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——

Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office

Illuminated by rows of incandescent light fixtures, several people crowded around an electrical recorder. All had intrigue and confusion plastered across their faces, except for an unkempt-looking man with lengthy black hair and a rough beard. He leaned against the wall, seeming uninterested in the stunning discovery that his workmates were excited about. 

“Dallas,” an exhausted, patronizing voice came from a young blonde woman, her glasses softening her strict expression. “You ought to take your job seriously… There are still many unknowns in this world and we need to treat each new discovery with respect.”

Dallas straightened up from his position on the wall, only out of respect for the woman’s rank. “Madam Oudwin, with all due respect, every single obstacle we’ve encountered in this new world… we have easily trampled. I’ve seen pictures from the ruins of Leiforia. You have too.”

“Yes…” She gave an exasperated sigh, tired of Dallas’ attitude. “I have. However, we must also consider the possibility that these newcomers come from outside the Central World. All of the natives so far know nothing about what lies across the vast oceans. What if these people are just as advanced as us, or perhaps even more advanced?”

“Then they would have conquered these continents already,” Dallas spoke matter-of-factly. Neglecting to tread with caution, he drew the ire of his superior. 

“This is the second civilization with radio that we’ve discovered, and they reside on the other side of the Central World! Do you know what this implies?”

“What?” Dallas asked, not following where she was going with this. 

“This implies that they developed their technology authentically, without the help of others! We can thus conclude that they are intelligent and capable of adapting. Furthermore, if we are to believe the rumors that they are also a transferred nation, just like us, then we have even more reason to remain cautious!” She was about to continue berating Dallas, but a large man wearing a dark trench coat walked in. “Mister Gesta,” she turned around to curtsy.

“Sir,” Dallas said, bowing slightly. 

“Cielia, Dallas,” Gesta acknowledged them. “Any updates on these Americans?”

“Not yet,” Cielia replied. “We’re still sorting through the data given to us by the Information Bureau. So far, all we know about the Americans are the rumors from Mu and the televised newscast from the Holy Mirishial Empire. I suggest we move carefully until we know more.”

Gesta nodded at her advice, thinking about his reply before responding, “Hmm, well then notify me if there are any changes. If the Americans are proven to have a level of technology similar to, or higher than ours, then we must readjust our plans for conquest.”

Cielia tilted her head in slight disagreement. Voicing her concern, she pointed out, “What if they don’t approve of your hegemonic ways? We could get locked into a Cold War like with the Kingdom of Kane… or worse.”

Gesta waved off the concern. “If this becomes an issue in the future, then it is up to the Emperor to decide. For now, we simply play as the messengers of the Gra Valkas Empire. Don't diverge from our standard protocol. You’re in this position for a reason, Cielia. Not many women achieve such high ranks, much less those without connections. Don’t let me down.” He walked out of the room in silence after Cielia nodded. 

After hearing the door shut, Cielia took a deep breath, nervous now that Gesta had brought attention to her work. “Returning to our discussion,” she said, rallying her subordinates back to work. “Do we know where the Americans are contacting us from?”

A radio technician raised his hand to speak. “Yes, ma’am. The signal appears to be originating from…” he squinted at a report, eyes widening in shock. “It’s… right on top of us!”

Cielia raised an eyebrow. “Well, wouldn’t that mean they’re in Ragna? How could this possibly be? We’ve restricted immigration from all native countries and we would have detected any American ships on radar.” She paced around, trying to figure out this puzzling development. 

“The technician scratched his head, his other hand holding the report. “Well ma’am, the only other possibility I could think of — besides them sending the transmission from within Ragna — is if they were above us. It’s possible they could be sending the message from a high-flying spy plane.”

Dallas straightened up, crossing his arms as he began to pay more attention. “Wouldn't our radar installations be able to detect this if that were the case?”

The technicians shrugged. “I’ve only heard rumors about stealth technology and radar avoidance from my buddies. It’s possible these Americans have already completed, implemented, and integrated such technologies into their arsenals. That, or their plane is just flying ridiculously high, too far away and with too small of a radar profile for our machines to detect.” 

“And these are the only other possibilities?” Cielia asked. 

The technician nodded. 

“Either way, we’re faced with a potentially powerful outside force.” Cielia held a pinky up, counting the scenarios that were possible. “First, we assume that the transmission originated from within our borders. We assume that whoever sent the message is somewhere in Ragna. This means that the transmission is a farce, created by some prankster who somehow has access to a powerful radio system. None of the registered broadcasting companies have reported any such utilization of their assets, so we can rule this out.”

Her audience nodded. Dallas returned to his nonchalant position along the wall. 

“Then, we must assume that the transmission is real. We are left with two other possible means by which this was accomplished. The Americans are either located within this city, suggesting they have superior spying capabilities, able to slip through all defenses and checkpoints undetected. Or, the Americans have access to stealth technology and super high altitude planes.”

Dallas’ face twisted in denial. “Are you suggesting that these outsiders are more capable and advanced than our own people? Our own people, who were the most dominant in Yggdra and now on Elysia?”

Cielia countered, “So, you won’t admit that the natives of this world are superior to us in terms of magic?”

Dallas was caught off-guard. At a loss for words, he stumbled around, “Well, I… Okay, I see your point. Still, there has to be some logical explanation — something reasonable that will shine some light on this! What if it’s as simple as ‘they’re using magic’?” He gestured with his hands, using Cielia’s own words against her.

Cielia shook her head. “We already know that the primary form of magical communication on this world is ‘manacomm’. They don’t emit radio waves, so this possibility can be ruled out. Unless you can think of a ‘logical explanation’ aside from the ones already presented, I suggest you humble yourself. The Gra Valkas Empire did not dominate Yggdra by underestimating others.”

Dallas, finding himself struggling to impose his ideology and mindset over Cielia, surrendered. “I understand. I will be sure to inform you if I think of anything.”

“Okay. Now, let’s get back to the task at hand,” Cielia declared. “We should respond to these people with the given assumptions in mind; absolutely under no circumstances are we to act rashly!” She glanced at Dallas, her statement primarily directed toward him. “Our primary objective, as per standard protocol, is to find out more about these Americans and establish a foundation upon which peaceful diplomatic relations can proceed. If we find no way to exploit them, then we must instead focus on neutrality, and ensuring they stay out of our way when it comes to conquest. Torman, prepare to reply to the Americans. My department will be relocated to Leifor in under a week’s time, so we should be able to have a physical conversation with these Americans within two weeks. Invite them to our embassy in Leifor. In the meantime, we can continue to monitor their messages and exchange general information.”

“Understood, Director Cielia,” her subordinates said in unison. 

Dallas replied in a rebellious tone as he began to walk toward the exit, “Yes ma’am.” 

——

Runepolis, Holy Mirishial Empire

The sounds of pages flipping and occasional sighs reached Liage’s pointy ears as he entered one of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s largest private offices. Golden drapes shaded the room, providing an opulent glow as sunlight was diffused through the expensive fabric. Magical lighting added to the room’s brightness, causing Liage to shelter his eyes with his right hand as he walked in. 

“Director,” another elf excused himself from the analysis of documents, approaching Liage with an extended hand. 

Liage shook the man’s hand, his grip firm. “Director Arneus, how goes the research?”

Arneus led Liage to the tables, where staffers from the Information Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked in tandem to sift through reported information on the United States and the Gra Valkas Empire. He picked up two folders, each containing dossiers on the newly appeared nations. He offered the folder on his right hand to Liage. “We’ve finally completed our cross-referencing with Mu. Accounts from their diplomats and scientists match up with the rumors from all over Philades, as well as the footage recorded by the MNN when they traveled to Altaras.”

Liage emptied the contents of the folder and sprawled our the documents across the table in front of them. The first page contained an image of the American flag, with ‘The United States of America’ written underneath. Liage went to the next page, which defined general characteristics of the country, such as population and economic data. His eyes darted from the words, eventually catching onto the GDP. “Goodness,” he said, taking a step back. “Is this true?”

Arneus shook his head. “It may be. This data is self-reported from the Americans themselves. We have no way of verifying if this is true, but I wouldn’t doubt it, given what we’ve seen so far.”

“A gross domestic product that is several orders of magnitude greater than ours… I can see why the Emperor has prioritized contact with these people.”

“Indeed. The potential of gaining an ally more powerful than Mu will help even the odds against the Sorcerers, whenever they return,” Arneus mused. 

Liage nodded and went back to reviewing the documents. As he skimmed through the pages, he asked Arneus, “So, what do you think of these people?”

“In terms of what?”

“Economy, technology, and so on.”

Arneus hummed, studying the documents alongside Liage as he formulated his answer. “This isn’t my forte, but in terms of economy, I believe that they overwhelmingly exceed any nation in Central World history. Of course, this is only the case if the given data is true. Trade with them will help us finance larger military expenditures in the future.” After seeing Liage nod, he continued, “In terms of technology, it is hard to say. They claim to have no knowledge or even history of magic whatsoever. They claim to be a scientific nation, just like Mu. However, some of their technologies seem quite… magical indeed.”

“Oh?” Liage turned his head. “Like what?”

“We haven’t seen their fighter aircraft in action just yet, but all accounts point to one thing: the existence of magical light-discharge engines. Flames appearing at the back of their aircraft, as well as their guided light arrows… such technologies honestly remind me of the Sorcerers’ weapons. Plus, there are even rumors of their aircraft being able to break the sound barrier. Given my historical experience, I would have discarded such rumors as meaningless hearsay, but it seems that these claims are shared by not only the Lourians at Jin Hark, but also the Altarans, the nobles of Esthirant, and even traveling merchants. If these aren’t exaggerations, then the United States may prove to be an even greater potential ally than we originally expected.”

“Does this mean that the Americans are as advanced as the sorcerers?”

“Well… it is a possibility, but not a guarantee. I highly suggest you send a team to visit the United States in order to confirm our theories.”

Liage pondered on it. As the center of the world and the most powerful country in the current geopolitical climate, the Holy Mirishial Empire never bothered with such diplomatic endeavors. However, the appearance of transferred nations could change this policy. “I suppose there’s a first time for everything,” Liage conceded. “I shall arrange for diplomatic teams to visit the United States of America and the Gra Valkas Empire. Speaking of which, what do we know of the Gra Valkans?”

Arneus handed over the other folder, then began to clean up the contents of the American dossier. Liage accepted the folder and scanned the data available on the Gra Valkas Empire. 

Arneus provided context while Liage flipped through the smaller report, “Unfortunately, the Gra Valkas Empire is much more secretive about their society. They are, however, particularly boastful when it comes to military technology. Because of this, we know that their aircraft is based upon a monoplane design and operates mechanically. Their design and underlying concepts of their weapons in general match those of Mu to a significant extent, although that is where the similarities end. The firepower of Gra Valkan weapons far surpasses that capable of Muan weapons. Evidently, the Gra Valkas Empire is a clear example of just how far mechanical technology can take an industrialized society.”

“Let’s hope they are as open as the Americans when it comes to alliances.”

“Their conquests had much more expansionist characteristics than the wars waged by the Americans, which have mostly been defensive wars to protect allies. Their conquest of Leifor in particular was egregiously brutal and effective. I would suspect that they’ve likely grown arrogant due to their victory over Leifor.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Arneus. While we’re on that topic, do you have anyone you’d like to send to accompany my teams? I’m going to send Phiam to the United States and Siwalf to the Gra Valkas Empire.”

“Hmm. I think I’ll have Rydorka accompany Phiam, since he’s the most talented individual under our employ. It might be more crucial to gather information on the United States than it is on the Gra Valkas Empire. I’ll send Zammas with Siwalf. He’s not the best, but he is known for cracking tough cases and is a close runner-up to Rydorka.”

Liage nodded. “That sounds good. Let us pray that they return with words that we want to hear. The Sorcerers’ return keeps gnawing away at my conscience.”

“Relax, Liage. The gods saved us once before. Perhaps these summoned nations are their next gift?”

He appreciated the optimistic outlook, but remained pragmatic. “Perhaps. Or they’re simply byproducts from increasing levels of spatio-temporal magic.”

Arneus nodded in understanding. “It won’t be long until we find out.”