March 11, 1640

Washington D.C.

President Lee yawned as he took a sip from his morning coffee, trudging slowly toward his office. Upon reaching the door, he heard his name being called from down the hallway — a faint noise that slowly became louder as his brain woke up.

“Mister President! Mister President!” Steven ran toward him, papers in hand.

“Steven? What is it?” Lee asked, one foot already in the door. “Is it about the Annonrials?”

Out of breath, Steven explained, “The Grameus continent has a civilization of humans. A drone sent by the expedition found a small, walled nation that is about to face attack by a hostile force. Expedition commanders are requesting permission to assist!”

“Damn, it’s still a month before the scheduled operation. What forces do we have stationed there?” Lee showed evident concern on his face, genuinely hoping the troop count was large enough to permit aid.

“The USS America and her escorts, along with a small contingent from the Army. Ambassador Meyer is also present.”

Lee sighed in relief, “Oh, that should be more than enough! What are they facing?”

“Sir, drone footage shows minor wild beasts, similar to the ones we’ve encountered in Topa and in Calamique, numbering in the hundreds. It is unknown how many more monsters there are, due to the limited amount of drones and the sparse satellite coverage of the region.”

“I see. Give them my permission. Have Meyer establish contact via manacomm. If the locals permit it, the Thirty First Marine Expeditionary Unit should establish a forward operating base there after securing the area,” Lee ordered. Since the Grameus expedition was now set to begin a month earlier, he wanted to set up logistics for easier exploration and survey once the main scientific units arrive.

“On it, sir.”

——

Kingdom of Esperanto

In the heart of the Capital District stood a proud castle of post-medieval architecture. It was surrounded by a moat and stone walls that stretched several stories high, built to keep out the savage beasts that roamed the Gramean wilderness. Unlike most castles that were built with luxury in mind, this one was built for protection. Past the defensive layers, one man sat at the center of it all: King Esperanto.

“Your Highness, I have received an urgent report from the outpost beyond the Kals District,” a knight in golden armor knelt before the king, his red cloak gently floating to the ground.

The sound of the knight’s armor reverberated throughout the room while Esperanto steeled himself for bad news. “What news do they bring, Mortes?”

Keeping his face down, he reluctantly played his part as messenger, “The outpost scouts laid eyes on the Archdemon Darkshield yet again. This time, he has assembled an army of a thousand goblins and a hundred orcs, alongside ten orc kings and a single demonic knight. Their camp is situated on the other side of the Kenshiva Valley.”

The grave news struck the king severely. He rested his arms on his legs, holding his hands together as he leaned forward. “This assembly is unprecedented… Has the Kals garrison been informed?”

“Yes, Your Highness. They request reinforcements.”

King Esperanto nodded. If the Kals District fell, the kingdom would lose a significant agricultural exporter, along with twenty thousand souls. He didn’t think the army fielded by Darkshield would be strong enough to devastate the district, but he worried about a potential diversionary attack. Other scout reports have noted the presence of upwards of a hundred demonic knights under Darkshield’s command. The enemy used his kingdom’s stationary position and lack of intelligence to its advantage, cleverly utilizing the fog of war to confuse and disorient the defenders. King Esperanto wouldn’t allow the enemies of humanity to triumph. “Gather a hundred men to act as forward scouts. Send them in pairs of two and equip them with signal flares; spread them across our northern and southern flanks. Send a thousand men directly to the Kals District and prepare to bolster our artillery forces there. Deploy a thousand men each to the secondary layer cities of Hurst and Trost. If our scouts detect invasion from the north or south, they will serve as quick reinforcements. If the northern and southern borders are clear, they can reinforce the Kals district.”

“Excellent strategy, Your Highness. I will see to this immediately!” Mortes rose and saluted, his armor clinking as he did so.

As he turned around to leave, the chamber doors opened. Two guards held the doors for a sweaty, tired messenger, who hurriedly ran in. Amidst the sound of the doors shutting, he panted in an effort to catch his breath. “Your Highness!” He quickly knelt.

“This seems urgent. Speak,” King Esperanto said, grimacing slightly and preparing himself for even more bad news.

“Foreign humans and unknown beasts have appeared on the southern border! I’ve never seen such strange contraptions before!”

King Esperanto and Sir Mortes shared a look of shock. “Humans?” Mortes asked. “Never before have we seen humans other than ourselves wandering the outside world.” He faced the king, expressing his concerns, “This could be an attempt at deception by Darkshield.”

Esperanto considered this possibility. “Is there anything else in your report?”

“Yes, Your Highness!” The messenger exclaimed. “They claim to have arrived from a base in the Topa Kingdom. Their dignitary explained that they are from a nation called the United States of America; they wish to make contact with us and if possible, provide aid against the monster hordes.”

“The land of Topa… That’s where the Emissaries of the Star God defeated the demons. That’s where the Alliance took root! It is possible that they’ve managed to maintain the defense of the world since then, although I know not why they have yet to find us. I thought that they had fallen because of this.” Mortes recalled the teachings of the old legends, and how the Kingdom of Esperanto was founded by the brave souls who marched alongside the Great Heroes of Old to finally slay Nosgorath. Apparently, the founders of Esperanto could not make the full journey, and was forced to turn back. Unable to find their way back home to the land of Topa, they settled in the Gramean wilderness. At first, they retained hopes that Alliance would find them, but over time began to believe that somehow, they had been eradicated.

King Esperanto asked, “Did these outsiders say anything more about their origins?”

“I am not sure, Your Highness. I was dispatched immediately after contact was made,” the messenger responded.

Esperanto and Mortes developed slight suspicions upon hearing the claims. Before committing to any orders, Esperanto asked further, “And what do these ‘contraptions’ look like?”

The messenger shrugged, not knowing where to start. “I… These contraptions looked like no monster or beast I had ever seen. They looked to be armored with metal, or made purely of metal. Some of them do bear semblance with the tanks used by the Emissaries, although I can’t say much more as I have not studied the ancient texts. I apologize for the lack of information, Your Highness.”

Intrigued by the comparison to tanks, Esperanto stood up. “Your information has been more than helpful, good messenger.” He then turned to Mortes, “General, let’s go see what these people have to say.”

Mortes wanted to protest, still worried that the appearance of these foreigners at such a dire time was some sort of elaborate ruse. However, he could not deny the importance of a force from Topa armed with artifacts from the Emissaries themselves, nor could he change the king’s mind. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

——

Esperanto Kingdom Southern Border

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

Dozens of marines and diplomatic staff lounged about outside the massive walls of the isolated human settlement, leaning on the vehicles and discussing current events as they waited for a response.

“Looks a bit familiar, huh?” Baker pointed at the walls with his thumb. The walls were arranged in a uniform circle, with the exception of a small district jutting out. “Let’s hope we don’t get eaten by some giants dude.”

“Titans,” Nakamoto corrected. “And bro don’t remind me,” he said in a dejected manner, “I was so fucking excited for season 4, and then the Transference had to go and cut us off from Japan! Now how am I supposed to know what happens next, read the fucking manga?”

“Assuming the manga was even backed up on our servers…” Baker pointed out.

Nakamoto crossed his arms, shaking his head. “Don’t jinx it, dickhead.”

Baker smirked and shrugged.

“Anyway,” Nakamoto changed the subject, “I thought we were supposed to already have established contact with them. Did we not have any manacomms?”

“We do,” a voice answered behind them.

A set of familiar faces approached Baker and Nakamoto.

“Moah, I didn’t know you were coming along. And Gai! How’s Elei?” Baker smiled.

“It was a last-minute arrangement,” Moah explained. “We’re here to provide local expertise and help use the manacomm.”

“Elei’s doing great,” Gai replied, grinning like an idiot. “I’m uh… How do you Americans say… ‘clapping cheeks’ daily?”

They shared a laugh at Gai’s fortune. “Atta boy,” Baker applauded his friend, smacking him on the back.

After a short reunion, Moah returned to the topic at hand, “The manacomm worked perfectly fine, but it seems that there were no recipients. This settlement likely has no such technology.”

“Huh,” Nakamoto commented.

“No manacomm, so that means they were isolated from the rest of civilization all this time? Who knows how long they could have just been living here…” Baker remarked.

Moah answered, “I think this could be the lost Demon Extermination Army, led by Commander Esperanto.” He explained the situation further, providing context on the calamitous events that preceded the relative security of modern Elysia.

“That info could be pretty useful. Have you told the Ambassador?” Baker asked.

“I have.” Moah’s eye caught a glimpse of a gate opening in the distance. “It looks like we’re about to find out if these people truly are from Esperanto’s army.”

——

King Esperanto surveyed the alien men and contraptions below from a battlement. Above, strange tiny machines hovered in the air, no larger than a bird. They buzzed about like insects, although they didn’t move at all. Below, massive metal carriages awaited in a line, men standing beside them. As he inspected the vehicles, he remembered the messenger’s description and found it to be fitting. The long-snouted machines looked very much like the magic photograph of tanks documented in the archives and the carriage-like objects were similar to the transportation vehicles once used by the Emissaries. The key difference between the archived artifacts and the machines currently outside the gates was technology: these machines looked much more advanced than those of old. Curiously, the flag mounted on the vehicles also seemed strikingly familiar.

Esperanto looked to his right, “Mortes, what do you think?”

“The messenger jested not,” he admitted. “I would still be wary about their intentions and origins, but seeing this for myself; seeing their people interact with each other, all of it makes me want to believe that they truly are a force from the land of Topa, sent to aid us.”

Esperanto nodded, “It may be so. The garrison commander informed me of the conversation that took place after the messenger was dispatched. One among this party is an elf, who hails from the Kingdom of Topa. It looks like that’s him right there,” he pointed at a blonde man wearing armor that stood out from the muddled, camouflage pattern of the other men. “And it looks like the other men, dressed in that dirty green, are carrying guns. If they are friendly, they may be able to solve our issues. The races must have advanced so much while we were isolated.”

“That may be, Your Highness,” Mortes agreed.

“I’ll greet them personally,” Esperanto said.

“Your Highness? I must ask you to reconsider.”

“If this truly is a search party from Topa, then I must welcome them myself. We also lack qualified representatives; who better to represent our people than myself?” Esperanto deflected Mortes’ concerns.

“Very well, Your Highness. Do let me step out first.”

The king agreed and climbed down the wall. “Let’s see what these people have to say,” he said as he stepped outside, Mortes walking beside him.

He approached a man in a sharp suit and the elf. “Foreigners from Topa, I am King Esperanto, ruler of the Kingdom of Esperanto. State your intentions here.”

The suited man stepped forward and introduced himself. “I’m Ambassador Meyer from the United States of America. We’re here to help.”