson. The maids finished up with helping the Ambassador and his assistance, welcoming them to sit down at the long table.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anderson said as he accepted a seat offered by one of the maids. He sat down, pulling out several documents from his briefcase while Jonah put down an audio recorder, inserting a battery into it to the confusion of the Azurians already present in the room before turning it on.


    ¡°Now,¡± a butler named Farcel said, clasping his hands together. ¡°We shall commence the first diplomatic discussion between the Kingdom of Azuria and the United Federation of Elysia!¡±


    ¡°This is our diplomatic team,¡± the young butler introduced the Azurian counterpart. ¡°Foreign Minister Ruprecht.¡±


    Anderson stood up. ¡°On behalf of the United Federation of Elysia, I thank you for receiving us so kindly and at such fast speeds.¡±


    The finely dressed man nodded. ¡°My, how polite! No need for such formality, sir Anderson, we are only but a humble country in the far east of Sorval.¡±


    ¡°Sorval?¡± Anderson asked Ruprecht in a surprised tone. ¡°Is this the name of this world?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, Sir Anderson. The name has been around for a long, long time, there are but few who do not know of it. Are those rumors of your people coming from another world true? I have a feeling that they truly are.¡±


    ¡°They are true, Mister Ruprecht.¡± Anderson gave him a nod, confirming the validity of the rumors.


    Jonah gathered the documents from Anderson¡¯s briefcase and distributed them. ¡°On these documents, you will find basic information about our country and a summary of our circumstances here in this New World.¡±


    Foreign Minister Ruprecht and Duke Kalush accepted the documents, reading the map and the data inside with some confusion and doubts. The maps depicted Elysia¡¯s position on Sorval in detail, recently taken by military reconnaissance satellites.


    ¡°Such a large landmass¡­ so close and yet, how did the ancestral explorers miss this?¡± Kalush thought to himself, wondering if all of this was a sham as he averted his gaze away from the document to the men across the table. ¡°Their land is only a week by the way of the sea if the wind is in our favor!¡±


    ¡°I understand your concerns, my Lord. I, too, have my doubts.¡± Ruprecht raised his finger. ¡°However, our esteemed guests claimed that they are not of this world. The detail of this map proved that, as its quality far surpasses any work previously done by the ancestors and explorers. Not even the maps imported from the Holy Celestial Empire could match this.¡±


    ¡°It must be true then...¡± Kalush said, putting down the documents, barely hiding his shock. ¡°How did this happen, Sir Anderson? How did your country arrive in this world?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, Lord.¡± Anderson said respectfully. ¡°We are still currently investigating the cause.¡±


    ¡°I shall arrange a diplomatic envoy to the United Federation for Foreign Minister Ruprecht and his individuals of choice to examine your claim. Unfortunately, my duty of looking over the realm bounds me here, so I would not be able to lay my eyes upon your land beyond the sea for myself for now.¡± Duke Kalush gestured at Foreign Minister Ruprecht. ¡°However, have faith in your ability to uphold your duties, Minister.¡±


    Ruprecht stood up and straightened his pose, eyes filled with determination. ¡°I will not fail you, my Lord!¡±


    ¡°That solves the problem.¡± Kalush nods in approval, turning his face towards the delegation. ¡°Now, Mister Ambassador, I hope you will find the banquet tonight delightful.¡±


    Anderson bows to the Duke. ¡°That would be lovely, Duke Kalush. However, there is one more thing I would like to discuss.¡±


    Kalush raised his eyebrow as the peculiar request piqued his interest. ¡°Yes, what would you want to discuss?¡±


    ¡°There has been an incident on your territory by one of our aircraft, do you know anything about that?¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Banquet Hall, Royal Citadel.


    As the sun settled down, and night fell on the fantastical and medieval-esque city, sounds of distancing murmurs and conversations can be heard as many Azurian aristocrats discussed with the guarding Elysian Marines about their origins.


    An out-of-place figure in a G-suit dug into the strange meal on his plate, chewing and crying tears of joy at the alien meat. ¡°Oh thank you God for this!¡±


    ¡°You should be thanking me instead.¡± A gruffled voice behind him said, clearly angry.


    Vargson turned around, his eyes widening as he swallowed the meat. ¡°Good even sir Ambassador! Thank you so much, I have been eating nothing but oatmeal in that cell for the past week!¡±


    ¡°Getting you out of that cell was a worse experience than trying to get the Yunnish to lay down their arms a few years back, the gifts I offered to the Duke were barely enough to release you out of that cell.¡± Anderson explained, clearly not happy about what he had to go through in order to get the pair of pilots released.


    Hartmann stepped in, not happy about Vargson¡¯s lack of manners during a high-profile banquet. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that they¡¯ve taken an interest in us and the aircraft, otherwise you would¡¯ve been hanged. If the Ambassador didn''t arrive earlier, you would¡¯ve bee-¡±


    Vargson cuts him off. ¡°Hey! I was confused and scared alright? If you¡¯re attacked by colorful men on flying lizards you would be panicking too. At least I dragged you to safety!¡±


    Shaking his head in disappointment, Anderson exhales. ¡°They¡¯re called wyverns, by the way. Anyhow, this is all behind us now. You both can start going home tomorrow.¡±


    He had to compromise with the Duke for the release of both Hartmann and Vargson respectively, promising peace and wealth in exchange for getting both of them repatriated. What questions the Azurian might have for these two men they will get eventually.


    Having the most powerful man in the entire Kingdom taking a personal interest in you does have some perks, it seems.


    ¡°That Duke was really scary, you know?! He-¡± Just as Vargson was about to say something, he immediately turned away. ¡°Um, forget it!¡±


    Duke Kalush walked up to Ambassador Anderson, besides him was First Lady Nadine and Foreign Minister Ruprecht. ¡°We thought that we had encountered a potent mage that has created a new magic when I heard the news, until our mages confirmed he was indeed no magic user.¡± Lady Nadine spoke, her eyes staring at Vargson, not being comfortable with the fact that a former prisoner is enjoying luxurious food.


    ¡°What happens in the past is in the past, Miss Nadine. I¡¯m sure Mister Ruprecht here would find the upcoming trip enlightening.¡±


    Seeing a smile forming on Ruprecht¡¯s face, Anderson continued. ¡°Our land is the most developed in our world, with many wonders that I¡¯m sure you would find most fascinating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the visit, Sir Anderson.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Citadel¡¯s barracks


    ¡°Holy shit¡­ look at them beastmen. Must be around two meters tall¡­¡± Private Lewis gawks as he sees a beastmen regiment walking back from their shift on the citadel¡¯s walls.


    The banquet has been going on for three hours yet the atmosphere is still lively, with music played by local bards and cultural exchange activities filled in for the otherwise quiet night. Major Eli is in a makeshift radio station inside a military tent, making sure the regiment¡¯s communication is still secured with the Seventh Fleet anchoring near Sunsettia.


    ¡°So what do you think of this place, sir?¡± The radio operator asked, his fingers still fiddling with the equipment.


    Eli shrugged. ¡°Thus far? This could be a great vacation place. I definitely won¡¯t miss deployment in Yunna, spending time in that place made me immune to raid sirens just by how many nights they rang while we were asleep. Damn Socialists won¡¯t let us get a good night''s rest.¡±


    The radio operator chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all behind us now, sir. We¡¯re in a new world afterall." After finishing the radio setup, he picked up the microphone. ¡°Contact FES Emery, this is Camp Citadel, how do you copy? Over.¡±


    A clear voice answered on the radio. ¡°We heard you loud and clear, Camp Citadel. Over.¡±


    He handed the headset to the Major, who accepted it. ¡°Major Eli reporting, the talk is going well, no hostility. Over.¡±


    ¡°The situation is pretty calm over here, too. Only mild wyvern patrols according to the radars. Over.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Emery. We¡¯ll maintain radio contact until otherwise ordered. Over.¡±


    Major Eli Harrison gave the radioman a pat on the shoulder and walked outside the tent. Sergeant Boris  is preparing dinner in the truck-mounted field kitchen along with five others while Joker is having an arm-wrestling contest with a half-man half-wolf, his insignia indicates that he belongs to one of the wall guards.


    ¡°Joker! Come on! Beat the bastard! Go!¡± The men in the regiment cheered as Joker¡¯s face turned red, his veins visible as he struggled with the beastman who barely seemed fazed by the contest. Azurian guardsmen joined in, bringing their drinks and foodstuffs for the night¡¯s activities.


    A voice from behind attracted Major Eli¡¯s attention. ¡°Glorious effort, I admit, but lacking in efficacy and wisdom. Few humans can match the beastmen when it comes to raw strength.¡± The man in a shiny golden suit of armor removes his helmet and bows in respect, finishing his sentence. His appearance certainly stood out even among the Royal Guards.


    The man introduces himself with precise mannerism. ¡°I am General Kalasta. I am in charge of the defense of Anzuri as well as keeping civil order during.¡±


    Major Eli gave the man a salute, which seems to have had the intended effect.


    ¡°It appears that soldiers everywhere are the same, bored men will always find ways to entertain themselves. Especially when they have few things to worry about.¡± Kalasta comments as he eyed the familiar yet alien sight before him, his men in golden armor cheering as the beastman easily won the arm wrestling competition, causing the men in strange camouflage uniforms to boo in disappointment.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right, General.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have women serving in the ranks. Soldiery as a profession is ill-suited for a woman.¡± Kalasta looks at one of the few women in their regiment sitting alone in the corner reading a small handbook, impressed by her ability to read. ¡°Is she a noble?¡± He asked, curiosity running through his mind.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. We don¡¯t have nobles in Elysia.¡± Eli answers honestly. Even with early observation, it is clear to him that not everybody can go to school.


    The Major¡¯s answer only filled Kalasta with more questions. Higher education can only be afforded by the wealthy and the elites. Male children of wealthy families received a far more extensive education than females, who are expected only to do housework and raise children. Few get to decide how their lives will be played out. Putting the thought aside, as he was about to ask more questions, he was cut short.


    ¡°If you excuse me, General. I have to speak to my subordinate.¡± Major Eli bids farewell as he walks towards Private Rita, grabbing a tray of hot beef stew from Boris¡¯s truck.


    ¡°...That is¡­ fine.¡± General Kalasta stopped as he bid farewell. ¡°Perhaps we can converse again in the near future.¡±


    Seeing the Captain walking up to her, Rita stood up and gave him a salute, putting away the handbook. ¡°Good evening, Major Eli.¡±


    ¡°At ease, Private.¡± Eli nods in approval, handing Rita the metallic food tray. ¡°Chow?¡±


    Rita accepted the Major¡¯s offer. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been talking much ever since we got off the boat. Anything bothering you?¡± Major Eli asked her with a straight voice, not wanting to burden his subordinate with worries.


    Private Rita frowns, her expression visible to the Major. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s just I can¡¯t seem to fit in with the rest of them.¡±


    Rita has always been the awkward one out of the bunch, not being taken seriously as the Elysian Marine Corps have always been dominated by male. This culture of masculinity has dissuaded many women from joining the Marine Corps, believing that the Army is a more suitable place for service since women can more easily enter the branch.


    The fact that the Marine Corps has much higher physical standards, along with being the only volunteer-based military organization in the United Federation practically ruled out any female service volunteers, solidifying the Marine Corps¡¯ reputation of being a male-dominant or even a male-only force despite nothing stopping women from enlisting legally.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Lieutenant. You will have your moment, everybody starts somewhere.¡± Eli tries to comfort her, not wanting her morale to sink during an important mission.


    ¡°Wow, sir. Those were the most lame and generic words you could¡¯ve said.¡± Rita chuckles in amusement. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll try my best. Thank you, sir.¡±

 Chapter 4: Transit

    Royal Citadel, Kingdom of Azuria.


    May 8th, 1427.


    Foreign Minister Ruprecht looked to the skies as he heard a peculiar buzzing noise, as if a hundred wyverns were flapping their wings simultaneously. As the sounds grew louder, he squinted, identifying the source of the noises: the ¡®helicopters¡¯. Six of them appeared over the horizon, approaching the Citadel with one being significantly larger than the rest flying in the center of the formation. Unlike the long and sleek forms of its escort, the gigantic flying craft¡¯s body was blunt, flat and wide like a flying squirrel.


    ¡°Is tha-that a Heavenly Ship?¡± An brown haired elvish woman stubbled with her words, finding the sight before her difficult to explain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Evatyr¡­¡± Ruprecht continued to observe as the massive aircraft approached the Royal Citadel. The aircraft eventually touched down on the large open yard, kicking up fallen leaves and grass everywhere with its mighty gust of wind generated by the quadruple set of dual coaxial rotors.


    The aircraft¡¯s front ramp dropped down, revealing several men in similar outfits to those that had arrived here the day before. A man in his mid 50s in the same camouflage uniform as the others stepped out of the massive aircraft, his greying hair yet muscular form barely able to hide the sense of authority radiating from the man. He was flanked by several other guards holding their weapons which they called an ¡®assault rifle¡¯, confirming Ruprecht¡¯s theory that he is the man that he has been waiting for.


    ¡°Foreign Minister Ruprecht?¡± The man onboard called out, stepping off the massive aircraft.


    Quickly regaining his composure, Ruprecht offered a handshake, having quickly picked up the gesture from the newcomers. ¡°Yes, I take it you¡¯re General Stanford? Mister Ambassador spoke highly of you, and that you are in charge of escorting my delegation to your homeland.¡±


    ¡°That is correct, Mister Ruprecht.¡± Stanford replied, accepting Ruprecht¡¯s handshake. ¡°Please follow me inside.¡±


    The Azurian delegation steps inside the CH-48 Rorqual, finding themselves marveling at the engineering of the rotorcraft.


    The inside was comparatively fancy even to the luxurious wagons he was used to being transported in. Such wonders, bereft of the arcane! He examined the aircraft. The interior contained several rooms, divided by wooden doors and wood-plated walls, giving him the impression of a luxurious yet cozy rural shack instead of the cold, hard metal exterior of the flying machine.


    "Oh the heavens!" Evatyr, the female assistant accidentally let her emotions slip out at the beautifully decorated interior.


    ¡°I must say, your flying craft is truly impressive to behold!¡± Ruprecht¡¯s eyes lit up, taking in the luxurious view of the machine that he now finds himself inside which looked more like a fancy guest house than a flying machine.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit rushed since the guesthouse module hasn¡¯t been fitted into one of these aircraft for a long time, but I assure you that with myself being here, your travel shall be safe and comfortable until we reach Arden, our capital city.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Ruprecht stretched his legs, letting his body sink into the soft, comfortable chair in one of the bedrooms on the aircraft. Looking outside the window, he saw the rotor blades spin up slowly as the turbine engines pick up speed, finally ceasing to accelerate once they''ve spun fast enough.


    ¡°Oh!¡± He exclaimed as the aircraft turbines and rotors sped up, lifting into the air. The sensation was quite unlike the feeling of being pulled into the sky upon the back of a wyvern. Helicopter flight had much less buckling than wyvern flight and the seats were much more elegant and comfortable. In addition, the aircraft had a pressurized cabin, so Ruprecht felt more like he was on a boat rather than something that could fly.


    After the initial takeoff, the rumbling subsided as the aircraft rotors tilted to move forward. The Rorqual picks up speed, only encountering a few patches of turbulence here and there.


    Indulging into a cut of steak and a cup of wine onboard the aircraft, Ruprecht felt like a king. He pondered the wealth and power these Elysians had; how much money and resources could they possibly have in order to build such an elegant flying machine? Only the Holy Celestial Empire, the most powerful country in Sorval, was rumored to possess flying ships which they referred to as Heavenly Ships.


    Caught on the topic of aircrafts, he set his gaze at the escorts flying outside. ¡°Say, Ambassador Anderson, those flying machines that are currently escorting us, is it possible for us to purchase them? Such sophisticated crafts may cost us a fortune should we choose to purchase them, but surely your country may offer the opportunity?¡± He asked Anderson who was sitting on the opposite table.


    Anderson looked puzzled by the question at first, but he eventually understood what Ruprecht was coming from. ¡°I apologize, Mister Ruprecht, but that¡¯s not up to me. Although I do expect us to sell some of these off to raise funds for government expenditures, since our economic situation is¡­ not going well as you may have figured. Being suddenly transported to another world caused a lot of disruption in our economy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Ruprecht calculates his chance, a million simulations running through his head. The opportunity to have the Royal Army equipped with flying crafts comparable to the Holy Celestial Empire, expeditions to areas inaccessible even to wyverns, etc. Now those dreams seem closer to reality.


    Anderson set his can of soda down. ¡°We used to sell and trade weapons with our few allies back in our world due to competition with rivaling powers. I can imagine you flying one of these yourself one day, if you work hard enough on your training.¡± He chuckles, adding in some flattery to not put down the technologically inferior Azurians. ¡°They¡¯re very hard to fly, but then again, we don¡¯t know how to ride wyverns unlike your people.¡±


    ¡°If you have time, I¡¯ll have someone teach you how to ride a wyvern.¡± Ruprecht replied. ¡°I¡¯ll work out a deal with your leader, for both my Lord and your country as well.¡±


    Anderson took another sip. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that. You can bring this topic up with the President once you and your assistant meet him, Mister Ruprecht.¡±


    Evatyr peeked out of the aircraft¡¯s window before retreating back into her seat, her hand holding Ruprecht¡¯s tightly. ¡°H-how are you two so calm this high up!? We¡¯re flying near the clouds, you know?!¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Ruprecht gave Anderson a friendly smile, trying to explain the situation. ¡°My apologies, Ambassador. It appears that I have forgotten about my assistant¡¯s fear of height.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable, Mister Ruprecht, even I am afraid of falling from great heights.¡± Anderson answered, slowly closing the sliding window on his side of the chair.


    The two men exchanged casual chatter, finding commonality in both culture and personal preferences. Both Ruprecht and Anderson felt relief, finding people from both worlds are not so different after all.


    <hr>


    7th Carrier Task Force.


    Ruprecht and Evatyr looked out the windows, gawking at the small fleet of large metal ships down below them. Ruprecht stared at the massive flat top ship in particular, its deck filled with more than a dozen metal birds laying rest above, their wings folded up neatly. These vessels dwarfed the quadriremes and quinqueremes of the Elvish Navy by a significant margin, perhaps even strong and armored enough to destroy them just by ramming.


    ¡°Holy Miritta¡­ how large is that ship?¡± Ruprecht mumbles to himself.


    The massive quadrotor touched down on the flight deck, sailors running about as they folded the aircraft¡¯s ducted rotors in preparation for storage in the upper deck, as the elevators weren''t large enough to lift the aircraft down into the hangar.


    Ruprecht walked out of the helicopter, stepping on the steel flight deck. As he breathed in the salty air of the sea, he took in the scenery around him. A dozen metal ships moved along in formation with the flat top vessel, making sure nothing can reach the massive floating construct that he now stood atop. The sight was certainly most impressive to him, but not Evatyr, who only smiles instead of gawking like he did before they disembarked.


    From her resume, Ruprecht knew that Evatyr had been in the Holy Celestial Empire before as a student of the Imperial Magical Academy before returning to Azuria upon completion of her study. The Celestials are proud about their magical and military might, so he assumed that even a fleet like this is nothing surprising to her, but still worth being excited to observe.


    ¡°Enjoying the scenery, sir and ma¡¯am?¡± A roughen voice behind him said.


    Ruprecht turned around, noticing a man in a sharp white suit with golden lines running along his outfit¡¯s arm. ¡°Greetings there good sir, who might you be?¡±


    ¡°Admiral Chester Isaac.¡± The man introduces himself. ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the naval task force here.¡± He responded, offering another familiar handshake. The gesture had pretty much been imprinted inside Ruprecht¡¯s head at this point, since it appears that this is how these newcomers greet people.


    It was strange at first, but he eventually understood why they preferred to do it this way as a formality. Shaking someone¡¯s hand meant that you entered a contract with them to show off your civility and friendliness.


    Ruprecht and his female assistant shook the Admiral¡¯s hands. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Admiral. I must say, your ships are most impressive! No doubt they could go toe-to-toe with even legendary sea monsters out here!¡±


    The three walked together to the inner decks of the carriers, passing through busy sailors who momentarily stopped their activity to give the Admiral a salute before continuing their work, but some sailors momentarily looked back at Ruprecht''s female assistant who has peculiar pointy ears unlike those of a human. It was strange and a bit awkward for her to be looked at weirdly by so many people, but she knew that they were just curious. In their old homeworld, they have no other intelligent races other than humans, so even an elf, or more specifically a half-elf like her, was almost alien in appearance.


    Upon reaching the second floor, Admiral Chester ordered the security personnel to open the metal door, revealing a modest but luxurious room in comparison to the stale metallic environment and drab paint decorating the rest of the ship¡¯s interior.


    Soft sofas, chairs and a work desk decorated the place, while a bunk bed is tucked neatly in the corner of the room. Artificial lighting integrated into the ceiling brightens up the interior as well, providing a strange but certainly very cozy atmosphere to rest for the night. While it isn''t as luxurious as the aircraft he arrived here on, Ruprecht couldn¡¯t ask for much more as living space is definitely a luxury on warships such as this one, even if it''s incredibly huge in comparison to those of Azuria¡¯s.


    ¡°This will be where you will be staying for the night.¡± Admiral Chester introduces the guest room. ¡°We still have problems with cleaning up the airport after the storm, but there will be another aircraft from Arden to pick you up by tomorrow morning. It¡¯s still a mess right now, so I apologize for any inconvenience.¡±


    The Azurians nod. ¡°We understand, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave you be. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯d need, you can call one of our guards outside the room.¡± He assures the delegation. ¡°Remember, if you¡¯re looking for something to eat then I¡¯ll have my men deliver them to you. And please,¡± He warned the two. ¡°Stay clear of the sailor¡¯s work, we are very busy.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Admiral.¡± Ruprecht answered him.


    As Admiral Chester finished closing the door, allowing silence to set it, The Azurians let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That was so stressful!¡± Evatyr let out an exhale, catching her breath. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s an ¡®airport¡¯ that he mentioned earlier?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I do not know¡­ it¡¯s probably like one of the many skyports in the Holy Celestial Empire.¡± Ruprecht answers, terrifying thoughts running through his mind. If these Elysians have metal ships, metal wagons and infrastructure on par with the two distant superpowers in the Central Continent: the Holy Celestial Empire - the land of the ultimate magic, then nothing could stop them from conquering his country and even the Eastern Continent. But he stopped that thought. If they¡¯re conquerors, they wouldn¡¯t have sent such a polite diplomat despite having powers and strength unknown to him and his people.


    Ruprecht was certain that they understood the importance of diplomacy, and as a technologically superior nation, they would¡¯ve taken notice of Azuria¡¯s lack of technological prowess. However, they are approaching Azuria not as a superior being, but as an equal right from the get go.


    The Holy Celestial Empire only has very limited contact as well as relations with countries in the Eastern Continent thanks to the extremely vast distance involved between the Western and Eastern Continent, limited only to trading miscellaneous goods through travelling merchants. The Celestials, while friendly, often look down on the people of the Eastern Continent as inferior societies unworthy of attention, paying little attention to the affairs of what is happening here.


    ¡°Let¡¯s compose ourselves, Evatyr. You must be tired from the ride on that¡­-¡± Ruprecht stuttered, trying to remember the term. ¡°-helicopter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll try to document everything.¡± Evatyr reassures her superior, taking advantage of the small work desk in the room as she takes notes and sketches up scenes of what had happened during the trip thus far.


    Ruprecht laid rest on the lower bunk, eyes staring at the ceiling as he drowns himself in thought. He hasn¡¯t even arrived at the United Federation yet, and these outworlders have already surprised him with constructs and technology beyond his understanding. Even Evatyr sensed no mana nor any other magical signature from any of these outlanders, meaning that their technology is entirely mechanical in nature without any use of magical gems, much like those of the Florence Republic in the distant west that he¡¯d heard of.


    He eventually closed his eyes as drowsiness set in, overwhelmed just by the events of what transpired today, choosing sleep to prepare himself for the next day.

 Chapter 5: Arden

    Arden-class Aircraft Carrier FES Emery, The Seventh Fleet.


    The Great Sea.


    May 9th, 1427.


    Ruprecht opened his eyes and felt something warm weighing down on his body. He turned his head sideways, trying to reach for the bunk bed¡¯s handle with one of his arms to pull himself up only to find himself unable to.


    Early morning drowsiness, he assumed. He looked down on his chest, finding Evatyr putting her head on his arm as she slept peacefully. ¡°Goodness Miritta¡­ don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s a second bed above this one, Evatyr?¡± He mumbles.


    Evatyr opened her eyes slowly, her arms tightening around Ruprecht¡¯s chest as she wrapped both of them in a blanket. ¡°There¡¯s a cooling unit above that one and this one too¡­ It¡¯s too cold, I can¡¯t sleep like that... Besides, sleeping with you is more cozy¡­ We don¡¯t have many chances to be together alone like this after all¡­ too much work¡­¡± She said slowly, still half-asleep.


    She had probably spent a long time during the night on documenting the trip before falling asleep at the most opportune opportunity, Ruprecht assumed, though the mumbling about the mechanical cooling unit did make for a convincing excuse as even half-elves don¡¯t like sleeping in magically cooled air, preferring the natural winds instead. ¡°There¡¯s a time and place for everything. We¡¯re on an important mission, Eva.¡± He said, giving her some headpats before slightly pinching on her long ears to awoken her completely.


    ¡°You bully.¡± She pouts.


    Several knocks rang out from the metallic door. ¡°Sir Ruprecht. Madam Evatyr. Please get ready soon, your transport will arrive in an hour.¡± A sailor announced.


    ¡°We¡¯re up!¡± Ruprecht answered the sailor beyond the door, which had the intended effect on the man.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± The sailor walked away, his footsteps audible thanks to his boot clanking on the cold, hard floor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready, wouldn¡¯t want to miss our flight.¡± Ruprecht pulled himself up from the bunk bed, careful not to hit the low ceiling.


    ¡°I hate flying.¡± Evatyr pouts again, somewhat scared of having to board an ¡®aircraft¡¯ again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡± Ruprecht said, attempting to reassure her. ¡°We finish our job, I¡¯ll request some time off from our Lord. For your sake.¡±


    Evatyr¡¯s eyes glowed as a smile formed on her face. ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Ruprecht and Evatyr sat together in the ship¡¯s ¡®island¡¯ looking at the sailors in their colorful uniforms running about as they prepared for another landing by one of the loud ¡®planes¡¯, as the Elysians called them. They looked to the distance, eyeing the new flying machine that looked different from the sleek ones they had seen on the massive vessel. Apparently most of the flying machines on board this vessel are combat aircrafts, reserved only for escorting and combat missions while the ship acts as a tender, refueling and arming them.


    What an interesting concept, Ruprecht thought to himself. Azuria did attempt the same, using large ships to act as wyvern tenders but the prototype ship was scrapped for wood, with Azuria having no need for such an expensive vessel. He wonders how much resources, but more so, what kind of threat these people faced in their homeworld in order to justify building such a massive vessel like this?


    The aircraft touched down on the ship, stopping at an unnatural speed having catched itself on the hanging cable to decelerate. These people kept surprising him with their advanced crafts and tools.


    ¡°Good morning. Did you two have a good night''s sleep?¡± Admiral Chester asked the pair, walking up behind them.


    ¡°Yes, sir Admiral, we did.¡± Ruprecht answers. ¡°It¡¯s honestly far more comfortable than I expected. Travelling by ships always meant that we would¡¯ve to endure rocking seas, but on this one, it¡¯s very smooth and comfortable. I had almost forgotten that we¡¯re not on land travelling on this vessel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear your compliment, Sir Ruprecht. Our engineers did a fine job designing this vessel, even if we couldn¡¯t afford the bigger design.¡±


    ¡°Bigger design?¡± Ruprecht tilted his head.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s about the eighty thousand tons Arishanovsk-class aircraft carrier that our Navy proposed to our government but was rejected, due to the price and the lack of infrastructure to build such a large vessel. Because of this, we¡¯ve only built several forty-two thousand tons Arden-class aircraft carriers such as this one.¡±


    Steel is heavy, Ruprecht knew that, but the number was too boggling for him to comprehend. Even the largest Azurian galleon could barely reach a thousand tons, requiring a large number of people and trees to work on it for over a year to build. ¡®Several¡¯, the Admiral standing before him said, implying that they have at least two or more of these ¡®aircraft carriers¡¯, a feat almost on par with the Holy Celestial Empire or the Florence Republic in terms of shipbuilding. ¡°I¡­ I understand, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Looks like your plane arrived, sir Ruprecht.¡± Admiral Chester looked outward, eyes locked in the small CA-12N propeller-driven transport approaching his ship.


    Ruprecht took a deep breath, taking in the salty morning air of the sea. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    The aircraft wasn¡¯t as large nor impressive as the one he had ridden in before, but he deduces that this aircraft was never meant for war judging by the lack of speed nor loud, light-discharging engines seen on the other aircrafts.


    Stepping on the aircraft and taking a seat, he looked at the metal ship through the aircraft¡¯s window one last time before a voice interrupted his thought, seemingly out of nowhere.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to take off, everyone. Wear your seatbelts properly.¡± The pilot announced over the intercom.


    A guide on the aircraft assisted the two Azurian how to use the seatbelts while Anderson was already strapped.


    Having to sleep through most of the night while enduring the constant sound of jet engines activating their afterburners before taking off throughout the night, Anderson yawns repeatedly. ¡°Man¡­ this is why I prefer travelling on diplomatic missions on bullet trains. At least they got music playing in the background¡­¡± He mumbles to himself to Ruprecht¡¯s amused reaction.


    ¡°The guest room below deck was relatively quiet, did you not find rest deeper within the vessel to escape the noises?¡± He asked him.


    ¡°None, Mister Ruprecht." Anderson answers. ¡°They ran out of accommodations, so I had to sleep in the parked cargo helicopter we came here with. Thin sheet metal can¡¯t block sound all that well.¡± He yawns again. ¡°You might want to hang on to something, miss Evatyr.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Why is that? I umm¡­ got over my fear of heights! This one won¡¯t bother me.¡± Evatyr said, faking a joyful expression as she began to sweat nervously, barely able to hide her nervousness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    The aircraft moved slowly over to the front of the ship before coming to a stop, a peculiar clicking sound can be heard under the cabin. ¡°Catapult¡¯s locked. We¡¯re taking off on 3, 2, 1.¡±


    The guiding sailor wearing a yellow jacket outside gave them a salute, crouching down and pointing his arm towards the bow of the ship. ¡°On the way!¡± The pilot said over the intercom.


    The catapult launch sunk Azurians into their seats as the aircraft quickly accelerated off the deck, causing Evatyr to yelp in surprise, terrified of the sudden jump. ¡°AH!¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh! That was a strong take off!¡± Ruprecht comments, recovering from the quick acceleration.


    After the surprise from the catapult launch settled down, Anderson was the first to explain to calm down the pair, focusing on Evatyr instead since she is currently hanging on to Ruprecht¡¯s arm as if her life depends on it. ¡°They can¡¯t take off with such a short runway, so they need to throw this thing so it can pick up speed.¡±


    ¡°C-can¡¯t this thing take off directly like your ¡®helicopter¡¯?!¡± Evatyr asked him.


    ¡°Doing so would¡¯ve consumed a lot of fuel, Miss Evatyr.¡± He pointed towards the aircraft¡¯s wing outside the window. ¡°By using the ship to help the aircraft take-off, we can save on fuel and thus extend the range of our aircrafts. Last thing we want is to land out on the sea.¡± He explained to little effect on her fear, opting for the direct method instead. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re on a normal flight now. You have nothing to fear.¡±


    ¡°You can let go of my arm now, Eva. You¡¯re squeezing it too tight!¡± Ruprecht said to her, trying to reach for her long ear to pinch again.


    Anderson chuckled at the pair. What an adorable couple they are, he thought, slightly jealous. Relationships for him were next to impossible to have as an ambassador. Too much work, too little time and the risk he takes on every diplomatic mission prevented him from engaging in such activities. He¡¯d like to start a family himself though, as he does have a stable income and a Class Two apartment issued to him, more than enough for at least one close person in his life, since that second bedroom of his is pretty much just extra storage anyway.


    ¡°Enjoy the flight, you two.¡± Anderson sunk back into his seat as he let out a tired sigh, slapping a cover on his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m grabbing some extra sleep¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Montague Air Base, Arden. United Federation of Elysia.


    Ruprecht and Evatyr looked at the city down below in awe, dozens if not hundreds, perhaps even thousands of multi-storey buildings stretched out as far as the eye can see. As the aircraft approached the airbase, the pair could make out distant silhouettes of people going about as they continued on with their lives despite having gone through a historically large storm, a testament to the sturdiness of the Elysian¡¯s infrastructure and work ethics. There were also strange long wagons traveling on a pair of iron bars, transporting immense amounts of cargo and people at speeds unthinkable for horse wagons that he was accustomed to seeing.


    After a relatively rough landing of the ¡®plane¡¯ on the massively long runway, the two disembarked and were greeted by a row of vehicles that the Elysians called ¡®cars¡¯, similar in looks to the ¡®trucks¡¯ their troops used to move around Azuria but much fancier and somewhat smaller.


    The pair disembarked along with Anderson before being quickly flanked by security personnels. Ruprecht took notice of their outfits. Unlike the dirty-looking camouflage uniforms of the Marines that greeted him, these guards wore black entirely throughout their history, even to their armor and weapon. Only their eyes were visible through the goggles that they wore, with their faces entirely hidden behind a black balaclava and under their helmet. A big, bold ¡®FSS¡¯ trio of letters was imprinted on behind the back of their armors, giving Ruprecht the impression that these men belong to an organization distincted from that of the ¡®Marines¡¯ he had met, who seemed to be much more light-hearted in comparison to these cold, assassin-like individuals.


    In any case, the idea of having cold-blooded assassins acting as guards for him and Evatyr did find merit. If only Evatyr has the same feeling, he thought. He looked to her to gauge for reaction, finding only her lips quivering and hands shaking. His assistant was clearly quite spooked by these guards, her hand tightening around his as she tried to maintain a dignified image despite being quite scared.


    A woman in black shades and a sharp suit awaits them, standing next to the largest car in the middle. ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Ellen Mary, one of President Irwin¡¯s personal assistance.¡± The woman introduces herself, taking off the sunglasses. ¡°The President has given me the duty of escorting you two safely to your meeting with him along with the Department of State.¡± She said as she slid out a smile, easing both Ruprecht and Evatyr and giving them a sense of friendliness despite being in a very alien environment for them.


    As the two went into the vehicle first, Anderson walked by her to give her an Azurian silver coin he acquired during his short stay. ¡°I guess it¡¯s your turn on the job, Ellen. Here¡¯s the payment.¡±


    ¡°Oh please.¡± Ellen smiled, flipping the coin with her hand before putting it in her back pocket. ¡°I still owe you five Credits for that drink you bought for me that night at the pub.¡±


    Anderson stepped inside the vehicle, taking a seat. ¡°Forget it, consider it and the coin as a gift from me.¡± He said.


    ¡°Well then.¡± She ordered the guards with several hand gestures, who quickly embarked and maneuver on their LUV-1 utility vehicles and Milena wheeled APC, forming a motorcade around the main vehicle. ¡°I¡¯ll take it on your word then.¡±


    As the vehicle rolled along the main road to the city center, the exotic sight caught their eyes. Electrical lights and signs at junctions provided guidance as well as enforcing the strict traffic rules on the several other vehicles on the road. Most of the road traffic is not occupied by the ¡®cars¡¯ like the ones that they are riding on but much bigger ones with more wheels. ¡®Trucks¡¯, he assumed. Ruprecht recalls that the Marine¡¯s who arrived at Anzuri City also traveled on similar vehicles, although they were in the same camouflage paint pattern as well as model in contrast to the many different sizes and looks that the ones going about in the capital city.


    Many establishments lined the streets: a store with a cart drawn on a sign outside, identifying itself as a grocery store. Beside them stood a clothing store, its garms displayed proudly on the glass front of the establishment. They then passed by a rail station, the same long wagons they had seen earlier from the aircraft came to a stop, opening its door as people poured in and out before quickly picking up speed and leaving for the next station, Ruprecht assumed that this is how most people get around the city judging by how busy the traffic is on the small main road that he is traveling on.


    What¡¯s even stranger to the Azurians is the architectural aspect of the massive metropolis. Instead of the usual disconnect seen on the larger buildings in Anzuri, the buildings here are interconnected by bridges above the street, allowing people to move between buildings without ever touching the ground. Besides a few flower shops, the only place he noticed with large amounts of trees on the ground would be the parks where the vehicle passed by as it made its trip to the Presidential Complex. For the Azurians who are accustomed to seeing vast fields of wheat and lightly built up areas, this was a dizzying environment to take in.


    Ruprecht took a break from the overwhelming sight and cleared his throat. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Mary?¡±


    ¡°Yes? How may I assist you?¡± She answered, snapping to attention from her ongoing conversation with Anderson about their work.


    ¡°Is it normal in your country to have so many people in a city?¡± He asked.


    Ellen adjusted her glasses, ready for a small explanation. ¡°Our country is an exceptionally urbanized country even by our world standard, up to 70% of the land in our country could be considered urbanized. There are 186 million people within all the three states of the United Federation, with the Arden Republic we¡¯re currently in right now boasting the largest population of 96 million people while the two other states - the Rostislav Republic and the Talya Republic - make up the rest.¡± She gave Ruprecht additional information papers in her briefcase containing additional information, pointing to him the annual public report of the country¡¯s affairs and developmental statuses.


    The mind boggling number shocked Ruprecht, Anzuri only has a million people, which is probably equivalent to a smaller district in Arden. After Ruprecht finished looking through the documents, he looked over to Evatyr. She was diligently writing down reports, rotating between writing and making rough sketches of the bustling metropolis before her with a pencil she borrowed from Ellen.


    He tapped her shoulder, attracting her attention as he gave her the document. ¡°You might need this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Evatyr clipped the documents, making a mental note to read and analyze in her free time.


    Ruprecht returned to admiring the metropolis outside as the car continued to move forward within the motorcade. Duke Kalush was right to warn him to approach these people with caution, even though his diplomatic approach with the few other countries within the Eastern Continent was often harsh. Establish diplomatic relations, look for treaties that would benefit Azuria, and most important of all - seek a defense treaty. All thanks to the Yarian barbarians who just overran whatever¡¯s left of the Elvish Kingdom recently.


    Azuria doesn¡¯t have any allies, at least any reliable one. The Principality of Lior is a good case, refusing to properly aid Azuria in their collective defense effort against the barbarians, opting to cash in under the kingdom¡¯s meager military strength to relieve themselves of any military duties further in order to have more laborers to work in the mines to enrich themselves.


    To Ruprecht¡¯s knowledge, Duke Kalush had just issued an ultimatum to them in the last hope of getting the Liories  to act proactively for their own defense, but even then it may have been too late according to him, even with an immediate embargo on grain. Left with no choice, Duke Kalush gave him a top priority mission to secure a defense treaty above all with these newcomers to ensure Azuria¡¯s existence, or at the very least, allow the people to survive the incoming horde of barbarians.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best¡­ my Lord.¡± Ruprecht whispered, his head leaning against the car¡¯s glass window.

 Chapter 6: The Office

    Presidential Office, Arden.


    May 9th, 1427.


    President Irwin groaned as he buried his face in his hand after taking a look at the economic report. ¡°What the fuck, God?...¡±


    Looking at the report again, he analyzed the state of the economy. Without oil imports from old allies, energy prices are climbing higher and higher, necessitating the rationing of home energy consumption in many less important districts. Many major industrial and financial firms as well as businesses have already sent him numerous messages, clamoring about the lack of resources to work with and loss of overseas assets. People have also been panicking, unable to contact their relatives or partners in other countries, with some spreading false rumors about how they haven¡¯t been teleported to another world at all, and that the information being announced on the FNN was fake, to the point that Irwin had to order elements of the Army and riot police to keep order but refused to declare martial law. Arden wasn¡¯t affected too badly by this sudden surge of political instability though, that helped ease his worries a bit since tomatoes and eggs aren¡¯t being thrown at him by the crowds, for now.


    How did this happen? Why did this happen? Surely whatever power did this also has the ability to teleport at least a few more countries from our world, right? At least there was something to be happy about: the first encounter between the transferred Elysians and the denizens of this planet bore no ill circumstances. This was a peculiar surprise that no such transference of disease occurred between the natives and the people sent to greet them. Even the language barrier didn¡¯t exist, with reports by the Marines in Azuria having no problem conversing and reading local text even if the writing was a bit strange in some parts. New humanoid species were discovered, with reports coming from once again, the Marines, that they met many animal-human hybrids, or just straight up humanoid animals with intelligence far surpassing their animalistic counterparts with speech capabilities equal that of a human.


    President Irwin¡¯s contemplations were cut short as someone lightly kicked on the slightly open door. ¡°Mister President?¡± Another one of his secretaries came through, holding a heavy box of documents in both his arms.


    ¡°Oh, Loyd.¡± He stood up. ¡°Tell me that the emergency rationing bill went through.¡±


    His assistant put down the document box on the guest table. ¡°It just passed. Your approval ratings have gone up 3%, but this is still lower than your peak before the transfer. Most people have started to accept that we¡¯re in another world right now.


    ¡°I see. Dear God, how are we supposed to fix the economy? Lucius must¡¯ve been some sort of psychic, after that stunt he pulled a few years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Mister President, I assure you that your predecessor was no psychic. Even with the housing crisis he solved with his radical housing plan and the manufacturing jobs he brought, it still won¡¯t be enough to satisfy the shortages of goods, primarily electronic components.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve got good news.¡±


    ¡°That, we do have Mister President.¡±


    Irwin immediately shot up from his seat. ¡°Continue,¡± he said, leaning forward anxiously.


    ¡°The equipment we sent to Anzuri, Azuria¡¯s capital city, has helped tremendously in the survey. The Kingdom of Azuria has remarkably fertile land, capable of producing any type of food we need. The coffee seeds we gave them to plant grew perfectly healthy in just hours with the help of their mages and something they called Magical Gems. If we can get them on our side, I expect no shortages in exotic foodstuffs and even traditional crops like wheat.¡±


    President Irwin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s very good. Is there more?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Loyd scratched his head as he read among the report. ¡°About that fertile land, the Azurians said that it was blessed by a goddess named Miritta a few hundred years back, so the land has never had a crop failure. The locals said that their land is also capable of self-healing itself after a short period of about three days to a week, though we have yet to verify the validity of the claim.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ usually I would¡¯ve dismissed such a child-like story, but we¡¯re in another world. Send it to the Rural Development Agency, maybe they can figure out something.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already working on it, Mister President.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯d task them personally, so I preemptively request them first on your behalf to save you valuable time. I¡¯m sorry if that bothers you, Mister President.¡±


    Irwin lets out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re just doing your job.¡±


    ¡°You can trust me with matters like this, Mister President, don¡¯t overwork yourself with little matters like this.¡±


    ¡°This is the second time you¡¯ve said that to me.¡± Irwin chuckles.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll continue to say so to you if you¡¯re committed to doing everything personally.¡±


    ¡°As you will.¡±


    Irwin grabs another report file containing a different country this time. ¡°What¡¯s this? The Principality of Lior?¡± He checks the red note stuck on the folder. ¡°Why did you mark this as a high priority entity, Loyd?¡±


    ¡°The Principality of Lior, east of Azuria, has a lot of barren fields filled with what the locals have deemed as ¡®burning water¡¯ or ¡®black water¡¯.¡± Loyd gave out a light smirk to the President. ¡°You know what this means, don¡¯t you sir?¡±


    ¡°Oil¡­¡± Irwin flipped the pages, reading through the reports on resource discovery. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ excellent news for the economy!¡± he sat down on his chair, clapping as he gave out a loud laugh, barely containing his excitement. ¡°Woo! Finally! We can stop using the emergency wartime reserves that were meant to be used against the Socialists!¡±


    Loyd interrupts him. ¡°However Mister President, it seems like we¡¯re not the only ones who might be interested in those lands.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± Irwin turns his head around slowly.


    ¡°There¡¯s another entity we might have to worry about.¡± Loyd put down a stack of pictures pulled from the document box. ¡°To Azuria¡¯s western border is the Yarian Empire. Our attempt to communicate with them has failed as they do not accept outsiders. From information that I can gather from both Ambassador Anderson and Ambassador Reiker, assigned to the Kingdom of Azuria and the Principality of Lior respectively, the people living in those countries feared living under the Yarians as they are known to treat those under them with extreme prejudice. Their human population is relatively low however, and they mostly use what the Azurians described as ¡®goblins¡¯ to attack in waves to devour the men and use their women to repopulate after conquest. A few neighboring kingdoms have already fallen just a few years prior according to the Azurian, with a prominent one being the Elvish Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I have more photos of evidence from reconnaissance flights, Mister President.¡± Loyd held out a folder in his hand, but he pulled it back. ¡°However, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d want to see that kind of stuff. The pilots who took those pictures have to have a few days off after spending hours taking these detailed pictures and films.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Irwin leaned back into the headrest, contemplating his next course of actions.


    If these Yarian barbarians get their way then all hope of an economic recovery would be lost, not to mention the millions of lives that would be lost and/or placed in a situation worse than Hell. Azuria and Lior are currently representing the United Federation¡¯s potential breadbasket and goldmine respectively, losing them would also mean that this country would descend into chaos without importation of food and raw resources. Chaos would break out, wartime military stockpiles would¡¯ve been looted, and even worse things that Irwin couldn¡¯t bring himself to imagine happening to his country.


    Knowing what needs to be done, President Irwin lifted his head up. ¡°What can we spare?¡±


    ¡°Luckily, the 7th Carrier Task Force is already near Azuria and a company of 5th Mechanized Marines is already in Anzuri itself. We can send the rest of the 5th Marine Mechanized Infantry Brigade along with their equipment as they are already ready for emergency deployment, being one of the high-readiness brigades, thanks to the Socialists for that. The Seventh Task Force and Ninth Expeditionary Task Force can provide covering fire and logistics for the brigade.¡±


    ¡°Prepare them for deployment, I want assets on the ground by next week.¡± Irwin said with a strong determination in his voice, not wanting to compromise on the cost of such a large military deployment in a precarious time like this. The United Federation¡¯s existence depends on what Azuria and Lior offered. ¡°What else is there?¡±


    ¡°About what we¡¯ve discovered, Mister President.¡± Loyd turned the page again, showing Irwin several pictures. ¡°We¡¯ve detected traces of chemical pollutants from some of the landmass far west. In particular, there are two landmasses to the west which produce a lot of chemical and light pollution, as identified by our satellites. There is a small land gap connecting the two landmass together, we¡¯ve spotted quite a lot of what we assumed to be military buildups.¡± Loyd puts down a picture of a naval fleet. ¡°Further investigation by our secret digital spy satellites discovered the presence of warships similar to the Imperial era, around 60 years ago, albeit quite smaller in comparison to our ship. This is only one of the continents, however. We¡¯re still trying to scout out the other landmass to the north and the far west, they looked quite a bit larger.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ interesting. Have our satellites take a closer look next time they pass by that area and keep on scouting. What is our relation with the Principality of Lior and the Kingdom of Azuria currently?¡±


    ¡°Ambassador Reiker is still negotiating with the Liori about terms to secure mining rights in exchange for protection, while Ambassador Anderson has already returned to Arden an hour ago with a small Azurian delegation.¡± Loyd flipped over to the next page of the report, his eyes twitching slightly in confusion at the strange picture attached along with the page. ¡°One of the many new minerals we found were Magical Gems, as the people of this world called them.¡±


    ¡°Magical gems?¡± Irwin asked, intrigued about the mentioning of unknown materials.


    ¡°Yes, Mister President. We have discovered several new types of ores, especially magical gems.¡± Loyd explained. ¡°Apparently, these gems have the capability to store and discharge energy much like the lithium ion batteries that we produced. What makes them different however is that they have different properties depending on what type of gems they are, some produce fire while others produce water when applied with small amounts of energy from the outside. Some Azurians and Liories use these gems as an energy source for daily activities and needs, since they have the capability to use ¡®mana¡¯ as they described.¡±


    ¡°We might want to investigate that, contact the Resource Development Agency to look into ways to utilize the magical gems, perhaps we can use them for ourselves to stop having to import so much oil for energy. If we can prove they are safe to use, we''ll release it to the market.¡±


    ¡°I already did so, sir.¡±


    ¡°You know me too well, Loyd¡­¡±


    ¡°As always, Mister President. The Azurian delegation will be arriving in fifteen minutes, you may want to freshen up for the meeting.¡± Loyd gives out a farewell nod and exits the office.


    ¨C ¨C


    A pair of anachronistically dressed individuals entered the room. President Irwin easily identified them as Azurian delegates thanks to the brochure sent by the Department of State, his eyes darting around in fascination at their outfits and facial features.


    ¡°Mister President,¡± Ambassador Anderson greeted.


    President Irwin stood up. ¡°Welcome back, Ambassador.¡± He greeted, turning to the Azurians. ¡°And you two must be the delegates from the Kingdom of Azuria. I¡¯m President Irwin Patris. Welcome to the United Federation of Elysia!¡±


    The pair bowed, with Ruprecht stepping forward to address him. ¡°Thank you for your endless hospitality, President Irwin Patris of the United Federation of Elysia.¡±


    ¡°Please, no need for such long titles.¡± Irwin shook hands with the delegates. ¡°You may refer to me as President Irwin, or Mister President if you so please, even Irwin is fine.¡±


    Ruprecht was taken back by the lack of formality from their leader, who treated him and Evatyr more like house guests rather than delegates. Coming from the leader of such a technologically advanced and powerful country, the warm welcome was certainly a surprise for Ruprecht. Even the Celestials wouldn¡¯t treat Azuria like a close equal like how the Elysian President is right now.¡±


    After exchanging pleasantries, President Lee led the delegation to a conference room, where his cabinet was already present. Taking their seats, the Azurians felt their hearts pounding in nervousness and anticipation.


    ¡°The first topic we¡¯ll be discussing is trade,¡± Anderson began, giving Ruprecht and Evatyr a detailed list of imports.


    President Irwin spoke. ¡°On Elysia, our home world, we used to import exotic food from all over the planet, which could only be grown only in certain environments.¡± He gave Ruprecht a list. ¡°For starters, we¡¯re interested in importing about 120 to 150 million tons of these food products each year.¡±


    Ruprecht read through the list. Some items were familiar to him, such as wheat and coffee beans since his people grow wheat for food as well as for export and coffee beans, due to having seen Anderson and his guards using them to make drinks which had a strange rejuvenating effect much like tea. Other items were much more alien to him such as bananas, durians, lychee, grapes and peppers. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know what most of the items on this list are, but I assure you that Azuria can produce these items in sufficient quantities thanks to Goddess Miritta¡¯s blessings.¡±


    Ruprecht let out a defeat sigh. ¡°However¡­ The Kingdom of Azuria does not have the capability to export such massive amounts of food overseas, as most of our trade is done over land to the Principality of Lior in exchange for minerals. We would¡¯ve exported such an amount if we could, but our ports would be overwhelmed quickly by the amount of goods.¡±


    President Irwin looked at the Secretary of State, who was already writing down notes for the Office of Foreign Affairs. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that, Sir Ruprecht. We can provide the necessary infrastructural modifications for the kingdom through foreign investments and a trade agreement. From the development of a railroad system to the expansion of your ports, even the construction of airports could be done. You may also view our agricultural machines and we can discuss corporate investments later on, would that be fine?¡±


    Ruprecht¡¯s worries were lifted, finding President Irwin¡¯s incredible offerings extremely lucrative. ¡°Your generosity knows no bounds,¡± he bowed his head slightly and gave the list to Evatyr to read and make notes. ¡°The Kingdom of Azuria will happily accept your offering.¡±


    Irwin smiled, giving the Azurian delegation a small stack of papers about trade terms and the sharing of knowledge. ¡°About the trade and cooperative agreements we¡¯re proposing,¡± He said, flipping the page for Ruprecht personally. ¡°The United Federation of Elysia believed in the free market and the free exchange of goods, so there would be no tariffs or taxes levied on any goods coming into and exporting out of our country. We would like the Kingdom of Azuria to do the same, to accept and embrace a free trade treaty with the United Federation.¡±


    Ruprecht thought about it for a moment. A free trade treaty meant that the Kingdom would lose out on income from tariffs, as well as power stemming from the ability to cut food off to pressure others like how the Duke did with the Liories. But Azuria has no leverage this time as militarily, Azuria is inferior in every way, not to mention they¡¯re already busy preparing for the Yarian barbarians to make their move.


    The United Federation may mostly depend on the importation of food from the outside, and only Azuria could provide such an amount needed to feed their population, but they are militarily powerful. If he doesn¡¯t accept this politically and economically unfavorable term, then it may force the Elysian¡¯s hand into more radical options, perhaps even direct invasion to secure a source of food for themselves.


    Either way, he only has two options: One is to deny the free trade treaty to preserve Azuria¡¯s power, turning the Elysians away and may force them into becoming an enemy that Azuria could never possibly beat. Two is to accept the free trade treaty, allowing the free exchange of goods as well as extensive investments of Elysian-owned businesses into the Kingdom but accepting giving away the ability to sanction as a diplomatic tool. The answer seemed too simple, laughably so, even.


    Ruprecht leaned forward, crossing his fingers on the table. ¡°The Kingdom of Azuria will accept,¡± he paused, letting the weight of his upcoming demand come in. ¡°under some additional agreements.¡±


    Irwin smiled. ¡°It¡¯s about security guarantee, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Ruprecht raised an eyebrow, surprised by how this distant ruler even knows about Azuria¡¯s current threat of Yarian barbarians on their western border.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Anderson joined in, aiding the President. ¡°We have superior spying capabilities, sir Ruprecht. The more information you can gather before arriving at the negotiating table, the more leverages and advantages you¡¯d have.¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°A security guarantee is a must for us, sir Ruprecht, if we were to commit to protecting our only source of food import. That goes for the Liories too, for their mineral wealth. Even if we didn¡¯t have any investments put into Azuria and Lior, it would still be a terrific loss for us economically and politically if the Yarians took everything for themselves and burned the entire kingdom down.¡±


    Relieved by the guarantee, Evatyr asked the Elysians. ¡°But how quickly can you deploy reinforcement? The Yarian¡¯s attack is but a week or two away, how can you be sure that you could assist in time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Miss Evatyr,¡± President Irwin said, giving a reassuring smile. ¡°Our 5th Mechanized Marine Brigade is already preparing for deployment, give them several days and they will arrive in Azuria with armored support.¡±


    A single brigade is only around four to five thousand men, Ruprecht thought. A small number for sure, but he couldn¡¯t complain. ¡°Azuria is still in the process of drafting additional levies, so we have around twenty five to thirty thousand men prepared for war. The United Federation¡¯s aid would¡¯ve been a good increase in manpower, we wholeheartedly thank you, Mister President. With this, Duke Kalush will most likely look past the windfall of the free trade agreements.¡±


    ¡°The Duke needn¡¯t worry much, sir Ruprecht. The investment we¡¯d be making would turn everyone wealthy, as long we keep the barbarians under control. Isn¡¯t that right, Mister Raynard?¡± Irwin turned to the Secretary of the Department of War.


    ¡°It seems that, since we¡¯re already on the topic of military interventionism, there are a few other things we would need you to agree to.¡± The man in a modestly decorated military uniform said, his voice maintaining a firm tone as he spoke. ¡°The United Federation would like to offer Azuria payments in exchange for establishing an Elysian military presence in the country via bases under our jurisdictions, not only to deter potential threats to Azuria but to train alongside Azurian military personnel for future joint operations to share the burden of security.¡±


    The offer was a surprise to Ruprecht and Evatyr, who found themselves divided on the implications of the offerings. Multiple military bases and outposts within the kingdom itself, while they would secure Azuria¡¯s existence, would also give the Elysians further logistic capability to spread their influence elsewhere beyond, virtually guaranteeing their dominance within the Eastern Continent without bloodshed. But the Duke¡¯s wishes were clear the moment they left for the United Federation: He wanted security guarantees, everything else was secondary. Besides, the Principality of Lior would¡¯ve accepted this offering, as long as they¡¯re getting paid handsomely for their mineral wealth just as Azuria would be for the crops they would be exporting.


    At least the Elysians would be paying the Kingdom for the rights to establish bases, Ruprecht thought. ¡°That would be most beneficial for both. The Kingdom of Azuria accepts this agreement.¡±


    ¡°Next up is about the exchange of knowledge and technology.¡± Anderson announced.


    The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marvin Archer, turned to Evatyr to begin a series of requests. ¡°Miss Evatyr. We would like to know more about this world, what it holds and any other knowledge your people may know. It would be most beneficial for both parties if we work together in this regard; most knowledge in the United Federation would be available for access by Azurian scholars, and we would like to have complete access to any archive your kingdom may have. We would also like to have complete access to your educational institutions, if there are any, in order to help with institutional building.¡±


    Evatyr turns to Ruprecht, confirming his go-ahead nod. ¡°Currently, Azuria has bountiful knowledge of the Eastern Continent within our archives, including geography, biology, history and tales of our beloved Goddess. Sharing it for vast amounts of knowledge and technology with an advanced mechanical country would drastically change our way of life.¡± She paused, feeling a divide in her mind. ¡°I do not know how to feel about this.¡±


    ¡°I understand your conflict, Miss Evatyr. We were also faced with a difficult decision when it comes to the sharing of knowledge, many within these halls are against sharing knowledge and technology with anyone outside the United Federation. But I have the final say, and I believe that the free exchange of knowledge would benefit us all in the long term, and that it is better for the Kingdom of Azuria to have access to advanced technology to better not only for themselves, but also for the benefit of the United Federation.¡± Marvin explained his reasoning.


    ¡°Perhaps you are correct, sir Marvin.¡± She turned back to Ruprecht, who gave her a smile before turning to President Irwin. ¡°The Kingdom of Azuria accepts this agreement as well.¡±


    ¡°That closes it then.¡± Irwin stood up, offering Ruprecht and Evatyr each a handshake. ¡°To the future.¡±


    Ruprecht reaches out, shaking the President¡¯s hand. ¡°To the future.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    The pair sat on a bench outside the small garden of the Presidential Complex, observing the stream of people and trains moving in the distance under towering complexes, each painted in different colors and styles, yet all were functional in appearance.


    Ruprecht sat on the bench, deep in thought. This is the Elysian¡¯s capital, the symbol of their pride and their ingenuity, but also a display of what they are capable of. He wonders if Azuria would look like this one day, when the simple daily lives of farmers are replaced by¡­ this. Old wooden houses replaced by towering complexes of steel and concrete, cart wagons dragged by horses replaced with trains dragged by locomotives, and the farmer¡¯s sickle replaced by agricultural machines that could harvest in one day what an entire village would be able to do in a week.


    ¡°Would you be fine with this, Lady Miritta?¡± He said, leaning back on the wooden bench as he let out a sigh.


    Evatyr sat next to him, closing a copy of the treaty that they had just signed. ¡°I think the Goddess would have approved of this. Afterall, all she wanted was for us to prosper by any way we saw fit with her gift of everlasting bountiful harvests. She didn¡¯t want to rule over us unlike the other Gods, letting us choose our own paths instead.¡±


    He looked over to his right, staring into her eyes. ¡°You really think this will work, Evatyr?¡±


    ¡°I have hope.¡± She answered with a reassuring smile.


    Oh how bright her smile was, Ruprecht¡¯s mind raced as if he had fallen in love again, with the same person he always did, no less. If only they weren¡¯t on the most important job in Azuria¡¯s history, he would¡¯ve taken her to bed at that moment to give her as much love as he could¡¯ve.


    ¡°Maybe we can settle down, focus on our lives together instead of working endlessly like this.¡± Ruprecht said, his hand fiddling around with Evatyr¡¯s smaller hand, wrapping his fingers around hers.


    Taking a deep breath, Evatyr leaned on his shoulder after taking in a deep breath and closed her eyes. ¡°After this is over, I promise.¡±


    <hr>


    Presidential Office, Arden. United Federation of Elysia.


    Two weeks later. May 24th, 1427.


    President Irwin twirled a pen around his fingers as he listened to Loyd¡¯s detailed report, processing the information being read to him.


    ¡°... and with the approval of the Department of Health as well as the Department of State, we¡¯ve issued permits for our companies to start sending construction workers and additional surveyors over to Azuria and Liori.¡± His assistant said.


    Irwin let out a relief sigh. ¡°That¡¯s great. We can begin our economic recovery, probably even ending the emergency rationing in a month and helping us stabilize the economy.¡± He turned on the TV in the office, switching to the Arden Daily channel.


    Live footage of what remained of the former border with the Socialist Republic of Yarik appeared, slightly choppy due to bad signal but watchable nonetheless. The border fences, walls and guard towers, symbols of Socialist resolve and commitment to walling in their own people now stood without purpose, with some part of the wall being dismantled by confused but overall cheerful citizens of the United Federation who were happy that their old threat was now gone.


    ¡°Good afternoon sir. What are you celebrating here?¡± A blonde reporter asked an old man in a greying Marine uniform, his chest pinned with many ribbons from wars long ago, but still within Irwin¡¯s living memory.


    ¡°The Reds are gone! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this happened, but thank God for this!¡±


    ¡°Now that the government has announced the shocking news that we¡¯re in another world now, what do you make of this?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I¡¯m sure not gonna fight another war abroad for nothing!¡±


    ¡°Many people have shared your sentiment as well, sir. They said that since we¡¯re in a new world, we could start anew. The delegation from the Kingdom of Azuria have expressed their cooperation with the current administration recently, what do you think of this?¡±


    ¡°People who want to work with us are rare, so I think the deal that President Irwin made with them is a good show of faith for both sides. While I don¡¯t like his decision to push for troop deployment to Azuria and the so-called ¡®Eastern Continent¡¯, I do see the reasoning. Young lady, we¡¯re in precarious times, hard decisions had to be taken.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you concerned by the recent rationing and government crackdown on protests, sir?¡±


    The old veteran chuckled. ¡°Not. one. Bit. Ha! I¡¯ve seen worse¡­ much worse. I lived on cans upon cans of C-ration for weeks on end back then with the Rostislavs before they joined us, not being able to have meat for a few days is nothing. Here¡¯s what I have to say: Those so-called protestors should just get a job, it keeps y¡¯all out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the interview sir.¡± The reporter said, turning to face the camera. ¡°We¡¯ll be back momentarily to bring you the newest informati-¡±


    Irwin turns the TV off, finding the general opinion to be relatively positive even if the population has mixed feelings about his administration, sipping on his cup of coffee.


    He turned to Loyd, thinking of the issues with the economy. ¡°Did Secretary Lyn get my message?¡± Irwin asked. ¡°I need her help to increase the funds available to construction companies. A lot of them are still wary about the circumstances, so we need to be able to reassure them with federal backings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s agreed to help out and is currently pushing for additional funding, but she¡¯s struggling to justify your cause. Everyone else is fighting for the money, declaring their plans to be the most important, Mister President.¡± His assistant described the situation, slightly disappointed at the pointless bickering within the Federal Parliament.


    ¡°What, two trillion Credits ain¡¯t enough? We need to construct at least two hundred billion, but preferably two-fifty or three hundred billions Credits worth of infrastructure into Azuria to ensure that they can export to us what we need.¡± Irwin said, frustrated by the lack of focus with people under him at the most inconvenient times. ¡°I¡¯m gonna contact the Azurian embassy later to make sure that Azuria can and could make a proper case for our investments. Wait, we aren¡¯t spending on foreign aid right now, why can¡¯t we just siphon the funds from that for loans to Azuria?¡±


    Loyd scratched his head, ¡°Uhhh¡­ Secretary Yosef Yechezkel in the Department of Treasury had already removed almost everything related to foreign affairs since Azuria doesn¡¯t seem to be a good case for investments. Saying something along the lines of ¡®too little infrastructure present¡¯ or ¡®too uneducated to operate heavy machineries.¡¯ something like that as justification. He thought it would be better for us to be self-sufficient by investing in our own agriculture due to new technologies emerging as well as new GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism, in this context is referring to crops) which yield much better results.¡±


    ¡°God damn it¡­! Doesn¡¯t he realize that we¡¯re in no position to be self-sufficient right now?! Oh, for fuck sake... Remind me to give him a call later. The emergency wartime grain stockpile won¡¯t last more than a year if we can¡¯t get food imports.¡± Irwin calms down, putting his hand on the work desk. ¡°Now, anything else?¡±


    Loyd flipped through the report. ¡°The Department of War have reported large troop concentrations along Azuria¡¯s border, estimation range between 85 to 100 thousand strong, mostly consisting of Goblins but there¡¯s also wyverns and larger beasts we have yet to identify as well as horse cavalry.¡±


    ¡°We knew they¡¯d come, eventually.¡± Irwin comments. ¡°How is the construction of our base in Azuria going?¡±


    ¡°Almost completed sir, all thanks to the shipments of pre-built kits, but we still need another week to finish establishing the hangars and infrastructure for the Air Force¡¯s F-27 fighter aircrafts, while LA-12 light attackers and LF-54 light fighters have been deployed in theater already and is currenting engaging in surveillance and intelligence gathering since those don¡¯t need long runways.¡±


    ¡°I see why Azuria was so desperate for a defense treaty. How many troops does Azuria have? 50 thousand?¡±


    Loyd flipped through the report, sighing. ¡°Only around twenty-five to thirty thousand in their standing army currently. That figure takes in their war time militias as well, who may not be well trained nor trained at all. They mostly use spears, swords and bows as well as a few mages for rear line support but they aren¡¯t confident that they can hold out for long as even the goblins they¡¯re facing can use basic hand weapons, not to mention the Yarian¡¯s wyverns which they have few defenses against but to use their own wyverns to counter.¡±


    ¡°So just by pure numbers, they¡¯re overwhelmed¡­¡± Irwin comments, burying his face into his hands. Azuria was already at a huge disadvantage before the fight even began, even if they managed to hold it by themselves, there¡¯s no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed. The situation honestly reminded Irwin of the situation that the United Federation faced just beyond the northern border before the Transference. The massive combined Socialist armies had nearly a hundred thousand tanks ready to flood the free world with their degenerate red banners, while the United Federation can only muster fifteen thousands at most when mobilized. An uphill battle, he must admit.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the first wave sir, they have bred enough goblins from previously conquered territories to send at least two more waves of similar scale.¡± Loyd said, his expression suddenly changed to be more cheerful. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Mister President. The ammunition stockpile will come in handy, the Socialists are gone but that doesn¡¯t mean we have nothing to shoot at. It¡¯ll be a spectacle for the FNC (Federal News Corporation). The people would probably agree with this war, seeing how barbaric the Yarians are to others after they finish with their coverage of the war and the upcoming trade boom between us and the two countries.¡±


    Irwin lifts his face up. ¡°How¡¯d they breed so quickly? Those uhhh¡­ goblins and orcs that these so-called barbarians had. They have like what, a twenty to thirty percent increase in number in a week? How¡¯s that possible?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t read it, Mister President?¡± Loyd asked.


    Irwin tilted his head, puzzled by his assistant¡¯s question. ¡°Read what?


    Loyd reached down to the stacks of paper next to the President, picking the one with satellite photos included in the intelligence report. ¡°This one, sir. But I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d want to see the detailed report. It made me a bit nauseous to just look through, but I can summarize for you.¡±


    Irwin sighs, he had seen enough throughout his time as a politician, and as an FSS (Federal Security Service) officer before that, to bear witness to all the gruesome details of the war crimes committed all over the United Federation¡¯s homeworld. Massacres, bombings, unspeakable crimes. Perhaps his assistant just didn¡¯t know what kind of things he had seen, he thought. ¡°No need this time, Loyd. Give it to me.¡±


    He opens the document. The file is short, but enough for a quick read. This one in particular is about what kind of threats that they¡¯d be facing, detailing traits and studies of captured goblins and dark orcs within Azurian dungeons by hired adventurers and mercenaries.


    According to historical documentation which dates back to hundreds of years, goblins and dark orcs were among the worst among the so-called ¡®dark races¡¯, found in mostly the Eastern Continent. Different from the demi-humans of the Eastern Continent - who had intelligence on par with their human counterpart as well as animalistic appearance, the dark races often display hyper-aggression to anyone who doesn¡¯t belong to their group of species.


    Dark orcs are mostly low-intelligent species, focusing more on brute force and much larger size to over-power and kill anything in their way, while goblins are far smaller but attack in groups of a dozen or more. The only thing that made these dark races is that they can only reproduce through other humanoid species, whether they are human or demi-humans. Rape is a common theme of investigation during Irwin¡¯s time as an FSS officer working abroad investigating fascists and socialists, so he was already accustomed to the brutality involved, this time was worse though, much worse.


    Irwin recalled a biology class he had taken a long time ago in high school, before he had joined the Army as a conscript, something about genetics that determine what racial traits a child inherits from their parents. Whatever these dark races contain genetically, clearly is not normal. No orc and goblin children born from their rape victims has any sembalance of human nor demi-human traits, both in intelligence and behavior, only the base traits of dark races.


    ¡°How¡¯d these Yarians control these dark races? I thought they all attacked humans.¡± Irwin asked his assistant.


    ¡°The dark races might be more muscle than brain, but they¡¯re not completely so sir. Their behaviors could be compared to domestic animals like cats or dogs, and the Yarians could train them from birth to follow their command if you reward them with what they want, Mister President.¡±


    Irwin facepalms again. ¡°Let me guess¡­ women as breeders and male as food.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Loyd nods. ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well shit.¡± He stood upward, pacing around the room. ¡°I¡¯ll submit a proposal to the Federal Parliament to designate these so-called ¡®dark races¡¯ as a threat to humanity, probably shouldn¡¯t be too hard to pass though as Azuria has plenty of evidence in their archives and libraries, plus the FNC (Federal News Channel) would probably paint these dark races in a bad light to justify their eventual eradication.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Loyd. So what¡¯s the expected outcome if they do attack?¡±


    ¡°Complete victory within a week sir, the Yarian territories are about the same size as Azuria and their formations are often highly concentrated. Easy target for cluster and chemical strikes. Having superior strategic mobility than the Azurian on foot and horses, the 5th Mechanized Marine Brigade can arrive at the Yarian¡¯s capital in around a week from the Azurian border on foot or around three days on trucks. The Department of War have also provided additional trucks and radio equipment for the Azurians to move them along with the 5th Marine. I¡¯m impressed though, some of them learn to drive vehicles relatively quickly.¡±


    ¡°Well, my old man threw me into his truck¡¯s driver seat and I learned to drive in a week.¡± Irwin chuckles. ¡°You should be the spokesperson for the Department of War, working for me like this seems like a waste.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Mister President. You would miss me if I did.¡± Loyd smiles in return.


    He continues, flipping pages on the report given to the President. ¡°Also, the Department of War have requested additional funding to put up new satellites and procure new equipment. Because this world is far larger than Elysium, we needed more satellites to compensate for the increased surface area.¡±


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± Irwin reflected about the fact, putting his pen down. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the Secretary of War later. See to it that Evalyn Aerospace gets what they need to build more COMSATs and SPYSATs.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Mister President. I¡¯ll see you later once I get something new.¡± Loyd closes the folder and exits the office.

 Chapter 7: War in the Eastern Continent.

    Somewhere in northeastern Azuria.


    June 10th, 1427.


    Brigadier General Stanford stepped off a UH-24 helicopter powering down its ducted rotors, setting his foot on the fine, white Azurian beach sand. This would be a nice place for vacation, he thought. No air pollution, no noisy drunkards and no stress¡­ What a wonderful place. Had it not been for what he¡¯s here for, he¡¯d love to spend some R&R in Azuria.


    He looked out to the sea, observing the six large ships - two Anchorite-class amphibious assault ships and four Yelyzaveta-class landing platform dock ships patiently as they unload the vehicles and men carried within their hulls and onto the beach via several LCUs (Landing Craft Utility). Several Fisher-class frigates also stood firm in the water, protecting the amphibious assault ships as they continued to unload their cargo onto the beach.


    A deployment of this size by the 9th and 10th Marine Expeditionary Task Forces hasn¡¯t been done ever since the United Federation¡¯s intervention in Yunna in their homeworld a couple years back, but this time it was different. The stake wasn¡¯t creating an ally or spreading the country¡¯s influence, it was for the United Federation¡¯s existence itself, or so he was told.


    Major Eli stepped off from a different helicopter, signaling the helicopter¡¯s pilot to move back to the ship to join the unloading effort. Having been transferred from Anzuri City, he was here to help the Brigadier General to coordinate combat operations in this new land. He adjusted his red-colored beret, setting it straight before saluting to Stanford. ¡°Good afternoon, General.¡±


    ¡°At ease, son.¡± Stanford said, walking along the beach with the Major. ¡°Not even a decade and we¡¯re already doing another foreign intervention¡­¡± He sighs.


    ¡°A shame, General.¡± Eli said. ¡°But one that President Irwin deemed necessary.¡±


    ¡°Necessity is all political talk nowadays, Major. I lost too many good men throughout the years. They had to pull me out of retirement for this shit, guess I¡¯d have to be in the Corps for another while until they got this clusterfuck sorted out.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for asking, General. But why not return to the Corp as an advisor? You have the experience and citations, not to mention multiple medals. The brass would¡¯ve gladly agreed to let you become an advisor to new leaderships, no?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t trust any idiots out of officer school nowadays to be in charge of this brigade. I served in the Corps for thirty years already, this is home for me, nothing else would replace it.¡± Stanford stopped before turning to his back, noticing a number of Azurians in brightly colored suits of armor standing guard, stopping several villagers nearby from approaching the Marines landing on the beach out of curiosity.


    Stanford felt a strange, yet familiar excitement in his heart at the sight of these fantasy-like folks. He had been in the Marines for as long as he remembered, even down to the day he saw that recruitment poster on the wall in his old neighborhood when he was a broke and homeless teenager living under a bridge. ¡®Join the Marines today!¡¯, ¡®See the World!¡¯, he remembered. Although he joined out of desperation, the Marine Corps became his home through the years. It¡¯s a tough life, filled with many sorrows, but that motto of the Marine Corp was drilled into him: ¡®No challenges too difficult. No sacrifices too great.¡¯


    He met eyes with some children waving at him, their expressions cheerful and welcoming, others puzzled and surprised, mostly at the armored vehicles they¡¯re unloading and the ships carrying them. Some of them have animal features but others are just straight up humanoid-looking animals, they continued to wave at him and the landing Marines.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Stanford pauses, taking in a deep breath. ¡°This isn¡¯t so bad. Maybe we are doing good deeds this time.¡±


    Stanford turns back to Eli. ¡°Major, I want you to brief me on the situation. What kind of threats, terrains, operational theater and more.¡±


    ¡°Your command vehicle is here. Follow me, General.¡± Eli points at the MT-CV Canyuza command vehicle driving off an LCU landing craft.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done.¡±


    <hr>


    Lasselanta, Yarian Empire. 12 km from the border with the Kingdom of Azuria.


    June 16th, 1427.


    The Yarian Empire is known to be extremely harsh, most likely the worst place one could find themselves being in. All around, there are nothing but large plantations, filled with slaves and their masters either wiping or torturing them if they fail to keep up with the quota. Large beasts were used in fieldwork, not for their muscles but for their intimidating appearance and to tear any inobedient slaves who were chained to the beast itself. Conquered settlements would be used for goblin breeding, with slave women being sent inside repurposed houses to seal their fate for the goblins to endlessly breed with until they died of exhaustion.


    ¡°So, tell me about the war preparations,¡± a kingly man ordered, ignoring the brutality around him.


    Hawk Yaria, the third king of the Yarian Empire, was a man who wished to carry out the Yarian dream of conquest more so than his father. His father managed to tame the goblins, a feat once thought impossible and conquered half of the continent using them before succumbing to illness, unable to complete the dream himself. His grandfather has established the Empire, bringing order while his father expanded it, bringing the monsters which roamed the land under his control to carry out his conquests.


    ¡°King Yaria,¡± a muscular knight in silver armor kneeled. ¡°We are nigh ready to commence the assault. One hundred thousand goblins of our vanguard force as well as fifteen thousand men are ready by the border of Azuria, ready to annihilate the Azurian lowlives.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± King Yaria responded as he allowed several servants to tend to his beard. ¡°And of the mysterious new allies of the Azurians?¡±


    ¡°From what I have heard from rumors, the so-called ¡®United Federation of Elysia¡¯ is an island nation almost as large as our great Empire after we conquered the Elvish. I do not think this is reasonable, since it would be impossible for anyone to have missed such a large landmass so close to our continent. It is much more likely that Elysia is but a small island country, situated on several island chains to the east of Azuria beyond the Great Sea. They are a land without wyverns, so I doubt they pose any threat to our goals. It seems that they like to make up far-fetched claims about ridiculously advanced machines of theirs in order to convince the Azurian to seek an alliance with them, how pathetic they are!¡± Adem let out a small laugh.


    ¡°Our capacity to upkeep these lowly goblins is reaching its limit, General Adem. We do not have much time left to begin the attack. Tell me, what do you think would happen if we attack?


    Adem flashed a confident grin. ¡°My King, Azuria may be large, but they are a nation of farmers and lowly demihumans. Their military is at most a tenth of our own, if we count the goblins. The Principality of Lior, their ally, is the poorest kingdom in the world and their will to fight is but non-existence. They will yield to your rule after we conquer Azuria and cut them off from their vital food supplies. After that, our mages will release the disease on these lowly goblins to make way for our resettlement of the land.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, excellent. Inspect the men, ensure that they are ready.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Outskirts of Avatia


    Yarian Eastern Conquest Army.


    Lieutenant General Adem stood upon a hill, admiring the vastness of his army. With the order to attack scheduled in just a few moments, he wanted to take one last savory look at the amassing horde of goblins, soldiers and wyverns.


    ¡°Beautiful, aren¡¯t they?¡± A voice said behind him.


    ¡°My King!¡± He kneeled. ¡°They are indeed, beautiful. But nothing is more beautiful than seeing the continent united under your banners!¡±


    King Yaria glances back and forth between Adem and his army of ex-bandits, ¡°Once this war is concluded, I shall appoint you as governor of would-be conquered Azuria for your work. You can have anything you would ever want.¡±


    ¡°Words cannot describe my joy upon hearing those words, my King.¡± Adem smiled sinisterly as he pulled a magical communication device to his mouth. ¡°Men, it is time. Commence the attack! Release the first wave!¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Avatia, Kingdom of Azuria.


    From what Captain Parva¡¯s scouts could determine, the Yarian forces just outside of Avatia consisted of around a hundred thousands goblins and at least ten thousand men. Most were swordsmen, but what worried him was the number of wyverns at their disposal. Boasting the firepower of more than two hundred wyverns, the defenders of Avatia couldn¡¯t stand a chance. The best they can do is buy time for the citizens to flee. Upon hearing the horns of the advancing horde, Parva felt despair. The evacuation had barely begun, and there was no way all of the citizens of Avatia could flee in time, even if Parva¡¯s men fought to the last man.


    ¡°Has headquarters said anything about our allies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. They said that the Elysian 5th Marine Brigade is coming, but their base is constructed near Azuria so I expect them to arrive in two days on horseback at most. Their air support is coming, though.¡± The technician answered.


    ¡°What do you mean air support? I heard the Elysians don¡¯t have wyverns.¡± Parva asked the man, unknown of the details of what had occurred in the city. As someone who grew up on a farm much like everyone else in Azuria, the fact that the incoming air support wasn''t composed of wyverns from the capital like usual was strange.


    Suddenly, a faint buzzing caught his animal ears, which has enhanced hearing compared to human ears. ¡°Are you hearing something?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, sir? I heard nothing.¡±


    Stepping out of the command tent, he looked up to the sky as he looked for the strange sound. His ears wiggled around for a moment, before quickly retracting at the sudden screech.


    Dozens of streaks of light flew across the sky above him, leaving long smoke trails as they head towards the Yarian wyverns, annihilating them in a spectacle of light and fire. The large formation of buzzing and screeching metal dragons in the sky accelerates towards the Yarian positions and multiple explosions can be heard from the distance, catching the attention of the defenders. The defenders ran up to the recently constructed wooden wall, watching the rising columns of smoke in the distance. Some were confused, while others cheered as chaos erupted amongst the Yarian ranks as they halted their advances.


    The screeching ones were much faster than the buzzing ones. Flying higher, they launched more smokey arrows at the Yarian wyverns, completely decimating them with explosive magic. Several of them ran out of arrows, turning around to spat small fireballs at incredible speed at the wyvern, causing the Yarian riders to explode in a mix of gore and fire as they joined their fallen brethren in the grass field in front of Avatia. The slower machines dove down on the Yarians, dropping bombs and spitting out larger explosive magic on the Yarian¡¯s advancing goblin horde.


    Even though the Yarian ranks were disorganized from the sudden attack, some goblins still made their way to Avatia¡¯s defensive wall. Many lodged themselves into hidden spike traps, unable to move as they groaned in pain before dying of blood loss, others were cut down by pikemen as they tried to scale the wooden walls or shot by archers, their bodies tumbling down, adding to the growing pile of goblin corpses. Few managed to scale up the small wooden wall through the dead bodies before being mercilessly cut down by Azurian defenders, who stood their ground as they gave the small creatures no quarter with their blades.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As the last of the goblins were cut down, a voice rang through the mana communicator. ¡°Come in, Avatia. This is Brigadier General Stanford, how do you copy? Over.¡±


    Captain Parva picked up the communicator. ¡°We heard you, General.¡±


    ¡°Our light fighter aircrafts is already engaging hostile elements of the Yarians. The 5th Marines would be there in a few moments, I want you and your men to keep the area secured. Your reinforcement will also arrive with us. Over.¡±


    The information puts the technician and the men around the command tent at ease, with Parva unable to help himself but giving a light smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Colonel. The place will be safe in our hands. We can take care of the stranglers, leave it to us.¡±


    ¡°Solid copy, Captain. Transmission out. Over.¡±


    Parva turned around, grabbing his sword before leaving the command tent. Stepping on a ledge, his pose and attitude attracted the attention of the men in reserves.


    Seeing that his presence had been noticed sufficiently, he cleared his throat. ¡°Honorable defenders of Avatia! You all commit yourselves to a seemingly hopeless battle to buy time for the citizens of Avatia to escape, none of you are supposed to survive today.¡± Parva looked at his men, gauging their reaction. ¡°However! Our reinforcement will arrive far earlier than expected, thanks to our new ally. We all die someday, but I guarantee you all, it will not be today!¡±


    ¡°YAH!¡± The thousand men cheered as they raised their blades into the sky. Captain Avatia mobilized all of his reserves, splitting the men as one half moved to their defensive positions, firing arrows at the unorganized goblin attacks while the other half aided with the evacuation of the town, hastening the moving of cargo and children into wagons.


    The distant explosions continued for another hour as less and less goblins charged at the wooden defenses, ceasing entirely after another hour, with only silence filled in for the thick atmosphere of a dying battle. The defenses were littered with hundreds upon hundreds of goblin corpses, many hung lifelessly on the spikes while others were cut down, mangled beyond recognition if not for their green skins.


    A runner ran up to Captain Parva, informing of the situation. ¡°Sir, the Elysians reinforcements have arrived. We¡¯ve also taken care of the strangling goblins.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem.¡± Parva comments as he looks back at the long, rising trail of dust from the east.


    ¨C ¨C


    Eastern Conquest Army


    The proud wyvern squadrons of the Yarian Empire were blown to bits after the howling light arrows slammed into their formation, wyverns and riders alike fell from the sky en-mass, creating a small yet heavy rain of blood and corpses as Lieutenant General Adem and his men watched in shock. Panics started to spread as they attempted to comprehend what had happened to the wyverns. Officers ran on to check the corpses while others maintained order, wondering what just happened.


    Then, it happened.


    As if the sky was roaring, dozens of shrieking iron machines flew over Adem¡¯s army at unthinkable speed, creating a loud boom as they flew past the bewildered Yarian below them, startling the horses and men alike. The shrieking ones fired their weapons, shooting down more of his wyvern riders with ease as if their smoking arrows had a mind of their own before spitting dozens of fireballs at any remaining riders in the sky, cutting some in half with explosive magic. After his wyverns were shot down in quick succession, multiple buzzing noises followed, coming from the machines behind them.


    Unlike the other ones that came before, these flying machines were slower, but still outpace wyverns in terms of speed. They began to descend, heading straight for his army. Adem¡¯s instincts were overwhelmed, as if something terrible was going to happen in no short time. The machines dropped several objects from their wings, before quickly ascending upward.


    ¡°ENEMY BOMBS!¡± He screamed loudly upon the realization, hurriedly turning on his mana communicator. ¡°Everybody scatter!¡±


    But it was for naught, the objects splintered mid-air, scattering hundreds of smaller bomblets which turned into hundreds of explosions, consuming his army in an instance. The men and goblins in the ranks were blown up in quick succession by the explosives packed inside each bomblet.


    ¡°Shield!¡± The mages shouted, creating a magical dome to cover themselves and Adem.


    Shrapnels from the exploves pelted the hastily constructed magical dome, which quickly gave out after the bombing by the machines were done. The mages which had constructed the dome fell to their knees from exhaustion, never having conjured a spell so quickly and decisively in their life. But not everyone is unscathed, some still got injured despite the magical protective dome, but the gory sight of what had happened to the rest of the conquest army still made the mages glad they haven¡¯t joined them in death yet. Thousands of men and goblins lay dead on the field, with some lucky few who somehow survived the bombardment walking about, still comprehending the horror of what just happened.


    The mages lifted themselves up, finding Adem knocked unconscious with half of his legs shattered from shrapnels.


    ¨C ¨C


    3 km from Avatia, Kingdom of Azuria.


    5th Marine Mechanized Infantry Brigade.


    Steel ravaged the earth below, treads tearing the humble dirt road apart as hundreds of refugees stood by on the road, watching the armored vehicles rolling past them towards the border with the former Elvish Kingdom. Composed of one MT105 Casmira light tank battalion, three MT25A Catalina infantry fighting vehicle battalions, and one MT127 Catherina self-propelled howitzer battalion and a single AH-24A Orca attack helicopter regiment, the 5th Marine Mechanized Brigade spearheaded the first combat deployment by the United Federation ever since arriving in the new world.


    Marines sitting on top waves at the refugees, signaling them to make way for the vehicles as they cleared a path through to the battlefield. Some stood still, staring at the men sitting on the armored vehicles while others cheered as their own soldiers rolled past on their own trucks and horses. The helicopter regiment flew overhead at low level, kicking up dust with their dual coaxial rotors, prompting the refugees to cover themselves from the strong winds generated by the aircrafts.


    Inside his own MT-CV Canyuza armored command vehicle, Colonel Stanford cuts the transmission of the mana communication device given by the Azurian. The appearance and aesthetic of the so-called ¡®mana communicator¡¯ is wholly anachronistic to the powerful radio and computer display set sitting beside it, glowing an ominous mix of blue and white compared to the bland orange lighting used to highlight the frequency gauge of the radio set.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how the Azurians can even make this thing, seeing how their technology is still around the medieval age.¡± Colonel Stanford comments on the peculiar object. ¡°Do you know anything about this thing?¡± He asked the radio operator.


    The radio operator responded, flipping through papers and documents inside the relatively spacious command vehicle. ¡°They didn¡¯t make it, sir. According to them, these devices are imported from a country called ¡®Holy Celestial Empire¡¯. I still don¡¯t know how this thing even works,¡± he picks up a purple-colored magical gem. ¡°The Azurians said to insert this thing into the device to power it up, the rest functions more or less how our radios work, with frequency channels and all. What¡¯s strange is that the radios can¡¯t pick up the signals emitted by this thing and it can¡¯t pick up radio signals either. I¡¯ve tried for the past hour with no results.¡±


    ¡°Huh, peculiar. I¡¯ll have someone look over these things after we¡¯re done with this.¡± Colonel Stanford comments on the object. He began looking outside through the vision slit which was reinforced by armored glass, his eyes dashing between several Azurians. ¡°Looks like the refugees are ok, I¡¯ll have the aid workers set up temporary housing near Anzuri while we build up the FOB (Forward Operating Base).¡±


    The brigade moved along the dirt road without incident, arriving at the outskirts of Avatia. Even from here, the Marines could see the aftermath of a hard fought battle, discussing among themselves and the local Azurian refugees on what had happened.


    ¡°Driver, halt.¡± A voice crackled over the vehicle intercom as the vehicle came to a stop. ¡°We¡¯re here, General.¡± The vehicle commander said, putting his head down from the armored cupola. The vehicle¡¯s rear ramp drops down, allowing foul air from burnt corpses to enter the vehicle.


    Having been notified of the Marine¡¯s arrival, the Azurians defender had quickly tried to gather the remains, throwing the goblin corpses into ditches before setting them on fire with magic and torches.


    Colonel Stanford stepped outside and walked toward the awaiting Captain Parva, giving him a handshake after he finished with the usual salute. ¡°I¡¯m glad your men held up.¡±


    ¡°All thanks to the support from your iron dragons.¡± Parva replied after doing the strange gesture. His eyes are still half-puzzled and bewildered at the long lines of vehicles behind the General in front of him.


    ¡°Tough fight, I assumed, Captain?¡± Stanford asked the half-beastman with the animal ears, looking at the burning ditches where they had tossed the goblin corpses into.


    ¡°Uh- Ahem.¡± He composes himself, realizing he¡¯s talking to a General. ¡°The goblins shan¡¯t give up their charge once they¡¯ve been pushed to attack by their tamers, unfortunately those are nowhere to be seen yet thus we have yet to return them the favor of attacking us.¡±


    ¡°You did a fine job, Captain Parva. Don¡¯t be let down so easily.¡± Stanford patted the Captain¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll take them on in the early dawn. Come with me, I need your help with something.¡±


    Stanford invites Captain Parva into the command vehicle, the inside is already laid with maps and stacks of neatly organized documents, detailing the Yarian¡¯s movement as well as their formations with impeccable details. The technician is still working diligently, updating the map as new information from the patrolling aircrafts is fed to him via the computer set inside the vehicle.


    Stanford pointed at the red marker on the map, its shape distinct from the rest. ¡°This is the enemy¡¯s command center.¡± His finger slides to the blue line, occupied with several smaller boxes, identifying themselves as the four maneuver, one artillery battalion and one attack helicopter regiment.


    Parva marvels at the map, having never seen the land he grew up in mapped out in such impeccable detail. The hills, individual houses and even the forest¡¯s limit were much clearer than the artistic hand drawn maps he was used to.


    ¡°The Yarians have a significant stronghold here,¡± He points out at one settlement at a junction. ¡°Our Air Force¡¯s LF-54 light fighters and LA-12s light attackers can¡¯t get to them due to large numbers of civilians present. Surgical strikes by small diameter bombs on their outer defenses have been only marginally effective in whittling down their numbers, so we need to assault the town directly.¡± Stanford continues, his finger sliding to the red square-shaped symbol. ¡°They have reorganized a significant defense of around ten to twenty thousand men, probably a division worth. Intel suggests that the number of goblins have also increased, the reason¡­ I already know.¡±


    Captain Parva¡¯s face lowered, knowing the implications. ¡°...They¡¯re raping the women there to repopulate and replenish numbers.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that seems to be the case.¡± Stanford facepalms, realizing that he¡¯s in no position to help them.


    Parva explains. ¡°The goblins have an incredibly fast growing period, only taking around three days at most to come out of the womb if the host is a healthy human and a month to mature.¡± He gruntled. ¡°While I do not like the Elvish Kingdom next door, and I was sort of happy when the Yarian took them down, I have realized that I was wrong. They were acting as a buffer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the politics of this region, can you elaborate? Captain?¡± Stanford asked the beastman.


    The beastman Captain nods as he prepares to recount whatever he could remember from what he learned in the town¡¯s library. ¡°The land beyond the border was the Elvish Kingdom, who was our rival for many centuries. We frequently fought wars, at least one around fifty years, fighting for influence over the Eastern Continent. They attack us, we retaliate. We attack them, they retaliate. It seemed to me that it would never end¡­ until around three years ago when the Yarians caught them by surprise and invaded them from the far west of the Eastern continent. They were wholly enslaved, with tens of thousands of people having no choice but to come to Azuria to seek refuge while they still can, as the Yarians are far worse than roaming packs of bandits. We welcomed them out of compassion, and with so little, many could hardly hold a grudge against us anymore despite the centuries of war. But then we would have to stand alone.¡±


    Parva sighs. ¡°We underestimated the severity of our situation, happily accepting the destruction of the Elvish Kingdom¡­ What were we thinking? Now a worse enemy has emerged from the Elvish Kingdom¡¯s ashes, far more brutal, far less compassionate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Captain Parva. Learning from mistakes is one of our virtues.¡± Stanford reassured him. ¡°As long as we do so, we won¡¯t make the same mistake twice. But before we do so, we have to finish this war.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, sir Stanford.¡±


    Satisfied with the answer, Stanford turns to the Major next to him. ¡°Eli, tell the Air Force to keep an eye on that settlement, multiple civvies.¡± He ordered. ¡°I want the men ready by 0230, we move out at 0300 tomorrow. Tell the engineers to doubletime it.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, General.¡± He salutes.

 Chapter 8: Lassesanta. (1)

    Avatia, Kingdom of Azuria.


    June 17th, 1427.


    The Marine engineers had worked overtime to hastily erect new concertainer walls, filling them with dirt as well as constructing vehicle maintenance areas, pumping fuel bladders, clearing the dirt for landing pads and fortifying defensive positions. Electrical lights lit up the area, providing bright industrial lighting to the previously pitch black fields which laid beyond the flimsy wooden walls that the Azurian defenders relied on. Heavy lift sorties from CH-48 quadrotors throughout the night brought much needed supplies to the brigade, expediting the construction of the FOB as well as delivering additional fuel and supplies.


    Technicians of the 5th Marine inspect the two dozen choppers in the Regiment, making sure that the helicopters are ready for combat as their twin turbine engines roared to life, their ducted rotors spun up, creating strong gusts of wind which blew some abandoned market stalls nearby. Handlers move ammunition and fuel around, loading them into the vehicles in preparation for the offensive.


    Colonel Stanford gathered all the commanding officers and Azurians officers around the command vehicle, pointing towards a large map projection on the flat ballistic aluminium hull of his Canyuza command vehicle. To his surprise, the Azurians who came from the capital city showed little interest in the projector, hinting that they are somewhat used to the concept and may even have something similar. Pushing aside that, he refocuses back on the battle map projection.


    ¡°Our priority objective is to push back the attackers and force them into capitulation.¡± He pointed towards the junction on the projection. ¡°The enemy has fortified themselves inside this settlement here, artillery and airstrikes are off limits within a two kilometers radius to the settlement itself to minimize civilian collateral. However,¡± He switched to the next slide. ¡°There are several outposts around the large town, serving as eyes and ears; they''re early warning posts for the main force to respond to any of our incursions into their defense zone. Your first objective is to neutralize these two outposts, which we have assigned to both Able and Baker companies.


    Switching to the next slide, he continues. ¡°New information from recon flights by the Navy suggests that the estimated enemy strength has increased by fifteen percent compared to yesterday, going up to around forty thousand hostiles. The reason why, you jarheads already know how.¡± He stood in silence, letting the fact sink into the officers under him. They looked around, all gave out understanding nods to each other before refocusing back on the Colonel, determination filled their eyes as Stanford continued with the briefing.


    ¡°That¡¯s why this counteroffensive must be carried out with maximum force, the Azurians as well as the brass has given us permission to execute any goblins on sight. Human rights do not apply to these animals, despite their humanoid appearance. Understand that they are an invasive species and their eradication is official policy approved by the Federal Parliament and the President himself.¡±


    An officer raised his hand up. ¡°General, what are we going to do about the civvies?¡±


    ¡°Standard procedure. We¡¯re just here to clean up the mess and the Army gets to look good on cameras with humanitarian deployments.¡±


    Sounds of disgruntled Marines rose from the officers and several others, sounds he was too used to hearing. The Army gets to look good, while the Marines get the dirty work done, it¡¯s almost always how it''s been overseas. Not like any Marines would complain though, the pay is much better in the Corps than in the Army due to the volunteer nature of the Marine Corps, along with the increased benefits and freedom.


    Stanford smiles lightly. ¡°On the good side, this brigade is gonna be stationed in Azuria for the foreseeable future.¡±


    What he just said made the officers and grunts turn their heads, focusing on him. ¡°You¡¯re all gonna get a one month off-base pass in Azuria. Whoever raised the brigade¡¯s banner above Lasselanta first gets a case of beer from me.¡±


    ¡°AYEE!!! Let¡¯s go boys! Woo!!! I¡¯m getting that flag up first!¡± Cheers erupted among the ranks, with Marines clapping their hands at the prospect. Alcohol is pretty much forbidden in the Elysian Army except on holidays, but not in the Marines in order to improve morale and recruitment.


    Stanford switches to the next slide. ¡°After the recapture of the settlement, it is open country for half a day to their command center in Arvandor, where their leadership is supposedly located. We¡¯ll conduct a joint attack on Lassesanta, clearing the city room by room. Azurians will be providing support with their numbers, picking off the stranglers and filling security. For the initial assault, we¡¯ll be going all in. Once the artillery did their work, we¡¯ll be assaulting mounted through the open plain, dismounting would only slow us down. The Azurians will mop up whichever sons of bitches are left after the push.¡± He explained with rigidity, making sure that the men understood their objectives. ¡°This briefing is now concluded. We roll out in an hour, return to your company.¡±


    Major Eli stepped in. ¡°Chow¡¯s ready. Fill yourself up.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Sergeant Boris grabs his R-25 rifle, checking its chamber and his pouches for any missing equipment or ammunition. Putting his helmet on, he taps on it with a spare magazine, just to make sure the ammo will feed properly. Comms, check. P-16 pistol, check. Four FR-57 fragmentation grenades, check. Individual first aid kit, check. Water, check. Flak jacket, tight and secured. Helmet, got it. Clear.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± He mumbles to himself. Putting his hand into the pocket to grab his wallet, trying to find his tags. He opens the wallet, finding a worn-down photo of the old boys in this company. The photo was only from six years ago, but all of the hundred men present within the photo had already either died or been discharged, except one. He flips to the small photo¡¯s backside, reading the familiar line of text of what used to be.


    Socialist Republic of Yunna. First deployment.


    January 1st, 1981. Happy New Year, fuckin¡¯ jarheads!


    Able Company, 1st Brigade, 5th Marines.


    ¡°Headin¡¯ out to battle tomorrow, the Reds ain¡¯t givin¡¯ up.¡± - Cpt. Raleigh Brandon.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it through this, after which I¡¯ll probably go home and get laid with Yonina, giving my mama a grandkid like she had always wanted.¡± - Cpl. Tarya Verasikov.


    ¡°How come we can¡¯t ever invade a cool country, like with nude chicks on the beach instead of pillboxes and spider holes? If they have ¡®em, this place wouldn¡¯t be more fucked up than, say, Yarik.¡± - Cpl. Eric Sommel.


    ¡°Will somebody please glue Eric¡¯s asshole tight so he would shut up?¡± - Cpl. Tarya Verasikov, again¡­


    Boris looked at it for another short while with a light smile before putting it back into the wallet, taking his metallic name tag as he had intended. He moved over to his squad as they finished with their own kit, putting extra munitions as well as supplies and equipment into the MT25A Catalina¡¯s rear storage boxes.


    ¡°Aw c¡¯mon, Richie. We ain¡¯t got time for this, op¡¯s starting in 3 mikes.¡± Corporal Lewis complained, checking the time on his watch, its numbers visible as luminescence chemicals contained inside provided barely visible lighting in the dark.


    ¡°I need this, dude.¡± Richard said, rushing to put the recently taken picture of him and some hookers into his rucksack and grabbing his R-25 rifle.


    ¡°After the op is over, you can fuck all you want. Let¡¯s go!¡± Lewis grabs Richard¡¯s flak jacket, dragging him towards their IFV as he hastily finishes up with packing his equipment.


    Turning over to Rita, Boris saw her finishing up with her own kit, putting her helmet which had a red cross on it. ¡°Corpswoman, let¡¯s move.¡±


    She grabs her R-25 and heads out to the vehicle with the rest of the squad. ¡°Got it, Sergeant.¡±


    The Catalina¡¯s engine roars to life as its rear ramp drops down, revealing a pair of figures already present inside. ¡°What took you arseholes so long to get ready?¡± Joker asked half heartedly, already knowing the answer. He was sitting there with another feller, trading something with him, not giving a care in the world about his first war as a Marine.


    ¡°Said the biggest clown in the squad.¡± Lewis took a seat, tucking the rifle in his arm. ¡°What are y¡¯all doing?¡±


    ¡°Trading photos,¡± Joker said, showing off the collection of cards with his left hand. They were photos of all the non-human girls he took ever since they got off from the LCH-60 landing crafts, still newly taken when they were stationed in Anzuri. Some were taken normally, while others were taken in slightly suspicious positions.


    Lewis widened his eyes, his voice disgusted. ¡°What the fuck¡­? We¡¯re not even a month in Azuria and you alrea-¡± He snapped to attention as Boris stepped inside the IFV. ¡°Sargeant.¡±


    Checking his watch and making sure his squad is all there, Boris nods. ¡°We move out in 60 seconds. Strap up.¡±


    As Rita took a seat and the rear ramp closed, the vehicle commander sitting on the turret basket looked back in the troop compartment. ¡°Looks all good, fellas.¡±


    He presses the intercom button. ¡°Driver, standby.¡±


    The gunner turned to his commander, running through the buttons on the compact weapon control station. ¡°25mm, check. Coaxial, check. TOLAT missiles, check. Weapons are hot, we¡¯re clear.¡±


    The vehicle commander fiddles with the radio as he switches to the battalion headquarter frequency. ¡°A Company, First Platoon ready.¡± He said as he waited for the confirmation code.


    A voice crackled in his tanker helmet. ¡°All maneuver units, commencing Operation Rolling Earth. Confirmation Code: Mike, Able, Roger, Fox, Tare, How, Oboe, Roger, Easy.¡±


    ¡°Code confirmed.¡± The commander switched to his intercom. ¡°Let¡¯s move out. Driver, forward!¡±


    The vehicles shook lightly as the diesel engine revs up, propelling the vehicle forward. The Azurian defenders outside cheered on as their reinforcement troops and the Elysian Marines headed towards their objective, ready to push back against the enemy that had attacked them.


    ¡°So uhhh¡­ new guy.¡± Lewis asked the Marine next to Joker. ¡°Just got assigned here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Name¡¯s Milton. Marksman.¡± He offered a handshake.


    Shaking Milton¡¯s hand, Lewis asked him several questions and after being coerced into it by Joker, he also joined in the trading of photos to pass the time while on the move.


    The vehicle kept moving on for another while as Milton, Joker and Lewis wrapped up their shady business, with them checking the outside with their periscope. Silence eventually befell the interior, save for the occasional chatter by the vehicle crew and the rumbling engine, few sounds make it into the hull besides a few loose rocks on the road. The squad checked their equipment one last time to make sure that everything was working properly.


    Boris looked out the infantry periscope, the vehicle formations outside are barely visible as the sun has yet to rise, but he knew they¡¯re out there, preparing to unleash hell on the Yarians for their barbarity.


    The vehicles came to a halt as radio chatter filled the channels, waiting for the preparatory barrages by the howitzers back in Avatia before advancing. The Azurians on their trucks disembark, moving up and laying low on the treeline in front of the IFVs in preparation for the attack. While unfamiliar with the vehicles sitting besides them, they understood that the armored beasts would be the one pushing forward first to cut the Yarians down.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, ladies.¡± The commander announced over the intercom, dropping the rear ramp of the Catalina with a single push of a button. ¡°Dismounts! Go! Go! Go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Boris ordered as the squad sprint out from the back, grabbing the laser designator from the storage rack.


    Taking up positions, Boris took out his binoculars and turned on its night vision mode, scanning the area ahead. The binocs could barely see more than two hundred meters ahead, but that was more than enough as the torches lit by the Yarians provided ample lighting of their lookouts even from two kilometers away.


    ¡°Richard, Joker.¡± He called out for the pair in charge of the machine gun and pointed towards a bomb crater. ¡°Set up an MG there. Lewis and I will set up the laser designator.¡±


    Giving their thumbs up, the two of them ran towards the crater, hauling a crate of ammunition and spare barrels from the IFV. ¡°We got it, Sarge.¡± Richard answers through the radio.


    After turning the laser designator on, Lewis turns to the radio on his back, connecting it to the command vehicle¡¯s long range radio for relaying. ¡°We¡¯re clear for the fire mission, Sarge.¡± He offered the radio¡¯s telephone to his Sergeant, who accepted it.


    Boris nods, satisfied with the quick setup. He observed the other squads doing the same, each taking up defensive positions, making sure nothing could go wrong while he himself finished checking the azimuth and range. Boris put the telephone up to his mouth and began to call for artillery. ¡°This is Able-1-1. Fire mission, priority target¡­¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Avatia, Kingdom of Azuria.


    Back in the FOB, the 5th Artillery Battalion stood by as thousands of 127mm rounds laid on their ammunition racks along with their propellant charges, ready to be fired in anger for the first time in the new world. The strange sight of the 32 self-propelled howitzers caught the Azurian¡¯s attention, who observed the artillerymen with curiosity.


    ¡°What are those things?¡± Captain Parva asked, piqued by the strange machines.


    A volunteer spearman answered. ¡°They uhhh¡­ called them ¡®howitzers¡¯. I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    One of the artillerymen rushes toward Captain Parva¡¯s and his men¡¯s position, shouting and waving his arms at them. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, stay back!¡±


    The Azurians complied as some returned to their post while others continued to observe from a longer distance, pondering about the strange action of the Elysians. Most of what they were doing was understandable like constructing a base, transporting supplies and making space for their steel mechanical beasts, but grouping them up together with their giant tusks pointed towards the sky? Unexplainable. The others have already left for battle already, so what were they doing here?


    ¡°They said they¡¯re gonna fire on the Yarians.¡± One of his subordinates said.


    ¡°From here? The Yarians are an hour''s horse ride away! That¡¯s not realistic.¡±


    ¡°Are steel beasts that tear up the road they travel on and iron dragons that use light arrows to destroy their enemies any more realistic to you, sir?¡± The spearman turned his head to Parva, making a defeated expression at his lack of understanding how these newcomers arrived.


    Parva was about to object but stopped, thinking about the statement. ¡°I¡­ suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    Suddenly, one of the artilleryman''s voices caught his cat ear. ¡°Commence fire!¡±


    The muzzle flashes lit up the night sky momentarily as dozens of howitzers fired their explosive contents into the dark-filled plains beyond, each gun only ceasing momentarily as new shells and charges were loaded into its breech.


    The Azurians defenders quickly covered their ears from the deafening blasts made by the howitzers. Those with animal ears hit the ground, burying their head into the soil as they covered their far more sensitive ears with their hands and shutting their eyes closed.


    After a minute had passed, the guns stopped firing, returning silence to the dark night once again. ¡°Cease fire! Rounds complete!¡±


    ¡°W-What are those things?!¡± The Azurian lieutenant asked loudly, covering his ears, panic could be felt in his voice.


    Still recovering from the deafening display of firepower unknown to him and his comrades, Captain Parva was aided by some of his men, helping him to stand up.


    One of the Elysians personnel stationed in the FOB walked up to him. ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ it¡¯s a bit loud.¡± Parva answered, breathing heavily and holding on to his ears.


    The man pulled out something from his pocket, it was two tiny pieces of something. ¡°Put these on your ears, they¡¯ll help. They¡¯re ear plugs, should help y¡¯all somewhat with the noise.¡± He said as he distributed more of them to the Azurians, showing them how to use the orange-colored squishy objects.


    Captain Parva accepted the ear plugs, inspecting them for a bit. ¡°What a peculiar device.¡± He thought to himself.


    His animal ears twitched again, overhearing the artilleryman''s shouting. ¡°Change target! Adjust fire, grid Easy-Sugar-Seven-Five-Niner -Three-Seven-One! Double charges! Five rounds, H.E! Airburst!¡±


    Realizing the Elysians are about to fire their excessively loud weapons again, Parva quickly puts on the ear plugs as the howitzers¡¯ barrels move slightly. The dark night lit up once more with bright flashes, but the noises became more tolerable to him thanks to the plugs, now able to properly watch the artillerymen and their metallic beasts continue on as they rain shells on the unseen enemy beyond in the dark night.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¨C ¨C


    Lassesanta, Yarian Empire.


    Lieutenant General Adem breathed heavily as he woke up from the nightmares, every breath felt like a relief from the pain as he leaned his body upward, checking his injured leg, courtesy of the flying machines'' bombs. His legs have largely recovered thanks to magic done by the healer, no longer weirdly bent to the wrong direction.


    ¡°You must rest, sir Adem.¡± The young female healer said, sitting on his side, her robes bloodied from treating the others with their injuries and her eyes tired from staying up late into the night.


    Adem jumped up from his bed, aggressively grabbing her by the throat. ¡°Where am I?!¡± He yelled at her.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re a¡­ at Las...se¡­san¡­ta!¡± She struggled to breathe, holding on to his arm as if begging for it to release. ¡°Plea- please¡­ forgi-ive. me-¡±


    Letting her go, Adem calms down. The tent¡¯s curtains waved open as two guards walked into his tent and bowed in respect. ¡°General Adem, King Yaria wants all remaining generals still alive to be present at the command building.¡±


    Questions ran through Adem¡¯s head. ¡®Remaining generals¡¯? ¡®Still alive¡¯? Rethinking about what had happened to him and his army, he reasoned that the same thing had happened to others. ¡°Very well. Inform him that I¡¯ll be there momentarily.¡±


    He grabs his sword and half scorched piece of armor and heads towards the command tent. The outside sight is just as disgusting as ever, moaning sounds emanate from every house he walks past by as the goblins continued to rape the women endlessly even at night, especially at night. The stench of the dead, the rotten and blood filled his nose, causing him to cover his nose with a piece of cloth.


    ¡°The fucking smell.¡± He whispered out to himself out of disgust. ¡°Can¡¯t they seal those houses properly?¡±


    Suddenly, an injured slave ran outside from one of the houses, screaming for help as he was tackled by a pair of soldiers. One of them pulled out a knife, slicing the slave¡¯s throat before the two threw his corpse down the makeshift goblin den in the basement, adding to the future problem that this place has. At least it was food for the goblins, helping to replenish their numbers quickly. The other guards, however, were barely hiding their nervousness, discussing among themselves about what had happened in the morning.


    ¡°You saw those things right?¡±


    ¡°I heard the rumors only, the entire forward armies got wiped out by something like¡­ uh¡­ I think that guy said it was metallic wyverns?¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ I don¡¯t wanna be here. Maybe we should run¡­ I got enough gold looted from these Elvish slaves. We can bribe our way out of here.¡±


    Adem let out a chuckle, amused at the sight. ¡°Heh¡­ the cowards under General Pandor who barely saw any fighting already wanted to call it quits, as if that¡¯s the only option. The damn son of a bitch and his little underlings always get rear duties, never moving forward.¡± He continued towards the large citadel near the former market square, now filled with tall cages containing more slaves, separating between male and female to be fed to the goblins and to be used to breed more respectively. Walking up, the guards noticed him and opened the door, revealing a relatively clean and well lit room.


    Inside, the other generals are already present, arguing with each other while King Yaria watches on with disappointment and disgust at his underlings. Unlike the nasty environment outside, however, stacks of perfume candles were laid out to mask the uncomfortable smell plaguing the conquered town.


    One of the officers under General Hamire begged his superior. ¡°The enemy is far too strong, General Hamire! My men were blown up mercilessly by those metal birds, not one of my archers managed to repay those things with an arrow! We should surrender!¡±


    ¡°We cannot turn back now. Everything is already on the table for the invasion. If we surrender to the Azurians, how will the men react? A mutiny is already brewing and this is only the first day of the invasion! The men could turn their swords against us if we surrender and pillage our Empire! Some of them have already started raping the slave women together with the goblins in order to cool down, how deplorable.¡±


    ¡°This is your fault, Pandor! Where was your wyvern reinforcement when the metal birds attacked us?!¡±


    General Pandor grunted, annoyed at his colleague¡¯s attempt at shifting blame. ¡°I grounded them. All of them. The moment I saw those things destroy the vanguard forces with ease, I made the decision to ground them and to not engage, opting to return them to their garrisons in Swetall. I told them to take the safer route along the beach to blend in with the wild wyverns flocks.¡±


    ¡°King Yaria.¡± General Adem walked up to and kneeled before the king, ignoring the other generals in the command tent. ¡°You are truly divine! To cheat death in these harsh circumstances is nothing but a blessing by the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Your ceaseless flattery is beginning to tire me, General Adem.¡± King Yaria¡¯s words struck like a blade through Adem¡¯s heart, sending him kneeling so low as to hit his head on the ground. ¡°I suspect your army suffered the same fate as General Pandor¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°My utmost apology, my King! The men and the goblins under my command have also been wiped out!¡± He trembles in fear, unable to lift his head up from the floor.


    King Yaria ordered everyone to cease their argument which was leading to nowhere, causing the generals to stand in silence. They stared at each other, not daring to face the king for fear of retaliation.


    ¡°It is clear that we have underestimated this new enemy. You have all failed to prepare adequately.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°But this invasion is yet to be lost! We still have more men, resources and more monsters to release upon the Azurian lowlives! We have gone too far to step down now, I will accept nothing less than total victory!¡±


    The atmosphere in the command tent brightens up as instead of being reprimanded for their failures, the generals are spared from the worst of King Yaria¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°We will carry out your will dutifully, my King!¡± General Pandor and Hamire shouted, snapping Adem out of his fear and prompting him to do the same.


    ¡°General Hamire, Pandor and Adem.¡± He cleared his throat once more. ¡°You shall take command of the reinforc-¡±


    A messenger burst into the tent, disrupting King Yaria, kneeling on his knee and trying to catch his breath. ¡°Your Majesty!...¡±


    ¡°What is it?!¡± King Yaria stood up, urging the messenger. ¡°Speak up!¡±


    ¡°The enemy has begun their assault! All of the outposts were attacked simultaneously with explosive magic!¡± He catches his breath. ¡°They''re coming!¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    8 km from Lassesanta, Yarian Empire.


    The ground shook strongly as dozens of 127mm rounds impacted the outpost ahead, sending chunks and rubbles from the walls into the dark sky above. Smoke could be seen rising, even from a distance thanks to the fire that had broken out due to the artillery barrage.


    ¡°Woo! Eat that, motherfuckers!¡± Joker can¡¯t seem to contain his excitement.


    Richard whistles, amazed at the sight. ¡°Shiiitt... Now that¡¯s a rare sight you don¡¯t see every day, I stopped feelin¡¯ bored already!¡±


    Milton joined in, not wanting to be left out. ¡°And that ladies and gentlemen, how barbarians should be treated.¡±


    Unlike the others, Rita remains quiet, silently observing the artillery pounding of the small outpost.


    Joker turned around, noticing Rita¡¯s quiet observation of the artillery strike. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± She snapped to attention.


    ¡°Watch your back out there, this ain¡¯t bootcamp.¡±


    Rita let out a sigh. ¡°I know¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    A small group of Azurians hop down the crater, holding their large shields on their arms and a shortened sword on their hip. Their appearance is as distinct as possible from the Elysian Marines with leather pads and chainmail armor covering their entire body.


    One of them talks to Richard. ¡°Such destructive sorcery¡­ did your leader cast his magic?¡±


    ¡°W-what? Oh, I get it. He called the artillery in, but the rounds came from Avatia though.¡±


    The Azurians got even more confused, not believing that modern artillery has such range and firepower. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± They cast the question aside, focusing on the task at hand. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna prepare the sweep, I hope you people know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The Azurian shieldman said.


    Richard responded. ¡°Alright, prepare to go back to the vehi-¡°


    Milton tapped Richard¡¯s shoulder, pointing at the outpost ahead. ¡°We got movements ahead! Six hundred meters!¡±


    Several figures emerged from the rubble, panickingly rushing in all directions. A few, then a dozen, then nearly a hundred figures. About two dozen of them are rushing towards their position, clearly disorganized but armed.


    ¡°Goblins! Light those fuckers up!¡± Milton shouted as Richard squeezed the trigger on the R-125L light machine gun, spraying lead towards the small goblin horde and quickly dispatching them as their bodies hit the dirt, with some rolling in pain.


    THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!


    The Catalinas joined in, using their 25mm automatic cannon to fire high explosive rounds into the small horde and nailing the stranglers that survived with their coaxial machine guns, making sure that they wouldn¡¯t stand up again. The small horde was quickly reduced down to nothing with killer efficiency, which surprised and somewhat terrifies the Azurians, who can¡¯t help but observe the carnage ahead while covering their ears from the deafening display of firepower. The IFVs then turned to the other groups and continued their engagements, blowing them up until no movements could be seen.


    ¡°Cease fire! Cease fire!¡± Sergeant Boris yelled over the small radio. ¡°We¡¯re clear!¡±


    ¡°My god¡­¡± One of the Azurian''s jaw dropped. ¡°That was incredible!¡±


    ¡°Firearms, baby.¡± Joker laughs. ¡°Serve ¡®em right.¡±


    ¡°You think we could use those ¡®firearms¡¯ one day?¡± The Azurian shieldman asked. ¡°These crafts are said to require no magic, so in theory we could use them right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but not for the time being.¡± He answered. ¡°Leaving that aside, there¡¯s a war for us to win. Get ready.¡±


    The Azurian nods, putting on his helmets which are imbued with a light golden tan color, distinguishing themselves from the Elysian¡¯s helmets which were a mix of camouflage nettings and wires. While he was put off by the ugly choice of camouflage these Elysians wore, he could see the reasoning behind such style of armor. If this is how they fight in their old homeworld, then their enemies most likely fought the same way, requiring them not being hit in the first place.


    The three ran back to their Catalina IFV, seeing Sergeant Boris and Lewis already waiting. ¡°Get back in the vehicle!¡± Boris yelled. ¡°Go! Go!¡±


    The squad embarked the vehicle once more as the vehicle¡¯s 25mm cannon turned, pointing forward towards the hill ahead of them. ¡°Let¡¯s open the hatches now.¡± Lewis said.


    The squad opened the two top hatches above the Catalina¡¯s infantry compartment, standing on their seats as all of them pointed their rifles and machine guns around. The other vehicle¡¯s squads do the same, opening their top infantry hatches before moving up.


    Originating from old cavalry tradition, infantry fighting while mounted was the tactic chosen by General Stanford in order to keep up momentum while maneuvering thanks to the support from following Azurian troops. The relative primitiveness of the Yarian was also a factor in the decision, which created far less risk compared to fighting mounted against a Socialist armored or mechanized division in an open plain like this.


    ¡°I called for support shells, they¡¯re coming any moment now.¡± Boris said, catching his breath as he readies his R-25 rifle.


    The night sky suddenly lit up as dozens of illuminating shells fell down gently on small parachutes, lighting up vast portions of the battlefield ahead.


    ¡°Target! Front! Infantry, five hundred meters ahead!¡± The commander yelled, which the gunner complied as the turret moved slightly, pointing towards the pack of goblins and some much taller figures. ¡°Shit-! Orcs! Gunner! Switch A.P!¡±


    ¡°A.P¡¯s up!¡± The gunner said as he pressed a button on the weapon control panel, causing the weapon to omit a clicking sound as it switched to armor piercing rounds. ¡°Identified!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡± The commander said, bracing himself slightly due to the vehicle¡¯s shake while on the move.


    ¡°On the way!¡± The gunner pressed down on the trigger, releasing a five-round burst at the largest orc among the others which is wielding a large shield ahead, cutting through the large wooden shield with ease thanks to the APDS round. Shredding the orc¡¯s arm off entirely. Multiple other vehicles followed suit, some unloading their high explosive rounds into the pack of goblins while others attacked orcs. While old, the 25mm APDS rounds were deemed suitable for service against the Yarians, saving the newer and more expensive 25mm APFSDS rounds for the Army.


    The commander looked around, seeing the vast horde of goblins kept getting larger as they came closer. ¡°Gunner, switch target! H.E! Fire at will!¡± He opens his cupola and grabs the R-125HB machine gun before firing it into the pack of goblins ahead, adding more lead down range.


    ¡°Cut them down!¡± Boris ordered, firing off to the side of the vehicle with his R-25, switching to fully automatic as he fired on the goblins to the sides along with his squad.


    The MT105 Casmira light tanks flanked around, firing on the larger orcs with 105mm HEAT to cover for the advancing IFVs.


    Recently introduced and built on the same MT hull as the MT25 Catalina infantry fighting vehicle as well as the MT127 Catherina self-propelled howitzer, the light tanks were the answer for a requirement for a mobile support gun for the Elysian Marine Corp. While categorized as a light tank, the 105mm GT105A4 cannon taken from the Ares main battle tank puts the vehicle¡¯s firepower on par with the Ares itself, prompting the Marines to drop the Ares main battle tank entirely in favor for more strategic mobility.


    ¡°Fuck! There¡¯s too fuckin¡¯ many of ¡®em!¡± Joker fired a 40mm round into a larger pack of goblins, where there¡¯s a human-looking silhouette present. The grenade blew the pack up in an instant puff of smoke, sending shrapnel to injure the goblin as well as killing the masked man, who¡¯s presumably a beast tamer according to the Azurians.


    ¡°I need more ammo!¡± Richard said, pulling back on the charging handle of his R-125L light machine gun. ¡°Someone get me more belts!¡±


    A belt reaches up to Richard, given by Rita who¡¯s busy shuffling ammo under the compartment. ¡°Grab them quick!¡±


    Joker pressed the magazine release button on his R-25GL, dropping an empty magazine into the infantry compartment. ¡°Rita! I need more grenades!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°Take this!¡± She gave him a 40mm high explosive round. ¡°You guys go through too much ammo!¡± She yelled through the deafening sounds of combat before going back down to the infantry compartment to fetch more ammo.


    Accepting the 40mm round, Joker opened his UL-40 launcher up, inserting the grenade into it. His eyes locked onto an injured Orc, still trying to stand up despite its injury from shrapnels. He aimed the rifle at it, ready to squeeze the trigger. Suddenly, a small green hand reached up from the outside and grabbed his rifle¡¯s barrel, trying to pull the weapon away from him.


    ¡°The fuck?!¡± Joker gasped, seeing a goblin hanging onto the side of the Catalina with a small knife in its hand, ready to swing it at his face.


    A pistol suddenly lunged forward from his back, shoving itself into the goblin¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat this you cocksucker!¡± Milton said, pulling the trigger.


    The goblin¡¯s head was blown off with a loud pop, spewing blood all over Joker¡¯s face and partially deafening him due to the close proximity. ¡°Aeugh, what the fuck?!¡±


    ¡°Just saved your ass! Jokie! Now kill that fucking Orc!¡± Milton shouted over the gunfire before grabbing his backup R-25C carbine, quickly loading his rifle with a fresh magazine as he continued to join in with the others, cutting down the dense goblin horde with lead.


    Joker quickly refocuses his attention and fires the 40mm grenade on the injured Orc. Despite slightly missing, the grenade still blew next to the Orc¡¯s face, instantly killing it.


    He looked back just behind the advancing line of armor, thousands of Azurians followed behind, stabbing the remaining goblins lucky enough to survive the lead rain the Marines just gave to them. The Marine¡¯s shock has definitely struck the awe, few goblins put up any fight at all as they were mercilessly cut down by blades and spears, some were torched by flame magic.


    The vehicle eventually plowed past the dense horde of goblins, having finished the attack. Joker found himself catching his breath, closing the top hatch. ¡°What the fuck man¡­ I must¡¯ve killed hundreds of them wankers¡­.¡±


    His R-25GL¡¯s barrel had almost warped, thanks in part due to the fact he must¡¯ve put nearly a thousand rounds through the thing in such a short amount of time. He began to quickly disassemble the rifle. ¡°Anyone got another spare barrel?¡±


    Richard gave him one, taken from the external storage boxes as he also lowered himself down into the infantry compartment with a fresh ammo can. ¡°Help yourself.¡±


    ¡°This is not what I was expecting.¡± Lewis grabs a magazine from the ammo crate, inserting it into his R-25C carbine. ¡°Is this what you did abroad back then as well, Sarge?¡±


    Boris inserts a 25mm high explosive belt into the gun¡¯s ready rack, giving the commander and gunner a thumbs up and a nod as he finishes up with the reloading before tossing the large empty ammo can outside, making more space inside the compartment. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ much worse, Corporal.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°These goblins are so fuckin¡¯ aggressive, why do most of ¡®em attack us? We¡¯re not the only vehicle, there are dozens more just outside, and we took out their tamers!¡± Rita complained as she helped wipe the goblin¡¯s blood off Joker¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well maybe because we¡¯re the only unit here with a woman in it.¡± Joker cracks a joke, which Rita replies with a strong pinch to his cheek. ¡°Agh¡­!¡±


    ¡°Your arsehole yap like that again, I¡¯m gonna pinch ya even harder. That ain¡¯t funny.¡± She said, before letting go of him.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    The vehicle continued forward as the squad kept their eyes out for anything out of the ordinary. Lassesanta was just ahead, beyond a low hill. The vehicles eventually crest several large hills near their objective, all their guns pointed at the walled off settlement ahead.


    ¡°All maneuver elements, hold your positions.¡± Major Eli ordered over the radio.


    A pair of AH-24 Orcas flew past them on low level, destroying several catapults and strafing the outer wall defenses with their front mounted 25mm automatic cannon. Archers attempted to fire back at them through the gaps in the wall, only to find their arrows fell short or missed entirely due to the speed of the aircrafts. Some archers were lucky, hitting the fuselage of an Orca hovering next to a stone tower. They were for naught as the arrows harmless bounced off the AH-24¡¯s fuselage, only chipping some paint off. The attack helicopter returned fire, firing a 70mm semi-armor piercing rocket into the source of the arrows, causing a part of the wall to collapse as the rocket penetrated and detonated its explosive content inside the structure.


    ¡°This is William-2-1, all units be advised. I got a large grouping of heat signatures heading towards the large building in the center of the plaza. Looks like they¡¯re rounding up the civvies.¡± The pilot reports over the radio.


    ¡°Gunner, laser on.¡± The pilot of the lead attack helicopter detachment ordered.


    ¡°Copy. Weapon hold.¡± The gunner responded over the intercom, quickly adjusting the newly fitted targeting pod towards to get a better look at the chaos ensuing below.


    The radio beeped, signaling a new frequency has joined in the channel. ¡°This is General Stanford. Give me a sitrep. Over.¡±


    ¡°General, we got visuals on the civvies and some strange monsters on the inner wheat field. They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re massive! Suspecting twice the size of a truck. No civvies sighted, requesting to break RoE to engage. Over.¡± The pilot¡¯s hand hovered over the trigger, the beast¡¯s silhouette in the dark night can be seen clearly even through his night vision device. Several smaller humanoid figures ran up to the monster, trying to break its chains. ¡°They¡¯re trying to free it! Gunner, shift target!


    ¡°You¡¯re cleared hot, William-2-1.¡± Stanford announced over the radio.


    ¡°Weapon tight. Target spot. Tracking.¡± The front gunner pressed the fire button after selecting his weapon. ¡°Missile away!¡±


    The Monarch-LR missile flew off its side rack, tracking by laser towards the beast and blowing it up, as well as killing it and several Yarians nearby, temporarily blinding the gunner¡¯s night vision optic due to the sudden flash. ¡°Hit. Target kill confirmed. Weapons dry.¡±


    ¡°This is William-2-1, we¡¯re Bingo fuel, Winchester on cannon rounds. RTB to Avatia.¡± The pilot announced, steering the ducted rotors to turn the helicopter eastward.

 Chapter 9: Lassesanta (2)

    Lassesanta, Yarian Empire.


    June 17th, 1427.


    A dozen metal dragonflies circling overhead, continuously laying waste to the defensive structures around the settlement with their fire. Men and goblins attempted to fire ballistas at them, only to realize the weapons did not have enough elevation to aim at the metallic beasts zooming above before being quickly targeted and destroyed.


    King Yaria had ordered all the female slaves to move inside an ancient but small Elvish citadel at the center of Lassesanta in hopes of using them to breed as many goblins as possible, to be used as manpower in case of a drawn out siege that could last many months. However, seeing how hopelessly the situation has deteriorated just from the enemy metallic dragonflies above, few Yarians see any hope to make it out alive.


    King Yaria as well as the Generals gathered in a dining room inside the citadel, the silverwares and wooden chairs were removed to be broken down for constructing barricades. In their place, a large paper map was laid out on the table which contained detailed information of the situation. It was beyond hopeless.


    ¡°The enemy has surrounded Lassesanta, my King.¡± General Hamire explained cautiously, being unable to look at king Yaria directly. His hands were shaking. For the first time in his life, he felt true terror at the thought of dying among those he considered inferiors like goblins and slaves.


    ¡°Their metal beasts and men halted outside, far outside of our catapult range.¡± He observes whatever''s left of the ancient wall surrounding Lassanta, all of the defenses were wrecked with the bodies of men and goblins strewn everywhere among the rubble. ¡°But none of that matters now. All of our defenses are gone. I have tried to contact our reinforcements in Swetall, they said they¡¯re under attack by the same metallic birds flying higher and faster than wyverns that had attacked us the day before. All the wyvern bases and garrisons were destroyed... Looks like we¡¯re it.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t they attacked us? They clearly have no problem with turning the landscape into ash and walls to rubble¡­ there must be a reason.¡± General Pandor contemplated while pacing back and forth, looking for answers.


    ¡°Perhaps there is something valuable inside this place they want?¡± General Adem pondered. ¡°There are only lowly slaves and goblins! There is nothing else here!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± King Yaria ordered, his face raging with anger and frustration. ¡°All this time¡­ All this effort¡­ My forefathers and I didn¡¯t come all this way for NOTHING!¡± He lashes out, channeling his anger on the table, slamming a strong fist into it as he finishes his sentence. He sat down on his throne which he brought with him, covering his face in despair using his hand.


    The room fell into silence, with only the screams of the men outside and the rapid flapping noise of the metal dragonflies filling in for the atmosphere. General Hamire switched his gaze away from the king, towards the outside.


    The large fire burning throughout the town provided more than enough light to see what¡¯s happening. About a hundred men under his order began to surrender, raising their hands up and walking to the Azurians. All of their weapons and armor were stripped, saved for some high ranking officers who willingly handed over their weapons to the enemy. He could see the surrendered men being loaded onto some sort of horseless wagons and moved away towards the Azurian border.


    A messenger burst in to report. ¡°My Lords! The forward goblin and orc garrison has been¡­¡± he paused, fearful of what he had to say. ¡°¡­They¡¯ve been wiped out. The forward headquarters and garrison didn¡¯t respond either, we suspect that they¡¯ve been destroyed also.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen, General Hamire thought. The Azurians were supposed to be stomped and enslaved just like the Elvish. But their new ally was far more powerful than he expected. ¡°What was I thinking?¡± Hamire curses at himself. He shouldn¡¯t have joined Adem in his ignorance about Azuria¡¯s new ally. Who were they? The United Federation? Whoever they are, wherever they had come from, it didn¡¯t matter. What mattered to him is that they¡¯ve lost months¡­ no, years worth of preparation in less than a day. The Azurian¡¯s new ally simply cut down the combined goblin and orc armies with ease, their metallic machines seemingly indestructible even with magical attacks by mages. They don¡¯t feel fear, nor feel pain, nothing seems to be working.


    ¡°My King¡­¡± General Hamire took off his helmet. ¡°Maybe we should surrender¡­ We cannot go on like this. If we do, we¡¯ll survive.¡±


    Hearing no response from the king, General Pandor joined in. ¡°I say we should, my King. I¡¯ve lost contact with my wyvern knights in Swetall. No reinforcement will come. If you die, then the Empire would be lost.¡±


    King Yaria looked up from his palm, his eyes were empty and his face emotionless, finally accepting the inevitable. ¡°So it would seem¡­ barricading ourselves here with these lowly slaves and goblins until we die of starvation is nothing short of madness.¡±


    General Adem protested, dissatisfaction emanating from his voice. ¡°But my King! If we surrender to these low lives, our honor will be lost forever! What about glory?! What about the treasure you promised to the men?! What happen to your promise with me¨C¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± King Yaria yelled, pulling out a long sword pointing at Adem, prompting the several guards inside the room to do the same. ¡°I have had enough of your insolence. I appointed you as General due to your loyalty to me, I brought your pack of bandits under my banners. Now that you have neither men to lead nor the ability to reason,¡± He puts away the long sword and walks up to him, grabbing the insignia on Adem¡¯s chestplate and tearing it off. ¡°You are no longer bound to me.¡±


    ¡°Guards!¡± King Yaria ordered, turning his back against him. ¡°Drag him away and have him executed.¡±


    Adem felt betrayed, for years he has given his service to the man before him, now he just tosses him away like nothing? All because he¡¯s no longer useful? No. This cannot be the end for him. Not like this. He pulled out a dagger hidden inside his arm, ready to drag King Yaria down to Hell with him. He launched forward, dagger in hand, running as fast as possible before the guard could react.


    BOOM.


    The window shattered as if something had broken in, faster than the eyes can see. One moment Adem was running, then the next he was splitted in half as a large hole punched itself onto the wall opposite of the window. Causing the guards to recoil back in shock.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± General Pandor yelped as he recoiled back in shock. ¡°What the fuck just happened?!¡±


    Adem¡¯s upper half was laying on the table where the map is located, while the other half was across the room on the other side. His blood and internal organs were strewn everywhere, painting a section of the wall in a gory mix of dark red and broken armor pieces.


    ¨C ¨C


    ¡°Holy shit! Haha!¡± Joker watched through the binoculars. ¡°Good fucking shot, Milton!¡± He let out a devious laugh before realization hit him. ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    Milton laid on the dirt, emptying the chamber of the shoulder fired AMR-25 anti-material rifle laying on a tripod with a single slide, ejecting the empty casing of a 25mm APFSDS round. ¡°You owed me a night at the brothel in Anzuri, Joker. I have expensive taste so I think I¡¯ll go for the elven lady, better start counting your paycheck, bud.¡±


    The bullpup anti-material rifle is massive, as long as the 25mm automatic cannon seen on the MT25 Catalina IFV with a hefty 1200mm barrel. The recoil is no less serious, requiring a long reciprocating mechanism to dampen the kick and cycle the round. Due to the size of the ammunition, it is loaded top down feeding from a 4 rounds stripper clip before being ejected, enabling constant ammunition feeding from another operator even when firing.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Joker curses to himself, lamenting for half the Marine paycheck that will be gone next month. ¡°There goes my two thousand Creds¡­ or two gold Azurian coins? What currency do the Azurians even use? Probably just give ¡®em some magic gem.¡± He puts his hand inside his pocket, grabbing a small blue-colored magical gem looted from a dead Yarian mage. ¡°The wizard wannabes died so easily, I thought they¡¯re gonna launch some fireballs or lightning at us but apparently artillery hit ¡®em harder.¡± He chuckles.


    The Yarian P.O.W, a lieutenant as he said, observed the long range shot with a pair of binoculars. Impressed with the accuracy and deadliness of their weapons, he had no regret in surrendering to the Azurians and these newcomers. ¡°That was General Adem you just shot. Most impressive.¡± He was flanked by several other Marines, holding their rifles on standby.


    Milton widened his eyes, not believing it. ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it appears that his time in this realm has now passed.¡± The lieutenant returned the binoculars to Joker. Turning over to the mage who also surrendered. The mage sat there on the dirt, eyes glowing a light hue from the scrying spell.


    ¡°King Yaria seemed to be convinced by his generals to surrender, saved for General Adem who was blown up by that long weapon of yours when he tried to kill King Yaria in an act of protest.¡± The Elvish mage explained, ceasing the spell and stood up, wiping the dirt off his coat. ¡°I have no intention of hurting anyone, the Yarians forced me into service by threatening my family who¡¯s in Swetall with slavery. Only my service could prevent that. I hope you can save them also.¡±


    ¡°Your help has been valuable, now we just have some questions for you afterwards.¡± Boris said to him. ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee your family¡¯s safety yet, but rest assured. We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The mage said.


    An MT-CV Canyuza command vehicle drove up to them, dropping off a peculiar individual wearing a red beret. The man walks up, prompting the Marines nearby to salute. ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± Sergeant Boris gave out a salute.


    ¡°Give me a SITREP.¡± Eli ordered, allowing Boris to explain what had happened since the start of the operation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the prisoner processing.¡± Major Eli said. ¡°You can wrap up the fight here, report to the General if anything is out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Major.¡± Boris responded before returning to his squad.


    ¡°We will be joining our men on those ¡®trucks¡¯ of yours.¡± The Yarian lieutenant said, walking together with the mage to one of the half-filled UMT trucks where several other Yarian prisoners were present inside, taking his seat.


    ¡°May you find success.¡± The Elvish mage bid farewell, being escorted by half a dozen more Marines than usual due to his ability to use magic.


    ¨C ¨C


    As the prisoners were driven away, the order of assaulting Lassesanta to secure the small city was given by General Stanford over the radio. ¡°All battalions, you¡¯re clear to engage. Phase one of the assault will begin. Restrict your fire to the outside of the wall only. Headquarters out.¡±


    Dozens of Casmera light tanks and Catalina IFVs opened fire on whatever¡¯s left of the wall. The firepower was completely overwhelming, lighting up the hills and fields surrounding the city in a mix of red and green tracer rounds. The remains of the wall was no match, quickly crumbling into dust under the constant bombardment of 105mm HESH by the light tanks and 25mm high explosive rounds from the IFVs.


    ¡°Hit ¡®em Milton!¡± Lewis pointed at one of the guard towers, holding several 25mm round clips on his hand ready to load.


    ¡°Copy! Firing!¡± Milton swung the AMR-25 anti-material rifle around, firing on the tower over and over again while Lewis fed the gun, inserting several clips into the weapon while covering himself from the dust kicking and making sure he didn''t stand in the way of the weapon¡¯s hefty recoil mechanism. The wooden tower quickly collapsed, unable to withstand several 25mm high explosive rounds hitting directly on the support beam, taking out multiple orcs who were helping the Yarians to load their medieval weaponry.


    ¡°All units, cease fire. I repeat. All units, cease fire, over.¡± Major Eli ordered over the radio again, prompting the vehicles to stop firing. ¡°Wait for them to come out, over.¡±


    As he expected, loud screaming and roaring from Lassesanta could be heard even from a distance. Multiple figures scaled up through whatever is left of the wall and began charging at the Marines.


    ¡°More of those bastards.¡± Eli mumbles at the charging horde of goblins from the distance, putting down the binoculars and lowering himself down into the command vehicle. ¡°They ain¡¯t getting the message. Let''s cut ¡®em down.¡± He said to the command staff, who replied with a nod.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The radio operator switched to the brigade frequency, allowing Eli to give out orders. ¡°All units engage all hostile elements. Weapons free. Over.¡±


    70mm rockets joined in the carnage from the AH-24 flying towards the massive horde. Several Azurian mages join in, using red magical gems to conjure fire and forming a small wall of flame with several gaps, forcing the charging goblins through the choke points so that tanks and IFVs can concentrate their fire. Thousands upon thousands of tracer rounds crisscrossed along the battlefield, many striking the charging goblins causing them to fall down which were stepped over by other goblins. Despite the hail of fire from the armored vehicles, some goblins made it close enough for rifle and machine gun fire to pick them off, adding to the increasing piles of corpses forming on the hill. The engagement lasted for a short while, only ceasing when the last goblin was obliterated by a 25mm HE round in the chest.


    Major Eli nods, satisfied with the destruction of the enemy, then tuned in the brigade frequency again. ¡°All units. Phase one complete. Begin phase two, breach from the east side. Over.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move! Go! Go! Go!¡± Hundreds of Elysian marines and Azurians ran up to the pile of rubble that used to be the wall, scaling over it. Several shots rang out as they picked off a few Yarians who still refused to surrender or were hiding inside houses.


    The smell that had plagued the town still lingered among the smoldering wrecks, but the Marines paid no mind to it, instead focusing on the task at hand. Several special MT-AR Cambria engineering vehicles equipped with dozers moved up, clearing the rubble to allow for armored vehicles to pour inside the tight streets of the previously walled off city.


    Sergeant Boris and his squad formed up against one of the houses that had yet to be burnt by the fire with several Azurian shielders at the front. There were no civilians around, only Yarians soldiers and their few goblins with them as far as he is concerned. They breached the door with a sledgehammer to allow the Azurians to go inside first with their shield, then the Marines who closely followed behind, aiming their rifle and scanning the room for any target.


    ¡°Clear!¡± Boris shouted a series of confirmations followed as Joker, Milton and Richard finished checking the other rooms.


    Rita stayed outside next to their Catalina, helping to move some unfortunate Azurians who were injured by the Yarians and goblins inside the MT25¡¯s infantry compartment, folding the chairs to make room for the stretchers.


    Boris¡¯s squad moved to the next house, which looks like an old tavern, with many empty cups still lying about across the floor except for the alcohol which Boris assumed had been consumed by the Yarian a long while ago. Large banging sounds can be heard from the back of the bar, prompting Richard to investigate. He saw one of the Azurian with pointed ears, holding up his bulky large shield toward the cellar¡¯s wooden entrance, trying to block it. ¡°We got a goblin nest inside here!¡± The Azurian shieldman struggled with holding back the door, which Richard assumed to be a cellar.


    Richard ran up to the door, unloading about half of the R-125HB¡¯s assault belt into the wooden entrance, putting more than two dozen holes into it, causing the banging to cease. More Azurian reinforcement poured in, opening the cellar¡¯s entrance while the Elysian marines aimed their rifle into the cellar. Joker grabs an FL-12 flare stick from his chest rig, pulling the pin out before tossing it down the cellar.


    The flare stick¡¯s artificial red-colored flame revealed the inside with its which was relatively empty save for the several goblin corpses, which he presumed was left inside when the Yarians attempted to move the people of the town into the small citadel. Most of the goblins seemed pretty small compared to the regular ones dead outside the field, causing the Eylsians to ponder if these were still yet to mature.


    A small yet light sound of crying rang out from the inside of the cellar, attracting the Azurians and Elysian¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Sounds like a girl.¡± The Azurian shieldman said, slowly walking down the stairs with his large shield up and readying his short sword.


    ¡°Go.¡± Boris followed closely behind him, mounting his R-25 on the elven man¡¯s shield. He turns on the flashlight mounted on his rifle, lighting the path down.


    They marched down together, scanning the room for any sign of life. Boris¡¯s flashlight shone over a small figure in the corner of the room, who¡¯s covered by several pieces of cloth.


    It was a human girl. The girl wore a mess of half-torn cloth and broken accessories, her body dirtied and full of bruises. Blood can be seen on the floor, leading to the corner where she is sitting.


    The girl stared at the Marines and Azurians, scared for her life. She covered a piece of cloth over her head, saying nothing. Yet from her posture, Boris knew that terrible things had been done to her. He couldn¡¯t blame her for being scared either, she probably doesn¡¯t know what just happened and who they were.


    ¡°Room clear!¡± Joker yelled behind him, which helped to relax the situation a bit, knowing that they are safe for now.


    Boris puts away the rifle, flipping it to safe mode. Seeing how scared the girl is, he took off his helmet to reveal his face. ¡°Um¡­ Hey there¡­ don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    The girl finally spoke, slowly dropping her makeshift blanket to reveal herself a bit. She looked barely adolescent by the look of her face. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to save you.¡± Boris pulled up his sleeves, turning back to his squad. ¡°Hey, Corporal.¡± He called for Lewis. ¡°We gotta get her to Rita.¡±


    The girl looked to Boris¡¯s back, struggling to move a bit due to fatigue. Behind him were similarly dressed soldiers, as well as¡­ Azurians? She pondered if Azuria had somehow fought back and pushed all the way here to Lassesanta. Strange soldiers with strange weapons, yet from their worried gaze she knew they have no malice, unlike those of the goblins and Yarians.


    ¡°Am I¡­ safe?¡± She asked, her voice dry from a lack of water.


    Boris turned back. ¡°Yes, you are. Let¡¯s get you some water.¡±


    Milton pulls out a plastic bottle of water from his rear pouch, pouring slowly over her mouth. ¡°We gotta get her outta here now, get to the next building to clear.¡± He said as the gunfire can still be heard even from down in the cellar.


    She let out a breath of relief as her body lumps, going into deep sleep due to exhaustion. ¡°I think we should get her to Rita. She can help.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry her.¡± Lewis said, slinging the R-25C carbine behind his back. As he lifts her up to his arms to carry, he notices something peculiar about her body, but he pays no mind in order to focus on the task at hand. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    The squad sprints outside, running towards their Catalina IFV which was parked near a dry fountain, its water flow long extinguished due to lack of maintenance. The 5th Marine has established a perimeter around an abandoned marketplace, machine gun and autocannon fires can still be heard in the distance as they mop up the town of any resistance. The sun began to rise over the horizon, basking the town in the dim morning light.


    They arrived at their Catalina waiting outside, firing off into a building in the distance. Several injured Marines and Azurians were present, taking a quick break from combat. Other civilians left behind by the Yarians were also present, waiting for their turn to be shipped out of the town in trucks. Many of the freed slaves were happy that they were receiving help and medical assistance, while others were distrustful, not believing that their nightmare was finally ending.


    ¡°Come on, set her down here.¡± Boris points towards an empty stretcher.


    ¡°Corpswoman!¡± He called for Rita.


    She ran towards him, noticing the young girl and his request. ¡°Right away, Sergeant. I¡¯ll take her.¡±


    She grabs a pair of scissors and starts cutting whatever¡¯s left of the girl¡¯s clothing while Lewis, Joker, Richard and Milton scour the MT25A¡¯s external storage, taking fresh bandages, clothes and a blanket for the young girl.


    ¡°Found her in the cellar, killed some of them green bastards too.¡± Sergeant Boris said as he helped Rita with the cutting.


    ¡°Anything else I need to kno-¡± She finished cutting the girl¡¯s outfit. ¡°Oh shit...¡±


    The young girl¡¯s belly was slightly swollen, indicating that she¡¯s pregnant.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Boris turns away in frustration, leading head first against the Catalina¡¯s flat side hull. How could he have forgotten about this? General Stanford had explicitly mentioned that any women here could potentially be pregnant with a goblin during the briefing. He just didn¡¯t expect a child could be affected too, despite his mind warning him ever since exiting that cellar. He just didn¡¯t want to believe it, he didn¡¯t want to think this world is so cruel as to have a girl as young and innocent as her to go through something so horrendous.


    The four men ran back towards Rita, each holding supplies in hand. Joker noticed his Sergeant leaning against the vehicle, not making a sound. Curious by his superior¡¯s action, he asked. ¡°What going on Sarg-¡± Richard shuts him up, tilting his face towards the young girl lying on the stretcher, prompting him to sign in realization. ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    After a short pause from the group, Richard was the first to speak. ¡°That reminds me¡­ I killed a bunch of tiny little toddler size goblins in that cellar and an older mature one. Probably came from her, too, as there was no one else in the cellar.¡±


    The Azurians who were attached to their unit stood silently, understanding the severity of the situation. One of them eventually kneeled down to the girl, his helmet¡¯s insignia signifying that he¡¯s a mage. ¡°There is little I can do, but at least let me do this.¡± He grabs the green necklace slinging on his neck, snapping it and puts it near the young girl¡¯s chest. He began chanting in an unknown language, causing the gem to glow a green hue. The young girl¡¯s wounds began to heal and her signs of fatigue faded away as her eye bags shrunken, then ceased, giving her a look befitting of a girl her age. The light of the gem eventually dies out, having been exhausted of its energy.


    ¡°H-How?¡± Rita asked, bewildered at the arcane sight.


    ¡°Healing magic. I have also applied a sleeping spell on her, she should be fine for now. You should move her to a better place for healing and to give birth, whatever happens next to her I shall count on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Boris said to the Azurian mage, giving him a hug and a small pat on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s get her out of here.¡±


    They lifted the girl up into an ambulance truck, whose medics quickly grabbed her. ¡°We got her, Sergeant.¡± One of them turned around, climbing up to the truck¡¯s armored machine gun turret. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    As the trucks drove away, a loud horn suddenly rang out from the small citadel, causing the remaining Yarians to stop fighting. The Marines also stopped firing, seeing that the enemy had ceased their resistance along with the goblins.


    King Yaria stepped out of the balcony along with General Hamire and General Pandor, holding a scroll in hand. Puzzled by the sudden appearance of their leader and Generals out in the open, the Yarians couldn¡¯t help but look up at them as they fixed their gaze and prepared themselves for what the King had to say.


    King Yaria stood there, waiting until he had gotten everyone¡¯s attention before announcing. ¡°It is beyond clear to me that our campaign of conquest will have to cease.¡± He stated bluntly. ¡°Our reinforcement have been crippled by the enemy, continuing fighting is anything but suicidal.¡±


    King Yaria steeled himself, standing upright. ¡°Soldiers!¡± He yelled. ¡°You are to cease your resistance and surrender yourself! I have been assured by General Hamire and General Pandor that no harm will come to you by the enemy, but only if you put down your blades and surrender!¡± Despite what he just said, he was hoping that the Elysians would be as kind to their enemy as they have demonstrated to Hamire¡¯s surrendered men just before, so that he wouldn¡¯t have blood on his hand by ordering them to surrender.


    The soldiers gave a mixed reaction. Evident discontentment, signified by a chorus of jeers, became drowned out by the sound of droppings by hundreds of swords and shields to the ground. A few soldiers still defy order, rushing toward the Marines only to be shot dead and fall to the ground without making halfway towards their target. The few Yarian grunts who were still stubborn finally understood what would have to be done, dropping their weapon and raising their hands up to the sky.


    The gates of the citadel opened, allowing the Marines and Azurians to march inside uncontested as the surrendered Yarians made way for them to march in. The sight of thousands of male and female slaves greeted them, some were missing limbs, others laid dead, all were chained together. The goblins were separated, away from the slaves with their own area to prevent unwanted interaction.


    Boris walked up to a Yarian beast tamer, punching him in the face and threw him against the wall, causing his skull mask to drop to the ground. ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?!¡± He yelled, pulling out his P-16 pistol, racking and aiming it at the beast tamer.


    The man seemed to be confused about what the contraption in the hand of the camouflaged man is, making a confused expression. ¡°Wha-?¡±


    Noticing that the beast tamer didn¡¯t get the message, Boris swung his pistol to the side, shooting one of the goblins next to the beast tamer in the head before aiming it back at him to send the message. ¡°You see this? You see what this can do, huh?!¡±


    The man looks terrified, raising his hand up. ¡°W-wait! You want to free these low li-¡° he quickly adjusted, not wanting to anger the man. ¡°people¡­ right? I got the keys, just don¡¯t kill me, please!¡±


    King Yaria exited out of the door, holding something in his hand. Colonel Stanford suddenly appeared at the citadel¡¯s gate, having been quickly flown from Avatia to Lassesanta via helicopter. He was escorted by his military police company, who quickly took up defensive positions as soon as they entered the citadel.


    Noticing the strange camouflage men saluting the man in the gate who¡¯s wearing a red beret, King Yaria assumed that he was their commander. ¡°It appears that this is over. You must be the commander of these men.¡±


    ¡°General Stanford.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°King Hawk Yaria, you and your men are hereby under arrest for crimes against humanity. Handover your men as prisoners and their weaponry for us to process, the Azurians will handle the rest.¡±


    Yaria bit his tongue, bittered about the shattered goals he had been dreaming for years. ¡°Very well.¡± He answered, handing Colonel Stanford a scroll and a bottle of some dark liquid in a bottle. ¡°This is my declaration of surrender, and this¡­¡± he gestured towards the bottle. ¡°Is an extremely rare disease substance. You must handle it with utmost care. Mix it with goblin blood and it will only affect the goblins, same goes for humans and their blood. Those who are infected with this will soon die depending on their blood. Its effect can be cured using the green magical gems, however, so it¡¯s not world ending dangerous.¡±


    Colonel Stanford reluctantly accepted the items, carefully putting the bottle inside a protective case before having it sent off. The declaration of surrender was given to a wyvern messenger to be sent off to Swetall, the Yarian¡¯s capital city.

 Chapter 10: Aftermath and Future.

    June 18th, 1427


    Lassesanta, Yarian Empire.


    Sergeant Boris and his squad took a rest in a tent away from everything as they observed the Yarians being processed for prisoner transfer, not to mention the long line of civilians waiting for their turn to board the massive UH-48 quadrotors on the grass field. Tanks and IFVs armed with dozers push the bodies and rubbles aside, making sure the paths are clear. The bodies of the goblins were piled up high before being lit on fire via gasoline and magic. Many of the goblins were also put in cages, being shipped off to the hospital ships via helicopters separated from those of the civilians, escorted by plenty of guards onboard with automatic weapons, ready to kill any that attempted to break out.


    ¡°That was the longest night I think I¡¯ve ever had¡­¡± Rita let out a long exhale as she entered a large tent, tired from dealing with the injured and crying civilians. She took off her flak jacket and laid down on the foldable canvas bed in a barrack tent, trying to catch some rest before quickly falling asleep.


    Milton was sitting on his own bed, cleaning his rifle in the meantime. Joker walked inside the tent. ¡°Sup, mate.¡± He opened a small pack of standard issued powdered instant coffee, pouring it into a metal cup before filling it with hot water and stirring. He took a sip of the coffee, savoring the taste before turning to Milton. ¡°You still want to fuck¡¯em hookers in Anzuri? After all that happened here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a wimp, dude. I wanna have my first time inside an elf.¡± He strikes back, but quickly adjusts his voice to be smaller, noticing that Rita is sleeping next to both of them. ¡°A nut bustin¡¯ Marine is a happy Marine.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Joker took a long gulp, finishing his cup of coffee before tossing to Milton a paper check with his name on it.


    OFFICE OF PERSONNEL SERVICE. ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Date: 17/6/1427.


    PAY TO THE ORDER OF: Jorel Kerry


    SERVICE I.D: MAR5B1A1NUM004


    Two Thousand Credits - 2000 CRD.


    FOR: Transfer to Milton Woodrow - I.D: MAR5B1A1NUM005


    STATUS: COMPLETED


    As Milton smiled deviously while reading the check given to him, Joker let out a long sigh. ¡°Just to let you know, I ain¡¯t doing bets with you ever again. I¡¯m gonna go broke at this rate¡­¡±


    Richard stepped inside, having heard of their conversation through the thin tent, he joined in. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out, fellas. You two ain¡¯t the only ones that can¡¯t control their own sticks.¡± He chuckled, thinking of the short time they had when transiting through Anzuri. ¡°I don¡¯t blame ya, they have the curves.¡±


    Rita turns around on her bed, eyes opened. ¡°You guys are fuckin¡¯ disgusting.¡± She said before turning to the otherside to try and fall asleep again.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Joker chuckled at her expression. ¡°Gotta enjoy life while you still can. Never know when you¡¯re gonna catch a stray round to the head. You fuck with anyone before? Me neither.¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡­ idiot.¡± She rolled over, covering her ears with the flak jacket. ¡°Leave me be from your horseshit¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Presidential Office, Arden. United Federation of Elysia.


    June 24th, 1427.


    ¡°How is our operation going on in the Yarian Empire?¡± President Irwin asked his assistant, twirling and spinning a pencil on his right hand.


    Loyd read the report out loud. ¡°We¡¯re wrapping up the combat phase of the invasion already. The 5th Marines is now switching to counter-insurgency instead while the Department of State works on a plan to dissolve the Yarian Empire and restore the conquered Elvish Kingdom into our image.¡± Loyd read from the report on his hand. ¡°Most of the original Yarians were¡­ very angry about losing their empire. But they are a minority without their orcs and goblins to conquer and subjugate others, I doubt they pose a real threat in the long run.¡±


    ¡°So their leader surrendered.¡± Irwin leaned back, folding his arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Mister President. King Yaria offered his surrender last week to General Stanford of the 5th Marine Mechanized Brigade. He also gave us a biological weapon, we and the Azurians are still trying to figure out what it is.¡±


    The mention caught Irwin¡¯s ear. ¡°Biological weapon?¡±


    ¡°King Yaria, now currently incarcerated in a center in Prymoriv, has given General Stanford a strange dark substance contained within a strangely modern-looking bottle. He mentioned that his grandfather was the one who discovered it and took it from somewhere.¡±


    ¡°A weapon¡­ then it must be dangerous, no?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mister President. King Yaria gave us instructions on what it does. After extensive testing for the past few days by AMRA (Advanced Military Research Agency) and the Federal Institute of Health on some goblins and other beasts, we discovered that the substance apparently could target specific species that had their blood or DNA mixed with it, quickly causing blood clotting and painful death within minutes of exposure to members of the species.¡±


    ¡°A biological weapon that could target a specific ethnic group.¡± Irwin thought of the implication, fearful for what the substance could do. ¡°What if human blood is mixed into it? Do they just kill specific ethnic groups based on the donor or¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still figuring it out, Mister President.¡±


    Irwin recalled his time in the Federal Security Service, doing some spy work in far flung countries. What the United Federation has right now would¡¯ve made the fascists and ethno-nationalists back in his homeworld cream their pants. Whatever this thing is, it¡¯s clearly too dangerous to be used, lest it falls into the wrong hands.


    ¡°The Azurians have also joined in the testing effort, using their Life Gems to find cures if humans or demi-humans are exposed to this substance. We have to pay the Azurian mages pretty exorbitantly though, as the Life Gems are the rarest type to get ahold of. Many people in the Eastern Continent rely on it to cure diseases.¡±


    ¡°Simple supply and demand.¡± Irwin states. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we introduce modern medicine herbs and technology into Azuria and elsewhere, the price of these Life Gems would certainly drop.¡± Irwin flipped the pencil in his hand, a move he had been practicing in his downtime for a while. ¡°What can they do? The Life Gems I mean. I get that they can heal wounds judging by their use by Azurian troops, but what else?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Loyd smiles. ¡°I think we found the cure to cancer and many other terminal diseases.¡± He said, thinking of the endless potential breakthroughs in medical research.


    Irwin stopped twirling the pencil in his hand, shocked by the news. ¡°W-what? I-it can cure cancer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But apparently the technique used by Azurians requires a week worth of constantly applying a Life Gem¡¯s energy into the victim, not to mention you do need several high tier mages as well for some more complex procedures.¡±


    ¡°O-okay then¡­ that¡¯s still better than no cure.¡± Irwin looked around for the document related to the Department of Health, wanting to sign a proposal for a subject for research into the power of the Gems. ¡°You see the documents related to the Federal Institute of Health anywhere, Loyd? I swear it was here-¡±


    Loyd let out a sigh. ¡°I knew you would do that, so I submitted the proposal in advance for you already¡­ again.¡±


    Irwin stopped looking for the file, chuckling a bit. ¡°Heh¡­ sorry for bothering you then.¡±


    ¡°No big deal, Mister President. I¡¯m used to running errands without you asking for it already.¡± He chuckled.


    Irwin leaned back on his chair and began to twirl his pencil again, thinking of future plans for the Eastern Continent.


    King Yaria has been imprisoned. Good riddance, he thinks to himself. Defeating the Yarian Empire is just about the easiest part of any military campaign if you have an overwhelmingly powerful military. The real headache is what usually comes after: occupation and rebuilding.


    As hard as it is to admit it, one of the unintended benefits of the Yarian¡¯s brutality towards others was that most of the countries and kingdoms they overran were almost destroyed, with their institutions all but collapsed completely without the people who knew how to run them, having been killed first to prevent rebel leaders from rising.


    This was a blessing in disguise for the United Federation, who could help the Elvish rebuild their institutions in the image of Elysia. Democracy, freedom of choice, freedom of conscience and open market. It would not only provide a market for Elysian and Azurian businesses to export their goods to, but would enrich everyone through trade. Afterall, freedom of commerce and trade is what built the wealth for Elysia in the United Federation¡¯s old homeworld, not conquest of land nor subjugating others for puppets like how Socialist Yarik did to neighboring countries.


    The United Federation is still reeling from the sudden Transference event, sending an entire brigade along with their associated heavy equipment for a war on another continent didn¡¯t help with the economic situation either. Although the censored combat and documentary footage given to the media had boosted war support somewhat, it didn¡¯t do as much as Irwin had hoped. Without sufficient war support, it would be difficult to justify more military and economic interventions in the Eastern Continent.


    Irwin thought about the geopolitical situation that his country is in.


    In regards to Azuria, he has already successfully opened their market and exchanged modern scientific knowledge and social ideals with them. It would only be a matter of time before a new class of Azurian capitalists and business owners rose to challenge the power of the established Azurian aristocrats, resulting in political reform.


    However, due to their reliance on raw resource export to Azuria and Elysia alike, it¡¯d be hard for the United Federation to influence the political elites of the Principality of Lior to change their mind. The influx of Elysian money for the purchase of mineral resources had already entrenched the power of Liori mining guilds, causing them to stop Elysian companies from establishing a foothold in the Principality, leading to extremely low productivity due to the guilds¡¯ obsolete mining methods despite the imports of modern mechanical mining tools.


    Irwin facepalms as he found the situation in the Principality of Lior similar in comparison with several labor unions who rose up within the government a few years back, trying to stop the digitalization of bureaucracy for fear of losing their job. Only extensive executive crackdowns by Irwin¡¯s old friend - the former President Lucius, did the Federal Digitalization Act was passed without further protest by the unionists, helping the government to become more efficient, cutting more taxes yet leaving more room in the state¡¯s budget to allocate to the military to counter the Socialist threat.


    The path is already laid bare for Irwin to see: there needs to be extensive rebuilding and restructuring of the Eastern Continent, one that would benefit not only the United Federation itself but all the continent¡¯s inhabitants. He¡¯d need to do it quickly and decisively, yet discreetly as the country needs the resources in the Eastern Continent urgently before winter arrives, but he also couldn¡¯t afford to damage relations with the only two kingdoms providing most of the raw resources needed in Elysia.


    Extensive construction currently being done in Azuria could barely keep up with the United Federation¡¯s demand for imports, prompting the hiring of local mages and workers to help with lighter construction jobs. While with the Liori, he could send operatives into the kingdom to further destabilize the mining guilds¡¯ power and influence to force reforms. He could also get Azuria onboard with the idea as well, making sure Elysia¡¯s relationship with Azuria is rock solid despite what could happen to the Principality.


    He moved on to the next topic, wondering about the post-war situation. Whoever¡¯s left of the original population of the Elvish Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be happy about the United Federation¡¯s occupation of their homeland for a while for reconstruction and restructuring, no doubt, but Irwin believes that he could work out a deal with them.


    Convincing the Federal Parliament to accept his proposal would be a headache, as it was as imperialistic as it gets by most definitions. But that wouldn¡¯t be a problem right? This is another world, afterall. The Yarians were threatening Azuria and Lior with death and enslavement, worse than starvation and poverty by the Socialists! So stepping in to defeat and dissolve them would be nothing short of an act of a saint for the Azurians by the United Federation.


    If the Elvish couldn¡¯t reestablished themselves even with the United Federation¡¯s help, then all their land would be ceded to Azuria. Satisfied with his idea, he smiles internal-


    ¡°-esident!¡± a faint feminine voice caught Irwin¡¯s ears before becoming clear. ¡°Mister President!¡±


    He snapped away from his deep thought, turning his gaze to find one of his other assistants standing there next to Loyd. ¡°Mornin'' Ellen... What are you here for?¡±


    She turned to the President. ¡°Sir, you have a-¡±


    ¡°Oh right! The Azurians!¡± Irwin yelped, leaping from his seat and dropping the pencil. He had almost forgotten an important meeting today, rushing to his computer terminal to print several copies of the documents needed for his proposals. ¡°Uh, Ellen. Do you mind helping me with this?¡± He gestured at the printer.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± She sighs internally as she grabs the small stack of paper, still warm from the fresh ink of the printer. ¡°The Azurian¡¯s big man has arrived just now, Mister President.¡±


    Irwin checked the time on his watch: 10:15 AM. ¡°I know¡­ Thanks for the reminder though.¡± He stood up and walked toward Loyd, giving him a check. ¡°Get yourself a coffee or something, I got somewhere to be.¡±


    Loyd accepted the check, smiling slightly. ¡°Thank you, Mister President. Don¡¯t overwork again.¡±


    ¡°Not when you¡¯re here.¡± He tapped Loyd¡¯s shoulder before exiting the office. ¡°See you again, Loyd.¡±


    ¨C ¨C


    Irwin hurriedly pace through the garden within the Presidential Complex as he made his way to the meeting room, escorted by two armed members of the Federal Security Service assigned to his protection. While he disliked being followed everywhere like this, it had become official security policy ever since his predecessor - President Lucius, was killed by Socialist rebels while on diplomatic visit a couple years back. He continued to make his way to another section of the complex, navigating through twists and turns of the hallways before ending up on the largest set of doors at the end of a hallway.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Irwin adjusts his tie, making sure his appearance is proper, gesturing to the security members to stand guard. ¡°Let''s do this.¡±


    Irwin stepped inside the meeting room, with his secretaries from multiple other governmental departments already present as well as several Azurians. ¡°Good morning, everyone. I¡¯m sure you all know why I gathered you here already?¡±


    Several replies came up from the secretaries which affirmed Irwin¡¯s question, save for the Azurians. He adjusted his gaze at the Azurian man in an outfit that just screams ¡®important¡¯, already knowing who he was as he walked towards him. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet with you, Duke Kalush ad Azuri.¡±


    The man in bright purple attire offered a handshake first, having been advised by Ruprecht and Evatyr standing besides him on how these people conduct themselves. ¡°Indeed, President Irwin. Due to the strengthening ties between your country and my kingdom, I have brought up many topics to discuss today.¡±


    Having been flown in via the Elysian¡¯s ¡®aircrafts¡¯ and stayed in their country for a few days before, Kalush had truly understood what Ruprecht and Evatyr meant in the letters sent to him on their first diplomatic mission here. Their cities shone brighter than the stars in the sky, their machines did in a day what a blacksmith could do in a month, and their vehicles could run many times faster than a horse could while doing much more. The moment he had set foot on the airport¡¯s tarmac, he knew Azuria had no choice but to cooperate.


    ¡°And that shall be one of the topics we shall discuss today.¡± Irwin gives out a light hearted smile. Knowing how barbaric this world has been so far, especially regarding the Yarians, he was glad that civility and respect also existed.


    Irwin gave the signal for everyone to sit down while Ellen distributed the copy of his proposals to everyone sitting in the room. Paper and documents shuffling about as the Secretary of War spoke first. ¡°We recognized the need to modernize the Azurian military who is now our trusted ally despite having been in contact for just over a month.¡± He said, flipping a page on the folder. ¡°I believe that Azuria deserved an effective military, not only to safeguard their sovereignty but to also help protect our assets on the ground in case of war breaking out. We cannot keep a large military presence forever.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± He paused, ready to emphasize what he had to say. ¡°Due to the less than ideal infrastructure present in the Kingdom of Azuria, I can only suggest modernization of lighter equipment like rifles, body armor, uniforms, helmets and radios. More sophisticated hardware like vehicles and aircrafts will have to be held off from sale until the infrastructure in Azuria has matured sufficiently. Is that alright, Duke Kalush ad Azuri?¡±


    ¡°It is reasonable. You have my utmost gratitude, Mister Raynard.¡± Kalush replied calmly, but internally he was overjoyed to hear the approval by the Elysian. His soldiers no doubt would¡¯ve appreciated new weapons and equipment provided to them, even if it was only basic small arms. But there were several unresolved problems.


    ¡°I still have questions regarding this, Mr.Raynard.¡± Kalush straightened up, switching to a more professional tone but his worries can still be felt. ¡°How can the kingdom afford these military paraphernalias? I have seen the pricing of these advanced equipment converted to our currency, procuring them would be a very expensive endeavor. It pains me to admit this, but my kingdom has little to offer to your country but food as we are a majority agricultural society, with very few activities we could tax now that tariffs have been abolished. We aren¡¯t wealthy by any measure.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Duke Kalush.¡± Irwin spoke up. ¡°I already got Secretary Yosef, who is in charge of the Department of the Treasury, to get on board with the plan. A large majority of our Federal Parliament have also commended your men¡¯s action during the war on the Yarian Empire, thanks to the somewhat good press coverage. Our country will pass the Strategic Assistance Act soon which will allow us to send money to your country to be spent on the purchase of our military equipment until your economy has sufficiently developed. Your kingdom may spend a small amount of twenty million Credits per month - totaling two point four billions, on the purchase and maintenance of our military equipment, this is to allow you freedom to choose the equipment most appropriate for your kingdom¡¯s needs.¡±


    Duke Kalush¡¯s eyes lit up, finding the generosity of the Elysians hard to believe. ¡°My, I can¡¯t express my gratitude enough! I assure you that under my rule, we will spend the amount wisely.¡± He bowed lightly, thankful for the aid.


    Irwin cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Gentlemen, now for the topic of the post-war treaty with the Yarians.¡±


    The Yarians. Kalush¡¯s eyes frowned slightly at the topic. The Yarians were as barbaric as they get, a peace treaty with them would often be broken as soon as they regained their strength. Although grateful for the Elysian¡¯s help, he couldn¡¯t sympathize with them in regard to how they treat defeated enemies, especially one as ruthless as the Yarians. Compassion could be a double edged sword.


    ¡°Due to his detainment, King Yaria cannot be present at this meeting. However, he has sent us his demands. One of which is the preservation of his power on the throne and to continue ruling in peace.¡±


    Shocked by this, Kalush stood up in protest, barely containing his distaste for King Yaria. ¡°That¡¯s not possible! What if he built another army to attack again like his forefathers?! Kingdoms have fallen just because many before you people have spared the Yarians of complete destruction!¡±


    Seeing everyone¡¯s surprised reaction in the room, he quietly sat down on the soft chair. ¡°I apologize for my outburst, it¡¯s just that I cannot see any other way but to put Yaria''s reign down for good.¡±


    ¡°We understand your concern, Duke Kalush. But the cycle of violence has to be stopped, no matter what. Putting King Yaria down will cause a power vacuum which could accelerate into a civil war.¡± Marvin explained, using his position as Secretary of State to back up his claims. ¡°The risk of that happening is too great and our country is in no position to intervene should the situation spiral out of control. It is also why we have decided to help modernize your armed forces as well, to help share the burden of security on the Eastern Continent.¡± he said.


    ¡°This is the post war treaty.¡± Irwin gestured at Ellen to distribute the copies in her hand. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll find this acceptable, Duke Kalush.¡±


    The President sat in silence, watching everybody read the copies in their hand slowly.


    Duke Kalush reads one of the terms out loud: ¡°Article I - The Yarian Empire, acting in conformity with the wishes of the people and every department of its government, are to return their conquered land back to their former sovereign owners. This cession includes all public lots and squares, lands, mines, minerals, salt lakes and springs, public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and shipyard, docks, magazines, arms, armaments and accouterments, archives and public documents, public funds debts, taxes and dues unpaid at the time of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty.¡±


    The rest of the treaty stated the reparations by the Yarians to former slaves as well as disarmament, completed with the disbanding of units and seizure of all Yarian military assets to be destroyed or disposed of. Trade agreements were also included, with the Yarian having to sign a trade agreement with the United Federation, allowing for tariffs-free exchange of goods and services.


    The peculiar focus on the free exchange of goods like this was strange to Kalush. Tariffs and land-based taxation of the aristocrats is how his kingdom gets most of its governmental revenue, yet these people seemed to despise taxation in regards to trade almost religiously. Evatyr explained to him that they preferred to tax the consumption of goods, as well as taxing the income of each individual, which was totally bizarre as the average Azurian peasants¡¯ taxes are handled by the aristocrats ruling over them. How do they even do that?


    ¡°We will be setting up an occupational government in the former Elvish to make sure those refugees get help first and to maintain some semblance of order. Of course, most of the manpower would have to come from Azuria until we have recovered economically.¡± President Irwin said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°This¡­ I find this acceptable, President Irwin.¡± Kalush said with neutrality in his tone, but internally he was overjoyed. The Elvish Kingdom has been a rivalry to Azuria for generations, prompting both to pour much resources into waging small wars with each other once every several decades. In truth, having the opportunity to handle most of the occupation duty is nothing short of a final statement by Azuria to their former rival: We won.


    While uncertain, Kalush hoped that in time, both the people of the Elvish Kingdom and Azuria could find common ground and coexist together, just like the Elvish refugees that came to Azuria a few years back when the Yarians invaded. They integrate into Azurian society just fine, making him wonder why his kingdom and the Elvish even hate each other for so long.


    Some of the Elysians¡¯ secretaries didn¡¯t share Kalush¡¯s excitement, especially Secretary Yosef Yechezkel, who was in charge of the Department of Treasury. ¡°This is quite the serious proposal, Mister President. How will the budget even hold up? I have already diverted most of the older foreign aid budget to the police to allow the Department of Internal Security to keep social order. The mess that this military occupation would cause will be enormous even with the expanded budget. If there are insurgencies, then we would have to expand security spending to ensure stability in the Eastern Continent.¡± He explained with some annoyance in his voice, fearful that the treasury would run dry.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, Josef. Just do your job. I have already decided on how to go about achieving this endeavor.¡± Irwin reassures him. ¡°Once our presence on the Eastern Continent is assured, and Azuria¡¯s and Lior¡¯s infrastructures developed sufficiently, we won¡¯t need to worry about money as much.¡±


    While he wants to counter, Josef finds no reason to oppose the President¡¯s decision on the matter. ¡°¡­ I understand, Mister President. I¡¯ll try my best to make it work.¡±


    ¡°Very well then. Now,¡± Irwin turned his chair to the projector, looking at the new satellite photos taken by Evalyn Aerospace. ¡°What in the living hell am I looking at here, Mr. Raynard?¡±


    The secretaries and Azurians looked at the projector, streamed from the data inserted into the room''s computer terminal.


    The blurry images depicted a fleet of what he presumed was warships. While the images were fuzzy at best, he could tell that these are no ordinary warships. If they were only regular naval warships, then he wouldn¡¯t be so worried as modern missiles from the venerable David-class guided missile destroyers and Challenger-class guided missile cruisers can outrange even the largest of guns able to be fitted on the old Bunker-class battleships, which were sitting dormant as empty husk acting as reserves in the Naval Museum in Arden City, stripped of their electronics and equipment.


    What worried him are the next photos, showing the presumed naval vessels over a city-like landscape. ¡°Are these warships flying?¡± He asked Raynard, the Secretary of the War Department.


    Raynard maintained a neutral expression on his face, focusing on the task at hand. ¡°I supposed they are, Mister President. These ships represent a significant capability and diversion in military doctrinal thinking. Due to their nature, we have been unable to determine their capabilities and tonnages.¡±


    Kalush¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I know those ships¡­¡±


    Everyone in the room turned their gaze upon him, with Raynard''s expression turning from neutrality to one of peculiarity. ¡°Duke Kalush ad Azuri, you know these crafts?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kalush straightens up, recalling from memory. ¡°They¡¯re called Heavenly Ships by the Holy Celestial Empire, with the name dating back to two thousand years ago used to refer to the ships of the Khanterran¡¯s. I am not equipped to explain who the Khanterrans were right now, but you should know that they were the worst oppressors in the history of Sorval. The ships were and still are considered the pinnacle of what the Celestials referred to as magitech - combination of both mechanical and magical technology. Only the Holy Celestial Empire operates these Heavenly Ships now, as they are the only ones with the knowledge and resources to construct such ships.¡± Kalush paused, thinking of the many aircrafts that the Elysians had. ¡°Though your ¡®aircrafts¡¯ are also quite capable by themselves, able to replicate the power of magitech with only pure mechanical technology.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliments, Duke Kalush. We are also quite proud of our aircraft industries.¡± Irwin thinks of the implication. Whoever these Celestials are, they are clearly not a force to be taken lightly. Flying ships are still in the realm of fantasy and sci-fi in the United Federation, yet these Celestials have not only operated such ships, but have used them for millennia, giving their armed forces valuable experience on how to operate their Heavenly Ships.


    Irwin stopped overthinking, opting to find information directly. ¡°If you excuse my questioning, Duke Kalush, is there anything more you know about these ¡®Heavenly Ships¡¯? We would like to know as much as possible about the Holy Celestials Empire before making contact.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not know much, as the Celestials do not come to the Eastern Continent often. Your scholars can find information in our archive, that much I know. These past few months I have been busy with war preparation against the Yarians.¡± He widened his eyes, remembering something. ¡°Oh right! There will be a small Celestial fleet coming to the Eastern Continent in September in three months time!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The Secretary of State spoke up.


    ¡°Mister Marvin, allow me to explain.¡± Kalush cleared his throat. ¡°The Holy Celestial Empire conducts a world tour every five years, going around Sorval to recruit magical talents and to conduct trade, often buying much of our produce in bulk to bring back to their country. Many aspiring Azurian mages often emigrate to Celestia, where they could continue their magical studies with much greater resources than what we have here, others board to look for a better life for themselves, as Celestia always needs more labor for their rising industries.¡±


    ¡°Sounds much like us.¡± Marvin comments, comparing both Elysia and Celestia¡¯s position within their own respective world, although Elysia¡¯s immigration rules are much tighter in comparison to the Holy Celestial Empire. Many people from around Elysium - the United Federation¡¯s homeworld, had wanted to move to Elysia itself in order to find a better life for themselves, but due to strict immigration laws to prevent Socialist spy incursion, this was rare. Mostly through military service, could an outsider earn Elysian citizenship unless stated otherwise.


    ¡°This could represent an opportunity.¡± Marvin continued, speaking out his mind as he turned his head to Kalush. ¡°We can benefit from trade with the Holy Celestial Empire, probably even obtaining these magitechnologies for ourselves in exchange for our commercial mechanical technologies. What do you think of this, Duke Kalush? Azuria could benefit from this as well, since we¡¯re not picky on the topic of trade. I hope you will support this decision of ours.¡±


    Kalush was taken back a bit by the question. These are the most powerful people who decided to save his kingdom, and although they have their demands, they have been far more respectful towards Azuria and Lior than a country this economically and militarily powerful would usually act. More than the Celestials, who sometimes look down on Azurians and the rest of the Eastern Continent as underdeveloped peasants.


    ¡®Might Makes Right.¡¯ That was the rule of Sorval. Established even before the Khanterran¡¯s dark age two thousand years back, which had continued on in one way or another by many conquerors through the ages. The Holy Celestial Empire, which eventually triumphed against the Khanterran¡¯s rule, also abided by such rule and embarked on a series of conquests until Empress Celestia the IV¡¯s reform around three hundred years back, bringing peace to the Western Continent. Kalush smiles internally, happy that such civility and humility exists in Elysia. He might not know of the history of the United Federation, but eventually he¡¯d catch up to find the answer for himself on how these people came to be. Their libraries and archives are opened to Azuria, after all.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Azuria has no objection to your decision in regards to the Holy Celestial Empire.¡± Kalush states with a firm tone, nodding his head in approval.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡± Irwin gave Kalush a smile, changing the topic once more. ¡°I know that your kingdom¡¯s relationship with the Lioris is a bit¡­¡± he paused, trying to find the right word. ¡°-contentious.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, President Irwin.¡± Kalush rolled his eyes at the mentioning of the Principality of Lior. ¡°They are a troublesome ally to have, especially during emergencies.¡±


    ¡°We know that Azuria has resumed shipments of food to the Principality due to the war¡¯s end.¡± Marvin states. ¡°But you have also threatened the Principality with sanctions on food imports prior to the Yarians attack as well, Duke Kalush. That left quite a mess when one of our ambassadors paid the Principality a visit.¡± He explained with concern in his voice, not understanding why a civil person like Duke Kalush would do such a thing like that.


    ¡°They refused to aid us as per our mutual defense agreement before the Yarian attacks. Only with your country¡¯s timely intervention did Azuria not fall.¡± Kalush explained, fed up with the Principality¡¯s unwilling commitments.


    ¡°I see, we¡¯re also having problems with them as well.¡± Irwin said. ¡°The mining guilds within the Principality aren¡¯t willing to let our companies mine in their territory, the only thing we could mine currently is oil as there is no guild that drill oil. It is in their rights to reject but¡­ our economy needs more metal and more minerals in order to sustain itself.¡± He facepalms, trying to get the Duke to understand his country¡¯s plights.


    ¡°The Liori mining guilds have also been a problem for Azuria as well.¡± Kalush recalled from his memory. ¡°There are times that they banded together to raise the price of iron, causing much trouble for the blacksmiths in my kingdom. We were practically being scammed out of our pocket, but we have no choice but to buy from them as the Principality is richer than anywhere else in the Eastern Continent when it comes to mineral wealth.¡±


    ¡°Without the minerals and materials to make cheap goods, the power of the Liori mining guilds is absolute. Despite the trade agreements, our commercial goods won¡¯t be able to get any cheaper without cheap materials backing them up.¡± Irwin comments, drowning himself in thought.


    The men in the room fell silent as they shared a look with each other, almost as if they were all thinking of the same thing without a single word being traded between them.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Marvin asked the others, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact the head of the Federal Intelligence Agency, finding ways to send operatives into the Principality.¡± Raynard answers, picking up the phone and typing into the computer terminal installed into the large table.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Azuria will provide support and entry for your spies. I see no reason to oppose this. The winds are changing, and it is time for some real change in the Eastern Continent.¡± Kalush states, adamant about his stance against the Lioris who had almost screwed over his kingdom''s existence.


    Irwin stood up from his seat, adjusting his ties. ¡°Very well, gentlemen. Perhaps it is time for us to get to work.¡± He turned to Duke Kalush. ¡°But before then, would you care to join us for lunch, Duke Kalush? We¡¯re serving the highest quality Rostislav steaks, I¡¯m sure you would find them most delectable.¡±


    Kalush smiled, excited about tasting Elysian food for the first time. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take on your offer.¡±