Third Foreign Affairs Office, Esthirant

Kaios skimmed through an informational packet while the two men across the table set up some sort of folding device. He eyed the device for a quick moment then returned to reading about the basic statistics of the United States, from population to the size of their territories and average military spending. One piece of information that caught his eye was the sheer number of firearms present in the United States.

“Ah, Ambassadors…”

Anders looked up and allowed Rodriguez to continue setting up the video. “Yeah?”

Kaios rubbed his temples while he found the right words to express his doubt. “I’m familiar with exaggerations and propaganda, but 400 million firearms? Couldn’t your government come up with a more believable number? Or perhaps, is this a translation error?”

“Oh,” Anders said with a smirk, “I agree; that number isn’t believable. Honestly, it should be way higher, but what you see written in the packet is the truth. There is no translation error. Americans own 400 million firearms, and with a population of about 330 million that comes to about 120 guns per 100 people. And that’s just our civilian population. You can imagine how well-armed our military is.”

“I— I see…” A cool breeze swept through the room, causing Kaios to shiver slightly.

Anders looked up in recollection as he explained further, “To put things into perspective, the average firearm in the United States is about $500, with some being as cheap as $100. Meanwhile, our military spends about $700 billion a year, but this has ramped up to past a trillion due to eh, let’s just say that getting transferred into another world is a dangerous situation. I don’t quite remember how this translates into your currency, but there should be some exchange rates listed on the packet.”

“Hmm, yes I see it. One kilogram of pure gold is worth about $60,000–”

“It should be about $57,000, but the recent transference had an impact on our economy. A lot of people drove up the price of gold as they sought to put their savings in something reliable.”

Kaios wondered about American currency. “Sir Ambassador, what do you mean ‘drove up the price of gold?’”

“Ah, your suspicions are correct. The United States dollar once operated under a gold standard, where vaults of gold backed the value of our currency. We stopped a few decades ago, and now the dollar is a fiat currency.”

“Hmm,” Kaios nodded, thinking that such a change was unthinkable. He wanted to ask how the currency survived without being backed by any precious metals or even any physical commodities, but held off on that. He instead returned to the previous topic, informing Anders of the equivalent price of gold in Parpaldian currency.

“Okay. What’s your nation’s Gross Domestic Product? For reference.”

“I don’t recall the exact number,” Kaios said, “But it should be about 13,000 kilograms of gold.”

Rodriguez chimed in, his eyes and fingers still glued to the laptop. “That’s like, triple that of Napoleon’s empire. Double that of the British Empire in the late 1800’s.

Kaios felt a tinge of pride upon hearing the comparison to what he assumed to be well-known empires throughout their history. However, this positive feeling soon turned negative as Anders continued, “Oh, cool. Well, Mister Kaios, our annual military budget is just a bit over your nation’s total Gross Domestic Product.”

“How… quaint. Thank you for the elaboration Ambassador Anders.”

“Anytime, Mister Kaios.”

“Alright,” Rodriguez said. “Ready to go.” He moved the laptop to the edge of the table and centered it horizontally so all three could view the screen.

Kaios rested his chin on his clasped hands, his elbows forming a triangle on the desk as he watched the video provided by the American ambassadors. With new information provided by the Qua Toynians, the United States adjusted their foreign policy accordingly. Present in the video were emphases on American military, economic, and technological might.

The video began with a short introduction, detailing basic statistics from the informational packets. Images of human eras on Earth, from the first Agricultural Revolution to the Industrial Revolution, were displayed while a narrator provided a short history lesson.

Kaios raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the lack of magic and other species. He was particularly surprised by the fact that humans were the only sapient species on Earth; they had no demihumans accompanying their rise. The slow technological development of humanity on Earth came as no shock to him, as his own planet shared many parallels. The Parpaldian Empire itself was on the cusp of an industrial revolution, whereas Mu and the Holy Mirishial Empire have already experienced theirs.

A map of the United States on Earth appeared, followed by a map of the United States on Elysia. The narrator summarized the events leading up to the initial transference, including the spontaneous storm and its sudden disappearance. Then, footage from the war against the Lourian Kingdom came up. A small fleet of metal ships formed up on one side while a gigantic fleet of thousands of wooden vessels filled the seas. A warning was given, but the Lourians disregarded it. A hundred ships were annihilated in just a minute by five.

Kaios immediately thought back to the report given to him by Lord Aeveron, the man assigned to their activities in Rodenius. Weeks ago, Kaios dismissed Lord Aeveron’s warnings as an amateurish mishap by the relatively new officer. Now, he recognized that he was the one who had conducted a blunder; he should have looked deeper into his subordinate’s report. After all, his position could only be achieved by someone who had graduated the Imperial Academy with top marks.

Kaios, slightly regretful that he didn’t listen to Aeveron, brushed the thought aside as he focused on the present. Now, the video displayed hundreds of wyvern knights being swatted out of the sky like flies — flies in the face of a wyvern. The Lourian forces stood no chance, perishing in explosive fireballs as missiles hammered them from miles away. Kaios analyzed the battle as best he could, comparing the Lourian forces to his nation’s own and estimating whether the American weapons and tactics would be effective against them. The narrator explained how the American weapons functioned.

After seeing the distance at which the American forces detected and engaged the Lourians, along with the speed of their war machines, he deduced that any Parpaldian forces facing them in a battle would be annihilated. Parpaldian ships, even when equipped with the best Tears, could only move at a fraction of the speed that United States Navy vessels could move at. Meanwhile, wyvern lords were incomparable to their aircraft. He reasoned that these Americans might be telling the truth about their unique origin and circumstances, as there is no possible way for Mu to have developed such technologies so quickly.

The video then showed America’s arsenal: weapons that she could use to bring retribution upon those who would threaten her people. From armored vehicles to cruise missiles, nearly everything was covered. Nukes were not disclosed, but other weapons of mass destruction, such as nerve agents, were mentioned. Kaios watched the demonstration of each weapon, looking more resigned as the video continued. Nightmarish thoughts plagued his mind. With all their missiles and cannons, the Parpaldian Navy and Wyvern Air Corps could be wiped out in a single day without even firing a shot. Their armored vehicles are impervious to musket fire, and their land dragons could certainly not get close enough to the Americans during combat. Then, what would prevent them from unleashing their bombs upon their glorious cities? He shuddered at the potential of napalm; Esthirant was a tightly packed city and primarily made of wood. Just a few small bombs hitting the right areas could potentially lay waste to the entire city, especially if their water mages couldn’t get there in time. With the use of their poisonous gases and chemicals, their soldiers could march in and take the city without having to lift a finger.

Kaios resolved to do everything in his power not to anger these Americans. If the arrogant, ignorant snobs operating the higher echelons of Parpaldian Foreign Affairs somehow managed to incur the wrath of the Americans, then hope may be lost. In that case, the only hope they would have is if the rumors about their wartime manners were true: they don’t sack cities like barbarians and they treat even captured enemies with respect.

The video concluded with a short overview of American cities, showing clips that would normally be present in a tourism advertisement. What began with one scene of glittering spires and towers of glass split into four, then sixteen. All videos played simultaneously on the same screen and Kaios struggled to keep up. Between all the clips however, he could clearly identify a common denominator: opulence. Just how many of these shining cities did the Americans have? How wealthy could they possibly be?

The screen faded to black and Anders spoke, “When we go back to the States, we could visit a few of these cities if time permits. We’ll be visiting the first one for sure though — San Diego — since that’s where our plane will refuel.”

Kaios felt his composure dwindling due to the inexplicable power demonstrated throughout the video. Still, he managed to act professionally. “Thank you, Ambassador Anders.” He pulled a file from under his desk. “I must say, everything I’ve seen was beyond impressive. I hope one day, our two nations will be able to share a friendship. Regrettably, I don’t have any fancy magic videos to use, so I will provide an oral presentation on the Parpaldian Empire. This file,” he said, giving it to the American envoys, “is usually reserved for Second and First class nations. In it, you’ll mostly find the goods and services available within the Parpaldian Empire, along with basic details of our culture and people.”

Anders and Rodriguez began to peruse the file’s contents, but as soon as they flipped to the first page, Kaios’ assistant knocked on the door. “I apologize for the intrusion, my lords, but Miss Remille has summoned all Foreign Affairs Directors to an emergency meeting with the envoys of Mu.”

Kaios nodded. “Very well. I’ll be departing shortly.” He then looked to the ambassadors. “I sincerely apologize for having to cut this session short. I hope we may continue our conversations sometime soon. Everything you need to know is within that file.”

“Thank you, Director Kaios. It’s been a pleasure,” the Americans said.

“Likewise,” Kaios said, getting up from his seat. “Raita, please see these gentlemen to the exit. Oh, and organize a tour of the city if possible.”

——

Miss Remille, a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties and an accentuated form, paced around the meeting room as people slowly trickled in. Ambient lighting created terrifying shadows as she moved around, drawing dark forms along the walls. The director of the First Foreign Affairs Department was the first to arrive. Elto, the man long considered a rival by Kaios, was in charge of international relations with the superpowers of the Central Continents, including the Holy Mirishial Empire and Mu.

After a few minutes, the meeting was ready to commence. Remille began by relaying Emperor Ludius’ decree and his thoughts. “His Greatness, the Emperor, has commissioned me to conduct this emergency meeting regarding the sudden appearance of a metal fleet along our shores. They came from the barbarian civilizations, but it was plain that barbarians could never develop such a fleet on their own. Initially, we assumed this was a Mu fleet and therefore did not attack. However, recent details have led us astray from this conclusion. Now, we are not so certain that these people are from Mu, especially given that they themselves are called ‘Americans’ from the ‘United States of America’. Director Kaios, as the first person to meet with these arrivals, what can you tell us about them?”

“Mistress Remille,” he bowed. “The United States of America is the same nation that thwarted the Lourian Kingdom’s dominance over the Rodenius continent. Official battle reports from both the Lourian and Qua Toynian governments state the loss of ridiculous numbers of troops in a similarly preposterous amount of time. Almost the entire Lourian Navy surrendered to 5 metal ships and dozens of aircraft — or iron dragons as the locals have called them,” he said as the Mu ambassador, Mugei, raised his eyebrow. “Meanwhile, two Lourian armies were completely annihilated by what is now known to us as a ‘bombing run’ conducted by large metal aircraft.”

As Kaios continued to list the accomplishments of the American military, Mugei couldn’t help but wonder if they used mechanical war machines as opposed to the magic-driven machines of the Holy Mirishial Empire. The description of their homing light arrows was magical, but it contradicted the other claim that the Americans produced no magical signatures. He wondered if a homing light arrow was even possible without magic to guide it.

Kaios then discussed the United States itself. “The United States is a country to the northeast of Rodenius, consisting of over 330 million individuals, 50 states, and almost a dozen other territories. The nation operates under a constitutional republic, and I must say I had difficulty understanding the complexities of their governing system.”

“Director Kaios,” Remille loudly interrupted. “A nation with hundreds of millions, and we only realize it’s existence now? Additionally, this large nation is apparently inside of the most dangerous waters known to civilization?” Remille was incredulous, doubtful of the mere existence of the nation Kaios described. “Perhaps their homeland is indeed somewhere else?”

“The men I met with, Ambassador Anders and Ambassador Rodriguez, have both claimed that they are a transferred country; a nation that has been misplaced from their home world and summoned here. Their accounts correspond to the massive storm we witnessed in Rodenius' northeastern ocean.”

The other Parpaldians looked at each other, then began laughing hysterically. Only Kaios and the Mu diplomats did not laugh. Mugei shook his head at the ignorance and blatant rudeness of the three other Parpaldians.

The laughter settled down and Remille continued, “Sir Mugei, we apologize for the conduct of Director Kaios here. We have no clue how such a gullible fool managed to climb his way up to this rank!”

“A fool who almost usurped the title of Director for the First Foreign Affairs Department, no less,” Elto added, scorning Kaios.

Kaios fumed with anger, thinking of an appropriate, yet professional retort, but he found it unnecessary. The Mu ambassador came to his aid. Mugei spoke, “I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the legends of Mu, but our people believe that we were a transferred nation as well. Almost twelve thousand years ago, we documented an incredible disruption — one that moved us from one world to this one. It explains why we have weak magical aptitude compared to the other human civilizations around us, and why we focus on mechanical technologies. I suggest you listen to what your coworker has to say.”

“Hmph. Kaios, continue.”

“The Americans provided me with a helpful cache of information about their homeland. It is also written on the finest quality parchment I’ve ever seen,” he said as he produced the informational packet he acquired earlier.

Everyone clustered around the document, standing over it as they slowly read through it. The details of commercial products such as cars and planes were astonishing, particularly the sheer amount of them present in the United States. Mugei was most surprised about this, and immediately recognized their economic and technological superiority over Mu, should this information be true. Then, they saw the numerous weapons employed by the Americans. The power of each weapon was detailed enough without disclosing sensitive data; most of the weapons were described with an estimated range (in kilometers), power output (in joules), and rate of fire where applicable. Clearly, the rifles far surpassed the abilities of both Parpaldian muskets and Mu machine guns.

The naval vessels described in the document boasted a main weapon other than cannons: missiles. Remille pulled away in astonishment, clearly in disbelief. “Guided bombs that can fly and travel faster than sound? Not even the Holy Mirishial Empire fields such weapons! Kaios, please tell me you haven’t fallen for such blatant propaganda.”

“Mistress Remille,” he replied, “Surely you’ve seen their aircraft flying over their fleet?”

“Why, I have.”

“Then, you’ve also witnessed their speed. Everyone in Esthirant heard those deafening booms when they blew past the speed of sound.”

Remille stared at Kaios as she contemplated his words. Kaios stared back, embracing her challenge. Eventually, Remille decided to accept the man’s explanation, albeit at a great cost: she conceded that her and Emperor Ludius’ plans of world domination now faced considerable obstacles.

Meanwhile, Mugei continued to concentrate on the details provided, memorizing as much as possible. In the entirety of Mu’s recorded history on Elysia, they have not encountered a mechanical civilization like themselves; everyone else believed magic to be superior. The existence of the United States, to him and Mu, represented a unique opportunity for learning, maybe even economic growth.

On the other hand, the Parpaldians viewed the new nation with apprehension and suspicion. Kaios helped alleviate some of the concerns of his fellow Foreign Affairs leaders. “Directors, Miss Remille, I was also offered a trip to the United States. They had anticipated that we would be skeptical about the validity of their claims, and so they wanted us to see for ourselves.”

“Hmm,” Remille thought. “Very well. Kaios, if you wish to indulge yourself in barbarian propaganda, then by all means, go forth. Ambassador Mugei, as a representative of the only mechanical civilization in the Central Continents, what say you?”

Mugei scratched the back of his head as he answered awkwardly. “Well, madam, my staff in the embassy have received several radio transmissions and we have begun talks with these Americans. I was actually in the midst of a conversation when you called for this meeting. As for their technologies, I do not know how much more advanced they are.”

Remille eyed Mugei with scrutiny. “Hmm, sounds to me like you’re testing weapons; waging a proxy war in Rodenius by sending a new force to fight the Lourians.”

Mugei held his hands up. “No, not at all! I guarantee that I know nothing of the fleet outside your city, nor of the country they represent.”

“How sly…” Remille muttered. “Time will tell. Let me be clear, Ambassador. We will not take kindly to any disrespect of our influence over this region. In fact, I’m quite relieved that you take no responsibility for these warships; that means they are alone and will receive no support from your motherland. I have my doubts about this… transference being real.” She walked up to Mugei and stood over him in an intimidating manner. “I find it quite convenient that you use this ‘transference’ excuse to justify the presence of this fleet. Eventually, you will run out of conveniences, and we will discover your intentions. Do you understand?”

Mugei wanted to deny her allegations and explain that he really did not know the identity of these Americans, but her intimidation worked well. He meekly replied, “Yes, Miss Remille. You will have no trouble from me.”

“Good. Kaios, you are a decent director. I implore you to not give in to insanity; it would be quite a hassle to find a replacement.”

Kaios shrunk in his seat. “I— I understand Miss Remille. I will cancel my trip.”

“Good! I knew I could rely on you. Now, go on and continue your work in Fenn. We are thirsting for new lands to exploit. Ambassador Mugei, thank you for attending this meeting. I do hope you will cause no trouble,” she said with a menacing undertone.

“Of course,” Mugei said. As he left the building, he vowed to figure out the identity of these Americans and uncover the shroud of mystery surrounding them.