Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire

A plump man smoking a cigarette rested on his office’s windowsill as he surveyed the city below. He looked like a stereotypical American gangster from the Roaring Twenties, save for his apparel, which bore greater resemblance to the sleek German style of World War 2. He took a puff, grabbing his cigarette with two fingers as he thought about the video he had just seen.

A cheap monitor and VHS player sat on the table behind him — advanced technologies that the Americans considered anachronistic, or irrelevant enough to entrust to the Gra Valkans. He understood why. They wanted to prove a point and make sure that their point was able to reach the higher administrative levels of the Gra Valkan government.

Their concern had a solid foundation; if he had received this information via a simple report, he wouldn’t have taken the Americans as seriously. Their population and economic data appeared similar to the entire Gra Valkas Empire, including the colonies that were left behind on Yggdra. The claims were unbelievable, but gained credence as videos of their cities and industries came into view.

The introduction into American culture was followed by an analysis in Earth cultures and a timeline outlining their technology and world history. This was the segment that Cielia had painstakingly emphasized; the segment that had brought irrationality to a generally calm, calculating official. He remembered her pleas, begging for a pacifist approach, or at least a reconsideration of Gra Valkan expansionism. Even Dallas, who was normally arrogant and supremacist, had begun to express doubt. This was unsettling.

He remembered Dallas’ brutal diplomacy with the Pagandans. While they were already too ignorant to acknowledge the Gra Valkas Empire as anything but barbarians, this preconception was further exacerbated by Dallas’ conduct. He insulted their leadership in the heart of Paganda, leading to a mad dash to the Grade Atlaster as the delegation retreated from the palace. Tensions subsequently increased, culminating in a war and a decisive Gra Valkan victory that fueled their already inflated egos.

And now, the balloon edged closer to the pin. Gesta’s frown deepened as he studied the clips of warfare and the associated technology, which appeared equivalent to weapons fielded in Yggdra. Images of the Yamato-class surfaced, surprising Gesta as he analyzed the intricacies of its design philosophy. As a proponent of gunboat diplomacy, he was well-acquainted with the gunboats at his disposal. The vessel in the video was astoundingly similar to the Grade Atlaster, prompting Gesta to wonder if any more coincidences existed.

“No… that can’t be,” he muttered, squinting at the American vehicles. “They look just like weapons in the Kain military!” He gasped aloud. “Does that mean our contingencies and strategies against Kain will work against the Americans?” He asked himself.

The video continued, explaining the course of World War 2 with quick summaries for each theater. As the Pacific Theater came to a close, quotes surfaced. Written in the Gra Valkan language thanks to translation efforts over the past several months, the words were clearly understood by Gesta.

Finally, he saw why Cielia was so adamant about pushing for peace, even suggesting a non-aggression treaty with the Americans. Finally, he saw why uranium was such a prioritized material in his talks with the neutral Havur Kingdom. His government’s desperation in keeping Kain influence out of Havur was not due to strategic geographical positioning; it was due to their abundant supply of heavy elements. For Gesta, the flash of light on the screen was like a lightbulb turning on.

As he reflected on his past assignments in Yggdra, he recalled a moment when Emperor Gra Lux issued him a personal order to prepare an ultimatum for the Divine Kingdom of Kain. If his empire truly had access to weapons like this, then the war would have been over before it started, and Yggdra would have been firmly under their control. A consideration then entered his mind. What if both sides had such weapons?

He recorded the time stamp of the video, marking where discussion of atomic weaponry occurred. He also attached a note, writing, “It is evident that the Americans understand the concepts behind the atomic bomb. They also claim to have thousands of such weapons and have demonstrated a willingness to use them. Caution recommended.”

After this revelation, Gesta felt that nothing else could surprise him. He was immediately proven wrong as the video dove right into the Cold War and Space Race between the Soviet Union and United States. The ridiculous advancement in technology occurred over the span of two decades, right after a devastating war that left most of the civilized world on Earth in ruins. Although dismissible as propaganda, Gesta couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was true. Rather than having an internal debate regarding the truth, he decided that he would visit the United States for himself.

——

Nivles Castle

Kneeling on cold, polished marble, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes — characteristic Aryan features — bowed before Emperor Gra Lux.

“What do you need, Cabal?” Lux got straight to the point.

Rising from the ground and pushing back his velvet cape, he spoke with enthusiasm, “Father, I have heard of Director Gesta’s trip. Could I join? I wish to see this new land for myself!”

Lux sighed, walking toward the columns along the outer edges of his throne room as he tried to think of reasons to keep his son home. Alas, he could not find any justifiable reason; the current geopolitical atmosphere was one of calmness. The situation in Leifor was under control and Director Alan’s Information Bureau required time to collect the data it needed. Seeing the excitement in his son’s eyes, he conceded. “You may join. Just be sure to keep yourself out of trouble.”

“Thank you, father!” Cabal bowed and quickly exited the room, ready to pack his things.

Now left to his own devices, Lux returned to the small study behind his throne room. He took a seat and stared silently at the documents strewn in front of the screen, which was paused on the bombing of Hiroshima. He folded his arms on his table and rested, face down. His top secret atomic weapons program was rendered null — useless, even — by the nonchalant warning from the Americans.

Fearing the threat of nuclear retaliation, his plans for conquest were put to a stop. The Third Civilized Region, encompassing the Philades and Rodenius continents along with other landmasses to the east, were essentially off-limits. Intelligence gathered during the American-Parpaldian war corroborate their technological level. Fortunately, they appeared to be rather benevolent, more so than Gra Valkas was to its recently acquired subjects. As recommended by one of Gesta’s subordinates, he could approach the Americans with a non-aggression treaty, thus allowing for the free conquest of the First and Second Civilized Regions.

He smiled with relief, thinking that he had successfully circumvented the American threat. Once he secures all the resources within those territories, he could prepare a final strike against the eastern continents and bring the Americans into the fold. Alternatively, he could propose joint ruling, whereby a new American-Gra Valkan alliance is formed. If they don’t agree to this alliance, then he could fall back on a non-aggression treaty with the Americans.

With the matter settled, he moved the documents to the side of the table, stacking them neatly. All he had to worry about now was the mysterious disappearance of a submarine fleet near the Branchel continent.

——

Gra Valkan Bureau of Information

Director Akkan sat in a brightly lit room, empty save for a round table in the center and a dozen chairs. People funneled into the room: sub directors within his own bureau, Deputy Secretary Parguerre from the Gra Valkan Foreign Affairs Department, and officers from the military, including two legends.

Invigorating the room with his confident, inspiring presence, Admiral Caesar was decorated with medals from wars long past — from victories so plentiful that he couldn’t even recount them. Behind him followed General Mirkenses, a woman who defied gender stereotypes, so much so that she climbed the hierarchy of a profession generally dominated by men. The two geniuses found themselves in a troubling predicament, stupefied by the untimely disappearance of a submarine fleet.

“Looks like everyone’s here,” Akkan said. “Admiral Caesar, General Mirkenses, I’m glad you were able to make it to this meeting.”

The two officers gave silent affirmation, nodding while Akkan continued to speak.

“So,” Akkan cleared his throat. “Our objective today is to investigate the cause of the disappearance of Submarine Fleet 12. Mister Wagner, would you please present your report on Branchel maritime conditions?”

A young, lanky officer from the Information Bureau stood up from his seat and began to orate the history of the region, as explained by Elysian natives. “After consultation with our subjects in Leifor, along with readings from Muan libraries, we discovered that the southern Branchel continent is home to the Annonrial Empire. Most of our contacts refer to them as barbarians, and rightfully so. The denizens of this continent consist primarily — maybe even exclusively — of humanoids with wings, similar to angels. One wing is black, and the other is white. Access to the region is said to be difficult, as most ships that enter the region are lost to ‘sea monsters’ or storms.”

Akkan nodded. “Additionally, their level of technology is purported to be medieval or pre-medieval, although we suspect that this may not be the case due to industrial pollutants and electromagnetic signals coming from their mainland. Their mainland is also known to be inaccessible to outsiders, although outsiders have never tried to enter the mainland due to the supposed primitiveness of the Annonrials. With this in mind, there is a possibility that the ‘sea monsters’ that lurk in their waters are actually enemy submarines using guided torpedoes or maybe even some sort of water magic.”

The prospect of a nation hiding its true capabilities was unsettling, especially in this arrogant world where might makes right. Caesar proposed, “This hypothesis can be confirmed, albeit at great risk. If these Annonrials constitute an empire of our caliber, we might risk sparking an international incident by invading their waters.”

“Not necessarily,” Akkan countered. “If it’s truly sea monsters, we have nothing to worry about and can just avoid the area. If it is an advanced civilization, we can deploy carrier-launched reconnaissance aircraft to confirm our suspicions, and then proceed accordingly.”

“Can’t we just send them a message via radio?” Mirkenses offered.

Akkan shrugged; he had thought about that, but dismissed the idea since that was a dilemma for the Foreign Affairs personnel. “The Annonrials should have detected our signals by now. Either they don’t want to communicate with us, or they rely on magic-based communication much like the rest of the natives of this world.”

Parguerre built off Akkan’s statement, suggesting, “I can arrange for a communication request with the Annonrials. If they respond, I can guess what they would likely say.”

“What would that be?” Caesar asked.

“They would either redirect us to their gateway of Bushpaka Latan, or warn us to steer clear of the waters due to monsters. Perhaps both,” Parguerre answered simply. “It might be best if we leave them alone for now, and continue observations before we make a decision about them.”

Caesar and Mirkenses nodded in agreement. As strategists, they found value in sitting back, waiting for intelligence before making a move. However, the manner of intelligence also mattered. Voicing his concerns, Caesar spoke, “Passive observation is indeed safe, but it would be best for the budget if we are able to make decisions faster. Maintenance of our Great Fleet is costly, especially if there is no one to use it on. War is, unfortunately, an inevitability. His Excellency’s ambition will not be stopped so easily, and so I recommend we move to conduct reconnaissance of the region, if that is permitted by the Foreign Affairs Department.”

Understanding Caesar’s perspective, Parguerre analyzed several possibilities before relenting and granting Caesar permission. “I shall permit it, as long as you respect international boundaries. I will send a team along in order to attempt communication with the Annonrials. If this proves to be impossible, maintain a distance of fifty nautical miles from the shore; this is farther than the standard on Yggdra, but I don’t want to take any chances,” he gave his caveat.

“Understood, Mister Secretary,” Caesar said.

With the diplomacy and reconnaissance issues out of the way, one burning question lingered in the back of Akkan’s mind. “What if there really are sea monsters in those waters? It wouldn’t be so far-fetched, considering we’ve encountered a few krakens already.”

“Simple,” Caesar replied. “We kill them.”