En Route to Washington D.C.

Phiam grinned as he reviewed the textbooks that Baeluno had purchased. Reading the titles aloud, he skimmed through the books to view the topics they covered. “Fundamentals of Design, Differential Equations in Engineering, Introduction to Thermodynamics… Wow, this is precisely what we need!”

Baeluno grinned, proud of himself. “Thank you, Minister. Whatever I couldn’t bring, I took notes on when I was at the library. I see now why we had to take these English courses. Officer Arpana also acquired some magazines,” he nodded toward the buff blonde elf.

Arpana spread the magazines on a table. “These,” he said in a gruff voice, pointing to a small batch, “detail the military technology of nations in Elysia and compare them to references on Earth. For example,” he said, showing a page with pictures of knights in shining armor and detailed figures of medieval weaponry, “The uncivilized countries most closely resemble Terran humanity about five hundred to six hundred years ago. They called this the ‘Middle Ages’.” He then flipped to a page showing Parpaldian ships of the line, with a distinctly similar looking ship beside it, flying a different flag. “Their medieval era was then followed by a period of scientific advancement and industrialization, which gave birth to weapons that we see fielded by the Parpaldian Empire — sorry, Republic, today.”

“And this was how long ago?” Baeluno asked.

“About three hundred years ago, although they already had begun developing firearms and cannons a century prior. After this period, it seemed that their rate of technological advancement grew exponentially,” he flipped the pages again, now analyzing Mu. “They compared Mu to their ‘Interwar Period’, which saw the development of mechanized units for warfare. Their analysis on Mu’s aircraft appears to be similar to what we have, but their analysis on Mu’s ground forces are… interesting.”

The four men crowded around the magazine to see what Arpana was talking about. Rydorka pointed at an image of a tank. “I don’t recall Mu having armored vehicles such as this…”

Phiam voiced his concern, “They shouldn’t. At least, as far as Siwalf knows. According to him, Mu’s ground vehicles are generally light and used primarily for transportation.”

“An armored fortress like this could represent a significant threat to infantry,” Baeluno said. “With all that armor, it must be power-hungry. I couldn’t imagine how many magic gems we would need to operate such a beast, nor how large of an engine we would need to use.”

“Looking at the picture, it seems there is a way around it. Maybe we can learn it from those books,” Arpana pointed his thumb at the stack of textbooks behind him.

“Maybe,” Baeluno said, his mind already pondering.

Arpana returned to the pictures, “It also seems that repeating firearms started to become more widespread. This could be something Siwalf might want to look into,” he said, referencing pictures of machine guns.

“I’ll send him a note once we get back to Runepolis,” Phiam nodded.

Arpana, noticing that the magazine wasn’t even halfway done, flipped to the next section. “The Gra Valkas Empire?” He raised an eyebrow.

“The Gra Valkas Empire?” Phiam repeated, curious about how the Americans were able to acquire information on this faraway western nation, and why. “The distance between the Americans and the Gra Valkans is — oh my,” he cut himself off after seeing the pictures of Yamato-class battleships and monoplanes. “This can’t be right… forty-six centimeter main guns?!”

“Minister, did you say forty-six?” Baeluno rushed to scan the text for the exact number. “Are you certain? Maybe we didn’t learn English correctly — oh, it appears that I am mistaken.”

“I was just as shocked when I first saw this information,” Arpana admitted. “However, the shock here doesn’t compare to what I experienced when reading the final section.”

His mysterious comment caught everyone’s attention. Clearly, there were pages left — too thick to be an afterword or credits section. “There’s no way they could have performed an analysis on the Ancient Sorcerous Empire already,” Rydorka said with a hint of desperation in his tone.

“No. This analysis is more of an… unexpected shock.” Arpana turned the pages over in slow, dramatic fashion.

Loud gasps filled the cabin as Arpana’s colleagues all took a step back in disbelief.

“The Annonrial Empire?!” Phiam nearly screamed. “Those same barbarians who attend the World Leadership Conference and only bring sailing ships?!”

Baeluno read a caption under a picture of a massive flying craft, shaped like the Mercedes-Benz logo. “This unidentified flying object resembling an alien mothership was discovered over a mountain range in the Annonrial Empire. The craft’s level of technology represents a striking difference in comparison to the other machines we discovered in their possession.”

“Is that a…” Rydorka said, his voice faltering.

“Pal Chimera,” Phiam said.

The group sat in silence, with only the constant hum of magical machinery filling the air. It was all they had to accompany their thoughts of pure shock and realization. These emotions then evolved into a defensive curiosity, as they became suspicious of the Annonrial Empire’s intentions. Why would they hide such technology?

Eventually, Phiam broke the silence. “Ensure that this magazine is our first priority for analysis when we get back home. Arpana, what are the other booklets about?”

“These other magazines seem to analyze the species of animalia and vegetation present on Elysia. I know not what a ‘Mordor’ dragon is, but it seems like they are somewhat familiar with the magical creatures we have here.” He flipped through the pages of a species catalogue, stopping when he reached orcs and goblins. “It looks like their understanding of orcs and goblins are somewhat different, with their depiction of orcs tending to have green skin. They know even less about demons such as Nosgorath, however.” He gestured toward a page that described hellish Christian demons — the most common perception amongst Americans — and demons in other references, including various fantasy worlds.

“Fascinating,” Rydorka muttered. “It’s quite interesting how effective their weapons are against such creatures, despite having little knowledge of them.”

Arpana shrugged. “They needed something to kill battleships. Unsurprisingly, the same weapons that can kill battleships and armored constructs are also very lethal against monsters.”

The Mirishials nodded in consensus.

Arpana continued, “This other magazine gives us insight on their view of magic. These people are magically inept, but somehow have entire civilizations’ worth of documentation on the subject.”

“Hmm?” Phiam sifted through the references on magic throughout each historical Terran culture. “How is this possible? Magic has been documented for thousands of years, even leading up to their current state, yet none of them have displayed magical sensitivity. This is… odd.” He scratched his head while flipping back and forth between the magazine’s pages.

Rydorka offered a suggestion, “It is possible that their people were once capable of magic, but some sort of event stripped them from their abilities. Their lack of magic gems seems to suggest that they came from a world without such materials. Without magic gems, this branch of humanity likely lost their attunement to the arcane.”

They accepted Rydorka’s reasoning, humming in agreement before returning to study the magazines in silence.

“First the Gra Valkans, and now the Americans. And even the Annonrials… What has this world come to?” Phiam despaired.

Rydorka analyzed the circumstances, “The appearance of the two summoned nations must be related to the return of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire. As for the Annonrials, I do not know why they have kept their identities hidden for so long. Perhaps you can ask the Americans about the Annonrials once we arrive at their capital city?”

“That is a sound idea,” Phiam said, slightly relieved now that he had some course of action.

——

Washington D.C.

The Mirishials stared outside a window of the White House as they waited for the American President to meet them. The expansive scenery was different from the crowded urban environment they had seen in San Diego. Here, nature mingled with classic architecture to create a beautiful preserve — one fit for a man as powerful as the President.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A voice appeared behind them.

Phiam turned around. “Oh, President Lee!” He shook his hand. “And you must be Vice President Coleman,” he said, greeting the man beside Lee. “I’m Minister Phiam from the Holy Mirishial Empire. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Lee said. “Let’s get seated somewhere comfortable, shall we?”

The men walked to the Oval Office, exchanging greetings and light flattery as they walked. “You know, Minister, I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a while. You’re heralded by every nation as the ‘strongest in the world’. That’s quite an impressive title.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, Mister President is fine,” Lee said as he opened the door to his office, where several other people were waiting.

“Very well, Mister President. I appreciate your kind words. Our status was not easily achieved; after the fall of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire, we had to rebuild. And rebuild we did. As a token of friendship, I offer you some gifts,” Phiam gave Rydorka a signal, and he set down a heavy box by a table.

Phiam pulled out colored cases, opening them to reveal neatly arranged magic gems, each of different type. “We recognize that your people are new to Elysia, and perhaps new to magic as well. We’ve thus prepared a selection of refined magic gems — accompanied by introductory guides — to help you become familiarized with a staple of this world.”

President Lee and his entourage approached the iridescent gemstones, marveling at their beauty. The stones appeared to emit their own lighting, reflective of the arcane energies stored within.

“How remarkable,” a man in glasses and a white coat stated.

“Dr. Holden, what do you think of these?” Lee asked.

The stereotypical-looking scientist pushed his glasses up as he leaned in to inspect the gems. “These specimens are much more sophisticated than those we’ve previously encountered. I won’t be able to say anything conclusive until we’ve run tests on these, but just from the looks of them, I think my department will be able to expand our current understanding of magic by a significant margin.” He stepped back after finishing his thoughts.

“Thank you, Doctor Holden. So, Minister Phiam, could you elaborate on why these gems have different colors? I’m really curious.”

“I think this topic is better suited for Mister Baeluno.”

Baeluno stepped forward and began his lecture on the magic gems. “The colors on the gems represent their functionality. Red is generally associated with fire, and correspondingly, the red magic gems are used for anything heat-related. In contrast, the blue magic gems are associated with water. Yellow is energy, green is life, and so on. Each case comes with a guide that details the purpose of their respective gems and examples of their uses.”

“Hm,” the Americans gave an intrigued expression.

“Thank you, Mister Baeluno,” Phiam said. “The box also contains other trinkets from our society, from pieces of apparel to basic magic tools. Oh, and I certainly can’t forget the magic screen and calculator.”

Rydorka placed the magic screen on the table and set up a receiver alongside it. “Unfortunately, the infrastructure necessary for this device is not available here, but you will be able to use it in Philades, where we have several transmission stations.”

Phiam nodded, wondering why they had brought the screen in the first place. He took a glance at the Americans who were engaged in light conversation — at least they seemed to be fascinated by the device. He walked over to the box and pulled out a computer-sized object, offering it to Lee. “Mister President, I would like you to personally accept this gift. This is one of our latest calculators. I realize that it doesn’t compare to the calculators you have,” Phiam said dejectedly, “But it should still provide some insight on our magic-based civilization. Or at the very least, it would make a beautiful artifact to decorate your desk.”

“Thank you, Minister Phiam,” Lee said. He accepted the gift, his arms nearly falling due to the unexpected weight of the object. He quickly corrected his stance and laughed it off, “Goodness, this thing is pretty heavy!”

“Not quite as light as your smartphones, but we’ll get there,” Phiam smiled.

“Oh, of course! You know, we’d be delighted to exchange some knowledge.”

Phiam suppressed the giddiness developing within him. Lee’s offer was precisely what he was seeking. “I would very much appreciate further discussion of that, Mister President. As a civilization with a greater understanding of magic, I feel that interacting with a civilization that has a solid grasp of science is a very mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“I agree wholeheartedly, Phiam. I assume you’ll need to contact your superiors before proposing anything, so I’d like to offer you this gift, for faster communication.”

Steven walked up, offering a boxy object to Phiam.

Lee explained, “This is a radio with a range of several hundred miles, which should be able to contact our relay stations in the islands south of Cartalpas. After our discussion, Steven here can show you how to use it.”

After finalizing gift exchanges, the two groups moved to discuss the World Leadership Conference.

Phiam began, “The second reason we are here is to formally invite the United States of America to the World Leadership Conference.” He handed out papers that described the event in detail. “In short, this meeting is a conference that takes place every two years, near the end of the year. Any country may come to witness the discussion, but only eleven are allowed to actively participate. Of these eleven, five are recurring members, fixed, if you will. These five countries are each superpowers, although two have recently been… replaced. We would like the United States of America to come in the former Parpaldian Empire’s stead.”

“Question, Minister.”

“Yes?”

“So this conference… Are there any other binding constraints? Or is it simply a meeting of world leaders?”

Phiam, not understanding Lee’s question, answered the best he could. “Ah… It is simply a meeting of world leaders.”

Lee heard the uncertainty in Phiam’s voice and explained the context behind his question. “Oh, good. I ask because Earth had its own version of the World Leadership Conference, sort of. It was a permanent body known as the United Nations. A story for another time, I suppose. Anyway, thank you for the invitation. Since this is only a meeting between leaders, I don’t need to bring a proposal to our legislative body. I accept your invitation,” Lee extended his hand.

Phiam shook his hand. “Welcome to the league of superpowers, Mister President.”