GATE
Medieval Mercenaries in Another World
Chapter 2: Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here
To my most loyal subject,
I Pope Eugene IV, of the most holy city of Rome and its papacy, write you this letter after much discussion and consideration between me and my subjects.
The colorful imagery you have described in your letter was one of such nature, reminiscent of the writings of the brothers of Lindisfarne during the invasions from the pagan north, that a decision on how to respond could not be easily made without acknowledging the implication that we have been attacked by hell itself.
Yet after much discussion, much thought, and much time we have come to the conclusion that your statements are not to be taken lightly.
Our informants and allies in Bohemia and the surrounding regions of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation have given us descriptions and even evidence of the events you claim to have transpired.
But even so, even then, we can not act in haste. While the great brothers and warriors of the papacy stand ready to support you we must first know the exact nature of these vile figures and thus I must ask of you, kindly but firmly, that a local militia be formed in your lands to investigate the foul lands these creatures hail from…
Sounds echoed through the stone walls of the dungeon yet Xalvador paid no mind.
Throughout the last couple of nights, guards had moved in and out of these chambers of imprisonment, taking out lesser criminals to replace them with unknown warriors from afar.
Another battle, the young man had assumed. The noises he had heard from the small opening on the wall he sat pressed against had indeed seemed a sign of conflict but even then he hadn't cared much. Much like he had stopped caring for hunger days ago, as the cold temperatures of the stones surrounding him had dulled both sense and mind.
Perhaps this was why he had not heard or rather processed, words being said to him. Mumbles in the background, most likely statements not even for him to acknowledge, continued over and over in a repetitive manner until finally the sound of something hitting the iron bars holding him captive awakened his mind.
"-will listen to me as I speak!" The words finally seemed to say as he slowly turned his head and opened his eyes to observe through the bars who was standing there, seemingly ordering him to respond.
"Who are you?" Xalvador asked, still not quite sure who he was looking at due to his limited visions. His spectacles, glass circles within a wooden frame that improved one faulty vision, had been taken from him at the time he had been arrested.
"I am the man speaking to you." The figure responded with a snarl, clearly annoyed at him already. He sighed at them, figuring this was another authority figure who had made up their mind on who he was and what he had done.
"And what does the man speaking to me wish?" He replied, slowly feeling annoyance of his own building up within his body. If anything, at least it seemed to be waking him up.
"You are the alchemist known by the name of Xalvador, correct?"
"That I am."
"The one from the Eastern borders of Christendom, by the city of Constantinople of the Empire of New Roma?"
"That is I."
"And you are currently imprisoned under suspicion of heresy, correct?"
As his vision began to clear up just enough to pick up a few details Xalvador began to see a frown upon this 'man speaking to him'. Most likely as the young alchemist had begun to growl in irritation after that last statement, as much as it had irritated him when he had first been accused of it.
"I am as devout of a Christian as anyone else." He said proudly, straightening his back as much as he could.
"That is not what I asked. Are you currently under investigation of heresy or not?"
The alchemist dragged his hands over his face, removing what dust he could before dragging it through his hair as he breathed in an attempt to calm himself.
Whoever was asking these questions was someone of authority, someone who very well would use that authority if he was not given the answers he wanted.
So then, Xalvador decided, I will answer.
"Yes. Thou art speaking to that man."
Then something unexpected happened if his eyes were seeing what they were seeing. A guard had moved past the figure and taken out a key, unlocking the cell door to let that very figure inside.
Xalvador winced and instinctively pressed his back as far into the wall he could as warmth spread through his body as his face heated up, flushed red.
He breathed out, teeth clenched. He felt embarrassed at what he was doing, acting like an animal in a corner.
"I am not going to hurt you." The man now standing barely a meter away from him said, hands open and by his side in an attempt to back up his statement.
"As you are indeed the man I have been told you are, I have something of a proposition to you. It is simple and something I believe you will not decline…"
It was as if the world once more had color, after an eternity of gray…
A moan escaped Xalvador's lips, though he had meant it to be a sigh of relief, as the warmth and comfort of bathwater surrounded every inch of his body from the neck down within the rather small wooden tub. Yes, it was indeed small, clearly meant for a figure of a different stature than himself, yet it meant nothing as water and soap engulfed his very being.
He felt human again, after what seemed like an eternity of being that animal in the corner.
"This is what it must be like to resurrect." He joked as nobody was present but himself allowed him the comfort to amuse himself with questionable comedy.
Or perhaps, he thought silently, this is what it's like to sell one soul. He laughed though it was a bitter laugh. Indeed in some way, he had sold his very being to what could be a lifetime of servitude. Not because it would be very long but rather because what he had agreed to could have very well shortened his lifespan to a mere year.
He mused at that as he lowered his neck and chin into the water. Indeed. What he had been asked to do could very well put his life in jeopardy.
Death might await him behind the very gate he had been asked to enter.
What had been transpired had been quite fascinating, at least in retrospect. After having been taken to a room with a table of food and drink the knight who had visited him in his cell had introduced himself as 'Sir Yurochka Kaiser under the order of the Holy Church of Christ'. Dramatic as a statement as it was it had gained Xalvador's attention very easily.
As it had been explained to him, a great marble gate of unknown nature and origin had suddenly placed itself into the middle of the market street of the city of Prague. Invaders from within, for it seemed the gate was one of supernatural quality, had made their ways into the city and caused mayhem and havoc for a good amount of time before being stopped by the forces of the very land they had hoped to conquer.
And that lead to his role in the subject. Xalvador was an alchemist. A heretical alchemist, if the rumors were to be believed, which suggested that he had some level of understanding of the unnatural things that had arrived.
At first, he hadn't believed any of what he had been told but over time it was very clear that even if it was somehow a fictitious event every single person in the city at that time believed it.
That was enough to transform his attention into interest. Now he wanted to see what was beyond that gate they had described to him although he had yet to see its shape itself.
Nothing but descriptions and sketches on parchment and paper had been given to him as he had still not gotten clear to leave the castle grounds. Indeed it seemed they wanted to make absolutely sure he would be of use before they gave him the right to step out from the structure that had been his 'home' for quite some time.
So he bathed, enjoying the luxury while he could so that he would have the energy and ability to take on whatever task they had in hand for him. Once clean, dressed, and presentable he made sure to go straight towards the room Sir Yurochka had asked him to meet in.
Within it was a sight that removed the color of his skin, for it was an impossible sight.
A creature lay upon a wooden table in front of him, one whose proportions and pigment went against any understanding of man and beast for it was both.
Shoulders' arms and legs, just like a man's, yet the strong color and facial structure of an animal.
Xalvador could not help but move a hand over his chest in the direction of a cross.
"...may the Lord give me strength, what is it you have brought before me?"
"That," Yurochka began as he gestured towards a brown leather bag on the table, just next to the abomination. "Is why you are here."
It took time before the Alchemist found the strength to approach the table and look down into the bag.
"Tools?" He asked. The knight nodded.
"You are trained in many arts I am told. A Polymath, correct? You know of many sciences, many skills… And one of those skills is meant to be the art of a barber."
Xalvador's eyes darted upwards at Sir Yurochka Kaiser. "You... You want me to dissect it?"
"That is precisely what I want you to do."
While he was silent for a moment it did not seem like there was any other option. He could not question further nor complain. And if he had to be honest a part of him very much wanted to open the flesh of this creature and look into it, witnessing whatever knowledge he could gain from it.
And so he began to work. Knives, scissors, and other tools began to tear into flesh and skin as he slowly dug through. Eventually, he had to start pumping out some of the blood, using a simple but effective device that had been included in the bag.
Finally, after what could have been an hour of work, organs of many kinds were now placed on a metal plate to be witnessed.
Fascinating, he thought. Utterly fascinating.
"The organs... are that of a pig's. The heart, while seemingly no different from that of a man's at first glance, has a slightly different size and shape to it. Not obvious but it is present."
"The stomach and the lungs are the most obvious sign of this fact. Larger and more complicated, to fit the needs of an animal."
"And the brain?" Kaiser suddenly asked. Xalvador paused before nodding, moving to the head of the creature. It took longer but eventually, he was able to remove enough fragments of the skull and remove the brain.
"Fascinating." This time he could not help but say it out loud. "I mean- The brain is that of a human child."
"You've seen the brain of a child?!" The sudden protest came not from Yurochka Kaiser but rather a guard whom the alchemist had barely acknowledged.
Xalvador simply chose to ignore it. "The size is that of someone who has yet reached early adulthood, so under the age of fourteen. I'm not sure if this is a sign that the brain develops slower for this… being or if this is the end of its development. Either way… it gives us a good idea of what this creature is."
"A beast with the mind of a child," Kaiser said, sighing deeply at his own statement. "No wonder they seemed so furious yet basic in their way of fighting. These… pig-men."
He slapped his hands together, gaining the surprise and attention of the alchemist.
"Follow me, we're heading to the cells."
"Am I to be... returned to my accommodations?" Xalvador asked. The knight snorted in response.
"No. We are to visit someone. As a Polymath, you do have a large understanding of language, correct?"
Xalvador nodded, doing his best to follow Kaiser as he began to walk out of the room and the guard began lightly push him after the man.
"Yes... I know most of the common languages within Christendom as well as Latin and a few of the tounges of the East-"
"Modern Latin?" Yurochka suddenly asked, glancing back at Xalvador as he continued forward.
"Yes?" Xalvador responded. "But I both speak and read Classical Latin as well. Becomes necessary when you study the oldest of texts."
"Pagan texts." The man in front of him said with a scoff, turning his head away once more.
"Of course, the pagan texts as well. Pagans or not, it is their works that built the world we live in."
Obviously, Sir Kaiser did not agree but in spite of that, he made the decision to calm his tone before addressing the alchemist once more.
"Then your knowledge of pagan languages may very well help us."
"Why?"
"Because I have someone I want you to talk to. Someone nobody else seems to understand."
They were once more back in the dungeon yet this time the situation was different. Xalvador was now the man on the other side of the iron bars, staring past them into the room of stones where a man sat with his back pressed against the wall.
He was observing the trio, Xalvador, Sir Kaiser, and the guard, with a glare of absolutely distaste and disapproval. And then he sneered as if their mere presence confirmed some inner belief of superiority.
"Who is this man?" Xalvador asked. He quickly winced as he quickly realized he would most likely get the same answer as before.
"That is why you are here."
Fine then, he thought and placed a hand on one of the bars, if I must speak with this man then speak with this man I shall. "Who are you?" He asked, first in Classical Latin.
Something in his question seemed to have been recognized by the man, at least Xalvador guessed that from the look in his eyes, but he still held an expression of disagreement and.. confusion.
Xalvador tried a different language, Arabic, but was met with an expression of confusion on such a level that it suggested a complete lack of understanding. Very well, then it would be best with sticking within the Latin language group.
Modern Latin. The captive reacted much more favorably but shrugged, still confused. So Italian. No, he was shaking his head. At this point, it seemed like he wanted to be understood, if only to hear something he himself recognized.
French? Suddenly the man raised himself up and stood, the guard instinctively reaching for his sword at the movement, and made a statement. Xalvador froze.
For a moment he said nothing. The man seemed as if he was about to give up and sit back down only for the alchemist to once more open his mouth.
He said something at random, a question perhaps. The man responded and an expression of disbelief made itself present on Xalvador's face. Another statement, another reply.
At this point Xalvador had to step back and place a hand on his forehead, massaging it slowly in an attempt to process what he had heard and what he was thinking.
"Do you understand him?" Kaiser asked. Xalvador did not respond immediately, as if his mind had to first change language from what he was speaking to what he was now hearing.
"It's- It's Archaic French. Corrupted Archaic French."
"French?" Kaiser asked.
"Archaic!" Xalvador repeated, excitedly "Archaic as in old! Old French! This man is- He is speaking a language that has long evolved into what is used today in France! He is speaking- Frankish. It's Frankish, yet not. The language of the Carolingian empire, long gone. Yet he speaks it… and he speaks it differently. Some words are wrong. Some are pronounced differently, others are replaced by words I've never heard-"
"But he's speaking French?" Kaiser interrupted. "Not Latin?"
Xalvador shook his head. "I thought it would be Latin, from what you asked before. Were you expecting it?"
Now the knight was the one to rub his forehead though Xalvador guessed the reason was different.
"This… man, along with all the men that fought alongside the beasts-"
Xalvador nodded. So warriors both men and man-beast had fought, together.
"Were wearing… armor of a nature that I am sure you would call archaic, just as the language. When they wore it, they looked like Romans."
Xalvador made a face and closed his eyes. Okay, now he understood why the knight had made that expression. This information was… conflicting. They dressed as Romans but spoke as… Franks? As the early Christians of Early France? That was indeed… illogical!
It made no sense.
"Focus." Xalvador opened his eyes at hearing those words. "Turn back to the prisoner, we'll talk about the armor later. I want you to ask him specific questions. Can you translate?"
"I- Well. I can try, but this is going to take a while.
"We have all day."
The Saderan Empire of the continent of Falmar, ruled by Emperor Molt Sol Augustus. This was the identity of the army that had attacked through the gate and attempted to invade the city of Prague.
Hell, demons? These words had no meaning to the captive soldier Xalvador, and through him, Sir Yurochka Kaiser had questioned. To him, they came not from a world of hellfire and evil, but an empire of old with a democratic senate that ruled a world whose system and technology when described appeared to be a mixture of the pagan Roman Empire and the Carolingian Empire of the early history of medieval France. Again, the combination seemed illogical.
It had been enough for the knight who told Xalvador to ask the man whatever he wished and then meet him once more in the room they had been in before. While this did imply he had all the time he wanted to ask and ask he had eventually been called to come by a messenger after apparently having been speaking to the captive for over an hour.
But what he had learned. As contradictory and illogical as it all seemed it was immensely fascinating to the young man to the point that he couldn't help but ask question after question. Eventually, the captive had gone impatient, claiming he would not answer anything else until he was given answers to his own queries. So Xalvador did just that.
He told them they were currently on the continent of Europe, on a spherical realm known as Erde, in the city of Prague which was ruled by the kingdom of Bohemia which in turn was loyal to the Holy Roman Empire.
The man was fascinated by this and asked what gods were practiced. This caused Xalvador himself to ask if polytheism, the belief in multiple gods, was practiced in this strange continent of Falmar. Of course, the man had replied. Then Xalvador had told him that as Europeans, the locals only believed in a single god.
The man was confused at this but Xalvador was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a completely new world, with a cultural and ideological idea so different from his own, that he wanted to learn as much as possible for as long as possible.
But again, an hour of questions had been enough. He had begged the messenger to ask Kaiser for more time but that had only invited guards to tell him they were 'escorting' him to the knight.
And that brought him back to the room where the dead pig-man had been present. The corpse was gone, the blood had been cleaned at the best of the staff's ability, and the table now had something very different on top of it.
It was a cuirass. A cuirass with a rather noticeable hole in it, a sign of something piercing it, but still a sight that proved different enough from any other cuirass he had seen.
"You took your time." The knight stated, poorly hiding his irritation. "As an alchemist, you have a basis in metallurgy, correct?"
"Of course," Xalvador answered. His hands were already upon the cuirass, feeling their way around it and its damaged area as he inspected it with care and attention. "You wish for me to tell you what metal this was made out of?"
He looked up and saw Kaiser nod at him. "I won't be able to answer you immediately, you'll have to give me some time to inspect it."
A scoff. "Fine. But if that will take time to learn, then I want you to at least answer this first. How was it easily penetrated?"
"Pardon?"
"The cuirass. It was easily penetrated by a spear. As if- As if the wielder of the weapon had stabbed someone's gambeson."
Xalvador turned his attention back to the cuirass. Indeed, the hole where it had been penetrated was surprisingly deep… and large. A normal steel cuirass could potentially be penetrated by a fast arrow or a powerful spear lunge, but it would simply not enter deeply enough to harm its owner. This is why warriors were trained to fight around plate armor and attack openings like the back of the legs, the armpits, and other such targets.
But this? This was a sign that the cuirass was… defective?
"Was this the killing blow?"
Kaiser shook his head. "No. It harmed he who wore it but did not kill him. Other blows ensured his death but even if they had not he would most likely have bled out from the wound unless immediately cared for."
Was that a sign that their medical technology was on a level that such a wound was acceptable? That would mean that the weakness of the armor, while defective in the eyes of the people in the room, had some level of logic to it. Indeed while the spear had penetrated it most likely would have gone further, if not for the cuirass. Weak or not.
Wait. "What of his gambeson? His padded armor? Did it not stop the attack?"
"He didn't wear one."
"Tunic?" Xalvador asked with a shrug. "What garment did he wear under his armor?"
"He- They don't wear anything under their armor. Not on the torso at least."
Xalvador made a face of complete disgust. What idiocy was this?! No padded garment, or any garment for that matter, under the metal cuirass? He could have understood the cuirass' weak structure if it had something underneath to boost its defense but nothing at all?
He rubbed his face. This made no sense. No amount of cultural or ideological understanding could explain this lack of logic. But he shook his head. For now, what he had been asked was to figure out how it was so easily penetrated.
So he examined it, tried to bend it with his hand. It resisted, but barely. He asked for a dagger to test it and waited patiently, as Kaiser told the guard that it would be fine.
The weapon was placed in his hand. He placed the point upon the piece of armor, put a hand on the dagger's pommel, and began to push.
First, nothing happened. Then the metal began to bend, ever so slightly. Finally, Xalvador moved his hand off the pommel and then struck it down, forcing the blade into the cuirass.
It penetrated.
"I see." He said, taking a step back. "Well, Captain. I believe I understand now. While in comparison to the armor we are used to it may seem as if the dagger penetrated 'easily', it still puts up enough resistance that one has to push properly to get through it."
"And thus," He crossed his arms, sighing. "I believe I know what it is made of."
"You do? Well?"
"It's a type of silver." Silence. Xalvador began to continue. "I don't know for sure, it's clearly weaker than bronze and from its tint, I can only assume that is what it is. A type of silver. Considering that it was brought here by… man and beasts from a land that can only be visited through- through the gate, well. It could be anything."
"I'll need a lab if you want me to be absolutely sure."
Sir Yurochka Kaiser observed him for a moment. Then he came around the table, put his hand around one of Xalvador's arms, and dismissed the guard.
He made the alchemist follow him, sternly and a bit impolitely, but Xalvador accepted his actions. At this point even if death did await him on the other side of the gate he had to learn all he could of the world beyond.
And finally, that time came when he was among a collection of many and moved towards the impossible marble gate…
Editor's Notes
And here we go. The first chapter became something of a prologue due to it only being a few pages long.
The reason is simple, battles are not my strong suit. While I can tell you how a soldier of the 15th century acts and moves in formation with his allies I can't quite say I am capable of writing exciting action yet. For the most part, I treated chapter 1 as a quick introduction to the concept, wanting to move on to the more character-focused elements of the story.
Here we have Xalvador, the alchemist from the Byzantine Empire. This is the character I mentioned in the last chapter's editor's notes, the one that acts as a representative of my own ideological and moral views. He'll be something of an awkward ally with Sir Kaiser though their clashing and debates are something I look forward to.
Before we move on to the inaccuracies of GATE I would like to reply to our first comment, which comes from the reader "ATP".
Their statement goes as follows:
"Bad armies alone would finish off hussities,with monsters and magic medieval Europe have no chance."
"If you wont Europe with chance of stopping Saderans,you must start with 1600 tech."
"And,from 1850,you could win."
Allow me to begin by thanking you for leaving a comment of your opinion, I highly appreciate it.
While I am sorry that you believe the story is bad I must disagree with your overall statement. First, Hussites have no presence in this story and your mention of them has me a bit confused.
Secondly, while the Saderan Empire has access to magic there simply isn't any magical presence during the very first attack, mages only appear later, and only then will I be able to have the Mercs act accordingly. Please be patient.
Thirdly and finally I can not agree that Medieval Europe, specifically Late Medieval Europe during the 15th century, would not have a chance against the Empire.
In fact, I believe they would be the superior force. Granted they do not have technology on the level of the JSDF but they still have access to medieval technologies often ignored by Fantasy, including GATE(though I am aware the sequel series does address some of it), such as early firearms and other gunpowder technology (which will be explored later in the next chapter) as well as multiple types of explosives (bombs, etc).
To add to that last point, actual 15th-century armies simply have better everything. At least when comparing realistic depictions of those things with fantastical counterparts.
Real steel plate armor can not be penetrated but the armor of the Empire can. That is too great of a weakness to be ignored.
Historical Inaccuracies of the Special Region
1. 9th century Franks becoming Romans for some reason: GATE explains that the Romanesque Saderan Empire originated as misplaced Frankians from the 9th century. The 9th century Franks were early medieval Christians whose kingdom/empire was the remnant of the great Carolingian Empire as made famous by the great Charlemagne.
It is to my knowledge that the source material, whether the anime or the manga or even the original light novel, does not properly explain how such a Christian medieval society became classical Romans. Of course, the Special Region is depicted as being a mixture of Classical Rome and your typical medieval fantasy.
It is possible that the Franks that originally arrived in the Special Region were assimilated by the local mixed culture and its many religions that they simply lost their Christian nature, though again this is never specified.
2. The weak armor, again: Continuing from the point I made in the last chapter, that the armor of the Empire can be penetrated for some reason, I decided that this somehow has to be explained. If not by the source material then by me. While appears to be present in some level coins I felt too much that it also had to be what the armor was made out of. It was simply too weak to be steel or even or, honestly, it couldn't even be miscolored bronze in my opinion. Silver is the weakest of them all and therefore I decided on that, though I've made the decision to explain it as a type of silver as I highly doubt even silver armor would be easily penetrated (or even slashed, as happens later episodes).
That being said... they have to have a reason to wear armor because otherwise there is simply no reason whatsoever to don something that won't protect you and thus I decided to depict the armor as only being easily penetrated in comparison to realistic armor. At first, it resists, then bends, and only after does the weapon push its way through.
Hopefully, this explanation makes the armor of the Empire and GATE as a whole at least make a level of sense.
3. Not wearing anything under your armor: While later warriors, as will quickly be mentioned in the next chapter, do in fact wear clothes under their cuirasses, the Imperial forces appear to be wearing their armor over a bare chest. While they do seem to wear skirts and the like it honestly still looks like there isn't anything under that chest armor.
Besides the fact that wearing armor over your bare skin, it is seriously uncomfortable, especially if there are sharp edges present.
That and you want something more than clothes under your armor. Again, later characters do in fact wear something under their armor but this again appears to only be wearing clothes.
Padded armor, gambeson, or aketons, which were previously mentioned in the last chapter and quickly mentioned here is a type of armor made out of layers of padded and quilted material that adds protection primarily against solid blunt blows but also minor protection against stabbing and cutting by itself.
During the late Middle Ages gambeson was primarily worn under maille (chainmail) and plate armor (as well as brigandine and other heavy armor types) as a sort of cushion. They made the heavier and harder armor easier to carry over one's body and also added additional protection. One of the biggest weaknesses of plate armor are blunt strikes, from maces and the like, and wearing a gambeson underneath helps absorb part of the damage.
In other words... it's illogical not to have it.