Tales from the Past
As the duo continued riding, Maximillian continued his explanation.
"He was one of the warriors who aided our founder in his war against monsters. The Northman Warrior, hailing from the other side of the Asacreta Mountains from Gaulberian lands. An early Gothian."
"I did not hear of this," interrupted a guard, "care to share the story?"
"Alnheim was a warrior mage," Maximillian said, "who possessed great power. Why he travelled south into Gaulberian lands is something lost to history, but he decided to aid the founder of Lescatie in his crusade. The war drove the monsters north. But he felt betrayed when Lescatie decided to stop and settle the lands. Because the monsters weren't eliminated, only driven further and further north."
"You mean," Marise said, as the implications hit her, "into the modern day Gothian territory?"
"Yes," Maximillian replied, "and it was devastating. For the Gothians of that time were scattered tribes of barbarians, and had not formed large kingdoms or nations. They could hold their own against the regular monsters there, but when more powerful monsters and their armies from the south were pushed into their lands, the Gothian tribes simply didn't have the kind of numbers necessary fight back. Their reliance on iron and bronze weapons didn't help."
"Damn," Marise muttered, "they would be in deep trouble indeed."
"The Gothian tribes fought bravely," Maximillian said, "but even with the aid of the native elementals and spirits, they were losing the fight. Their people stood at the brink of annihilation. Naturally, Alnheim refused to stay in Lescatie, seeing our founder's decision to stop as a form of betrayal. He journeyed north, returning to fight for his homeland, followed by some clergy who wished to expand the influence of the Order into Gothian land."
"So," asked another guard, "how did Gothians forge large kingdoms?"
"The priests of the Chief God and Alnheim unified the Gothians under a single cultural identity," Maximillian said, "and they introduced new kinds of magic, along with steel. But salvation ultimately came when a meteor fell from the heavens four hundred years ago. It dropped a convenient source of iron, which was otherwise difficult for the primitive Gothians to mine. Furthermore, it punched deep into the ground, smashing into an underground, magic rich area. Using this magic enhanced meteor metal, the Gothians began to create better weapons. Thus did the Gothians eliminate monsters as a significant threat, and were able to build large, stable kingdoms. At least the southern Gothians did. The northern Gothians pledged themselves to monsters for survival. The Gothian lands are currently more stable, but they are always under the watchful eyes of the demons. They are the bulwark against the northern monsters, and have been for centuries."
"That's sad and impressive," Marise said, "so why were they called barbarians?"
"Sax-Juton propaganda," Maximillian said, "and while the Gothians did raid Sax-Juton lands, it was for survival. Malum and Welsple bore the brunt of the raids. But they also enslaved Gothians, trading them as labour or concubines. And trapped in between all of that are those of mixed heritage, despised by both sides. Gothians have indeed taken things from other civilizations, but never slaves."
He paused, "If we are to defeat the monsters, then we need to put down our mutual conflicts. Not only with our southern Gaulberian states, but also with the Gothians, Sax-Jutons and other civilizations. Lescatie needs to be more open in forming alliances with other nation states."
Charlotte, who shared the saddle and horse with Maximillian suddenly twitched, as if she suddenly woke up from a nap.
"Maximillian," Marise responded, "your woman just woke up."
Charlotte said something to Maximillian, who then looked ahead.
"Well?" Marise said.
"Sothra spoke to her using telepathy," Maximillian said, "expect company."
"Who?" asked a soldier.
"The sylph," Maximillian explained, "one of the elementals Charlotte bound to her will. Sothra, being a sylph, is particularly good for reconnaissance."
"What are we expecting?" asked Marise.
"A whole lot of undead," replied Maximillian, "and I guess from the mass graves of the plague victims."
Charlotte said something again, and Maximillian translated, "Undead, primarily skeletons. But there is a single lich among them. They are quite a distance from Wahnor, so what do we do? Do we investigate Wahnor? Or do we face this new threat?"
Marise paused. Wahnor has already been depopulated, and her older sisters didn't report anything unusual. The people could already be dead, and dedicating further resource to finding them may be wasted. The undead pose a more immediate threat, especially if a Lich is leading them.
"There will be a change in our objectives," Marise ordered, "send a message back to Lescatie. We will be turning our attention to the undead."
A mage on a horse nodded as he reached for a cage strapped to the horse. He takes a piece of paper out of a pouch and cast a spell on it. Words appeared on the paper, glowing softly before turning into black text. The mage takes the pigeon out, ties the paper to its leg and releases it. The pigeon didn't hesitate and immediately headed to Lescatie.
In Aine's office, inside her castle, the Titania conversed with Celeste. Celeste. To her frustration, Celeste didn't forcefully bring Astramille back like Aine had hoped. Azura had returned earlier and explained that Celeste didn't bring in Astramille in during Alamaria's trial because there were too many heroes who might stop the kidnapping. Yet Celeste refused to a second time, even after demonstrating that she could probably beat Mimil and Eristia in a fight. For the first time in millennia, Aine felt serious frustration.
"Why didn't you just haul him in?" Aine asked, "Mimil and Eristia couldn't have stopped you. I thought you were more powerful. Didn't you once brag to me that you struck the blow that killed the demon lord Arathnon?"
Celeste shrugged, "I had no guarantee that the Lescatie princesses were away. Mimil did melt away parts of my face with lighting attacks that would normally require incantations to cast. She is a formidable opponent. Besides, based on the interaction I had with Astramille, he has a profound distrust of fairies, due to legends and myths from his world. I could drag him here, but would that help? I need his trust, which is why I gave him a handgun crafted by a master gunsmith from Malum. He wasn't tempted by money."
Aine contemplated Celeste's words. Based on her testimony and on what Aine already knew, Astramille will be difficult to handle. He isn't some dumb peasant or dumb noble who can be tempted with a little gold. Astramille obviously knows that the information in his head about gunpowder weapons and tactics are valuable beyond measure. Did he refuse to follow Celeste back to this realm because he wanted more than "a little" gold? No, Celeste offered to make Astramille as rich as any of the high-ranking clergy in Lescatie, and the man still refused.
Aine asked, "Why couldn't you just forcefully bring him in? This is the heart of the matter that I do not understand. You had stalemated Eristia and Mimil. Who could stop you from pulling him into a portal?"
Celeste sighed, "If I pulled Astramille back into a portal, Mimil could study the remnants of magical energy and possibly locate our realm. Have you forgotten there is a reason that we usually use our small fairy forms and hard to reach places for portals? It's to ensure that no outsider can track us here. And even if I did bring Astramille here, what good would it do? We can't use magic to access his knowledge on guns and warfare, and I doubt he will respond well to coercion. Thus, we need his trust and consent before we bring him here."
Aine rubbed her forehead, "Alright fine. I'll entrust the task of bringing Astramille here. You and Stella. But do it quickly. The fairies I sent out to find Astramille have been recalled, but they have brought disturbing news. The monsters have already taken Wahnor and dragged the people away. A Lich has raised an army of skeletons. I suspect that the attack on Lescatie has already begun, and the nation is ill prepared. Lescatie stations a considerable amount of their military power in other nations in exchange for 'protection money'. The forces station within Lescatie territory may hold off random monster attacks, but a full-scale war? Not likely. So bring him in, fast."
"Yes, ma'am," Celeste nodded, "I shall go and get Stella."
She then turned and headed towards the exit.
"Celeste," Aine said.
"Yes?" Celeste paused.
"Find your old comrades in arms," Aine ordered, "you have been granted clearance to engage monsters in direct combat if necessary. Bring with you any fairy you see fit. It has been more than a century since any of you saw serious combat, so be careful. Also, you offered Astramille to bring in mercenaries to temporarily aid the royal family in case of monster attack or a coup from the Order. Therefore, I also grant you clearance to employ human mercenaries. Just don't empty out our treasury. I don't want you to cause inflation."
By now, Noscrim and the Ice Flower heroes have returned to Salvarison. Usually, Noscrim would return to his manor at the heart of Lescatie, but right now, he wants to be far from the capital, away from prying eyes. For he is currently scheming on what his next steps should be. And his office within castle Salvarison was the best choice.
Noscrim didn't understand where the king got his sudden burst of courage from. For a long time, Castor was seen as a senile old man who couldn't do much. That he would suddenly attempt to wrestle power back from the Order officials was completely out of character. Even if that soulless man was behind him, it doesn't explain why Castor thought it would be a good idea. Did the king really think a having a few more heroes on his side would make him strong enough to challenge the entire clergy of Lescatie?
Noscrim paused and made another count. The three princesses of Lescatie, two of Three Musketeers, Mimil, Eristia and a few hero level Royal Guards were all the heroes that were available to the royal family. Truly, he couldn't be thinking of overturning the Order with so few forces? The Order of Holy Ice Flower alone can take them on, and that is before the other factions join in.
Once again, Noscrim wondered. Would the other factions join him? Lorenin and his group are an unpredictable bunch. Though they never possessed the same power and influence as the Order of the Holy Ice Flower, there was no way that he was going to let the king and a heretic walk over him.
But no matter what, Astramille had to be eliminated. If he is behind the release of Alameria and Castors new resistance against the Order, then the man is a much bigger threat than Noscrim previously imagined. He is a demagogue, an agitator who could rile a crowd to protect a monster and cheer for the king when he challenged the authority of the Order. Left alone, and only the Chief God would know what heresies Astramille could lead Lescatie into.
Noscrim reaffirmed his decision to have Astramille killed, and there was only one candidate who could pull it off. One person who could kill him even with all the guards the king can muster. A cold-blooded soldier, almost as soulless as Astramille himself. A murderer who has already dispatched commoners who dared to reach above their station and attempt to mingle with heroes.
The assassin Kirsch.
On the other hand, Wilmarina was also thinking. The raising of the new Royal Army was an opportunity for her. She can make a recommendation for Elt and help him join. Her word carries tremendous weight in Lescatie, and it is unlikely that anyone will object. Wilmarina didn't understand the full military capabilities of Astramille's world, or whether the capabilities can be replicated here. The point remains that doing this might protect Elt from being actively held down by the order hierarchy or even outright assassination. She knew that Elt is proving himself as being amongst the most promising recruits, and this will increase his odds of being accepted.
Deep down, Wilmarina prayed that Astramille succeeds in raising a new Lescatie army. It wasn't only for Elt though. The rise of a rival military power may erode the influence the order has on Lescatie, especially if the new power rises to prominence. The weapons she saw in that book of Astramille's gave her hope. She couldn't read the coygani language, but she recognized some of the early muskets and saw their evolution into modern firearms. Wilmarina hoped that they can narrow the gap between the unblessed masses and the god blessed heroes. Maybe then, the gap between the classes can be narrowed too.
Back in Lescatie, the king had dispatched messengers. They were to travel to the all the districts within the capital city and make it known that the king was raising an army that answers to him. Other messengers would travel to the other provinces in the south to see if any nobles remained outside of Order influence.
It didn't take long for willing volunteers to show up at the place where Alamaria was on trial. Royal servants wrote down their names, details and skills they could bring to the Royal Army. Most were peasants and commoners who had little more than their enthusiasm, but Mimil managed to snag a few decent magicians.
But Astramille heard one conversation, one which caught his attention.
"Oh," a male voice said, "you are not a local, are you?"
"No," a female voice said, "well, we haven't been here long. But I can fight."
"Yeah," the male voice replied, "what is your name, and where are you from?"
"I am Tasogare Amanomiya," the girl replied, "and I am from Zipangu."
That conversation turned his head. Indeed, a zipangu looking girl was at a recruiting station a few tables down, with a zpiangu guy at her side. Obviously, Mimil caught wind too, because she told the magician in front of her to wait and stood up. She then walked over to that recruiting station and struck up a conversation with her. Mimil obviously knew about the Amanomiya's as she basically shoved aside the
Not willing to be beaten to the punch, Astramille also walked over to them. First, he listened to the duo talk. Tasogare obviously had some difficulty in communication. This is an opportunity for Astramille and he knew it. He has a few friends in Lescatie, but Astramille believed that none could truly be relied on for now. But Tasogare and whoever the guy she is with are different. The language barrier is one Astramille could help bridge. And if Mimil decides to use that translation spell, Astramille could still be useful in helping them settle down in a nation modelled of feudal Europe. After all, while Astramille isn't exactly a local himself, he is decently educated in history and probably has a better grasp of the psyches behind the local authorities than most of the residents. If Astramille could make Tasogare and her attendant rely on him, he could have leverage over them on one hand and leverage over the Order and royal family on the other hand. Having Tasogare on his side is having one third of the Amanomiya main house at his disposal. And if he manages to bring Koyoi under his influence as well, then he will literally have more Amanomiya monster slayers than the house of Amanomiya itself. It meant that even if Lescatie fell, he could probably convince them to return to Zipangu. The Amanomiya house would reward him for restoring their military power and prestige. And if that isn't enough, bringing them modern gunpowder weapons would probably do the trick.
Astramille smiled to himself. It seemed that the isekai gods were finally smiling upon him.
Yo guys, the writer here. Sorry for the update, real life has been difficult in these months. But the new chapter is here
Regarding our unnamned guest's review, yes, there will be improvements to education and infrastructure. Improvements in health will follow. On trains, I have already mentioned the Gothian and Sax-Juton nations utilizing steam. The Sax-Juton nations, particularly Welsple and Malum, have entered the industrial age. After all, a previous chapter detailed Acton using a steam engine to power a drill press and his fairy assistant complaining going through many drill bits. Such a set up would be fairly modern. Fossil fuels will be used, sparingly at first due to scarcity but more would be mined in the future.
To make things easier to visualize, think of Lescatie as having the technology of Bretonnia (medie val fantasy) from Warhammer Fantasy, the Gothian nations as The Empire (mostly Renaissance/medieval but with some industrial age technologies) and the Sax-Jutons would be like Nuln or the dwarfs in that they are industrialized. The guest also mentioned Court Alf and having read the book (Monster Girl Encyclopedia Side III), I came to the conclusion that Kenkou Cross knows nothing about naval architecture and never bothered to research naval history. I mean really, a mobile naval port capable of mounting "countless battleships" is far beyond pre-dreadnought technology. Even more absurd is the fact that the ship was supposedly constructed in secret. And the guest is right to be skeptical that the technologies involved were not used for other purposes. So I regard Court Alf as written by Cross to be non-canon in this story.
As for Lenny McFace, I did have reasons for choosing the Mosin-Nagant specifically. For starters, it carries the image of a rugged, simple rifle used by Soviet peasants. Secondly, Astramille could tell them tales of ordinary men who achieved extraordinary things with Mosin-Nagants. He could recount the tales of snipers like Simo Hayha and Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and raise a new army of badass normals who could rival the heroes of the Chief God. But the bolt and reciever will probably simplified even more to aid mass production.
Anyway, read and review this story. I will respond to reviews that seem interesting or ask good questions.