November 20, 1639

Esthirant

Vice Admiral Balus felt the critical eyes of Chief Matal piercing through his skull, judging his failure to give adequate orders to the panicking Centris Island commander. Two manacomm devices stood on the desk — unmoving statues reminding Balus of his actions. Silence permeated the room as the two men reviewed the results of the battle, one seemingly calm and collected and the other struggling to maintain composure. No longer able to bear the guilt and disappointment, he apologized to Matal, “Sir…” he strained his courage in an attempt to look the wise man in the eyes. “Forgive what I have done. I failed in my duty as Vice Admiral… I did not know enough about the enemy to give appropriate orders, and I feared giving a fatal order.”

Matal’s expression remained as neutral as possible, unchanging — creating an atmosphere of anxious suspense for Balus. “That was my intention all along,” Matal finally spoke.

“Sir?” Balus shook his head slightly, confused by the statement.

Matal clasped his hands behind him and paced around while he firmly explained, “I never expected the Centris Island base to accomplish anything but provide us with information. I had my suspicions that the Americans are capable of attacking from afar, with accuracy and precision so exact that even our best blinding techniques are incapable of putting up a defense. My proposal to set up an ambush was merely to convince His Excellency to move forward with the plan. My true goal was to study the Americans and their battle tactics.”

“A sacrifice…” Balus muttered, thinking of the resources and men that had just died in vain.

“A sacrifice,” Matal repeated, “for a greater cause. Tell me, Vice Admiral, what conclusions do you derive from the battle’s results?” After seeing Balus struggle with his words for a few seconds, he continued, “Please, speak your mind. I will not reprimand you if you find any unsavory conclusions.”

Emboldened by Matal’s words, Balus summarized his thoughts, “Sir, we now know that the Americans can bypass our magical shrouds. Their homing light arrows, once thought to target particular magical readings, are not impacted by the signal generator. Their light arrows are certainly limited, but not small in number. If we are to assume that the reports of American wealth are indeed true, then it may very well be the case that these people have more light arrows than we do ships. I must admit, I do not know how we can possibly counter their attacks.”

“Neither do I. Despite my previous achievements as an accomplished leader; despite the experience I gained from hundreds of battles, I have been unable to develop any true tactics against these people. Their technology may simply be far too advanced for us to put up any resistance.”

Balus, eased by Matal’s honesty, opened up a bit more. “It is as if we are the barbarians and they are the glorious Parpaldians. Our ships do nothing to theirs, much like the Fennese are incapable of even scratching ours. This war is…” Balus paused, debating on whether or not he should finish his sentence. After a review of Matal’s words and actions, he decided to speak truthfully. “Hopeless.”

Matal said nothing, only turning and reaching for the second manacomm. He sighed, causing Balus to tense up in terrified anticipation. “It is. And there is only one way out of such hopeless situations.” He activated the manacomm. “Lieutenant, any updates?”

“Sir, Commander Mitan is surrendering to the Americans.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he said. He returned his attention to Admiral Balus. “This is a smart man. There is no winning this war. I realized this long ago, but needed solid confirmation to convince others of the futility of extending this war.”

“So what do you plan on doing?”

“Tell me, Admiral. Do you think we can sink even a single enemy ship?”

“If we are lucky—”

“Luck,” Matal cut him off, “Is not reliable. The Americans care for their people too much; they have taken every precaution and are willing to expend their valuable light arrows to destroy not equal adversaries,” he put a finger up and dramatically paused, “But inferior wooden ships.

It is only a matter of time before our navy is annihilated. After our fleets are wiped from the oceans, what do you think will happen next?”

“I suppose the proposed guerilla warfare plans shall come into effect.”

“Precisely. These strategies are meant only for the desperate — those who have nothing left to lose. This does not apply to us! The Emperor may not realize the possible losses that extended conflict might result in. His plans gamble on the slim hope that the Americans will cease their assault after becoming exhausted by guerilla strategies. This certainly is a possibility, but imagine for a moment that the Americans do not become exhausted. What then? They shall be angered by such actions and our people, more so than the Emperor himself, will suffer dearly. Place yourself in the position of Kooze, Marta, or Arukh. If you led their armies, you certainly would have surrendered to the Parpaldian Empire. There simply is no contest.”

Balus reflected over Matal’s words in silence. He set aside his blinding pride in order to remain as objective as possible. Pride brought down many of these former countries. Pride caused these once-lavish societies to degenerate into nothing more than a source of slaves for Esthirant. Humbleness and acceptance, on the other hand, would have granted them beneficial deals with the Parpaldian Empire. Could surrendering to the United States prove similarly beneficial?

“Admiral, who do you serve?”

“I don’t understand, sir.”

“Do you serve the Emperor? Or do you serve the Parpaldian Empire?”

Balus gave a firm answer, knowing exactly where he stood. “Sir, I serve the Parpaldian Empire.”

“Good. Our Empire is more than simply our Emperor. We must act for the good of our citizens, even if this objective goes against His Excellency’s will.” Matal spoke with an almost treasonous undertone, though being careful to maintain a neutral expression. “It is for this reason that I am inviting you to a meeting with Director Kaios.”

“Director Kaios…” Balus began to connect the dots in his mind. He rolled the name slowly around his tongue as he thought of the warnings the director had given. He had numerous close shaves with reprimands and other punishments due to his outspoken opinions regarding the Americans. His cautious approach with diplomacy — an astonishing divergence from his general policy regarding barbarian countries — spoke volumes about the power and influence these newcomers exerted.

Matal noticed the lightbulb forming over Balus’ head as he slowly came to understand Director Kaios’ actions. “Admiral, there is no turning back if you agree to this. The only other option you have now is to quit and flee Esthirant, for informational reasons. I’m certain you understand.”

Silence followed, only interrupted by the daily sounds of Esthirant life outside the window and the shuffling of fabric within the room as the two men moved around. With a heavy sigh, Balus got up from his chair and surveyed the cityscape outside. Beautiful spires and towers dotted the background: an attempt to replicate the skyscrapers of Mu and the Holy Mirishial Empire.

“A breathtaking view, is it not?” Matal joined him.

“It is,” Balus replied.

“Perhaps it may provide you with the answers you need. This is a heavy decision; take your time.”

Balus thought of the potential of the Parpaldian Empire. Esthirant is a center of wealth and innovation, propped up by ruthless exploitation of conquered nations. If they surrendered to the Americans, this exploitation would likely cease. How then, could the Parpaldian Empire maintain its economy? The answer lay within demilitarization, which would likely happen anyway after a surrender. The alternative would be to combat the Americans to maintain the Parpaldian way of life, but after such heavy fighting, the Parpaldian way of life would have been reduced to mere ashes. The best path was now obvious to Balus. “I accept your offer. I swear secrecy and loyalty to your and Director Kaios’ cause,” he saluted.

“Good. Then let us journey to Kaios’ estate at once.”

——

Kaios Estate

A soft hum from a magical device droned constantly as it emitted cool air in a similar manner to its mechanical counterpart. The only difference was that this magical air conditioner operated outside the boundaries of thermodynamics and the laws of physics in general, producing no heat as it cooled the room down dramatically. As a token of friendship, the Americans gifted an enhanced design of Parpaldian coolers, allowing them to work much more effectively by implementing liquid nitrogen as a source substance for the magic runes, rather than simple ice. Changing the source substance extended the lifespan of the device’s blue magic gems by hundreds of times.

Having seen the ingenuity of their scientists and engineers, he had to second guess whether or not they were truly a magicless society. For their scientifically oriented scholars to learn the intricacies of rune programming and source substances so quickly, they must have had some experience with magic, right? Regardless, their ability to innovate clearly exceeded those of even Parpaldia’s wisest sages. This enhanced cooler represented a single taste of what could be; it was a glimpse into the future — one in which super-advanced scientific and magical devices could render everything in the modern era obsolete.

Director Kaios held his hand over the machine’s cold exhaust, thinking to himself about the potential of a friendship with the Americans. His concerns shifted from simply survival — fear of American firepower and what they might do to the Parpaldian Empire — to growth and advancement. More than anything, he wanted to prevent the Parpaldian Empire from decaying, tossed aside into the dustbin of history. With cemented resolve, he swore to do everything in his power to ensure not only the continued existence of his country, but also its prosperity.

Coincidentally, he finished his silent vow right before he heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” he said, returning to his seat.

The door opened, revealing his butler, Alfan. “Sir, Chief Matal has brought a guest: Vice Admiral Balus. They wish to discuss terms with you.”

Kaios felt reassured that he was making progress. “Excellent. Please bring them here.”

Alfan bowed his head, leaving to perform his duties. A minute later, the two naval leaders entered.

“Director Kaios,” Matal gestured beside him with his hand, “I’m sure you’re familiar with Vice Admiral Balus.”

“Indeed I am,” Kaios reached for a handshake, an action that reflected hints of Americanization.

Balus accepted the gesture. “It’s a pleasure, Director.”

“Oh, indeed it is. I am quite pleased that we’ve come to a mutual understanding. Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

After everyone was seated, Kaios began, “I’ve heard about the Centris Island strategy. Such a shame we lost so many lives needlessly.”

“Indeed. I fear that this may be a normal occurrence if Emperor Ludius is allowed to continue his reign… Wait a moment,” Balus tilted his head. “How do you know about that? The reports only recently arrived!”

“Instant communication with the Americans,” Kaios responded bluntly. “They provide me with important intelligence and updates.”

“I see,” Balus said, hiding his astonishment. This meant that the Americans had something akin to a manacomm that was also undetectable, and capable of instant communication over vast distances. This also implied that the Americans have a vested interest in shifting the political landscape of Esthirant. “Director, I wish to get straight to the point. I was told that you are planning to surrender to the enemy. How will you accomplish this without Emperor Ludius’ approval?

“I hope to convince him.”

The simple statement surprised Balus, who was expecting a complex plan. Emperor Ludius is — more often than not — a stubborn man, although he has shown to be reasonable and logical at times. He looked over to Matal to gauge his reaction, but as usual, the wise veteran remained stoic and neutral. He turned back to Kaios, “How do you intend to convince him? If you fail, you may be sentenced to execution, along with everyone you’ve worked with!”

“Oh, I would not worry about that. I recently met with one of the American leaders and he’s guaranteed the protection of all my acquaintances and their families. There is only one prerequisite,” Kaios held up his index finger.

“What might that be?”

“You must swear secrecy to this cause; swear upon your life, the lives of your friends and family, and the gods. The information I’m about to divulge must remain a secret.”

“I swear upon my life, the lives of my friends and family, and I swear to the gods I shall keep your words hidden.”

“Good. Not a single topic from our discussions must leave this estate, not even to convince a potential recruit. If you have potential recruits, talk to Chief Matal or myself.”

“I understand.”

“You wonder how I will try to convince Emperor Ludius. I intend to slowly manifest my opinions among those within his Inner Circle; this would consist of the highest ranking military leaders and advisors. I anticipate that I will be able to turn most once damages and losses from the war increase. Even Remille seems to be having doubts about the war. Of course, I hope that our predicament can be resolved peacefully. Once the Americans defeat our navy, Emperor Ludius will summon an emergency meeting, as per protocol. It is then that I will attempt to convince him, with my supporters sharing agreement with me. If this fails, I have a secondary plan. I’ve already infiltrated the Imperial Guard. Should the emperor reject our proposal, we will force him, along with his loyalists, to surrender at gunpoint. After this point, I will assume a temporary position of leadership to guide the restructuring of Parpaldia.” He took a short pause from his speech, taking a breath. “This will be risky. If we fail, your families will be extracted to the United States as political refugees. We, however, must pay the ultimate price. Are you willing to make this sacrifice?”

“Yes, Director. I am.”