The Kingdom of Verlaine, Resistance Underground Headquarters
Captain Rial went into the war council after Lieutenant Elena and her subordinates receive contact from Shiki. The CIISA Field Intel Team transmitted the plan's layout into the Zealot Strike Force to prevent leaks. Since they got no holo table, they will operate in an old-school way, using maps and tables to discuss their plans.
“What do you have for us, Lieutenant?”
“Captain.”
Elena spreads the map, and she places several chess pieces. White for Celestina Imperial Space Command and Black for the Papaldia Occupation Army.
“When Queen Rosaria confirms the date of the attack, we will drop the personnel into three drop zones. First is the main base near Silitsa Magic Mine, where we will have two drop zones. The first drop zone is the 91st Red Wings Assault Battalion, led by Rear Admiral Aegina that will drop at the Papaldia Empire Base’s Northern Entrance. The second drop zone, located at the East of the base, will be handled by Coffee Rabbit 1st Assault Company, led by Twin Coffee Rabbits Commodore Lily and Commodore Lyla.
The last drop zone is the Commander in Chief of the Zealot Strike Force, Tohriu Shiki. He will drop alone and infiltrate the city to meet up with us. Can you identify his face?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Good. That makes things easier. Also, we will have 1st Expeditionary Fleet to assault the Ship along with a present from the Celestina Empire.”
“A present?”
“That’s classified since we don’t want it exposed before the day of the attack.”
“Fine… What’s the battle plan inside the city? We know that Celestina Imperial Space Command will handle the main base near Silitsa Magic Mine, but we don’t know for inside the city itself.”
“Our objective is to capture the government alive. When the ship-of-the-line docked at the port was destroyed, and we rendezvoused with Shiki, we immediately stormed the office. We will utilize the chaos on their ranks to assault their office and capture the governing board.”
“But, aren’t they going to strengthen their defense if the Celestina Empire manages to destroy the port?”
“With the information from the Silitsa base, what do you think?”
Rial notices Celestina’s plan. They want to put the Papaldia Empire Occupation Force into disarray by destroying the military power and having the governing board guard trapped. By securing the main base and destroying the port housing the Empire’s fleet, the Governing Board guard will get trapped.
“I see… We will wait for more information, then.”
“Captain! There’s an intel coming in! It’s in an encrypted message!”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Morning will come after a long night.
The sun shall once again rise from the east.
Eagles will come down to hunt.
Good fortunes on the day of Tas.”
At first glance, it seemed like a poem. From the Verlaine resistance point of view, the first part was taken from a tale called ‘The Miraculous Victory,’ a historical battle in the Kingdom of Verlaine where they had been rescued from an invading army by a hero from another country. Then the last line, ‘Good fortunes on the day of Tas,’ was code for ‘in one week.’ Rias was curious about the ‘Eagles will come down to hunt,’ so he asked Elena for more details.
“What’s the ‘Eagles will come down to hunt’ mean?”
“It means we will be dropping into the drop zones to commence the attack.”
“All right, then. Inform all the squads, make sure they’re prepared to fight a week from now!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
The operator holed up in the comms room and began sending encrypted magical communications to all the anti-empire organizations scattered throughout Verlaine.
A day before Operation: Blood Rose, the Celestina Empire, Drydock S Luarca-1, Grenadier-class Corvette, Verlaine Prayer, 15th April 1524 / 225
“Attention!”
The crew on the bridge salutes to former King Daara the 19th and Queen Rosaria. When Daara abdicates the throne, he was effectively reassigned as Executive Officer, while Rosaria was reassigned as Captain of the Verlaine Prayer by the Celestina Empire. Although the operation will commence tomorrow, she feels nervous as this is her debut to command a Starship. The asset given by the Celestina Empire makes both Daara and Rosaria nervous.
Grenadier-class Corvette, Verlaine Prayer specifications:
- Size: 203,5 meter (length), 68,3 meter (width), 76,2 meter (height)
- Armament:
- 4x 25cm Triple Long-barreled Cosmo Matrix Cannon ESI Series 2,
- 1 Light Corvette MAC Mark III,
- 2 Twin Point Defense Guns 25mm VC-122,
- 2 Twin Point Defense Guns 30mm C-122,
- 4 Plasma Point Defense C-95,
- 2 Laser Point Defense,
- 2 Plasma Torpedo,
- 12 racks of Rapier Missiles (25 each rack),
- 2 Flak 88R MACA,
- two racks of Submunition Dispenser Missile launcher.
- Crew: 110 personnel (12 Officers, 52 sailors, 16 pilots, dan 30 combat personnel), 4 Wing-class LSF-22, 2 Interceptor INSF-10, and 2 ID-22 TC for infantry transport.
- Engines: WET Detrium Fusion Reactor Corvette Type-7, 2 Repulsor Engine Mark II, 4 Secondary Repulsor Engine Mark VII
- Protection: Titanium Nanolaminate Sage B-class, Field Dispersal Generator RAS-22 Tier 3, Astral Shield Heavy Tier 4 GEN V, ALRS GEN II
It was not like the common Corvette that Celestina Empire used. Instead, it’s been modified to become a Corvette suitable for battle rather than just an interceptor.
Looking at the crew, Rosaria orders them to return to their post.
“Thank you for the trust you gave me as a Captain of the Ship. Let’s depart so we can prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s battle.”
The crew starts to initiate the countdown to launch.
“Starting the countdown.”
The engine starts to ignite, and slowly the drydock crew releases the clamp, allowing the Corvette to float.
“Depart!”
Departing from Capital of Mechania, Zaid, Rosaria will lead the Operation: Blood Rose personally. Celestina’s 1st Expeditionary Fleet is already on the way from the Kingdom of Selarong and will be arriving at the Eastern Sea of Verlaine tomorrow morning.
The Undines, under the command of Vice-Admiral Ishiene and Junior Lieutenant Lapis, are also participating. Their objective is to make sure no warship escapes and recon the Imperial Capital fleet.
Rosaria went out from the bridge and explored the decks. She hasn’t completed her tour to check every asset she receives, including Assault-class LSF-22 and Wing-class INSF-10. The reason Celestina sends LSF-22 instead of LSF-3 is to increase the security around Verlaine Prayer. LSF-22 possesses a tail gunner that allows the gunner to shoot down any fighters tailing their fighter. It was not quite a convenient strategy if used inside the atmosphere, but it was handy at space battle.
Rosaria didn’t know how to treat this Starship as her first impression of this Ship is elegant, powerful, and the crew is very well-trained. When Shina offers her a Frigate, she refuses it, but her face immediately turns red once Shina wants to gift it as a wedding gift when she and Shiki are married. She plans to use this Starship other than the war effort, much to Shina’s pleasure.
Once she takes a tour around the Ship, she goes back to the bridge before deciding to rest at her room on Officers Quarters. Shiki, Aegina, Lily, Lyla, the 91st Red Wings Assault Battalion, and Coffee Rabbits 1st Assault Company are gathering at a Drop-class Carrier, Meteor Jumper, to make a final preparation.
The Next day, Operation: Blood Rose, Kingdom of Verlaine, Northeastern Skies, 16th April 1524 / 225
“We’re in position, Ma’am. The fleet is also advancing.”
“We found five Wyvern Lords flying in the sky along with five ships-of-the-line. Confirmed it’s class-30 to class-50, possibly fourth to the sixth rate.”
“Your orders, Ma’am?”
The bridge crew looks at Rosaria as she assesses the target. She got all guns she needed to bring down the Wyvern Lords and ship-of-the-line.
“Prepare the main gun. One barrel, one target.”
“Roger that.”
Alicia opens the communication to the bridge.
“Alicia here. I’m sending Eleugy to your location. Arcus confirmed there’s a Dragon Carrier fitting with Wyvern Overlord 240km northwest of the Verlaine Kingdom. Five of our agents are on board there, and I will need you to shoot down any Wyverns that were not on the friendly list. I need that Overlord captured.”
“Understood.”
Five barrels lock on the Wyvern Lord, and Rosaria looks at the warships.
“Have another two sets aims to the warship. Take it down in thirty seconds after we eliminate the wyverns once they got a sight of us.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Target locked.”
“Fire!”
When the energy gathers around the main cannon, it fires. It will soon claim the first casualty on Liberation of the Verlaine Kingdom, or in terms of operation held by the Celestina Empire, Operation: Blood Rose.
Above the Kingdom of Verlaine, Drop-class Carrier, Meteor Jumper
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes, sir!”
Once Rosaria and the 1st Expeditionary Fleet are in position, all participants from the 91st Red Wings Assault Battalion and Coffee Rabbits 1st Assault Company enter the pods. While the Imperial Army is busy with the surprise attack from Rosaria, they will drop to commence an assault on the Silitsa Magic Gem Mine and Capital of Verlaine, Blate.
Their objective is to defeat the occupation force and capture Zion.
“The launch will commence as soon as Her Majesty open fires!”
Once everyone is inside the pod, they are ready to launch. When Rosaria makes her shot, the pod would immediately launch into the Kingdom of Verlaine from seventy-five kilometers.
When Rosaria open fire as her command, the pod immediately launches from Meteor Jumper, heading to the designated location. They saw chaos around the Kingdom of Verlaine as the Port Base and ship-of-the-line on the deck were destroyed by the initial assault from Verlaine Prayer.
Above the Kingdom of Verlaine, Prowler Team Alpha, Radar-class Prowler, Arcus
“We’re on the mark.”
Captain of the Arcus, Faira Desirae, is looking at the battle net at the holo-table. She looks at the movements of the Celestina Imperial Space Command from all fronts. The trajectory possibility of where the pods from two units will land is also considered since they have already launched from the Meteor Jumper for several minutes.
“91st Red Wings, adjust your trajectory by going 3 degrees north. 1st Assault Company, adjust your trajectory by going 2.5 degrees south and 1 degree east. “Deity Killer,” adjust your trajectory by heading 7 degrees south and 5 degrees east.”
“Roger!”
Faira looks again at the battle map; they will be landing at the target as scheduled.
“Atlas, Astrid, guide the Undine 1st Recon Company to snoop around the Esthirant’s defenses.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
Two Prowlers from Alpha Team are heading to guide mermaids led by Ishiene and Lapis to scout the Papaldia Imperial Navy.
The Papaldia Empire, Northeastern Skies of Blate
Dragon knight Abbis, one of the soldiers dispatched to the Kingdom of Verlaine from the Papaldia Empire, was currently patrolling the northeast region. He rode his favorite wyvern lord through the clear, cloudless skies in the chilly wind. The empire had quickly subjugated the island nation of Verlaine, and there were no longer any public disturbances, unaware that Celestina’s Zealot Strike Force already infiltrated the land three days after its subjugation. The empire was located about 500 km north, there were various barbarian countries across the sea to the south, and east-southeast was Rodenius, where there were no longer any hegemonic countries like the former Kingdom of Louria.
In the ocean northeast of Verlaine, there were five ships-of-the-line, 30-gun ships, and 50-gun ships. The Papaldia Empire was always at war with other countries, so the military’s actions didn’t differ significantly between routine activities and emergencies. They were currently at war with the Kingdom of Selarong and the Celestina Empire, but that had nothing to do with Verlaine, so today’s patrol would just wrap up the way it always did like usual.
At least, that was what Abbis believed.
Through a gap in the clouds, he noticed something he had never seen before. He and his wyverns are going up to get a better look, his entire vision was locked at a giant flying ship, and at the ocean, it’s a fleet of gray-painted ships that were far larger than the empire’s ships-of-the-line.
“It-It can’t be! We need to report this to the base!”
“Yes, sir!”
He took out his magical communicator, intending to report this in.
KATS!
“W-Wha—”
“Uwa—”
An instant later, when he was about to report the discovery, dragon knight Abbis’s and his subordinate consciousness faded away, his report to the Papaldia Empire’s Verlaine Occupation forces left unsaid. Dragon knight Abbis and his squad was the first casualty of what would later be known as the Liberation of Verlaine.
Papaldia’s five ships-of-the-line were patrolling the nearby waters. Captain Daaz was looking at the communicator. The dragon knight on patrol had been about to say something before the connection got cut off. His signal on the magic detector had also disappeared. Because the knight’s last-known position was very close to where they were now, Daaz became very nervous.
“Ship spotted! It’s coming towards us! One is in the sky!”
They watched a ship the size of a castle coming over the horizon. Captain Daaz was shocked at how fast the unknown ship moved.
“Men, to your battle stations!”
All the Papaldian warships prepare to engage in combat.
“That… that flag is, the enemy ship is Celestinian! The enemy ship is flying the Celestinian flag!! That above is… It’s the Kingdom of Verlaine’s symbol along with the Celestinian symbol!”
“What?! They sailed all this way… We need to send an urgent mes—“
“Guaaah!!”
The Cosmo Matrix Cannon fired from the Verlaine Prayer annihilates the warship one by one.
“What’s just happened!?”
“It’s coming from the sky!”
While they yelled, more ships were destroyed by the shot from the Verlaine Prayer.
Captain Daaz felt his ship suddenly tear itself to pieces, the last thing he looks was his warship, and the same weapon from the starship was piercing other warships. The shot ignites the magazine detonation inside the ship as the warship itself blows into pieces.
The Grenadier-class Corvette Starship, Verlaine Prayer, completes its attack only by using Cosmo Matrix 25cm gun. The fleet is now proceeding into the port to eliminate the rest of the fleet while they also make a rescue and apprehend the survivors.
The Papaldia Empire, Kingdom of Verlaine Occupation Force, Main Base near Silitsa Magic Gem
After invading and occupying the Kingdom of Verlaine, the imperial military was now setting its sights east. Only a small part of the army needed to remain behind for disarmament purposes, putting down small rebellions, and governing the country. In the capital Blate, 20 crewed ships-of-the-line made up their naval forces. A short distance from Blate had set up a military base for the ground forces consisting of 3,500 soldiers and 20 wyvern lords to maintain the operation of the mine. Finally, there was a second military encampment on the eastern part of the capital with another 1,500 soldiers, mainly as Government Guard and Navy Base.
General Rejak, looking over Silitsa Mine from the base, spoke to one of his officers.
“To the east, our comrades who were in the Kingdom of Selarong suffer a complete defeat months ago, it seems. I wonder what happened?”
“We’re unclear on that. I still can’t quite believe that the imperial military was defeated. Wouldn’t the enemy have needed to send thousands of ships to attack us?”
“No, even if a country from the civilized areas sent thousands of ships, our troops that were sent there may have taken some damage, but they should have still completed the conquest with only a delay. They should never have gotten annihilated. Something strange must have happened. It couldn’t be…” Rejak’s expression turned grim. “It couldn’t be Mu, could it?”
“No… No, that isn’t possible!”
The officer shivered in fear when he imagined the worst-case scenario.
“Nah, it can’t have been. At any rate, Verlaine is much closer to the Empire, whereas Selarong is quite far. The chances of that enemy coming here are fairly low.”
Both of them looked at the Silitsa mining facility from atop one of the buildings constructed in the military base. They keep an eye on Verlaine's citizen, who was constantly being tortured and abused by the soldiers.
“It feels pleasant…”
General Rejak expressed his heartfelt satisfaction when he continued to supervise and was on the lookout for any resistance.
THUD!
“Hm?!”
THUD! THUD!
That beautiful scene suddenly warped. While he watched, there were around four hundred unidentified objects landed. Seconds later, the unknown objects bust open, and the military personnel coming out from the object start attacking the base. The soldiers stationed there are immediately alerted by the sudden attack by the 91st Red Wings Assault Battalion.
“E… Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!”
News of the attack quickly spread to the ground army stationed in the base, but the Celestina Imperial Space Command had already breached the base defenses by the time they were ready. By the time the soldiers plan to escape to the east, the Coffee Rabbits 1st Assault Company blocks their escape route.
“How… How did this happen!!!”
The entire army, every last person, was in shock. They could not comprehend what happened. Unfortunately for them, they had not been spared from this destruction. The military base's center became wrapped in flames, and Rejak looks confused since his subordinates are panicked, not knowing what to do. He saw the Celestina Imperial Space Command had breached the base defenses, and the soldiers are trapped. Looking at the emblem worn at the drop pods, it’s a clear identification that they are under attack by the Celestina Empire.
“Messenger! Send a message to the home country, Celestina Empire has attacked us!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
The messenger ran for a communicator. As soon as he finished sending the magic message to the Papaldia Empire, the communication center got breached, and the personnel stationed inside were captured while those who resisted were killed immediately by Aegina’s unit and Lily and Lyla’s unit. General Rajek was not spared from such an attack, and he immediately surrendered after his army couldn’t put up a fight.
South of the Blate
Shiki drops alone into the battlefield while Aegina, Lily, and Lyla are causing a big mess at the main base near Silitsa Magic Gem mine. Once he makes his drop, he immediately goes into the city while Rosaria also destroyed all the ship-of-the-line docked at the Navy port from Verlaine Prayer.
Shiki can see Rosaria is using Rapier Missiles to crush every last of the Papaldian Warship, including the Naval Base. As soon as he entered the town, he immediately went to the rally point on the schedule.
At the rally point, Shiki saw Elena, Rial, and others that are standing by for his arrival. They are in position to commence the attack.
“Commander.”
“You made it, Elena. Who’s this guy?”
“He’s Captain Rial. He will command the resistances.”
“Oh. You’re one of the Capital Knights.”
“Yes. I remember you, sir. Is Her Majesty alright?”
“Look up yourself. She’s inside the present that we will give it to you.”
“Wha…”
Rial looks at Verlaine Prayer that has just completed its job by destroying the Papaldia Empire Naval base. Currently, it began its advance into the capital while the 1st Expeditionary Fleet forms a perimeter to prevent any Papaldia Empire soldiers from fleeing.
“Is that your present to us?”
“Yes. Anyway, we have to move. The later we make a move, the better chance they will take to make an escape.”
“Roger. Messengers, tell our men to move out immediately and take back the capital!”
“Yes, sir!”
Ten minutes later, they reach their destination, the government office that was once a Papaldia Empire ambassador building.
“There it is.”
“They’re still disorganized.”
“Blue Rabbit here. We’ve secured the Silitsa base and proceeding to extract the Prisoners of War. The number of POWs reaches 784, including General Rejak.”
“Understood, Blue Rabbit. Exfil immediately.”
“Roger.”
“Seems Lily and the others have succeeded in capturing the base. With this, we don’t need to worry about Verlaine Airport.”
“Yeah. This means we need to wrap this up to capture the Papaldia Official. They got nowhere to run now.”
“Let’s move!”
The Zealot Strike Force immediately charges into the Papaldia Empire’s government building as soon as the rebellion starts. At the same time, some of the Zealots capture the Gra Valkas Empire’s agents.
“Sir, the agents from the Gra Valkas Empire have been taken care of.”
“Send Maya’s unit, have their memories altered.”
“Ten-four.”
The Papaldia Empire, Governmental Board
“Sir Zion! We have rebels all over the place!”
“What was that?! Are you sure about it?”
“Yes, sir! According to the latest report, the base overseeing Silitsa Magic Gem Mine and Naval Base has been destroyed by the attacks from the Kingdom of Verlaine and the Celestina Empire!”
“Send the message to the homeland to request reinforcements!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Zion and the governing board are in a state of panic. The bases that were helping them occupy the Kingdom of Verlaine are destroyed. The military is scattered, and there is no contact since the main base supervising Silitsa Magic Gem Mine was ambushed and destroyed by the Celestina Empire.
“The Celestina Empire and the Kingdom of Verlaine are attacking us! I repeat, the Celestina Empire and the Kingdom of Verlaine are attacking us!”
As soon as the transmission was sent to the Papaldia Empire’s homeland, it went silent all of a sudden.
“This is…”
“Ssshh…”
Shiki and Elena are ordering Captain Rial and the rebels to stay silent. They will make a stealth kill as much as possible before breaching the governing board's main office.
“They’re amazing. I… I can’t even act if they can sneak into our base like that.”
“I agree…”
PEW! PEW! THUD!
Shiki, Elena, and two other Zealot Strike Force members are using SRR-15 or known as Stealth Recon Rifle, designed by Natunia Seraphic Armory that excels in developing stealth weapons and equipment. On top of that, they also use an SRH-22, a Stealth Recon Handgun developed by Natunia Seraphic Armory, for a stealth attack.
They continue to advance silently while another Zealot Strike Force behind them hides the dead bodies and secures another room. Any officials and non-combatant who come close with them are quickly sedated and taken out of the building by the Zealots' rear guard. Any of the officials that try to resist are immediately gunned down before they can open fire.
“Hold up! We got four of them. Let’s send some recon bugs to ID the target.”
They send the recon bugs, slipping through the door and looking at the face to ID the targets. Rial was amazed by how advanced the Celestina Empire’s technology was. Shiki shows the face to Rial to ID the targets.
“Let’s see… Okay, our target is inside. Those three are also high-ranked officers.”
“Then, let’s breach this door. Here.”
“What’s this?”
Shiki handed Rial a flashbang, and he gave Rial a crash course on how to use a flashbang.
“You pull this pin here and quickly throw through the gap of the door. I have to warn you since this thing can blind your eye if it explodes in front of you. So throw it to them to see the effect by yourself.”
“Understood.”
They quickly went into breaching position as silent as possible. Shiki nodded to Rial, and the moment Rial pulled the pin, Shiki opened the door for a bit. Throwing the flashbang through the door, Elena also throws another flashbang.
“What is that?”
KATS!
“Uwaahh!! I can’t see!! I can’t see!!”
Shiki and Rial quickly breach the door, apprehending Zion and the governing board member.
“Red Rose, this is Deity Killer, Jackpot. I say again, Jackpot.”
At Verlaine Prayer's bridge, Rosaria was curious who the person called Red Rose, and Daara noticed the callsign for the Red Rose was his daughter.
“W-who is Red Rose?”
“That’s you, my daughter.”
“E-eh?”
“He gives you the call sign of Red Rose.”
“A-ah, yes! Roger that, Deity Killer. Bring him into solitary confinement, and make sure to keep him there in a secluded area of Hopri. First, make sure he declares our independence.”
“Roger. We will extract him once the declaration has been made.”
“Thank you. I would like to see him first once the declaration has been made. Bring him back into this ship as quickly as possible.”
“Sure thing.”
Rosaria is initially curious about who Jackpot is, but tears flow from her eyes as soon as she realizes Zion is their Jackpot. Looking down from Verlaine Prayer's bridge, the Celestina Empire succeeded in liberating the Kingdom of Verlaine. She can’t express how happy she is when the Celestina Empire liberates her homeland.
A bell rang loudly. On board the ship, soldiers ran back and forth in a hurry.
“I wonder what’s going on…,” dragon knight Denis asked his companion Sheo. They were on board a new dragon carrier model conducting an experimental voyage about 240 km west of the Kingdom of Verlaine.
“Everyone gathers on deck!!!” came the order.
The prototype dragon carrier Paldimaera was constructed with a longer runway than previous dragon carriers. Prior to their attack on the Kingdom of Verlaine, the Celestina Empire already identifies Paldimaera and carries the target that Alicia wishes for, a Wyvern Overlord. Should the attack succeed, it will certainly draw them out. She wants the Zealot Strike Force that manages to infiltrate the Papaldia Empire to mount it and bring it back to the Celestina Empire Corvette Light Carrier Eleugy.
Wyverns were considered the champions of the sky. Wyvern lords were raised through selective breeding, exchanging their reproductive capabilities for stronger aerial combat performance. It is something that Alicia loathes at since the Wyvern overlords are not trained to carry payloads such as explosive ordinances. They dominated the skies for a long time until the Second Civilization superpower Mu created the machine called the “airplane,” snatching away air superiority from the beasts. In recent years, with the Marin development, a state-of-the-art combat-specialized airplane, the wyvern lord’s aerial combat abilities fell so low to be considered “inferior.” To not fall behind from Mu, the Papaldia Empire used its superior magical technology to successfully breed a new type of wyvern with a cost of lower production rate.
The wyvern overlord had limited reproductive capabilities and lifespan, but its speed, agility, and combat readiness were much higher compared to the wyvern lord. A side effect of its improved abilities was that it needed a longer runway to take off, meaning that dragon carriers needed to be built bigger to accommodate them. With a top speed of 430 km/h, it was believed by the Papaldian military brass that the wyvern overlord could reclaim aerial superiority from Mu’s combat aircraft. However, they were too fast, and the dragon knights could not stand the wind pressure, so new saddles had to be developed. For the Celestina Empire, if they are facing the Papaldia’s Wyvern Overlord’s unit, the Shock Troopers with the standard wyverns are sufficient to deal with it since it was faster and can carry a payload for a bombing run.
Outside, on the deck of the state-of-the-art dragon carrier Paldimaera, the ship’s officers stood, ready to address all the soldiers who gathered. Their faces were grim.
“We just received communications from home base. Our defenses in the Kingdom of Verlaine have been attacked.”
!!!!!!
Everyone tensed up at the news.
“The enemy used aircraft in their attacks… You know what that means, right? The only country capable of producing aircraft is the superpower Mu. We believe the enemy is using Mu’s aircraft. And so, we were given orders. This will be the wyvern overlord Dragon Knight Order’s first campaign. Conduct an attack on the aircraft currently in the airspace above the capital of the Kingdom of Verlaine, Blate. Our wyvern overlords are stronger than Mu’s famous Marin aircraft! We never thought their planes could come all the way from the Second Civilization to here, but if Mu is our enemy, fight with confidence but don’t get cocky! Dismissed!!!”
The dragon knight squadron began preparing to launch. About ten minutes later, the experienced soldiers were ready to depart.
“Extraction is in position.”
“Excellent. Proceed with the plan.”
“Lift off!!!”
The wyvern overlords ran along the top of the dragon carrier. Some couldn’t run very well, so they looked kind of awkward, but once the wind caught in their wings, they lightly, elegantly soared into the air. The elite wyvern overlords of the Paldimaera flapped their wings and headed off into the dark blue, cloudy sky at the behest of their dragon knights.
Dragon knight Denis clenched his teeth while riding his dragon. He was used to riding wyverns and wyvern lords, so this wyvern overlord was way too fast for him. Its fierce climbing ability, the wind pressure it generated from its high speed, the centripetal force it created when it made sharp turns, all of these forces on the rider were much more intense than when riding a wyvern lord.
Unbeknownst to him, five new personnel that was recruited because of their riding prowesses are the spies working for Celestina Zealot Strike Force, with the Wyvern Overlord as the primary target for Alicia.
“This terrifying weapon was created by the empire. If these creatures can be mass-produced, there will be nothing to fear from Mu any longer. Still, I wonder who are those new guys…”
The military command immediately assigns the five Dragon Knights that excel in riding the Wyvern and Wyvern Lords into the Wyvern Overlord unit. They just signed up several months ago and were able to impress the command. Most of his peers are protesting it, but after seeing their skills, they fell into silence.
Above Blate, the crew is looking for a decent place to set Verlaine Prayer down. Shiki brings Zion and the officials into the Verlaine Royal Palace entrance with the people flocking and demanding independence while Rial is with his soldiers to prepare a defense perimeter.
“Captain, we’ve identified fifteen Wyvern Overlords heading our way.”
Rosaria looks at the monitor, revealing 20 Wyvern Overlords are sortied from Paldimaera Dragon Carrier. Five has been identified as friendlies while the rest are identified as an enemy.
“Launch two Submunition Dispenser Missiles. Ensure it locks-on all Wyvern Overlord save for our allies.”
“Roger that, target locked.”
“Fire!”
Two Submunition Dispenser missiles launch into the target. It records all 15 Wyvern Overlord hostiles for elimination.
“I see it!”
The dragon knight order arrived in the skies above Verlaine. However, there was only one flying ship, and it was the Verlaine Prayer flying above the capital of Verlaine.
“What the hell was that flying ship?! Does Mu have a secret weapon?!”
“Sir, look on the ground!”
Sheo spotted smoke rising up from the military base on the ground.
“Wha—! It can’t be!!!”
Denis dove down to check. He could see the smoke from afar, but he realized that the amount of smoke was unusual as he got closer. When he finally saw everything clearly, he saw that the attack had completely demolished the imperial military base, and there were hundreds of drop pods scattered around it.
“A-Already…? This is… way too fast. They already destroy everything!!!”
Denis immediately used his magical communicator to report back to the empire about the current state of this base and, at the same time, received updates on the status of their other bases and the port. As he heard the news, he felt sick to his stomach. The Papaldia military, which was undeniably the strongest armed force in the entire Third Civilization, had been stationed here in the Kingdom of Verlaine. It may have been only a small deployment, but they were by far the strongest force compared to the other countries in the area. And that deployment had been completely annihilated.
“In this… In such a short amount of time! This can’t be happening!!!”
“Look out!”
BOOM!
“Sheo!!”
Sheo was the first victim of the missiles launched by the Verlaine Prayer. Another start to explode from the attack.
“We need to attack that ship! Everyone, form up on—”
“Guaahh!!”
“W-What?!”
They were too late. The Dragon Knights Order was being targeted by the Verlaine Prayer the moment they entered Verlaine airspace. Two Submuniton Dispenser missiles disperse into eight missiles each and hitting the target one by one.
“Dammit!! Dammit!!”
Celestina Zealot Strike Force that witnesses the attack while riding the Wyvern Overlord immediately using the magic communicator and reports to the Papaldia Empire that the Celestina Empire was attacking them. Soon, they also cut the contact and deploying magic decoys while Eleugy arrives to extract them. They escape without a hitch as Paldimaera believes they were also killed in action.
Captain Rial with his knights' rendezvous with Shiki, Elena and the Zealot Strike Force at the castle. They start to pick the deceased body of the royal family relatives and cleanse it in order to give them a proper burial held by Rosaria once she touches down on the castle.
“Thank you so much, Lieutenant. We couldn’t done this mission without you.”
“It’s our job. Thank Shiki and Rosaria, they already make a plan for years to come.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“We will stay here for a while since the Celestina Empire has called the construction team so they can start working on modifying the airport right away.”
“What will happen to this Kingdom?”
“Rest assured. We will prepare the adventurers guild, a railway station, and turning this kingdom into one of the main hubs of the New World.”
“We will be grateful to hear that.” Rial turns to his men, knowing that he can trust the Celestina Empire. “Let’s help them rebuild our kingdom!”
“Yeaaah!!”
“We have a present for you.”
Shiki pushes Zion as a rope ties his body. He can’t struggle since he’s already lost.
“W-What do you want?! Just tell us already since we lost!”
“Declare your surrender and the independence of the Kingdom of Verlaine.”
“Y-You’re going to incite the Emperor’s wrath if you do that!”
“So? We were ready to face them.”
“Y-you!!”
“You have lost everything here! Unless you want to receive a harsher penalty, I suggest you do as we demanded for!”
“Y-y-yes…”
With that, the Liberation of Verlaine or Operation: Blood Rose came to a close. On 16th April 1524 / 225, the operation ended with the Celestina Empire and Kingdom of Verlaine’s decisive victory. The Verlaine resistances have five dead, and at least six dozen are injured while the Celestina Empire secured up to 1,124 Prisoners of War from Silitsa Magic Gem Mine base and the Navy base. Additionally, Zion, Rajek, and high officials are captured by Shiki’s Unit from Zealot Strike Force, the 91st Red Wings Assault Battalion, and Coffee Rabbits 1st Assault Company.
Zion and the officials later declare the independence of the Kingdom of Verlaine, making the Kingdom of Verlaine regains its sovereignty.
The Celestina Empire, Southern Sea of the Papaldia Empire
“I see it.”
Ishiene, Lapis, and the Undine corps are scouting the Papaldia Empire’s ship. They measure the numbers and the possibility to retake the Kingdom of Verlaine.
“I don’t think they will make an immediate deploy.”
“They need an army to recapture it, probably assembling the ground forces that can take more time.”
“Well, at least we can keep an eye on them. Let’s move to Duro and recon that town as well. The Main Council wants two towns put under our surveillance.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
They started moving into the town of Duro, where the primary production facility was located. The Celestina Empire already set their sights on the town of Duro, intending to steal the Papaldia Empire’s technology.
Once the recon is complete, the Undine corps withdraws.
The Topa Kingdom, a day after Operation: Blood Rose
Rokari has finish finalize her preparation and will schedule to depart on 20th April 1524 / 225. Since the weather was not too harsh at that moment, it’s a perfect time to establish a base at the Pandemonium continent and explore the lands for any life signs. She already receives intel from CIISA about the possibility of a settlement in two different places. She requests several Zealot Strike Force unit, practically from Maya’s unit, to track and trace any possibility of being mind-controlled by an unknown entity.
Considering this is a new expedition, military assistance will be restricted, and she will handle the Legion of Adventurers to explore and make contact with settlements. Also, due to the awareness that the enemy might occupy the continent, precautionary action was necessary such as involving Maya’s Unit.
“Ma’am Rokari, you’ve been summoned by His Majesty Rados.”
“I will be right there.”
Inside the castle, Rokari knocks on his office door.
Kon Kon!
“Enter!”
“It’s Rokari, Your Majesty.”
“Please, have a seat. I heard the news about Celestina’s victory over the Papaldia Empire at the Kingdom of Verlaine.”
Rokari only smiled when she heard about the news.
“You already heard about who’s her fiancée, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I do. I recall that he was the Commander-in-Chief for the Zealot Strike Force, wasn’t it? What was his name again… Ah, Shiki.”
“Yes. Taking back the Kingdom of Verlaine was her request, and we have a plan to make it a hub to the Third Civilization.”
“I’m concerned about the Papaldia Empire itself. They haven’t assembled all of their fleets, do they?”
“No, but we already set our eyes on them. I’m sure they won’t attack the Kingdom of Verlaine for a while. They need a larger force to take it back.”
Sipping a tea made by the butler of Topa, Rokari places the cup on the table, and she gazes up at the ceiling for a bit before looking at him to talk.
“You don’t need to worry about being threatened by the Papaldia Empire anymore. We intend to put this to an end before the next council meeting. The Main Council intends to invite them as losers of the war.”
“Hooo… So that means we can look down on them, am I right?”
“It is as you said.”
“Thank you so much. With this, we don’t need to worry about the Papaldia Empire coercing us every year.”
“It’s our job, after all. Also, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“If you wish to trade to the south, I suggest you restrict it until the war is over.”
“Well... Can I ask for the escort?”
“I will inform Grand Duchess Sofya and Feena to facilitate it.”
“Trading with your country isn’t so bad. Not to mention your country did help us in developing the economy and military together.”
“We put the economy in priority since the military is made based on how fruitful your economy is. The Papaldia Empire is a bad example since they focus on the military rather than the economy. If you got a strong economy, you can rebuild your country faster when you lost the war since you can pay the reparation faster than a warmongering country.”
“I see. I will take that advice, Madam Rokari.”
The Topa Kingdom is relieved that they were friendly with the Celestina Empire.
Holy Milishial Empire, Port Town Cartalpas, a certain bar
At a certain bar today, the drunken patrons were once again chatting.
“Hey, hey, did you hear? I couldn’t believe it!”
“Ah, yeah, I heard! The Papaldia Empire lost one of its territories!”
“That empire, the supreme conquerors of the Third Civilization, actually lost a territory…”
“Not only that, but it was at the hands of that country again.”
“Celestina… hm…”
While those drunks were talking, another drunk suddenly started yelling loudly.
“The Papaldia Empire is gonna lose to the Celestina Empire! They picked a fight with the wrong people! I know—I’ve been to Celestina!!!”
Startled, all the drunks looked over. With all eyes on him, the drunk kept on talking.
“After Celestina beat Louria, I figured, as an emerging country, they’d be expanding a lot, so I might as well try trading with them and brought a bunch of easily transportable stuff like Mu’s mechanical wristwatches there. I’m from the Third Civilization’s Duchy of Nates, and they only just established diplomatic ties with Celestina, but I somehow got a trading license and got myself into the Celestina Empire. These Celestinian, as soon as they saw the mechanical watches, they’d be completely surprised, the way every country outside the civilized areas became shocked when they first came into contact with the civilization of a superpower. At least, that’s what I thought would happen…
When I first stepped into Celestina through Zaid, I realized my image of them as an emerging country was completely wrong. They had buildings that reached all the way up into the sky, and their roads were full of those four-wheeled carriages they have in Milishial. These roads crisscrossed all over the place, even going up into the air, in three dimensions, and in the sky, they had what looked like Mu’s flying machines, but they were a lot bigger and faster.
“And this wasn’t even their capital, and it was just a coastal city. I couldn’t believe it, but Celestina’s national power, as far as I could tell, it might even be above the Holy Milishial Empire’s!”
“…Hahaha! There’s no way that’s true!”
“Old man, you’re way too drunk!”
The bar erupted in laughter.
“Then take a look at this!!!”
The drunk shouted down the laughter, silencing everyone.
“Do any of you know any country that can make this?!”
The merchant took out a wristwatch that was far more sophisticated than Mu’s.
“Look at it! This wristwatch holds the energy to create a light, and as long as it isn’t broken, it’ll run forever! Compared to this thing, Mu’s mechanical ones are like garbage! And that’s not all, Celestina has something called ‘electromagnetic waves’ that are like magical communications, and they automatically correct the second hand. It will never be off by more than one second in a hundred thousand years! What other countries could make something like this?! Not to mention it helps me a bunch because it feels like there’s a soul inside this watch!”
His challenge was met with awkward silence.
“Y-Yeah, we get it. Celestina is pretty amazing.”
The drunkards’ conversations continued on.
The Papaldia Empire, Imperial Capital Esthirant
Beautiful, elegant, surrounded by civilized countries, and fattened by wealth exploited from barbarian countries, this was an apt description of the imperial capital Esthirant, the most prosperous city in the Third Civilization. It truly lived up to the name of a superpower.
The imperial noble Remille walked through this beautiful city.
There was no filth from vagrants or beggars. The city had already taken up all the space it could horizontally, so now it was growing vertically.
Remille remembered the emperor’s words and mumbled to herself. “Someday, this beautiful city will be the center of the world.”
Given the empire’s staggering national power, it should be a simple task.
“Work was so tiring today as well…”
Keeping her health in mind, Remille was going home on foot. Behind her, bodyguards followed. After making it back to her mansion, she drew a warm bath. Some countries with less advanced civilizations didn’t have warm baths, or they didn’t even bathe at all; they only wiped down their bodies. Remille despised squalid barbarians.
After the bath, she put on some loose clothing and lay down on her bed.
“Today was truly tiring. Well, it’s fine. Some days are just busier than others.”
She was exhausted to the point where she nearly nodded off right there. However, right when she was about to fall asleep, someone knocked loudly on the door to her room.
“Mistress Remille! Mistress Remille! The emergency alarm at the first foreign affairs department is sounding!!!”
Remille was disgruntled at having her rest disturbed.
“This better be an actual emergency, or I’m going to punish those who dare to keep me awake this night.”
Remille called in the 1st foreign affairs department.
“This is Remille! Get me the department head!”
The department head came on the line.
“The emergency alarm went off. What’s happened?!”
“An emergency situation was flagged. I… cannot tell you any more over magic communications due to the risk of interception. You need to come here as quickly as possible!!!”
“…I understand.”
Remille cut the communications. She was already tired from work but was immediately called on by her office again as soon as she was about to take a rest for today.
“What the hell!”
Her irritation was about to reach its limits. She returned to the 1st foreign affairs department and was immediately led to the department head’s office. Inside, Department Head Elto, the officials, and the other staff members were all ashen-faced. Remille sat down at the desk reserved for the imperial nobility. There were several sheets of paper on it.
“Mistress Remille, please look at this document first.”
Remille looked over the brief report. Her hands began to shake in anger and shock. What was written there evinced in her a feeling of numbness she had never felt before.
Report on the Capitulation of the Kingdom of Verlaine (document 1)
“What is… What exactly is this?!”
The Papaldia Empire, in all its history, had never surrendered in occupied territory. A country it governed had never attained independence or been rescued before.
“I will summarize the contents,” Department Head Elto said. “Early this morning, our forces in the Kingdom of Verlaine were attacked by the Celestina Empire and completely destroyed. As if in coordination, the citizens of Verlaine revolted, forcing the empire’s governing board to declare the kingdom’s independence. Princess Rosaria is now calling for the independence of other vassal states belonging to the empire.”
“How did this happen! How has the empire suffered consecutive defeats to some uncivilized land of barbarians?! I thought the imperial military was considered invincible within the Third Civilization!!!” Remille shrieked hysterically.
Department Head Elto wanted to cover his ears to block out her shrill voice, but he instead bore it and answered, “There is no doubt that they are the strongest military force in the Third Civilization. However…”
“However what?”
“They used flying machines to attack the imperial forces in Verlaine.”
“Flying machines…? Did you say flying machines?! That means…”
“Yes, the only country which makes flying machines is none other than the superpower Mu. It would seem that they are exporting these important weapons. We don’t know why exactly they’re exporting to Celestina, though. But it’s possible nonetheless that Mu is backing them.”
“So, a war by proxy… What impudence! That explains why Celestina’s diplomats were so cocksure before the war started. We need to verify if this is true. Summon Mu’s ambassador! I will deal with him.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Mistress Remille, there is one more thing I want to report.”
“What now!”
“Since we’ve all but confirmed Mu’s involvement, in order to make sure we maintain aerial superiority, the military would like to secure the appropriate budget from the finance department in order to mass-produce wyvern overlords.”
“I understand. However, if mass-producing overlords will really take that much money, the finance department may push back. Let me speak with them directly.”
“Thank you very much.”
The Papaldia Empire, Supreme Commander Arde’s Mansion
Supreme Commander Arde was sitting on the bed in his mansion, holding his head in his hands. There were multiple witness reports of flying machines, which basically confirmed Mu’s involvement with Celestina’s military, but unable to get more details since reports only indicate a flying machine, not a starship or even a huge flying ship. To combat the aerial strength of Mu’s state-of-the-art Marin, they had to invest in more wyvern overlords; as long as they had equal numbers, they could maintain aerial superiority.
The problem was their naval forces. There was a limit to the size of a cannon that could be loaded onto a ship-of-the-line. The cannons equipped on the Papaldia Empire’s ships couldn’t destroy the armor on Mu’s warships. The reverse was not likewise true, though. If they wanted to install armor sufficient to withstand Mu’s cannons, the ships would be too heavy to move using Tears of the Wind God to power their sails.
Arde didn’t know how many of Mu’s ships Celestina had bought, but if they had even one, it would be a major threat. This must be the reason why Mu sent an observer to Celestina for the previous battle, Arde thought.
“Dammit, Mu! Why are you siding with Celestina…”
Arde kept worrying over the threat of Mu.
The Papaldia Empire, Kyeos’s Mansion
“Miss Regal. Can’t you do something to help this empire?”
“Unfortunately, no. That witch and the emperor must be threatened directly by the Main Council. We plan to do this once you give us word on when all top brass will gather for an emergency meeting. If we can’t threaten them directly, you know that they will not stop until they were totally bleed out.”
Kyeos gulps, hearing that, but he also saw that time would be an opportunity for Emperor Ludius to listen to what he was to say. Aside from being a department head, Kyeos also had strong connections with traders, so he began to investigate them using his private connections after his first contact with the Celestina Empire. What became immediately clear was that they had an obscene amount of national power for an emerging country. However, this information came from merchants who liked to embellish, after all, so he thought they just had enough power for him to use as a tool for his own political gains.
Unfortunately, his ability to negotiate with Celestina was taken from him with the emperor’s authority by that mad dog, the imperial noble Remille. She proceeded to treat Celestina like every other country outside the civilized areas and had their people killed, earning her the name of “witch” by the Celestina Empire. She then declared to them that she would kill every last Celestinian person staying in the Kingdom of Selarong and the homeland.
Obviously, this infuriated Celestina, but he learns in a horrifying way upon learning the truth from Silvano. At the time, Kyeos’s analysis showed that the battle in Selarong would cause the empire some amount of damage, but while the empire’s navy got routed entirely, they couldn’t confirm any Celestinian vessels being sunk by any of the Papaldian’s warships. Based on information from merchants traveling through the Third Civilization, the Celestina Empire suffered no losses. If any messengers had delivered this news to the empire’s information department, they would have just said the source wasn’t credible and disregarded it.
But then… after the battle in Selarong, Kyeos was shown a book from the merchants. It was completely filled with magic photographs. The merchants had helpfully written the translation on the margins of the pages, which served as proof that there were Universal-Common Fillades dictionaries available in Celestina. This was the name of the book:
Extra Continental Treasure! CISC vs. Papaldia Empire Army, This Is The Result Of Their Battle?!
It was a book comparing weapons sold by the Celestinian publishers, and there was a lot of information on the empire, as he was horrified by the contents he discovered. The information about their cannons was correct, and they had truly done a lot of research on the range and power of their weapons. The specifications of Celestina’s weapons were probably also described accurately in the book. Kyeos could still recall the impact he felt when reading that book even now.
The more he read, the more his hands shook, and the more he could feel himself sweat. Kyeos had considered a single possibility at that time, which he now knew he had correctly identified.
The Celestina Empire was a super-scientific country that far surpassed Mu and a super-magical country that far surpassed the Holy Milishial Empire.
And the emperor had declared a war of genocide on Celestina.
Kyeos had called out to Ambassador Jacob from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before returning to the Celestina and successfully contacting the current contact, Lieutenant Silvano Shin Regal. The recent surrender in Verlaine reconfirmed the fact that he wasn’t wrong about Celestina.
“Miss Regal, please help me. I can’t do this on my own. I can’t afford to let the Empire fall.”
“Unless that witch was convinced along with Emperor Ludius, that won’t be a problem. The problem is, we need a hammer to crack their head open.”
“T-then, what happens to us once we surrender?”
“All of you will be taken into the Celestina Empire as a loser of the war.”
Kyeos swallows his question. He was concerned that the Main Council would take Emperor Ludius and the others into the Celestina Empire as Prisoners of War.
“We will ratify the treaty there, and your empire will take the “Seat of Shame” at the Council Meeting. I will prepare the list of those that will participate in the journey to the Celestina Empire. Emperor Ludius, Remille, and you are already on the list.
Like we said before, send a diplomat to our country. This time, your Emperor must visit the Celestina Empire, and it will be mandatory.”
“I… I understand.”
Kyeos was somehow motivated by what Regal had just said. He was eager to visit the Celestina Empire.
The Papaldia Empire, Imperial Palace
Emperor Ludius silently raged as he listened to the report. Knowing about this quirk, the messenger continued delivering the report while trembling whenever the emperor's mood soured.
“…Finally, the troops stationed in the Kingdom of Verlaine were attacked and annihilated by the combined attack of the Kingdom of Verlaine and the Celestina Empire. The Verlaine governing board then surrendered to the native people of Verlaine. As Princess Rosaria had declared to the world, the territory of Verlaine regained its independence. Our other territories have now grown restless.”
The Papaldia Empire controlled a lot of territories. The empire’s absolute control was reliant on fear. That fear had to be preserved in order to maintain their overwhelming power, but it was starting to weaken.
“Bring the Kingdom of Verlaine back under our control by any means necessary! We must show all the other territories what happens to them if they try to declare independence! If we fail, more territories will start rising up! The Kingdom of Verlaine must absolutely be suppressed!!!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
